The Bum's MLB News-Stats and POD'S Thru The World Series !

[StarDust Bum]

Friday, September 13

Game Score Status Pick Amount

Chi. Cubs - 7:05 PM ET Pittsburgh -169 500
Pittsburgh - Over 7.5 500

Philadelphia - 7:05 PM ET Philadelphia +228 500 POD # 9
Washington - Under 8 500

Baltimore - 7:07 PM ET Baltimore -115 500
Toronto - Under 9 500

Kansas City - 7:08 PM ET Detroit -162 500
Detroit - Over 7.5 500

NY Yankees - 7:10 PM ET Boston -132 500
Boston - Under 9 500

Miami - 7:10 PM ET Miami +136 500 POD # 1
NY Mets - Over 7.5 500

San Diego - 7:30 PM ET San Diego +126 500 POD # 8
Atlanta - Under 8 500

Oakland - 8:05 PM ET Oakland +115 500 POD # 2
Texas - Over 9 500

Cincinnati - 8:10 PM ET Milwaukee +139 500 POD # 4
Milwaukee - Under 7.5 500

LA Angels - 8:10 PM ET Houston +129 500 POD # 3
Houston - Under 9 500

Tampa Bay - 8:10 PM ET Tampa Bay -157 500
Minnesota - Over 8 500

Seattle - 8:15 PM ET Seattle +170 500 POD # 7
St. Louis - Over 7 500

Colorado - 9:40 PM ET Colorado +125 500 POD # 5
Arizona - Over 9 500

San Francisco - 10:10 PM ET San Francisco +165 500 POD # 6
LA Dodgers - Under 6 500

[WThotrod]

$300 a pop, my friend! Let's do this!!

[WThotrod]

Nice night!! Thank you, sir!

[StarDust Bum]

Pitchers to Watch

August 13, 2013


As the pro baseball season comes to a close, I’ve identified three starting pitchers who are very much on the rise and merit your attention over the last six weeks. Also, I strongly believe that two pitchers are on the verge of a downfall in the near-future and potentially should be avoided.

For those unfamiliar with my work, I study only totals (over/under), as you can even see in my game log, without ever taking a day off, and the root of my work lies in my feelings on the starting pitchers involved, as it is they who dictate the pace and outcome of a game more than any other position in professional sports, which makes baseball totals a very winnable endeavor - if you put the time and work in. That being said, here are three pitchers to pay close attention to that the oddsmakers may not have noticed yet, and two that they still might be overrating down the stretch.

Let’s start with the emerging starters…

Three Ascending Starting Pitchers

Brett Oberholtzer – Houston Astros
This first choice really doesn’t apply as much to those who focus on sides, as it’s hard to bank on any pitcher from the lowly Houston Astros for a victory, given how atrocious their bullpen is and the tendency of their lineup to not show up on a lot of days, but when it comes to unders, Brett Oberholtzer is a very intriguing name to be aware of. After a couple of cups of coffee at the Major League level earlier this season, Oberholtzer was recalled at the very end of July when a spot opened up in the Houston rotation, and the rookie left-hander hasn’t looked back since. Up to this point, the former 8th-round pick has made three starts - against the Rangers, Red Sox, and Orioles, no less - all of which resulting in quality outings. In fact, Oberholtzer has surrendered just two runs combined in those three assignments, while working against some of the top lineups in all of baseball. The remarkable thing about Oberholtzer, though, is that he’s not just simply limiting the damage done by these potent bats - he’s overpowering them with conviction, as evident in his 14:4 K:BB ratio in 20 innings of work. In other words, he’s been dazzling.

