Thursday's MLB tip sheet
Sept. 5, 2002
By Barry Daniels
VegasInsider.com Managing Editor
<b>Astros (Miller) at Padres (Peavy) </b>
--Wade Miller is 3-0 in his last four starts and has pitched into the seventh inning while allowing three runs or less on each occasion.
--The recent success has raised Miller's record to 12-3 and lowered his ERA to 3.84.
--The 'over' is 8-2 in Miller's last 10 road assignments and Houston has emerged victorious in each of Miller's last eight road starts.
--Jake Peavy is 4-1 with a 2.84 ERA in five home starts, opposed to 1-5 with a 6.57 ERA in seven road outings.
--Peavy has allowed two runs in four of his last five outings, with the Padres winning each of his last four home starts.
--Peavy suffered a 2-1 setback in his lone start against the Astros this season (Aug. 28) when he allowed two runs on six hits and fanned seven in six innings as a $1.90 road underdog.
<b>D'backs (Schilling) at Giants (Schmidt) </b>
--Curt Schilling is a sizzling 11-1 with a 2.45 ERA in 14 road starts.
--Schilling is 2-1 in three starts against the Giants this season, with the lone loss occurring in his most recent outing last Thursday. He allowed three runs on four hits (two homers) and fanned nine batters in seven innings. Arizona lost that game as a $2.40 home favorite, 5-0.
--Jason Schmidt is on a personal three-game winning streak, including last Wednesday's 7-6 victory against these same Diamondbacks. He allowed five runs on five hits and struck out 10 batters in just five innings as a $1.85 road underdog.
--The 'under' is 5-1 in Schmidt's last six efforts at Pac Bell park.
--Schmidt's lone home start against Arizona (May 28) resulted in a complete-game 1-0 victory as a $1.38 favorite. He allowed just three hits and fanned six in nine innings.
<b>Blue Jays (Miller) at Red Sox (Burkett) </b>
--Justin Miller is 1-3 with a bloated 10.31 ERA in five road starts, compared to 4-1 with a 3.30 ERA in eight home appearances.
--Miller was not involved in the decision during his lone start against the Red Sox this season (May 29) after allowing three runs on three hits and walking five batters in six innings.
--Tim Wakefield has allowed just one earned run in each of his last four starts and has pitched six innings or more on each occasion.
--Wakefield received a no decision in his lone start against Toronto this season (July 2) despite blanking the Blue Jays on three hits through six innings. The Red Sox went on to register a 2-1 victory as a $1.67 home favorite.
--The home team is 8-2 in the first 10 games between Boston and Toronto this season.
<b>Angels (Ortiz) at Devil Rays (Kennedy) </b>
--Ramon Ortiz is 2-0 in his last four starts, with the Angels scoring 28 runs during that span.
--Ortiz has seen the 'over' go 7-2 in his last nine road efforts.
--Ortiz received a no-decision in his lone start against Tampa Bay this season (July 7) despite surrendering just one run on three hits and fanning seven batters in nine innings. The Angels went on to register a 2-1 victory as a $2.40 home favorite.
--Joe Kennedy is 4-4 in 10 home starts, but his 2.62 ERA in three runs lower than his 5.64 ERA in 16 road outings.
Thursday, September 5
Olympic Stadium | 1:35 PM ET
Randy Wolf (10-7, 3.26)
Philadelphia Phillies (69-69) @ Javier Vazquez (8-12, 4.10)
Montreal Expos (69-70)
Scouting Report:
Vazquez needs a win to snap a brutal streak that saw him go 0-6 with a 6.61 ERA in his six August starts. His last win came on July 24 at New York. If recent history against the Phils is any indication, luck might be on his side -- he is 2-0 despite a 5.79 ERA against Philadelphia in three starts this year. Wolf will put his 27-inning scoreless streak on the line against the Expos. Though he allowed seven runs total in six August starts for a 1.37 ERA, he has allowed seven runs in two starts at Olympic Stadium in 13 1/3 innings (4.73). He has won his past three starts and hasn't lost since July 21.
