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Major League Baseball – Hot lines
MLB
Thursday, October 2
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Hot lines: Today’s MLB bets
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Milwaukee Brewers at Philadelphia Phillies (+125, 8)
As hard as it may seem to believe, CC Sabathia somehow is improving the more he pitches on three days' rest for the Milwaukee Brewers.
Sabathia will pitch on short rest for the fourth straight start on Thursday as he tries to help the Brewers even their NL division series against the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 2.
Incredibly, Sabathia has worked longer in each start. On Sept. 20, he lasted 5 2-3 innings and allowed four runs - one earned - in a 4-3 loss at Cincinnati before a seven-inning stint four days later in which he struck out 11 and gave up one run to earn a 4-2 win over Pittsburgh.
Sabathia has never pitched at Citizens Bank Park, and is 1-1 with a 4.97 ERA in two career starts against the Phillies. He is hoping to bounce back from his last taste of the postseason last year with the Indians, as he went 0-2 with a 10.45 ERA in two outings during the AL championship series against Boston - which Cleveland lost in seven games.
Philadelphia is 5-0 at home against Milwaukee this year, including a four-game sweep last month capped by Brett Myers' two-hitter in a 6-1 win on Sept. 14. Myers, who pitched 1 1-3 scoreless innings out of the bullpen last year in the playoffs, will make his first career postseason start on Thursday.
The right-hander didn't fare well after last month's outing against the Brewers, going 0-2 with a 15.12 ERA in his last two starts and failing to last through the fifth inning in either. Myers, though, is happy to be pitching at home, where he went 7-5 with a 3.01 ERA in 14 outings this year.
Myers is 2-1 with a 1.74 ERA in four career starts versus the Brewers.
Pick: Brewers
Los Angeles Dodgers at Chicago Cubs (-167, N/A)
Zambrano will try to help the Cubs snap a long postseason skid, and avoid an 0-2 hole as they meet the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 2 of their National League division series on Thursday at Wrigley Field.
The Cubs led the NL with 97 wins - 55 coming at home - during the regular season, but their quest to snap a 100-year World Series championship drought got off to a rocky start with a 7-2 loss to the Dodgers on Wednesday.
Los Angeles hit three homers en route to handing the Cubs their seventh straight postseason loss. James Loney's grand slam in the fifth inning off Ryan Dempster gave the Dodgers the lead for good, Manny Ramirez added to his major league record with his 25th career postseason homer in the sixth and Russell Martin had a solo shot in the ninth.
Chicago managed to outhit the Dodgers 9-8 but Soriano, batting from his customary leadoff spot, was 0-for-5 with two strikeouts. Fukudome went 0-for-4 with one strikeout.
"Well," Cubs manager Lou Piniella said, "it's Game 1 only. Let's hope we get better with it. We need to swing the bats, no question."
Now, Chicago turns to Zambrano (14-6, 3.91 ERA), who must avoid another loss to quiet any talk of a Cubs curse. The right-hander is 0-1 with a 4.37 ERA in four career playoff starts, but has gotten only nine runs of support to work with.
Chad Billingsley (16-10, 3.14), meanwhile, will make his first career playoff start for Los Angeles.Billingsley finished strong over the final five weeks this season, and led the Dodgers in wins in only his third year in the majors. Over his final five starts, the right-hander was 4-0 with a 3.30 ERA, but also allowed opponents to hit .303 over that stretch.
Pick: Dodgers
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MLB
Thursday, October 2
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Hot lines: Today’s MLB bets
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Milwaukee Brewers at Philadelphia Phillies (+125, 8)
As hard as it may seem to believe, CC Sabathia somehow is improving the more he pitches on three days' rest for the Milwaukee Brewers.
Sabathia will pitch on short rest for the fourth straight start on Thursday as he tries to help the Brewers even their NL division series against the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 2.
Incredibly, Sabathia has worked longer in each start. On Sept. 20, he lasted 5 2-3 innings and allowed four runs - one earned - in a 4-3 loss at Cincinnati before a seven-inning stint four days later in which he struck out 11 and gave up one run to earn a 4-2 win over Pittsburgh.
Sabathia has never pitched at Citizens Bank Park, and is 1-1 with a 4.97 ERA in two career starts against the Phillies. He is hoping to bounce back from his last taste of the postseason last year with the Indians, as he went 0-2 with a 10.45 ERA in two outings during the AL championship series against Boston - which Cleveland lost in seven games.
Philadelphia is 5-0 at home against Milwaukee this year, including a four-game sweep last month capped by Brett Myers' two-hitter in a 6-1 win on Sept. 14. Myers, who pitched 1 1-3 scoreless innings out of the bullpen last year in the playoffs, will make his first career postseason start on Thursday.
The right-hander didn't fare well after last month's outing against the Brewers, going 0-2 with a 15.12 ERA in his last two starts and failing to last through the fifth inning in either. Myers, though, is happy to be pitching at home, where he went 7-5 with a 3.01 ERA in 14 outings this year.
Myers is 2-1 with a 1.74 ERA in four career starts versus the Brewers.
Pick: Brewers
Los Angeles Dodgers at Chicago Cubs (-167, N/A)
Zambrano will try to help the Cubs snap a long postseason skid, and avoid an 0-2 hole as they meet the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 2 of their National League division series on Thursday at Wrigley Field.
The Cubs led the NL with 97 wins - 55 coming at home - during the regular season, but their quest to snap a 100-year World Series championship drought got off to a rocky start with a 7-2 loss to the Dodgers on Wednesday.
Los Angeles hit three homers en route to handing the Cubs their seventh straight postseason loss. James Loney's grand slam in the fifth inning off Ryan Dempster gave the Dodgers the lead for good, Manny Ramirez added to his major league record with his 25th career postseason homer in the sixth and Russell Martin had a solo shot in the ninth.
Chicago managed to outhit the Dodgers 9-8 but Soriano, batting from his customary leadoff spot, was 0-for-5 with two strikeouts. Fukudome went 0-for-4 with one strikeout.
"Well," Cubs manager Lou Piniella said, "it's Game 1 only. Let's hope we get better with it. We need to swing the bats, no question."
Now, Chicago turns to Zambrano (14-6, 3.91 ERA), who must avoid another loss to quiet any talk of a Cubs curse. The right-hander is 0-1 with a 4.37 ERA in four career playoff starts, but has gotten only nine runs of support to work with.
Chad Billingsley (16-10, 3.14), meanwhile, will make his first career playoff start for Los Angeles.Billingsley finished strong over the final five weeks this season, and led the Dodgers in wins in only his third year in the majors. Over his final five starts, the right-hander was 4-0 with a 3.30 ERA, but also allowed opponents to hit .303 over that stretch.
Pick: Dodgers
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