Sport Spies: Tuesday MLB Handicapping Report - 9/21

[Sport Spies]

Tuesday MLB Early Handicapping Report

-St. Louis SP Jake Westbrook is a combined 8-10 with a 4.22 ERA in 30 starts with the Indians and Cardinals. The right-hander has made five career appearances (one start) versus the Pirates, going 0-1 with a 3.21 ERA. He is 3-6 with a 4.73 ERA in 16 road games this year.
-Pittsburgh SP Paul Maholm is 7-15 with a 5.36 ERA in 30 starts this season. The left-hander is 3-4 with a 3.41 ERA in 12 career starts versus the Cardinals, including an 0-1 record and 5.40 ERA in two outings this year. He has compiled a 5-9 record and 5.91 ERA in 15 home starts this season. Maholm has lost his last six decisions and even of his last nine.-

-Kansas City SP Bruce Chen is 10-7 with a 4.70 ERA in 30 games (20 starts) this season and is coming off a 6-3 home win over the Oakland Athletics. He lasted five innings and allowed three runs on six hits. The left-hander has a 5-4 record and 3.98 ERA in 14 road appearances (10 starts), giving up nine home runs in 61 innings. In 10 career games (eight starts) versus the Tigers, he is 1-3 with a 7.00 ERA, including a 1-1 mark and 7.07 ERA in three starts this year.
-Detroit Tigers SP Armando Galarraga is 4-6 with a 4.27 ERA in 22 starts (21 games) this season. He is an even 3-3 with a 3.17 ERA in 13 home games (12 starts), surrendering 11 home runs in 82.1 innings. The right-hander has produced a perfect 2-0 record and 2.47 ERA in eight career games (seven starts) versus the Royals.

-Houston SP J.A. Happ is 5-2 with a 3.63 ERA in 10 starts this season as a member of the team, but the club has dropped his last two games. He has produced a 3-2 record and 4.97 ERA in five road starts. Happ will be making his ninth career appearance (third start) versus the Nationals, going a perfect 3-0 with a 1.53 ERA, holding them to a .183 opposing batting average. His .731 career winning percentage is the highest of any active starter in the majors with a minimum of 25 starts.
-Washington SP John Lannan is 8-7 with a 4.61 ERA in 23 starts this season and he tallied a 4-2 road win in his last outing over the Braves. He has compiled a 2-4 record and 4.79 ERA in 11 home starts, with opponents hitting .320. In five career outings versus the Astros, Lannan has produced a 3-2 record and 4.45 ERA, including an 0-1 mark and 2.84 ERA in his lone start this year.

[Sport Spies]

Sport Spies previews an important series in the National League East, as the Braves try to cut into the Phillies four game lead in the division.

Atlanta's hopes of capturing the divisional crown are fading fast, but the club still holds a two game lead over the San Diego Padres for the NL Wild Card. Braves manager Bobby Cox decided not to alter his rotation for this series and is sending his second straight rookie to the mound. "We want to win every game we play," said catcher Brian McCann. "We got stuffed tonight and we move on and get ready for Tuesday." The Braves till hold a 7-6 advantage in the season series and the teams are knotted at 31 apiece in games played at Citizens Bank Park. Atlanta has produced a phenomenal 61-38 record against right-handed starters in 2010 and the total runs is 47-46 Over/Under in those contests.

Braves starting pitcher Mike Minor is 3-1 with a 5.84 ERA in seven starts, as the team has alternated wins and losses in his last four outings. He was handed a 4-2 home defeat against the Nationals last time out, giving up four runs and four hits over five innings of work. The left-hander has a 1-0 record and 6.75 ERA in three road starts, as opposing hitters are managing to hit .318 collectively against him. After producing a perfect 3-0 record in four August outings, Minor has produced an 0-1 record and 9.00 ERA in three September starts.

Philadelphia dropped the Braves 3-1 on Monday night at home and pushed its divisional lead to four games. The two-time reigning NL champion Phillies have won eight straight games and they are a league-best 42-15 since July 21, when it trailed tonight's opponent by seven games. "We definitely control the division by winning," manager Charlie Manuel said. "Each day we come to the yard, if we come to win, then we control everything about it." The club is 37-24 overall against NL East and has won 22 of their last 27 versus the division. The offense has been clicking since September 6, batting a combined .318 with 86 runs scored in its last 13 contests.

