Tuesday trends and tips

[Terryray]

from statfox:



Today's Baseball Trend Report...
ATLANTA MOSS is 9-1 (+7.8 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
ATLANTA MOSS is 8-1 (+6.8 Units) against the money line as a home favorite of -110 or higher.
HOUSTON MILLER is 17-5 (+9.2 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
COLORADO NEAGLE is 0-7 (-7.9 Units) against the money line when his team is off 2 or more losses.
ST LOUIS MORRIS is 6-1 (+4.5 Units) against the money line in road games when his team is off a win.
ARIZONA SCHILLING is 11-1 (+8.6 Units) against the money line vs. division opponents.
SAN FRANCISCO SCHMIDT is 18-7 (+12.5 Units) against the money line vs. division opponents.
CLEVELAND is 21-4 (+16.4 Units) against the money line after scoring and allowing 8 runs or more in a game.













Tuesday's AL Tip Sheet


Sept. 10, 2002

By Barry Daniels
VegasInsider.com Managing Editor




<b>Red Sox (Burkett) at Devil Rays (Kennedy) </b>

--John Burkett is 0-2 in his last five starts and has allowed six runs or more in three of those efforts. Not surprisingly, the Red Sox have lost all five of those outings.

--The 'over' is 6-1 in Burkett's last seven road appearances.

--Burkett is 1-0 in two starts against the Devil Rays this season, surrendering just two runs in 13 combined innings.

--Joe Kennedy, 0-2 in his last five starts, has been tagged for 14 runs on 13 hits in his last two efforts spanning just 9 1/3 innings.

--Kennedy has not been involved in the decision in two starts against the Red Sox after yielding seven runs on 15 hits in 10 innings.

<b>Mariners (Pineiro) at Rangers (Rogers) </b>

--Joel Pineiro's ERA on the road is almost two runs higher than at home (4.32 to 2.43).

--Pineiro has pitched six innings or more while allowing two runs or less in each of his last five efforts.

--Seattle is 8-0 in Pineiro's last eight starts at Safeco Field.

--The 'over' has cashed in Kenny Rogers' last four home assignments.

--Rogers is 2-0 in four starts against the Mariners this season, allowing just five earned runs in 30 innings. Texas is 2-2 against Seattle in those four efforts, with both losses occurring at home.

--Prior to Monday's action, the 'under' had cashed in eight straight games between the Rangers and Mariners.

<b>A's (Lilly) at Angels (Ortiz) </b>

--Ted Lilly, making his first start since July 20, has seen the 'under' appear in each of his six road starts.

--Ramon Ortiz is 3-0 in his last five efforts to raise his overall ledger to 12-9. He has yielded just one run in his last 16 innings.

--Anaheim has provided Ortiz with 38 runs of support in his last five outings for an average of 7.6 runs per game.

--Ortiz is 0-2 in three starts against the A's this season, allowing 11 runs on 22 hits (three homers) in 17 2/3 innings.

New York Yankees pitcher Andy Pettitte hits the deck getting out of the way of a line drive hit by Baltimore Orioles' Luis Matos in the fifth inning Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2002, at Yankee Stadium in New York. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)




Tuesday's NL Tip Sheet

Sept. 10, 2002

By Barry Daniels
VegasInsider.com Managing Editor




<b>Pirates (Wells) at Reds (Graves) </b>

--Kip Wells has dropped four of his last five starts to lower his overall ledger to 12-13.

--Wells has pitched six innings or more in each of those last five efforts, but his Pittsburgh teammates have scored three runs or less in four of those five outings.

--Wells is 0-2 in four starts against the Reds this season and has not lasted past the fifth inning yet. Three of those four starts have jumped 'over' the closing total.

--Prior to Monday's game, the 'over' had appeared in five straight games between the Pirates and Reds.

<b>Rockies (Neagle) at Astros (Miller) </b>

--Denny Neagle is 5-3 with a 3.94 ERA in 11 road starts, compared to 3-5 with a 5.31 ERA in 13 home outings.

--Neagle has seen the 'under' cash in his last four road appearances.

