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**StarDust Bum** · 06-22-2010, 06:26 PM

Several Intriguing Matchups on Tuesday MLB Slate

Eleven new MLB Interleague series’ begin on Tuesday and several of them boast plenty of standings and betting intrigue. In fact, five of the matchups pit teams with winning records against one another. Even the one National League head-to-head matchup finds pitching aces squaring off. It figures to be a great night on the diamond, one which you’ll probably want to be tuned in to MLB Network for. Let’s take a quick look at some of what will be taking place tonight. Get more on each of the 15 games on the GAME MATCHUPS page.

San Francisco (38-30) at Houston (26-44), 8:05 p.m. EDT

Two-time reigning NL Cy Young winner Tim Lincecum looks to beat Roy Oswalt and dominate the reeling Astros for the third time this year, and the San Francisco Giants can improve to 7-0 against Houston this year as they open a three-game set Tuesday night.

Lincecum, who is 4-0 with a 1.33 ERA in seven career starts against the Astros, will be opposed by Astros’ ace Roy Oswalt, who owns a 3.12 ERA this season and deserves better than his 5-8 record. His WHIP is a miniscule 1.083.

The Astros have totaled 12 runs versus San Francisco in the first six meetings this year. Those numbers aren't a huge surprise as Houston ranks 28th in the majors with 3.37 runs per game while the Giants are third with a 3.33 ERA.

A key trend to note, the Giants have done very well against the league’s best pitchers of late:

SAN FRANCISCO is 14-6 (+11.8 Units) against the money line vs. an NL starting pitcher whose WHIP is 1.150 or better over the last 2 seasons. The average score was SAN FRANCISCO 4.1, OPPONENT 3.2 - (Rating = 1*)

San Francisco is a -140 road favorite with a total of 6.5 OV -115 at Sportsbook.com.

St. Louis (38-31) at Toronto (38-32), 7:07 p.m. EDT

As a sign of just how tough things are in the A.L. East Division, St. Louis and Toronto are separated by just a half-game in won-lost records but the Cardinals lead the N.L. Central by a game while the Jays trail the Yankees by five.

St. Louis starts Jaime Garcia, an impressive young left-hander, who boasts a 6-3 record and 1.59 ERA to date as the teams open a three-game series in Toronto on Tuesday night.

Garcia has only allowed two home runs in 79 1-3 innings this season, but Toronto could prove to be tougher to contain. The Blue Jays have connected in 17 of their last 18 home games and lead the majors with 106 homers overall. That leads to a very interesting ******* Power Trend:

TORONTO is 14-7 (+9.1 Units) against the money line vs. a starting pitcher whose gives up 0.5 or less HR's/start this season. The average score was TORONTO 4.5, OPPONENT 3.6 - (Rating = 1*)

Brett Cecil (7-3, 3.58) takes the mound for Toronto, and both starters are taking on their opponent tonight for the first time.

Toronto, who hasn't faced St. Louis since winning two of three games at home in June 2005, is 13-5 at home since May 1.

Oddsmakers are seeing this game as a tossup, as you’ll have to lay -105 with either team.

Detroit (38-30) at New York Mets (39-30), 7:10 p.m. EDT

Two teams nipping at the heels of the leaders in their respective divisions get together in New York on Tuesday when the Mets host the Tigers.

Detroit, who trails Minnesota by 1-1/2 games in the A.L. Central, sends ace Justin Verlander to the hill. Verlander (8-4, 3.54 ERA) has posted a 2.86 ERA while winning each of his three June starts after compiling a 5.02 ERA in losing his last two May outings.

Life on the road has been a problem for Detroit. The team has dropped eight of 11 as the visitor, with the starting rotation posting a 6.08 ERA. Detroit now begins a nine-game trip, which includes three-game series at New York (39-30), NL-best Atlanta and Minnesota.

The Mets have won 10 of 11 at Citi Field and are second in the NL with a 24-10 home record, while the Braves lead the majors at 24-7.

Jonothan Niese (4-2, 3.64) gets the ball for the hosts and he has won three consecutive starts with a 1.57 ERA. He has been especially tough at Citi Field, 2-0 with a 2.30 ERA over his last five home starts - all Mets victories.

The Mets, who trail the Braves by 2 1/2 games, own the N.L.’s best interleague record at 9-3.

Verlander and the Tigers are -130 favorites with a total of 7.5 OV -115.

San Diego (40-29) at Tampa Bay (42-27), 7:10 p.m. EDT

Perhaps the best matchup of all this week has the Padres visiting the Rays, as out of the top spot in the AL East for the first time in two months, Tampa Bay looks to bounce back from its first losing road trip of the season.

Doing so Tuesday night could be tough against Mat Latos and the NL West-leading Padres, who come to Tropicana Field for a three-game set.

