1:45 PM MLB [901] Chicago Cubs -129 ( J Lester - L / C Martinez)
3:45 PM MLB [903] San Diego Padres +225 ( L Perdomo/Bumgarner)
12:35 PM MLB [915] Tampa Bay Rays +130 ( A Cobb - R / M Estrada)
4:05 PM MLB [930] New York Yankees +164 ( C Kershaw - L /Pineda)
1 unit bet pays 34 ....betdsi line ... evening parlay later
MLB parlays: 16-156, -27.49 units (risk 1 unit each pick)... winner #1 posted here......winner #2 posted here....winner #3 and nice winner #4... and small reduced winner #5, winner #6 paid 5.07 units...winner #7...and here is winner #8...and then winner #9....after long dry spell, hit four teamer on July 4th.....and another long dry spell, hit five teamer on July 23rd....yet another long dry spell, hit four teamer on Aug 17...hit nice daytime five teamer on Aug 18....won small daytime three teamer on Aug 24.....won daytime and evening parlays on Sept 7...
Goood luck everyone!! :firing: :toast:
:0074
love all the dogs that came in last night! Every juicy dog but AZ!
and here is Kevin Harlan's play by play matched to Fan video of the drunk, who ran on field, from Rams 49er's game last night
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gBnTJ-L0EMI
ripped, cut and pasted, otherwise written by others, from across the internets:
article here on Estrada...an excerpt:
?What we saw with Estrada was kind of the telltale sign of a pitcher who has suffered an injury or is fighting through an injury,? Sonne said in a phone interview.
Estrada has spent two stints on the disabled list this season due to a recurring back injury and has complained at times this season of not being 100 per cent.
?His velocity has decreased by a full mile per hour over the course of the season. At the same time his breaking-pitch velocity has actually gone up,? Sonne said.
The decreased separation between his pitches has made it easier on opposing hitters by shrinking the margins for which they have to be responsible at the plate.
The decline in his ?stuff? has also coincided with a decrease in his curveball usage, but that may have been due to a lack of feel for the pitch during his starts on extra rest.
In addition, Mike Petriello of MLB.com recently pointed out a sharp decline in the spin rate of Estrada?s fastball, which may make it easier for opposing hitters to recognize the pitch. The high spin rate of Estrada?s fastball is part of what makes it hard to distinguish from his changeup, which is 10 m.p.h. slower.
and these fellows have been betting against Estrada most of the season:
Tampa Bay @ TORONTO
Tampa Bay +165 over TORONTO
Our biggest regret is not having Tampa last night as a +175 pooch but we thought it was a sucker?s play because the number was inexplicably so high. We?re not going to make that same mistake today, as we continue to get offered outrageous numbers against the Blue Jays. So now it?s Marco Estrada?s turn once again facing the very solid road offense of the Rays (.765 OPS, 5th MLB). Estrada has predictably hit a wall (xERA over 5.50 since Aug. 1), and he?s been a mess at Rogers Centre over recent starts with 11 earned runs allowed over his last 12.1 innings. Estrada?s last three starts at home all resulted in the Blue Jays losing by scores of 13-3, 8-2 and 9-2 respectively. There is absolutely no difference between Estrada?s skills the past six weeks and his success prior. He?s pitching the exact same way only his luck has run out now. We?ve been warning you about Estrada's extrme fortune for nearly two seasons and we?re not about to let up now. Marco Estrada is a minor-league caliber starter that defied logic for an extended period of time but is defying it anymore.
Alex Cobb returned to the mound against these same Blue Jays two starts back after missing almost two full years with injuries. All Cobb did in his return was pitch five full innings while striking out seven Blue Jays. Cobb allowed two runs in the first inning but was near flawless afterwards with those seven K?s and inducing 67% grounders. Cobb threw 84 pitches against Toronto and followed that up with 89 pitches against the Yankees so there is a good chance he?ll be stretched out a bit more here. In 2014, Cobb pitched to an ERA of 2.87 in 27 starts. In 2013, he pitched to a 2.76 ERA in 22 starts. The Rays have a habit of producing aces and Cobb is the nest man up. He was on the verge of being elite before the injuries. Back in 2014, Cobb returned from the disabled list with a vengeance. This kid has a bulldog mentality with the talent and will behind it and now in his third start back from injury and feeling stronger, he and the Rays figure to make life miserable again for the struggling Jays.