Qualcomm Stadium | 5:05 PM ET
Wade Miller (12-3, 3.84)
Houston Astros (73-66) @ Jake Peavy (5-6, 4.85)
San Diego Padres (60-79)
Scouting Report:
Miller, who leads the Astros with a career-high nine-game winning streak, will go for his 12th win in the series finale with the Padres. He was 4-0 with a 2.83 ERA in six August starts and is 1-1 with a 9.00 ERA over two starts against San Diego in 2001. Peavy gave up just two runs on six hits in his last game, in which the Padres got beat, 2-1, by the Astros and Roy Oswalt. Peavy is 4-1 at home with a 2.84 ERA, as opposed to his 1-5 road record with a 6.57 ERA.
Yankee Stadium | 7:05 PM ET
Steve Sparks (8-14, 5.73)
Detroit Tigers (51-88) @ Orlando Hernandez (7-4, 3.50)
New York Yankees (86-52)
Scouting Report:
Sparks has given up 17 runs in 7 1/3 innings over his past two starts and has lost his last three outings. He threw a complete-game three-hitter against the Yankees in June 2001 but has a 5.13 career ERA against the Bronx Bombers. Hernandez will make his fifth career start against Detroit, the first since July 8, 1999. Hernandez is 3-1 with a 4.15 ERA against the Tigers, including a 2-0 mark with a 2.08 ERA at Yankee Stadium. The Yankees are 10-8 in Hernandez's starts this season, averaging 4.7 runs per start.
Oriole Park at Camden Yards | 7:05 PM ET
Kenny Rogers (12-7, 3.98)
Texas Rangers (62-76) @ Jason Johnson (4-11, 4.50)
Baltimore Orioles (64-73)
Scouting Report:
Rogers had a no-decision on Saturday against Tampa Bay, going 5 2/3 innings and allowing three runs. He is 0-1 with a 6.57 ERA in his last four starts since defeating Cleveland on Aug. 9. Johnson is trying to finish a disappointing season in positive fashion. He has been on the disabled list twice and his 11 losses are tied for fourth in the American League. He lost his previous outing against Anaheim.
Fenway Park | 7:05 PM ET
Justin Miller (6-4, 5.72)
Toronto Blue Jays (61-78) @ John Burkett (10-7, 4.94)
Boston Red Sox (77-60)
Scouting Report:
Miller is coming off one of the best starts of his career. Last week, Miller threw seven innings of three-hit baseball against the Yankees. He came out with the win, ending August with a 2-0 record and a 2.89 ERA. For the season, in 74 innings pitched, Miller has allowed 75 hits with 53 walks against only 43 strikeouts. Burkett attempts to rebound from a disastrous August, which saw him go 0-4 with a 9.64 ERA. His last victory was a complete-game shutout at Fenway Park on July 27. Burkett has pitched far better at Fenway (4-2, 2.53) than on the road (6-5, 6.96). Burkett is 2-0 with a 3.20 ERA against the Jays this season, and 6-4 in 16 games started in his career.
Shea Stadium | 7:10 PM ET
Brad Penny (6-4, 4.47)
Florida Marlins (68-70) @ Steve Trachsel (8-10, 3.46)
New York Mets (63-74)
Scouting Report:
Penny continues to impress. The Marlins have won the last four times Penny has started, although he was credited with just one of those victories. In his last start, a no-decision against the Pirates, Penny struck out nine in six innings, giving up two runs. Penny has 32 strikeouts in his last 32 innings. Trachsel has been one of the Mets' most consistent, if not the most consistent, pitchers since last June. He's 0-3 in his last four starts, a hard-luck loser in those outings. He went 1-3 with a 2.25 ERA in six August starts.