If I had to make a comparison, I would equate Oberholtzer to J.A. Happ circa-2010 when he was first acquired by Houston that summer. As soon as he came over from Philadelphia, Happ went on to string together a really nice stretch of solid pitching, in amassing a 5-4 record in 13 starts with a 3.80 ERA and 1.33 WHIP, while striking out 61 batters in 71 innings of work. Oberholtzer reminds me of that same type of lefty, and appears to have already locked down a spot on the pitching staff for years to come. Another fellow starter who will be a big part of their future, Jarred Cosart, also deserves honorable mention as their potential No. 2 guy in the future, but it looks like Vegas has already caught on to him. Thus, Oberholtzer is the guy to watch closely, as well as the lines related to his starts, over these next several weeks.

Henderson Alvarez – Miami Marlins
Believe it or not, the Miami Marlins are shaping up to be my biggest Over Win Total bet in 2014 (Much like the Cleveland Indians were for me this season), although that’s another lengthy discussion for a later time. In the meantime, it is their starting pitching as a group that has me absolutely wowed and thinking that they can compete as early as next year. Obviously, everyone already knows about Jose Fernandez, who looks like he’s going to be one of the National League’s top aces for the next ten years, if not more (Or less, depending on when Jeffrey Loria decides to hold his next fire sale), so that would defeat the purpose of this article if I was to focus on him here. Jacob Turner, slotted right behind him, has pitched considerably well in a Miami uniform after coming over from Detroit in the Anibal Sanchez trade a season ago, but by this point, with 20 starts as a Marlin under his belt, Vegas has taken notice of his delightful work and reacted accordingly, based on his typical over/under lines. Behind them are Nathan Eovaldi and Henderson Alvarez, and while I do really like both, I feel it is Alvarez who has the highest ceiling in solidifying himself as an upper echelon starter for years to come.

I noticed the right-hander as soon as he debuted two years ago with the Blue Jays, and while he’s been mostly up-and-down since breaking into the big leagues, I’m confident that Alvarez is on the verge of permanently turning the corner and developing into the ultra-consistent starter that I always pegged him to be. It certainly looks like he has for the time being, as the 23-year old is 2-1 with a 3.18 ERA and 1.16 WHIP this year through his first eight starts with his new club, while allowing no more than four runs in any of his outings. Aside from possessing good stuff in his arsenal, I just feel like he has all the “little things” down to pat, which you can only notice by watching him. I’m impressed every time I see him - his attitude and composure - and reading more on him, it all begins to make sense: Alvarez has always idolized Felix Hernandez, and if you’ve watched him pitch, you’d recognize that he actually mimics the former Cy Young winner very closely, from his mannerisms down to his demeanor on the mound. It’s very fascinating, and to me, it’s also a main reason why I know Henderson Alvarez will be a successful starter for quite some time.


Chris Rusin – Chicago Cubs
It’s awfully hard to get excited about anything within the Chicago Cubs organization, as most Cubs fans might even attest to, but based on his early work this season since being recalled, it looks like left-hander Chris Rusin is here to stay as a big-league starter. Thus far, Rusin has only made five starts in 2013, and while his overall statline hasn’t been overly impressive or anything (2-1, 3.08 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 18:9 K:BB ratio in 26 innings), I still feel there’s enough evidence here to warrant a “sleeper” label for the youngster. Yes, if you look at his stats, you’ll notice a very ugly rookie campaign for the southpaw a year ago, when he registered a 6.37 ERA and 1.65 WHIP (Yikes) in seven starts, but I’m telling you: This is someone who is on the rise, and because of how opposing hitters drilled him for a .314 batting average in 2012, Vegas may not catch on until it’s too late. Although he’s only produced modest work in just five starts this season, this is someone who looks poised to be a part of the Cubs’ pitching staff for the foreseeable future.

In his most recent assignment, Rusin contributed the brightest outing of his still-very-young Major League career, when he went into St. Louis and beat the mighty Cardinals by shutting them out over six terrific shutout innings, scattering seven hits and striking out five. Two starts prior, he went into San Francisco and blanked the defending World Champions over seven innings, while out-dueling the seemingly unbeatable-at-home Madison Bumgarner. And right before that, his assignment was in Arizona, where he proceeded to keep those dangerous D-Back bats at bay, en route to an impressive victory. Yes, the sample size is small, and yes, Rusin is only a former 23rd-round pick, but I see something here. And when I latch on to a new pitcher very early on, good results usually follow. Vegas might not even be giving much thought to Chris Rusin, which potentially makes them very vulnerable if they provide a higher-than-anticipated line on an under he’s in.

