Jeff Mattingly: Friday MLB Insider Report - 7/2

Baltimore Orioles

* Baltimore leads the season series, 5-4, with the O's going 4-2 in Baltimore and 1-2 on Yawkey Way. The Orioles have already surpassed their 2009 season win total against the Red Sox, when they went 2-16.
* Since June 2, 2005, the Orioles are 9-34 at Fenway Park and have lost 15 of their last 17 games in Boston.
* The Orioles are 17-36 versus right-handed pitchers and have posted a 7-19 record in the first game of a series.
* Over the last seven games, the bullpen has allowed five earned runs on 22 hits over 26.1 innings of work to post a 1.71 ERA.
* C Matt Wieters has hit in eight straight games, going 10-for-27 (.370) and reached base in all nine games of the homestand.
* Baltimore has scored 102 runs in its last 30 games (3.4 runs per game).
* SP Brad Bergesen has made three career starts against the Red Sox, posting an even 1-1 record and 3.79 ERA. The Orioles are 1-2 in those games.
* Bergesen has a 12.00 ERA in four starts against the AL East this season and 6.20 ERA in 10 career starts within the division.

Philadelphia Phillies

* The Phillies are 41-36 after 77 games this year and have nearly the same record they did at the same point in each of the last two seasons. After 77 games in 2009, Philadelphia was 40-37 and 42-35 in 2008.
* Philadelphia is 12-6 against NL Central teams this season, as the pitching staff has posted a 3.19 ERA over those contests. Last season, the club tailled a 23-16 mark against the Central.
* On the road this season, the team is an even 21-21, but are actually 19-20 away from Citizens Bank Park due to the recent series against Toronto.
* SP Jamie Moyer is 3-0 with a 1.96 ERA over his last three starts.
* Moyer is 14-5 with a 3.98 ERA in 31 career games (28 starts) against NL Central teams.


Chicago Cubs

* Today is the 11th game (3-7) of a stretch that sees Chicago play 20 games in 20 days to close our the first half of the season.
* The club is 2-5 in its last seven contests and 4-9 in its last 13 after winning consecutive games on June 16-17.
* Cubs SS Starlin Castro begins today with a six-game hitting streak in which he's batting .367 with two RBI.
* Pitching staff has a 1.46 ERA in the first four games of the homestand, striking out 36 compared to just 14 walks.
* Chicago has been involved in 30 one-run games in its first 79 games played. The Cubs had 38 one-run games all of last season, going 16-22 in those contests.
* Dropped 11 consecutive series-opening games for the first time since 15 consecutive series-opening setbacks in 1999.
* SP Ryan Dempster is 3-4 witha 4.28 ERA against NL Central opponents this year.

Chicago White Sox

* Chicago has won 12 of its last 15 games and 16 of 20 as they continue a six-game, seven-day trip.
* The White Sox have used 57 different lineups and have a -6 run differential for the season. The club has outscored the opposition by 43 runs over its last 20 games.
* Chicago is 16-9 in one-run games this season, which is the most wins in the American League in that category.
* The team is 0-3-2 in its last five seasons series versus Texas. The Sox are 3-9 in their last 12 games in Arlington.
* Starting rotation is 13-4 with a 2.49 ERA and 19 quality starts in 21 games.
* Lineup is hitting .355 with runners in scoring position during their 16-4 run, raising their season average from .228 to .263.
* SP Freddy Garcia is 5-0 with a 3.58 ERA in his last five starts and carries a 70-35 record and 4.12 ERA lifetime away from home.
* Garcia is 30-17 with a 3.95 ERA in 72 career starts against the AL West division, including a 7-0 mark with a 2.57 ERA in his last 11 starts versus the division.

Tampa Bay Rays

* The Rays are 2-1 on their current six-game road trip, as they've won consecutive games for the first time in three weeks. Tampa has scored 18 runs on the trip and batted .304.
* Tampa Bay stands at 26-13 on the road, the best road record in the majors. The Rays aer 12-2 on the road within the division.
* Tonight's starter David Price leads the AL in wins (11) and ERA (2.44).
* The club is 40-53 (.430) all-time versus the Twins, including a 22-22 mark at home and 18-31 record in Minnesota. The Rays are 12-9 in their last 21 games against them.
* Two of Price's three losses this season have come at the hands of the Chicago White Sox. In his career, he is 0-3 against them while going 21-7 against everyone else.

Get some

Who in the blue hell are you, Jeff Mattingly. You sound like a goober I used to know, but his last name was slightly different.