Tropicana Field | 7:15 PM ET
Ramon Ortiz (11-9, 3.95)
Anaheim Angels (84-54) @ Joe Kennedy (7-9, 4.32)
Tampa Bay Devil Rays (47-91)
Scouting Report:
Ortiz is coming off his best start of the year, a 9-0 shutout over the Baltimore Orioles at home last Saturday night. It was Ortiz's first Major League shutout and shows he might be back on his game. After struggling a bit through June and July, Ortiz has won three of his last four starts and has lowered his ERA to under 4.00 for the first time since July 30. Kennedy missed his last start because of a tired arm. He has thrown 173 innings this season, including five complete games. His career high in innings is 190 2/3 at three different levels in 2001. He has not pitched against the Rangers this season.
Comiskey Park [II] | 8:05 PM ET
Ricardo Rodriguez (1-1, 6.05)
Cleveland Indians (61-77) @ Gary Glover (7-6, 4.80)
Chicago White Sox (68-71)
Scouting Report:
Unafraid to pitch inside, the 24-year-old Rodriguez has shown his toughness in the three starts he's made for the Indians. While his ERA might be high, R-Rod has pitched a lot better than his numbers. He's smart, and he's got first-rate stuff, which he has shown in all of his outings. He could easily have a better ERA with a little help from his defense. Glover has already faced the Indians seven times this season, including two starts. He's 0-2 with a 4.32 ERA against the Tribe. The Sox have won six of Glover's last seven starts.
Pacific Bell Park | 10:15 PM ET
Curt Schilling (21-5, 2.77)
Arizona Diamondbacks (86-53) @ Jason Schmidt (10-6, 3.49)
San Francisco Giants (78-60)
Scouting Report:
Schilling is hoping to break a two-game winless stretch. Last Saturday, he lost to the Giants, 5-0, going seven innings and allowing three runs. Schmidt has been impressive in his last 18 outings, posting a 3.09 ERA while earning a 10-5 record. But run support has been hard to come by, as the Giants have scored just four runs in his three losses since the All-Star break, and facing Schilling certainly won't help.
Sept. 5, 2002
By Barry Daniels
VegasInsider.com Managing Editor
<b>Astros (Miller) at Padres (Peavy) </b>
--Wade Miller is 3-0 in his last four starts and has pitched into the seventh inning while allowing three runs or less on each occasion.
--The recent success has raised Miller's record to 12-3 and lowered his ERA to 3.84.
--The 'over' is 8-2 in Miller's last 10 road assignments and Houston has emerged victorious in each of Miller's last eight road starts.
--Jake Peavy is 4-1 with a 2.84 ERA in five home starts, opposed to 1-5 with a 6.57 ERA in seven road outings.
--Peavy has allowed two runs in four of his last five outings, with the Padres winning each of his last four home starts.
--Peavy suffered a 2-1 setback in his lone start against the Astros this season (Aug. 28) when he allowed two runs on six hits and fanned seven in six innings as a $1.90 road underdog.
<b>D'backs (Schilling) at Giants (Schmidt) </b>
--Curt Schilling is a sizzling 11-1 with a 2.45 ERA in 14 road starts.
--Schilling is 2-1 in three starts against the Giants this season, with the lone loss occurring in his most recent outing last Thursday. He allowed three runs on four hits (two homers) and fanned nine batters in seven innings. Arizona lost that game as a $2.40 home favorite, 5-0.
--Jason Schmidt is on a personal three-game winning streak, including last Wednesday's 7-6 victory against these same Diamondbacks. He allowed five runs on five hits and struck out 10 batters in just five innings as a $1.85 road underdog.
--The 'under' is 5-1 in Schmidt's last six efforts at Pac Bell park.
--Schmidt's lone home start against Arizona (May 28) resulted in a complete-game 1-0 victory as a $1.38 favorite. He allowed just three hits and fanned six in nine innings.
<b>Blue Jays (Miller) at Red Sox (Burkett) </b>
--Justin Miller is 1-3 with a bloated 10.31 ERA in five road starts, compared to 4-1 with a 3.30 ERA in eight home appearances.
