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**StarDust Bum** · 05-27-2011, 02:43 PM

D-backs try to stay hot during trip to Houston

ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS (26-24)

at HOUSTON ASTROS (19-31)

First pitch: Friday, 8:05 p.m. EDT
Line: Arizona -120, Houston +110, Total: 7.5

The sizzling hot Diamondbacks look to continue their winning ways when they travel to Houston Friday to begin a three-game series with the worst team in the National League, the 19-31 Astros. Arizona is 9-1 in its past 10 games, including three straight victories at Coors Field where it held the Rockies to just six runs in those three games.

The D-backs, who finished last in their division for two straight years, now sit in second place in the NL West, just 1½ games behind San Francisco. They will send surging Daniel Hudson (5-5, 3.82 ERA) to the mound Friday, in search of his seventh straight quality start. In his past six outings, Hudson is 5-1 with a 2.59 ERA and impressive K-to-BB ratio of 5.7 (34 K, 6 BB). The 24-year-old right-hander threw a season-high eight innings in his last outing Sunday against the Twins, allowing just two runs on eight hits, with six strikeouts and zero walks. He has only faced Houston one time in his career, holding the Astros to two runs on seven hits in six innings, and getting a no-decision in a 4-3 win last September.

Houston will counter with last year’s ace Brett Myers, who has been terrible this year at 1-4 with a 5.00 ERA. Since beating the Cubs on April 12, he is 0-4 with a 6.54 ERA and 1.73 WHIP in his past seven starts. Things don’t expect to improve Friday, as Myers is 0-1 with a 5.73 ERA and 1.63 WHIP in four starts versus Arizona since last defeating the D-backs in June of 2005 when he was with Philadelphia. Myers held opponents to a .248 BA with a 7.2 K/9 rate last year, but those numbers have been significantly worse this season (.300 BA, 6.6 K/9) as his velocity has decreased.

Although Houston has won three of its past four games (all by one run), the offense has scored just 13 runs in the four contests. The Astros have hit the fewest homers in the National League this year (28), while the Diamondbacks are third in the NL with 53 bombs. Justin Upton and Houston native Chris Young are tied for the team lead with 9 HR apiece. Young has loved returning to his hometown, as he is batting .419 (18-for-43) with four homers and 13 RBI in 10 career games at Minute Maid Park.

With the D-backs playing better in all facets of the game recently, the pick is for slight favorite Arizona to win on Friday for the fifth time in the past six games at Houston.

The FoxSheets support the Diamondbacks with this three-star trend:

Play Against - Home teams (HOUSTON) - with a starting pitcher whose winning percentage is worse than 20%, where team's hitters draw 3 walks or less/game on the season. (34-11 over the last 5 seasons.) (75.6%, +22.4 units. Rating = 3*).

**StarDust Bum** · 05-27-2011, 02:44 PM

Indians-Rays open 3-game set with strong pitching matchup

CLEVELAND INDIANS (30-17)

at TAMPA BAY RAYS (26-23)

First pitch: Friday, 7:10 p.m. EDT
Line: Tampa Bay -160, Cleveland +150, Total: 7.5

Cleveland looks to avoid a season-long, three-game losing streak when it visits Tampa to begin a three-game series on Friday night. The Rays are also struggling, having lost five of their past six games.

The Indians have dropped two straight, including a 14-2 loss to Boston on Wednesday. They had won seven of their previous nine contests. Cleveland will send Josh Tomlin (6-1, 2.41 ERA) to the mound on Friday, as the right-hander will look to win his third straight start. He allowed only one run and three hits in seven innings in a 2-1 victory over Cincinnati last Saturday. Tomlin has pitched at least six innings in all nine starts and hasn't allowed more than three runs in any of those games. In his only career start against Tampa Bay, he got a no-decision on May 10, surrendering three runs and six hits in six innings in a 5-4 Indians victory. Tomlin has also been great on the road, going 2-1 with a 2.28 ERA and 0.72 WHIP (16 H, 4 BB in 27.2 IP) in four road starts this season.

