Since Wednesday:
YTD: 14-5 +10.05
MLB Mon, Jul 25, 2005
MLB Hot Lines: Monday`s picks
Josh Hansen
Arizona at Milwaukee – Over 7 ½ runs
Brandon Webb versus Ben Sheets. Sounds like a great pitching duel. Except Webb, Arizona’s scheduled starter, will miss tonight’s game because of a stomach virus. He didn`t travel with the Diamondbacks to Milwaukee.
Left-hander Michael Gosling will start in place of Webb. The 24-year-old reliever turned starter has allowed just two earned runs in his last two starts, but short outings in those starts prove Gosling`s arm is not starter material. That means the league’s worst bullpen will need to step in against Carlos Lee and company, so expect the total to hit eight runs before game time.
Mets at Rockies – NY as -128 faves
Carlos Beltran’s leg is feeling better. So much so, the Mets’ center fielder was able to stretch a double against the Los Angeles Dodgers into a triple over the weekend. He could have stopped at second, but he would have gotten to third eventually with Willie Randolph’s new approach to base running.
"We want to be aggressive. That`s part of our game,” New York`s rookie manager said after his team stole eight bases in their weekend set versus the Dodgers.
The misdemeanors helped New York to its second straight series victory, with the only loss coming by way of one run. Mets runners have been caught stealing just 23 times in 82 attempts (28 percent) this season.
Texas at Baltimore – under 10 runs
If you had four more fingers, you could count the number of times the over has cashed in at Camden Yards in Baltimore’s 47 home games this season. Despite having a handful of supposedly dangerous bats in their lineup, the Orioles offense has struggled at home and is among the bottom five of the league’s worst home-scoring clubs.
“We are too good of an offensive club not to be hitting, but right now we`re struggling,” said Orioles manager Lee Mazzilli after his team played under the total for the fifth time in six games Sunday in Tampa.
Baltimore is averaging just 3.2 runs over its last 10 games.
Philly at Houston – Eat the –155 chalk on the Astros
The Houston Astros hope to validate Billy Wagner’s theory that the Philadelphia Phillies won`t be playing come October. Wagner, who spent the better part of nine years in Houston as a closer, repeatedly said two weeks ago that his team wasn’t a contender for this year’s postseason.
Although the Astros aren’t about to buy into Wagner`s statements, manager Phil Garner isn’t taking any chances on Philadelphia, which has won 10 of the last 14 games.
Garner will start three of the NL`s top ERA pitchers in Roy Oswalt, Rogers Clemens and tonight’s hurler Andy Pettitte for a pivotal series as only a half game separates both teams from second place in the NL Wild Card race.
YTD: 14-5 +10.05
MLB Mon, Jul 25, 2005
MLB Hot Lines: Monday`s picks
Josh Hansen
Arizona at Milwaukee – Over 7 ½ runs
Brandon Webb versus Ben Sheets. Sounds like a great pitching duel. Except Webb, Arizona’s scheduled starter, will miss tonight’s game because of a stomach virus. He didn`t travel with the Diamondbacks to Milwaukee.
Left-hander Michael Gosling will start in place of Webb. The 24-year-old reliever turned starter has allowed just two earned runs in his last two starts, but short outings in those starts prove Gosling`s arm is not starter material. That means the league’s worst bullpen will need to step in against Carlos Lee and company, so expect the total to hit eight runs before game time.
Mets at Rockies – NY as -128 faves
Carlos Beltran’s leg is feeling better. So much so, the Mets’ center fielder was able to stretch a double against the Los Angeles Dodgers into a triple over the weekend. He could have stopped at second, but he would have gotten to third eventually with Willie Randolph’s new approach to base running.
"We want to be aggressive. That`s part of our game,” New York`s rookie manager said after his team stole eight bases in their weekend set versus the Dodgers.
The misdemeanors helped New York to its second straight series victory, with the only loss coming by way of one run. Mets runners have been caught stealing just 23 times in 82 attempts (28 percent) this season.
Texas at Baltimore – under 10 runs
If you had four more fingers, you could count the number of times the over has cashed in at Camden Yards in Baltimore’s 47 home games this season. Despite having a handful of supposedly dangerous bats in their lineup, the Orioles offense has struggled at home and is among the bottom five of the league’s worst home-scoring clubs.
“We are too good of an offensive club not to be hitting, but right now we`re struggling,” said Orioles manager Lee Mazzilli after his team played under the total for the fifth time in six games Sunday in Tampa.
Baltimore is averaging just 3.2 runs over its last 10 games.
Philly at Houston – Eat the –155 chalk on the Astros
The Houston Astros hope to validate Billy Wagner’s theory that the Philadelphia Phillies won`t be playing come October. Wagner, who spent the better part of nine years in Houston as a closer, repeatedly said two weeks ago that his team wasn’t a contender for this year’s postseason.
Although the Astros aren’t about to buy into Wagner`s statements, manager Phil Garner isn’t taking any chances on Philadelphia, which has won 10 of the last 14 games.
Garner will start three of the NL`s top ERA pitchers in Roy Oswalt, Rogers Clemens and tonight’s hurler Andy Pettitte for a pivotal series as only a half game separates both teams from second place in the NL Wild Card race.
