MistaFlava's 2010 MLB Baseball Record: 31-34 (+97.55 Units)
Saturday, July 24
Oakland Athletics ML -113 (10 Units)
The Chicago White Sox were one of the hottest teams in MLB heading into the All-Star Break but things haven't been the same since that time. Bobby Jenks the closer has been horrendous and has been responsible for a few losses and the White Sox are only 4-4 since the Break. Their bats have managed to stay hot however as they are batting .301 in their last 10 games and are 6-4 in those games having hit lefties and righties equally well. Freddy Garcia is on the mound for the White Sox and he's arguably been one of the White Sox best pitchers in 2010 as the team is 12-5 when he is on the mound this year. That's pretty impressive considering his 4.37 ERA on the season and 1.37 WHIP. Although the White Sox are 2-1 in his last three starts, he has allowed 22 hits in 18.0 innings of work with an ERA of 3.00 and a WHIP of 1.50 so baserunners could be a problem for Garcia in this game. He is 5-1 on the road this season but has an ERA of 5.03 and a WHIP of 1.47 in nine away starts. He's been a lot better in night time starts than day time starts going 2-2 during the day in six starts and 7-1 during the night in 11 starts this season. For some reason he allows a lot more fly balls and Home Runs in night starts and that could be a problem today against an Oakland team that has been a lot better at hitting the power ball in 2010 than they were in past season.
The Oakland Athletics don't stand much of a chance to make the playoffs in 2010 despite a decent 48-48 record on the season. They are too deep in the Wild Card and Divisional races and unless they go on some kind of run late in the year they will have to settle for a season that at least exceeded expectations. Having said that, the A's won their last two games before the All-Star Break beating the Angels twice and then continued their success after the Break sweeping Kansas City in a road series and then coming home and winning two of three against the Boston Red Sox. They lost the first game of this series to the White Sox but are 5-2 now since the Break and have won both series they have played. The A's have been consistent with the bats on both sides of the plate in 2010 and their pitching staff has been better than expected. On the mound trying to even this series up at one is Vin Mazzaro who has pitched really well again this year. Sure the team is only 5-4 in his nine starts in 2010 but they are 2-1 in his last three starts where he has posted an ERA of 2.05 and a WHIP of 1.05 in those three starts while allowing only 18 hits in 22.0 innings of work. The only game the A's lost in his last three starts was because the bullpen came in and gave it away. Mazzaro is the opposite of Freddy Garcia as he is a much better day time pitcher posting an ERA of 2.82 in four daytime starts compared to an ERA of 4.50 in five night time starts this season. He has been impressive at home all season long and I have no problems backing Oakland when Mazzaro is pitching coming off a loss.
Freddy Garcia has made 20 career starts against Oakland and is only 6-6 with an ERa of 4.98 and a WHIP of 1.39 with the Athletics batting .244 against him in those starts. Vin Mazzaro made one career start against the White Sox and he dominated them going 6.1 innings, allowing only 3 hits, with 0 ER's, 4 walks and 1 strikeout. He made 17 starts in 2009 and won only 4 games. So far in 2010 he has made 9 starts and already has 5 wins on the year so Mazzaro is well on his way and establishing himself as a pitcher that is going to be around for a long time. Chicago hasn't been that good as an underdog this year and they are 1-4 in their last five games as an underdog. They have been outstanding with Garcia on the mound against AL West opponents but the A's are a lot more solid as a team in 2010 and that reign from Garcia is going to eventually start to dwindle down. Oakland is 5-1 in their last six games versus a right handed starter, they are 4-1 in Vin Mazzaro's last five starts versus AL Central opponents and they are playing some good baseball right now winning 7 of their last 9 games overall. Oakland is 29-11 in their last 40 home games against the White Sox and I just don't see them losing the second game of this series. Lazaro Diaz is behind home plate today and the Home Team is 4-1 in his last five times behind home plate. Mazzaro and the A's win this.
Trend of the Game: Oakland is 5-1 in their last six games versus right handed starters.
