It’s one of the no-brainer MLB betting picks you can make in the 2010 baseball odds season. The sub par Chicago Cubs take on the even more pitiful Pittsburgh Pirates on Monday night. The Cubs are already thinking about next season, while who knows what the P’s brass is pondering. Sports Betting has your odds for this old school matchup.
Pittsburgh vs Chicago
It’s been a disappointing season for the Chicago Cubs. Not really expected to contend for the World Series in 2010, the Cubs have nonetheless underachieved. Their season recently came to a head with the resignation of manager Lou Piniella and the trade of fan favorite Derek Lee.
Meanwhile, the Pirates season has been futile of epic proportions. They’ve won less than some of the worst baseball teams of all-time. Even their top players like Ryan Doumit have underachieved terribly, making it another long, long season in Steeltown. Baseball betting against the Pirates has become common place. Throw in the recent revelations of how much money team owners are taking in and not spending on improving the team and this club is ripe for the picking every time out.
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Showing posts with label MLB. Show all posts
Showing posts with label MLB. Show all posts
Cincinnati Reds vs Cleveland Indians MLB Preview
Cincinnati Reds (23-18) vs Cleveland Indians (15-24) Preview
Cincinnati (23-18) scored three times in the bottom of the ninth Tuesday to beat Milwaukee 5-4, its 10th win of the season in its final at-bat. The Reds’ luck ran out in Atlanta, however.
Cincinnati lost 5-4 to the Braves on Wednesday by allowing a run in the ninth, but that paled in comparison to what happened the next day.
Cincinnati jumped out to an 8-0 second-inning lead Thursday on Joey Votto’s grand slam, his fifth homer in 12 games. The Reds led 9-3 after eight, but Atlanta scored seven times in the ninth - capped by Brooks Conrad’s pinch-hit grand slam - to send Cincinnati to a stunning 10-9 loss and out of the top spot in the Central.
“It was a horrible ending,” said manager Dusty Baker, who appeared close to breaking down after the game. “Boy, that was a tough one.”
One of the biggest surprises in baseball, Cincinnati will try to quickly put the painful defeat behind it, and a three-game series against struggling Cleveland might be just what it needs to do so.
The Indians (15-24), in danger of falling a season-worst 10 games below .500, have plated 12 runs while batting .199 during a four-game skid. The slide has coincided with trips to the disabled list for Asdrubal Cabrera and Grady Sizemore.
Because of the injuries, Cleveland had Trevor Crowe leading off and Jason Donald batting second in a 9-3 loss to Kansas City on Thursday. Both were at Triple-A Columbus less than one week ago.
“It’s been a struggle,” manager Manny Acta said. “We’re not hitting balls out of the ballpark and we’re striking out too much. Something has got to give.”
Getting on track offensively could be difficult against Bronson Arroyo (3-2, 4.78 ERA).
The right-hander pitched a seven-hitter in a 7-2 win over St. Louis on Sunday and has gone 3-0 with a 2.73 ERA in his last four starts.
Arroyo also looked strong in his lone start against the Indians last season, yielding one run in eight innings of a 3-1 victory May 22.
Cleveland counters with Jake Westbrook (2-2, 4.27), who worked around nine hits for his 13th career complete game in a 5-1 win over Baltimore on Sunday.
Westbrook, who didn’t pitch last season while recovering from reconstructive elbow surgery, won his last two starts by allowing one run in each. He went 0-2 with a 5.74 ERA in his first six.
“I feel great right now, and that’s encouraging for me,” the right-hander said.
Westbrook, who has not won three consecutive starts since Sept. 18-30, 2006, will make his first start against the Reds since June 23 of that year. He allowed three runs in six innings of a 3-0 loss.
The Indians dropped four of six to the Reds last season but lead the series 32-31.
Votto had two homers and five RBIs in five games against Cleveland in 2009. Read More!
Cincinnati (23-18) scored three times in the bottom of the ninth Tuesday to beat Milwaukee 5-4, its 10th win of the season in its final at-bat. The Reds’ luck ran out in Atlanta, however.
Cincinnati lost 5-4 to the Braves on Wednesday by allowing a run in the ninth, but that paled in comparison to what happened the next day.
Cincinnati jumped out to an 8-0 second-inning lead Thursday on Joey Votto’s grand slam, his fifth homer in 12 games. The Reds led 9-3 after eight, but Atlanta scored seven times in the ninth - capped by Brooks Conrad’s pinch-hit grand slam - to send Cincinnati to a stunning 10-9 loss and out of the top spot in the Central.
