Category Archives: MLB Baseball

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MLB Unbeatens Face Off as Rays Visit Tigers in Tuesday Matinee

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The American League’s two most impressive teams this early season, the Tampa Bay Rays and Detroit Tigers, open a three-game set Tuesday afternoon at Comerica Park. It’s the only series featuring unbeaten teams early this week and also the only one that has two clubs from last year’s playoffs. The Tigers are -190 series favorites with Tampa Bay at +155 on Bovada’s MLB baseball odds.

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Detroit swept the Boston Red Sox in Motown over the weekend. The Tigers put up 26 runs and hit .345 against Boston. Reigning AL batting champion Miguel Cabrera looks even better this year with Prince Fielder hitting behind him now; Cabrera leads the AL with three homers (tied with Oakland’s Yoenis Cespedes) and eight RBIs while hitting .455. Fielder also is off to a fast start, hitting .417 with two homers. Yet they aren’t even the hottest Tigers – leadoff hitter Austin Jackson is hitting .571 with an AL-high eight hits.

The Rays, meanwhile, swept the New York Yankees at Tropicana Field over the weekend. Tampa Bay took first-inning leads in all three games and third baseman Evan Longoria leads baseball with a .600 average. First baseman Carlos Pena, brought back after a season with the Cubs, is hitting .500 with two homers and seven RBIs. It’s the first time since 2002 that the Rays have started with three straight wins. By the way, Tuesday’s game starts a unique stretch of seven straight day games for the Rays.

The Tigers opened as a slight -115 favorite at Bovada for Tuesday’s opener. Righty Rick Porcello makes his 2012 debut as does Tampa Bay rookie lefty Matt Moore. Porcello is 1-1 with a 3.46 ERA in his career vs. Tampa Bay. But Porcello is 4-7 with a 6.04 ERA in 14 career April starts. Moore is considered the top pitching prospect in baseball and dominated the Texas Rangers in his ALDS start a year ago. He hasn’t faced the Tigers.

Detroit won six of the seven meetings between the two clubs last year, outscoring the Rays, 26-16, in the season series.

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MLB Betting: Surprising Mets Look for 5-0 Start Tuesday, Favored vs. Nationals

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Yes it’s very early, but one of the big surprises so far this baseball season is the New York Mets. Most thought the Mets would be a mess this year after shaving tens of millions of dollars in payroll this offseason and watching players like Jose Reyes walk away. But the Mets are the only 4-0 team in the National League and they are -115 favorites on Bovada’s MLB baseball odds to make that 5-0 on Tuesday night against the visiting Washington Nationals.

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New York won the opener of this series 4-3 on Monday thanks to Daniel Murphy’s walk-off single in the bottom of the ninth inning. It was the second walk-off hit of his career (last in August 2009). The Mets, who trailed 3-0 entering the bottom of the third, had one of the majors’ worst bullpens last season but had a 0.90 bullpen ERA entering Monday (fourth in MLB). And that number will shrink as the relievers held Washington hitless and scoreless in 3 1/3 innings. Third baseman David Wright continued his hot start with a hit and RBI – he’s batting .583, which leads the NL. It’s New York’s first 4-0 start in five years.

The Mets turn to Dillon Gee for his first start. In four starts against the Nats last season, Gee finished 2-0 with a 3.60 ERA. He was also 7-3 with a 3.17 ERA in 15 games at Citi Field. Washington goes with lefty Ross Detwiler in his first start. He beat out John Lannan for the No. 5 spot in the Nationals’ rotation with a 3.06 spring ERA but likely will be headed to the bullpen sooner rather than later. Detwiler is 1-1 with 4.50 ERA in his career vs. New York.

Wright has had success against Detwiler, batting .500 with a homer and four RBIs. The Mets will sit starting first baseman Ike Davis because the Nats are starting a lefty; plus Davis is 0-for-15 so far this year. Justin Turner will get his first-ever start at first base in place of Davis. The Mets are liking the new shorter fences at Citi Field. They have now out-homered opponents 2-0 in balls that would have remained in play under the old Citi Field dimensions.

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Atlanta Braves @ Houston Astros on Monday: MLB Betting Odds

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PREVIEW: The consensus to start the season was that Atlanta had a chance to contend for a playoff spot again, while Houston Astros could end up being historically bad. Things didn’t look that way opening weekend. The Braves struggled to get their offense going while being swept by the Mets, and the Astros got some strong work on the mound and won two of three against the Rockies.