--Neagle suffered an 8-4 loss in his lone start against the Astros (April 8) when he allowed six runs on nine hits (three homers) in 5 2/3 innings as a $1.17 home underdog.

--Wade Miller has gone 3-0 in his last five outings to raise his record to 12-3. He is 6-1 with a 3.14 ERA in 10 road starts.

--Houston has emerged victorious in each of Miller's last nine road assignments, with the 'over' going 7-3 in his last 10 road efforts.

<b>Cards (Morris) at Brewers (Franklin) </b>

--Matt Morris is 8-3 in 12 road starts, and his 2.57 ERA is more than one run lower than his 3.87 ERA in 16 home affairs.

--Morris has pitched six innings or more while allowing three runs or less in each of his last five outings.

--Morris has seen the 'under' go 8-2 in his last 10 road assignments, with the Cardinals winning eight of those 10 road efforts.

Morris suffered a 2-0 loss in his only start against the Brewers this season (June 25) after yielding two runs on six hits in seven innings as a $2.40 home favorite.

--Southpaw Wayne Franklin is making his major league debut.

<b>Padres (Peavy) at D'backs (Schilling) </b>

Jake Peavy is 1-5 with a bloated 6.57 ERA in seven road starts, compared to 4-1 with a nifty 2.33 ERA in six home outings.

--Peavy suffered a 12-0 setback in his lone start against Arizona this season (July 26) when he was tagged for nine runs on seven hits (two homers) in just 4 1/3 innings as a hefty $2.90 road underdog.

--Curt Schilling is a sparkling 12-1 with a 2.54 ERA in 15 road starts.

--Schilling is 2-0 in a pair of starts against the Padres this season after allowing just one run and fanning 16 batters in 15 combined innings.

<b>Dodgers (Ashby) at Giants (Schmidt)</b>

--Andy Ashby has dropped his last two starts to fall two games under .500 at 9-11. He allowed 10 runs on 12 hits (two homers) in those two efforts spanning just eight innings.

--The Dodgers are 1-5 in Ashby's last six road assignments.

--Ashby is 0-1 in two starts against the Giants this season after yielding four runs on nine hits in 11 combined frames. Both games were at Pac Bell Park.

--Jason Schmidt has won three of his last four starts to raise his record to 10-7. He has not yielded a home run in his last five starts spanning 33 innings.

--Schmidt has seen the 'under' go 6-2-1 in his last nine home assignments.

--Schmidt registered a 3-1 victory in his lone start against Arizona this season (July 28) when he limited the D'backs to one run on four hits and fanned 10 in seven innings.

 

[Terryray]

Tuesday, September 10

Yankee Stadium | 1:05 PM ET

Jason Johnson (4-12, 4.88)
Baltimore Orioles (64-77) @ Andy Pettitte (9-5, 3.46)
New York Yankees (89-53)



Scouting Report:
Johnson has not fared well in his past few starts and was removed after 2 2/3 innings on Thursday against Texas. He has been battling stomach problems but is expected to make the start. He is trying to avoid a career high 13th loss. Pettitte makes his second start of the season against Baltimore. In his only outing against the O's, Pettitte allowed four runs on 11 hits in 6 1/3 innings, taking the loss in a 4-3 Baltimore win on May 25 at Camden Yards.






Veterans Stadium | 5:05 PM ET

Julian Tavarez (10-11, 5.48)
Florida Marlins (69-73) @ Randy Wolf (11-7, 3.15)
Philadelphia Phillies (70-73)



Scouting Report:
Tavarez tries to rebound at Philadelphia after a trying outing at the Mets last week. In 5 1/3 innings that day, he gave up six runs on nine hits in an 11-3 loss. Tavarez has had his difficulties against the Phillies. In three starts this season, he's 0-2 with a 10.29 ERA. Wolf must not have realized that August ended, as the left-hander tossed a complete-game four-hitter Sept. 5 against the Expos. The only bad thing that happened in that start was a first-inning homer to Vlad Guerrrero that halted his 27-inning scoreless streak. In seven starts since Aug. 1, Wolf has a 1.33 ERA.