“It was a horrible ending,” said manager Dusty Baker, who appeared close to breaking down after the game. “Boy, that was a tough one.”
One of the biggest surprises in baseball, Cincinnati will try to quickly put the painful defeat behind it, and a three-game series against struggling Cleveland might be just what it needs to do so.
The Indians (15-24), in danger of falling a season-worst 10 games below .500, have plated 12 runs while batting .199 during a four-game skid. The slide has coincided with trips to the disabled list for Asdrubal Cabrera and Grady Sizemore.
Because of the injuries, Cleveland had Trevor Crowe leading off and Jason Donald batting second in a 9-3 loss to Kansas City on Thursday. Both were at Triple-A Columbus less than one week ago.
“It’s been a struggle,” manager Manny Acta said. “We’re not hitting balls out of the ballpark and we’re striking out too much. Something has got to give.”
Getting on track offensively could be difficult against Bronson Arroyo (3-2, 4.78 ERA).
The right-hander pitched a seven-hitter in a 7-2 win over St. Louis on Sunday and has gone 3-0 with a 2.73 ERA in his last four starts.
Arroyo also looked strong in his lone start against the Indians last season, yielding one run in eight innings of a 3-1 victory May 22.
Cleveland counters with Jake Westbrook (2-2, 4.27), who worked around nine hits for his 13th career complete game in a 5-1 win over Baltimore on Sunday.
Westbrook, who didn’t pitch last season while recovering from reconstructive elbow surgery, won his last two starts by allowing one run in each. He went 0-2 with a 5.74 ERA in his first six.
“I feel great right now, and that’s encouraging for me,” the right-hander said.
Westbrook, who has not won three consecutive starts since Sept. 18-30, 2006, will make his first start against the Reds since June 23 of that year. He allowed three runs in six innings of a 3-0 loss.
The Indians dropped four of six to the Reds last season but lead the series 32-31.
Votto had two homers and five RBIs in five games against Cleveland in 2009. Read More!
MLB: Atlanta Braves vs. Pittsburgh Pirates Preview
The Braves’ improbable seven-run rally in the ninth inning Thursday secured their eighth consecutive win against Central opponents, a streak they’ll look to extend Friday night when they visit PNC Park for the first of three against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Atlanta (21-20) was a popular pick to contend for a playoff spot heading into Bobby Cox’s last season in the dugout, but an 8-14 start and woeful offensive production had that possibility looking shaky toward the end of April.
Since April 30, however, the Braves are 13-6, with a majority of those wins coming against the Central Division. Atlanta totaled 21 runs in a three-game sweep of Houston, 28 in winning three at Milwaukee, and held on for a 5-4 win against Cincinnati on Wednesday.
The Braves’ streak looked all but over Thursday afternoon, as the Reds scored eight second-inning runs. Cincinnati carried a 9-3 lead into the ninth but Atlanta wouldn’t go away, capping its comeback with Brooks Conrad’s(notes) pinch-hit grand slam for a remarkable 10-9 win.
Atlanta improved to 8-6 in one-run games, but will be facing a team even better in close calls on Friday.
The Pirates (18-23), however, are coming off a tight loss. Pittsburgh took a 3-0 first-inning lead Thursday against Milwaukee, but didn’t score again in a 4-3 defeat that dropped it to 8-5 in one-run games.
“You think that after you get a three-spot in the first …” first baseman Steve Pearce(notes) said. “We couldn’t find a big hit.”
The Pirates are 9-5 against Atlanta over the past two seasons - 5-2 at PNC Park - and they’ll try to continue that success by handing the ball to Ross Ohlendorf(notes) (0-1, 3.00 ERA)
Ohlendorf missed a month with back spasms, and pitched well in his second start back despite nothing to show for it. The right-hander gave up two runs and four hits over six innings Sunday at Chicago, but Pittsburgh’s bullpen came up short in a 4-3 loss.
Ohlendorf didn’t get a decision in his lone start against the Braves, either. He allowed three runs over six innings in a 4-3 loss at Turner Field on June 9.
The Pirates are hitting .225 over their last nine games, and they’ll have their work cut out for them against Tim Hudson(notes) (4-1, 2.41). The only statistic that isn’t impressive for the right-hander is his strikeout-to-walk ratio (23 to 19), but he’s held opponents to a .219 average and yielded one run in three of his last four starts.
Hudson lasted a season-high eight innings, allowing one run and three hits in a 13-1 rout of Arizona on Sunday.