Honorable Mention: Jarred Cosart, Liam Hendriks, Dan Straily, Tyson Ross, Tyler Thornburg (When he’s permanently in Milwaukee’s rotation)

Two Descending Starting Pitchers

Corey Kluber – Cleveland Indians
While still quite young and relatively inexperienced, I believe Corey Kluber has already peaked and contributed the best pitching we may ever see from him. That might be a bold statement, considering Kluber is just 27-years old and in only his second year as a big-league starter, but from what I’ve seen while watching him on the hill, his ceiling is very low. At the moment, the right-hander has very desirable numbers - a 7-5 record, 3.54 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, and an outstanding 116:26 K:BB ratio in 122 innings - but I just don’t see him keeping it up. Not only that, I don’t even envision him coming close to resembling that type of a marvelous pace, as I have him clocking in as a guy who consistent sits with a mid-4’s ERA year in and year out.

In my opinion, Kluber’s unusual high strikeout rate is just that: unusual. Without question, it’s a large contributing factor in his 2013 success, something of which he wasn’t doing much of last year, and as long as those whiff numbers decline, which I anticipate, Kluber should go back to getting clobbered again (5.14 ERA, 1.49 WHIP in 2012). Admittedly, I might be a little biased, as I latched on to him as soon as he was called up last year and used him as an overs machine, which worked out nicely, with 7 of his 12 starts resulting in the total score surpassing ten combined runs, but at the end of the day, I’ve watched him numerous times now and I just don’t see him keeping up what he’s done this year. At the moment, the Cleveland right-hander currently sits on the disabled list with a sprained finger (And it’s on his throwing hand, which could also be crucial in halting any potential progress), adding even more fuel to the fire. Pay attention to when he comes back from injury and see how Vegas treats his games; if they keep showing him respect, such as offering over/unders of 8 or lower with him involved, then that’s money to be made, as far as overs are concerned. You can bet I’ll be watching as close as anyone, obviously.

John Lackey – Boston Red Sox
There’s no denying that John Lackey has done some pretty special things this season, made even more remarkable by the fact that he didn’t even pitch last year, not to mention how he was one of the unfortunate scapegoats of that infamous 2011 Red Sox squad when he had the worst campaign of his career, and was seemingly on his way out of Boston. Alas, two years later, Lackey is pitching like his old self again out of nowhere in posting a true renaissance season, as he currently carries a very pleasant 3.32 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, and a fabulous 123:29 K:BB ratio in 133 innings. He’s provided quality steady pitching all season long, while helping the Red Sox attain first-place in the always-tough AL East, but that’s exactly my point: Exactly how much longer can he keep it up?

You obviously have to give credit where credit is due and acknowledge what a model of consistency Lackey has been this entire year (He’s gone six innings or more in 17 of his 21 starts, including 11 straight), and that’s certainly indicated in his over/unders record, as all but three of his games have resulted in unders, which is an astounding one-sided record in that department. In fact, it’s the best record by a pitcher - by far - for unders in all of baseball. But again, that just adds to my feeling here that there has to be some sort of decline sooner rather than later. Not only do you have to consider the vastly underrated Law of Averages, which should bring his over/unders record more towards the norm, but also consider that Lackey is starting to get hit a bit, as three of his past five outings have seen the right-hander yield four runs or more. Even if the wheels don’t completely come off his splendid campaign, as long as Vegas continues to show him respect for what he’s done from his whole body of work in 2013 in terms of offering a relatively low line for his games, there’s money to be made in his overs down the stretch. Keep an eye out for those.

