SUNDAY 23 AUG 09 MLB STUFF

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LOKI
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Sunday's best MLB bets

Baltimore Orioles at Chicago White Sox (-230, 9.5)

Will someone tell the Baltimore Orioles they are 27 games out of the American League East and don?t have a prayer at landing the Wild Card spot.

Baltimore has risen from the dead and taken it to its last two opponents. On Thursday, the O?s hung on to an 8-7 win over the Tampa Bay Rays. And Friday, the team won their first back-to-back contests since the end of July with a 5-1 victory against the White Sox.

The catalyst for this sudden offensive jolt is second baseman Brian Roberts, who has an 11-game hit streak going including knocking four home runs in his last three games. Roberts is hitting .354 in August with 15 RBIs.

"I know my job and my role," he said. "It doesn't really change no matter who's on this team. We could add Albert Pujols and Matt Holiday and that wouldn't change what my role is. My job is not to try to pick up the homers that Aubrey left off. That's for sure. I just try to do the same thing every day and see what happens."

Heading into Saturday?s game, Baltimore has a 13-12 record versus the AL Central ? it?s only winning record in the American League. The Orioles are 4-3 against Chicago this season.

Pick: Baltimore +212

New York Yankees at Boston Red Sox (-110, 9)

These AL East rivals kept the scoreboards at Fenway working overtime in the first two games of this series. New York and Boston combined for 46 total runs on 62 hits Friday and Saturday.

Now with staff aces C.C. Sabathia and Josh Beckett on the bump, the total for Sunday?s finale is set at an inflated 9 runs. While the BoSox and Bronx Bombers can put runs on the board, these two aces deserve more respect than that. The total opened at 8.5 before Game 2 Saturday but has climbed with the amount of action at the plate influencing total bettors.

Beckett is coming off one of his rockiest starts of the season earlier this week. But in August, the crafty right-hander has been stellar, posting a 3.08 ERA and a strikeout-to-walk count of 22-to-6. Against New York, Beckett hasn?t given up an earned run in his last two starts and has a team win record of 7-3 during his career.

Sabathia is one of the hottest pitchers in baseball. He has a 2.35 ERA this month and hasn?t lost a start since the end of July. In his most recent start, the chunky southpaw struck out seven batters while allowing just two earned runs in eight innings versus Oakland.

Pick: Under 9
 

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LOKI
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Sunday's streaking and slumping starting pitchers

Sunday's streaking and slumping starting pitchers

Sunday's streaking and slumping starting pitchers

Streaking

Felix Hernandez (Seattle Mariners)

Despite playing in the pitcher's paradise of Safeco Field, Hernandez continues to perform better and remains a better play on the road, where he has been next to untouchable.

The right-hander is 8-1 with a 1.92 ERA and a 1.03 WHIP on the road. In his last start at Detroit, he allowed one run and five hits in seven innings, but the Mariners lost a road game with him on the hill for the first time since May 14 at Texas.

Hernandez had not been priced higher than -136 on the road until this start.

David Price (Tampa Bay Rays)

Price has been nearly as good at home as Hernandez has been on the road. The left-hander has allowed more than two earned runs just once in eight starts at Tropicana Field.

Overall, Price is 6-1 with a 2.82 ERA at home. In his last five starts at the Trop, he is 5-0 with a 2.07 ERA. And he still believes he can do better.

"I went five innings; that's not what I wanted to do," Prioce told the team's web site after beating Baltimore in his last start. "I thought I had good stuff. I wish I could have commanded the zone a little bit better."

Ubaldo Jimenez (Colorado Rockies)

How does the fireballing right-hander start getting the recognition he deserves? Outpitching Tim Lincecum would help.

It shouldn't be that hard. Jimenez has outpitched just about every National League hurler since the All-Star break. The Rockies are 6-1 in his seven starts and Jimenez has not allowed more than three earned runs in any of them.

Since the break, Jimenez is 5-0 with a 2.49 ERA and a 1.01 WHIP, allowing just three homers in 50 2-3 innings.

Debuting

John Smoltz (St. Louis Cardinals)

Cardinals pitching coach Dave Duncan has fixed a lot of players in his career. This will be one of his true tests.

Smoltz will be making his first start for the Cardinals, who signed him after he was released by the Boston Red Sox. In eight starts for Boston, Smoltz gave up five or more earned runs six times, compiling an 8.32 ERA.

In his last four starts, the former Cy Young Award winner allowed four homers in 20 innings.

Slumping

Jason Berken (Baltimore Orioles)

The Orioles have lost 10 of the last 11 games started by Berken, who could lose his spot in the rotation once September call-ups arrive.

During that span, the righthander has not pitched more than six innings and has worked five frames or less six times. He is 1-8 with a 6.67 ERA.

In his last three outing, Berken has been prone to giving up the long ball, surrendering six in 16 2-3 innings.

Brian Bannister (Kansas City Royals)

Since pitching seven scoreless innings at Tampa Bay on Aug. 2, the right-hander has been absolutely hammered.

In three starts, Bannister has given up 20 earned runs and 26 hits in 17 innings. Throw in seven walks and his WHIP is 1.94.

Bannister has one win in seven starts since the All-Star break.
 

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LOKI
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Aug 30, 2002
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Top 5 Trends

Top 5 Trends

Top 5 Trends
MIN
KC Home team is 11-0 in Dreckmans last 11 games behind home plate vs. Minnesota.
TEX
TB TB are 8-0 in their last 8 games with Fletcher behind home plate.
BAL
CHW Home team is 8-0 in Kulpas last 8 games behind home plate vs. Baltimore.
SF
COL Over is 8-0-1 in COL last 9 vs. a team with a winning record.
DET
OAK DET are 8-0 in their last 8 after scoring 2 runs or less in their previous game
 
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