Baltimore Orioles -125
Under 7? Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Atlanta Braves
Under 7 (+110) Milwaukee Brewers vs. Chicago Cubs
1 unit bet wins 6.22
Seattle Mariners -235
Kansas City Royals EVEN
1 unit bet wins 1.85
Good luck all!! :00hour :toast: <a href="http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys.php" title="Smiley"><img src="http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/smiley-dance016.gif" alt="Smiley" border="0" /></a> :spotting: :clap: :slomo :0074
2014 parlay record: 10-53, +28.64 units.....on various mixed sports....(1 unit bet each parlay)
Posted here was the first winning parlay of the year, and it was my biggest. Not long after that I didn't post for a few months (the unpredictable ends of NBA + NHL seasons, plus start of MLB, is the worst time of year for parlays), then had this small winner (only paid 1.58 as one game ppd and one total pushed) and Sunday, July 6 three-teamer, and July 14 four-teamer, July 25 4-teamer, with a push, that became a 3 teamer...then this 4 teamer July 29th...and 2-3 on bunch of smaller parlays I tried July 30th...a 3 teamer Aug 8th, and a 2 teamer Aug 9th...
Before the night is done, the@Royals could stand alone in first place
(an old buddy of mine works the concessions at Royals games. He knows nothing of sports, has no idea if Royals winning or losing except by the size and excitment of the crowds!)
ripped, stolen, cut and pasted from the internets:
ESPN Stats & Info@ESPNStatsInfo
Yankees have been outscored 44-25 vs O's this year. NY has scored 1 run in last 20 inn. (scored 10 runs in 1st 6 inn. vs Indians on Friday)
Elias Sports Bureau@EliasSports
Yankees? streak of 2513 games without being shut out back-to-back is an all-time MLB record. The Yankees avoided a streak-ending second consecutive shutout when Jacoby Ellsbury homered with 2 outs in the 9th inning yesterday.
---
?Braves RH Julio Teheran (10-8, 2.92 ERA, WHIP: 1.072) - Teheran gave up two runs on five hits against the Dodgers in the series finale in Los Angeles, but was outdueled by Clayton Kershaw in a 2-1 defeat. He was drilled for six runs on nine hits in his last start Wednesday at Seattle, the most runs allowed by the 23-year-old Atlanta ace since June 11. Teheran is 24-16 with a 3.07 ERA in 54 starts since the start of last season.
--KEY STAT: TEHERAN is 26-11 UNDER (+13.2 Units) versus National League teams scoring 4.3 or less runs/game on the season over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
The average score was TEHERAN 3.4, OPPONENT 3.4.
----
Gallardo and Arrieta have not faced the Cubs and Brewers respectively this year which is an advantage to the pitchers. Both teams have been playing a lot of unders lately. The Brewers have went under in 3 of 4 and 5 of 7. The Cubs have not went over in their last 4 games. Gallardo has been great on the road this year with a 2.90 ERA and 1.16 WHIP. Before his last start in Colorado, Arrieta had given up 3 earned runs or less in 9 straight while pitching at least 6 innings. At home this year he has a 1.85 ERA and 0.92 WHIP.
--
The Toronto Blue Jays and the Detroit Tigers played a marathon of a ball game north of the border Sunday, with the Jays finally coming out on top thanks to a Jose Bautista opposite field single in the bottom of the 19th inning to give them a well-earned 6-5 walk-off victory.
The game was the longest in Blue Jays history, lasting an incredible six hours and 36 minutes. The Jays used eight pitchers in the contest, including starter Marcus Stroman as a pinch runner in the 10th inning.
Toronto won't have much time to catch their breath as Canada's lone baseball club will have to travel five hours westward to Seattle for their date with the Mariners Monday evening at 10:10 pm ET. The news only gets worse for the blue birds since they'll have to face M's ace Felix Hernandez (12-3, 1.97 ERA) on tired legs and a depleted bullpen.
The scrambled trip to the West Coast, general fatigue and a date with King Felix - a nightmare for opposing teams on a good day - creates a recipe for disaster for Toronto. At the time of publication, the Mariners were -197 faves on the moneyline with a total of 6.5.
