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Friday's Diamond Notes
July 21, 2016
Hottest team: Angels (8-2 last 10)
Los Angeles has started the second half in impressive fashion by sweeping each of its first two series at home against Chicago and Texas. The Angels’ offense blew up by plating at least seven runs in five of those six victories, while flying ‘over’ the total in all three wins over the Rangers. The Halos head to Houston on Friday to begin a three-game set with the Astros as Los Angeles has dropped eight of nine meetings this season. Matt Shoemaker takes the mound in the opener for L.A., as the right-hander is coming off a complete-game gem against the White Sox, striking out 13 batters in a 1-0 triumph last Saturday.
Coldest team: Giants (0-5 last five)
San Francisco finished the first half owning the best record in baseball, but the All-Star break disrupted the Giants’ momentum. Bruce Bochy’s team was swept in San Diego in its first series, followed by a pair of losses at Fenway Park against the Red Sox. San Francisco’s normally reliable pitching staff has allowed an average of 6.2 runs/game during this skid, while none of its starters have lasted past the sixth inning. Madison Bumgarner hopes to turn things around for the Giants, as he takes the ball in the opener against the Yankees in the Bronx. Bumgarner owns a 2.12 ERA this season, but San Francisco has compiled a 2-4 record in his past six starts
Hottest pitcher: Danny Duffy, Royals (5-1, 3.27 ERA)
Kansas City returns home after visiting the White House to celebrate its 2015 World Series championship. Duffy has been the only consistent pitcher for the Royals, as the southpaw is 3-0 in his last four trips to the mound, including recent wins over the Tigers and Cardinals. In his last four starts, Duffy has walked only two batters, while striking out 30 in 29.1 innings of work. Kansas City hosts Texas as the Royals try to rebound from a pair of losses to the Indians. Duffy faces a Rangers’ squad that has lost six of their past seven games, while Texas owns a dreadful 3-11 record in its previous 14 road contests.
Coldest pitcher: Kyle Gibson, Twins (2-6, 5.12 ERA)
It’s been a rough season for the Minnesota rotation, as Gibson has allowed four earned runs in each of his past three outings. Gibson is coming off a 6-1 home defeat to the Indians in which Cleveland tagged him for 10 hits in six innings of work. The Twins’ right-hander has given up at least four earned runs in six of his last eight starts, including allowing five earned runs in 5.2 innings in a 15-4 loss to Boston on June 11. The Twins and Red Sox continue their four-game series at Fenway Park on Friday.
Biggest UNDER run: Mets (9-0 last nine)
New York is one of two teams that is riding a nine-game UNDER streak along with Baltimore, but we’ll focus on the Mets here. In its three-game series at Wrigley Field, the Mets scored a total of five runs, while plating two runs or fewer seven times during this nine-game UNDER stretch. Since late June, New York has posted an incredible 11-2 run to the UNDER away from Citi Field, but the Mets are 2-1 to the OVER in three games at Miami this season. New York travels to Miami to start a three-game series as Logan Verrett gets the start on Friday. Verrett has finished UNDER the total in each of his past three starts, while the Mets have scored (Surprise!) two runs or less in each of those outings.
Biggest OVER run: Indians (8-2-2 last 12)
The Indians head to Baltimore for a battle of division leaders as one of these total streaks has to end. Baltimore’s offense has struggled lately, resulting in a 9-0 mark to the UNDER the last nine games. Cleveland is coming off three consecutive OVERS at Kansas City, including putting up 18 runs in the final two victories. Trevor Bauer tries to bounce back against Baltimore after picking up a no-decision in a 6-4 defeat to the Orioles in late May as he heads to the hill. In Bauer’s seven road starts, the Indians are 4-1-2 to the UNDER, while Cleveland has cashed the OVER only once in his past seven starts overall.
Matchup to watch: Dodgers vs. Cardinals
St. Louis rallied from a 5-1 deficit to stun San Diego on Thursday, 6-5 to pull off a four-game sweep of the Padres. The Cardinals remain home to battle the Dodgers for a key three-game series between a pair of teams fighting for Wild Card positioning. Los Angeles handed Stephen Strasburg his first loss of the season on Thursday as the Dodgers beat the Nationals, 6-3 to take two of three from Washington.
The Dodgers grabbed two of three from the Cardinals at Chavez Ravine in mid-May as Brandon McCarthy makes his fourth start for Los Angeles. McCarthy has allowed three earned runs in three starts as the Dodgers own a 2-1 record in this stretch. Michael Wacha is winless in his past two trips to the mound for St. Louis following three consecutive victories as the Cardinals have scored at least seven runs in eight of nine team wins when he starts.
Betcha didn’t know: Julio Teheran has been dealt plenty of bad luck this season for Atlanta, in spite of compiling a 2.79 ERA. The Braves are 5-14 in his 19 starts this season, but Teheran helped lift Atlanta to a 1-0 victory over Colorado last Sunday. Atlanta is 10-3 to the UNDER the last 13 starts made by Teheran, including a 5-1 mark in his past six outings on the highway. The Braves and Rockies opened with an 11 total on Friday at Coors Field as the highest total Teheran has pitched to this season is 8 ½ against the Marlins on July 1 (which went OVER).