OF Grady Sizemore (.282 BA, 6 HR, 11 RBI in 18 games) is expected to return for this series, possibly on Friday night. He has been on the disabled list since bruising his right kneecap on May 10 against the Rays. The offense could sure use him, considering the team is batting .215 in its past eight games and scoring three runs or fewer in six of these contests.

The Rays offense has been just as bad in their past eight games, with a .213 BA and 59 strikeouts. Tampa Bay ace David Price (5-4, 3.89 ERA) will look to get back on track Friday night. Price has struggled in his past two starts, allowing five runs and six hits in each outing. He allowed two home runs in 6.2 innings in the Rays' 5-3 loss at Florida last Saturday, and only lasted five innings in his previous start against the Yankees. The left-hander began the season strong by going 5-3 with a 3.12 ERA in his first eight starts. One of those victories came at Cleveland on May 11. Price gave up two runs and struck out seven batters with no walks in eight innings in an 8-2 victory, improving to 3-0 with a 2.59 ERA and 1.15 WHIP in four lifetime starts against Cleveland. In 24.1 innings versus the Indians, he's surrendered 16 hits and struck out 23 batters. After going 9-2 with a 1.96 ERA at home last year, Price is just 2-2 with a 3.82 ERA in five starts at Tropicana Field this season.

The two teams met earlier this month, and Tampa Bay won the series 2-1. But the Rays have dropped eight of 12 games since that series. Tampa Bay is 11-13 at home, but has won eight of its past nine contests against the Indians at Tropicana Field.

Price certainly has the ability to pitch another gem versus the struggling Indians lineup, but Tomlin has thrown quality starts in all nine of his outings, leading his Cleveland team to a 7-2 record when he takes the mound. With such a lopsided money line, underdog Cleveland is the pick here.

These two highly-rated FoxSheets trends also like the Indians to win the series opener.

CLEVELAND is 16-3 (84.2%, +15.4 Units) against the money line after 2 or more consecutive home games this season. The average score was CLEVELAND 6.2, OPPONENT 3.4 - (Rating = 4*).

CLEVELAND is 18-7 (72.0%, +13.8 Units) against the money line vs. an AL team with a team batting average of .260 or worse this season. The average score was CLEVELAND 5.1, OPPONENT 3.5 - (Rating = 3*).

With two great pitchers on the mound, the FoxSheets provides this three-star trend siding with the Under on Friday.

TAMPA BAY is 17-4 UNDER (81.0%, +12.1 Units) as a home favorite of -110 or higher this season. The average score was TAMPA BAY 3.0, OPPONENT 3.7 - (Rating = 3*).

**StarDust Bum** · 05-27-2011, 02:46 PM

Pineda tries to keep scoreless streak going vs. Yankees

NEW YORK YANKEES (27-21)

at SEATTLE MARINERS (24-25)

First pitch: Friday, 10:10 p.m. EDT
Line: Seattle -110, New York +100, Total: 7

The sizzling hot Mariners try to get to .500 when they open a three-game series with the Yankees on Friday night. Seattle has won seven of its past eight contests, and hands the ball to its best pitcher this season, 22-year-old rookie Michael Pineda (6-2, 2.16 ERA), who is riding a 14-inning scoreless streak.

New York is also playing great baseball with seven wins in its past nine games. The offense is batting .283 and scoring 6.11 runs per game during this stretch, while the pitching staff has a 2.79 ERA and 1.18 WHIP with just three homers allowed in the nine contests. The Yankees send A.J. Burnett (5-3, 4.02 ERA) to the mound to begin the nine-game West Coast road trip. Despite his solid home numbers, Burnett is struggling away from the Bronx with a 5.00 ERA and four homers allowed in 18 road innings. Road woes are nothing new to Burnett who’s now winless in 10 straight starts away from home, carrying an 0-5 record with a 5.82 ERA and 1.44 WHIP. New York has only one victory in these past 10 road starts. Burnett has fared pretty well in his career against Seattle (2-2, 3.83 ERA, 38 K, 10 BB), but the Mariners shelled him last year with 12 hits (2 HR), three walks and six runs in seven innings.