--
Toronto Blue Jays at Seattle Mariners August 11, 10:10 EST
The Seattle Mariners have been an 'Under' bettors dream lately with Hernandez, evidenced by nine of the last eleven games playing 'Under' posted totals (1-9-1 O/U). Seattle will host Toronto Monday night with Drew Hutchison on the mound. The Jays have played 'Under' in twelve of Hutchinson's last fifteen (3-12 O/U) starts against a team with a winning record.
---
When Pedro Martinez put together his 2000 campaign and expanded the conversation about the greatest pitching seasons in history for a right-hander, he was in his age-28 season.
When Greg Maddux issued his somewhat unfathomable 1.56 ERA in 1994, he was in his age-28 season. So was Addie Joss in 1908, when he authored a 0.806 WHIP (the third lowest for any pitcher since 1893); so was Christy Mathewson in 1909 when he posted a 1.14 ERA (the fourth lowest since 1893); and so was Pete Alexander in 1915, when he won the pitching Triple Crown in the National League and issued a bevy of extraordinary numbers, including a 0.842 WHIP, 31 wins and a 1.22 ERA.
When looking at right-handed pitchers and seeking out some of the more extraordinary combinations of WHIP and adjusted ERA, it's uncanny how many of them put together their memorable combos in their age-28 season. In 2014, Felix Hernandez is assembling what might just be regarded as one of those truly special years, and he, too, is doing it in his age-28 campaign. And it should be noted that the Reds' Johnny Cueto, who is also drawing together a year that keeps catching the eye, is making all of his superior pitches this year while throwing in his age-28 season.
Felix on pace for epic season
Hernandez allowed one run in eight innings, fanned eight with one walk and improved to 12-3 in the Mariners' 4-2 win over the Braves on Tuesday.
For the season, Hernandez owns a 1.97 ERA (190 ERA+), a 0.877 WHIP and he is allowing 6.23 hits per nine innings. Among all qualifying right-handers since 1893, there are 10 who have finished a year with an ERA+ of at least 190 and a WHIP below 0.900. The notable group includes the aforementioned Martinez in 2000, Maddux in 1994 and '95, Mathewson in '09 and Alexander in '15.
---
Give me King Felix vs. a Toronto team off that NEVER beats David Price, but just did, off 19 innings, then to the Airport flying cross country to get to Sea. CAN THEIR BE A WORST SPOT??
I KNOW this is unpopular to say, but I don?t need to find some ?silly? -200 other favorite to parlay this into to make me feel like I?m not laying -200. I am VERY HAPPY to just lay -200 (which I have to do in a parlay anyways), with a team I?m SURE would win in this situation over 2/3 of the time.
Also with a total of under 7, I have ZERO desire to sweat out -1.5 in my bet. I don?t need Sea to be up 2-1 after 6 innings and stare at a Sea -400 line, BUT I?m losing vs. the -1.5 line
---
A couple of weeks ago we wrote about how the Orioles have defied logic for most of the year with a weak starting rotation and an offense that had been running cold for most of the year. However, the Orioles bats have really come to life recently with outputs of 7, 9, 10 and 12 runs scored in four of their past seven games. The Orioles average of 5.2 runs scored per game in August leads the majors. They also lead the majors in home runs with 147, which is 40 more jacks than the Yanks have belted out. This offense now gets a crack at Chris Capuano.
Frequent Flier programs were invented for guys like Chris Capuano. After two years with the Dodgers, he signed with the Red Sox in the offseason. After being released in July, he was picked up by Colorado, and was being stretched out in the minors to serve as a starter. He was then traded to the Yankees, where he now finds himself as a starter in the midst of a pennant chase.
While Capuano may now have time to unpack, he?s unlikely to be a difference-maker for New York. While he usually has good control, he?s been uncharacteristically wild this year. Capuano?s strikeout rate looks good (46 in 51 innings) but his swinging strike rate of 7% indicates that he may not be able to maintain it for long. Additionally, this year's K rate spike has come primarily in relief work, before his recent move to the NYY rotation. Of Capuano?s 51 innings pitched this year, 32 have come in relief, usually one inning or less. While he?s done better the past couple of years, he?s had issues with fly balls during his career. This could be an issue in this hitter?s park against this home-run hitting team. The litany of pitcher injuries the Yankees have faced this year has essentially forced them to give Capuano a chance at this point and all we can say is that all those other teams in need of starters can?t all be wrong, can they?