The Rays (42-27) have lost seven of 10 after a 2-4 trip, dropping them into second place. Tampa had been in first since April 22.

The Rays will have their hands full, facing Mat Latos (7-4, 3.19 ERA), who has gone 6-1 with a 2.05 ERA in his last eight starts. Tampa bay will give the ball to rookie Wade Davis (5-7, 4.94). The right-hander has gone 0-3 with an 8.22 ERA in his last three starts despite striking out 15 and walking one.

Tampa Bay's struggles are due in part to lack of offense. Aside from a 14-9 defeat to the Marlins on June 11, the Rays scored 11 runs in the other six losses during their current 3-7 stretch. That leads to a pretty nice FoxSheets System for Tuesday’s tilt:

Play On - Home teams when the money line is +125 to -125 (TAMPA BAY) - cold hitting team - batting .225 or worse over their last 5 games against opponent starting a pitcher who gave up <=2 earned runs in his last 2 outings. (108-64 over the last 5 seasons.) (62.8%, +46.4 units. Rating = 3*)

If you want the Rays, you’ll need to be willing to lay -125 against one of the league’s hottest pitchers.

Boston (43-28) at Colorado (36-33), 8:40 p.m. EDT

The last time the Boston Red Sox and Jon Lester were in Denver, they were celebrating a championship. The way they're playing right now, another one in 2010 seems like a real possibility. The Red Sox put their season-best six-game winning streak on the line as -150 favorites vs. the Rockies as the teams open up a 3-game set.

Boston (43-28) is ½ game from the AL East lead after going 24-8 overall since May 18, tied with Atlanta for the best record in the majors in that stretch. Jon Lester (8-2, 3.13 ERA) is a big reason for Boston's surge, going 8-0 with a 2.01 ERA in his last 11 starts. He goes on Tuesday versus Colorado rookie Jhoulys Chacin (3-6, 4.00).

The Rockies (36-33) have won six of nine, and come into this series as winners of 30 of their last 37 interleague home games, including a three-game sweep of Toronto from June 11-13.

Something clearly has to give in this series with such powerful streaks on the line. For tonight’s game, perhaps this angles winds up being the difference:

COLORADO is 10-1 (+10.2 Units) against the money line vs. an AL starting pitcher whose ERA is 3.20 or better over the last 3 seasons. The average score was COLORADO 5.2, OPPONENT 2.7 - (Rating = 1*)

Los Angeles Dodgers (38-31) at Los Angeles Angels (39-33), 10:05 p.m. EDT

Earlier this month, the Los Angeles Angels capped their longest trip of the season with their first road sweep of the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Angels are looking to duplicate those results, this time at Angel Stadium, as they open a season-high 12-game homestand Tuesday night.

The Angels, winners of 17 of 23 in the Freeway Series, will send the struggling Ervin Santana (6-5, 3.91 ERA) to the mound Tuesday. After winning five straight starts, the right-hander has gone 0-2 with a 9.00 ERA in his last two outings.

Trying to avoid matching a season-high five-game slide, the Dodgers (38-31) will counter Santana with the red-hot Clayton Kershaw (7-3, 2.96), who has gone 6-1 with a 1.82 ERA in his last eight starts.

The Dodgers are 2-7 in their last nine games and have fallen 2-games back of San Diego in the N.L. West. They have also dropped seven straight versus the AL, part of this rare poor angle involving Joe Torre:

TORRE is 16-26 (-13.3 Units) against the money line in an inter-league game as the manager of LA DODGERS. The average score was LA DODGERS 3.6, OPPONENT 4.5 - (Rating = 1*)

Still, with the pitching mismatch being given more than its fair share of credit, it is the Dodgers that are the favorite on the road, -125 according to Sportsbook.com.

**StarDust Bum** · 06-22-2010, 06:32 PM

Tuesday Tips

Interleague play is coming down the stretch this week with two more rounds of action before returning to normalcy next Monday. Several of the big matchups to keep an eye on aren't exactly ones that fans thought would matter at this point of the season. We'll start in Tampa Bay with a battle of two clubs that that let pitching do most of the talking.

Padres at Rays - 7:05 PM EST

San Diego continues to be one of the top stories in baseball as the Padres sit atop the NL West at 40-29. Bud Black's team heads cross-country for a week in the Sunshine State, starting with the struggling Rays at Tropicana Field. Tampa Bay has dropped four of five, while falling out of first place in the AL East.

The last time Mat Latos (7-4, 3.19 ERA) pitched in his home state of Florida, the Padres' righty allowed seven earned runs in 2.2 innings of a 10-1 loss to the Marlins on April 26. Since that horrendous outing, Latos has given up 14 earned runs in his last nine starts, as San Diego is 6-3 in that span. Five of Latos' seven road starts have finished 'under' the total, while the second-year hurler beat the Mariners and Blue Jays in interleague play over the last month.