Pineda is one of many Mariners pitchers that have been a roll. In the past eight games, Seattle has three shutouts and held three other teams to one run. Other impressive numbers over this stretch include a 1.63 ERA, 0.99 WHIP, 66 K, 19 BB and 4 HR in 72 IP. To be fair, most of these stats have come against two terrible offenses, San Diego and Minnesota. Pineda has also benefitted from an easy schedule facing six current teams with .500 or worse records (Toronto, Kansas City, Oakland, Baltimore, Minnesota and San Diego). In the three games versus teams who currently have winning records (Detroit, Texas twice), Pineda allowed nine runs in 19 innings (4.26 ERA). That being said, he has been extremely tough to hit at Safeco Field this year, going 3-1 with a 1.65 ERA, .196 opponents’ BA and a 7-to-1 K/BB ratio (28 K, 4 BB). And there’s nothing real fluky about 14 straight scoreless innings with 16 strikeouts during the streak. Pineda leads AL qualifying pitchers with 9.41 K/9 innings this season.

The Yankees are a mediocre 10-10 in the past 20 games in Seattle, but they are 6-2 in the past eight meetings overall. They also lead the majors with 75 HR this year, while Seattle has the league’s fewest homers with 27. With both teams being red hot, I’m taking the club with the better offense, and that is clearly underdog New York.

The FoxSheets also back the Yankees with these two highly-rated trends:

Play On - All underdogs with a money line of +100 to +150 (NY YANKEES) - stranding 6.9 or less runners on base per game on the season against opponent starting a pitcher who gave up no earned runs last outing. (155-123 over the last 5 seasons.) (55.8%, +63.1 units. Rating = 3*).

SEATTLE is 17-47 (26.6%, -32.8 Units) against the money line vs. teams who strand 6.9 or less runners on base per game over the last 2 seasons. The average score was SEATTLE 2.8, OPPONENT 4.7 - (Rating = 3*).

**StarDust Bum** · 05-27-2011, 02:49 PM

MLB Odds: Washington Nationals host Padres

This very well could be the series that decides who will battle the Houston Astros for the worst record in the National League this season.

The San Diego Padres head east to begin a 6-game road trip with Friday’s contest at the Washington Nationals. Game time is 4:05 p.m. (PT) and the mound matchup features a pair of left-handers, Clayton Richard for San Diego and Washington’s John Lannan.

San Diego begins the trip with a 20-30 record that has them last in the NL West Division standings, eight games behind the 1st-place Giants. The Padres are down nine units against the money line, 3rd-worst in the majors ahead of only the Dodgers (-10.0) and Twins (-13.5).

Washington also begins the weekend bringing up the rear of their division with a 21-28 mark that finds the Nats nine games back of NL East-leading Philadelphia. The Nationals are off $1.30 vs. the MLB odds and have managed to post a profit for those following the ‘over’ in their contests (28-20-1).

The Padres wrapped up an 8-game homestand on Wednesday with a 3-2 victory over the Cardinals. It was just the second victory during the stand for San Diego who scored a grand total of 11 runs in the eight contests. Pick an offensive statistic and there’s a good chance the Padres rank last in the column in the National League.

San Diego’s 3.42 runs per game tie Minnesota for last in the majors, and the Pads are one of two clubs in the National League with an on-base percentage under .300.

While the Padres were snapping a 5-game skid with Wednesday’s victory, Washington extended their losing streak to five with a 6-4 loss at Milwaukee. That defeat completed an 8-game roadie that saw the Nationals go 1-7, bookmarked by a 2-game sweep at the hands of the Mets in New York before being broomed by the Brewers.