“He could become an ace again,” Cox said of Hudson, who hasn’t allowed an earned run over 14 innings in his past two starts against Pittsburgh. “Looks like he is.” Read More!
Atlanta (21-20) was a popular pick to contend for a playoff spot heading into Bobby Cox’s last season in the dugout, but an 8-14 start and woeful offensive production had that possibility looking shaky toward the end of April.
Since April 30, however, the Braves are 13-6, with a majority of those wins coming against the Central Division. Atlanta totaled 21 runs in a three-game sweep of Houston, 28 in winning three at Milwaukee, and held on for a 5-4 win against Cincinnati on Wednesday.
The Braves’ streak looked all but over Thursday afternoon, as the Reds scored eight second-inning runs. Cincinnati carried a 9-3 lead into the ninth but Atlanta wouldn’t go away, capping its comeback with Brooks Conrad’s(notes) pinch-hit grand slam for a remarkable 10-9 win.
Atlanta improved to 8-6 in one-run games, but will be facing a team even better in close calls on Friday.
The Pirates (18-23), however, are coming off a tight loss. Pittsburgh took a 3-0 first-inning lead Thursday against Milwaukee, but didn’t score again in a 4-3 defeat that dropped it to 8-5 in one-run games.
“You think that after you get a three-spot in the first …” first baseman Steve Pearce(notes) said. “We couldn’t find a big hit.”
The Pirates are 9-5 against Atlanta over the past two seasons - 5-2 at PNC Park - and they’ll try to continue that success by handing the ball to Ross Ohlendorf(notes) (0-1, 3.00 ERA)
Ohlendorf missed a month with back spasms, and pitched well in his second start back despite nothing to show for it. The right-hander gave up two runs and four hits over six innings Sunday at Chicago, but Pittsburgh’s bullpen came up short in a 4-3 loss.
Ohlendorf didn’t get a decision in his lone start against the Braves, either. He allowed three runs over six innings in a 4-3 loss at Turner Field on June 9.
The Pirates are hitting .225 over their last nine games, and they’ll have their work cut out for them against Tim Hudson(notes) (4-1, 2.41). The only statistic that isn’t impressive for the right-hander is his strikeout-to-walk ratio (23 to 19), but he’s held opponents to a .219 average and yielded one run in three of his last four starts.
Hudson lasted a season-high eight innings, allowing one run and three hits in a 13-1 rout of Arizona on Sunday.
“He could become an ace again,” Cox said of Hudson, who hasn’t allowed an earned run over 14 innings in his past two starts against Pittsburgh. “Looks like he is.” Read More!
Toronto Blue Jays vs Seattle Mariners MLB Baseball Live Betting
Toronto Blue Jays vs Seattle Mariners
Romero struck out 12 while tossing his first career shutout in his last start, and he’ll look to build upon that momentum Thursday afternoon while sending the Mariners to a sixth consecutive loss.
Seattle (14-26) was a popular pick to contend in the AL West with the offseason addition of Cliff Lee, while the departure of Roy Halladay made Toronto (25-17) little more than an afterthought in the East.
The Blue Jays are winning with an offense that leads the majors in homers (65) and doubles (108), but they also might be developing a future ace to fill Halladay’s shoes. Romero (4-1, 2.88 ERA) has lasted at least seven innings and yielded two runs or fewer in five of his eight starts, and went the distance for the first time in his latest outing.
The left-hander limited Texas to five singles and tied a career high with 12 strikeouts Saturday in the 6-0 win.
“It was one of those days where everything was just falling,” Romero said. “I located my fastball and my cutter, my changeup and my curveball were all where I wanted the whole day.”
If there’s hope for Seattle on Thursday, it’s that Romero has at least looked somewhat beatable on the road. He’s 3-1 with a 1.74 ERA at home, limiting opponents to a .143 average, but has a 4.26 ERA and has allowed a .280 average away from Rogers Centre.
Romero gave up three runs over 6 1-3 innings at home against Seattle on Sept. 24 - including a two-run homer to Franklin Gutierrez - and left without a decision in the Mariners’ 5-4 win.
Gutierrez had two hits Wednesday against the Blue Jays, who were outhit 10-6. But while Toronto’s total included three doubles, nine of Seattle’s 10 hits were singles - two by Milton Bradley in his return to the lineup - in a 3-2 loss, the fifth straight for manager Don Wakamatsu’s club.
The Jays improved to 13-5 in May as the Mariners dropped to 3-14. Seattle is 4-11 in one-run games this season.
“I have to remain pretty strong through this thing so the club can,” Wakamatsu said. “I believe in these guys. And I believe we can turn this around.”