Atlanta Braves took five of six from the Astros last season, allowing an average of just 2.2 runs. While their pitching has been adequate in the early going, the Braves’ bats have struggled. Dan Uggla and Brian McCann are a combined 2-for-20. Houston, which began 0-5 last year, has gotten production from the Carlos Lee and J.D. Martinez in the middle of its lineup.

Braves Astros Betting

When: 8:05 PM ET, Monday, April 9, 2012
Where: Minute Maid Park, Houston, Texas
TV: 8:05 p.m. ET, FSS (Atlanta), FSH (Houston)

The Opening Line is: OFF Run line OFF Total OFF Click here to Bet at Bovada

PITCHING MATCHUP: Braves RH Brandon Beachy (2011: 7-3, 3.68 ERA) vs. Astros LH J.A. Happ (2011: 6-15, 5.35 ERA)

Beachy set a franchise rookie record with 169 strikeouts in 141 2/3 innings last season. But the 25-year old struggled in September, going 0-1 with a 5.27 ERA in five starts as Atlanta collapsed and missed the postseason. Beachy has never faced Houston.

Happ was one of the worst pitchers in the league for much of the 2011 season, carrying a 6.26 ERA into August. But the left-hander settled in down the stretch, closing with a 2-1 record and a 2.43 ERA over his last six starts. Happ owns a 2-0 mark and a 2.09 ERA in seven career appearances – six starts – against Atlanta.

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1. The Braves struck out 25 times in the first three games.

2. Atlanta CF Michael Bourn was traded from Houston in July and will be making his first appearance back at Minute Maid Park since the deal.

3. Lee’s two career home runs against the Braves mark his second-lowest total against any team.

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MLB Betting Picks: Seattle Mariners against Texas Rangers on Monday

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PREVIEW: Yu Darvish makes his highly anticipated regular-season debut as the Rangers begin a four-game series against a Seattle club that opened with three wins in four games against Oakland. The Seattle Mariners split a pair against the A’s in Japan at the end of March before scoring 15 runs en route to two road wins over the weekend. Texas started by taking two of three at home against the White Sox.

Pitching has carried the Texas Rangers — Texas has yielded just six runs, with Matt Harrison and three relievers combining on a 5-0 victory Sunday. The Mariners come in with a .266 batting average. Both teams have been faring well in series openers — Seattle has won the first game in six of its last seven series, while Texas has grabbed the upper hand in 37 of its last 53 series.

Mariners Rangers Betting

When: 8:05 PM ET, Monday, April 9, 2012
Where: Rangers Ballpark in Arlington, Arlington, Texas
TV: 8:05 p.m. ET, ROOT Sports (Seattle), Fox Sports Southwest (Texas)

The Opening Line is: OFF Run line OFF Total OFF Click here to Bet at Bovada

PITCHING MATCHUP: Mariners RH Hector Noesi (2011: 2-2, 4.47 ERA) vs. Rangers RH Yu Darvish (2011 in Japan: 19-6, 1.44 ERA)

Noesi was a respectable fill-in pitcher during his rookie year with the New York Yankees, making a couple of spot starts and a few long relief appearances. He faced the Rangers just once, throwing 1 2/3 scoreless innings last June 16 in his fifth major league game. SS Elvis Andrus is the lone Texas player with a hit against Noesi.

Darvish has been a dominating presence in Japan’s Pacific League, going 93-38 with a 1.99 ERA since beginning his pro career in 2005. He has shown big strikeout potential, fanning 276 in 232 innings last season and punching out 11 Colorado Rockies over six frames in his final spring start March 31. While it remains to be seen whether Darvish can thrive in the majors, the potential is there.

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1. The Rangers were 15-4 against Seattle in 2011, including an 8-1 mark at home. Texas has won the last five meetings overall.

2. Seattle’s Chone Figgins, who hit a paltry .188 last season, is off to a hot start, batting a team-high .412 (7-for-17) over the Mariners’ first four games.

3. Texas has won 36 of its last 51 games against AL West teams dating back to last year, while Seattle has lost 14 of its last 20 division games.