Washington’s offense isn’t much better than the Padres’ group of hitters. The Nats are just ahead of San Diego in hitting with a .229 average and they join the Padres with a sub-.300 on-base mark.

Richard has dropped five of his last six starts, but the Padres are 3-2 when he starts a game on the road. The ‘over’ has prevailed in four of the five assignments away from Petco Park.

This will be Richard’s third career start vs. the Nats with the lefty 1-1 plus a no-decision (4.57 ERA, 19 2/3 IP). Both of his 2010 outings against Washington turned into San Diego losses, including his lone appearance at Nationals Park (6 IP, 5 ER).

Lannan has been running hot-&-cold this month, sandwiching two decent trips to the bump between two rough outings. He was peppered for six runs and nine hits his last time out in Baltimore, an 8-3 Orioles win. The Nationals are 2-2 when Lannan starts at home, the ‘under’ cashing in three of those contests.

This will be Lannan’s sixth assignment vs. the Padres with Washington 2-3 in the previous five. His lone appearance against them last season came almost exactly a year ago in San Diego where he coincidentally matched up with Richard. Lannan worked seven innings and allowed just one earned run in a 5-3 Washington victory.

A warm, muggy day is in the DC forecast for Friday with a 40 percent chance of afternoon and evening thunderstorms. Game time should find the thermometer still in the low-80s with a south wind 10-12 mph (1B out to LF).

The series continues Saturday with a good matchup of young right-handers. Washington will send Jordan Zimmermann to the mound for the second game against San Diego’s Tim Stauffer.

**StarDust Bum** · 05-27-2011, 02:51 PM

MLB Betting: NY Yankees visit Seattle Mariners

The New York Yankees (27-21, -1.98 units) and Seattle Mariners (24-25, +.70 units) are set to square off in the series opener of a three-game set in the Pacific Northwest with the first pitch scheduled for 7:10 p.m. (PT).

New York picked up a series victory versus Toronto in closing out its six-game homestand with a 4-2 record, registering a 7-3 win Wednesday afternoon at Yankee Stadium. The Yankees have bounced back from a six-game losing streak by winning seven of their last nine games and the clubhouse has momentum going into their longest road trip of the season thus far.

“A lot better,” commented manager Joe Girardi about how he’s feeling about his team lately. “Our guys have pitched well and that’s going to be important as we move forward this summer. It’s going to be extremely important.”

The Bronx Bombers have had the luxury of playing at home 30 of their first 48 games of the 2011 campaign, which is tied for the most in the majors with Kansas City.

Yankees starting pitcher A.J. Burnett (5-3, 4.02 ERA) will make his 11th start of the season Friday night and is coming off a quality win at home over the Mets. He surrendered three runs and six hits over 6 1/3 innings of work, while not allowing a home run for the first time in three outings.

Burnett has posted an even 2-2 mark and 3.83 ERA in six career starts versus the Mariners, including a 1-1 record and 2.84 ERA in Seattle.

The 34-year-old will be hard-pressed to keep the Mariners top of the lineup off the base paths, as infielder Chone Figgins and outfielder Ichiro Suzuki have established great numbers against him. Figgins is 6 of 15 (.400) in his career against Burnett, while Ichiro has been even better in knocking eight hits in 18 at-bats (.444).

Seattle returns home from a successful six-game road trip by tallying a 5-1 record, ending with a 3-0 shutout victory in Minnesota.

The Mariners have won eight of their last 10 games and will now play a 10-game homestand against three American League East opponents. The club has sputtered at times offensively by scoring just 176 runs this season, but their starting pitching has been a catalyst in remaining around the .500 mark. Seattle ranks second in the American League with a 3.20 ERA by its starting staff.