Even if Romero turns in another dominant performance, the Mariners may have a chance with Jason Vargas (3-2, 2.93) making his first start against Toronto. The Blue Jays are hitting .190 against left-handers, easily the worst average in the majors.
Even if that statistic weren’t working in his favor, Vargas has been solid. He held the Los Angeles Angels to one unearned run over 7 1-3 innings in an 8-1 win on May 9, and shut out Tampa Bay for the first seven innings on Saturday.
Vargas, however, allowed consecutive singles to start the eighth. Both runners came around to score, and he didn’t factor in the Mariners’ 3-2 loss.
“Vargas was outstanding,” Wakamatsu said. “He pitched a heck of a ballgame, even in the eighth inning. … I don’t blame the bullpen as much as I do being able to score runs when we have to.”
The Mariners’ 3.3 runs per game are the fewest in the AL, and they’re 3-20 when scoring three or fewer. Read More!
Romero struck out 12 while tossing his first career shutout in his last start, and he’ll look to build upon that momentum Thursday afternoon while sending the Mariners to a sixth consecutive loss.
Seattle (14-26) was a popular pick to contend in the AL West with the offseason addition of Cliff Lee, while the departure of Roy Halladay made Toronto (25-17) little more than an afterthought in the East.
The Blue Jays are winning with an offense that leads the majors in homers (65) and doubles (108), but they also might be developing a future ace to fill Halladay’s shoes. Romero (4-1, 2.88 ERA) has lasted at least seven innings and yielded two runs or fewer in five of his eight starts, and went the distance for the first time in his latest outing.
The left-hander limited Texas to five singles and tied a career high with 12 strikeouts Saturday in the 6-0 win.
“It was one of those days where everything was just falling,” Romero said. “I located my fastball and my cutter, my changeup and my curveball were all where I wanted the whole day.”
If there’s hope for Seattle on Thursday, it’s that Romero has at least looked somewhat beatable on the road. He’s 3-1 with a 1.74 ERA at home, limiting opponents to a .143 average, but has a 4.26 ERA and has allowed a .280 average away from Rogers Centre.
Romero gave up three runs over 6 1-3 innings at home against Seattle on Sept. 24 - including a two-run homer to Franklin Gutierrez - and left without a decision in the Mariners’ 5-4 win.
Gutierrez had two hits Wednesday against the Blue Jays, who were outhit 10-6. But while Toronto’s total included three doubles, nine of Seattle’s 10 hits were singles - two by Milton Bradley in his return to the lineup - in a 3-2 loss, the fifth straight for manager Don Wakamatsu’s club.
The Jays improved to 13-5 in May as the Mariners dropped to 3-14. Seattle is 4-11 in one-run games this season.
“I have to remain pretty strong through this thing so the club can,” Wakamatsu said. “I believe in these guys. And I believe we can turn this around.”
Even if Romero turns in another dominant performance, the Mariners may have a chance with Jason Vargas (3-2, 2.93) making his first start against Toronto. The Blue Jays are hitting .190 against left-handers, easily the worst average in the majors.
Even if that statistic weren’t working in his favor, Vargas has been solid. He held the Los Angeles Angels to one unearned run over 7 1-3 innings in an 8-1 win on May 9, and shut out Tampa Bay for the first seven innings on Saturday.
Vargas, however, allowed consecutive singles to start the eighth. Both runners came around to score, and he didn’t factor in the Mariners’ 3-2 loss.
“Vargas was outstanding,” Wakamatsu said. “He pitched a heck of a ballgame, even in the eighth inning. … I don’t blame the bullpen as much as I do being able to score runs when we have to.”
The Mariners’ 3.3 runs per game are the fewest in the AL, and they’re 3-20 when scoring three or fewer. Read More!
Detroit vs Oakland Baseball betting Preview & Odds
Detroit vs Oakland Baseball betting Preview & Odds
After a sore heel kept veteran outfielder Magglio Ordonez out of Wednesday’s lineup, rookie Casper Wells delivered a two-run double in his place to highlight a four-run seventh inning in Detroit’s 5-1 win over Oakland (20-21).
Wells, fellow rookie center fielder Austin Jackson and second baseman Danny Worth combined to go 7 for 13 with four RBIs as the Tigers (23-17) opened a seven-game trip with their sixth win in nine contests.
Detroit is 9-11 on the road this season.
“If we can play better on the road, the sky is the limit for this team,” Johnny Damon told the Tigers’ official website. “Hopefully we can start playing well right now.”