Phillies starting pitcher Roy Halladay is 19-10 with a 2.49 ERA in 31 starts this season and is coming in on a three-game winning streak. He has produced an outstanding 11-5 record and 2.12 ERA in 17 home starts, issuing just 19 walks and compiling 114 strikeouts in 131.2 frames. The right-hander is a perfect 3-0 in three starts this month despite carrying a lofty 4.79 ERA for his standards. In four career games versus the Braves, Halladay has garnered a spotless 3-0 mark and 0.63 ERA, including a 3-1 complete game victory at home on July 5. He gave up a single run and five hits in that particular outing.

Bettors may not find the Braves worthy of backing in this contest due to the team's 0-5 mark at match odds between 2.75 (+175) and 3.00 (+200). Philadelphia is an outstanding 16-3 in September and 11-1 when the match odds are set between 1.5 (-200) and 1.44 (-225).

[Sport Spies]

Sport Spies previews the second game of a crucial four-game set in the Bronx, with the Yankees trying to even up the season series against the Rays.

Tampa Bay dropped last night's game 8-6 to the Yankees at Yankee Stadium and fell to 1 1/2 games behind in the American League East. The team has 13 games left, with seven scheduled on the road and six back at Tropicana Field. Monday's loss dropped the Rays' season record against the Yankees to 8-7 and that includes an even 3-3 mark in the Bronx. The Rays have a 1-10-1 all-time season series record at Yankee Stadium, with the only win coming in 2005. Offensively, third baseman Evan Longoria has now tallied 100-plus RBIs in two seasons and outfielder Carl Crawford has tied a career high with 81 RBIs. Tampa is still a solid 43-31 on the road during the 2010 campaign and has a 39-27 mark against divisional opponents.

Rays starting pitcher James Shields is 13-12 with a 4.86 ERA in 31 appearances (30 starts) this season and the team has won consecutive games with him on the hill. In those two outings, he has allowed six runs (five earned) and 15 hits over 11.1 innings, while the team has outscored the opposition by a 13-11 margin. The right-hander is 8-6 with a 5.40 ERA in 16 road games (15 starts), giving up 116 hits in 91.2 frames leading to a .302 opposing batting average. In 14 career games against the Yankees, Shields has posted a 3-7 record and 4.69 ERA, including a 2-0 record and 2.51 ERA in five starts this year.

New York's victory on Wednesday night was the team's 13th win in its last 17 games at home dating back to August 17. Overall, the club is 50-25 at Yankee Stadium on the season. Outfielder Curtis Granderson led the chard by homering twice and tied his career high with five RBIs. "It's always a good thing to go ahead and get off to a good start, but realize we got to come back and do this all over again," he said after the game. "Things can even out really quickly in this series." The Yankees will try and capture back-to-back victories over the Rays for the first time since April 10-11. In each of the three series between the division foes since the All-Star break, the teams have alternated wins and losses.

Yankees starting pitcher Phil Hughes is 16-8 with a 4.31 ERA in 28 games (27 starts) this season and the club has dropped three consecutive with him on the hill. The right-hander has a stellar 10-4 home record despite carrying a 4.88 ERA in 16 starts. He has produced an 0-2 mark and 6.59 ERA in three games during the month of September, but has issued just a single walk in 13.2 innings. Hughes will be making his 10th lifetime appearance (fifth start) versus the Rays, going 2-3 wit ha 4.55 ERA, issuing nine walks and striking out 22 in 27.2 innings. The club is 34-33 overall against a team with a winning record and has a 16-18 mark in the situation during the second half of the season.

Bettors will be interested in knowing that the Rays are just 2-8 as a road underdog in their last 10 chances and the total runs is 5-1 Over/Under in Shields' last six starts in the situation. New York has lost its last four games with Hughes on the hill against divisional opponents.

