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Baseball – Betting Notes
MLB
Sunday, September 9
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MLB Betting Notes
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sunday’s MLB betting notes
Though you waited months for football to return, you’re now up to your neck in a dizzying number of college and pro games. But what about baseball, the sport that kept you entertained all summer?
Well, for those who are focusing on football, but still want to stay in touch with baseball, a look at what’s happening in the majors as October gets closer appears below.
Cinderella story has sinister side
The story of Rick Ankiel’s career is the stuff that Walt Disney would love. Ankiel started as a top-prospect pitcher, but completely lost his control and had to quit. He then reinvented himself as a successful hitter for the St. Louis Cardinals.
But, just as we were all getting swept away in the feel-good story of the year, a bombshell was dropped. One day after collecting a career-high seven RBIs against the Pirates, reports surfaced that Ankiel received shipments of human growth hormone – banned by MLB in 2004 – from a Florida pharmacy.
He will now be subject to a league investigation that will no doubt take too long and prove nothing. But, what is happening to the St. Louis Cardinals?
Ankiel’s arrival seemed to give the defending World Series champions a huge lift when they needed it most. And it’s not just the fact that he is batting .358 (29-for-81) since returning to the majors on August 9. His story seems to have inspired the Cards to go from 5 ½ games behind in the NL Central to within one game of the Chicago Cubs.
With a huge cloud hanging over the Cardinals’ clubhouse, and with series against the Cubs, Milwaukee and Houston ahead of them, the playoffs are starting to look a bit more out of reach. Any dip in Ankiel’s form – which is likely considering the scrutiny he will be under – might be too much for St. Louis to overcome.
Red Sox home and dry?
Even the most pessimistic Boston fan must now feel confident about the Red Sox winning the AL East. The all-important magic number has shrunk to 15 games and, despite their best efforts, the Yankees are still 6 ½ games behind.
With series against Baltimore, Tampa Bay and Minnesota remaining – as well a homestand against the Yankees, the Red Sox are looking good to take their first division title since 1995.
The Red Sox are arguably baseball’s most complete team. They are second in the majors in pitching (3.79 ERA), fifth in batting (.279 BA) and their bullpen has a league-leading 3.05 ERA. They have also held the best record in baseball since April.
And the Red Sox continue to add talent, acquiring reliever Eric Gagne before the trade deadline. They brought Clay Buchholz (of no-hitter fame) up from the minors and they also have Jon Lester returning from illness.
With the Yankees looking good to take the wild card, the ALCS could be another Red Sox/Yankees classic.
A-Rod for AL MVP
If the New York Yankees do manage to hold on to their three-game Wild Card lead, one man will get most of the credit. Alex Rodriguez is batting .315 with 49 homers and 135 RBIs. With those numbers, most experts agree he is a lock for the AL MVP.
His importance and commitment to the Yankees can be summarized by examining last Tuesday’s game against Oakland. A-Rod had an injury scare, causing him a trip to the hospital. However, he returned in time for the game, played through the pain, and smacked two homers in the seventh inning.
"I can't relate to that," Derek Jeter told the press after that game. "It's unbelievable the way he's playing. It's not that easy, and it's really not easy to hit home runs.”
Rodriguez is now in line to become only the fourth Yankees player to register 50 homers in a single season.
D-Backs add depth
The Arizona Diamondbacks are in good shape in the NL West race as they attempt to claim their first division title in five years. They added a bit more depth to their bullpen by signing 38-year-old Bob Wickman, who was recently released by the Atlanta Braves.
The right-hander was 3-3 with a 3.92 ERA in 49 appearances this season and had 20 saves in 26 outings. He likely will see quite a bit of work over the next few weeks because he is not eligible to play in the postseason.
“We felt that Wickman could come in and help us and be the type of guy who could potentially pitch in relatively tight spots and help us finish these last 21 games," General Manager Josh Byrnes told MLB.com. "He's not eligible for the postseason roster, but obviously we feel like he improves our chances to get there."
Though Arizona’s starters rank sixth in the NL with a 4.21 ERA, the bullpen ranks 16th with a 4.01 ERA despite a 26-15 record.
