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The Fantastic Five
 
 
 

All the action this weekend involves three-game series. The Marlins are hosting the Diamondbacks in National League action and then all 14 of the other series are in Interleague action.

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I'll examine five of these weekend sets in a quick rundown and point out the particular value as to why I consider these to be the Fantastic Five to keep an eye on this weekend.

Colorado Rockies at Detroit Tigers
The Tigers have been red hot as they've won 14 of their last 18 games. They've also averaged about 5.5 runs per game during this strong run. Having Gary Sheffield back has provided a big boost to the offense but it's not just the lineup that is the talk in Detroit. Their bullpen is also getting healthier with the return of Fernando Rodney and Joel Zumaya. The Tigers are a solid 22-17 at home while the Rockies continue to languish on the road. Colorado is now 12-28 away from home and they continue to struggle when not at Coors Field. This is in spite of the fact that they've also received a number of key players back from injury in recent weeks. Note that on Friday the Tigers will face Jimenez and the Rockies are winless in his eight road starts this season. Then the Tigers have Verlander going Saturday and he's been rock solid recently while Rogers, solid up until his last start, is also capable of a very strong outing on Sunday! The Tigers should dominate in this series and yet there should be some favorable pricing for Detroit.

Milwakee Brewers at Minnesota Twins
This is another series with favorable pricing and yet what could be some solid home domination. The Twins come into this series red hot as they've won nine straight games. They also took two of three from the Brewers when they matched up with them at Miller Park earlier this month. Now the Twins can take advantage of facing Milwaukee at the Metrodome where Minnesota is 25-16 this season. Keep in mind the Brewers are four games below .500 on the road this season and their offense has not been near as potent on the road as they've been at home. Give credit to the Twins young starting pitching staff and their rotation will send Blackburn, Hernandez, and Slowey to the mound in this series. Blackburn and Slowey have really come on strong for the Twins while the veteran Hernandez has been very strong in his home starts for Minnesota this season. While Hernandez might be the weak link in this group this weekend, there is no reason the Twins shouldn't take at least two out of three against the Brewers.

Seattle Mariners at San Diego Padres
Seattle is simply dreadful on the road this season and while San Diego's overall record this season is poor we feel that will actually serve to give some good value with them at home this weekend. The Mariners are now a miserable 13-26 on the road this season and the Padres were actually a respectable 21-18 at home before they ran into trouble and lost five straight games at Petco Park. However, keep in mind that much of that had to do with facing red hot Detroit and Minnesota in back to back series. Now, with a major step down in level of competition, look for the Padres to get right back on track at home with a solid series victory in this three game set.

Philadelphia Phillies at Texas Rangers
The Phillies simply can't wait for Interleague action to come to a close. It has been an absolute nightmare for them and a visit to hitter-friendly Texas may not even help matters for the Phils. That's because, right now, the Phillies bats just aren't getting the job done and they will have to score a lot of runs to stay competitive with Texas at Rangers Ballpark! Texas has one of the most dangerous offenses in the league and the Phillies are just in a slump they can't seem to snap out of. Until the Phillies prove they can get back on track one should be looking for value on the other side of  Philadelphia. The Phillies have lost nine of their last eleven and are a tough team to back right now!

San Francisco Giants at Oakland Athletics
Oakland has held the upper hand in this series and it's hard to imagine that changing right now. The Giants, after a fairly impressive run at the plate and in the standings, have again fallen on hard times. Things aren't likely to improve now as they face an A's team that has dominated them in recent meetings. The Giants have lost six straight games against the A's and San Francisco also comes into this series having lost ten of their last fifteen games. Oakland has won 8 of their last 12 games and they are a confident club at home where many of their pitchers flourish. Additionally, the A's offense is becoming more consistent as they've averaged about 5.5 runs per game this month. Some good pitching match-ups in this series but home field will make all the difference! Best of luck always - Scott Rickenbach

  
HEADLINES
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A's agree to extend GM Beane through 2019
Dombrowski confident in Fielder's longevity
Hamilton visits docs after alcohol relapse
Rangers and Andrus agree to 3-year deal
Bonifacio, Marlins complete arbitration
Twins take bids on Kim-and-Kris-ball
Rockies acquire Guthrie from Orioles
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