[Sport Spies]

Pittsburgh Pirates
-Pittsburgh enjoyed a day off yesterday and has won three straight games after dropping four in a row and seven-of-eight.
-The Pirates have homered at least once in nine of their last 10 games at PNC Park and have out-homered their opponent, 15-9, in the last 13 games played here. Overall this season, the team has hit 60 home runs at PNC Park and have allowed 63.
-Team has gone 3-3 against the Redbirds at PNC Park this year and 0-3 at Busch Stadium.
-In the last 14 games, Pittsburgh starting pitchers have posted a 3.72 ERA. Overall since September 5, the Pirates have produced a 3.59 ERA, the fifth-best ERA among National League teams and eighth-best in the Majors.
-OF Andrew McCutchen has homered in back-to-back games and has nine RBI in his last seven starts. He has now hit safely in 10 of his last 11 games.
-The Pirates have won five of their last six games played at PNC Park and have gone 9-4 in their last 13.
-Won three of their last four series played at PNC Park and produced a 10-11-3 record in their first 24 series at home this season.
-SP Paul Maholm has lost eight of his last nine decisions coming into tonight. During this stretch, he has posted an 8.01 ERA and has received two runs of support or less when he is on the mound nine times.
-Six of Maholm’s seven wins in 2010 have come against the NL Central.

[Sport Spies]

Seattle Mariners
-Seattle is playing its third of five meetings (1-1) against the Blue Jays. The Mariners were 3-4 versus the Jays last season, including a 1-3 mark in Toronto.
-The Mariners are 22-50 on the road this season, having lost four straight road games and nine of 11. The team’s lowest road win total in history is 23, set in 1980.
-2B Chone Figgins was hitting .211 at the end of May. Since June 1, he is hitting .280 with a home run and 21 RBI, including a .354 mark in September.
-The team is 15-22 since interim manager Daren Brown took over the club on August 9.
-Tonight will be just the fourth game the Mariners have played on artificial turf this season, posting a 1-2 mark in Tampa Bay.
-SP Luke French is 3-1 with a 2.58 ERA in seven games (five starts) in Seattle this season and 1-4 with a 5.67 ERA in six road appearances (five starts).
-French will be making his first career start against the Blue Jays.

Detroit Tigers
-The Tigers knocked off the Royals 7-5 last night, the club’s fourth straight win.
-Continue a six-game homestand this evening against the Royals, where the club has posted an 11-4 record in the club’s last 15 games. Detroit is batting .307 with 89 runs scored and 10 home runs during the 15-game stretch. The staff has compiled a 2.40 ERA during that time.
-Posted a 17-6 record in the last 23 games against the division after the club compiled a 17-24 record in the first 41 games against the division this season.
-Starting pitchers have recorded a quality start in 13 of the club’s last 16 games at Comerica Park. Starters have compiled a 10-2 record and 2.43 ERA over that span.
-Team is batting .283 with 179 runs scored and 31 home runs over the club’s last 30 games dating back to August 19.
-OF Austin Jackson has scored 29 runs over his last 29 games and he leads all AL rookies with 98 runs scored this season.
-SP Armando Galarraga is making his 10th start of the season against a club from the AL Central division. In his previous nine outings, he has posted a 3.11 ERA.
-Galarraga is making his 44th appearance, 39th start of his career at Comerica Park, posting a 12-10 record and 4.13 ERA.

[Sport Spies]

New York Mets
-New York has lost three straight games following a four-game winning streak. The Mets have won seven of their last 12 games. The team is 9-9 in September and 26-36 since the All-Star break.
-Embarks on its final road trip of the season, as the team is 4-16-4 in road series this year.
-Pitching staff ranks sixth in the majors with a 3.72 ERA this year. Over the last nine games, New York’s staff has posted a 2.74 ERA, going 5-4 during that stretch.
-Mets have hit .227 with runners in scoring position since the All-Star break, ranking 26th in the majors.
-SP Mike Pelfrey finished August with a 1.82 ERA, the 10th-lowest mark in the majors during the month. For his career, the right-hander has a 5.12 ERA in September, the highest mark he has posted in a month.