Roark continues to fly under the radar as one of the best starters in the National League. He ranks in the top 10 in the Majors in pitcher's WAR (4.9 -- 8th), ERA (2.85 -- 8th) and innings pitched (186 1/3 -- 10th).
I like Kershaw more than the next arm on the list, Jon Lester. Truth be told, that's a close call, primarily due to the opposing St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium. If it were any other team or if the game were at Wrigley Field, the story would be different, and the increase in Lester's projected Game Score would likely do the work for me. Here's the issue. Over the past month, no one has hit southpaws harder than the Redbirds, who have recorded an impressive .401 wOBA and otherworldly 7 percent home run rate in that span. On the other hand, they've whiffed at a 24 percent clip, so if Lester is on his game, he has the chance to rack up the strikeouts,
Cubs vs. Cardinals
Play: Cubs -127
The Cubs are 27-10 the last three seasons combined when they are a road favorite in a price range of -125 to -150. Chicago will have one of their top hurlers, lefty Jon Lester, on the mound this afternoon and the Cubs have gone 21-7 in his starts this season. He is 7-0 with a 1.65 ERA and a .192 BAA since the All Star break! The Cardinals will have Carlos Martinez on the mound and they are only 6-8 in his home starts this season. He has given up a total of only 4 earned runs in his last two starts but he did get rocked for 16 hits in 13 innings. Martinez has allowed 9 earned runs in 11 innings in his last two starts against the Cubs. Lester has a stellar 2.27 ERA and 1.00 WHIP in the 10 starts he has made against the Cards in his career. This is a big pitching edge this afternoon for the Cubs and yet they're a very reasonably priced fave here since they are on the road. Note that St Louis has gone an ugly 5-11 as a home dog in range of +100 to +125 the past three seasons combined. The Cubs were 32-11 in their last 43 games before yesterday's loss. Look for them to bounce right back today.
Cleveland @ CHICAGO
CHICAGO -1? +183 over Cleveland
Carlos Rodon will be at home against Cleveland, a team against which he has fared well over the last two years. The Chicago lefty also owns a 3.54 xERA over his last six starts and Cleveland?s road struggles have continued. Rodon is another young starter with rotation anchor upside. His has been held back by shaky control, but he has made big strides in that area in the second half and owns outstanding skills in three of the last four months. He also has made nice gains against RH bats. Overall, Rodon has 138 K?s in 142 frames. He has an elite 5/29 BB/K split over his last 32 innings. Carlos Rodon is feeling it and will be a huge breakout target heading into next year but that doesn?t mean there isn?t time to get him at a great price. That he?s evenly price against Josh Tomlin is incorrect but we still prefer to play the White Sox to win by two or more.
Josh Tomlin has an unsightly 17%/32% dominant start/disaster start split this year. Control specialist Tomlin continues to show very average skills with a 4.69 xERA. Tomlin has struggled with the HR ball throughout his career, which adds to the risk of playing him at park like this one. Tomlin does not miss a ton of bats so like many of his kind, he relies on command and the slings and arrows of where balls land (fortune and infield defense). Josh Tomlin has been a hit/runs allowed/HR's allowed punching bag over the last month. He hasn?t logged a five-inning start since mid-August. Here, he returns to the rotation at perhaps the wrong time, as the White Sox have scored 5.4 runs per game on the strength of an .808 OPS since Aug. 20. U.S. Cellular Field has been the venue that?s seen the lion?s share of those numbers, as the South Side has turned around what were terrible home numbers for much of the season. Chicago has also won the first two games of this series while outscoring the Tribe 19-5. The onslaught likely continues here.
Over is 24-6-1 in Braves last 31 overall....over is 12-1 in Braves? last 13 home games....Over is 21-7-1 in the last 29 Marlins/Braves meetings.