Wade Davis (5-7, 4.94 ERA) has struggled recently for Tampa Bay, as the Rays are 1-4 in his last five trips to the mound. Davis lasted just five innings in his last start at Atlanta, yielding seven hits and three runs in a 6-2 defeat. The right-hander hasn't seen much success at the Trop of late, losing three of his previous four home outings. The gopher ball has been a problem for Davis, allowing nine homers in his last seven starts.

The Padres own a 7-5 mark in interleague action, but have played only three games against AL opponents on the road by taking two of three at Seattle. The Rays are 9-3 the last 12 interleague home contests dating back to last season.

Cardinals at Blue Jays - 7:05 PM EST

Both these clubs are coming off home series victories over the weekend, as the Cards make their first visit north of the border since 2005. St. Louis remains at the top of the NL Central race ahead of slumping Cincinnati, while the Jays are 5 ½ games out of first place in the loaded AL East.

Two solid left-handers take the mound at Rogers Centre as Jaime Garcia and Brett Cecil each try to bounce back from losses in their last start. The Cardinals are 2-4 in Garcia's (6-3, 1.59 ERA) last six starts, with the rookie allowing two earned runs or less in each outing. Garcia is the most prominent 'under' starting pitcher in baseball with 12 of his 13 starts finishing 'under' the total. In Garcia's seven road outings this season, six times the opponent has scored three runs or less, as all seven starts on the highway resulted in an 'under.'

Cecil (7-3, 3.58 ERA) had a five-game winning streak snapped in his last trip to the hill by falling at San Diego, 8-2. The lefty allowed six runs during his five consecutive victories, but gave up five runs to the Padres in six innings of work. Each of Cecil's last two starts at home has been strong outings, going eight innings each in wins over the Yankees and Orioles.

St. Louis has not played a road interleague series this season, as the Cards won four of six on the highway last season against AL foes. Following a 1-5 start in interleague for the Jays, Toronto has captured four of the last six against the National League, including series wins over San Diego and San Francisco.

Tigers at Mets - 7:10 PM EST

A pair of second-place teams hook up at Citi Field as Detroit and New York have rolled in interleague play. Over the last nine games, the Tigers are 8-1 and the Mets are 7-2, while each club tries to cut the deficit in their respective divisions.

Detroit sends out its ace for the series opener as Justin Verlander (8-4, 3.54 ERA) goes for his fourth consecutive victory. Verlander is coming off comfortable wins over the Pirates and Nationals at home, as the Tigers are 12-3 in his last 15 regular season starts against the NL. The powerful right-hander has thrown at least 110 pitches in 11 of his last 12 outings, while facing the Mets for the first time in his career.

Since coming off the DL at the start of June, Jonathon Niese (4-2, 3.64 ERA) has won three in a row. The Mets' southpaw has allowed four earned runs in this span, including home victories over the Marlins and Padres. Niese tossed a one-hitter against San Diego two starts ago for his first career complete game. The Mets are 5-1 in Niese's six home starts, while five of those games have finished 'under' the total.

New York owns a NL-best 9-3 interleague ledger this season, coming off a 5-10 mark in 2009. The Tigers are 5-1 to the 'over' the last six games, while going 5-6 as a road favorite this season.

Braves at White Sox - 8:10 PM EST

Two red-hot clubs meet on the South Side of Chicago for the first time since 2004 as both teams look to extend winning streaks. The Braves have won five straight, while the Sox are riding a six-game hot streak. Both squads are coming off different kinds of sweeps over the weekend with Atlanta winning three high-scoring games and Chicago squeaking out three low-scoring victories at Washington.

Tommy Hanson (7-3, 3.38 ERA) has continued to impress atop the Braves' rotation, as Atlanta have won his last six starts. Hanson shut down the Rays his last time out, going seven scoreless innings and scattering three hits in a 6-2 triumph. Atlanta is 5-1 in Hanson's six starts as a road favorite, but only two of those outings have come against teams that are currently above .500.

The White Sox counter with John Danks (6-5, 3.18 ERA), who is coming off consecutive solid efforts after he suffered back-to-back losses to the Indians and Rays. Danks allowed five hits and two earned runs in wins over the Tigers and Pirates, but coming off a road win at Pittsburgh isn't a good thing for the Chicago southpaw. The Sox are 1-9 dating back to last season when Danks is off an away victory in his previous outing.

**StarDust Bum** · 06-22-2010, 06:33 PM

Diamond Trends - Tuesday

Dodgers at Angels - The Dodgers are 7-0 since April 18, 2010 when Clayton Kershaw starts after his team won the last time he started vs this opponent for a net profit of $710.