Chicago Cubs
-Riding a season-high six-game winning streak and coming off an 8-1 road trip. The trip was the club’s most successful trip of nine or more games in franchise history.
-SP Carlos Zambrano is 6-0 with a 1.37 ERA and a .194 batting average against in his last seven starts dating to August 14.
-Won six of their last eight series under manager Mike Quade, including seven of their last eight series openers. The team is 17-7 overall in 24 games under him since he took over on August 23.
-Chicago earlier dropped three of four in San Francisco, but has won the last three season series.
-The Cubs have a .261 batting average this season, fourth-best in the NL and only 10 points behind leader Cincinnati (.271).
-Pitching staff is fifth in the National League with 86 quality starts this season, just three behind San Francisco for the top spot.
-Zambrano is looking to remain undefeated against the Giants at Wrigley Field, owning a 2-0 mark and 3.07 ERA in five career games.

[Sport Spies]

Minnesota Twins
-Minnesota is now 50-25 at home and will play the second of three games versus the Cleveland Indians. The Twins lead the season series 10-6.
-The Twins beat the Indians last night by a score of 9-3, scattering 13 hits and going 7-for-12 with runners in scoring position.
-Since the start of the 2002 season, the Twins have won 799 games. In fact, manager Ron Gardenhire took over, he has the fourth most wins as a manager in all of baseball.
-The club is 44-18 since the All-Star break, the best record in the major leagues over that span.
-Bullpen has allowed just one earned run in their last 29.1 innings. In fact, since September 3, the Twins bullpen has combined to go 3-0 with a 2.27 ERA. For the season, the unit’s 3.18 ERA is the lowest in the American League ahead of the Rangers (3.28).
-Hitting .277 this season, the second-highest in baseball and their .345 on-base percentage also ranks second in baseball.
-SP Scott Baker has a career record of 9-8 with a 4.33 ERA in 24 September starts.
-Baker is 8-3 with a 3.98 ERA at Target Field this season and has gone 14-5 in his last 19 home decisions.

Tampa Bay Rays
-Tampa Bay has dropped to a game and a half back of first place New York, the furthest they have been back in 10 days.
-Rays were a season-high 32 games over .500 on September 4 at 83-51, but are just 6-9 since over the past 15 games. The Rays have pitched to a 5.68 ERA, 29th in the majors over that stretch just ahead of the Blue Jays (5.85).
-Dropped six of their last nine road games, but still own the best road record in the majors at 43-31.
-Hold an 8-7 season advantage and are looking to win just their second-ever winning season over the Yankees. The Rays are hitting .321 at Yankee Stadium this season, highest of any visiting team while averaging 7.2 runs.
-SP James Shields is 8-8 with a 5.81 ERA since June 11, raising his ERA from 3.64 to 4.86.
-Shields leads the AL with 111 runs allowed and his 101 earned runs is one behind SP Kevin Millwood.

[Sport Spies]

Cincinnati Reds
-At 85-66, the Reds have snapped a string of nine consecutive losing seasons, their longest since the 1945-55 clubs.
-Cincinnati is 29-39 versus teams with records .50 or above and 56-27 versus teams with a record of .500 or below. Their next two games and eight of their last 11 games are against teams with records below .500. Their 29 series wins are the second-most in the Major Leagues.
-Reds batters lead the National League in hitting, runs, hits, total bases and home runs.
-Team has the only winning road record in the NL Central. 13 times in the last 15 seasons, the team with the best road record in that division has won it.
-SP Edinson Volquez suffered a 3-1 loss to Arizona last time out, allowing three runs in the fifth inning on three hits and two walks.
-Volquez is making his 11th start of the season, his third since he rejoined the rotation on September 10. In his 10 starts, the Reds went 7-3 and scored 53 runs.

[Sport Spies]

Atlanta Braves
-Last night’s 3-1 loss dropped the Braves to four games out in the NL East standings for the first time since May 21. The Braves have a 7-6 advantage in the season series against Philadelphia.
-Atlanta is 3-1 on its 10-day, nine-game road trip to New York, Philadelphia and Washington. The Braves have gone 6-4 over their last 10 games and are 9-10 in September and 34-29 since the All-Star break.
-Matchup against NL East opponents for each of the remaining 11 games of the season. The team owns a 33-28 record against divisional opponents.
-Braves SP Mike Minor is making his eighth MLB start and appearance and first against the Phillies. Overall, he is 2-1 with a 6.30 ERA against the NL East.