Minnesota Over is 15-5-1 last 21 overall, 0-3-1 last 4....Minnesota is 68-28-5 O/U in their last 101 games
Over is 37-14-1 in ARI last 52 home games.
Hottest pitcher: Rick Porcello, Red Sox (20-3, 3.21 ERA)
There are probably at least 10 or 15 pitchers in baseball that most people would say who would reach 20 wins faster than Porcello. He?s the first to accomplish that feat this season, coming off a dominating effort in a 13-3 rout of Toronto, his ninth straight start in which he has tossed at least seven innings. Now, Porcello returns to Fenway Park tonight against Baltimore where he looks to remain perfect on the season, owning an incredible 13-0 record (14-0 team mark), while 12 of those wins have come by two runs or more. Porcello has faced the Orioles only once this season, giving up five earned runs in six innings of a 12-7 defeat at Camden Yards in June.
Coldest pitcher: Josh Tomlin, Indians (11-8, 4.85 ERA)
Tomlin began the season on fire by winning seven of his first eight decisions, but hasn?t smelled that kind of success in months. The Cleveland right-hander is winless in his six decisions since the start of August, while the Indians are 1-5 in that stretch. Pitching away from Progressive Field has been a nightmare for Tomlin, allowing seven earned runs in each of his last three road starts against the Rangers, Nationals, and Yankees, all Cleveland losses. Tomlin beat the White Sox in his only start against them this season back in May, as the Indians have given up 19 runs the last two days in losses at Chicago.
Rockies vs. Diamondbacks
Play: Rockies +135
Jeff Hoffman continues to look for his first win although he's getting closer each time. The righty has allowed just five earned runs in his last three starts and has been tested against the Cubs, Dodgers and Nationals. Arizona entered Tuesday hitting .228 over their last seven games so their lineup is struggling right now. Colorado's bullpen isn't great, but they could hopefully put some innings together to get a win. Rubby De La Rosa is back, but he's only expected to go two or three innings. The righty has a 4.85 ERA in his last three starts. The Rockies are hitting .280 against right-handed starters whom they have a winning record against. Arizona's bullpen is horrendous with an ERA over five and 21 losses to go with 17 blown saves. I think there's some value with the road team.
Colorado vs. Arizona
Pick: Arizona
Arizona had 17 hits in Tuesday?s 11-4 win, after scoring 12 runs on 16 hits in Monday?s 12-9 win. The back-to-back victories evens the season series between Colorado and Arizona at 9-all and Wednesday night?s winner will come out on top for the year. Not that it means much as Arizona checks in at 60-84, having long ago dropped out of postseason contention. Colorado's 69-76 record is more respectable but at eight games out of the second wild card spot with just 17 games remaining, the Rockies surely have no reasonable hope of playing past the eend of the regular season.
Colorado rookie Jeff Hoffman (0-3, 5.60 ERA) gets the nod for the Rockies and Rubby De La Rosa (4-5, 4.17 ERA) gets the ball for the D?backs. Hoffman was acquired from Toronto in the package that sent Troy Tulowitzki to the Blue Jays at the 2015 trade deadline and will make the fifth start of his major league career in this one (first vs Arizona). He?s still looking for his first win and comes off the shortest outing of his career last Thursday, giving up seven runs (but ZERO were earned!) in just 2.2 innings of a 14-1 loss to the Padres. De La Rosa is making his only second start after missing more than three months with a sprained ulnar collateral ligament in his pitching elbow and was able to last just two innings in his first outing (allowed one run, one hit and two walks), a 7-6 Giants win at San Francisco on September 9.
The Arizona bats have exploded against Colorado pitching in the first two games of this series and that?s not news, as Arizona has collected 10 or more hits in 13 consecutive games against the Rockies. Hard to see how Hoffman, with his 5.60 ERA, 1.81 WHIP and .297 batting average against will cool off those bats. Arizona completes the sweep and takes the season series.