Speaking of defying logic, how about the Yankees? The Yanks are five games over .500 with a garbage team that no GM in baseball would trade for his own. No reliable starters, an offense that has two consistent hitters in Jacoby Ellsbury and Brett Gardiner (Yanks 4, 5 and 6 hitters are batting .230, .245. and .175 respectively) and two backup catchers with Brian McCann out with a concussion.
The Yanks are a collection of aging vets and castoffs. Over their last four games they have been held to one run or less three times with all them occurring at Yankee Stadium (+33% LH HR; +16% RH HR). Bud Norris has held the opposition to one run or less in five of his past eight starts. Norris has had a steady 2014 season thus far, with a 50%/5% dominant start/disaster start split in 19 starts.
At Camden Yard he is 4-2 with an ERA of 2.61 (xERA of 3.32). Over his last four starts covering 24 frames, Norris has 24 K?s and a 47% groundball rate. All of his skills are trending the right way. Lastly, once the Orioles starters get through six innings, it?s lights out for the opposition with Andre Miller (27 hits in 47 innings), Darren O?Day (33 hits in 51 innings) and Zach Britton (37 hits in 58 innings) coming in to form what has been the deadliest trio in the majors since the All-Star break. Lay the 1?-runs if you like but we?ll play it safer and spot a run.
The Yankees and Orioles will start an important series tonight in Baltimore. New York sends Chris Capuano to the mound who is 1-2 with a 3.91 ERA, .263 OBA and 1.42 WHIP on the season. Over his last three starts he has allowed just 6 earned runs against in a combined 19 innings of work. His latest outing was his best as he went 6.2 innings giving up just 5 hits and 0 earned runs with 8 strikeouts.
The Orioles will have Bud Norris on the mound who is 9-7 with a 3.68 ERA, .251 OBa and 1.26 WHIP. He has been solid since the All Star break with a 2.63 ERA over 4 starts, and at home this year he is 4-2 with a 2.61 ERA, .247 OBA and 1.20 WHIP. New York scored 10 runs on Friday, but in their three other games since Thursday they scored a combined 2 runs.
The UNDER is 18-7-1 in their last 26 games overall, 8-1 in their last 9 as an underdog, and 5-1 in their last 6 vs a right handed starter. The UNDER is 20-8 in the Orioles last 28 divisional games, 8-2 in their last 10 vs a left handed starter, 4-0 in Norris' last 4 home games and 7-1 in his last 8 starts overall. The UNDER is 5-1 in these two teams last 6 meetings overall as well. I'm on the UNDER.
--
Two storied franchises, the Dodgers and Braves, begin a four-game series at Turner Field on Monday night.
Los Angeles has gone 13-9 (.591) since the All-Star break to take a solid 4.5-game lead over the Giants in the NL West. The Dodgers were nearly swept in Milwaukee this weekend though, and after their offense mustered up a measly four runs over the first two games, they were saved by ace Clayton Kershaw who went eight strong inning (6 H, 1 ER, 6 K?s) in the 5-1 victory on Sunday. Despite some offensive struggles, 1B Adrian Gonzalez (.269 BA) has found his stroke and is 9-for-14 with three doubles, two home runs and 7 RBI over his past four contests. Atlanta had lost eight straight games -- all of which were on the road -- going into its weekend series against the NL East-leading Nationals, but was able to take 2-of-3 games in the return home, trimming the division deficit to 3.5 games behind Washington. The Braves' 3-1 win in the rubber match on Sunday was a microcosm of what they have done to be successful as the starting pitching of Alex Wood (7.1 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 12 K?s) saved a below-average offense which is third-worst in the league in runs scored (437). 1B Freddie Freeman (.288 BA) has been a bright spot in their lineup, especially in the past four games where he's 8-for-15 with two doubles, a homer and 4 RBI. Newly acquired RHP Kevin Correia (5-13, 4.94 ERA) will toe the rubber for L.A. in this one, while Atlanta counters with flamethrowing, 23-year-old RHP Julio Teheran (10-8, 2.92 ERA). The Dodgers have done much better on the road this year with an MLB-best record of 37-25 (.597), but will have a tough time against the Braves who are an excellent 33-25 (.569) at Turner Field. These two clubs met just a two weeks ago (July 29-31) when L.A. swept three games at home to push its record in this series over the past three years to 11-9, but Atlanta holds the 5-3 edge at Turner Field during this timeframe. Some trends bettors may want to consider in this game include that the Braves are 87-49 (.640) under manager Fredi Gonzalez after having lost 4 or 5 of their previous six games, but the Dodgers are a stellar 35-8 (.814) versus an NL team with a batting average of .250 or worse in the second half of the season over the past two years. Los Angeles? offense may be thin on Monday though with OF Yasiel Puig (back) questionable and SS Hanley Ramirez (side) on the 15-day DL. The one injury to watch for on Atlanta is SS Andrelton Simmons (ankle) who is questionable for the contest.
