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**StarDust Bum** · 06-28-2010, 01:16 PM

Star-studded pitching lineup for Monday

Monday starts the first-day of post-Interleague action in Major League Baseball, as the American & National leagues wrapped up their head-to-head play for 2010 on Sunday. Be it coincidence or not, managers seem to have saved some of their top pitchers for their league/division counterparts, as many top hurlers, and several others that are hot of late, are scheduled to go on Monday night. Let’s take a look at those games and see if we can’t uncover some edges. Get all of the key betting info for every game on the GAME MATCHUPS page of *******.

(901) NY METS (DICKEY) at (902) FLORIDA (NOLASCO) 7:10 PM - ** Game played in San Juan, PR

Knuckleballer R.A. Dickey has been a major surprise for the Mets this season since joining the rotation on May 19th and comes into Monday’s game versus Florida with a 6-0 won-lost mark. His last three starts have been particularly strong, as he allowed just three earned runs in 21 innings in those contests. In the start prior to that, he yielded three runs to these same Marlins in 6-1/3 innings and got the win. Dickey’s WHIP on the season is a very-respectable 1.295 and he opened as a -110 favorite for Monday’s game, which incidentally, is being played in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Dickey will be opposed by Ricky Nolasco, who has won just two of his last seven starts, allowing 28 earned runs in 37 innings during that stretch.

(903) PHILADELPHIA (KENDRICK) at (904) CINCINNATI (CUETO) 7:10 PM

Johnny Cueto and the N.L. Central-leading Reds host the Phillies for three games starting on Monday night. Cincinnati has won nine of its L11 games with Cueto getting the ball, and he has allowed just one run in his last two starts covering 12-1/3 innings. He will be looking to erase the memories of the worst start of his pitching career, which came last July at Philadelphia, when he allowed nine runs in two-thirds of an inning to the Phillies.Kyle Kendrick gets the start for the Phillies, and has won three straight starts. However, with a 5.62 ERA in those outings, he has his offense to thank. Philadelphia has given him 24 runs of support during that span.

(905) WASHINGTON (STRASBURG) at (906) ATLANTA (HUDSON) 7:10 PM

The pitching matchup of the night pits rookie Stephen Strasburg of the Nationals versus Tim Hudson and the Braves. It will be Strasburg’s fifth start of his career, and the first one in which he is not a heavy favorite. In fact, it is the Braves that opened as -120 home favorites.Strasburg has been dominant in his first four starts, striking out 41 hitters in 25-1/3 innings. His ERA is a miniscule 1.78 with a WHIP of 0.947. Still, the Nats are just 2-2 in his four starts, losing the two most recent in interleague play.Hudson has been good all season and is rightfully the favorite in this matchup. He boasts a 7-3 mark with a WHIP of 1.168 and ERA of 2.54. Those numbers are even better at home (4-1, 1.010, 1.87), following a pattern he has enjoyed his entire career…HUDSON is 115-50 (+33.7 Units) against the money line in home games.

(911) ARIZONA (HAREN) at (912) ST LOUIS (CARPENTER) 8:15 PM

Aces collide in St. Louis on Monday night when Chris Carpenter and the Cardinals host Dan Haren and the Diamondbacks. Haren isn’t enjoying the success he has in recent years but his WHIP is still a respectable 1.311 and his record is 7-6, despite pitching for one of the National League’s worst teams. Arizona is 13-3 OVER the total in his 16 starts, a sign of how poorly the bullpen is supporting Haren in his outings.Carpenter has been as solid as ever this season, with a 9-1 record, 1.131 WHIP, and 2.63 ERA in 16 starts. He has struck out 95 hitters in just shy of 110 innings. In his last outing, he held the Jays scoreless in eight innings in Toronto. The Cardinals are a -180 favorite for this contest, setting up Carpenter for what has been an incredibly productive trend:
CARPENTER is 15-1 (+13.0 Units) against the money line as a favorite of -175 to -250 over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record) The average score was CARPENTER 4.8, OPPONENT 1.9 - (Rating = 0*)