Yankee Stadium | 7:05 PM ET

Sidney Ponson (7-5, 4.14)
Baltimore Orioles (64-77) @ Jeff Weaver (8-11, 3.84)
New York Yankees (89-53)



Scouting Report:
Ponson looked strong in beating the Rangers on Wednesday in the Orioles' lone win in the past two weeks. He is trying for 10 wins in what has been a injury-plagued year. He has 12 no-decisions in 24 starts. Weaver is making his first start of the season against the Orioles. Last season with Detroit, Weaver was 0-2 with a 5.02 ERA against Baltimore, and from 1999-2001, Weaver was 2-3 with a 5.34 ERA against the O's.






Jacobs Field | 7:05 PM ET

Justin Miller (7-4, 5.44)
Toronto Blue Jays (64-80) @ Ricardo Rodriguez (2-1, 6.29)
Cleveland Indians (64-79)



Scouting Report:
Miller has pitched impeccably in his last three starts, netting wins in every one of them. In those three outings -- played against the Orioles, Yankees and Red Sox -- Miller had a 1.83 ERA. If Miller can sustain that momentum, he should lock up a rotation slot for next season. Rodriguez has established himself as a Major League starter, even if his ERA might not suggest that. Don't let it fool you, though. It's as high as it is because of a couple of bad breaks, but look for it to slide downward. Rodriguez is the real deal -- so far, at least.






Cinergy Field | 7:10 PM ET

Kip Wells (12-13, 3.68)
Pittsburgh Pirates (63-81) @ Danny Graves (6-3, 3.50)
Cincinnati Reds (70-73)



Scouting Report:
Wells has lost seven of his last nine starts, but has established a career high with 12 wins. With one more win, he would tally the victories by a Pirates starter since Jason Schmidt (13) and Todd Ritchie (15) in 1999. Graves, who's making his first Major League start after 363 career relief appearances, has thrown three innings twice this season and 3 2/3 innings once. His career high is four innings, which he has done twice -- most recently on May 21, 1998 against the Mets. He has a career-high 32 saves for the second season in a row.






Tropicana Field | 7:15 PM ET

John Burkett (10-7, 4.86)
Boston Red Sox (80-62) @ Joe Kennedy (7-10, 4.53)
Tampa Bay Devil Rays (48-95)



Scouting Report:
Burkett is coming off his best outing in a while. He gave up two earned runs in six innings against the Blue Jays in his first September start. This, after his 0-4 August, when he gave up six earned runs or more in four of his six starts. Burkett is 1-0 with a no-decision against the Devil Rays this season. Kennedy missed a start with a tired arm and then got clobbered by the Angels last Thursday at Tropicana Field. He is nearing his career-high in innings pitched (190 2/3 innings last year) and simply has not had his best command since mid-August.






Turner Field | 7:35 PM ET

Pedro Astacio (12-8, 3.97)
New York Mets (68-74) @ Damian Moss (10-5, 3.06)
Atlanta Braves (90-51)



Scouting Report:
Astacio had a horrible August, going 1-5 with a 7.27 ERA in six starts. But he rebounded last week against the Marlins, earning his first victory since Aug. 6 after throwing six solid innings. He is 7 2/3 innings shy of becoming vested and having the Mets pick up his option for 2003. Moss has won three straight starts and allowed three earned runs in his last 20 1/3 innings. He got no-decisions in both of his previous starts against the Mets, which came in April. The 25-year-old southpaw has limited opponents to a NL-low .204 batting average.






The Ballpark in Arlington | 8:05 PM ET

Joel Pineiro (13-5, 3.06)
Seattle Mariners (84-59) @ Kenny Rogers (13-7, 3.93)
Texas Rangers (66-77)



Scouting Report:
Pineiro, who wasn't even in the starting rotation at the beginning of season, has been Seattle's most dependable starter since June 12, going 9-3. He is working on a longer-than-normal seven days rest because of a hip problem that he says no longer bothers him. Pineiro has allowed three or less runs in 14 of his last 16 starts and walked three or fewer in each of his last 13 starts. Rogers won in Baltimore, 11-2, in his last on Thursday after allowing two runs through seven innings. He has allowed 12 hits and five runs in 12 2/3 innings in his last two starts and is 2-1 with a 4.70 ERA in his last seven outings. He is 2-0 with a 1.50 ERA in his four starts against Seattle this season.






Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome | 8:05 PM ET

Shane Loux (0-0, .00)
Detroit Tigers (52-92) @ Kyle Lohse (11-8, 4.33)
Minnesota Twins (83-61)



Scouting Report:
Loux was the mainstay of a Triple-A Toledo rotation that lost four other starters to the Tigers this summer. He led the Mud Hens in starts while topping the International League with five complete games and three shutouts. The shutouts came over a four-start stretch in late June, including 10 scoreless innings June 28 against Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Lohse's last start was a well-pitched seven-inning no-decision on Aug. 31 at Oakland where he retired 17 consecutive batters at one point. He was skipped in the rotation for the first time this season becuase of two days off in the schedule last week.






Wrigley Field | 8:05 PM ET

Javier Vazquez (8-13, 4.11)
Montreal Expos (70-74) @ Carlos Zambrano (3-6, 3.98)
Chicago Cubs (61-83)



Scouting Report:
Vazquez will be facing the Cubs for the first time this year. The right-hander has a career 2-1 record and 4.61 ERA over seven games in his career against Chicago. Zambrano will be making his 13th start and first against Montreal. The rookie right-hander won his last start, a 3-0 victory over Milwaukee, which snapped a five-game losing streak.






Kauffman Stadium | 8:05 PM ET

Gary Glover (7-7, 5.06)
Chicago White Sox (70-74) @ Runelvys Hernandez (3-3, 4.53)
Kansas City Royals (55-88)



Scouting Report:
Glover was touched for six runs over 4 1/3 innings against Cleveland in his previous start. He is 2-0 with a 1.08 ERA in two starts against Kansas City this season. Hernandez will be making his ninth start and looking for his first win since Aug. 11 versus Tampa Bay. In his last start at Oakland, Hernandez couldn't hold onto a 5-0 lead.






Minute Maid Park | 8:05 PM ET

Denny Neagle (8-9, 4.68)
Colorado Rockies (65-79) @ Wade Miller (12-3, 3.64)
Houston Astros (77-67)



Scouting Report:
On a staff full of pitchers who have pitched better at Coors Field than on the road, Neagle has quietly fashioned solid road numbers (5-4, 4.12). Miller will look to extend his winning streak to a career-high 10 games. He has not lost since June 26 and has a 2.07 ERA during the streak. He was 1-1 with a 6.23 ERA in two games last season versus the Rockies.


c

 

[Terryray]

Miller Park | 8:05 PM ET

Matt Morris (15-7, 3.29)
St. Louis Cardinals (82-61) @ Wayne Franklin (0-0, .00)
Milwaukee Brewers (51-93)



Scouting Report:
Morris is returning from a 17-day stint on the DL with a left hamstring strain he suffered while running to first base against the Phillies on Aug. 23. Before his injury, Morris was on one of his better streaks of the season, going 3-1 in August with a 2.83 ERA -- his lowest for any month this season. Morris lost his only start this season against the Brewers at Busch Stadium but allowed only two runs in seven innings. In two starts at Miller Park last season, Morris was 1-1 with a 3.27 ERA. Franklin, one of the players to be named later in the trade that sent Mark Loretta to the Houston Astros, has made 36 appearances for the Astros since 2000, all in relief. The left-hander was converted to a starter last winter while pitching in Mexico.






Veterans Stadium | 8:05 PM ET

Justin Wayne (0-1, 11.25)
Florida Marlins (69-73) @ Vicente Padilla (14-9, 3.30)
Philadelphia Phillies (70-73)



Scouting Report:
Wayne makes his second big league start. The 23-year-old right-hander took a beating at the Mets, giving up five runs on seven hits in four innings. Since Wayne isn't a power-pitcher, he has to locate his fastball down in the zone. The Mets made him pay for getting pitches up as they belted two home runs off him at Shea Stadium. Padilla has won two of his past three starts. He stumbled a bit in September -- allowing four runs in five innings -- after posting a 2.90 ERA in six August starts.