Kevin Correia has had a long career with 344 games pitched (213 starts) at the major-league level, and the Dodgers are hoping that he can provide just enough depth when needed. He?s never been an ace by any terms of the word and has over a 4.15 ERA in each of the past five seasons. With a pitiful 4.2 K/9 this year, Correia is by no means a strikeout pitcher, but has solid control (2.2 BB/9) and has done a pretty good job keeping the ball in the ballpark with 13 homers allowed over 129.1 frames (0.90 HR/9) with the Twins. Correia had quality starts in his final two outings with Minnesota as he combined to pitch 12 innings while allowing five runs (4 ER) and striking out seven with only one walk. In his 12 career games (8 starts) against the Braves, Correia is 3-3 with a 4.20 ERA and dreadful 1.62 WHIP, while allowing six home runs in 45 innings of work. When he last faced Atlanta on May 20, 2013, the right-hander was tagged for five runs on eight hits in just four innings of work. OF Justin Upton has been great against the veteran in his career, as he is 16-for-44 (.364) with four doubles, 1 HR and 2 RBI. Overall, the players in Atlanta?s lineup have combined to go 38-for-108 (.352) against the righty with 13 extra-base hits (.500 SLG). SS Andrelton Simmons is the only player to really struggle versus Correia, going hitless in five at-bats. The Dodgers? bullpen has gone 12-18 this year with a 3.68 ERA and 1.33 WHIP, while converting 35-of-45 (78%) save chances. Closer Kenley Jansen (3.00 ERA, 32 saves) has struck out 14.1 batters per nine innings on the season and is 32-for-36 (89%) in his save opportunities.
Julio Teheran has been great in his second full season at the big league level and ranks in the top-10 among NL pitchers in all the major pitching categories. He's 2nd in innings (163.1), 3rd in complete games (3), 4th in WHIP (1.07), 8th in strikeouts (146) and 10th I ERA (2.92). He is striking out 8.0 batters per nine innings on the year and has shown amazing control (2.0 BB/9) for such a young pitcher. Teheran has been lucky though, benefiting from hitters having a .268 BABIP, which is well below the league average of .298 BABIP. He?s lasted at least seven innings in seven of his past 10 outings, and has allowed two or fewer runs in five of those starts. He did very well against the Dodgers two outings ago on July 31, tossing eight innings while allowing only two runs on five hits with nine strikeouts with three walks in a losing effort. In his one other career start against L.A. in last year's playoffs, Teheran was bombed for six runs on eight hits and six runs in just 2.2 innings. No player on L.A. has more than four at-bats against the youngster, and as a team they are 7-for-30 (.233) with three extra-base hits (1 HR) and eight strikeouts when facing him. OF Yasiel Puig was the player to take Teheran yard in their last matchup, but the Dodgers may not miss their other injured star, SS Hanley Ramirez, who went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts against the right-hander. The Braves relievers are 17-20 with a 3.31 ERA and 1.31 WHIP this season, and have successfully converted 41-of-51 (80%) saves. Craig Kimbrel (1.91 ERA, 34 saves) has been mowing down batters at an incredible rate (15.1 K/9) while allowing one home run in his 47 innings of work (0.19 HR/9).
