Tuesday's Tip Sheet
Gamblers have a stacked slate to wager on Tuesday, including an NL East battle between the Braves and Marlins. The Cardinals are taking on the Dodgers, while the Twins are hoping to gain ground in the AL Central when they host the White Sox. To the games we go?
**Braves at Marlins**
--Florida and Atlanta both enjoyed an off day to prep for this crucial series between National League East rivals. Both clubs appeared to be fading out of the picture as the Phillies caught fire before the All-Star break. Indeed, neither looks formidable enough to track down Philadelphia in the division, but both are legit factors in the wild-card race. If either squad can sweep this series, perhaps management will be further influenced to be buyers before the trading deadline later this week.
--Atlanta (51-48, -420) improved to 24-25 on the road this season by winning two out of three at Milwaukee over the weekend. The Braves won the rubber game Sunday by a 10-2 count as minus-110 favorites, hooking up run-line backers with a plus-145 payout (risk $100 to win $145). Derek Lowe pitched six strong innings to pick up his 10th win. Casey Kotchman and Kelly Johnson combined for five hits, five runs scored and five RBI?s, while Brian McCann went 3-for-4 with a pair of doubles and his 11th homer.
--Not only did Atlanta pick up a big win that kept it within 3 ? games of the Rockies for the wild-card lead, it was also able to give Chipper Jones the day off to give him a two-day breather before going to Miami. ?It?ll recharge me real good for the Florida series,? Jones told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. ?I?m relatively healthy, I?m just kinda beat up a little bit. Two days will do me a world of good.? Jones is hitting .290 with 12 homers and 48 RBI?s.
--Florida (51-48, +447) won its third straight series at Chavez Revine this past weekend, capturing an 8-6 win in Sunday?s rubber game. The Marlins closed as plus-110 underdogs at most spots. With the Dodgers now 34-17 at home, Freddi Gonzalez?s squad has to have gained confidence by winning two of three in L.A. In addition, the Fish built better chemistry, as evidenced by Burke Badenhop?s beaning of Orlando Hudson that drew an ejection and high-fives galore from his teammates upon returning to the dugout. Florida All-Star Hanley Ramirez had been pegged two innings earlier.
--Bobby Cox will give the ball to Jair Jurrjens (9-7, 2.67 ERA) in the series opener. The right-hander has posted a 4-3 record and 2.85 ERA in 10 road assignments this year. Jurrjens is 2-0 with a 0.66 ERA in a pair of starts since the All-Star break. He is 2-1 with a 6.14 ERA in four career starts against the Marlins.
--Ramirez went 3-for-4 Sunday to improve his NL-best batting average to .348. Ramirez is 4-for-12 against Jurrjens with three homers and one triple. He belted a pair of homers when Florida faced Jurrjens earlier this year. Florida second baseman Dan Uggla is 5-for-11 (.455) off Jurrjens, but OF Jeremy Hermida is 2-for-9 (.222) against the righty.
--Florida RHP Ricky Nolasco (7-7, 5.42) will oppose Jurrjens. The right-hander has been spectacular since coming off the disabled list and bettors should completely ignore his season numbers. Nolasco went 3-1 with a 1.91 ERA in June and has a 2-1 record and 3.76 ERA so far in July. He is 1-4 with a 5.18 lifetime ERA against the Braves.
--Atlanta?s hot-hitting shortstop Yunel Escobar will be glad to see Nolasco. Escobar is 5-for-10 with three doubles and one homer against the fourth-year 26-year old. Jones also feasts on Nolasco with nine hits in 16 at-bats (.563), including three doubles and three homers. McCann is 7-for-19 (.368) versus Nolasco with a pair of doubles and two homers.
--The ?under? is 54-41 overall for Atlanta, 27-21 in its road games.
--Florida has watched the ?over? go 47-46 overall, 27-19 in its home contests.
--Most books are listing the Braves as minus-130 favorites with a total of 8 ? ?over? (minus-115).