With Ordonez day-to-day with the injury, manager Jim Leyland might need to further count on any or all of those rookies for the rest of the trip.
While Wells and Worth made their major league debuts last week, Jackson is batting .331 as the Tigers leadoff man from the start of the season. Jackson is hitting .380 during an 11-game road hitting streak.
After Justin Verlander allowed four hits for his first complete game since July, Detroit hopes Jeremy Bonderman (1-2, 4.93 ERA) can follow with another strong outing in this contest.
The right-hander, who pitched a scoreless inning of relief in a 5-1 win over Boston on Sunday, hasn’t won since beating Cleveland on April 10. Bonderman allowed two runs and struck out a season-high seven in seven innings of an 8-0 loss to the New York Yankees on Sunday.
“It was a good step,” Bonderman said. “It was only one start, but I’ll take it any day of the week. I’m looking forward to building off it.”
Bonderman is 3-3 with a 3.77 ERA in seven starts against the A’s, including 2-1 with a 2.89 ERA in four at Oakland.
The A’s look to bounce back after losing for the sixth time in eight games Wednesday.
Eric Chavez singled in the opener and is batting .320 in his last eight games for the A’s. He’s 6 for 15 with two doubles off Bonderman.
Oakland rookie Tyson Ross (1-1, 3.97) makes his second career start in place of injured right-hander Justin Duchscherer.
“I’m happy to get the start,” Ross told the Athletics’ official website. “I’m just going to go out there and try to put up some zeros to help this team out.”
After making 11 appearances out of the bullpen, the right-hander retired the first 11 batters he faced before allowing three runs in 3 2-3 innings of his first start in a 12-3 loss to the Los Angeles Angels on Saturday. Read More!
After a sore heel kept veteran outfielder Magglio Ordonez out of Wednesday’s lineup, rookie Casper Wells delivered a two-run double in his place to highlight a four-run seventh inning in Detroit’s 5-1 win over Oakland (20-21).
Wells, fellow rookie center fielder Austin Jackson and second baseman Danny Worth combined to go 7 for 13 with four RBIs as the Tigers (23-17) opened a seven-game trip with their sixth win in nine contests.
Detroit is 9-11 on the road this season.
“If we can play better on the road, the sky is the limit for this team,” Johnny Damon told the Tigers’ official website. “Hopefully we can start playing well right now.”
With Ordonez day-to-day with the injury, manager Jim Leyland might need to further count on any or all of those rookies for the rest of the trip.
While Wells and Worth made their major league debuts last week, Jackson is batting .331 as the Tigers leadoff man from the start of the season. Jackson is hitting .380 during an 11-game road hitting streak.
After Justin Verlander allowed four hits for his first complete game since July, Detroit hopes Jeremy Bonderman (1-2, 4.93 ERA) can follow with another strong outing in this contest.
The right-hander, who pitched a scoreless inning of relief in a 5-1 win over Boston on Sunday, hasn’t won since beating Cleveland on April 10. Bonderman allowed two runs and struck out a season-high seven in seven innings of an 8-0 loss to the New York Yankees on Sunday.
“It was a good step,” Bonderman said. “It was only one start, but I’ll take it any day of the week. I’m looking forward to building off it.”
Bonderman is 3-3 with a 3.77 ERA in seven starts against the A’s, including 2-1 with a 2.89 ERA in four at Oakland.
The A’s look to bounce back after losing for the sixth time in eight games Wednesday.
Eric Chavez singled in the opener and is batting .320 in his last eight games for the A’s. He’s 6 for 15 with two doubles off Bonderman.
Oakland rookie Tyson Ross (1-1, 3.97) makes his second career start in place of injured right-hander Justin Duchscherer.
“I’m happy to get the start,” Ross told the Athletics’ official website. “I’m just going to go out there and try to put up some zeros to help this team out.”
After making 11 appearances out of the bullpen, the right-hander retired the first 11 batters he faced before allowing three runs in 3 2-3 innings of his first start in a 12-3 loss to the Los Angeles Angels on Saturday. Read More!
Baseball Betting: Florida Marlins vs St.Louis Cardinals preview
Florida Marlins vs St.Louis Cardinals Betting
Wainwright has dominated Ramirez in the past and is perfect at home this season as he looks to help the Cardinals gain a two-game split with the Marlins at Busch Stadium.
Ramirez returned to the lineup with three hits Wednesday in a 5-1 victory after he apologized individually to the Marlins (22-19) before the game. The two-time NL All-Star was yanked for not running hard after a ball he booted away from him into foul territory in Monday’s 5-1 loss to Arizona.
