Tuesday's Tip Sheet
August 11, 2015
Athletics at Blue Jays – 7:05 PM EST
There is little shock that Toronto has run off eight consecutive wins since acquiring Troy Tulowitzki and David Price prior to the trade deadline. However, the Jays distanced themselves from the Twins in the Wild Card race with a four-game sweep, while pulling off a three-game road sweep of the AL East-leading Yankees this past weekend to cut the division deficit to 1 ½ games.
Toronto starts up a three-game set with Oakland as right-hander Drew Hutchison (10-2, 5.42 ERA) looks to stay unbeaten for the fifth consecutive start. Hutchison’s ERA is through the roof for a starting pitcher, but owns some of the best run support in baseball with the Jays furnishing him with an average of seven runs per outing. Toronto is unbeaten in Hutchison’s last seven starts at Rogers Center, while the Jays are 5-1 to the ‘over’ in his past six trips to the mound overall.
The A’s wrapped up a 6-5 homestand with three victories over the AL West leaders, limiting the Astros to six runs in the final three games. Kendall Graveman (6-7, 3.90 ERA) attempts to get on track, failing to record a win in his past five starts. The Oakland right-hander struggled against this loaded Toronto lineup on July 21, allowing six earned runs in 5.1 innings of a 7-1 defeat, while also yielding three home runs. The A’s began the season 4-0 in Graveman’s first four starts as a road underdog, but own a dreadful 1-4 mark in his past five in the away ‘dog role.
Rangers at Twins – 8:10 PM EST
Two weeks ago, Minnesota held on to the final Wild Card spot in the American League, but a 3-12 slump for the Twins has dropped them below .500 and four games behind the Angels for a playoff position. Two of those three wins came by one run apiece, while Minnesota’s pitching has been racked by giving up at least eight runs in each of the past five games.
The Rangers continue their road trip after dropping two of three at Seattle, sending out veteran Yovani Gallardo (8-9, 3.47 ERA) to the mound in the opener. Texas has won each of Gallardo’s last three starts, but the righty has given up 13 runs in this stretch, with each of the three victories coming by one run each. Gallardo has seen his ups and downs pitching on the highway, as the Rangers are 3-1 in his past four road starts.
Kyle Gibson (8-9, 3.78 ERA) closed the first half with four consecutive wins for the Twins, but the All-Star break crushed the right-hander’s momentum. Minnesota has put together a 1-3 record in his four starts after the break, while giving up at least six runs in the three losses. For the exception of allowing to six runs to the Yankees on July 26, Hughes has given up two runs or less in four of his past five starts at Target Field.
Pirates at Cardinals – 8:15 PM EST
St. Louis still owns an arm-length five-game advantage over Pittsburgh in the NL Central, but the Pirates put together an impressive three-game home sweep of the Dodgers. Pittsburgh and St. Louis play nine more times in the regular season, including six at Busch Stadium. The Cardinals finished off their six-game road trip at 4-2, bookended with one-run losses to the Reds and Brewers.
The last time Carlos Martinez (11-4, 2.57 ERA) faced the Pirates at PNC Park prior to the All-Star break, the Cardinals’ right-hander tossed 7.1 scoreless innings in a 4-1 victory. St. Louis is unbeaten in Martinez’s last six starts at Busch Stadium dating back to late May, while posting an incredible 12-1 record in his past 13 starts overall. The ‘under’ has cashed in 10 of Martinez’s last 12 outings, as St. Louis is currently riding a 6-1 ‘under’ stretch in the last seven games overall.
Pittsburgh and Chicago are the two Wild Card leaders in the National League, as the Pirates have scored 31 runs during their four-game winning streak. Jeff Locke (6-6, 4.31 ERA) went through four straight starts from late June through July receiving four total runs of supports. However, the Pirates’ offense has helped out the young southpaw by scoring 19 runs in his past three outings, all Pittsburgh victories. Locke has split a pair of starts against the Cardinals this season, allowing seven runs in 11.1 innings of work.
Nationals at Dodgers – 10:10 PM EST
It’s turned into a struggle for the Dodgers of late, dropping four straight games following Monday’s 8-3 home defeat to the Nationals. Los Angeles was swept this past weekend at Pittsburgh, then traveled cross-country for Monday’s contest that saw Adrian Gonzalez, Yasmani Grandal, and Howie Kendrick all sit out. Now, Los Angeles will try to get on track with one of its two aces taking the mound in Game 2 of this crucial series.
Zack Greinke (11-2, 1.71 ERA) shut down the Nationals the last time he faced them in Washington on July 19, tossing eight scoreless innings and striking out 11 in a 5-0 triumph. Greinke allowed a season-high six runs in his last start against the Phillies, but the Dodgers held on for a 10-8 win as a -265 road favorite. The former Cy Young winner is unbeaten in his last four starts at Chavez Ravine, while giving up just two earned runs in this stretch.
Washington counters with right-hander Joe Ross (3-3, 2.80 ERA), who silenced the Arizona bats in his last outing, an 8-3 home victory as a -175 favorite. Ross has walked just four batters in 45 innings of work, while tossing at least six innings in each of his past six outings. Since the All-Star break, the Nationals own a 4-7 road record, as Washington is listed as a road underdog of +145 or higher for just the second time this season.
Astros at Giants – 10:15 PM EST
Each of these teams is desperate to get on track heading into a quick two-game set at AT&T Park. San Francisco returns home after losing all four games at Wrigley Field to the Cubs, but still sits 2 ½ games behind Los Angeles in the NL West thanks to the Dodgers’ recent woes. The Astros have been awful away from Minute Maid Park recently, losing three of four this past weekend at Oakland, falling to 3-16 in their last 19 road contests.
It’s a battle of left-handers on the mound in the series opener with Madison Bumgarner and Scott Kazmir squaring off. Bumgarner (12-6, 3.28 ERA) has won four of his past five starts, while allowing one earned run in three of those outings, including one run in 7.1 innings of a 6-1 victory at Atlanta his last time out. All five of San Francisco’s home losses with Bumgarner on the hill have come as a favorite of at least -150, as the southpaw opened as a -140 favorite for tonight.
Kazmir (6-6, 2.08 ERA) makes his fourth start for the Astros since getting dealt from the A’s in late July. The southpaw suffered his first loss in a Houston uniform in a 4-3 loss at Texas last Wednesday, but Kazmir is listed in the underdog role for the third time this season tonight. The previous time Kazmir faced the Giants at AT&T Park last July, he scattered three hits in seven scoreless innings as the A’s pulled off a 6-1 victory.