Under 7? Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Atlanta Braves
Under 7 (+110) Milwaukee Brewers vs. Chicago Cubs
1 unit bet wins 6.22
Seattle Mariners -235
Kansas City Royals EVEN
1 unit bet wins 1.85
Good luck all!! :00hour :toast: <a href="http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys.php" title="Smiley"><img src="http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/smiley-dance016.gif" alt="Smiley" border="0" /></a> :spotting: :clap: :slomo :0074
2014 parlay record: 10-53, +28.64 units.....on various mixed sports....(1 unit bet each parlay)
Posted here was the first winning parlay of the year, and it was my biggest. Not long after that I didn't post for a few months (the unpredictable ends of NBA + NHL seasons, plus start of MLB, is the worst time of year for parlays), then had this small winner (only paid 1.58 as one game ppd and one total pushed) and Sunday, July 6 three-teamer, and July 14 four-teamer, July 25 4-teamer, with a push, that became a 3 teamer...then this 4 teamer July 29th...and 2-3 on bunch of smaller parlays I tried July 30th...a 3 teamer Aug 8th, and a 2 teamer Aug 9th...
Before the night is done, the@Royals could stand alone in first place
(an old buddy of mine works the concessions at Royals games. He knows nothing of sports, has no idea if Royals winning or losing except by the size and excitment of the crowds!)
ripped, stolen, cut and pasted from the internets:
ESPN Stats & Info@ESPNStatsInfo
Yankees have been outscored 44-25 vs O's this year. NY has scored 1 run in last 20 inn. (scored 10 runs in 1st 6 inn. vs Indians on Friday)
Elias Sports Bureau@EliasSports
Yankees? streak of 2513 games without being shut out back-to-back is an all-time MLB record. The Yankees avoided a streak-ending second consecutive shutout when Jacoby Ellsbury homered with 2 outs in the 9th inning yesterday.
---
?Braves RH Julio Teheran (10-8, 2.92 ERA, WHIP: 1.072) - Teheran gave up two runs on five hits against the Dodgers in the series finale in Los Angeles, but was outdueled by Clayton Kershaw in a 2-1 defeat. He was drilled for six runs on nine hits in his last start Wednesday at Seattle, the most runs allowed by the 23-year-old Atlanta ace since June 11. Teheran is 24-16 with a 3.07 ERA in 54 starts since the start of last season.
--KEY STAT: TEHERAN is 26-11 UNDER (+13.2 Units) versus National League teams scoring 4.3 or less runs/game on the season over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
The average score was TEHERAN 3.4, OPPONENT 3.4.
----
Gallardo and Arrieta have not faced the Cubs and Brewers respectively this year which is an advantage to the pitchers. Both teams have been playing a lot of unders lately. The Brewers have went under in 3 of 4 and 5 of 7. The Cubs have not went over in their last 4 games. Gallardo has been great on the road this year with a 2.90 ERA and 1.16 WHIP. Before his last start in Colorado, Arrieta had given up 3 earned runs or less in 9 straight while pitching at least 6 innings. At home this year he has a 1.85 ERA and 0.92 WHIP.
--
The Toronto Blue Jays and the Detroit Tigers played a marathon of a ball game north of the border Sunday, with the Jays finally coming out on top thanks to a Jose Bautista opposite field single in the bottom of the 19th inning to give them a well-earned 6-5 walk-off victory.
The game was the longest in Blue Jays history, lasting an incredible six hours and 36 minutes. The Jays used eight pitchers in the contest, including starter Marcus Stroman as a pinch runner in the 10th inning.
Toronto won't have much time to catch their breath as Canada's lone baseball club will have to travel five hours westward to Seattle for their date with the Mariners Monday evening at 10:10 pm ET. The news only gets worse for the blue birds since they'll have to face M's ace Felix Hernandez (12-3, 1.97 ERA) on tired legs and a depleted bullpen.
The scrambled trip to the West Coast, general fatigue and a date with King Felix - a nightmare for opposing teams on a good day - creates a recipe for disaster for Toronto. At the time of publication, the Mariners were -197 faves on the moneyline with a total of 6.5.
