MLB
Wednesday, September 15
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Tips and Trends
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Minnesota Twins at Chicago White Sox [8:10 PM ET]
TWINS: Minnesota has one of the largest leads in division play, a 6 game lead in the American League Central. The Twins are playing great baseball, having won 8 of their past 10 games. Coach Gardenhire is on the short list for Manager of the Year, as he is doing another outstanding coaching job in Minnesota. The Twins are 85-58 SU this year, including a winning road record of 37-35 SU. Minnesota is +16.61 and -2.57 units both SU and on the RL respectively this year. Lefty Brian Duensing is 8-2 this season with an ERA of 2.02 and a WHIP of 1.07. Duensing has been brilliant this year, and a major reason for the success of the Twins. The Twins are 39-15 in their last 54 games overall. Minnesota is 56-24 in their last 80 games against the American League Central. The Twins are 23-8 in their last 31 games against a right-handed starter. Minnesota is 20-8 in their last 28 games against a starter with a WHIP greater than 1.30. The Twins are 4-0 in Duensing's last 4 starts against the American League Central. Minnesota is 4-1 in Duensing's last 5 starts following a Quality Start in his last appearance. The Twins are 0-4 in Duensing's last 4 road starts against a team with a winning record.
Twins are 5-0 last 5 games during game 2 of a series.
Under is 7-0 last 7 road games against a right-handed starter.
Key Injuries - 1B Justin Morneau (concussion) is out.
Projected Score: 5 (SIDE of the Day)
WHITE SOX: (-110, O/U 8.5) The only legitimate shot Chicago has of making the playoffs rest on their current series with Minnesota. The White Sox trail the Twins by 6 games, so each game they go head to head is simply crucial for Chicago. The White Sox are 79-64 SU this year, including 40-28 SU at home. Chicago is +10.63 and +9.92 units both SU and on the RL overall this season. Righty Gavin Floyd is 10-12 SU this year, with an ERA of 3.91 and a WHIP of 1.35 this year. The White Sox are 6-0 in their last 6 games against a starter with a WHIP less than 1.15. Chicago is 9-4 in their last 13 home games against a left-handed starter. The White Sox are 27-10 in their last 37 home games overall. The White Sox are 4-1 in Floyd's last 5 starts with 5 days of rest. Chicago is 12-5 in Floyd's last 17 home starts against a team with a winning record. The White Sox are 0-4 in Floyd's last 4 starts against the American League Central.
White Sox are 13-4 last 17 home games against a team with a winning record.
Over is 13-4 last 17 games against the American League Central.
Key Injuries - None Reported.
Projected Score: 4
Chicago Cubs at St. Louis Cardinals [ESPN | 8:15 PM ET]
CUBS: Any member of the Cubs faithful should be extremely proud of their franchise, as they are playing out the season the right way. Despite being only 63-81 SU this year, the Cubs are playing their best baseball of the year right now. The past 4 wins Chicago has had have come as the listed underdog, making the Cubs a great team to wager on closing out the year. In fact, the Cubs very well might be last year's version of the San Diego Padres. Chicago is -26.30 and -10.06 units both SU and on the RL this year. One of the better surprises of late has been the form of Carlos Zambrano. Zambrano has won his past 3 starts, with an ERA of 0.86 and a WHIP of 0.95 during that stretch. The Cubs are 9-3 in their last 12 road games overall. Chicago is 6-2 in their last 8 road games against a right-handed starter. The Cubs are 4-0 in Zambrano's last 4 starts. The Cubs are 4-1 in Zambrano's last 5 starts following a Quality Start in his last appearance. Chicago is 20-6 in Zambrano's last 26 road starts against a team with a winning record. The Cubs are 36-17 in Zambrano's last 53 starts against the National League Central.
Cubs are 7-19 last 26 games against a team with a winning record.
Under is 8-0 last 8 games against the National League Central.
Key Injuries - SS Starlin Castro (hip) is questionable.
Projected Score: 1
CARDINALS: (-205, O/U 7) With the starting pitching that St. Louis has, it's been amazing to see this team fall from the top of the National League Central division standings. The Cardinals are 74-68 SU this year, 6 games behind Cincinnati. 6 of the past 10 games the Cardinals pitching staff has allowed 5 runs or more. St. Louis is -21.11 and -14.94 units both SU and on the RL respectively this season. The only chance the Cardinals have of making the playoffs rest on beating inferior opponents. Ace pitcher Chris Carpenter will take the home mound tonight, looking to do exactly this. Carpenter is 15-6 this season, with an ERA of 3.09 and a WHIP of 1.17. The Cardinals are 19-9 in their last 28 home games against a right-handed starter. St. Louis is 4-13 in their last 17 games against the National League Central. The Cardinals are 1-4 in their last 5 games against a starter with a WHIP greater than 1.30. The Cardinals are 1-5 in their last 6 games during game 3 of a series. St. Louis is 22-5 in Carpenter's last 27 home starts against a team with a losing record. The Cardinals are 23-8 in Carpenter's last 31 starts with 4 days of rest.
Cardinals are 5-16 last 21 games against a team with a losing record.
Under is 5-0 last 5 home games against a right-handed starter.
Key Injuries - 3B David Freese (ankle) is out.
Projected Score: 3 (UNDER-Total of the Day)
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Hot Lines: Today's best MLB bets
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New York Yankees at Tampa Bay Rays (-101, 9)
Derek Jeter has been mired in an unusual slump, having hit .168 over the past four weeks, and that is a big reason why the Yankees have unable to pull away from Tampa Bay in the American League East. In fact, New York trailed by a half game as of Tuesday evening.
