One of the smaller cards of the season happens on Thursday in baseball, as four series come to a close. The Phillies and Rockies play a make-up contest at Coors Field, while the Twins and Tigers finish up their three-game set in Minnesota. We'll start with a pair of aces taking the mound in a series finale down in Atlanta.
Mets at Braves - 7:10 PM EST
These two NL East rivals meet only three more times this season following Thursday's matchup at Turner Field. New York is playing out the string at this point, while Atlanta holds a three-game advantage over Philadelphia in the NL East race. The Mets will try to improve on a 4-13 mark on the highway since the All-Star Break against teams above .500.
Johan Santana (10-9, 3.02 ERA) is winless in his last three starts, coming against below .500 competition in Pittsburgh and Houston as heavy favorites. The Mets are just 5-10 in Santana's 15 road starts, while the New York offense has provided the southpaw with a paltry 2.33 runs/game. Thanks to the Mets' offensive woes of late, Santana has cashed the 'under' in six straight starts, including four consecutive outings on the highway. The Mets are 2-7 against the Braves in Santana's starts since he signed with New York in 2008.
One of the front-runners for the NL Cy Young Award winner toes the rubber for the Braves, as Tim Hudson (15-5, 2.24 ERA) goes for his 11th home win of the season. Hudson tossed a gem in his last outing, striking out a career-high 13 in a 12-3 drubbing of the Marlins. That victory was the seventh in Hudson's previous eight starts, including a 6-0 mark at Turner Field. Hudson has silenced the Mets in two wins this season, holding New York to 10 hits and one run in 13 innings of work.
After the Mets grabbed the first four meetings this season, the Braves are 8-2 in the last 10 matchups. These two clubs played to 10 consecutive 'unders' prior to three straight 'overs,' including two 'overs' to begin this series. Atlanta's offense has helped 'over' bettors of late by going on an 8-2-1 run.
Phillies at Rockies - 7:10 PM EST
Philadelphia wraps up a seven-game road series with a make-up game at Colorado. The Phillies claimed a pair of series at San Diego and Los Angeles, as Thursday night's game will be the final regular season meeting between the Rockies and the reigning NL Champs. Colorado returns home for just this one game, before heading out to San Diego this weekend for a series with the NL West-leading Padres.
Joe Blanton (6-6, 5.15 ERA) has pitched extremely well over his last three starts, allowing four earned runs in 19.1 innings of work. Blanton beat the Giants and Padres, while picking up a no-decision in a one-run defeat to the Astros. The victory at San Diego was Blanton's first on the road since June 29 at Cincinnati, a span of six starts. Blanton beat the Rockies at Citizens Bank Park in late July, delivering six innings of six-hit ball, as the Phillies prevailed, 5-4.
The Rockies have plenty of unproven arms in their rotation past Ubaldo Jimenez, as Jhoulys Chacin (7-9, 3.79 ERA) is coming off a pair of impressive starts. Chacin beat the Diamondbacks and Dodgers, while allowing seven hits and one earned run in those victories. The right-hander has come through against tough opposition at home, topping Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Boston in his last three starts at Coors Field.
Philadelphia is 5-1 in its six meetings with Colorado this season, including a four-game home sweep in late July. The Rockies' lone victory in this series came in walk-off style as Miguel Olivo's homer in the bottom of the 10th lifted Colorado to a 4-3 upset as a $1.70 underdog.
Tigers at Twins - 8:10 PM EST
Minnesota continues to register victories at Target Field, improving to 13-2 in the last 15 at home following Wednesday's one-run triumph over Detroit. The Tigers have not performed well on the highway, falling to 22-43 away from the Motor City this season. Detroit looks to grab the series finale with its ace trying to build some consistency in the last month of the season.
The Tigers are 3-6 in Justin Verlander's (14-8, 3.58 ERA) nine starts since the All-Star Break, including an 0-5 mark on the highway. Four of those road losses came by a run, as Toronto edged Detroit in Verlander's last outing, 3-2 in extra-innings. The problem that Verlander has had to endure is the lack of run support, as the Tigers have plated three runs or less seven times in this stretch. This will be the first time Verlander takes the hill at Target Field, while the right-hander has split two starts against the Twins this season.
Scott Baker (12-9, 4.55 ERA) is on a roll right now, winning his last five decisions, as Minnesota is 7-0 in his past seven outings. Only three of the Twins' victories in this span came against substantial competition, beating the White Sox twice and the Rays on the road. Minnesota is 6-2 in Baker's last eight home starts, with the only two losses coming to Kansas City and Cleveland as a $1.90 'chalk' in each defeat. Baker shut down the Tigers at Target Field on May 3, scattering seven hits and three earned runs in seven innings of a 10-4 win.
The Twins are a dominant 7-1 in eight home meetings with the Tigers this season, with four of the victories coming by one run. Minnesota is riding an 8-2 'under' run, while Detroit is just 2-7 in its last nine road contests.
You can reach Kevin Rogers via e-mail at rogers@vegasinsider.com