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MLB Baseball Lines: Washington Nationals vs New York Mets on Monday

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PREVIEW: The New York Mets are 3-0 for the first time since 2007 and will try to continue their red-hot start against the visiting Nationals, who opened well by taking two of three from the Cubs. New York has a 1.67 ERA and a team batting average of .320 after outscoring the Braves 12-7 in its opening series.

David Wright is 6-for-9 with a home run and three RBIs and Lucas Duda already has a pair of home runs for the Mets, who finished 77-85 in 2011 and entered the year with tempered expectations. Washington Nationals went 10-8 against New York last year, including a four-game road sweep in mid-September.

 Nationals  Mets Betting

When: 7:10 PM ET, Monday, April 9, 2012
Where: Citi Field, New York, New York
TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, MASN 2 (Washington), SNY (New York)

The Opening Line is: OFF Run line OFF Total OFF Click here to Bet at Bovada

PITCHING MATCHUP: Nationals RH Edwin Jackson (2011: 12-9, 3.79 ERA) at Mets RH Mike Pelfrey (2011: 7-13, 4.74 ERA)

The Nationals are Jackson’s seventh team in eight years. He’s talented enough to make teams interested, but his inconsistent production hasn’t helped him become a viable long-term option for any club. Last year, Jackson gave up five runs in five innings in his only career start against the Mets.

Despite a 50-54 career record and 4.40 ERA, Pelfrey has somehow found a way to stick with the Mets, who reportedly considered cutting the seven-year veteran prior to Opening Day. Pelfrey had a rough spring training, posting a 7.62 ERA, but did finish on a high note, allowing just two runs on five hits over his last 10 1/3 innings. In 18 starts against the Nationals, he’s 4-7 with a 4.02 ERA.

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1. Pelfrey allowed a career-high 21 home runs last season. He had surrendered just 30 in the previous two years.

2. The Mets are 3-0 while the Yankees are 0-3 for the third time ever, and the first time in 27 years.

3. New York and Arizona are the only 3-0 teams in the National League.

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MLB Baseball Odds: Boston Red Sox at Toronto Blue Jays on Monday

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PREVIEW: Boston Red Sox is off to another slow start, with the pitching emerging as the biggest issue. Toronto fought for two wins over 28 total innings in their first two games before running out of gas and narrowly missing a sweep in its opening series in Cleveland. The American League East rivals played a tight series last season, with the Red Sox taking 10 of 18. The Toronto Blue Jays won three of four in the final series to add to Boston’s collapse.

The Red Sox were swept in Detroit to open the season, including an 11-inning loss Sunday that featured a pair of blown saves. Toronto rallied to force extra innings on Opening Day and then ended up with a win in the longest opener in history at 16 innings. After topping Cleveland in 12 innings Saturday, the Blue Jays fell short in the series finale, 4-3.

Red Sox Blue Jays Betting

When: 7:07 PM ET, Monday, April 9, 2012
Where: Rogers Centre, Toronto, Ontario
TV: 7:07 p.m. ET, NESN (Boston), RSN (Toronto)

The Opening Line is: OFF Run line OFF Total OFF Click here to Bet at Bovada

PITCHING MATCHUP: Red Sox LH Felix Doubront (2011: 0-0, 6.10 ERA) vs. Blue Jays RH Henderson Alvarez (2011: 1-3, 3.53 ERA)

Doubront emerged from the pack in spring training, beating out Aaron Cook, Vicente Padilla and Alfredo Aceves for one of two open rotation spots. The 24-year old impressed the front office and manager Bobby Valentine with his command of four pitches. Doubront has made five relief appearances against Toronto, going 1-0 with a 3.38 ERA.

Alvarez is part of a wave of pitching prospects that has Toronto excited, and he acquitted himself well in a tryout last season. The Venezuela native, who does not turn 22 until April 19, struck out 40 while issuing only eight walks in 63 2/3 total innings. He held Boston scoreless over six frames in a no-decision last September.

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1. The Red Sox began 0-6 last season.

2. Aceves has allowed three runs and four hits without recording an out in two appearances as Boston’s closer.

3. Toronto slugger Jose Bautista hit four homers against the Red Sox in 2011 but posted just a .234 (11-for-64) batting average.