Biggest OVER run: Braves (10-2 last 12)
Atlanta?s offense was pretty dreadful to begin the season, but the Braves have showed some pop recently in spite of sitting in last place of the NL East. The Braves? pitching is also contributing many OVERS lately, allowing at least five runs in seven of the past eight games, including seven runs in each of the previous two contests against Miami. There shouldn?t be many runs put up tonight at Turner Field as each team sends out their aces with Jose Fernandez and Julio Teheran taking the mound. However, Teheran has cashed the OVER in four straight home starts, while going OVER the total in two starts against Miami this season.
Matchup to watch: Rangers vs. Astros
It is amazing how one team has dominated the other this season and nowhere has it been more evident than in the Lone Star State. Texas owns an incredible 15-3 record against Houston, including a pair of one-run triumphs the last two nights at Minute Maid Park. The Rangers rallied off the Astros? bullpen for a pair of ninth inning runs in Tuesday?s 4-3 stunner at Houston, the eighth time Texas has beaten Houston this season by one run.
Derek Holland takes Yu Darvish?s spot in the rotation tonight for Texas, as the southpaw is winless in his last two road starts. Holland beat the Astros as a home underdog on September 3 in a 12-4 blowout, scattering six hits and two earned runs in six innings of work. Joe Musgrove counters for Houston, as the rookie was knocked around in that eight-run defeat earlier this month, giving up five earned runs in less than five innings of work. Musgrove is winless in two starts against Texas this season, as the Astros are 2-5 in his seven starts.
Mariners at Angels
Pick: Mariners
The Los Angeles Angels have lost six of their last seven games and are just a game above last-place Oakland while playing as if they have packed it in for the season. Tyler Skaggs has been replaced as the starter due to forearm tightness by Jhoulys Chacin, who is 5-8 with a 5.63 ERA. Chacin had a 5.79 in August and hasn't been any better this month as he has allowed seven runs and 10 hits in seven innings, including five runs and seven hits in four innings at Seattle on Sept. 2. Hisashi Iwakuma has allowed more than three runs just once his last eight starts although the Mariners have not been scoring many runs for him. That shouldn't be a problem in this matchup with Chacin. Seattle has won five road games in a row and seven straight overall as it makes a run for the playoffs.
3:45 PM MLB [903] San Diego Padres +225 ( L Perdomo/Bumgarner)
12:35 PM MLB [915] Tampa Bay Rays +130 ( A Cobb - R / M Estrada)
4:05 PM MLB [930] New York Yankees +164 ( C Kershaw - L /Pineda)
1 unit bet pays 34 ....betdsi line ... evening parlay later
MLB parlays: 16-156, -27.49 units (risk 1 unit each pick)... winner #1 posted here......winner #2 posted here....winner #3 and nice winner #4... and small reduced winner #5, winner #6 paid 5.07 units...winner #7...and here is winner #8...and then winner #9....after long dry spell, hit four teamer on July 4th.....and another long dry spell, hit five teamer on July 23rd....yet another long dry spell, hit four teamer on Aug 17...hit nice daytime five teamer on Aug 18....won small daytime three teamer on Aug 24.....won daytime and evening parlays on Sept 7...
Goood luck everyone!! :firing: :toast:
love all the dogs that came in last night! Every juicy dog but AZ!
and here is Kevin Harlan's play by play matched to Fan video of the drunk, who ran on field, from Rams 49er's game last night
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gBnTJ-L0EMI
ripped, cut and pasted, otherwise written by others, from across the internets:
article here on Estrada...an excerpt:
?What we saw with Estrada was kind of the telltale sign of a pitcher who has suffered an injury or is fighting through an injury,? Sonne said in a phone interview.
Estrada has spent two stints on the disabled list this season due to a recurring back injury and has complained at times this season of not being 100 per cent.
?His velocity has decreased by a full mile per hour over the course of the season. At the same time his breaking-pitch velocity has actually gone up,? Sonne said.
The decreased separation between his pitches has made it easier on opposing hitters by shrinking the margins for which they have to be responsible at the plate.
The decline in his ?stuff? has also coincided with a decrease in his curveball usage, but that may have been due to a lack of feel for the pitch during his starts on extra rest.