--
Toronto Blue Jays at Seattle Mariners August 11, 10:10 EST
The Seattle Mariners have been an 'Under' bettors dream lately with Hernandez, evidenced by nine of the last eleven games playing 'Under' posted totals (1-9-1 O/U). Seattle will host Toronto Monday night with Drew Hutchison on the mound. The Jays have played 'Under' in twelve of Hutchinson's last fifteen (3-12 O/U) starts against a team with a winning record.
---
When Pedro Martinez put together his 2000 campaign and expanded the conversation about the greatest pitching seasons in history for a right-hander, he was in his age-28 season.
When Greg Maddux issued his somewhat unfathomable 1.56 ERA in 1994, he was in his age-28 season. So was Addie Joss in 1908, when he authored a 0.806 WHIP (the third lowest for any pitcher since 1893); so was Christy Mathewson in 1909 when he posted a 1.14 ERA (the fourth lowest since 1893); and so was Pete Alexander in 1915, when he won the pitching Triple Crown in the National League and issued a bevy of extraordinary numbers, including a 0.842 WHIP, 31 wins and a 1.22 ERA.
When looking at right-handed pitchers and seeking out some of the more extraordinary combinations of WHIP and adjusted ERA, it's uncanny how many of them put together their memorable combos in their age-28 season. In 2014, Felix Hernandez is assembling what might just be regarded as one of those truly special years, and he, too, is doing it in his age-28 campaign. And it should be noted that the Reds' Johnny Cueto, who is also drawing together a year that keeps catching the eye, is making all of his superior pitches this year while throwing in his age-28 season.
Felix on pace for epic season
Hernandez allowed one run in eight innings, fanned eight with one walk and improved to 12-3 in the Mariners' 4-2 win over the Braves on Tuesday.
For the season, Hernandez owns a 1.97 ERA (190 ERA+), a 0.877 WHIP and he is allowing 6.23 hits per nine innings. Among all qualifying right-handers since 1893, there are 10 who have finished a year with an ERA+ of at least 190 and a WHIP below 0.900. The notable group includes the aforementioned Martinez in 2000, Maddux in 1994 and '95, Mathewson in '09 and Alexander in '15.
---
Give me King Felix vs. a Toronto team off that NEVER beats David Price, but just did, off 19 innings, then to the Airport flying cross country to get to Sea. CAN THEIR BE A WORST SPOT??
I KNOW this is unpopular to say, but I don?t need to find some ?silly? -200 other favorite to parlay this into to make me feel like I?m not laying -200. I am VERY HAPPY to just lay -200 (which I have to do in a parlay anyways), with a team I?m SURE would win in this situation over 2/3 of the time.
Also with a total of under 7, I have ZERO desire to sweat out -1.5 in my bet. I don?t need Sea to be up 2-1 after 6 innings and stare at a Sea -400 line, BUT I?m losing vs. the -1.5 line
---
A couple of weeks ago we wrote about how the Orioles have defied logic for most of the year with a weak starting rotation and an offense that had been running cold for most of the year. However, the Orioles bats have really come to life recently with outputs of 7, 9, 10 and 12 runs scored in four of their past seven games. The Orioles average of 5.2 runs scored per game in August leads the majors. They also lead the majors in home runs with 147, which is 40 more jacks than the Yanks have belted out. This offense now gets a crack at Chris Capuano.
Frequent Flier programs were invented for guys like Chris Capuano. After two years with the Dodgers, he signed with the Red Sox in the offseason. After being released in July, he was picked up by Colorado, and was being stretched out in the minors to serve as a starter. He was then traded to the Yankees, where he now finds himself as a starter in the midst of a pennant chase.
While Capuano may now have time to unpack, he?s unlikely to be a difference-maker for New York. While he usually has good control, he?s been uncharacteristically wild this year. Capuano?s strikeout rate looks good (46 in 51 innings) but his swinging strike rate of 7% indicates that he may not be able to maintain it for long. Additionally, this year's K rate spike has come primarily in relief work, before his recent move to the NYY rotation. Of Capuano?s 51 innings pitched this year, 32 have come in relief, usually one inning or less. While he?s done better the past couple of years, he?s had issues with fly balls during his career. This could be an issue in this hitter?s park against this home-run hitting team. The litany of pitcher injuries the Yankees have faced this year has essentially forced them to give Capuano a chance at this point and all we can say is that all those other teams in need of starters can?t all be wrong, can they?