The shortstop initially chose not to apologize Tuesday, saying he “wasn’t trying to give up” on the ball before he criticized manager Fredi Gonzalez. Ramirez backed off that stance a day later.
“I’m happy to be in the lineup,” Ramirez said. “That’s what I like to do, play every day.”
Dan Uggla(notes) and Cameron Maybin(notes) homered in the same inning for the second straight game Wednesday for Florida, which has won six of seven.
“The little distraction that we had going on, that’s in the past,” Marlins slugger Jorge Cantu(notes) said. “We’re grown-ups, we’re professionals.
“Now we have a good thing going here, and we don’t want any kind of distractions.”
The Marlins will try to hand Wainwright (5-2, 2.48 ERA) his first loss at home, where he’s 3-0 with a 1.96 ERA in three outings. He’s 2-1 with a 2.89 ERA in four career starts against Florida, and has limited Ramirez to two singles in 16 at-bats.
Wainwright gave up a season-high four runs over six innings Saturday in a 4-3 loss at Cincinnati.
“We didn’t give him much offensive support,” manager Tony La Russa told the Cardinals’ official website. “It’s tough to pitch without making mistakes.”
The Cardinals (23-18) lost Wednesday for the first time in three games since moving Albert Pujols(notes) to the cleanup spot. Pujols is 5 for 10 in that span with no RBIs.
St. Louis is averaging 3.22 runs per game since May 11 to rank second-worst in the NL. Colby Rasmus(notes) is hitting .200 with two RBIs in that span while Yadier Molina(notes) is 3 for 26.
Florida will give the ball to Nate Robertson(notes) (4-3, 4.35), who will make his first start at Busch Stadium since he gave up two runs over five innings in a 5-0 loss with Detroit in Game 3 of the 2006 World Series.
Robertson has gone 1-0 with a 1.59 ERA in two starts against the Cardinals since, although Pujols is 4 for 4 with three walks against him in the regular season.
The left-hander won his second consecutive outing Saturday against New York, limiting the Mets to three runs over 5 2-3 innings in a 7-5 victory. Read More!
Wainwright has dominated Ramirez in the past and is perfect at home this season as he looks to help the Cardinals gain a two-game split with the Marlins at Busch Stadium.
Ramirez returned to the lineup with three hits Wednesday in a 5-1 victory after he apologized individually to the Marlins (22-19) before the game. The two-time NL All-Star was yanked for not running hard after a ball he booted away from him into foul territory in Monday’s 5-1 loss to Arizona.
The shortstop initially chose not to apologize Tuesday, saying he “wasn’t trying to give up” on the ball before he criticized manager Fredi Gonzalez. Ramirez backed off that stance a day later.
“I’m happy to be in the lineup,” Ramirez said. “That’s what I like to do, play every day.”
Dan Uggla(notes) and Cameron Maybin(notes) homered in the same inning for the second straight game Wednesday for Florida, which has won six of seven.
“The little distraction that we had going on, that’s in the past,” Marlins slugger Jorge Cantu(notes) said. “We’re grown-ups, we’re professionals.
“Now we have a good thing going here, and we don’t want any kind of distractions.”
The Marlins will try to hand Wainwright (5-2, 2.48 ERA) his first loss at home, where he’s 3-0 with a 1.96 ERA in three outings. He’s 2-1 with a 2.89 ERA in four career starts against Florida, and has limited Ramirez to two singles in 16 at-bats.
Wainwright gave up a season-high four runs over six innings Saturday in a 4-3 loss at Cincinnati.
“We didn’t give him much offensive support,” manager Tony La Russa told the Cardinals’ official website. “It’s tough to pitch without making mistakes.”
The Cardinals (23-18) lost Wednesday for the first time in three games since moving Albert Pujols(notes) to the cleanup spot. Pujols is 5 for 10 in that span with no RBIs.
St. Louis is averaging 3.22 runs per game since May 11 to rank second-worst in the NL. Colby Rasmus(notes) is hitting .200 with two RBIs in that span while Yadier Molina(notes) is 3 for 26.
Florida will give the ball to Nate Robertson(notes) (4-3, 4.35), who will make his first start at Busch Stadium since he gave up two runs over five innings in a 5-0 loss with Detroit in Game 3 of the 2006 World Series.
Robertson has gone 1-0 with a 1.59 ERA in two starts against the Cardinals since, although Pujols is 4 for 4 with three walks against him in the regular season.
The left-hander won his second consecutive outing Saturday against New York, limiting the Mets to three runs over 5 2-3 innings in a 7-5 victory. Read More!
