THE SPORTS ADVISORS
INTERLEAGUE
Chicago White Sox (41-32) at Chicago Cubs (46-28)
The Cubs will try to make it five in a row over their crosstown rivals when they send veteran Jason Marquis (5-3, 4.24 ERA) to the hill to face the White Sox and Jose Contreras (6-5, 3.24) at Wrigley Field.
The Cubs scored three runs in the final two innings to beat the White Sox 4-3 on Friday, their fourth straight win and sixth in seven meetings dating back to last year. The Cubs? pitching staff has dominated this matchup, allowing just five runs in the last four games.
Wrigley Field has been good to the Cubs as they?ve gone 39-13 in their last 52 in front of the faithful. They are also on runs of 6-2 in interleague home games, 17-7 overall, 7-1 against the A.L. Central and 40-19 at Wrigley against right-handed pitching. Meanwhile the White Sox are 11-6 in their last 17 overall and 7-3 in interleague play, but they are on an 0-7 slide on the highway.
Contreras is just 1-2 in his last three outings with a 4.58 ERA and he?s allowed 10 runs (nine earned) in is last 12 2/3 innings, losses to the Tigers and Rockies. For his career, Contreras is 1-2 in four starts against the Cubs with a 4.23 ERA. Last season he gave up two runs on 10 hits in seven innings of a 3-0 White Sox loss.
The White Sox are 11-4 when Contreras starts on Saturday and but just 1-4 in his last five interleague starts.
Marquis has been outstanding lately, going 3-0 in his last three with a 1.96 ERA. He allowed just one run on four hits in seven innings a week ago as the Cubs beat the Blue Jays 6-2. Last season he allowed five runs in six innings against the White Sox but the Cubs? offense bailed him out with an 11-6 victory.
For his career, Marquis is 1-1 in three starts against the White Sox with a 10.06 ERA as he?s allowed 19 earned runs in 17 innings. The Cubs are 17-5 in his last 22 home starts but they are just 1-4 when he starts against a team with a winning record.
With Contreras on the hill, the over is 7-2 in interleague games, 5-1 against the N.L. Central and 5-0 when he starts on Saturday, but the under is 9-1 in his last 10 overall. With Marquis starting, the Cubs are on ?over? runs of 5-2 at home and 4-1-2 on Saturdays.
For the White Sox, the under is 16-5 on the road against a right-handed starter, 21-8 on the road and 11-2 against teams with a winning record, however the over is 10-5 in interleague games against teams with a winning record. For the Cubs, the under is 10-4-1 in interleague play, 6-2 at home against teams with a winning record, 5-1 at home and 7-1 at home against right-handed starters.
In head-to-head matchups, the over is 5-1 at Wrigley.
ATS ADVANTAGE:CHICAGO CUBS and UNDER
L.A. Angels (44-30) at Philadelphia (42-33)
The Phillies hope to avoid a fourth-straight loss when they send Brett Myers (3-8, 5.58) to the mound opposite Angels? southpaw Joe Saunders (10-3, 3.06) at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia.
The Angels shut down the Phillies on Friday, getting a 7-1 victory behind the pitching of Ervin Santana. It was the first meeting between these two since 2003 with Los Angeles taking three of the last four.
The Angels are 21-9 in interleague action, 5-1 in interleague road games, 6-2 against teams with a winning record and a staggering 59-24 in the second game of a series. Philadelphia is 1-6 on Saturdays, 1-5 in interleague play, 6-19 against interleague teams with a winning record and 4-11 in the second game of a series, but they are 8-2 against southpaws, 17-8 as a home favorite and 9-5 at home.
The Angels are 11-3 in Saunders? starts this season and he?s 5-1 on the road with a 1.77 ERA. On Sunday he shut out the Braves on six hits for 7 1/3 innings of a 2-0 victory. In his previous interleague start this season, he held the Dodgers to two runs on five hits for 7 1/3 innings of a 4-2 win. The lefty has never faced the Phillies.
Philadelphia has lost 11 of Myers? 15 starts and he?s 0-2 in his last three with a 5.79 ERA and the Phillies have lost all three. He?s allowed 11 runs on 15 hits in 11 1/3 innings in his last two. In his only outing against the Angels, he gave up five runs on eight hits of a 5-3 loss back in 2003.
Los Angeles is 25-10 in Saunders? last 35 starts, 12-4 when he faces a winning team, 5-1 as a ?dog, 5-1 on the road and 14-3 when he gets five days of rest. Philadelphia is 8-20 in Myers? last 28 starts, 7-19 when he?s favored, 4-11 with him at home and 0-6 when he toes the rubber on Saturdays.
With Saunders on the hill, the Angels are on ?over? runs of 8-3 on five days of rest and 4-1 on Saturdays, but the under is 5-2 in his last seven and 5-1-1 when he starts on the road against a winning team. The Phillies have topped the total in nine of Myers? last 12 home starts against a winning team and five of his last seven on five days of rest.
The Angels are on ?under? runs of 38-16-5 overall, 17-7 against right-handed pitching, 7-2-1 as a ?dog and 15-5-2 on the highway. Philadelphia is on ?over? runs of 8-3 in interleague games and 5-2 at home against winning teams, but the under is 13-3 for the Phillies on Saturday and 13-4 in their last 17 overall.
ATS ADVANTAGE: L.A. ANGELS
34-18 L52, Yesterday 0-2 (TB Rays"L",ATL Braves"L")
