STATSYSTEMS SPORTS MLB REPORT
MONDAY, AUGUST 18th 2014
INFORMATION WORTH BETTING ON EACH DAY
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***** Monday, 8/18/14 MLB Information *****
(ALL RESULTS VS. ML) - Against The Money-Line - and most recent, unless noted otherwise. Each and every day during the 2014 Major League Baseball season we will analyze all of your daily baseball action, featuring on hot and cold pitchers, hot and cold teams, over/unders and home plate umpire trends. We will also highlight some of our Highly-Rated (Situational & Match-up) Power Trends, along with some of our Situational Analysis (Betting Systems) that pertain to some of that days match-ups.
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MLB Betting News and Notes - Week #21
•Cardinals Recall Carlos Martinez From AAA Memphis: As first relayed by MLB.com’s Jenifer Langosch, the Cardinals have recalled right-hander Carlos Martinez from Triple-A Memphis, optioning lefty reliever Kevin Siegrist in a corresponding 25-man roster move. Martinez will pitch out of the bullpen initially, but he was being utilized as a starter at Memphis — and threw 10 1/3 scoreless innings in his two-week stay there — so the 22-year-old could also be an option for the St. Louis rotation down the stretch.
Shelby Miller has struggled mightily in two straight outings and newcomer Justin Masterson has been blown up in two of his first three starts. Miller has already spent some time in the bullpen this season. Siegrist was one of the most dominant relievers in baseball in 2013 — posting a 0.45 ERA and 50 strikeouts in 39 2/3 innings — but he has struggled with forearm issues in 2014 and hasn’t been nearly as effective.
•Scioscia: Hamilton 'Not The Same': Los Angeles Angels manager Mike Scioscia expressed some frustration over struggling outfielder Josh Hamilton, despite beating the Texas Rangers on Saturday night. Hamilton, 33, starred for the Rangers before signing a free agent contract with the Angels prior to the 2013 season and his play has slipped since then. This season, Hamilton is batting .266 with just eight home runs, including .216 in the second half. He has batted .189 in 53 at-bats this month. He did miss some time earlier this season with a thumb injury.
"Josh is not the same that we saw when we were looking at the other dugout," Scioscia said. "He's not in the batter's box with the confidence we know he has. He's not attacking the ball like he can. He's working hard to try to find it ... but we need him to do what he's capable of doing, or close to that." Hamilton was 2-for-9 with seven strikeouts the first two games of this series against his former team. Hamilton signed a five-year, $125 million contract after his monster 2012 season with the Rangers in which he batted .285 with 43 homers and 128 RBIs. He won the American MVP award in 2010.
•Michael Wacha Throws Off Mound For First Time Since June: There are still quite a few hurdles to leap over, but Cardinals right-hander Michael Wacha looks to be progressing toward a mid-to-late September return. According to Rick Hummel of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Wacha threw a 30-pitch bullpen session on Saturday afternoon at Busch Stadium, mixing in four or five changeups to a mostly fastball-focused workout.
It was Wacha’s first time throwing off a mound since he was shut down in late June because of a stress reaction in his right shoulder. “It felt good to get back out there on the mound,” the 23-year-old told reporters. “Arm felt great. It was 30 pitches. Pretty light throws but I’m happy with it.” Wacha, a first-round pick in 2012, owns an outstanding 2.79 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, and 8.6 K/9 in 155 innings since making his major league debut in mid-2013. He won MVP honors in last year’s NLCS at the age of 22.
•Yankees C Brian McCann Returns From Concussion: The New York Yankees have activated catcher Brian McCann from the seven-day concussion list and optioned catcher Austin Romine to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. The moves were made before Sunday's game at Tampa Bay. McCann was hurt during a game on Aug. 8 against Cleveland. Romine appeared in one game after being called up the next day. Also, right-hander Masahiro Tanaka felt fine and threw on level ground one day after throwing 25 pitches in his first bullpen session Saturday since going on the disabled list July 9 with a partial ligament tear in his right elbow. Tanaka, whom the Yankees hope can avoid surgery and return next month, will have another mound session in the next few days.