(913) COLORADO (JIMENEZ) at (914) SAN DIEGO (CORREIA) 10:05 PM

The league’s best pitcher in 2010, Ubaldo Jimenez, takes the hill tonight for the Rockies in what is a big game for his team. Colorado trails the Padres by 6-games in the N.L. West and has a chance to bite into that when the teams start a 3-game set on Monday. Jimenez will be opposed by San Diego’s Kevin Correia and pitches as a -160 favorite.Jimenez has been nothing short of dominant this season but was hit hard in his last outing by the Red Sox, allowing a season-high six runs in 5-2/3 innings. His ERA for 2010 remains a paltry 1.60, and perhaps most importantly, the Rockies are 14-1 in his 15 starts, including 10-0 when his team is coming off a loss. Jimenez has won four straight decisions over the Padres dating back to August ’08, allowing eight runs in 27 innings.

(917) TORONTO (ROMERO) at (918) CLEVELAND (WESTBROOK) 7:05 PM

Ricky Romero of the Jays didn’t allow an earned run in either of his last two starts (14 innings) and will look to extend that streak on Monday night as a -150 favorite in Cleveland. For the season, Romero, a former top 10 first round draft pick, boasts a 2.85 ERA and 1.217 WHIP in 15 starts, going 6-3. He would seem to be a in a very good spot here against Jake Westbrook and Cleveland, but keep in mind, Romero’s road WHIP is a much-less flattering 1.593 in 2010.

(921) CHI WHITE SOX (BUEHRLE) at (922) KANSAS CITY (LEREW) 8:10 PM

Mark Buehrle of the White Sox took full advantage of the interleague schedule by going 3-0 over the last 2+ weeks. In wins over Atlanta, Pittsburgh and the Cubs, Buehrle allowed just four earned runs in 20 innings. He has done very well versus the Royals throughout his career, going 20-10 with a WHIP of 1.221. One trend you’ll want to consider for tonight focuses on Buehrle’s performance on totals:
BUEHRLE is 19-6 UNDER (+12.3 Units) in road games in night games over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record) The average score was BUEHRLE 3.3, OPPONENT 4.1 - (Rating = 1*)

**StarDust Bum** · 06-28-2010, 01:20 PM

Monday Tips

Baseball fans can take a sigh of relief as interleague has come and gone (until the World Series) as things return to normal on Monday night. The entire National League takes the diamond, while the American League showcases just three matchups. The Marlins and Mets will play the next two days in San Juan, Puerto Rico, the only neutral-site games all season in the Majors. We'll begin in Atlanta with a phenom ace facing his first true test.

Nationals at Braves - 7:10 PM EST

Washington makes its first trip to Turner Field this season as Stephen Strasburg takes on the top team in the NL East. The Braves throw out a worthy adversary in veteran Tim Hudson, who has been nothing short of dominant at home this season.

Strasburg (2-1, 1.78 ERA) has been robbed of victories in his last two outings, as the Nationals have plated just one run combined in interleague setbacks to the White Sox and Royals. The rookie allowed a season-high nine hits in six innings of a 1-0 loss to Kansas City, but managed to strike out nine. Strasburg has now struck out 41 and walked only five in four starts, as he steps up in class against a Braves' squad that ranks third in the NL in runs scored.

Hudson (7-3, 2.54 ERA) should be thrilled to return home, coming off losses in each of his last three road outings. The righty did shut down the Rays in his previous home start to improve to 4-1 at Turner Field with an ERA of 1.87. Hudson had terrific run support during the month of May, averaging 9.2 runs/game over five starts. Since June 11, the Braves have tallied just six runs in Hudson's last three trips to the mound. The Nationals beat Hudson earlier this season in D.C. with a 3-2 victory, as the right-hander scattered five hits and two runs in seven innings.

Washington captured two of three meetings back in May, but Atlanta is looking back to last season for revenge. The Nats swept the Braves at Turner Field to wrap up the 2009 campaign, including consecutive extra-inning wins for Washington.

