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Cleveland Indians close series at Diamondbacks
Arizona has lost both of Zach Duke’s starts this season at Chase Field.
Two of the baseball season's best surprises complete their 3-game series in Phoenix on Wednesday when the Arizona Diamondbacks host the Cleveland Indians in a matinee at Chase Field. First pitch is set for 12:40 p.m. (PT) with Carlos Carrasco starting for the Tribe against Zach Duke of the D-Backs.
Cleveland took Monday's opener getting +155 from MLB betting shops. Orlando Cabrera's 9th-inning homer lifted the Indians to a 5-4 victory. Tuesday's second game was still pending with Arizona priced at -155 behind right-hander Daniel Hudson.
Long shots to be in the postseason hunt when the 2011 schedule opened, the Indians and Diamondbacks have each enjoyed time atop their division standings and entered Tuesday's game close seconds to current leaders. Both squads are among the top money winners on the MLB odds board as well, Cleveland second with 9.8 units of profit and Arizona fifth at 8.2 units.
Manny Acta's crew has struggled recently at the plate. The Indians averaged 5.42 runs per game through April in getting off to a fast 18-8 start but are scoring just 3.24 per contest in their first 25 games of June (9-16 record). Cleveland has been blanked five times this month.
Cleveland also recently lost right-fielder Shin-Soo Choo to the disabled list, something that could further frustrate the team's recent offensive woes. Choo broke his left thumb and could require surgery. He's not expected to return to action until early August.
Carrasco (8-6, 3.62) will be making his 15th start of the season, and fourth against an NL club. He's been tougher on the road than at home, posting a 4-1 record on his ledger with a 2.59 ERA. The Indians are 5-3 in his eight starts away from Progressive Field.
Poor fielding played into a loss in Carrasco's most recent start, a 4-3 defeat to the Giants at AT&T Park. A +105 underdog, the Venezuelan righty was staked to an early 3-0 lead but ended up allowing all four San Fran runs, three of them unearned, in his eight innings.
Arizona carried a 3-game losing skid into Tuesday's game but does own one of the better interleague marks among National League clubs. The D-Backs were 8-5 against their AL counterparts before Tuesday's contest, though just 4-6 against the Tribe all-time following Monday's defeat.
Diamondbacks manager Kirk Gibson would likely prefer sending someone else to the hill but Duke (3-3, 5.73) to snap the current losing streak. Arizona has dropped both of the left-hander's home starts and Duke has been anything but sharp his last three outings.
Arizona's offense bailed Duke out in two of the three recent assignments while the former Pirates hurler worked 14 combined innings and surrendered 16 earned runs.
Duke has one previous appearance against the Indians while he was with Pittsburgh, picking up the win in a June 2009 game at PNC Park. He tossed the first six innings of that 10-6 triumph, allowing just five hits and one run.
Another factor that doesn't run in Arizona's favor is scheduled plate umpire Mike DiMuro. The 12-year veteran will be calling pitches for a 17th time this season with home teams a woeful 4-12 in the previous 16. The 'over' has a slight 9-7 lean.
Expect the roof to be shut for this afternoon clash. Daytime highs are expected to climb to 111ºF.
Both clubs take Thursday off before opening weekend series. The Diamondbacks travel to Oakland to begin their final interleague set of the season while the Indians head back to Ohio for a second season series in Cincinnati against the Reds.
Arizona has lost both of Zach Duke’s starts this season at Chase Field.
Two of the baseball season's best surprises complete their 3-game series in Phoenix on Wednesday when the Arizona Diamondbacks host the Cleveland Indians in a matinee at Chase Field. First pitch is set for 12:40 p.m. (PT) with Carlos Carrasco starting for the Tribe against Zach Duke of the D-Backs.
Cleveland took Monday's opener getting +155 from MLB betting shops. Orlando Cabrera's 9th-inning homer lifted the Indians to a 5-4 victory. Tuesday's second game was still pending with Arizona priced at -155 behind right-hander Daniel Hudson.
Long shots to be in the postseason hunt when the 2011 schedule opened, the Indians and Diamondbacks have each enjoyed time atop their division standings and entered Tuesday's game close seconds to current leaders. Both squads are among the top money winners on the MLB odds board as well, Cleveland second with 9.8 units of profit and Arizona fifth at 8.2 units.
Manny Acta's crew has struggled recently at the plate. The Indians averaged 5.42 runs per game through April in getting off to a fast 18-8 start but are scoring just 3.24 per contest in their first 25 games of June (9-16 record). Cleveland has been blanked five times this month.
Cleveland also recently lost right-fielder Shin-Soo Choo to the disabled list, something that could further frustrate the team's recent offensive woes. Choo broke his left thumb and could require surgery. He's not expected to return to action until early August.
Carrasco (8-6, 3.62) will be making his 15th start of the season, and fourth against an NL club. He's been tougher on the road than at home, posting a 4-1 record on his ledger with a 2.59 ERA. The Indians are 5-3 in his eight starts away from Progressive Field.
Poor fielding played into a loss in Carrasco's most recent start, a 4-3 defeat to the Giants at AT&T Park. A +105 underdog, the Venezuelan righty was staked to an early 3-0 lead but ended up allowing all four San Fran runs, three of them unearned, in his eight innings.
Arizona carried a 3-game losing skid into Tuesday's game but does own one of the better interleague marks among National League clubs. The D-Backs were 8-5 against their AL counterparts before Tuesday's contest, though just 4-6 against the Tribe all-time following Monday's defeat.
Diamondbacks manager Kirk Gibson would likely prefer sending someone else to the hill but Duke (3-3, 5.73) to snap the current losing streak. Arizona has dropped both of the left-hander's home starts and Duke has been anything but sharp his last three outings.
Arizona's offense bailed Duke out in two of the three recent assignments while the former Pirates hurler worked 14 combined innings and surrendered 16 earned runs.
Duke has one previous appearance against the Indians while he was with Pittsburgh, picking up the win in a June 2009 game at PNC Park. He tossed the first six innings of that 10-6 triumph, allowing just five hits and one run.
Another factor that doesn't run in Arizona's favor is scheduled plate umpire Mike DiMuro. The 12-year veteran will be calling pitches for a 17th time this season with home teams a woeful 4-12 in the previous 16. The 'over' has a slight 9-7 lean.
Expect the roof to be shut for this afternoon clash. Daytime highs are expected to climb to 111ºF.
Both clubs take Thursday off before opening weekend series. The Diamondbacks travel to Oakland to begin their final interleague set of the season while the Indians head back to Ohio for a second season series in Cincinnati against the Reds.
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