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Tuesday's MLB Tip Sheet
June 30, 2008
By Brad Young VegasInsider.com
T he calendar has switched over to July, meaning the All-Star break is just two weeks away. However, the break doesn’t signify the middle of the lengthy 162-game regular season. Teams around the league have already been in over 80 games, but there are still 10 plus games to be played before the three-day break in mid-July.
Interleague action is in the rear-view mirror after an exciting two-week stretch. There will be no more interleague games this season until the World Series. The trading deadline for players to clear waivers is at the end of the month, meaning teams will be jockeying for position until then. Now, let’s break down a couple of Tuesday’s main matchups.
**Phillies (Kendrick) at Braves (Morton) **
-Caesars Palace installed Atlanta as a $1.25 home ‘chalk’ over Philadelphia, with the total set at nine ‘over’ (minus $1.20). This National League East affair is slated to start at 7:10 p.m. ET.
-Philadelphia’s Kyle Kendrick (7-3, 4.59 ERA) heads to the hill for the first time since blanking Oakland Wednesday as a $1.10 road underdog, 4-0. The two-year veteran tossed eight scoreless innings on four hits with a walk and four strikeouts.
-The four runs never seriously threatened the 8 ½-run closing total, ending back-to-back ‘over’ outings for the right-hander.
-The 23-year-old picked up a no-decision against the Braves June 7, going 5 1/3 innings while being reached for two runs on four hits (one home run) with five walks and three strikeouts. The Phillies eventually won that contest as a $1.15 road underdog, 6-2, while the combined eight runs went ‘under’ the 10-run closing total.
-Atlanta right-hander Charlie Morton (1-1, 4.24 ERA) heads to the hill for the first time since last Tuesday’s setback to Milwaukee as a $1.35 home favorite, 4-3. The 6-foot-4 hurler went six innings, surrendering four runs (two earned) on seven hits with a walk and four strikeouts.
-The combined seven runs failed to topple the 9 1/2-run closing total, enabling the ‘under’ to cash his second consecutive start.
-Morton, a rookie, has never started against the Phillies in his brief major league career.
**Cubs (Marquis) at Giants (Cain)**
-Caesars Palace opened San Francisco as a $1.20 home favorite over Chicago, with the total listed at 8 ½ ‘under’ (minus $1.20). First pitch is scheduled for 10:15 p.m. ET.
-Chicago pitcher Jason Marquis (6-4, 4.96 ERA) was riding a personal five-game winning streak before falling to Baltimore Thursday as a $1.60 home ‘chalk,’ 11-4. The New York native was tagged for seven runs on seven hits with three walks and three strikeouts over just four innings.
-The combined 15 runs soared ‘over’ the 10 ½-run closing total, helping the ‘over’ cash his second consecutive contest.
-Marquis picked up a no-decision against the Giants last year despite yielding just one run on three hits with five walks and five strikeouts over seven innings. The Cubs eventually prevailed as a $1.28 road underdog, 5-1, while the combined six runs went ‘under’ the eight-run closing total.
-San Francisco right-hander Matt Cain (4-6, 4.44 ERA) has alternated wins and losses his last five starts after falling to Cleveland Thursday as a $1.48 road underdog, 4-1. The four-year veteran went five innings, allowing four runs on eight hits with two walks and four strikeouts.
-The combined five runs failed to eclipse the eight-run closing total, helping the ‘under’ improve to 3-1 his last four starts.
-Cain went 1-1 against the Cubs last year in two starts, going a combined 11 innings while surrendering seven runs on 12 hits with six walks and seven strikeouts. The Giants prevailed as a $1.15 home underdog, 4-1, while losing as a $1.55 road ‘dog, 12-1.
**Red Sox (Wakefield) at Rays (Garza)**
-Caesars Palace lists Tampa Bay as a $1.20 home ‘chalk’ over Boston, with the total set at nine ‘under’ (minus $1.15). This American League East tilt is slated to start at 7:10 p.m. ET.
-Boston knuckleballer Tim Wakefield (5-5, 3.88 ERA) is off Wednesday’s victory over Arizona as a $1.47 home favorite, 5-0. The veteran right-hander tossed seven scoreless innings on just two hits with a walk and six strikeouts.
-The five runs failed to topple the nine-run closing total, enabling the ‘under’ to cash his second consecutive contest.
-Wakefield received a no-decision against the Rays April 25 after yielding four runs (three earned) on six hits with five walks and a strikeout over six innings. The Red Sox eventually dropped that contest as a $1.03 road underdog, 5-4, while the combined nine runs went ‘under’ the 10-run closing total.
-Tampa Bay hurler Matt Garza (6-4, 3.76 ERA) went the complete-game route in Thursday’s victory over Florida as a road ‘pick,’ 6-1. The right-hander was reached for the lone run on just one hit (a home run) with a walk and 10 strikeouts.
-The combined seven runs failed to topple the 9 ½-run closing total, helping the ‘under’ improve to 8-2 his last 10 starts.
-Garza is 0-1 against the Red Sox this year in two starts, going a combined 10 1/3 innings while allowing 10 runs (eight earned) on 11 hits (two home runs) with five walks and four strikeouts. The Rays and Garza beat Boston and Wakefield in that April 25 encounter, while falling June 3 as a $1.10 road underdog, 7-4.
**Athletics (Harden) at Angels (Santana)**
-Caesars Palace opened Los Angeles as a $1.15 home favorite over Oakland, with the total listed at seven ‘under’ (minus $1.25). This AL West matchup is scheduled to begin at 10:05 p.m. ET.
-Oakland pitcher Rich Harden (5-0, 2.15 ERA) gets the starting nod after blanking Philadelphia Thursday as a $1.70 home ‘chalk,’ 5-0. The 26-year-old tossed eight scoreless innings on just two hits with a walk and 11 strikeouts.
-The five runs failed to eclipse the eight-run closing total, helping the ‘under’ improve to 4-2 his last six starts.
-Harden received a no-decision against the Angels June 8, going six innings while surrendering three runs on six hits (one home run) with three walks and nine strikeouts. The Athletics eventually triumphed as a $1.33 road underdog, 7-3, while the combined 10 runs went ‘over’ the seven-run closing total.
-Los Angeles right-hander Ervin Santana (9-3, 3.32 ERA) picked up a no-decision against Washington Wednesday, tossing six innings while yielding four runs on four hits (one home run) with five walks and eight strikeouts.
-The Angels eventually dropped that contest as a $1.60 road favorite, 5-4, while the combined nine runs eclipsed the eight-run closing total. The ‘over’ is 3-1 his previous four outings.
-Santana is 1-0 against the Athletics this season in two starts, going a combined 13 innings while being reached for three runs (two earned) on 11 hits with four walks and 12 strikeouts. The Angels prevailed as a $1.50 home ‘chalk,’ 6-1, while losing as a $1.33 road underdog, 7-3.
Brad Young can be reached at byoung@vegasinsider.com.
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