Baseball will be on the backburner this weekend while some other sports hog the spotlight. However, the tickets still cash and that’s good enough.

Advertisement

While many sports fans will be wrapped up in the final days of the pro basketball regular season, the NHL playoffs and the Masters, there remains plenty of action on the baseball diamonds. Let’s take a look at four of Saturday’s late games.

**Marlins (Miller) at Astros (Backe)**

-Caesars Palace installed Houston as a $1.35 home ‘chalk’ over Florida, with the total set at 9 ½ ‘under’ (minus $1.20). This contest is scheduled to begin at 7:05 p.m. ET.

-Florida’s Andrew Miller (0-1, 12.91 ERA) escaped with a no-decision against Washington Monday after getting roughed up over 3 1/3 innings. The southpaw was reached for six runs on eight hits with a walk and three strikeouts.

-The Marlins eventually won that affair as a $1.25 road underdog, 10-7, while the combined 17 runs soared ‘over’ the 8 ½-run closing total. The ‘over’ has cashed in both of his starts this season.

-Miller, a three-year veteran, did not start against the Astros last season as a member of the Detroit Tigers.

-Houston hurler Brandon Backe (0-1, 3.27 ERA) is off Sunday’s no-decision against Chicago after yielding two runs on six hits (one home run) with three walks and seven strikeouts over six innings.

-The Astros eventually dropped that contest as a $1.80 road underdog, 3-2, while the combined five runs went ‘under’ the 9 ½-run closing total. The ‘under’ has cashed in both of his starts.

-Backe, a major leaguer since 2002, did not start against the Marlins last season.

**Padres (Young) at Dodgers (Lowe)**

-Caesars Palace opened Los Angeles as a $1.20 home favorite over San Diego, with the total set at seven ‘over’ (minus $1.20). This National League West affair is scheduled to begin at 10:10 p.m. ET.

-San Diego right-hander Chris Young (1-0, 2.13 ERA) picked up a no-decision against Los Angeles Sunday despite throwing seven solid innings. The Princeton product surrendered two runs on five hits (one home run) with three walks and eight strikeouts.

-The Padres eventually dropped that matchup as a $1.35 home ‘chalk,’ 3-2, while the combined five runs went ‘under’ the seven-run closing total. The ‘under’ has cashed in both of his outings this season.

-Young opened his season April 1 with a victory over Houston as a $1.85 home favorite, 2-1. The towering 6-foot-10 hurler was reached for one run on five hits with five walks and three strikeouts over 5 2/3 innings. The combined three runs failed to topple the seven-run closing total.

**Blue Jays (Halladay) at Rangers (Mendoza)**

-Caesars Palace lists Toronto as a $1.45 road ‘chalk’ over Texas, with the total set at 9 1/2 (minus $1.20). This American League tilt is slated to start at 8:05 p.m. ET.

-Toronto ace Roy Halladay (1-1, 4.20 ERA) heads to the hill fresh off Sunday’s victory over Boston as a $1.10 home favorite, 7-4. The 30-year-old tossed eight solid innings, allowing four runs on eight hits (three home runs) with a walk and six strikeouts.

-The combined 11 runs eclipsed the eight-run closing total. The ‘under’ prevailed his first start of the season.

-Halladay was 2-1 against Texas last season in three starts, tossing a combined 21 1/3 innings while surrendering 14 runs on 24 hits with four walks and 20 strikeouts. The Blue Jays triumphed as a $2.20 home ‘chalk,’ 6-1, and as a $2.00 home favorite, 6-4, while losing as a $1.59 road ‘chalk,’ 11-4. The ‘over’ went 2-1 during those three outings.

-Texas counters with right-hander Luis Mendoza, who is making his first appearance of the season. The right-hander made his major league debut last September after getting called up from the minors.

-During his brief tenure with the Rangers, the Mexico native appeared in six games, making three starts while tossing 16 innings and allowing four runs on 13 hits (one home run) with four walks and seven strikeouts. Mendoza went 1-0 during those games while carrying a 2.25 ERA.

**Angels (Garland) at Mariners (Silva)**

-Caesars Palace installed Seattle as a $1.10 home favorite over Los Angeles, with the total listed at nine ‘under’ (minus $1.20). This AL West matchup is scheduled to start at 9:10 p.m. ET.

-Los Angeles pitcher Jon Garland (1-1, 5.54 ERA) was roughed up in his last outing Sunday against Texas as a $1.70 home ‘chalk,’ 10-4. The 28-year-old was reached for seven runs on eight hits (two home runs) with two walks and two strikeouts over just five innings.

-The combined 14 runs eclipsed the 9 ½-run closing total. The ‘over’ has cashed in both of Garland’s starts this season.

-The 6-foot-6 right-hander fell to the Mariners in his only start against them last year as a $1.53 road underdog, 11-5. The California native surrendered 10 runs (five earned) on 10 hits (two home runs) with a walk and a strikeout over just 2 2/3 innings. The combined 16 runs soared ‘over’ the eight-run closing total.

-Seattle’s Carlos Silva (1-0, 3.21 ERA) picked up a no-decision against Baltimore Monday, tossing seven innings while allowing four runs on nine hits (one home run) with no walks and five strikeouts.

-The Mariners eventually dropped that contest as a $1.10 road underdog, 5-4, while the combined nine runs slithered ‘under’ the 9 ½-run closing total. The ‘under’ has cashed in both of his starts this season.

-The right-hander went 1-0 against the Angels last season in two starts, going a combined 13 2/3 innings while yielding five runs (four earned) on 12 hits with two walks and three strikeouts. Seattle triumphed as a $1.20 home underdog, 7-5, while losing as a $2.00 road ‘dog, 4-3.

Brad Young can be reached at byoung@vegasinsider.com.