YTD:
Consensus Pick 4-1 +2.89----*gonna start tracking
YTD: 48-25 +27.44
MLB Mon, Aug 15, 2005
MLB Hot lines: Monday`s best bets
Ryan Stetson
Chicago Cubs at Houston- Chicago +130
It would have been so easy for the Cubs to just pack it in like they’ve done so many times before.
Last night Derrek Lee made himself look busy in the dugout after destroying a Matt Morris pitch deep into the left field bleachers, obviously fearing the worst. At the time, Chicago was up 5-1 over St. Louis and Wrigley was going nuts - that is before the umps got together and nixed the dinger since it was clearly foul. Dusty Baker came out and gave his usual uninspired argument, then Lee climbed back into the box and promptly flied out to right.
Not too long ago a turn of events like this would sink the Cubs, but this time they hung in there and pulled out a 5-4 win even after the Cards tied it up. Maybe they’ve finally realized the urgency of the situation they’re in after the Windy City media basically wrote off their playoff chances late last week.
They’re still a long way off, but they’re finally healthy and if they can take a couple from Houston this week, you never know. If nothing else, Glendon Rusch is going to go toe-to-toe with Houston today. He’s not the type to cop out in a big start like this.
Milwaukee at Colorado- under 10 ½ runs
If Colorado’s impotent offense and Coors Field’s bloated totals aren’t enough to warrant a hard look at the under, just check out what Ben Sheets has been up to lately. He hasn’t allowed more than three runs in a start since late-June and couldn’t be any hotter right now.
He’s thrown two complete games in his last three starts and chucked nine innings in an extra-innings win in the other. Wow.
Meanwhile, Colorado’s Aaron Cook hasn’t been bad either. He’s won two straight starts, allowing just four combined runs.
Baltimore at Oakland- over 7 ½ runs
You can just see the books weighing things out for this matchup: Barry Zito and the A’s are on fire; Rodrigo Lopez and the O’s have already burned out.
At -200 an A’s wager doesn’t make much sense, but you might see some runs on the board. Oakland’s hitting .291 over the last 10 and Baltimore just got Raphael Palmeiro back from his juice scandal. Whatever that’s worth.
Lopez isn’t as good as his 11-6 mark would lead you to believe, either. He’s been hit hard in two of his last three starts and is working on a 4.77 ERA for the year.
Washington at Philadelphia- Washington +140
A Clydesdale-like workload is probably starting to take its toll on Livan Hernandez. The right-handed inning eater has allowed more than 10 hits in each of his last three outings and was roughed up for nine combined runs over his last two.
But it’s hard to ignore him at this price with the Nats just coming off a three-game sweep of the lowly Rockies.
It doesn’t hurt that Brett Myers has come down to earth a bit. He’s helped Philly to wins in his last six starts, but walked seven batters and allowed nine combined runs over his last two efforts.
Consensus Pick 4-1 +2.89----*gonna start tracking
YTD: 48-25 +27.44
MLB Mon, Aug 15, 2005
MLB Hot lines: Monday`s best bets
Ryan Stetson
Chicago Cubs at Houston- Chicago +130
It would have been so easy for the Cubs to just pack it in like they’ve done so many times before.
Last night Derrek Lee made himself look busy in the dugout after destroying a Matt Morris pitch deep into the left field bleachers, obviously fearing the worst. At the time, Chicago was up 5-1 over St. Louis and Wrigley was going nuts - that is before the umps got together and nixed the dinger since it was clearly foul. Dusty Baker came out and gave his usual uninspired argument, then Lee climbed back into the box and promptly flied out to right.
Not too long ago a turn of events like this would sink the Cubs, but this time they hung in there and pulled out a 5-4 win even after the Cards tied it up. Maybe they’ve finally realized the urgency of the situation they’re in after the Windy City media basically wrote off their playoff chances late last week.
They’re still a long way off, but they’re finally healthy and if they can take a couple from Houston this week, you never know. If nothing else, Glendon Rusch is going to go toe-to-toe with Houston today. He’s not the type to cop out in a big start like this.
Milwaukee at Colorado- under 10 ½ runs
If Colorado’s impotent offense and Coors Field’s bloated totals aren’t enough to warrant a hard look at the under, just check out what Ben Sheets has been up to lately. He hasn’t allowed more than three runs in a start since late-June and couldn’t be any hotter right now.
He’s thrown two complete games in his last three starts and chucked nine innings in an extra-innings win in the other. Wow.
Meanwhile, Colorado’s Aaron Cook hasn’t been bad either. He’s won two straight starts, allowing just four combined runs.
Baltimore at Oakland- over 7 ½ runs
You can just see the books weighing things out for this matchup: Barry Zito and the A’s are on fire; Rodrigo Lopez and the O’s have already burned out.
At -200 an A’s wager doesn’t make much sense, but you might see some runs on the board. Oakland’s hitting .291 over the last 10 and Baltimore just got Raphael Palmeiro back from his juice scandal. Whatever that’s worth.
Lopez isn’t as good as his 11-6 mark would lead you to believe, either. He’s been hit hard in two of his last three starts and is working on a 4.77 ERA for the year.
Washington at Philadelphia- Washington +140
A Clydesdale-like workload is probably starting to take its toll on Livan Hernandez. The right-handed inning eater has allowed more than 10 hits in each of his last three outings and was roughed up for nine combined runs over his last two.
But it’s hard to ignore him at this price with the Nats just coming off a three-game sweep of the lowly Rockies.
It doesn’t hurt that Brett Myers has come down to earth a bit. He’s helped Philly to wins in his last six starts, but walked seven batters and allowed nine combined runs over his last two efforts.