Speaking of defying logic, how about the Yankees? The Yanks are five games over .500 with a garbage team that no GM in baseball would trade for his own. No reliable starters, an offense that has two consistent hitters in Jacoby Ellsbury and Brett Gardiner (Yanks 4, 5 and 6 hitters are batting .230, .245. and .175 respectively) and two backup catchers with Brian McCann out with a concussion.
The Yanks are a collection of aging vets and castoffs. Over their last four games they have been held to one run or less three times with all them occurring at Yankee Stadium (+33% LH HR; +16% RH HR). Bud Norris has held the opposition to one run or less in five of his past eight starts. Norris has had a steady 2014 season thus far, with a 50%/5% dominant start/disaster start split in 19 starts.
At Camden Yard he is 4-2 with an ERA of 2.61 (xERA of 3.32). Over his last four starts covering 24 frames, Norris has 24 K?s and a 47% groundball rate. All of his skills are trending the right way. Lastly, once the Orioles starters get through six innings, it?s lights out for the opposition with Andre Miller (27 hits in 47 innings), Darren O?Day (33 hits in 51 innings) and Zach Britton (37 hits in 58 innings) coming in to form what has been the deadliest trio in the majors since the All-Star break. Lay the 1?-runs if you like but we?ll play it safer and spot a run.
The Yankees and Orioles will start an important series tonight in Baltimore. New York sends Chris Capuano to the mound who is 1-2 with a 3.91 ERA, .263 OBA and 1.42 WHIP on the season. Over his last three starts he has allowed just 6 earned runs against in a combined 19 innings of work. His latest outing was his best as he went 6.2 innings giving up just 5 hits and 0 earned runs with 8 strikeouts.
The Orioles will have Bud Norris on the mound who is 9-7 with a 3.68 ERA, .251 OBa and 1.26 WHIP. He has been solid since the All Star break with a 2.63 ERA over 4 starts, and at home this year he is 4-2 with a 2.61 ERA, .247 OBA and 1.20 WHIP. New York scored 10 runs on Friday, but in their three other games since Thursday they scored a combined 2 runs.
The UNDER is 18-7-1 in their last 26 games overall, 8-1 in their last 9 as an underdog, and 5-1 in their last 6 vs a right handed starter. The UNDER is 20-8 in the Orioles last 28 divisional games, 8-2 in their last 10 vs a left handed starter, 4-0 in Norris' last 4 home games and 7-1 in his last 8 starts overall. The UNDER is 5-1 in these two teams last 6 meetings overall as well. I'm on the UNDER.
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Two storied franchises, the Dodgers and Braves, begin a four-game series at Turner Field on Monday night.
Los Angeles has gone 13-9 (.591) since the All-Star break to take a solid 4.5-game lead over the Giants in the NL West. The Dodgers were nearly swept in Milwaukee this weekend though, and after their offense mustered up a measly four runs over the first two games, they were saved by ace Clayton Kershaw who went eight strong inning (6 H, 1 ER, 6 K?s) in the 5-1 victory on Sunday. Despite some offensive struggles, 1B Adrian Gonzalez (.269 BA) has found his stroke and is 9-for-14 with three doubles, two home runs and 7 RBI over his past four contests. Atlanta had lost eight straight games -- all of which were on the road -- going into its weekend series against the NL East-leading Nationals, but was able to take 2-of-3 games in the return home, trimming the division deficit to 3.5 games behind Washington. The Braves' 3-1 win in the rubber match on Sunday was a microcosm of what they have done to be successful as the starting pitching of Alex Wood (7.1 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 12 K?s) saved a below-average offense which is third-worst in the league in runs scored (437). 1B Freddie Freeman (.288 BA) has been a bright spot in their lineup, especially in the past four games where he's 8-for-15 with two doubles, a homer and 4 RBI. Newly acquired RHP Kevin Correia (5-13, 4.94 ERA) will toe the rubber for L.A. in this one, while Atlanta counters with flamethrowing, 23-year-old RHP Julio Teheran (10-8, 2.92 ERA). The Dodgers have done much better on the road this year with an MLB-best record of 37-25 (.597), but will have a tough time against the Braves who are an excellent 33-25 (.569) at Turner Field. These two clubs met just a two weeks ago (July 29-31) when L.A. swept three games at home to push its record in this series over the past three years to 11-9, but Atlanta holds the 5-3 edge at Turner Field during this timeframe. Some trends bettors may want to consider in this game include that the Braves are 87-49 (.640) under manager Fredi Gonzalez after having lost 4 or 5 of their previous six games, but the Dodgers are a stellar 35-8 (.814) versus an NL team with a batting average of .250 or worse in the second half of the season over the past two years. Los Angeles? offense may be thin on Monday though with OF Yasiel Puig (back) questionable and SS Hanley Ramirez (side) on the 15-day DL. The one injury to watch for on Atlanta is SS Andrelton Simmons (ankle) who is questionable for the contest.