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MLB
Sunday, September 9
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MLB Betting Notes
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sunday’s MLB betting notes
Though you waited months for football to return, you’re now up to your neck in a dizzying number of college and pro games. But what about baseball, the sport that kept you entertained all summer?
Well, for those who are focusing on football, but still want to stay in touch with baseball, a look at what’s happening in the majors as October gets closer appears below.
Cinderella story has sinister side
The story of Rick Ankiel’s career is the stuff that Walt Disney would love. Ankiel started as a top-prospect pitcher, but completely lost his control and had to quit. He then reinvented himself as a successful hitter for the St. Louis Cardinals.
But, just as we were all getting swept away in the feel-good story of the year, a bombshell was dropped. One day after collecting a career-high seven RBIs against the Pirates, reports surfaced that Ankiel received shipments of human growth hormone – banned by MLB in 2004 – from a Florida pharmacy.
He will now be subject to a league investigation that will no doubt take too long and prove nothing. But, what is happening to the St. Louis Cardinals?
Ankiel’s arrival seemed to give the defending World Series champions a huge lift when they needed it most. And it’s not just the fact that he is batting .358 (29-for-81) since returning to the majors on August 9. His story seems to have inspired the Cards to go from 5 ½ games behind in the NL Central to within one game of the Chicago Cubs.
With a huge cloud hanging over the Cardinals’ clubhouse, and with series against the Cubs, Milwaukee and Houston ahead of them, the playoffs are starting to look a bit more out of reach. Any dip in Ankiel’s form – which is likely considering the scrutiny he will be under – might be too much for St. Louis to overcome.
Red Sox home and dry?
Even the most pessimistic Boston fan must now feel confident about the Red Sox winning the AL East. The all-important magic number has shrunk to 15 games and, despite their best efforts, the Yankees are still 6 ½ games behind.
With series against Baltimore, Tampa Bay and Minnesota remaining – as well a homestand against the Yankees, the Red Sox are looking good to take their first division title since 1995.
The Red Sox are arguably baseball’s most complete team. They are second in the majors in pitching (3.79 ERA), fifth in batting (.279 BA) and their bullpen has a league-leading 3.05 ERA. They have also held the best record in baseball since April.
And the Red Sox continue to add talent, acquiring reliever Eric Gagne before the trade deadline. They brought Clay Buchholz (of no-hitter fame) up from the minors and they also have Jon Lester returning from illness.
With the Yankees looking good to take the wild card, the ALCS could be another Red Sox/Yankees classic.
A-Rod for AL MVP
If the New York Yankees do manage to hold on to their three-game Wild Card lead, one man will get most of the credit. Alex Rodriguez is batting .315 with 49 homers and 135 RBIs. With those numbers, most experts agree he is a lock for the AL MVP.
His importance and commitment to the Yankees can be summarized by examining last Tuesday’s game against Oakland. A-Rod had an injury scare, causing him a trip to the hospital. However, he returned in time for the game, played through the pain, and smacked two homers in the seventh inning.
"I can't relate to that," Derek Jeter told the press after that game. "It's unbelievable the way he's playing. It's not that easy, and it's really not easy to hit home runs.”
Rodriguez is now in line to become only the fourth Yankees player to register 50 homers in a single season.
D-Backs add depth
The Arizona Diamondbacks are in good shape in the NL West race as they attempt to claim their first division title in five years. They added a bit more depth to their bullpen by signing 38-year-old Bob Wickman, who was recently released by the Atlanta Braves.
The right-hander was 3-3 with a 3.92 ERA in 49 appearances this season and had 20 saves in 26 outings. He likely will see quite a bit of work over the next few weeks because he is not eligible to play in the postseason.
“We felt that Wickman could come in and help us and be the type of guy who could potentially pitch in relatively tight spots and help us finish these last 21 games," General Manager Josh Byrnes told MLB.com. "He's not eligible for the postseason roster, but obviously we feel like he improves our chances to get there."
Though Arizona’s starters rank sixth in the NL with a 4.21 ERA, the bullpen ranks 16th with a 4.01 ERA despite a 26-15 record.
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