Cincinnati Reds vs Atlanta Braves MLB Live Odds
Cincinnati Reds vs Atlanta Braves MLB Live Odds
Originally a 22nd-round draft pick in 2005, Hanson (3-3, 2.88 ERA) developed into one of the top pitching prospects in all of baseball, and the 23-year-old has lived up to the hype through 29 major league starts.
Leake, meanwhile, quickly burst onto the scene after the Reds selected him with the eighth overall pick last year. Following a brilliant collegiate career, the 22-year-old has made a smooth transition to the big leagues and is still unbeaten through seven starts.
Leake (4-0, 3.09) posted his fourth consecutive quality start Saturday against St. Louis, beating Adam Wainwright(notes) and holding the Cardinals to two runs in six innings of a 4-3 victory.
He became the first Cincinnati rookie to win his first four decisions since 1976, when Santo Alcala began 5-0 while Pat Zachary started 4-0.
“I’m past being surprised,” manager Dusty Baker told the Reds’ official website. “Just do your thing.”
Even though their four-game winning streak was snapped with a 5-4 loss to Atlanta on Wednesday, the Reds (23-17) remain the surprising leaders in the NL Central, holding a half-game edge on St. Louis.
They’ve moved in front by winning nine of their last 11, with their pitchers posting a 2.46 ERA and their defense committing one error in that stretch.
The Braves (20-20) became the first team to score more than four runs against Cincinnati since May 7, when the Reds lost 14-7 to the Chicago Cubs.
Atlanta blew a 4-0 lead in the final two innings, with Reds rookie Chris Heisey(notes) hitting a pinch-hit home run off Braves closer Billy Wagner(notes) in the ninth to tie the game.
But Jason Heyward(notes), Atlanta’s own rookie, ended it with a two-out RBI double in the bottom of the inning. The 20-year-old had three extra-base hits in the game and leads all rookies with eight homers and 29 RBIs.
“It doesn’t surprise me anymore,” Wagner said of Heyward. “He’s not 20, he’s about a 10-year vet the way he carries himself and handles all the attention and the pressure that’s put on him. It’s great to play with him.”
The win - Atlanta’s seventh in its last nine games - got the club back to .500 for the first time since it was 8-8 on April 23.
One of the losses in that stretch came with Hanson on the mound, but he’ll try to bounce back after allowing a season-high five runs in seven innings of an 11-1 loss to Arizona on Saturday. He struck out 10 and walked none, but was hurt primarily by a four-run fifth inning.
“He was overpowering, I thought, most of the night,” Braves manager Bobby Cox said. “He had as good stuff as he’s ever going to have.”
In his lone appearance against the Cincinnati Reds, Hanson pitched six innings in a 7-0 win at Cincinnati on June 18. Read More!
Originally a 22nd-round draft pick in 2005, Hanson (3-3, 2.88 ERA) developed into one of the top pitching prospects in all of baseball, and the 23-year-old has lived up to the hype through 29 major league starts.
Leake, meanwhile, quickly burst onto the scene after the Reds selected him with the eighth overall pick last year. Following a brilliant collegiate career, the 22-year-old has made a smooth transition to the big leagues and is still unbeaten through seven starts.
Leake (4-0, 3.09) posted his fourth consecutive quality start Saturday against St. Louis, beating Adam Wainwright(notes) and holding the Cardinals to two runs in six innings of a 4-3 victory.
He became the first Cincinnati rookie to win his first four decisions since 1976, when Santo Alcala began 5-0 while Pat Zachary started 4-0.
“I’m past being surprised,” manager Dusty Baker told the Reds’ official website. “Just do your thing.”
Even though their four-game winning streak was snapped with a 5-4 loss to Atlanta on Wednesday, the Reds (23-17) remain the surprising leaders in the NL Central, holding a half-game edge on St. Louis.
They’ve moved in front by winning nine of their last 11, with their pitchers posting a 2.46 ERA and their defense committing one error in that stretch.
The Braves (20-20) became the first team to score more than four runs against Cincinnati since May 7, when the Reds lost 14-7 to the Chicago Cubs.
Atlanta blew a 4-0 lead in the final two innings, with Reds rookie Chris Heisey(notes) hitting a pinch-hit home run off Braves closer Billy Wagner(notes) in the ninth to tie the game.
But Jason Heyward(notes), Atlanta’s own rookie, ended it with a two-out RBI double in the bottom of the inning. The 20-year-old had three extra-base hits in the game and leads all rookies with eight homers and 29 RBIs.