Phillies at Reds - 7:10 PM EST

These two clubs meet for the first time this season with each team coming off consecutive series victories. Cincinnati's five-game winning streak was halted by Cleveland, despite the Reds downing the A's and Indians over the last week to keep pace with St. Louis in the NL Central. The Phillies grabbed two of three at home against the Blue Jays, even though those contests were technically Toronto home games with the G-20 summit kicking Cito Gaston's team out of the Rogers Centre.

The Phillies send out the inconsistent Kyle Kendrick (4-2, 4.71 ERA), who has posted back-to-back quality starts only once this season. Following an 0-3 start on the road, Philadelphia is 3-1 in Kendrick's last four road outings, including a 7-1 victory over the Yankees as a $2.00 underdog. Kendrick hasn't faced the Reds since 2008, but the Houston native beat Cincinnati twice.

The last time Johnny Cueto (7-2, 3.97 ERA) saw the Phillies, it was a nightmare for the Reds' righty. Philadelphia tagged Cueto for nine earned runs in just 0.2 innings in a 22-1 thrashing of Cincinnati last July. Cueto has alternated wins and losses in each of his last five starts, coming off a win at Oakland in which he tossed seven scoreless innings. The 'over' has cashed in 11 of Cueto's 15 starts, including six of seven at home.

The Phillies have owned this series recently, taking five of seven meetings last season and nine of the last 12. The Reds are just 6-8 the previous 14 games at Great American Ballpark, while winning just one of their last four home series.

Tigers at Twins - 8:10 PM EST

The AL Central has turned into a three-horse race with Minnesota, Detroit, and Chicago all separated by two games. The Twins return home from a dreadful road trip that saw the defending division champs dropping five of the final six games to the Brewers and Mets. The Tigers weren't much better with a 2-4 road trip, but Detroit managed a Sunday victory over Atlanta.

Francisco Liriano (6-5, 3.11 ERA) has allowed six earned runs his last two starts as the Twins fell to the Rockies and Brewers. The southpaw has faced off against Hudson, Ubaldo Jimenez, and Andy Pettitte in his previous three home outings, with the Twins winning only one time. Thanks to poor run support, Minnesota has cashed the 'under' in Liriano's last four starts.

The Tigers are 1-5 in their previous six road series opener, as Jeremy Bonderman (3-5, 4.20 ERA) takes the mound. Bonderman has lost his last three away starts, including a 5-0 setback to the Mets in which the righty allowed four earned runs in six innings. The 27-year old has yet to win a game under the lights at 0-4, while going 'under' the total in eight of 12 starts.

The home team is 5-1 in this season's series, including Minnesota three-game sweep of Detroit at Target Field in early May. The Tigers are just 4-12 in series openers off a victory, while the Twins are 10-4 in series openers coming off a defeat.

Diamondbacks at Cardinals - 8:15 PM EST

St. Louis heads back home after losing two of three at Kansas City, as Arizona invades Busch Stadium. Each team sends out their ace as Chris Carpenter and Dan Haren take the mound. The D-Backs are coming off a solid weekend with a pair of victories over the Rays, including Friday's no-hitter by Edwin Jackson.

Carpenter (9-1, 2.63 ERA) shut down the Jays in his last outing, scattering three hits in eight scoreless innings of a 1-0 victory. The former Cy Young Award winner has lost only once in eight home starts this season, while winning each of his previous four outings at Busch. Carpenter delivered a pair of quality starts against Arizona this season, as the Cards split both games in Phoenix.

Haren (7-6, 4.65 ERA) hasn't had it easy recently, facing the Yankees, Red Sox, Cardinals, Braves, and Dodgers in his last five starts (2-3). The Arizona ace's success has mainly come at Chase Field, as the D-Backs are 2-6 in his eight road starts this season. The 'over' has profited considerably in Haren's starts, hitting in 13 of his 16 outings.

The two clubs have split six meetings in Phoenix this season, with Arizona taking the last two matchups in mid-June. The Cardinals are 11-2 in Game 1's of a series off a loss, fresh off a 10-4 defeat at Kansas City.