In addition, Mike Petriello of MLB.com recently pointed out a sharp decline in the spin rate of Estrada?s fastball, which may make it easier for opposing hitters to recognize the pitch. The high spin rate of Estrada?s fastball is part of what makes it hard to distinguish from his changeup, which is 10 m.p.h. slower.
and these fellows have been betting against Estrada most of the season:
Tampa Bay @ TORONTO
Tampa Bay +165 over TORONTO
Our biggest regret is not having Tampa last night as a +175 pooch but we thought it was a sucker?s play because the number was inexplicably so high. We?re not going to make that same mistake today, as we continue to get offered outrageous numbers against the Blue Jays. So now it?s Marco Estrada?s turn once again facing the very solid road offense of the Rays (.765 OPS, 5th MLB). Estrada has predictably hit a wall (xERA over 5.50 since Aug. 1), and he?s been a mess at Rogers Centre over recent starts with 11 earned runs allowed over his last 12.1 innings. Estrada?s last three starts at home all resulted in the Blue Jays losing by scores of 13-3, 8-2 and 9-2 respectively. There is absolutely no difference between Estrada?s skills the past six weeks and his success prior. He?s pitching the exact same way only his luck has run out now. We?ve been warning you about Estrada's extrme fortune for nearly two seasons and we?re not about to let up now. Marco Estrada is a minor-league caliber starter that defied logic for an extended period of time but is defying it anymore.
Alex Cobb returned to the mound against these same Blue Jays two starts back after missing almost two full years with injuries. All Cobb did in his return was pitch five full innings while striking out seven Blue Jays. Cobb allowed two runs in the first inning but was near flawless afterwards with those seven K?s and inducing 67% grounders. Cobb threw 84 pitches against Toronto and followed that up with 89 pitches against the Yankees so there is a good chance he?ll be stretched out a bit more here. In 2014, Cobb pitched to an ERA of 2.87 in 27 starts. In 2013, he pitched to a 2.76 ERA in 22 starts. The Rays have a habit of producing aces and Cobb is the nest man up. He was on the verge of being elite before the injuries. Back in 2014, Cobb returned from the disabled list with a vengeance. This kid has a bulldog mentality with the talent and will behind it and now in his third start back from injury and feeling stronger, he and the Rays figure to make life miserable again for the struggling Jays.
Roark continues to fly under the radar as one of the best starters in the National League. He ranks in the top 10 in the Majors in pitcher's WAR (4.9 -- 8th), ERA (2.85 -- 8th) and innings pitched (186 1/3 -- 10th).
I like Kershaw more than the next arm on the list, Jon Lester. Truth be told, that's a close call, primarily due to the opposing St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium. If it were any other team or if the game were at Wrigley Field, the story would be different, and the increase in Lester's projected Game Score would likely do the work for me. Here's the issue. Over the past month, no one has hit southpaws harder than the Redbirds, who have recorded an impressive .401 wOBA and otherworldly 7 percent home run rate in that span. On the other hand, they've whiffed at a 24 percent clip, so if Lester is on his game, he has the chance to rack up the strikeouts,
Cubs vs. Cardinals
Play: Cubs -127
The Cubs are 27-10 the last three seasons combined when they are a road favorite in a price range of -125 to -150. Chicago will have one of their top hurlers, lefty Jon Lester, on the mound this afternoon and the Cubs have gone 21-7 in his starts this season. He is 7-0 with a 1.65 ERA and a .192 BAA since the All Star break! The Cardinals will have Carlos Martinez on the mound and they are only 6-8 in his home starts this season. He has given up a total of only 4 earned runs in his last two starts but he did get rocked for 16 hits in 13 innings. Martinez has allowed 9 earned runs in 11 innings in his last two starts against the Cubs. Lester has a stellar 2.27 ERA and 1.00 WHIP in the 10 starts he has made against the Cards in his career. This is a big pitching edge this afternoon for the Cubs and yet they're a very reasonably priced fave here since they are on the road. Note that St Louis has gone an ugly 5-11 as a home dog in range of +100 to +125 the past three seasons combined. The Cubs were 32-11 in their last 43 games before yesterday's loss. Look for them to bounce right back today.