“It doesn’t surprise me anymore,” Wagner said of Heyward. “He’s not 20, he’s about a 10-year vet the way he carries himself and handles all the attention and the pressure that’s put on him. It’s great to play with him.”
The win - Atlanta’s seventh in its last nine games - got the club back to .500 for the first time since it was 8-8 on April 23.
One of the losses in that stretch came with Hanson on the mound, but he’ll try to bounce back after allowing a season-high five runs in seven innings of an 11-1 loss to Arizona on Saturday. He struck out 10 and walked none, but was hurt primarily by a four-run fifth inning.
“He was overpowering, I thought, most of the night,” Braves manager Bobby Cox said. “He had as good stuff as he’s ever going to have.”
In his lone appearance against the Cincinnati Reds, Hanson pitched six innings in a 7-0 win at Cincinnati on June 18. Read More!
MLB Betting: BoSox Place Beckett On DL
It looks like Boston Red Sox skipper Terry Francona was stretching the truth when he said that starting pitcher Josh Beckett wasn’t suffering from a major injury last week.
The Red Sox have placed Josh Beckett on the 15-day disabled list with a lower back strain and he could be out of the lineup until June 3.
Beckett missed a scheduled start last week against the Detroit Tigers and at the time, Francona said that his pitcher was merely suffering from back spasms.
Tim Wakefield will take Beckett’s spot in the rotation and will take the mound when the BoSox play Game 3 of their upcoming interleague series against the Philadelphia Phillies on Sunday.
“I think we all, as we talked through it, we realized that that was certainly the safest thing to do,” Francona told MLB.com.
“You don’t have a crystal ball, and since you don’t, if you’re going to make a mistake, or you’re going to err, you better err on the side of caution.”
Back to the present, the Red Sox will host the Minnesota Twins tonight with Boston listed as a -135 home fave and Minnesota listed as a +115 road ‘dog — the Total is set at 8.5.
In the Boston Red Sox’s last nine home games against the Twins, they are 8-1 straight up and are currently on a six-game home winning streak vs. the Twinkies.
Jon Lester takes the mound and in his last 20 home starts Boston has gone 14-6 SU.
Read More!
The Red Sox have placed Josh Beckett on the 15-day disabled list with a lower back strain and he could be out of the lineup until June 3.
Beckett missed a scheduled start last week against the Detroit Tigers and at the time, Francona said that his pitcher was merely suffering from back spasms.
Tim Wakefield will take Beckett’s spot in the rotation and will take the mound when the BoSox play Game 3 of their upcoming interleague series against the Philadelphia Phillies on Sunday.
“I think we all, as we talked through it, we realized that that was certainly the safest thing to do,” Francona told MLB.com.
“You don’t have a crystal ball, and since you don’t, if you’re going to make a mistake, or you’re going to err, you better err on the side of caution.”
Back to the present, the Red Sox will host the Minnesota Twins tonight with Boston listed as a -135 home fave and Minnesota listed as a +115 road ‘dog — the Total is set at 8.5.
In the Boston Red Sox’s last nine home games against the Twins, they are 8-1 straight up and are currently on a six-game home winning streak vs. the Twinkies.
Jon Lester takes the mound and in his last 20 home starts Boston has gone 14-6 SU.
Angels Live To Play Another Day
The New York Yankees aren’t headed to the World Series, at least not yet, as the Los Angeles Angels edged them 7-6 in Game 5 of the AL Championship Series.
The two teams will now return to New York for Game 6 on Saturday–the Yanks are -170 faves and the Angels are +155 with a Total of 9.5.
Joe Saunders starts for the Angels and Andy Pettitte for the Yankees and Game 7 would go on Sunday if necessary.
In Pettitte’s last 12 home starts the Pinstripes have taken 9 Unders and 3 Overs while Saunders’ last 11 road starts have yielded the Halos 8 Overs and 3 Unders.
The Angels covered as -109 home faves in Game 5 and the combined score of 13 went Over the Total of 8.5. Read More!
The two teams will now return to New York for Game 6 on Saturday–the Yanks are -170 faves and the Angels are +155 with a Total of 9.5.
Joe Saunders starts for the Angels and Andy Pettitte for the Yankees and Game 7 would go on Sunday if necessary.
In Pettitte’s last 12 home starts the Pinstripes have taken 9 Unders and 3 Overs while Saunders’ last 11 road starts have yielded the Halos 8 Overs and 3 Unders.
The Angels covered as -109 home faves in Game 5 and the combined score of 13 went Over the Total of 8.5. Read More!