**StarDust Bum** · 06-28-2010, 01:20 PM

Diamond Trends - Monday

Nationals at Braves – The Nationals are 0-8 since July 19, 2009 within 20 cents of pickem after a one run loss for a net profit of $810 when playing against. The Braves are 8-0 since May 08, 2010 when they are off a loss in which they never led for a net profit of $841. The Braves are 7-0 since September 15, 2009 as a home favorite when they scored two or fewer runs for their starter in his last start for a net profit of $700.

Astros at Brewers – The Astros are 0-9 since April 10, 2009 on the road when they are off a loss in which they never led and it is the first game of a series for a net profit of $920 when playing against. The Astros are 4-0 since August 12, 2009 when Bud Norris starts as a 140+ dog when he is off a start in which he needed more than 4 pitches per batter for a net profit of $795.

Diamondbacks at Cardinals – The Diamondbacks are 0-10 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 $1010 when playing against. The Diamondbacks are 0-10 since May 27, 2009 as a 140+ dog when they are off a win in which they never trailed for a net profit of $1000 when playing against. The Cardinals are 11-0 since July 17, 2009 as a 140+ favorite after a loss in which they had 6 or fewer hits for a net profit of $1100.

Pirates at Cubs – The League is 0-11 since April 12, 2010 as a 170+ dog when they are off a loss in which they had at least three times as many hits as runs and it is the first game of a series for a net profit of $1100 when playing against. The Pirates are 0-9 since July 11, 2009 on the road after a one run loss for a net profit of $900 when playing against. The Cubs are 0-5 since September 16, 2009 at home when they lost the last time they faced this starting pitcher for a net profit of $850 when playing against.

Dodgers at Giants – The Dodgers are 0-5 since June 19, 2009 when Chad Billingsley starts in June for a net profit of $645 when playing against. The Giants are 9-0 since May 25, 2009 at home after a loss in which they drew 1 or fewer walks and it is the first game of a series for a net profit of $965.

Blue Jays at Indians – The Blue Jays are 7-0 since September 15, 2009 as a favorite when they won the last time they faced this starting pitcher for a net profit of $700. The Blue Jays are 6-0 since June 16, 2009 on the road when they are off a loss in which they never led and it is the first game of a series for a net profit of $850.

Mets at Marlins – The Mets are 6-0 since May 25, 2010 when R.A. Dickey starts within 20 cents of pickem for a net profit of $645. The Marlins are 0-5 since August 29, 2009 when Ricky Nolasco starts after the team lost their last two games for a net profit of $755 when playing against.

Rockies at Padres – The Rockies are 11-0 since May 06, 2009 when Ubaldo Jimenez starts as a 140+ favorite vs a team that has averaged 7+ strikeouts per game for a net profit of $1100. The Rockies are 6-0 since August 12, 2009 when Ubaldo Jimenez starts as a favorite after throwing more than 100 pitches at home for a net profit of $600. The Padres are 0-7 since May 01, 2010 at home after a win in which they drew 5+ walks for a net profit of $745 when playing against.

Phillies at Reds – The Phillies are 7-0 since June 01, 2009 within 20 cents of pickem when they are off a win in which they never trailed and it is the first game of a series for a net profit of $735. The Phillies are 6-0 since May 05, 2010 when Kyle Kendrick starts vs a team that has averaged 7+ strikeouts per game for a net profit of $620. The Reds are 8-0 since September 12, 2009 when Johnny Cueto starts after a quality start for a net profit of $910.

White Sox at Royals – The White Sox are 7-0 since April 29, 2010 on the road after allowing 6+ runs loss for a net profit of $875. The White Sox are 6-0 since June 27, 2009 when Mark Buehrle starts as a favorite after a quality start and they won in his previous start for a net profit of $600. The Royals are 9-0 since April 13, 2009 at home when they are off a win in which they came back from a deficit and it is the first game of a series for a net profit of $1000.

Tigers at Twins – The Tigers are 0-13 since April 17, 2009 as a road dog after a win and it is the first game of the series for a net profit of $1300 when playing against. The Twins are 12-0 since September 13, 2009 as a favorite when they blew a lead in their starter's last start and lost for a net profit of $1200.

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