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MLB Baseball Gambling: St. Louis Cardinals visit Cincinnati Reds

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PREVIEW: One of baseball’s heated rivalries renews on the banks of the Ohio River as defending World Series champion St. Louis Cardinals visits Cincinnati. The last two NL Central champions have exchanged plenty of words – and a few punches – in the past three seasons. The Reds enter after taking two out of three from Miami, scoring twice in the bottom of the ninth to win Sunday.

The Cardinals have opened the post-Albert Pujols era with three victories in four games. St. Louis pounded out 14 hits Sunday at Milwaukee, and veterans Rafael Furcal and Carlos Beltran are off to solid starts. The Cincinnati Reds are getting good production from rookie shortstop Zack Cozart and Jay Bruce, who homered twice in Sunday’s victory.

 Cardinals Reds Betting

When: 7:10 PM ET, Monday, April 9, 2012
Where: Great American Ball Park, Cincinnati, Ohio
TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, Fox Sports Midwest (St. Louis), Fox Sports Ohio (Cincinnati)

The Opening Line is: OFF Run line OFF Total OFF Click here to Bet at Bovada

PITCHING MATCHUP: St. Louis RH Jake Westbrook (2011: 12-9, 4.66 ERA) vs. Cincinnati RH Homer Bailey (2011: 9-7, 4.43 ERA).

Westbrook made 33 starts last season but wasn’t consistent. After being relegated to the bullpen for the playoffs, Westbrook lost 20 pounds in the offseason, readjusted his release point and posted a 1.50 ERA in 24 innings this spring.

Bailey’s spring went in the opposite direction, as the right-hander allowed three or more earned runs in three of his five starts. If, or perhaps when, the Reds move Aroldis Chapman from the bullpen to the rotation, chances are Bailey’s spot would be in jeopardy.

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1. The Reds won last season’s series 9-6, but the Cardinals actually outscored Cincinnati 68-67.

2. NLCS and World Series MVP David Freese is hitting .421 for the Cardinals with a homer and six RBIs.

3. St. Louis center fielder Shane Robinson had three hits Sunday, including a three-run homer.

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MLB Baseball Betting: Chicago White Sox vs Cleveland Indians on Monday

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PREVIEW: The Cleveland Indians picked up their first win Sunday, riding two home runs from Carlos Santana to a 4-3 win over Toronto. Chicago, meanwhile, dropped two of three games in Texas, suffering a 5-0 defeat Sunday night. Neither team came into the season with high expectations in the AL Central, with the Chicago White Sox losing both manager Ozzie Guillen and top starting pitcher Mark Buehrle to the Miami Marlins following a disappointing 2011 season.

Both teams will be hoping for a pleasant surprise on the mound. Chris Sale is making his first big-league start for Chicago after working out of the bullpen in 2010 and 2011, when he totaled 12 saves and 18 holds. Cleveland starter Josh Tomlin, meanwhile, is coming off an elbow injury that shelved him for the final month of last season.

 White Sox Indians Betting

When: 7:05 PM ET, Monday, April 9, 2012
Where: Progressive Field, Cleveland, Ohio
TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, Comcast Sports (Chicago), SportsTime Ohio (Cleveland)

The Opening Line is: OFF Run line OFF Total OFF Click here to Bet at Bovada

PITCHING MATCHUP: White Sox LH Chris Sale (2011: 2-2, ERA 2.79) vs. Indians RH Josh Tomlin (2011: 12-7, ERA 4.25)

Sale, Chicago’s first-round draft pick in 2010, got off to a rough start last season but posted a 1.12 ERA from June through August, earning himself a shot at joining the starting rotation. He was impressive during the spring, striking out 22 while walking just two. The lanky southpaw has allowed three runs over 13 2/3 innings in 10 appearances against the Indians.

Tomlin has exhibited excellent control, allowing fewer walks per nine innings (1.14) than any pitcher in baseball last season, but he also doesn’t strike out many batters (4.84 per 9 IP) and has been vulnerable to the long ball (24 HR allowed in 2011). Tomlin has yet to pitch against the White Sox during his career.

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1. The White Sox won last year’s season series, 11-7, taking six of the 10 games in Cleveland.

2. Current Indians are a combined 6-for-39 (.154) against Sale, with DH Travis Hafner (2-5, HR) and 2B Asdrubal Cabrera (2-6) the only players experiencing any success.