•David Ortiz Hits HRs 400, 401 In Red Sox Uniform, Ties Career High In RBI: David Ortiz's career with the Boston Red Sox has moved into elite territory. Ortiz hit a pair of two-run homers, including his 400th shot in a Red Sox uniform, and drove in a career high-tying six runs to power Boston past the Houston Astros 10-7 on Saturday night. Big Papi joined Hall of Famers Ted Williams and Carl Yastrzemski as the only players to hit 400 homers while playing with the Red Sox. Ortiz did it with his drive into the first row of the center-field seats in the third inning. "It's an honor to be mentioned with those legends that were with the Red Sox," he said. "When you come to this organization to play, you're not expecting to be mentioned with those guys."
The left-handed slugger has joined a class that features two of the greatest players to wear a Boston uniform. "He's in rare company with those two other guys he's linked to," Red Sox manager John Farrell said. After his 400th, Ortiz hooked his other homer around the Pesky Pole in right field in the fifth. He has 459 home runs in his career, which started with Minnesota. He then lined a two-run double into the gap in front of the Green Monster in the eighth. He left to a standing ovation for a pinch runner, tipping his helmet as the crowd gave him a curtain call.
"David Ortiz is a Hall of Famer. He's about as good as it gets in this game," Astros manager Bo Porter said. Williams hit 521 homers, and Yaz had 452. Both spent their entire careers with the Red Sox. Chris Carter hit a solo homer and added a sacrifice fly for the Astros, who lost for the fifth time in seven games. A day earlier, Houston earned the franchise's first win in Fenway Park after going 0-8. The Red Sox trailed 6-3 before scoring four in the sixth. Ortiz's second homer off starter Brad Peacock sliced it to 6-5, and Daniel Nava's sacrifice fly tied it. Jackie Bradley Jr. had a sacrifice fly off Josh Fields (2-6) to push Boston ahead.
•Avisail Garcia Has 2 Hits In Return: Four months after surgery to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder, Chicago White Sox outfielder Avisail Garcia was activated from the disabled list Saturday and batted cleanup in the team's 6-3 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays. He went 2-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI. Garcia's reinstatement was the highlight of a bevy of roster moves the White Sox made Saturday. In order get Garcia off the 60-day disabled list and back on the 40-man roster, the White Sox designated left-hander Charlie Leesman for assignment. The White Sox also placed right-handed reliever Javy Guerra on the bereavement list and put outfielder Moises Sierra on the 15-day DL. They recalled left-hander Eric Surkamp from Triple-A Charlotte. Surkamp allowed two hits in a scoreless inning.
Garcia was supposed to form the nucleus of a new-look White Sox offense with rookie first baseman Jose Abreu, but barely one week into the season, the July 2013 acquisition from the Detroit Tigers was injured while making a diving catch at Colorado. The right-handed Garcia hurt himself when his left elbow hit the ground, forcing the energy into his left shoulder and causing the injury. The original diagnosis was for Garcia to return for spring training in February, although the White Sox were fine with him playing in winter ball. That return date was later adjusted to September, and when Garcia continued to make progress in his rehab, it was moved up even further.
"I've been working hard doing everything right to come back this year," Garcia said before the game. "Everything is going well. I feel great. I'm playing tonight and I just thank God for everything." In 13 rehab games at Triple-A Charlotte, Garcia batted .340 with three doubles, a home run and three RBIs. In eight games with the White Sox this season, he was batting just .267, but had started to heat up with a two-homer game the day before he was injured. "It's nice," White Sox manager Robin Ventura said. "I think one situation (Sierra's injury) kind of sped it up a little bit but it's nice to have him back. He's ready to go. I know he's excited and we're excited to have him back. It was a long road for him to go from where he was earlier in the year of getting hurt and all the work he's put in. We're glad it's today."