Rookie right-hander Michael Pineda (6-2, 2.16 ERA) is scheduled to make his 10th start of the season and faces the Yankees for this first time in his career on a two-game winning streak. He has tossed 14 shutout innings in his last two contests, picking up wins over the Twins and Padres, while issuing just a single walk and compiling 16 strikeouts.

Pineda has flourished in pitching at Safeco Field during his first year with the franchise, coming in with a 3-1 record and 1.65 ERA in four outings. The 6-foot-7 hurler has allowed opponents to hit just .196 in the pitcher-friendly park.

Total players are likely to stay away from this contest due to Seattle's 23-23-3 'over/under' mark, while the Yankees are 8-8-2 'over/under' on the road this season.

Weather forecasts in Seattle are calling for showers starting Wednesday night and being prevalent into Saturday. Friday’s high in the area is expected to be 56 degrees with a 50 percent chance of rain.

**StarDust Bum** · 05-27-2011, 02:52 PM

Friday Late Tips

May 27, 2011

As May comes to a close next week, the division races are tightening up all over the league. Two AL East clubs head out to the West Coast this weekend, as the Yankees travel to Safeco Field to battle the improving Mariners. Meanwhile, Baltimore reached the .500 mark with a sweep of Kansas City, as the Orioles go to the Bay Area against a feisty Oakland squad.

Orioles at Athletics - 10:05 PM EST

Since giving up 17 runs last Friday against Washington, the Orioles have responded with five consecutive victories as Buck Showalter's club starts a six-game road swing in Oakland. The A's return home after splitting a four-game set at Los Angeles, including Thursday's 4-3 triumph over the Halos.

Gio Gonzalez (5-2, 2.20 ERA) takes the mound for Oakland in the series opener, as his three-start win streak came to a halt in his last outing at San Francisco. The Giants rallied past the A's, 5-4, as Gonzalez scattered eight hits and two runs (one earned) in 6.2 innings. For the exception of two subpar outings against the Red Sox and Angels, the southpaw has allowed one earned run or less in six starts this season. Gonzalez is undefeated in two career starts against the Orioles, as the lefty is facing Baltimore at home for the first time.

The Orioles have alternated wins and losses in each of Chris Tillman's (2-3, 4.95 ERA) last six starts, as Baltimore edged Washington in his previous outing. Tillman has put together quality starts in only three of nine trips to the hill, owning a gaudy 6.33 ERA on the highway. The right-hander is making his first career start against the A's, as Oakland is 3-5 the last eight home contests.

The A's claimed seven of 10 meetings last season, including three of four at the Oakland Coliseum. The Orioles are riding a nice 'over' streak recently by cashing seven of the last 10, while scoring five or runs or more seven times in this stretch.

Yankees at Mariners - 10:10 PM EST

The most surprising team in baseball through nearly the first two months is the Cleveland Indians. However, the club that is making an argument for second on that list is Seattle, who has won eight of 10 games to cut the deficit in the AL West to 1 ½ games behind Texas. The Yankees and Red Sox are in a virtual tie for first place in the AL East after New York won four of the final five games on its homestand.

The Bombers will get their first look at rookie sensation Michael Pineda (6-2, 2.16 ERA), as the Mariners' righty is coming off consecutive scoreless outings against the Padres and Twins. Granted, both those offense are near the bottom of the league, but Pineda scattered five hits and struck out 16 batters in 14 innings as the M's won both starts. For the exception of one shaky start against the Rangers, Seattle owns a 3-1 record in Pineda's four outings at Safeco Field.

A.J. Burnett (5-3, 4.02 ERA) ended a three-game skid with a 7-3 victory over the Mets in his last start, while tossing 6.1 innings of six-hit ball. New York is just 2-6 in Burnett's previous eight starts after winning his first three outings of the season. Burnett hasn't seen much success against the Mariners as a member of the Yankees by losing a pair of starts since 2009.