Bank One Ballpark | 9:35 PM ET

Jake Peavy (5-6, 4.40)
San Diego Padres (61-83) @ Curt Schilling (22-5, 2.80)
Arizona Diamondbacks (88-56)



Scouting Report:
Peavy is 3-2 with a 3.65 ERA in his last seven starts and 1-1 with a 1.80 in his last three starts. He beat Randy Johnson and the D-Backs earlier this season when San Diego won, 11-9. He is 1-5 in seven road starts and opposing batters are hitting .323 (50-for-155) against him on the road. Schilling broke a two-game winless streak with his 22nd win against the Giants last Thursday. The right-hander has gone 10-2 in his last 14 starts with a 2.21 ERA.






Edison International Field of Anaheim | 10:05 PM ET

Ted Lilly (4-6, 3.39)
Oakland Athletics (91-52) @ Ramon Ortiz (12-9, 3.86)
Anaheim Angels (88-55)



Scouting Report:
Lilly, who was acquired from the Yankees in a three-team deal July 5, made two starts for the A's before going on the disabled list with an inflamed left shoulder. He's making his first start Tuesday since July 20 and liklely will work no more than four innings. Ortiz has been on fire lately, with two consecutive wins and one run allowed in his last 16 1/3 innings, including a 9-0 win over Baltimore, his first big-league shutout. Ortiz is 0-2 with a 5.60 ERA this season against the A's, however, and 0-4 with a 7.02 ERA lifetime.






Pacific Bell Park | 10:15 PM ET

Kevin Brown (3-3, 4.45)
Los Angeles Dodgers (82-61) @ Jason Schmidt (10-7, 3.58)
San Francisco Giants (82-61)



Scouting Report:
Brown is making his first start since Aug. 26. Since then, he had back surgery and returned as a reliever. He takes over for Andy Ashby, out with a finger blister, but then will move into Kazuhisa Ishii's spot in the rotation. Over his past five outings, Schmidt is 3-1 with a 3.00 ERA. During that span, he has held opponents to a .202 batting average and has not allowed a home run.

 

[Terryray]

Had enuf info yet!!??

Had enuf info yet!!??

Game of the Day
Tuesday, September 10, 2002
Tuesday's NL tips and trends
By Trevor Stewart



Marlins vs. Phillies (doubleheader): Game 1; Game 2

Season series: 6-6

Game 1 Starting pitchers: RHP Julian Tavarez (10-11,
5.48 ERA) vs. LHP Randy Wolf (11-7, 3.15 ERA)

Tavarez has worked his ugly 7.58 road ERA to a sub-par
5-6 record away from home this season. Meanwhile,
Wolf has helped Philadelphia take the money in eight
straight starts. The hurler is an impressive 5-0 during that
span.

Wolf holds an astonishingly low 0.25 ERA over his last four games, including an
eight-inning shutout performance, two complete-game shutouts, and a
complete-game one-run effort.

Game 2 starting pitchers: RHP Justin Wayne (0-1, 11.25 ERA) vs. RHP Vincente
Padilla (14-9, 3.30 ERA)

In Wayne's only start this season, he gave up five runs and seven hits in just four
innings of work against the New York Mets in an 11-5 loss. His counterpart Padilla
has been stellar at Veterans Stadium this season, sporting a profitable 6-3 record
and a sparkling 2.18 ERA.

The Marlins pitching staff has given up a Major League-high 14 round-trippers in
September. The Phillies are drooling, as they rank third in the NL, smashing 153
homeruns.

Philadelphia has lost seven of their last eight outings, but remain one of the NL's
better teams since June 1, going 48-41. The club is averaging just four runs per
game on home turf.

Florida has won three of the last four meetings between these teams.








Pirates vs. Reds

Season series: Cincinnati leads 8-4

Starting pitchers: RHP Kip Wells (12-13, 3.68 ERA) vs. RHP Danny Graves (6-3, 3.32
ERA)

Cincinnati slipped by Pittsburgh in Game 1 last night, 9-8. The 'over' appeared for the
sixth consecutive meeting.

Graves has 32 saves in 63 relief appearances this year and will make his first start
of the year. His Reds are a respectable 5-2 against the Pirates at Cinergy Field this
campaign.

