MLB
Tuesday, August 10
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Streaking and Slumping Pitchers
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Streaking
Vincente Padilla (5-3, 3.05 ERA), Los Angeles Dodgers
The right-hander pitched one of the true gems of the season in his last start, tossing a complete-game two-hitter in a 2-0 win over the NL West-leading Padres. Padilla also struck out nine against only two walks in the victory.
Since coming off the disabled list in June he has been one of the best pitchers in baseball, posting a 1.80 ERA.
"He's been great. The thing about him is that he's been so aggressive, going after the hitters. And his stuff had been quality," manager Joe Torre told the Associated Press. "He's very proud of his stuff.”
Slumping
Mike Pelfrey (10-6, 4.61 ERA), New York Mets
How bad have things been for the right-hander? Try giving up 10 runs in his past 10.1 innings, including five over just 4.2 innings in his most recent outing, an 8-3 loss to the Braves. In that loss, he struck out only one against two walks while giving up a pair of home runs.
"Every start has been the same way,” he told the Associated Press. “It's been frustrating the last six or seven starts, and that definitely continued tonight."
Returning
Stephen Strasburg (5-2, 2.32 ERA), Washington Nationals
Strasmas – the national holiday that occurs every five days when the 22-year-old phenom takes the mound – took a brief hiatus when the emerging ace went on the DL with shoulder stiffness on July 29.
But much to the delight of Nationals fans, baseball fans and smart bettors across the country, Strasburg wasn’t shut down for the balance of the season and will take the bump on Tuesday night against the Marlins.
In his only start against Florida this season, the hurler went six innings, allowing just four hits and no runs as he struck out seven and walked three.
"They didn't prove that they could hit my fastball,” Strasburg told the Associated Press, “so I wasn't going to throw any changeups to possibly make a mistake.”
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Hot Lines: Today's best MLB bets
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Boston Red Sox at Toronto Blue Jays (-125, 8)
Nobody hits right-handed pitching like the Toronto Blue Jays. The blue birds have hammered righties for an MLB-best 437 runs and are hitting a solid .260 against them.
But that’s not what makes them special. That’s the long ball.
The MLB leaders in home runs have hit a league-leading 148 round-trippers against right-handers – a staggering 44 more than any other team. The Blue Jays also have an MLB-best 199 doubles – twenty more than any other team.
"We're doing a good job offensively," Blue Jays outfielder Jose Bautista told the Associated Press. "We're coming up with big hits when we need them and solo shots here and there. That's been the recipe for success lately."
And who does Toronto face on Tuesday night? Try Red Sox right-hander Daisuke Matsuzaka, who has yielded seven home runs in only 16 starts this season.
In Dice-K’s only career start north of the border, he yielded one home run in just six innings.
Pick: Blue Jays
Minnesota Twins at Chicago White Sox (-105, 9)
The Twins can’t be any happier to visit the Windy City. Minnesota is an AL-best 7-3 in its past 10 games overall and a staggering 17-5 in its past 22 games against the Pale Hose.
And the Twins are getting healthier.
Second baseman Orlando Hudson returned from the disabled list just in time to spark a five-run rally on Sunday against the Indians. Catcher Joe Mauer finally is healthy enough to start catching regularly behind the plate and opens up the chance to put more power in the lineup at DH.
"The players stay after it. We talk about staying on an even keel and putting good at-bats together,” Twins manager Ron Gardenhire told MLB.com. “When you have guys that can hit it out of the ballpark like a Jim Thome, that can jumpstart you in a heartbeat."
Meantime, Chicago struggled in a four-game series in Baltimore and desperately needs a spark to maintain its razor-thin lead in the AL Central. The White Sox have won six of 10 but subtract a 12-2 win over Detroit and the team is averaging only 3.2 runs per game over that span.
"It's a combination of good pitching and we're not hitting right now," manager Ozzie Guillen told the Associated Press. "Right now our bats are very silent."
Pick: Twins
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This Day in Baseball
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On August 10 in Baseball History...
1901 - Frank Isbell of the Chicago White Sox set an American League record by stranding 11 teammates on the basepaths.
1904 - Jack CheXXXo is knocked out by the White Sox after pitching 30 complete games in a row. For the year he will win 41 games, pitching 48 complete games out of 51 starts for the New York Highlanders. All are post-1900 records.
1929 - Grover Alexander beats the Phils 7-1 for his 373rd and last National League victory. He pitches four scoreless relief innings for the Cardinals to win 11-9 in the 11th inning.
1934 - Babe Ruth announces 1934 is definitely his final season as a regular player. He says he will seek a managerial role and will pinch-hit.
1944 - Red Barrett of the Boston Braves threw only 58 pitches to beat the Cincinnati Reds, 2-0, in a nine-inning game.
1957 - Mickey Mantle became the first player to clear the center-field hedge at Baltimore's Memorial Stadium when his 460-foot homer hit the base of the scoreboard. The Yankees beat the Orioles, 6-3.
1969 - Cesar Tovar of Minnesota broke up the second no-hit bid against the Twins by a Baltimore pitcher. Tovar singled with none out in the ninth off Mike Cuellar. Earlier in the year, Tovar singled with one out in the ninth to spoil Dave McNally's bid.
1971 - Harmon Killebrew of the Minnesota Twins hit his 500th home run in the first inning off Baltimore's Mike Cuellar to become the 10th player to hit 500 or more in a career. Killebrew also hit No. 501 off Cuellar, but the Orioles won, 4-3.
1971 - Sixteen baseball researchers at Cooperstown form the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR).
1981 - Major League Baseball resumed play after a two-month strike. In the Cardinals-Phillies game at Philadelphia, attended by 60,561 fans, Pete Rose broke Stan Musial's National League hit record when he singled for his 3,631st hit. It came off Mark Littell in the eighth inning.
1987 - Phillies pitcher Kevin Gross becomes the second pitcher in eight days to be ejected for scuffing the baseball when umpires discover sandpaper in his glove during the fifth inning of a 4-2 win over the Cubs. Like Joe Niekro, Gross will be suspended for 10 games.
1995 - Ball Night at Dodger Stadium turned into the first forfeit in the majors in 16 years. Los Angeles forfeited a game to the St. Louis Cardinals after fans threw souvenir baseballs onto the field three times. The game was called with one out in the bottom of the ninth.