--Miller was not involved in the decision during his lone start against the Red Sox this season (May 29) after allowing three runs on three hits and walking five batters in six innings.
--Tim Wakefield has allowed just one earned run in each of his last four starts and has pitched six innings or more on each occasion.
--Wakefield received a no decision in his lone start against Toronto this season (July 2) despite blanking the Blue Jays on three hits through six innings. The Red Sox went on to register a 2-1 victory as a $1.67 home favorite.
--The home team is 8-2 in the first 10 games between Boston and Toronto this season.
<b>Angels (Ortiz) at Devil Rays (Kennedy) </b>
--Ramon Ortiz is 2-0 in his last four starts, with the Angels scoring 28 runs during that span.
--Ortiz has seen the 'over' go 7-2 in his last nine road efforts.
--Ortiz received a no-decision in his lone start against Tampa Bay this season (July 7) despite surrendering just one run on three hits and fanning seven batters in nine innings. The Angels went on to register a 2-1 victory as a $2.40 home favorite.
--Joe Kennedy is 4-4 in 10 home starts, but his 2.62 ERA in three runs lower than his 5.64 ERA in 16 road outings.
Thursday, September 5
Olympic Stadium | 1:35 PM ET
Randy Wolf (10-7, 3.26)
Philadelphia Phillies (69-69) @ Javier Vazquez (8-12, 4.10)
Montreal Expos (69-70)
Scouting Report:
Vazquez needs a win to snap a brutal streak that saw him go 0-6 with a 6.61 ERA in his six August starts. His last win came on July 24 at New York. If recent history against the Phils is any indication, luck might be on his side -- he is 2-0 despite a 5.79 ERA against Philadelphia in three starts this year. Wolf will put his 27-inning scoreless streak on the line against the Expos. Though he allowed seven runs total in six August starts for a 1.37 ERA, he has allowed seven runs in two starts at Olympic Stadium in 13 1/3 innings (4.73). He has won his past three starts and hasn't lost since July 21.
Qualcomm Stadium | 5:05 PM ET
Wade Miller (12-3, 3.84)
Houston Astros (73-66) @ Jake Peavy (5-6, 4.85)
San Diego Padres (60-79)
Scouting Report:
Miller, who leads the Astros with a career-high nine-game winning streak, will go for his 12th win in the series finale with the Padres. He was 4-0 with a 2.83 ERA in six August starts and is 1-1 with a 9.00 ERA over two starts against San Diego in 2001. Peavy gave up just two runs on six hits in his last game, in which the Padres got beat, 2-1, by the Astros and Roy Oswalt. Peavy is 4-1 at home with a 2.84 ERA, as opposed to his 1-5 road record with a 6.57 ERA.
Yankee Stadium | 7:05 PM ET
Steve Sparks (8-14, 5.73)
Detroit Tigers (51-88) @ Orlando Hernandez (7-4, 3.50)
New York Yankees (86-52)
Scouting Report:
Sparks has given up 17 runs in 7 1/3 innings over his past two starts and has lost his last three outings. He threw a complete-game three-hitter against the Yankees in June 2001 but has a 5.13 career ERA against the Bronx Bombers. Hernandez will make his fifth career start against Detroit, the first since July 8, 1999. Hernandez is 3-1 with a 4.15 ERA against the Tigers, including a 2-0 mark with a 2.08 ERA at Yankee Stadium. The Yankees are 10-8 in Hernandez's starts this season, averaging 4.7 runs per start.
Oriole Park at Camden Yards | 7:05 PM ET
Kenny Rogers (12-7, 3.98)
Texas Rangers (62-76) @ Jason Johnson (4-11, 4.50)
Baltimore Orioles (64-73)
Scouting Report:
Rogers had a no-decision on Saturday against Tampa Bay, going 5 2/3 innings and allowing three runs. He is 0-1 with a 6.57 ERA in his last four starts since defeating Cleveland on Aug. 9. Johnson is trying to finish a disappointing season in positive fashion. He has been on the disabled list twice and his 11 losses are tied for fourth in the American League. He lost his previous outing against Anaheim.