**Dodgers at Cardinals**
--Going into Monday?s series opener at St. Louis, Los Angeles (62-37) had a comfortable eight-game lead over Colorado in the NL West. With the Dodgers losing 6-1 at St. Louis and the Rockies losing to the Mets, that lead remains the same going into Tuesday. Joe Torre?s team saw its road record fall to 28-20.
--St. Louis (54-48) pulled back into a first-place tie with the Cubs thanks to Monday's 6-1 triumph over L.A. behind Chris Carpenter's ninth win of the year. The Cardinals lost two of three at Philadelphia over the weekend, including Sunday?s 9-2 defeat as plus-145 underdogs.
--Tony Larussa?s team now owns a 27-21 home record at Busch Stadium.
--Los Angeles will turn to Chad Billingsley (10-5, 3.72) in the second game of this series at Busch Stadium. Billingsley is 3-1 with a 3.38 ERA in 10 road starts in 2009. The fourth-year righty is 0-1 with a 3.18 ERA in three lifetime starts against St. Louis.
--Adam Wainwright (11-6, 2.95) has been a tough-luck pitcher at home this season. The right-hander is 3-5 with a 2.37 home ERA, limiting opposing batters to just a .209 batting average. Wainwright is 1-2 with a 4.43 ERA in three career outings against the Dodgers.
--The ?over? is 49-45 overall for the Dodgers, 26-20 in their road games.
--The ?under? is 52-42 overall for the Cardinals, 29-17 in their home outings.
--Most spots are listing St. Louis as a minus-130 home ?chalk? with a total of 7 ? ?over? (minus-115). Bettors can back the Cards on the run line (minus 1 ? runs) for a plus-160 return (risk $100 to win $160).
**White Sox at Twins**
--Most betting shops have installed Minnesota (50-50) as a minus-120 favorite with a total of 8 ? ?under? (minus-115). The Twins are plus-165 on the run line.
--Chicago (51-49) went into Monday?s play two games back of division-leading Detroit. The White Sox dodged a four-game sweep in Motown by collecting a 5-1 win over the Tigers in Sunday?s series finale. After losing 4-3 to the Twins on Monday, the Sox stayed two games back of the Tigers, who lost 5-2 at Texas.
--Mark Buehrle (11-3, 3.28) returns to the mound in this spot for the first time since throwing a perfect game against the Rays last week. The southpaw is 4-2 with a 4.53 ERA in eight road assignments in 2009. Buehrle is 23-14 with a 3.95 lifetime ERA against Minnesota.
--Scott Baker (8-7, 5.04) is on a roll with a 2-0 record and 3.72 ERA in his last three outings. He has fanned 18 batters in 19-plus innings of work. Baker is 4-4 with a 5.70 ERA in 10 home starts this year. The righty is 4-3 with a 6.88 career ERA against the White Sox.
--Ozzie Guillen?s club is 24-26 on the road.
--The ?under? is on a 9-0 run for Chicago. The ?under? is a lucrative 61-39 overall for the White Sox but is just barely over .500 in their road games (25-23).
--The ?under? is 51-44 overall for the Twins. However, the ?over? has cashed at a 28-19 clip in their home games. The ?over? went into Monday?s game on a 5-0 run for Minnesota before the 'under' hit in its 4-3 win with the total set at nine.
--Houston RHP Roy Oswalt will take the ball Tuesday at Wrigley Field against the Cubs. The hard-throwing right-hander is 12-12 with a 3.90 career ERA against Chicago. His counterpart Ryan Dempster is 4-10 with a 4.27 lifetime ERA against the Astros.
--New York Yankees LHP C.C. Sabathia will toe the rubber Tuesday at Tampa Bay. Sabathia has a 7-1 record and 2.63 career ERA against the Rays.
--Baltimore has a 2-9 record in Jason Berken?s 11 starts this year. The O?s hurler faces Kansas City on Tuesday at Camden Yards.
--Seattle LHP Jarrod Washburn is on fire with a 3-0 record and 0.87 ERA in his last three outings. He will take the ball Tuesday at home vs. Toronto.