Oakland 7, White Sox 2
more to come...
Saturday, July 24
Oakland Athletics ML -113 (10 Units)
The Chicago White Sox were one of the hottest teams in MLB heading into the All-Star Break but things haven't been the same since that time. Bobby Jenks the closer has been horrendous and has been responsible for a few losses and the White Sox are only 4-4 since the Break. Their bats have managed to stay hot however as they are batting .301 in their last 10 games and are 6-4 in those games having hit lefties and righties equally well. Freddy Garcia is on the mound for the White Sox and he's arguably been one of the White Sox best pitchers in 2010 as the team is 12-5 when he is on the mound this year. That's pretty impressive considering his 4.37 ERA on the season and 1.37 WHIP. Although the White Sox are 2-1 in his last three starts, he has allowed 22 hits in 18.0 innings of work with an ERA of 3.00 and a WHIP of 1.50 so baserunners could be a problem for Garcia in this game. He is 5-1 on the road this season but has an ERA of 5.03 and a WHIP of 1.47 in nine away starts. He's been a lot better in night time starts than day time starts going 2-2 during the day in six starts and 7-1 during the night in 11 starts this season. For some reason he allows a lot more fly balls and Home Runs in night starts and that could be a problem today against an Oakland team that has been a lot better at hitting the power ball in 2010 than they were in past season.
The Oakland Athletics don't stand much of a chance to make the playoffs in 2010 despite a decent 48-48 record on the season. They are too deep in the Wild Card and Divisional races and unless they go on some kind of run late in the year they will have to settle for a season that at least exceeded expectations. Having said that, the A's won their last two games before the All-Star Break beating the Angels twice and then continued their success after the Break sweeping Kansas City in a road series and then coming home and winning two of three against the Boston Red Sox. They lost the first game of this series to the White Sox but are 5-2 now since the Break and have won both series they have played. The A's have been consistent with the bats on both sides of the plate in 2010 and their pitching staff has been better than expected. On the mound trying to even this series up at one is Vin Mazzaro who has pitched really well again this year. Sure the team is only 5-4 in his nine starts in 2010 but they are 2-1 in his last three starts where he has posted an ERA of 2.05 and a WHIP of 1.05 in those three starts while allowing only 18 hits in 22.0 innings of work. The only game the A's lost in his last three starts was because the bullpen came in and gave it away. Mazzaro is the opposite of Freddy Garcia as he is a much better day time pitcher posting an ERA of 2.82 in four daytime starts compared to an ERA of 4.50 in five night time starts this season. He has been impressive at home all season long and I have no problems backing Oakland when Mazzaro is pitching coming off a loss.
Freddy Garcia has made 20 career starts against Oakland and is only 6-6 with an ERa of 4.98 and a WHIP of 1.39 with the Athletics batting .244 against him in those starts. Vin Mazzaro made one career start against the White Sox and he dominated them going 6.1 innings, allowing only 3 hits, with 0 ER's, 4 walks and 1 strikeout. He made 17 starts in 2009 and won only 4 games. So far in 2010 he has made 9 starts and already has 5 wins on the year so Mazzaro is well on his way and establishing himself as a pitcher that is going to be around for a long time. Chicago hasn't been that good as an underdog this year and they are 1-4 in their last five games as an underdog. They have been outstanding with Garcia on the mound against AL West opponents but the A's are a lot more solid as a team in 2010 and that reign from Garcia is going to eventually start to dwindle down. Oakland is 5-1 in their last six games versus a right handed starter, they are 4-1 in Vin Mazzaro's last five starts versus AL Central opponents and they are playing some good baseball right now winning 7 of their last 9 games overall. Oakland is 29-11 in their last 40 home games against the White Sox and I just don't see them losing the second game of this series. Lazaro Diaz is behind home plate today and the Home Team is 4-1 in his last five times behind home plate. Mazzaro and the A's win this.
Trend of the Game: Oakland is 5-1 in their last six games versus right handed starters.
Oakland 7, White Sox 2
more to come...