Honorable Mention: Randall Delgado, Kris Medlen, Chris Tillman

[StarDust Bum]

Date WLT Pct Net Units Record

09/13/13 18-*9-*1 66.67% +*4900 Detail
09/12/13 7-*8-*1 46.67% -*1300 Detail
09/11/13 18-*11-*1 62.07% +*3520 Detail
09/10/13 16-*14-*0 53.33% +*890 Detail
09/09/13 12-*9-*1 57.14% +*875 Detail
09/08/13 18-*11-*0 62.07% +*2015 Detail
09/07/13 13-*15-*1 46.43% -*2350 Detail
09/06/13 20-*8-*0 71.43% +*5945 Detail
09/05/13 10-*3-*1 76.92% +*4390 Detail
09/04/13 15-*15-*0 50.00% -*760 Detail
09/03/13 11-*18-*1 37.93% -*4115 Detail
09/02/13 13-*16-*1 44.83% -*1875 Detail
09/01/13 16-*11-*1 59.26% +*1985 Detail

Totals 187-*148-*9 55.82% +14120


Saturday, September 14

Game Score Status Pick Amount

NY Yankees - 1:05 PM ET Boston -160 500
Boston - Over 9 500

Cincinnati - 1:05 PM ET Cincinnati -174 500
Milwaukee - Under 8 500

Oakland - 1:05 PM ET Oakland +142 500
Texas - Over 8.5 500

Baltimore - 4:05 PM ET Baltimore -142 500
Toronto - Over 9 500

Miami - 4:10 PM ET Miami -108 500
NY Mets - Under 7.5 500

[StarDust Bum]

OAKLAND IS MY POD...........my BOLD isn't working....sheeesh

[WThotrod]

$500 Oakland +152. Let's do this!!

[WThotrod]

BOOM! Nice pick!!

[StarDust Bum]

Evening POD'S:


Chi. Cubs - 7:05 PM ET Pittsburgh -185 500
Pittsburgh - Over 7.5 500

Philadelphia - 7:05 PM ET Washington -150 500
Washington - Over 7 500

Kansas City - 7:08 PM ET Detroit -153 500
Detroit - Under 8 500

San Diego - 7:10 PM ET Atlanta -185 500
Atlanta - Over 7.5 500

Cleveland - 7:10 PM ET Cleveland -144 500
Chi. White Sox - Under 8.5 500

LA Angels - 7:10 PM ET Houston +147 500 POD # 1
Houston - Under 8 500

Tampa Bay - 7:10 PM ET Tampa Bay -164 500
Minnesota - Under 7.5 500

Miami - 7:10 PM ET Miami +118 500 POD # 3
NY Mets - Over 7.5 500

Seattle - 7:15 PM ET Seattle +210 500 POD # 4
St. Louis - Under 7.5 500

Colorado - 8:10 PM ET Arizona -174 500
Arizona - Over 9 500

San Francisco - 9:10 PM ET San Francisco +152 500 POD # 2
LA Dodgers - Over 7 500

[WThotrod]

$500 a piece, my friend. Let's do this!!!

[StarDust Bum]

Date WLT Pct Net Units Record

09/14/13 18-*13-*1 58.06% +*2395 Detail
09/13/13 18-*9-*1 66.67% +*4900 Detail
09/12/13 7-*8-*1 46.67% -*1300 Detail
09/11/13 18-*11-*1 62.07% +*3520 Detail
09/10/13 16-*14-*0 53.33% +*890 Detail
09/09/13 12-*9-*1 57.14% +*875 Detail
09/08/13 18-*11-*0 62.07% +*2015 Detail
09/07/13 13-*15-*1 46.43% -*2350 Detail
09/06/13 20-*8-*0 71.43% +*5945 Detail
09/05/13 10-*3-*1 76.92% +*4390 Detail
09/04/13 15-*15-*0 50.00% -*760 Detail
09/03/13 11-*18-*1 37.93% -*4115 Detail
09/02/13 13-*16-*1 44.83% -*1875 Detail
09/01/13 16-*11-*1 59.26% +*1985 Detail