Gamblers have a stacked slate to wager on Tuesday, including an NL East battle between the Braves and Marlins. The Cardinals are taking on the Dodgers, while the Twins are hoping to gain ground in the AL Central when they host the White Sox. To the games we go?
**Braves at Marlins**
--Florida and Atlanta both enjoyed an off day to prep for this crucial series between National League East rivals. Both clubs appeared to be fading out of the picture as the Phillies caught fire before the All-Star break. Indeed, neither looks formidable enough to track down Philadelphia in the division, but both are legit factors in the wild-card race. If either squad can sweep this series, perhaps management will be further influenced to be buyers before the trading deadline later this week.
--Atlanta (51-48, -420) improved to 24-25 on the road this season by winning two out of three at Milwaukee over the weekend. The Braves won the rubber game Sunday by a 10-2 count as minus-110 favorites, hooking up run-line backers with a plus-145 payout (risk $100 to win $145). Derek Lowe pitched six strong innings to pick up his 10th win. Casey Kotchman and Kelly Johnson combined for five hits, five runs scored and five RBI?s, while Brian McCann went 3-for-4 with a pair of doubles and his 11th homer.
--Not only did Atlanta pick up a big win that kept it within 3 ? games of the Rockies for the wild-card lead, it was also able to give Chipper Jones the day off to give him a two-day breather before going to Miami. ?It?ll recharge me real good for the Florida series,? Jones told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. ?I?m relatively healthy, I?m just kinda beat up a little bit. Two days will do me a world of good.? Jones is hitting .290 with 12 homers and 48 RBI?s.
--Florida (51-48, +447) won its third straight series at Chavez Revine this past weekend, capturing an 8-6 win in Sunday?s rubber game. The Marlins closed as plus-110 underdogs at most spots. With the Dodgers now 34-17 at home, Freddi Gonzalez?s squad has to have gained confidence by winning two of three in L.A. In addition, the Fish built better chemistry, as evidenced by Burke Badenhop?s beaning of Orlando Hudson that drew an ejection and high-fives galore from his teammates upon returning to the dugout. Florida All-Star Hanley Ramirez had been pegged two innings earlier.
--Bobby Cox will give the ball to Jair Jurrjens (9-7, 2.67 ERA) in the series opener. The right-hander has posted a 4-3 record and 2.85 ERA in 10 road assignments this year. Jurrjens is 2-0 with a 0.66 ERA in a pair of starts since the All-Star break. He is 2-1 with a 6.14 ERA in four career starts against the Marlins.
--Ramirez went 3-for-4 Sunday to improve his NL-best batting average to .348. Ramirez is 4-for-12 against Jurrjens with three homers and one triple. He belted a pair of homers when Florida faced Jurrjens earlier this year. Florida second baseman Dan Uggla is 5-for-11 (.455) off Jurrjens, but OF Jeremy Hermida is 2-for-9 (.222) against the righty.
--Florida RHP Ricky Nolasco (7-7, 5.42) will oppose Jurrjens. The right-hander has been spectacular since coming off the disabled list and bettors should completely ignore his season numbers. Nolasco went 3-1 with a 1.91 ERA in June and has a 2-1 record and 3.76 ERA so far in July. He is 1-4 with a 5.18 lifetime ERA against the Braves.
--Atlanta?s hot-hitting shortstop Yunel Escobar will be glad to see Nolasco. Escobar is 5-for-10 with three doubles and one homer against the fourth-year 26-year old. Jones also feasts on Nolasco with nine hits in 16 at-bats (.563), including three doubles and three homers. McCann is 7-for-19 (.368) versus Nolasco with a pair of doubles and two homers.
--The ?under? is 54-41 overall for Atlanta, 27-21 in its road games.
--Florida has watched the ?over? go 47-46 overall, 27-19 in its home contests.
--Most books are listing the Braves as minus-130 favorites with a total of 8 ? ?over? (minus-115).
