In Major League baseball Saturday, a number of teams play their aces and send them to the mound in search of putting together a winning hand of good pitching, hitting and fielding. Some may work out and some may not; but it never hurts to have your best going against opposing team. Today Toronto, Detroit, Milwaukee and the N.Y. Mets will all showcase top hurler and baseball bettors are left to pick a side either for or against these top pitchers.Detroit won for just the second time in 2008, taking down division rival Chicago last night 5-2. The ballyhooed Tigers offense is starting to show signs of life, scoring 18 runs in last three outings, with double digit hits in each instance. If the Detroit offense is going to start to produce that means they have to get their ace Justin Verlander (0-1, 6.07 ERA) straightened out. Verlander has been ghastly in first two appearances this season, allowing 13 runs (eight earned) in 11 2/3 innings. Last Sunday he faced the White Sox and was battered for career-high nine runs, dropping his record to 1-5 with a 6.00 ERA in nine starts against Chicago.
“I was making good pitches and getting groundballs, but they kept going to places where no one could get to them,” Verlander said. “That’s what makes this so hard.” The tall righthander is 6-11 (-10.3 Units) against the money line against Central Division opponents over the last two seasons. (Tigers Record)
If Verlander has better command and the Tigers keep hitting, Detroit could win two in a row. Sportsbook.com has them favored to do so, making them -135 favorites on the moneyline with total Un 10.5. Over the past three seasons the gang from MoTown is 40-15 as a road favorite of -125 or more over the last three seasons.
While much of New York has attention fixated on the Yankees and Boston, Mets fans could care less and instead will look to battle the Brewers once again. In this matchup, each club’s ace is on display, with Ben Sheets (1-0, 0.00) facing Johan Santana (1-1, 1.93 ERA). Sheets has been scintillating in his first two starts of 2008, scattering only seven hits with 15 strikeouts, in 15 1/3 scoreless innings over two starts. Last Sunday, he fashioned only his second career shutout against San Francisco. “He was about as dominant as he could be for me,” Brewers manager Ned Yost said. “That’s Ben Sheets out there at his finest. Right from the beginning, attacking—when he’s got them both going he’s tough to face.”
For bettors, the best way to follow Sheets is the Total, being 28-8 UNDER vs. NL teams like the Mets scoring 5.3 or more runs a game during his career. (Brewers Record)
Santana signed $137.5 million, six-year contract and has pitched as expected for the Metropolitans, giving up only three total runs in two seven inning stints. In those outings, the left-hander has displayed his usual command, walking two, with 11 punch-outs of opposing hitters. “He (Santana) hits, he fields, he pitches. He does it all. I’m looking forward to playing with him for a long time.” said Mets 3B David Wright at team’s official website.
The Mets are a -125 favorite with total of Ov7. These scenarios would appear to favor New York on two fronts. Milwaukee has lost three straight and is 3-16 on the road when the total is 7.5 or less over the last three seasons. With the Mets having won three in a row, Santana is noteworthy hurler of keeping the winning momentum building with 40-8 mark after two or more consecutive wins. (Teams Record)
Roy Halladay has been among the best pitchers in baseball the last several years, but just like Superman, he too has a weakness. Halladay (1-1, 4.20 ERA) has made 10 starts in Arlington and is 3-3 with capacious ERA of 7.00. The Rangers Ballpark is known as hitters’ paradise, which has been the problem for Halladay and many other pitchers, including those from Texas.
In his outstanding career, the tall right-hander has normally pitched well in the first half of the year and his teams are 78-41. Toronto pounded out an 8-5 win over Texas yesterday, ending three game skid. The Blue Jays are 38-17 after having lost two of their last three games since the beginning of 2007 campaign.
With Rangers offense off to inconsistent start, Halladay and his Toronto teammates are 80-29 vs. AL teams scoring 4.7 or less runs a game on the season. The Blue Jays are -150 pick with total listed at Un 9.5.
|