Totals 205-*161-*10 56.01% +16515


Sunday, September 15

Game Score Status Pick Amount

Baltimore - 1:07 PM ET Baltimore -115 500
Toronto - Over 9 500

Kansas City - 1:08 PM ET Kansas City +192 500 POD # 1
Detroit - Over 8.5 500

Miami - 1:10 PM ET NY Mets -163 500
NY Mets - Under 7.5 500

San Diego - 1:35 PM ET San Diego +191 500 POD # 7
Atlanta - Under 8 500

Chi. Cubs - 1:35 PM ET Pittsburgh -185 500
Pittsburgh - Over 7 500

Philadelphia - 1:35 PM ET Philadelphia +182 500 POD # 2
Washington - Under 8 500

Cleveland - 2:10 PM ET Cleveland +106 500 POD # 6
Chi. White Sox - Over 7.5 500

Cincinnati - 2:10 PM ET Cincinnati -120 500
Milwaukee - Under 8 500

LA Angels - 2:10 PM ET LA Angels -150 500
Houston - Under 9.5 500

Tampa Bay - 2:10 PM ET Tampa Bay -215 500
Minnesota - Over 7.5 500

Seattle - 2:15 PM ET Seattle +182 500 POD # 3
St. Louis - Under 7.5 500

Oakland - 3:05 PM ET Texas -108 500
Texas - Over 9 500

Colorado - 4:10 PM ET Colorado +111 500 POD # 5
Arizona - Over 9 500

San Francisco - 4:10 PM ET San Francisco +129 500 POD # 4
LA Dodgers - Under 8 500

NY Yankees - 8:05 PM ET Boston -165 500
Boston - Over 8.5 500

[StarDust Bum]

Date WLT Pct Net Units Record

09/15/13 16-*14-*0 53.33% +*565 Detail
09/14/13 18-*13-*1 58.06% +*2395 Detail
09/13/13 18-*9-*1 66.67% +*4900 Detail
09/12/13 7-*8-*1 46.67% -*1300 Detail
09/11/13 18-*11-*1 62.07% +*3520 Detail
09/10/13 16-*14-*0 53.33% +*890 Detail
09/09/13 12-*9-*1 57.14% +*875 Detail
09/08/13 18-*11-*0 62.07% +*2015 Detail
09/07/13 13-*15-*1 46.43% -*2350 Detail
09/06/13 20-*8-*0 71.43% +*5945 Detail
09/05/13 10-*3-*1 76.92% +*4390 Detail
09/04/13 15-*15-*0 50.00% -*760 Detail
09/03/13 11-*18-*1 37.93% -*4115 Detail
09/02/13 13-*16-*1 44.83% -*1875 Detail
09/01/13 16-*11-*1 59.26% +*1985 Detail

Totals 221-*175-*10 55.81% +17080

Monday, September 16

Game Score Status Pick Amount

Atlanta 0 PPD Washington -113 500
Washington 0 Over 7.5 500

Miami -7:05 PM ET Miami +206 500 POD # 4
Philadelphia - Under 7 500

San Diego -7:05 PM ET San Diego +156 500 POD # 3
Pittsburgh - Over 6.5 500

Seattle - 7:08 PM ET Seattle +179 500 POD # 5
Detroit - Under 9 500

Texas - 7:10 PM ET Tampa Bay -125 500
Tampa Bay - Under 7 500

Minnesota - 8:10 PM ET Chi. White Sox -108 500
Chi. White Sox - Over 8.5 500

Chi. Cubs - 8:10 PM ET Milwaukee -119 500
Milwaukee - Under 8 500

Cleveland - 8:10 PM ET Cleveland +139 500 POD # 1`
Kansas City - Over 7.5 500

Cincinnati - 8:10 PM ET Cincinnati -175 500
Houston - Under 8 500

St. Louis - 8:40 PM ET St. Louis -150 500
Colorado - Over 10 500

LA Dodgers - 9:40 PM ET Arizona -106 500
Arizona - Under 8.5 500

LA Angels - 10:05 PM ET LA Angels +124 500 POD # 2
Oakland - Under 7 500

[StarDust Bum]