Kevin Correia has had a long career with 344 games pitched (213 starts) at the major-league level, and the Dodgers are hoping that he can provide just enough depth when needed. He?s never been an ace by any terms of the word and has over a 4.15 ERA in each of the past five seasons. With a pitiful 4.2 K/9 this year, Correia is by no means a strikeout pitcher, but has solid control (2.2 BB/9) and has done a pretty good job keeping the ball in the ballpark with 13 homers allowed over 129.1 frames (0.90 HR/9) with the Twins. Correia had quality starts in his final two outings with Minnesota as he combined to pitch 12 innings while allowing five runs (4 ER) and striking out seven with only one walk. In his 12 career games (8 starts) against the Braves, Correia is 3-3 with a 4.20 ERA and dreadful 1.62 WHIP, while allowing six home runs in 45 innings of work. When he last faced Atlanta on May 20, 2013, the right-hander was tagged for five runs on eight hits in just four innings of work. OF Justin Upton has been great against the veteran in his career, as he is 16-for-44 (.364) with four doubles, 1 HR and 2 RBI. Overall, the players in Atlanta?s lineup have combined to go 38-for-108 (.352) against the righty with 13 extra-base hits (.500 SLG). SS Andrelton Simmons is the only player to really struggle versus Correia, going hitless in five at-bats. The Dodgers? bullpen has gone 12-18 this year with a 3.68 ERA and 1.33 WHIP, while converting 35-of-45 (78%) save chances. Closer Kenley Jansen (3.00 ERA, 32 saves) has struck out 14.1 batters per nine innings on the season and is 32-for-36 (89%) in his save opportunities.
Julio Teheran has been great in his second full season at the big league level and ranks in the top-10 among NL pitchers in all the major pitching categories. He's 2nd in innings (163.1), 3rd in complete games (3), 4th in WHIP (1.07), 8th in strikeouts (146) and 10th I ERA (2.92). He is striking out 8.0 batters per nine innings on the year and has shown amazing control (2.0 BB/9) for such a young pitcher. Teheran has been lucky though, benefiting from hitters having a .268 BABIP, which is well below the league average of .298 BABIP. He?s lasted at least seven innings in seven of his past 10 outings, and has allowed two or fewer runs in five of those starts. He did very well against the Dodgers two outings ago on July 31, tossing eight innings while allowing only two runs on five hits with nine strikeouts with three walks in a losing effort. In his one other career start against L.A. in last year's playoffs, Teheran was bombed for six runs on eight hits and six runs in just 2.2 innings. No player on L.A. has more than four at-bats against the youngster, and as a team they are 7-for-30 (.233) with three extra-base hits (1 HR) and eight strikeouts when facing him. OF Yasiel Puig was the player to take Teheran yard in their last matchup, but the Dodgers may not miss their other injured star, SS Hanley Ramirez, who went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts against the right-hander. The Braves relievers are 17-20 with a 3.31 ERA and 1.31 WHIP this season, and have successfully converted 41-of-51 (80%) saves. Craig Kimbrel (1.91 ERA, 34 saves) has been mowing down batters at an incredible rate (15.1 K/9) while allowing one home run in his 47 innings of work (0.19 HR/9).