These teams play six more times in the next 10 days and the Pirates hope to use
those head-to-head matchups and a light schedule to make up 7 1/2 games on the
Reds in order to finish third in the NL Central.

"If you can't finish first, you want to finish second. If you can't finish second, you want
to finish third. Be the best you can possibly be," Pittsburgh's manager Lloyd
McClendon said to reporters.








Mets vs. Braves

Season series: Atlanta leads 7-5

Starting pitchers: RHP Pedro Astacio (12-8, 397 ERA) vs. LHP Damian Moss (10-5,
3.06 ERA)

The Mets won their seventh straight last night, beating Philadelphia 6-4. New York
has averaged a crushing 7.9 runs per game over the wins streak. The Mets
have produced three 11-run performances over those seven outings and the 'over?? is
a profitable 5-1-1 during the run.

Moss has been sensational for Atlanta recently, compiling a tight-fisted 1.33 ERA,
while going a perfect 3-0 in his last three starts. The Braves have garnered wins in
eight of the hurler's last nine starts, in which Moss holds a fantastic 1.98 ERA.

New York might not be so fortunate against Moss, as the club has batted a
horrible .221

Meanwhile, the Mets have lost four of Astacio's last five starts. against southpaws
this season.

 

[Terryray]

Cardinals vs. Brewers

Season series: Milwaukee leads 6-5

Starting pitchers: RHP Matt Morris (15-7, 3.29 ERA) vs. LHP Wayne Franklin (0-0,
0.00)

The Cardinals shutout Milwaukee last night, 3-0 sending the 'under' to 6-0-1 in the
last seven meetings between these NL Central rivals. Interestingly, Milwaukee -- the
NL's worst team (51-92) -- has still won six of the last eight meetings with St. Louis
and has won all four meetings at Miller Park.

Lefty Wayne Franklin will get his first start in the majors for the Brewers. He sports a
lofty 5.94 ERA in 36 relief appearances over his short career.

The Cards are coming off a sweep of the lowly Chicago Cubs and have won 10 of
their last 13 contests. Meanwhile, the 'Brew Crew' has dropped four of six, which
includes a 1-3 mark against the Cubs.

Milwaukee has highlighted what might be the club's biggest problem of late --
scoring runs. Last night was just another example. On Sunday, Brewers bats went
1-for-13 with runners in scoring position, and they left the bases loaded on two
occasions. The futility allowed Cincinnati to slip by Milwaukee in the rubber match of
that three-game series, 5-4.







Expos vs. Cubs

Season series: 2-2

Starting pitchers: RHP Javier Vazquez (8-13, 4.11 ERA) vs. Carlos Zambrano (3-6,
3.98 ERA)

The Cubs even the season series last night with a 3-2 victory.

Vazquez has been less-than-stellar on the road this season, holding a 4-8 record
and a heavy 5.21 ERA. Both Vazquez and the Expos are 0-7 in his last seven starts.

"We want to put some wins together," Expos manager Frank Robinson said. "If we
can get to five or six games over .500 it will not only be a great achievement, but it will
let the players know what it's like to win."

Montreal will likely be looking past the Cubs to a four-game series with NL East
rivals, the New York Mets. The Expos have lost three of four, while the Cubs are
coming off a sweep to the Cards.









Rockies vs. Astros

Season series: 2-2

Starting pitchers: LHP Denny Neagle (8-9, 4.68 ERA) vs. RHP Wade Miller (12-3,
3.64 ERA)

Houston down Colorado in Game 1 of this three-game set last night, 6-5. Three of
the four meetings this year have played 'over'.

Houston has now won five of its last six, with the 'under' prevailing in seven the
squad's last 10 games.

Neagle has earned a solid 2.91 ERA in his last three starts, while Miller has posted
a sparkling 2.66 ERA over his last three. Both have collected one win in the season
set.