Diamond Trends - Tuesday

September 17, 2013


SU TREND OF THE DAY:

-- The Athletics are 10-0 since May 11, 2013 vs a team that has won at least their last two games and it is not the first game of a series for a net profit of $1010.

PITCHER TREND OF THE DAY:

-- When Mike Leake starts the Reds are 10-0 since April 21, 2011 as a favorite after facing 25 or fewer hitters at home for a net profit of $1000.

MLB BIBLE ACTIVE TREND:

-- The Brewers are 23-1 (+$2,045) since 2011 as a home favorite of more than +$130 when they are off a win in which they never trailed and it is not the first game of a series.

CHOICE TREND:

-- The Yankees are 0-14 since April 25, 2009 as a road dog after a loss in which they allowed 5+ walks and it is not the last game of a series for a net profit of $1400 when playing against.

ACTIVE TRENDS:

-- The Padres are 8-0 since June 26, 2010 as a road 140+ dog when they are off a game that was tied at the end of at least six separate innings for a net profit of $1276.

-- The Mets are 0-11 since September 25, 2011 as a home dog after a win in which they had fewer team-left-on-base than their opponent for a net profit of $1100 when playing against.

[StarDust Bum]

Hot & Not - NL Edition

September 16, 2013

There are only two more weeks left in the regular season in baseball, and for the final time this year, we're going to take a look at the teams that are hot and the teams that are certainly not in the National League for MLB betting fans.

Money-Makers:

Washington Nationals (8-1, +$646 in L/9) – Is it too little, too late for the Nats? They've got wins in eight out of nine, and they're storming back towards the last Wild Card spot.

On Deck: The schedule isn't that bad on the way out either. The Nats though, need to make up 4.5 games in a span of just two weeks, and that's going to be tough when they're going against the Braves, Marlins, Cardinals, and Diamondbacks.

Pittsburgh Pirates (6-1, +$516 in L/7) – Pittsburgh has won six out of seven to get back into a tie for first place in the NL Central. There is no doubt though, that there is a lot of work to do, as even a playoff spot still isn't guaranteed.

On Deck: The Pirates can't just be happy guaranteeing themselves a winning season. They've got six left to play with Cincy, and that will be what decides their fate for the rest of the year.

San Francisco Giants (6-2, +$495 in L/8) – This is the most irrelevant 6-2 streak that we have seen in baseball. The Giants only used that streak to get out of the gutter in the NL West.

On Deck: The chance is there over the course of the next week and a half to make a difference, though. The Giants have six in the Big Apple (three with the Mets, then three with the Yanks), followed by three with the Dodgers and three with the Padres to close out the campaign.

Money-Burners:

Los Angeles Dodgers (3-8, -$699 in L/11) – Did you ever think that you'd see the Dodgers on the wrong side of this article ever again? LA has dropped eight out of 11 though, and it is probably due to some complacency after basically winning the division title.

On Deck: The Dodgers have 10 straight on the road now, and they're going to want to make sure that they take at least one from Arizona of these next four to ensure that there won't be an epic collapse in the cards.

Miami Marlins (2-8, -$599 in L/10) – Take away the games that Jose Fernandez started in this bunch, and the Marlins haven't won a game in this mix. Too bad that Fernandez has been shut down for the season after reaching his innings limit.

On Deck: The last two series of the year on the road come up this week with three against Philly and four against the hot Nats. The Fish could have an impact on the playoff picture yet.

Cincinnati Reds (2-4, -$501 in L/6) – They say it takes two to tango. The Reds aren't going to lose their spot in the playoffs unless they help blow it themselves. They're not doing a good job right now of protecting that lead, though.

