<TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=3 width=500 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=rs_value vAlign=top align=left width="50%">Yesterday</TD><TD class=rs_value vAlign=top align=right width="10%">2</TD><TD class=rs_value vAlign=top align=right width="10%">1</TD><TD class=rs_value vAlign=top align=right width="10%">0</TD><TD class=rs_value vAlign=top align=right width="20%">+2.78 Units</TD></TR><TR><TD class=rs_value vAlign=top align=left width="50%">Last 30 Days</TD><TD class=rs_value vAlign=top align=right width="10%">39</TD><TD class=rs_value vAlign=top align=right width="10%">39</TD><TD class=rs_value vAlign=top align=right width="10%">0</TD><TD class=rs_value vAlign=top align=right width="20%">+23.16 Units</TD></TR><TR><TD class=rs_value vAlign=top align=left width="50%">Season To Date (Since April 2007)</TD><TD class=rs_value vAlign=top align=right width="10%">178</TD><TD class=rs_value vAlign=top align=right width="10%">210</TD><TD class=rs_value vAlign=top align=right width="10%">0</TD><TD class=rs_value vAlign=top align=right width="20%">+25.51 Units</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
HOME TEAM IN CAPS
All games are listed pitchers unless stated otherwise.
TAMPA BAY +1.12 over Cleveland
If you take a quick glance at the pitching match-ups, what you’re going to see is Edwin Jackson with a 3-11 record and an ERA close to six facing Paul Byrd with a 10-5 record and an ERA of 4.53. Then you’re going to see the Indians with a 66-54 record against the D-Rays with the worst record in baseball. Finally, you’re going to see the Indians as a seemingly small 6-5 favorite and many of you will believe that it’s a strong bet and a very decent play. Wrong, wrong, wrong and wrong and that’s why the high majority of sports bettors lose their cash. Don’t get us wrong, of course the Indians can win this game but they have no appeal whatsoever as the road chalk with Paul Byrd going. For one, Byrd has never won at Tropicana Field in three starts and his ERA there including one start this year is 6.27. This year he’s allowed 171 hits in 137 innings for a batting average against of .302. Byrd has been brutal in three of his last four starts and he remains one of the more hittable pitchers in the game. Furthermore, the Indians have lost four of five and 12 of their past 18 games and in 11 of those 18 games they scored two runs or fewer. Now to Edwin Jackson and his 3-11 record and 5.84 ERA. First, let us point out that Jackson was once considered one of the hottest prospects in baseball when he was in the Dodger system and subsequently traded to the Rays for Danys Baez and Lance Carter. Jackson has struggled quite a bit but the move is starting to pay off big time. Jackson has not allowed a single run in three of his last five starts and over his last three starts his ERA is 0.86. It’s also worth noting that his last three starts were at Texas, at Detroit and at home against the Blue Jays, which makes his performances even more impressive. In two August starts the Tigers and Rangers combined to hit .208 off Jackson and aside from one rough outing against the Orioles on July 26, Jackson has been downright dominating since July 8. Jackson has been clocked with a fastball that exceeds 100 MPH and at the moment he throwing strikes and his confidence is soaring. The Indians favored here is incorrect, as perception is everything and so is very misleading W/L records on both these starters. Play: Tampa Bay +1.12 (Risking 2 units).
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Kansas City +1.07 over OAKLAND
Dan Meyer will make his first major league start here for the A’s and if you think he’s one of their pitching prospects, you’re wrong. Meyer has been bouncing around the minors for years and will likely go back to riding buses for the rest of his career before the ninth inning of this one. He hasn’t pitched in the majors for the three years and even then, in 2004 he pitched just two innings. In ’05 at Triple A Sacramento, Meyer was 2-8 with an ERA of 5.36. Last year he went 3-3 with an ERA of 5.07. This season his numbers are much better but he’s been roughed up in plenty of his 19 starts this season. In fact, as late as July 2, his ERA in the minors was 5.02. At one point this season the Pacific Coast League was hitting .322 off him. Meyer is a 26-yr old minor-leaguer and chances are great that’s all he’ll ever be. Meanwhile, Brian Banister continues to be unspectacular but very reliable indeed. Bannister has allowed three runs or fewer in each of his last five starts and on the year the league is hitting just .243 off him. That number drops to .210 when he’s not pitching at Kaufman Stadium and it’s also worth mentioning that Bannister has walked just 32 batters all year in 118 frames. Royals remain pesky as hell, thus making them a live pooch again here. Play: Kansas City +1.07 (Risking 2 units).