Cleveland @ CHICAGO
CHICAGO -1? +183 over Cleveland
Carlos Rodon will be at home against Cleveland, a team against which he has fared well over the last two years. The Chicago lefty also owns a 3.54 xERA over his last six starts and Cleveland?s road struggles have continued. Rodon is another young starter with rotation anchor upside. His has been held back by shaky control, but he has made big strides in that area in the second half and owns outstanding skills in three of the last four months. He also has made nice gains against RH bats. Overall, Rodon has 138 K?s in 142 frames. He has an elite 5/29 BB/K split over his last 32 innings. Carlos Rodon is feeling it and will be a huge breakout target heading into next year but that doesn?t mean there isn?t time to get him at a great price. That he?s evenly price against Josh Tomlin is incorrect but we still prefer to play the White Sox to win by two or more.
Josh Tomlin has an unsightly 17%/32% dominant start/disaster start split this year. Control specialist Tomlin continues to show very average skills with a 4.69 xERA. Tomlin has struggled with the HR ball throughout his career, which adds to the risk of playing him at park like this one. Tomlin does not miss a ton of bats so like many of his kind, he relies on command and the slings and arrows of where balls land (fortune and infield defense). Josh Tomlin has been a hit/runs allowed/HR's allowed punching bag over the last month. He hasn?t logged a five-inning start since mid-August. Here, he returns to the rotation at perhaps the wrong time, as the White Sox have scored 5.4 runs per game on the strength of an .808 OPS since Aug. 20. U.S. Cellular Field has been the venue that?s seen the lion?s share of those numbers, as the South Side has turned around what were terrible home numbers for much of the season. Chicago has also won the first two games of this series while outscoring the Tribe 19-5. The onslaught likely continues here.
Over is 24-6-1 in Braves last 31 overall....over is 12-1 in Braves? last 13 home games....Over is 21-7-1 in the last 29 Marlins/Braves meetings.
Minnesota Over is 15-5-1 last 21 overall, 0-3-1 last 4....Minnesota is 68-28-5 O/U in their last 101 games
Over is 37-14-1 in ARI last 52 home games.
Hottest pitcher: Rick Porcello, Red Sox (20-3, 3.21 ERA)
There are probably at least 10 or 15 pitchers in baseball that most people would say who would reach 20 wins faster than Porcello. He?s the first to accomplish that feat this season, coming off a dominating effort in a 13-3 rout of Toronto, his ninth straight start in which he has tossed at least seven innings. Now, Porcello returns to Fenway Park tonight against Baltimore where he looks to remain perfect on the season, owning an incredible 13-0 record (14-0 team mark), while 12 of those wins have come by two runs or more. Porcello has faced the Orioles only once this season, giving up five earned runs in six innings of a 12-7 defeat at Camden Yards in June.
Coldest pitcher: Josh Tomlin, Indians (11-8, 4.85 ERA)
Tomlin began the season on fire by winning seven of his first eight decisions, but hasn?t smelled that kind of success in months. The Cleveland right-hander is winless in his six decisions since the start of August, while the Indians are 1-5 in that stretch. Pitching away from Progressive Field has been a nightmare for Tomlin, allowing seven earned runs in each of his last three road starts against the Rangers, Nationals, and Yankees, all Cleveland losses. Tomlin beat the White Sox in his only start against them this season back in May, as the Indians have given up 19 runs the last two days in losses at Chicago.
Rockies vs. Diamondbacks
Play: Rockies +135
Jeff Hoffman continues to look for his first win although he's getting closer each time. The righty has allowed just five earned runs in his last three starts and has been tested against the Cubs, Dodgers and Nationals. Arizona entered Tuesday hitting .228 over their last seven games so their lineup is struggling right now. Colorado's bullpen isn't great, but they could hopefully put some innings together to get a win. Rubby De La Rosa is back, but he's only expected to go two or three innings. The righty has a 4.85 ERA in his last three starts. The Rockies are hitting .280 against right-handed starters whom they have a winning record against. Arizona's bullpen is horrendous with an ERA over five and 21 losses to go with 17 blown saves. I think there's some value with the road team.