On Deck: There are still six more games to be played against the Pirates, three of which come at home and three of which come on the road. Lose more than three of those six, and Cincy doesn't deserve to get into the postseason.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Braves (89-60) at Nationals (79-70)
Game: 1 & 2
Venue: Nationals Park
Date: September 17, 2013 7:05 PM EDT


Baseball will likely be of secondary concern in the nation's capital on Tuesday.

The Atlanta Braves will have an opportunity to clinch the NL East in a day-night doubleheader against the Washington Nationals - one day after the start of this three-game set was postponed due to the shootings at the Navy Yard.

Located just blocks from the Navy Yard, one of Nationals Park's parking lots was used for families of the Navy Yard employees to meet following the evacuation of the facility.

"It's a very emotional day. An extremely horrific act happened very near to the ballpark,' Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo said. "Our thoughts and prayers go out to all the victims over there and all the people affected by this. We felt it was inappropriate to play a major league baseball game with such tragedy right down the street."

Atlanta (89-60) has a magic number of four to end a seven-year drought without an NL East title since the franchise won 11 straight from 1995-2005. The Braves, who can capture the division with a sweep, agreed with the decision to stay away from the park Monday.

"Nobody is thinking about baseball. Baseball is a game," pitcher Scott Downs told Major League Baseball's official website. "You look at the real-life perspective when things go on. That's the last thing I want to do or any team wants to do, especially when something is going on five minutes down the road."

Washington (79-70) is trying to catch Cincinnati for the NL's second wild card. Dan Haren (9-13, 5.02 ERA), who was scheduled to pitch Monday and will start Tuesday's opener, said the Nationals will move on when the game starts.

"I know we are waiting basically for 16 hours to play the game," Haren said. "We are doing the best we can. As inconsequential as the game may seem on a day like today, we have to play baseball at some point, and that will be tomorrow."

Washington native Denard Span has a chance to match the 27-game hitting streak of Colorado's Michael Cuddyer as the longest in the majors in 2013. Span is batting .387 during his career-high 26-game run.

Haren, meanwhile, is 5-2 with a 5.23 ERA in seven career starts against the Braves, yielding one run in eight innings for a 3-1 victory May 2 in the lone one this year.

The right-hander could have a favorable matchup against Mike Minor (13-7, 3.15), whose 5.03 career ERA against the Nationals is the left-hander's highest mark against any NL club. Minor has a 7.04 ERA and no decisions in two starts versus Washington this year.

Nationals catcher Wilson Ramos, who has started the last 23 games, is 6 for 8 off Minor and 13 for 35 with five homers and 15 RBIs in his last eight games.

Tuesday night's contest pits Washington rookie Tanner Roark (6-0, 1.30) against veteran Freddy Garcia (1-1, 1.32).

Roark has allowed two runs over 12 innings in winning his first two starts, surrendering two in six frames last Thursday in a 7-2 win over the Mets.

This will be the right-hander's first home start and first against the Braves, who he threw two innings of scoreless relief against in his big league debut Aug. 7.

Garcia wasn't with Atlanta then, finishing up a poor stint with a Baltimore club that sent him to the minors June 24. His first start with the Braves, who acquired him Aug. 23, was successful as he gave up one run in six innings to earn a 6-1 win at Miami last Thursday.

The right-hander is 3-0 with a 1.59 ERA in three starts against the Nationals, including a season-high, eight-inning effort May 30 in a 2-0 victory for the Orioles.

Span is 2 for 18 off Garcia and Ryan Zimmerman is 0 for 7. Zimmerman has nine homers and 12 RBIs in 14 games this month for the Nationals, who have won eight of nine.

Atlanta has won 12 of 16 meetings behind Freddie Freeman, who has 12 of his 99 RBIs in the season series. Freeman also has 13 hits in his last 26 at_bats.