HOME TEAM IN CAPS
All games are listed pitchers unless stated otherwise.
TAMPA BAY +1.12 over Cleveland
If you take a quick glance at the pitching match-ups, what you’re going to see is Edwin Jackson with a 3-11 record and an ERA close to six facing Paul Byrd with a 10-5 record and an ERA of 4.53. Then you’re going to see the Indians with a 66-54 record against the D-Rays with the worst record in baseball. Finally, you’re going to see the Indians as a seemingly small 6-5 favorite and many of you will believe that it’s a strong bet and a very decent play. Wrong, wrong, wrong and wrong and that’s why the high majority of sports bettors lose their cash. Don’t get us wrong, of course the Indians can win this game but they have no appeal whatsoever as the road chalk with Paul Byrd going. For one, Byrd has never won at Tropicana Field in three starts and his ERA there including one start this year is 6.27. This year he’s allowed 171 hits in 137 innings for a batting average against of .302. Byrd has been brutal in three of his last four starts and he remains one of the more hittable pitchers in the game. Furthermore, the Indians have lost four of five and 12 of their past 18 games and in 11 of those 18 games they scored two runs or fewer. Now to Edwin Jackson and his 3-11 record and 5.84 ERA. First, let us point out that Jackson was once considered one of the hottest prospects in baseball when he was in the Dodger system and subsequently traded to the Rays for Danys Baez and Lance Carter. Jackson has struggled quite a bit but the move is starting to pay off big time. Jackson has not allowed a single run in three of his last five starts and over his last three starts his ERA is 0.86. It’s also worth noting that his last three starts were at Texas, at Detroit and at home against the Blue Jays, which makes his performances even more impressive. In two August starts the Tigers and Rangers combined to hit .208 off Jackson and aside from one rough outing against the Orioles on July 26, Jackson has been downright dominating since July 8. Jackson has been clocked with a fastball that exceeds 100 MPH and at the moment he throwing strikes and his confidence is soaring. The Indians favored here is incorrect, as perception is everything and so is very misleading W/L records on both these starters. Play: Tampa Bay +1.12 (Risking 2 units).
<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com
fficeffice" /><o></o>Kansas City +1.07 over OAKLAND
Dan Meyer will make his first major league start here for the A’s and if you think he’s one of their pitching prospects, you’re wrong. Meyer has been bouncing around the minors for years and will likely go back to riding buses for the rest of his career before the ninth inning of this one. He hasn’t pitched in the majors for the three years and even then, in 2004 he pitched just two innings. In ’05 at Triple A Sacramento, Meyer was 2-8 with an ERA of 5.36. Last year he went 3-3 with an ERA of 5.07. This season his numbers are much better but he’s been roughed up in plenty of his 19 starts this season. In fact, as late as July 2, his ERA in the minors was 5.02. At one point this season the Pacific Coast League was hitting .322 off him. Meyer is a 26-yr old minor-leaguer and chances are great that’s all he’ll ever be. Meanwhile, Brian Banister continues to be unspectacular but very reliable indeed. Bannister has allowed three runs or fewer in each of his last five starts and on the year the league is hitting just .243 off him. That number drops to .210 when he’s not pitching at Kaufman Stadium and it’s also worth mentioning that Bannister has walked just 32 batters all year in 118 frames. Royals remain pesky as hell, thus making them a live pooch again here. Play: Kansas City +1.07 (Risking 2 units).