The Yankees took six of 10 matchups last season against Seattle, including a 3-1 mark at Safeco Field. Three of the four meetings in Seattle finished 'under' the total last season, while seven of the past nine contests between the teams in the Pacific Northwest have cashed the 'under.'

Marlins at Dodgers - 10:10 PM EST

Florida travels down I-5 after sweeping San Francisco as the Fish takes on the Dodgers at Chavez Ravine. Los Angeles has dropped seven of nine games, while scoring three runs or less six times in this span. A pair of journeyman right-handers takes the mound in the series opener as Javier Vazquez squares off against Jon Garland.

Vazquez (3-4, 6.41 ERA) is coming off his best outing of the season by beating David Price and the Rays in his last start, 5-3 as nearly a $1.50 underdog. The veteran has turned in only two quality outings this season, while six of his eight starts finished 'over' the total. Vazquez is making his first start at Dodger Stadium since 2009 as a member of the Braves, tossing eight solid innings and allowing one earned run in an 8-2 blowout.

The Dodgers have won one of Garland's (1-4, 4.75 ERA) seven starts this season, while giving up a season-high seven earned runs in a 9-2 whipping against the White Sox. Garland turned in five straight quality starts prior to the loss to Chicago, including a 5-4 defeat at Florida on April 25 as $1.30 underdog.

The Marlins captured two of three meetings in that late April series in South Florida, while Florida is 6-2 the last eight contests against Los Angeles. Another positive note for the Fish is the 12-4 ledger this season in series openers.

**StarDust Bum** · 05-27-2011, 02:54 PM

Diamond Trends - Friday

May 27, 2011

SU TREND OF THE DAY:

The White Sox are 8-0 since June 15, 2010 on the road vs a team that has lost at least their last three games for a net profit of $965.

OU TREND OF THE DAY:

The Dodgers are 0-9 OU since April 29, 2010 at home vs a team that has won at least their last two games and it is the first game of a series for a net profit of $900 when playing the under.

STARTER TREND OF THE DAY:

The Twins are 10-0 since June 20, 2008 when Scott Baker starts as a favorite after throwing more than 100 pitches and they lost in his previous start for a net profit of $1000.

MLB BIBLE TREND OF THE DAY:

The Yankees are 0-10 (-3.2 rpg) since April 25th 2010 on the road when they are off a win in which they allowed at most one walk and at most one home run.

TODAY’S TRENDS:

The Athletics are 8-0 since August 11, 2010 as a favorite when they blew a lead in their starter’s last start and lost for a net profit of $800.

The Giants are 7-0 since April 26, 2010 after being shutout and it is the first game of a series for a net profit of $760.

The Cubs are 0-10 since June 19, 2010 at home within 20 cents of pickem after scoring 6+ runs for a net profit of $1005 when playing against.

**StarDust Bum** · 05-27-2011, 03:00 PM

Bettin' on Bullpens

May 25, 2011

Bullpens can be very frustrating to baseball backers as a great starting pitching effort and a game going according to plan can change quickly in the late innings. A couple of teams have turned early season struggles into great recent relief pitching results while a few others are really struggling to close out games in part due to recent injuries. Here is a snapshot of bullpens to take note of based on the recent results with two success stories and two teams that have failed in the late innings.

Bullpen Success

Houston Astros: The Astros have the worst record in the National League at 18-30 and the bullpen was a big source of trouble early in the season. Houston has eleven blown save opportunities and just seven converted saves and Houston relievers have taken ten losses on the season. The season ERA for the Houston bullpen is 4.65 but that figure can be thrown out for the moment as the Astros are starting to see some excellent late inning results. Brandon Lyon was expected to be the closer this season for Houston but he struggled from the get-go, blowing a lead on opening day against the Phillies. Lyon has just four saves in eight opportunities and his season ERA is 7.15. Lyon allowed three runs without getting an out in his last appearance on May 4 and since has gone on the disabled list. Houston’s relief pitching fortunes have changed for the better since.