Giants at Astros - The Giants are 8-0 since July 29, 2009 as a 140+ favorite when they won the last time they faced this starting pitcher for a net profit of $800. The Giants are 0-6 since April 12, 2009 when Tim Lincecum starts after he had a WHIP of at least 2 his last start for a net profit of $845 when playing against. The Astros are 0-9 since April 10, 2009 as a dog after a loss in which they allowed 12+ hits and it is the first game of a series for a net profit of $900 when playing against.

Reds at Athletics - The Reds are 8-0 since July 10, 2009 on the road within 20 cents of pickem after scoring 6+ runs for a net profit of $820. The Athletics are 0-7 since June 10, 2009 when Dallas Braden starts in June for a net profit of $765 when playing against.

Cardinals at Blue Jays - The Cardinals are 8-0 since July 23, 2009 after a loss in which they had fewer than five team-left-on-base for a net profit of $815. The Blue Jays are 7-0 since September 04, 2009 as a favorite when they scored two or fewer runs for their starter in his last start for a net profit of $700.

Twins at Brewers - The Twins are 7-0 since July 17, 2009 within 20 cents of pickem after a win and it is the first game of the series for a net profit of $730. The Brewers are 0-14 since May 20, 2009 within 20 cents of pickem when they are off a win in which they scored in at most two separate innings for a net profit of $1420 when playing against.

Yankees at Diamondbacks - The Yankees are 6-0 since June 19, 2009 when Andy Pettitte starts as a road favorite after throwing more than 100 pitches for a net profit of $600. The Diamondbacks are 0-8 since October 03, 2009 after a win in which they had fewer team-left-on-base than their opponent as a dog for a net profit of $810 when playing against. The Diamondbacks are 7-0 since August 14, 2009 when Dan Haren starts at home after his team lost the last time he started for a net profit of $700.

Cubs at Mariners - The Cubs are 0-10 since April 24, 2009 when Ryan Dempster starts after winning as a home favorite in his last start for a net profit of $1225 when playing against. The Cubs are 0-7 since April 10, 2009 on the road after a 5+ run win and it is the first game of a series for a net profit of $785 when playing against. The Mariners are 8-0 since August 25, 2009 as a favorite after scoring 3 runs or less and winning for a net profit of $800.

Tigers at Mets - The Tigers are 8-0 since July 10, 2009 as a favorite after a win in which their opponent left fewer than 10 men on base for a net profit of $800. The Tigers are 6-0 since July 29, 2009 when Justin Verlander starts on the road within 20 cents of pickem for a net profit of $625. The Mets are 6-0 since August 05, 2009 when Jonathon Niese starts at home vs a team that has hit more grounders than fly balls season-to-date for a net profit of $665.

Royals at Nationals - The Royals are 0-10 since May 10, 2009 on the road after a loss in which they allowed 6 or fewer hits for a net profit of $1015 when playing against.

Marlins at Orioles - The Marlins are 6-0 since September 22, 2009 when Anibal Sanchez starts vs a team that lost their starters last two starts for a net profit of $745. The Orioles are 0-8 since April 17, 2010 after a loss in which they had fewer than five team-left-on-base as a dog for a net profit of $800 when playing against. The Orioles are 0-6 since May 08, 2009 when Jeremy Guthrie starts as a home dog after losing as an away dog in his last start for a net profit of $600 when playing against.

Indians at Phillies - The Indians are 0-9 since July 07, 2009 as a 140+ dog vs a team that has lost at least their last two games for a net profit of $900 when playing against. The Phillies are 0-7 since September 26, 2009 after a loss in which they allowed 1 or fewer walks for a net profit of $880 when playing against. The Phillies are 0-5 since August 04, 2009 when Jamie Moyer starts after the team lost their last two games for a net profit of $590 when playing against.

Pirates at Rangers - The Rangers are 7-0 since April 28, 2009 as a home favorite after a win in which their opponent left fewer than 10 men on base for a net profit of $700. The Rangers are 6-0 since July 27, 2009 when Tommy Hunter starts as a favorite after his team won the last time he started for a net profit of $600.

Padres at Rays - The Padres are 4-0 since May 07, 2010 when Mat Latos starts on the road vs a team that lost their starters last two starts for a net profit of $520.

Red Sox at Rockies - The Red Sox are 0-6 since September 04, 2009 as a road favorite after a win and it is the first game of the series for a net profit of $740 when playing against. The Rockies are 0-8 since April 18, 2009 as a dog after a loss in which they were shut out in the last 6 innings for a net profit of $800 when playing against.

Braves at White Sox - The Braves are 8-0 since June 07, 2009 when Tommy Hanson starts in June for a net profit of $805. The White Sox are 0-8 since September 11, 2009 as a dog when they are off a win in which they came back from a deficit for a net profit of $800 when playing against.

**Kaptain** · 06-22-2010, 07:05 PM

gl today Bum....Hope you bring a C NOTE in....

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