Biggest public favorite: Pirates (-230) vs. Phillies
Biggest public underdog: Rays (+110) at Athletics
Biggest line move: Yankees (+110 to -105) vs. Giants
July 21, 2016
Hottest team: Angels (8-2 last 10)
Los Angeles has started the second half in impressive fashion by sweeping each of its first two series at home against Chicago and Texas. The Angels’ offense blew up by plating at least seven runs in five of those six victories, while flying ‘over’ the total in all three wins over the Rangers. The Halos head to Houston on Friday to begin a three-game set with the Astros as Los Angeles has dropped eight of nine meetings this season. Matt Shoemaker takes the mound in the opener for L.A., as the right-hander is coming off a complete-game gem against the White Sox, striking out 13 batters in a 1-0 triumph last Saturday.
Coldest team: Giants (0-5 last five)
San Francisco finished the first half owning the best record in baseball, but the All-Star break disrupted the Giants’ momentum. Bruce Bochy’s team was swept in San Diego in its first series, followed by a pair of losses at Fenway Park against the Red Sox. San Francisco’s normally reliable pitching staff has allowed an average of 6.2 runs/game during this skid, while none of its starters have lasted past the sixth inning. Madison Bumgarner hopes to turn things around for the Giants, as he takes the ball in the opener against the Yankees in the Bronx. Bumgarner owns a 2.12 ERA this season, but San Francisco has compiled a 2-4 record in his past six starts
Hottest pitcher: Danny Duffy, Royals (5-1, 3.27 ERA)
Kansas City returns home after visiting the White House to celebrate its 2015 World Series championship. Duffy has been the only consistent pitcher for the Royals, as the southpaw is 3-0 in his last four trips to the mound, including recent wins over the Tigers and Cardinals. In his last four starts, Duffy has walked only two batters, while striking out 30 in 29.1 innings of work. Kansas City hosts Texas as the Royals try to rebound from a pair of losses to the Indians. Duffy faces a Rangers’ squad that has lost six of their past seven games, while Texas owns a dreadful 3-11 record in its previous 14 road contests.
Coldest pitcher: Kyle Gibson, Twins (2-6, 5.12 ERA)
It’s been a rough season for the Minnesota rotation, as Gibson has allowed four earned runs in each of his past three outings. Gibson is coming off a 6-1 home defeat to the Indians in which Cleveland tagged him for 10 hits in six innings of work. The Twins’ right-hander has given up at least four earned runs in six of his last eight starts, including allowing five earned runs in 5.2 innings in a 15-4 loss to Boston on June 11. The Twins and Red Sox continue their four-game series at Fenway Park on Friday.
Biggest UNDER run: Mets (9-0 last nine)
New York is one of two teams that is riding a nine-game UNDER streak along with Baltimore, but we’ll focus on the Mets here. In its three-game series at Wrigley Field, the Mets scored a total of five runs, while plating two runs or fewer seven times during this nine-game UNDER stretch. Since late June, New York has posted an incredible 11-2 run to the UNDER away from Citi Field, but the Mets are 2-1 to the OVER in three games at Miami this season. New York travels to Miami to start a three-game series as Logan Verrett gets the start on Friday. Verrett has finished UNDER the total in each of his past three starts, while the Mets have scored (Surprise!) two runs or less in each of those outings.
Biggest OVER run: Indians (8-2-2 last 12)
The Indians head to Baltimore for a battle of division leaders as one of these total streaks has to end. Baltimore’s offense has struggled lately, resulting in a 9-0 mark to the UNDER the last nine games. Cleveland is coming off three consecutive OVERS at Kansas City, including putting up 18 runs in the final two victories. Trevor Bauer tries to bounce back against Baltimore after picking up a no-decision in a 6-4 defeat to the Orioles in late May as he heads to the hill. In Bauer’s seven road starts, the Indians are 4-1-2 to the UNDER, while Cleveland has cashed the OVER only once in his past seven starts overall.
Matchup to watch: Dodgers vs. Cardinals
St. Louis rallied from a 5-1 deficit to stun San Diego on Thursday, 6-5 to pull off a four-game sweep of the Padres. The Cardinals remain home to battle the Dodgers for a key three-game series between a pair of teams fighting for Wild Card positioning. Los Angeles handed Stephen Strasburg his first loss of the season on Thursday as the Dodgers beat the Nationals, 6-3 to take two of three from Washington.
The Dodgers grabbed two of three from the Cardinals at Chavez Ravine in mid-May as Brandon McCarthy makes his fourth start for Los Angeles. McCarthy has allowed three earned runs in three starts as the Dodgers own a 2-1 record in this stretch. Michael Wacha is winless in his past two trips to the mound for St. Louis following three consecutive victories as the Cardinals have scored at least seven runs in eight of nine team wins when he starts.
Betcha didn’t know: Julio Teheran has been dealt plenty of bad luck this season for Atlanta, in spite of compiling a 2.79 ERA. The Braves are 5-14 in his 19 starts this season, but Teheran helped lift Atlanta to a 1-0 victory over Colorado last Sunday. Atlanta is 10-3 to the UNDER the last 13 starts made by Teheran, including a 5-1 mark in his past six outings on the highway. The Braves and Rockies opened with an 11 total on Friday at Coors Field as the highest total Teheran has pitched to this season is 8 ½ against the Marlins on July 1 (which went OVER).
Biggest public favorite: Pirates (-230) vs. Phillies
Biggest public underdog: Rays (+110) at Athletics
Biggest line move: Yankees (+110 to -105) vs. Giants
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