In the last 10 games Houston has a bullpen ERA of just 2.05 and current closer Mark Melancon has looked sharp with a 1.86 ERA for the month with just two runs allowed in ten May appearances. Wilton Lopez has also provided excellent recent results featuring a 0.84 ERA in his last ten appearances. After some early season struggles Enerio Del Rosario has also emerged as a quality option in the pen including eight consecutive scoreless appearances. The Astros will need a greater track record before claiming to be a high quality bullpen and there is not a proven left-handed option at this point but the results have been much better in recent weeks. With a starting staff that is getting decent results and an offense that is starting to get a lot of hits Houston could be a team that makes a rise in the next few weeks in part to a shored up bullpen.

Arizona Diamondbacks: With a 5.74 bullpen ERA in 2010 Arizona had by far the worst relief pitching in baseball last season. Arizona relievers compiled a 16-32 record last season with 24 blown save opportunities while allowing opponents to hit .282. There was not a great deal of optimism for the unit entering 2011 with the acquisition of J.J. Putz to be the closer only making minor waves. Putz was an excellent closer for the Mariners in 2006 and 2007 but was less sharp in 2008. He was signed by the Mets but then New York also signed Francisco Rodriguez, relegating Putz to a secondary set-up role. He had a similar role with the White Sox last year with effective numbers. Arizona has given him the chance to be the ninth-inning go-to-guy again and he has flourished so far with a 1.89 ERA and going 12 for 12 in save situations. Putz has picked up saves in seven of the last nine games as an Arizona win streak has the Diamondbacks moving up in the standings.

There have been other key performers in the bullpen that have allowed Arizona to have a respectable record even with marginal starting pitching this season. Former Orioles starter David Hernandez has been very reliable in a middle relief and set-up role and Esmerling Vasquez has provided quality innings as well. Sam Demel did not show great promise as a rookie last season but he has been a great situational pitcher this season against tough right-handed hitters, featuring a 1.72 ERA for the season although he has recently hit the DL. The real find for the Diamondbacks has been 25-year old rookie Joe Paterson, a rule 5 selection taken from the Giants, as the left-handed specialist has a 0.87 ERA, allowing just one run and six hits in 20 games. Aaron Heilman who is likely the most recognizable name in the Arizona bullpen has terrible numbers with a 6.59 ERA but he has three wins and has allowed just one earned run in his last eight appearances and he should be asset the rest of the way. Overall Arizona has a bullpen ERA of 2.96 for the season, sixth best in baseball as well as only four blown saves.

Bullpen Failure

Minnesota Twins: The Twins have had an assortment of problems this season and injuries have taken a serious toll on the 2010 AL Central champions. The offense is not producing like it needs to but the lineup has been without at least three starters in almost every game this season due to injuries. The starting pitching staff has not been as strong as hoped for with Carl Pavano and Francisco Liriano taking big steps back from last season so far but overall the starting pitching has been capable with Nick Blackburn, Scott Baker, and Brian Duensing pitching reasonably well with only a few exceptions.

The main problem for Minnesota lies in the late innings where the bullpen has a 5.41 season ERA and a 3-10 record in games decided by relievers. Joe Nathan seemed to have been rushed back from his major arm surgery and the results so far have been problematic with Nathan featuring a 7.63 ERA and appearing to lose all of the confident swagger he once had. Minnesota has to be regretting the trade for Matt Capps last season as Capps has been terrible with a 5.09 ERA and four blown saves and the key piece in the deal, catching prospect Wilson Ramos is providing some punch in the Nationals lineup while the Twins have had a black hole of offensive production at the catcher spot with Joe Mauer on the DL. The two relievers on the staff with some experience and successful results, Glen Perkins and Jose Mijares, have both recently hit the DL as well leaving a group of unproven AAA players and recently signed players to try to fill the late innings.