**Dodgers at Cardinals**
--Going into Monday?s series opener at St. Louis, Los Angeles (62-37) had a comfortable eight-game lead over Colorado in the NL West. With the Dodgers losing 6-1 at St. Louis and the Rockies losing to the Mets, that lead remains the same going into Tuesday. Joe Torre?s team saw its road record fall to 28-20.
--St. Louis (54-48) pulled back into a first-place tie with the Cubs thanks to Monday's 6-1 triumph over L.A. behind Chris Carpenter's ninth win of the year. The Cardinals lost two of three at Philadelphia over the weekend, including Sunday?s 9-2 defeat as plus-145 underdogs.
--Tony Larussa?s team now owns a 27-21 home record at Busch Stadium.
--Los Angeles will turn to Chad Billingsley (10-5, 3.72) in the second game of this series at Busch Stadium. Billingsley is 3-1 with a 3.38 ERA in 10 road starts in 2009. The fourth-year righty is 0-1 with a 3.18 ERA in three lifetime starts against St. Louis.
--Adam Wainwright (11-6, 2.95) has been a tough-luck pitcher at home this season. The right-hander is 3-5 with a 2.37 home ERA, limiting opposing batters to just a .209 batting average. Wainwright is 1-2 with a 4.43 ERA in three career outings against the Dodgers.
--The ?over? is 49-45 overall for the Dodgers, 26-20 in their road games.
--The ?under? is 52-42 overall for the Cardinals, 29-17 in their home outings.
--Most spots are listing St. Louis as a minus-130 home ?chalk? with a total of 7 ? ?over? (minus-115). Bettors can back the Cards on the run line (minus 1 ? runs) for a plus-160 return (risk $100 to win $160).
**White Sox at Twins**
--Most betting shops have installed Minnesota (50-50) as a minus-120 favorite with a total of 8 ? ?under? (minus-115). The Twins are plus-165 on the run line.
--Chicago (51-49) went into Monday?s play two games back of division-leading Detroit. The White Sox dodged a four-game sweep in Motown by collecting a 5-1 win over the Tigers in Sunday?s series finale. After losing 4-3 to the Twins on Monday, the Sox stayed two games back of the Tigers, who lost 5-2 at Texas.
--Mark Buehrle (11-3, 3.28) returns to the mound in this spot for the first time since throwing a perfect game against the Rays last week. The southpaw is 4-2 with a 4.53 ERA in eight road assignments in 2009. Buehrle is 23-14 with a 3.95 lifetime ERA against Minnesota.
--Scott Baker (8-7, 5.04) is on a roll with a 2-0 record and 3.72 ERA in his last three outings. He has fanned 18 batters in 19-plus innings of work. Baker is 4-4 with a 5.70 ERA in 10 home starts this year. The righty is 4-3 with a 6.88 career ERA against the White Sox.
--Ozzie Guillen?s club is 24-26 on the road.
--The ?under? is on a 9-0 run for Chicago. The ?under? is a lucrative 61-39 overall for the White Sox but is just barely over .500 in their road games (25-23).
--The ?under? is 51-44 overall for the Twins. However, the ?over? has cashed at a 28-19 clip in their home games. The ?over? went into Monday?s game on a 5-0 run for Minnesota before the 'under' hit in its 4-3 win with the total set at nine.
--Houston RHP Roy Oswalt will take the ball Tuesday at Wrigley Field against the Cubs. The hard-throwing right-hander is 12-12 with a 3.90 career ERA against Chicago. His counterpart Ryan Dempster is 4-10 with a 4.27 lifetime ERA against the Astros.
--New York Yankees LHP C.C. Sabathia will toe the rubber Tuesday at Tampa Bay. Sabathia has a 7-1 record and 2.63 career ERA against the Rays.
--Baltimore has a 2-9 record in Jason Berken?s 11 starts this year. The O?s hurler faces Kansas City on Tuesday at Camden Yards.
--Seattle LHP Jarrod Washburn is on fire with a 3-0 record and 0.87 ERA in his last three outings. He will take the ball Tuesday at home vs. Toronto.
