Thursday is a travel day for Major League Baseball, with only three American League games scheduled. There are seven National League contests also occurring before teams travel to their next destination. Now let’s take a look at four of Thursday’s top contests.

**Dodgers (Penny) at Mets (Vargas)**

-Caesars Palace installed New York as a $1.15 home ‘chalk’ over Los Angeles, with the total set at nine ‘under’ (minus $1.20). First pitch is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. ET.

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-Los Angeles pitcher Brad Penny (5-5, 5.32 ERA) dropped to 0-3 his last four starts with Saturday’s setback to St. Louis as a $1.40 home favorite, 4-0. The right-hander surrendered four runs on four hits with two walks and five strikeouts over seven innings.

-The four runs failed to topple the 8 ½-run closing total, ending a string that saw the ‘over’ go 7-1 his previous eight outings.

-The 30-year-old fell to the Mets May 7 as a $1.15 home ‘chalk,’ 12-1, going just 4 2/3 innings while being reached for 10 runs on 10 hits with three walks and two strikeouts. The combined 13 runs eclipsed the 8 ½-run closing total.

-New York counters with right-hander Claudio Vargas (1-2, 3.93 ERA), who is fresh off his first victory of the year at Colorado Saturday as a $1.25 road underdog, 9-2. The Dominican Republic native tossed seven innings, yielding both runs on four hits (one home run) with a walk and three strikeouts.

-The combined 11 runs went ‘over’ the 10-run closing total, ending back-to-back ‘under’ outings for the 29-year-old.

-Vargas, a six-year veteran, has not started against the Dodgers the past few seasons.

**Astros (Oswalt) at Cardinals (Lohse)**

-Caesars Palace opened St. Louis as a $1.10 home favorite over Houston, with the total listed at 8 ½ ‘over’ (minus $1.20). This National League Central contest is scheduled to begin at 8:15 p.m. ET.

-Houston hurler Roy Oswalt (4-4, 5.61 ERA) escaped with a no-decision in Thursday’s meeting with Philadelphia. The 30-year-old was tagged for five runs on 11 hits (one home run) with two walks and four strikeouts over six innings.

-The Astros eventually dropped that affair as a $1.20 home ‘chalk,’ 7-5, while the combined 12 runs toppled the 9 ½-run closing total. The ‘over/under’ has alternated his previous nine starts.

-Oswalt received a no-decision against the Cardinals April 26 after going six innings, surrendering three runs on five hits with three walks and five strikeouts. The Astros eventually dropped that contest as a $1.10 road underdog, 4-3, while the combined seven runs went ‘under’ the eight-run closing total.

-St. Louis pitcher Kyle Lohse (4-2, 4.26 ERA) blanked Los Angeles Saturday as a $1.30 road underdog, 4-0. The 6-foot-2 hurler tossed six scoreless innings on six hits with no walks and five strikeouts.

-The four runs never seriously threatened the 8 ½-run closing total, ending a 3-0-1 ‘over’ streak his previous four outings.

-Lohse beat the Astros April 27 as a $1.45 home favorite, 5-1, going six innings while yielding the lone run on four hits with a walk and three strikeouts. The combined six runs went ‘under’ the nine-run closing total.

**White Sox (Danks) at Rays (Jackson)**

-Caesars Palace lists Tampa Bay as a $1.30 home ‘chalk’ over Chicago, with the total set at 8 ½ ‘under’ (minus $1.20). This American League tilt is slated to start at 7:10 p.m. ET.

-Chicago southpaw John Danks (3-4, 3.00 ERA) heads to the hill for the first time since Saturday’s setback to Los Angeles as a $1.08 home favorite, 2-0. The two-year veteran went five innings, allowing both runs on five hits (one home run) with two walks and four strikeouts.

-The two runs never seriously threatened the 8 ½-run closing total, enabling the ‘under’ to improve to 8-2 his 10 starts.

-Danks beat the Rays April 20 as a $1.10 road underdog, 6-0, pitching seven scoreless innings on three hits with no walks and eight strikeouts. The six runs failed to topple the 9 ½-run closing total.

-Tampa Bay’s Edwin Jackson (3-3, 3.47 ERA) upended Baltimore Saturday as a $1.68 home favorite, 11-4. The 24-year-old went five innings while being reached for three runs on four hits (one home run) with five walks and two strikeouts.

-The combined 15 runs soared ‘over’ the 9 ½-run closing total, helping the ‘over’ improve to 3-1-1 his last five starts.

-The right-hander fell to Danks and the White Sox April 20, surrendering six runs on seven hits (one home run) with three walks and four strikeouts over just 4 1/3 innings.

**Twins (Slowey) at Royals (Hochevar)**

-Caesars Palace installed Kansas City as a $1.15 home favorite over Minnesota, with the total listed at 8 ½. This AL Central contest is scheduled to begin at 8:10 p.m. ET.

-Minnesota pitcher Kevin Slowey (1-4, 4.21 ERA) ended a personal four-game losing skid by beating Detroit Friday as a $1.40 road underdog, 9-4. The Winthrop product tossed six scoreless innings on four hits with three walks and two strikeouts.

-The combined 13 runs went ‘over’ the 9 ½-run closing total after the ‘under’ cashed his first four starts.

-Slowey, a two-year veteran, has not started against the Royals in his brief major league career.

-Kansas City right-hander Luke Hochevar (3-4, 4.54 ERA) has suffered back-to-back losses after Saturday’s setback to Toronto as a $1.30 road underdog, 6-0. The former Tennessee Volunteer went six innings, allowing five runs (four earned) on six hits (one home run) with four walks and four strikeouts.

-The six runs failed to eclipse the eight-run closing total, enabling the ‘under’ to improve to 6-1 for the 24-year-old.

-Hochevar, a two-year veteran, has never started against the Twins in his brief major league career.

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