Minnesota has lost each of the last four games in the bullpen with three late leads blown to waste what has been somewhat improved offensive production. At 15-31 the Twins have the worst record and worst run differential in baseball and the season may be a lost cause with the strain the pitching staff is facing. Right now backing the Twins carries a major risk as even a promising starting effort is going to face tense moments in the late innings with unproven and unreliable pitchers.

Los Angeles Dodgers: In most recent seasons it has been almost a given that the Dodgers would be among the league leaders in bullpen ERA. Los Angeles has a pitching friendly ballpark and in recent years several quality relievers have suited up in Dodger blue. Last season the unit slipped a bit with an average 4.03 ERA but with 41 saves and opponents hitting just .244 against Los Angeles relievers it looked like the bullpen could again be a strong point this season. It has not been the case as Los Angeles owns a 4.99 bullpen ERA on the year, the worst mark in the National League.

The Dodgers have only blown three save opportunities but the Dodgers relievers have picked up just five wins and losing close games has been a big reason why Los Angeles continues to slide in the NL West standings. All the big names in the Los Angeles bullpen are currently on the DL which has made the month of May very challenging. Jonathan Broxton has struggled this season with a 5.68 ERA but he had closed out seven of eight save opportunities but he hit the DL in early May with an elbow issue. Vicente Padilla emerged as the new closing option and was quickly three for three but he has also joined the DL with arm discomfort. Blake Hawksworth has been a reliable reliever for the Cardinals the past two seasons and he was thought to be a nice pick-up before a strained groin sidelined him to the DL.

The big loss has been Hong-Chih Kuo however as he has been one of the most dominant set-up relievers in baseball the last three seasons, including a season ERA of 1.20 last season in 56 appearances. Kuo struggled in his early 2011 appearances and was placed on the DL with an anxiety disorder, leaving a very uncertain timetable for his return. Veterans Matt Guerrier and Mike MacDougal have done their part but there are not many reliable options in the bullpen for the Dodgers right now and it has shown with a 7-14 record so far in May. The starting pitching has not been as strong as expected and given that the offense has cooled off considerably, the Dodgers could be in trouble in the coming weeks in the late innings.

**StarDust Bum** · 05-27-2011, 03:20 PM

MLB

Friday, May 27

Game Score Status Pick Amount

Pittsburgh 0 Bot 0 Pittsburgh -102 500
Chi. Cubs 0

Boston - 7:05 PM ET Boston +106 500
Detroit - Over 9 500

San Diego - 7:05 PM ET Washington -125 500
Washington - Under 8 500

Chi. White Sox - 7:07 PM ET Toronto -133 500
Toronto - Under 8.5 500

Cleveland - 7:10 PM ET Cleveland +149 500
Tampa Bay - Under 7.5 500

Philadelphia - 7:10 PM ET NY Mets +123 500
NY Mets - Under 7 500

Cincinnati - 7:35 PM ET Cincinnati +150 500
Atlanta - Over 7.5 500

Arizona - 8:05 PM ET Arizona -115 500
Houston - Over 7.5 500

Kansas City - 8:05 PM ET Kansas City +186 500
Texas - Under 9 500

LA Angels - 8:10 PM ET LA Angels +117 500
Minnesota - Under 8 500

San Francisco - 8:10 PM ET Milwaukee -110 500
Milwaukee - Under 6.5 500

St. Louis - 8:40 PM ET St. Louis +143 500
Colorado - Over 8.5 500

Baltimore - 10:05 PM ET Oakland -162 500
Oakland - Over 7 500

NY Yankees - 10:10 PM ET Seattle -116 500
Seattle - Over 7 500

**StarDust Bum** · 05-27-2011, 03:53 PM

Florida - 10:10 PM ET Florida +110

LA Dodgers - Under 7.5 500

Announcement

The Bum's Friday's MLB Best Bets !

The Bum's Friday's MLB Best Bets !

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