Colorado vs. Arizona
Pick: Arizona
Arizona had 17 hits in Tuesday?s 11-4 win, after scoring 12 runs on 16 hits in Monday?s 12-9 win. The back-to-back victories evens the season series between Colorado and Arizona at 9-all and Wednesday night?s winner will come out on top for the year. Not that it means much as Arizona checks in at 60-84, having long ago dropped out of postseason contention. Colorado's 69-76 record is more respectable but at eight games out of the second wild card spot with just 17 games remaining, the Rockies surely have no reasonable hope of playing past the eend of the regular season.
Colorado rookie Jeff Hoffman (0-3, 5.60 ERA) gets the nod for the Rockies and Rubby De La Rosa (4-5, 4.17 ERA) gets the ball for the D?backs. Hoffman was acquired from Toronto in the package that sent Troy Tulowitzki to the Blue Jays at the 2015 trade deadline and will make the fifth start of his major league career in this one (first vs Arizona). He?s still looking for his first win and comes off the shortest outing of his career last Thursday, giving up seven runs (but ZERO were earned!) in just 2.2 innings of a 14-1 loss to the Padres. De La Rosa is making his only second start after missing more than three months with a sprained ulnar collateral ligament in his pitching elbow and was able to last just two innings in his first outing (allowed one run, one hit and two walks), a 7-6 Giants win at San Francisco on September 9.
The Arizona bats have exploded against Colorado pitching in the first two games of this series and that?s not news, as Arizona has collected 10 or more hits in 13 consecutive games against the Rockies. Hard to see how Hoffman, with his 5.60 ERA, 1.81 WHIP and .297 batting average against will cool off those bats. Arizona completes the sweep and takes the season series.
Biggest OVER run: Braves (10-2 last 12)
Atlanta?s offense was pretty dreadful to begin the season, but the Braves have showed some pop recently in spite of sitting in last place of the NL East. The Braves? pitching is also contributing many OVERS lately, allowing at least five runs in seven of the past eight games, including seven runs in each of the previous two contests against Miami. There shouldn?t be many runs put up tonight at Turner Field as each team sends out their aces with Jose Fernandez and Julio Teheran taking the mound. However, Teheran has cashed the OVER in four straight home starts, while going OVER the total in two starts against Miami this season.
Matchup to watch: Rangers vs. Astros
It is amazing how one team has dominated the other this season and nowhere has it been more evident than in the Lone Star State. Texas owns an incredible 15-3 record against Houston, including a pair of one-run triumphs the last two nights at Minute Maid Park. The Rangers rallied off the Astros? bullpen for a pair of ninth inning runs in Tuesday?s 4-3 stunner at Houston, the eighth time Texas has beaten Houston this season by one run.
Derek Holland takes Yu Darvish?s spot in the rotation tonight for Texas, as the southpaw is winless in his last two road starts. Holland beat the Astros as a home underdog on September 3 in a 12-4 blowout, scattering six hits and two earned runs in six innings of work. Joe Musgrove counters for Houston, as the rookie was knocked around in that eight-run defeat earlier this month, giving up five earned runs in less than five innings of work. Musgrove is winless in two starts against Texas this season, as the Astros are 2-5 in his seven starts.
Mariners at Angels
Pick: Mariners
The Los Angeles Angels have lost six of their last seven games and are just a game above last-place Oakland while playing as if they have packed it in for the season. Tyler Skaggs has been replaced as the starter due to forearm tightness by Jhoulys Chacin, who is 5-8 with a 5.63 ERA. Chacin had a 5.79 in August and hasn't been any better this month as he has allowed seven runs and 10 hits in seven innings, including five runs and seven hits in four innings at Seattle on Sept. 2. Hisashi Iwakuma has allowed more than three runs just once his last eight starts although the Mariners have not been scoring many runs for him. That shouldn't be a problem in this matchup with Chacin. Seattle has won five road games in a row and seven straight overall as it makes a run for the playoffs.