In an attempt to get back on track, Jeter put in an extensive session with hitting coach Kevin Long after Saturday’s loss to Texas. The shortstop went 1-for-2 with two walks on Sunday, but recorded only one hit in five at-bats against the Rays on Monday. “I was excited about his at-bats,” Long told the New York Daily News after Sunday’s game. “I think he made a move in the right direction. We have a long way to go, but it's a start in the right direction.”
The Yankees need to get back on the right track, themselves, having lost four in a row. They just might do it on Wednesday; they are 21-9 in Phil Hughes’ last 30 starts and 14-4 in Hughes’ last 18 starts on four days of rest. The Yankees are also 5-1 the last six times they have faced Scott Shields in Tampa Bay.
Pick: Yankees
San Diego Padres at Colorado Rockies (-145, 9)
What is it about the Colorado Rockies and the late-season surge?
Last year they went 21-8 in their last 29 games. Two years ago they went 20-11 in their last 31. Both times they secured the National League Wild Card.
What are the Rockies doing for an encore? On September 2, they found themselves 7.5 games out of first place in the National League West. As of Tuesday, Colorado is 9-1 in its last 10 games, is just 2.5 games back of San Diego, and is within three of Atlanta for the Wild Card.
“It’s amazing,” center fielder Carlos Gonzalez said in an interview with the New York Times. “I guess we save it for the end. We make it more exciting for everybody.”
“That’s the weird part about this game,” added Jason Giambi, who hit a pinch-hit game-winning homer on Sunday. “Mentally, if you just believe ‘I know we’re going to do great in September’ — which all of these guys do — it usually happens.”
Mentally, the Rockies have to like their chances against San Diego on Wednesday. Not only are they streaking, but they have won 18 of Jorge De La Rosa’s last 21 home starts. De La Rosa has pitched at least five innings and has given up no more than three earned runs in each of his past 10 starts dating back to July 22.
Pick: Rockies
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This Day in Baseball
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On September 15 in Baseball History...
1904 - Giants rookie Hooks Wiltse wins his 12th straight game, setting a Major League mark for consecutive games won at the start of a career. It will be tied by relief hurler Butch Metzger in 1976.
1912 - Joe Wood of the Boston Red Sox pitched his 16th consecutive victory to tie Walter Johnson's record as he beat the St. Louis Browns 2-1.
1922 - Catcher Butch Henline is the first National League player to hit three homers in a game since 1897, as the Phils beat the Cards 10-9. Henline's third home run tied the game in the ninth inning and Cliff Lee then hit the game-winning home run.
1931 - The Philadelphia Athletics clinch the pennant, beating Cleveland at home. Eddie Rommel, veteran knuckleball pitcher for the A's, is the winning hurler, as Connie Mack wins his third successive pennant. It is Mack's ninth, and last, American League championship.
1938 - Brothers Waner and Paul Waner hit back-to-back homers for the Pittsburgh Pirates off Cliff Melton of the New York Giants. This was the only time brothers hit successive home runs in a Major League game. It was Lloyd Waner's last homer.
1946 - The Brooklyn Dodgers beat the Chicago Cubs 2-0 in five innings when the game was called because of gnats. The insects became such a problem for the players, umpires and fans that the game had to be stopped.
1952 - The Braves play their last game in Boston's Braves Field before moving to Milwaukee, losing to Brooklyn's Joe Black 8-2. The crowd of 8,822 is the second largest of the season at the ballpark.
1963 - All three Alou brothers - Felipe, Matty and Jesus - played in the outfield at the same time for the San Francisco Giants in a 13-5 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates.
1969 - St. Louis left-hander Steve Carlton struck out 19 Mets for a nine-inning game record. New York won the game 4-3 on two, two-run homers by Ron Swoboda.
1977 - The Orioles forfeit to the Blue Jays when manager Earl Weaver pulls his team off the field in the fifth inning citing a hazardous condition, a small tarpaulin held down by bricks on the bullpen mound.
1979 - Bob Watson of the Red Sox became the first to hit for the cycle in both leagues as he led Boston to a 10-2 victory over the Baltimore Orioles. He hit for the cycle with the Houston Astros against San Francisco on June 24, 1977.
1990 - Bobby Thigpen pitched one inning and became the first relief pitcher with 50 saves in a season as the Chicago White Sox beat the Red Sox 7-4.
1995 - Cardinals shortstop Ozzie Smith sets a Major League record with his 1,554th double play in a 7-6 loss to the Dodgers.
1996 - The Baltimore Orioles set baseball's season home run record with five against Detroit, including Mark Parent's record-breaking shot in the third inning and Brady Anderson's tenth leadoff homer of the year. The homers gave the Orioles 243, three more than the 1961 New York Yankees.
1997 - Baltimore outfielder Eric Davis played five innings in the opening game of a day-night doubleheader against the Cleveland Indians, his first game since colon cancer surgery in June.
1997 - Ken Griffey, Jr. hit his 51st and 52nd homers in Seattle's win over Toronto to become the sixth Major Leaguer to hit 100 or more home runs over two consecutive seasons. Jr. hit 49 homers last season.
1998 - Ken Griffey, Jr. hit his American League leading fifty-seconnd homer and drove in five runs to become the fourth-youngest, at 28, to reach 1,000 RBIs, leading the Seattle Mariners over the Minnesota Twins 12-7.