Padres vs. Diamondbacks

Season series: Arizona leads 8-6

Starting pitchers: RHP Jake Peavy (5-6, 4.40 ERA) vs. Curt Schilling (22-5, 2.80
ERA)

The D'backs beat the Padres last night??s series opener, 5-2. Arizona has now won
the last five meetings between these clubs and seven of eight tilts at Bank One
Ballpark. In fact, San Diego is 5-25 at the home of the Diamondbacks since the start
of the 1999 season. The home team has won all but two collisions between these
teams during this campaign.

Schilling has a perfect 2-0 record and dominating 0.60 ERA in two starts versus San
Diego this season.

Last night's victory was just the fourth in 13 games for the D'backs, whose bats have
been silent recently. The club has been held to two or less runs in seven of those 13
games and they've averaged a spotty 3.2 runs per contest over that span.

The Padres are a bankroll-draining 2-6 in their last eight, while seeing the 'under' go
on a 9-3-1 run.








Dodgers vs. Giants

Season series: San Francisco leads 8-5

Starting pitchers: RHP Kevin Brown (3-3, 4.45 ERA) vs. RHP Jason Schmidt (10-7,
3.58 ERA)

San Francisco captured Game 1 of this series last night, 6-5. The win pulled the
Giants into a dead heat with the Dodgers atop the NL's Wild Card standings.

"It's almost a playoff atmosphere," said San Francisco's David Bell to reporters after
last night's win. "I didn't have that last year until the playoffs started. Every at-bat
matters."

Kevin Brown will make his first start since May 26 for Los Angeles. He is 1-0 with a
5.65 ERA in seven relief appearances since returning from back surgery on August
15. His longest appearance has been an 84-pitch outing on August 25.

The road team has a surprising 9-4 edge when these teams have clashed in 2002.
The Dodgers are a moneymaking 19-5 in Game 2 of a series after taking a loss in
the opener.

 

[Terryray]

Game of the Day
Tuesday, September 10, 2002
Tuesday's AL tips and trends
By Trevor Stewart



Orioles vs. Yankees (double-header): Game 1; Game 2

Season series: 6-6 (Baltimore has won four of the last six
meetings)

Game 1 starting pitchers: RHP Jason Johnson (4-12, 4.88
ERA) vs. LHP Andy Pettitte (9-5, 3.46 ERA)

The Orioles have won only five of Johnson's last 19 starts
and he sports an unenviable 0-3 mark with a gruesome
10.54 ERA in his past three outings. The Yankees are 8-2
in their lefty's last 10 starts.

Game 2 starting pitchers: RHP Sidney Ponson (7-5, 4.14
ERA) vs. RHP Jeff Weaver (8-11, 3.34 ERA)

Baltimore is 9-2 in Ponson's last 11 starts, while the hurler owns a perfect 3-0
record and a stellar 2.95 ERA in his last three trips to the hill. Baltimore has been
outscored 6-22 over those three games. Weaver made only two starts in August, but
worked his way to a sensational 1.38 ERA in those outings. He allowed only two
earned runs over 13 innings.

The O's have dropped the cash in 14 of their last 15 contests and are the major??s
coldest squad. They've been outscored 42-101 over that horrendous span and all
fourteen losses have come by two or more runs.

Baltimore's opponents are hitting better than .300 over this recent losing skid, which
spells trouble against the lethal Bronx Bombers. New York leads the majors with a
whopping 810 runs scored.

The Yankees have won five of their last six contests and the 'under' holds a 4-2 edge
over that stretch.








Blue Jays vs. Indians

Season series: Cleveland leads 3-1

Starting pitchers: RHP Justin Miller (7-4, 5.44 ERA) vs. RHP Ricardo Rodriguez
(2-1, 6.29 ERA)

The Blue Jays finally solved the Indians last night, winning for the first time in four
tries this season, 11-9. The 'under' has prevailed in three of the four meetings and
holds a moneymaking 8-2 record in the last 10 clashes, dating back to 2001.

Rodriguez has been shaky in three of his four starts, but the Indians have provided
him with an incredible 8.25 runs of support per game. Meanwhile, Miller is 3-0 in his
last three starts, thanks to a sparkling 1.83 ERA and five runs per game of support.

The 'Tribe' has won four of its last six games and has seen the 'over' appear in eight
of its last 11 games.