3. Chicago’s Kosuke Fukudome came off the bench to single in his first at-bat of the season Sunday. Fukudome played 59 games in Cleveland last year after being acquired from the Chicago Cubs.

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Milwaukee Brewers @ Chicago Cubs on Monday: MLB Odds

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PREVIEW: At least for a day, Chicago Cubs can breathe easy about its pitching. Jeff Samardzija came one out away from pitching a complete game Sunday, and Carlos Marmol was able to close the door as the Cubs got their first victory. Milwaukee Brewers lost two of three in its first series, at home to St. Louis. In the rubber game Sunday, the Brewers mustered just five hits in a 9-3 defeat.

One Brewer swinging a hot bat is Corey Hart, who homered twice in Saturday’s 6-0 victory and added a solo homer Sunday. NL MVP Ryan Braun hit his first homer Sunday. The Cubs led after the seventh inning in their first two games, but could not close out Washington in either. Sunday wasn’t easy, as Marmol walked the potential tying run before getting the final out.

Brewers  Cubs Betting

When: 7:05 PM ET, Monday, April 9, 2012
Where: Wrigley Field, Chicago, Illinois
TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, ESPN, FSN (Milwaukee), WCIU (Chicago), ESPN3.com

The Opening Line is: OFF Run line OFF Total OFF Click here to Bet at Bovada

PITCHING MATCHUP: Milwaukee RH Shaun Marcum (2011: 13-7, 3.54 ERA) vs. Chicago RH Chris Volstad (2011: 5-13, 4.89 ERA).

Marcum pitched just 7 1/3 innings in spring training due to shoulder stiffness, and the right-hander likely won’t pitch deep into Monday’s game. In his first season in the NL, Marcum tied a career high with 13 victories and pitched a career-high 200 2/3 innings.

Volstad makes his Cubs’ debut, coming over in the Carlos Zambrano trade. The right-hander allowed just one walk in 14 2/3 innings this spring, and looks to recapture his 2010 form (12-9, 4.58 ERA).

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1. The Brewers won last year’s season series 10-6.

2. Milwaukee closer John Axford made his season debut in Sunday’s loss. Axford pitched 2/3 inning, walking two and striking out two.

3. The Cubs host the Brewers for four games before hitting the road for St. Louis and Miami. Milwaukee travels to Atlanta after the series in Chicago.

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MLB Baseball Predictions: Kansas City Royals at Oakland Athletics on Monday

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PREVIEW: Three games do not make a season, but it makes for a good start to 2012 for perennial also-ran Kansas City. The Royals went into Anaheim and took two, scoring 13 runs over back-to-back victories Saturday and Sunday. Now Kansas City heads to Oakland to face an A’s squad undoubtedly happy to see somebody other than Seattle. Oakland Athletics is 1-3, all four games coming against the Mariners (two in Tokyo, two in Oakland).

Center fielder Yoenis Cespedes has made a big impression already for the A’s. Three of the Cuban rookie’s four hits are home runs and the 26-year-old has seven RBIs. Kansas City Royals first baseman Eric Hosmer is off to a flying start, one year after hitting 19 home runs in 128 games as a rookie. Hosmer hit his second home run in two games Sunday and drove in three in the Royals’ victory.

Royals Athletics Betting

When: 10:05 PM ET, Monday, April 9, 2012
Where: O.co Coliseum, Oakland, California
TV: 10:05 p.m. ET, Fox Sports Kansas City (Kansas City), CSN (Oakland)

The Opening Line is: OFF Run line OFF Total OFF Click here to Bet at Bovada

PITCHING MATCHUP: Kansas City RH Luis Mendoza (2011: 2-0, 1.23 ERA) vs. Oakland LH Tommy Milone (2011: 1-0, 3.81 ERA).

Mendoza has pitched in just 38 games (16 starts) in five major-league seasons, but impressed the Royals with a 0.47 ERA in five spring training games. The right-hander started his professional career in 2002 and has amassed 1,111 innings in the minors.

Milone was acquired as part of the Gio Gonzalez trade with Washington this offseason. He started five games for the Nationals last season and earned Triple-A All-Star honors in 2011.

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1. Kansas City catcher Humberto Quintero had two hits Sunday and is hitting .571.

2. The A’s are hitting .221 with four walks and 31 strikeouts.

3. Oakland did not play Sunday.

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