Major League Baseball returns to business as usual on Monday. While interleague play was hot and heavy in the first go-around at the end of May, it almost feels like an exercise in futility rather then a short burst of enjoyment. But this is wholly an individual opinion on my part.
Whatever your personal feeling is on the yearly AL-NL mix-up the schedule will now return to status quo. That leads us to the first day of a new week and the card it carries over inside the pockets of fellow gamblers.
Sour Slinging
It hasn’t been fun pitching in Washington’s (21-51, -2561) rotation. Just take it from Scott Olsen (1-4, 7.24 ERA). Slated to return to the mound after a one-month layoff on the DL (shoulder tendinitis), Olsen would love to press the reset button on the season. In three straight starts before his stint on the DL began, the lefty was credited for allowing 15 earned runs (five per start) in a total of 14.1 innings. Whether facing fellow southpaw batters or going up against the orthodox right-handed swinger, Olsen has been battered for a combined .335 BAA. His lone victory came in Philadelphia (for which he’s expressed hatred against them club when part of the Marlins pitching staff) for which six hits and an earned run was the end result. But that Apr. 29 victory feels like many moons ago.
Gearing to face Florida (38-38, +202) at 7:10 p.m. EDT, Olsen will at least look to take advantage of a Marlins’ club batting .256 versus lefties and bringing in a middle of the road, 349 runs. However, in the last week, Florida has seen a spike in offensive production. The ‘Fish swung for a .304 BA, manufacturing 32 RBIs (against both lefty and righty pitchers). Ending this matchup on a betting note, Olsen has been a ‘dog in every one of his eight starts in ’09. Prices have ranged from a low, plus-113 (bet $100 to make $113) against the Phillies at home to a high, plus-263 (bet $100 to make $263) against the Mets in Citi Field. The financial statement has Olsen tallying up a minus-234 money line deficit for those few backers out there.
Hot to Trot
We’ll wait to see what Tampa Bay (41-35, +98) does on Sunday but all indications show that this team is beginning to turn up the heat. The Rays will faceoff against division rival, Toronto (41-35, +372) at 7:07 p.m. EDT. But as hot as Tampa has been by taking six of its last eight, the Blue Jays will counter when it places shutdown starter, Roy Halladay (10-1, 2.53) on the hill. Three of the Rays last six victories have come against pitchers with a winning record. But as well as the offense has been playing (batting .292 in the last 10), credit goes to Tampa Bay’s bullpen for producing a 1.57 ERA in the last 10. The two busiest bullpen slingers, Lance Cormier and J.P. Howell, have combined for a 2.08 ERA 1.10 WHIP in a total of 40.5 innings. So if Rays’ starting pitcher, Jeff Niemann (6-4, 4.23) wants to help his club then he must eat up some innings before making way for the pen. It’s just that Tampa must combat Toronto’s 9-3 record in Halladay’s last 12 home starts versus the Rays.
Traveling Touch
It’s no secret why the Angels possess one of the best road records in the Majors. At 20-17 when making road reservations, Los Angeles (40-32, +897) finds itself ranking second best in the hitting department. Between Torii Hunter, Juan Rivera and Bobby Abreu bringing in a combined, 71 RBIs, the Angels as a team are making contact for a .280 BA. That’s resulted in five straight road wins (seven runs per game) and an ‘over record at 9-5 in the last 14. Scoring 4.9 runs per game on offense and having the pitching staff log in a steep, 4.59 ERA (on the road) has books surprisingly installing totals at an average, 8.7 runs per game.
We’re hard pressed to find much stock for total wagering in this 8:05 p.m. EDT contest against the Rangers (. However with L.A. fielding Sean O’Sullivan on the slab (1-0, 3.00) and Texas preparing to etch its veteran slinger, Vincent Padilla (6-3, 4.48) in the starting rotation books have decided to open the contest at a hefty, 10 ½-runs.
Even though the stats indicate that L.A.’s pitching staff is logging in a 5.12 ERA on the year, the defense has actually been able to hold down the opposition to four runs per game in the same 10.
The ‘under’ is 22-6-1 in Texas’ last 29 home games, the ‘under’ is 42-17-1 in the Rangers last 60, but the ‘over’ has gone 7-3-1 in Padilla’s last 11 starts versus the Angels. In-fact Texas was murdering books just a week and a half ago, hitting the ‘under’ in 12 straight games (from Jun. 5 to Jun. 18). Since then the ‘under’ is a split, 4-4 in the last eight Rangers’ games.
Sportsbetting.com has placed Texas as a $1.35 home favorite.
Joshua Jacobs can be reached at jacobs@vegasinsider.com.