Although Garcia won't be prohibited from diving to make catches in the outfield, the White Sox have recommended that he go feet-first whenever possible. Other than that, he won't have any restrictions. "No, he's just ready to play," Ventura said. "That's part of when you're ready to activate him is that you have to let him just play. You don't want any restrictions on him. There is no idea of resting him or doing anything like that. He will get as much playing time as he can handle."
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Betting Notes - Monday
National League
•Cubs-Mets - 12:10 PM
--Hendricks is 3-0, 1.61 in his last three starts.
--Colon is 3-2, 3.12 in his last five starts.
--Cubs lost 13 of their last 19 road games.
--Mets lost six of their last eight home games.
--Under is 8-2-1 in Cubs' last eleven games.
•Braves-Pirates - 7:05 PM
--Santana is 5-0, 2.93 in his last six starts.
--Worley is 3-1, 2.97 in his last five starts.
--Braves won four of last five games, but lost last eight on road.
--Pittsburgh lost its last five games, allowing 28 runs.
--Over is 5-2-1 in last eight Pittsburgh games.
•Diamondbacks-Nationals - 7:05 PM
--Nuno is 0-3, 5.34 in his last six starts.
--Zimmerman is 2-0, 2.02 in his last four starts.
--Arizona lost five of its last seven games.
--Nationals won nine of their last eleven games.
--Five of last seven Arizona games stayed under.
•Reds-Cardinals - 8:15 PM
--Leake is 2-4, 3.72 in his last six starts.
--Masterson is 2-1, 6.00 in his last three starts.
--Cincinnati lost seven of its last nine games; they lost a twinbill yesterday.
--St Louis won four of its last five games.
--Four of Reds' last five games went over the total.
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American League
•Angels-Red Sox - 7:10 PM
--Wilson is 2-2, 10.09 in his last seven starts.
--Workman is 0-5, 7.62 in his last five starts.
--Angels won four of their last five games.
--Red Sox won six of their last nine games.
--Five of last six Angel games stayed under total.
•Royals-Twins - 8:10 PM
--Vargas is 1-0, 1.29 in his last couple starts.
--May allowed four runs in two IP (7 walks, no K's) in his only start.
--Royals won 15 of their last 18 games.
--Minnesota lost seven of its last eleven games.
--10 of last 14 Kansas City road games stayed under.
•Orioles-White Sox - 8:10 PM
--Norris is 2-0, 2.60 in his last three starts.
--Sale is 4-1, 1.84 in his last eight starts.
--Baltimore won 17 of its last 25 games.
--White Sox are 1-7 in game following their last eight wins.
--Seven of last nine Norris starts stayed under.
Interleague
•Mariners-Phillies - 7:05 PM
--Elias is 2-1, 2.49 in his last four starts.
--Williams is 1-1, 7.63 in three starts this season.
--Mariners won 10 of their last 12 games.
--Phillies lost seven of their last nine games.
--Six of last nine Elias starts stayed under total.
•Incredible Stat of the Day
The Seattle Mariners are a perfect 7-0 all time in games at Philadelphia. The Mariners own a 7-2 edge in the overall series (77.7%) and swept a three-game set in its only previous trip to Citizens Bank Park in 2003. The Mariners have won 10 of 12 and are yet to allow five runs in a game this month, posting an Major League Baseball best 1.89 ERA in 15 contests. 26-year-old Roenis Elias gets the call to continue the strong pitching.
Elias threw five no-hit innings with one walk and six strikeouts for Triple-A Tacoma on Wednesday and will be recalled. The left-hander, who had been sent down for a short start to limit his innings, is 2-1 with a 2.08 ERA over his last four big league starts. His 134 2/3 innings pitched rank second among rookies. In three interleague starts, Elias is 2-1 with a 3.00 ERA and 19 strikeouts in 18 innings. He'll now face a slumping team in Philadelphia which has dropped seven of nine after Sunday's 5-2 loss in San Francisco.
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w-thumbs!^