Red Sox vs. Devil Rays

Season series: Boston leads 11-2

Starting pitchers: RHP John Burkett (10-7, 4.86 ERA) vs. LHP Joe Kennedy (7-10,
4.53 ERA)

These teams split a four-game set in late July, but Boston pounded the Devil Rays in
Game 1, 22-4. The Sox' victory over Tampa Bay last night was Boston's seventh win
in seven tries in Tampa Bay this season.

The Red Sox are 1-6 in Burkett's last seven starts, while the Devil Rays have lost
three of Kennedy's last four. Kennedy is also 0-2 with a lofty 8.31 ERA in his last
three trips to the mound.

Tampa Bay has lost six of its last seven games and is now the worst team in
baseball (48-95). The 'over' has appeared in seven of the Devil Rays' last 10 affairs.










White Sox vs. Royals

Season series: White Sox lead 7-6

Starting pitchers: RHP Gary Glover (7-7, 5.06 ERA) vs. Runelvys Hernandez (3-3,
4.53 ERA)

The White Sox have taken four straight from the Royals, hammering K.C. by a
combined score of 33-11. Surprisingly, the 'under' still holds a profitable 6-3-1
advantage in the last nine tilts between these squads.

Chicago has lost four of its last five contests, while K.C. has lost seven straight
and is a bankroll-draining 3-13 in its last 16 games. The Royals have won only once
in their last 13 home games and their current overall record (55-87) is the
franchise??s worst ever to this point.

Hernandez has struggled his way to a hefty 7.31 ERA and has lost two of his last
three starts. He won't get much help, as K.C.'s bullpen holds a miserable 8.31 ERA
in the club's last 10 games.









Tigers vs. Twins

Season series: Minnesota leads 10-4

Starting pitchers: RHP Shane Loux (0-0, 0.00 ERA) vs. RHP Kyle Lohse (11-8, 4.33
ERA)

Minnesota continued their dominance over the Tigers last nght win a 5-2 Game 1
victory. Detroit is a disgusting 3-16 over its last 19 games. The club's pitching
staff sports a rotten 5.36 ERA away from home and they'll call on a minor-leaguer to
try his luck.

Loux has been called up from Triple-A Toledo and will make his first big league
start. He sports an 11-10 record in the minors this year, with an unimpressive 4.72
ERA.

Lohse has been red-hot for the Twins, as he sports a 2.57 ERA over his last four
starts. However, Minnesota is 1-3 over that stretch, giving their hurler a measly 2.75
runs of support.

The Twins have grabbed the cash in seven of the last eight battles between these
teams.








Mariners vs. Rangers

Season series: Seattle leads 10-3

Starting pitchers: RHP Joel Pineiro (13-5, 3.06 ERA) vs. LHP Kenny Rogers (13-7,
3.93 ERA)

Texas pulled out a rare home turf win over Seattle last night, with a 12-7 victory. The
Mariners are 6-1 in Texas this season and last night's loss was their first at the
Ballpark in Arlington in their last 10 visits, dating back to last season.

Pineiro has continued his sensational campaign, working his way to a dominant
1.89 ERA over his last three starts. Unfortunately, he's been supplied with only eight
runs of support over those three games and has taken an 0-1 record.

Rogers has slipped from his stellar form recently, posting an uncharacteristic 6.11
ERA in his last three starts.

Seattle has won five of its last seven games, while the Rangers have captured wins
in six of their last eight contests.









Athletics vs. Angels

Season series: Oakland leads 8-5

Starting pitchers: LHP Ted Lilly (4-6, 3.39 ERA) vs. RHP Ramon Ortiz (12-9, 3.86
ERA)

Oakland squeezed out a victory last night in Game 1 of this competitive four-game
set, 2-1.

These are the two hottest teams in baseball right now. Oakland leads Anaheim by
just three games in the AL West, and both teams are treating this series like the
playoffs.

The A's recently finished an American League record-setting 20-game win streak,
while last night's finsih broke up the Angels 10 game winning streak of their own.
Those 10 wins all came by more than two runs, as they outscored their opponents
by a whopping margin of 70-18.

Anaheim is 10-3 in their last 13 at Edison Field in Anaheim.