Fenway Park | 7:05 PM ET
Justin Miller (6-4, 5.72)
Toronto Blue Jays (61-78) @ John Burkett (10-7, 4.94)
Boston Red Sox (77-60)
Scouting Report:
Miller is coming off one of the best starts of his career. Last week, Miller threw seven innings of three-hit baseball against the Yankees. He came out with the win, ending August with a 2-0 record and a 2.89 ERA. For the season, in 74 innings pitched, Miller has allowed 75 hits with 53 walks against only 43 strikeouts. Burkett attempts to rebound from a disastrous August, which saw him go 0-4 with a 9.64 ERA. His last victory was a complete-game shutout at Fenway Park on July 27. Burkett has pitched far better at Fenway (4-2, 2.53) than on the road (6-5, 6.96). Burkett is 2-0 with a 3.20 ERA against the Jays this season, and 6-4 in 16 games started in his career.
Shea Stadium | 7:10 PM ET
Brad Penny (6-4, 4.47)
Florida Marlins (68-70) @ Steve Trachsel (8-10, 3.46)
New York Mets (63-74)
Scouting Report:
Penny continues to impress. The Marlins have won the last four times Penny has started, although he was credited with just one of those victories. In his last start, a no-decision against the Pirates, Penny struck out nine in six innings, giving up two runs. Penny has 32 strikeouts in his last 32 innings. Trachsel has been one of the Mets' most consistent, if not the most consistent, pitchers since last June. He's 0-3 in his last four starts, a hard-luck loser in those outings. He went 1-3 with a 2.25 ERA in six August starts.
Tropicana Field | 7:15 PM ET
Ramon Ortiz (11-9, 3.95)
Anaheim Angels (84-54) @ Joe Kennedy (7-9, 4.32)
Tampa Bay Devil Rays (47-91)
Scouting Report:
Ortiz is coming off his best start of the year, a 9-0 shutout over the Baltimore Orioles at home last Saturday night. It was Ortiz's first Major League shutout and shows he might be back on his game. After struggling a bit through June and July, Ortiz has won three of his last four starts and has lowered his ERA to under 4.00 for the first time since July 30. Kennedy missed his last start because of a tired arm. He has thrown 173 innings this season, including five complete games. His career high in innings is 190 2/3 at three different levels in 2001. He has not pitched against the Rangers this season.
Comiskey Park [II] | 8:05 PM ET
Ricardo Rodriguez (1-1, 6.05)
Cleveland Indians (61-77) @ Gary Glover (7-6, 4.80)
Chicago White Sox (68-71)
Scouting Report:
Unafraid to pitch inside, the 24-year-old Rodriguez has shown his toughness in the three starts he's made for the Indians. While his ERA might be high, R-Rod has pitched a lot better than his numbers. He's smart, and he's got first-rate stuff, which he has shown in all of his outings. He could easily have a better ERA with a little help from his defense. Glover has already faced the Indians seven times this season, including two starts. He's 0-2 with a 4.32 ERA against the Tribe. The Sox have won six of Glover's last seven starts.
Pacific Bell Park | 10:15 PM ET
Curt Schilling (21-5, 2.77)
Arizona Diamondbacks (86-53) @ Jason Schmidt (10-6, 3.49)
San Francisco Giants (78-60)
Scouting Report:
Schilling is hoping to break a two-game winless stretch. Last Saturday, he lost to the Giants, 5-0, going seven innings and allowing three runs. Schmidt has been impressive in his last 18 outings, posting a 3.09 ERA while earning a 10-5 record. But run support has been hard to come by, as the Giants have scored just four runs in his three losses since the All-Star break, and facing Schilling certainly won't help.
