MLB
Wednesday, August 4
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Hot Lines: Today's best MLB bets
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Milwaukee Brewers at Chicago Cubs (-142, Off)
After three consecutive subpar starts, Ryan Dempster welcomes the arrival of the Brewers, against whom he has enjoyed incredible success throughout his career.
Dempster owns a 13-3 record against the Brew Crew with a 2.69 ERA. He is 2-0 vs. Milwaukee this season and has held Corey Hart to 1-for-23 lifetime, but he settled for a no-decision in an error-plagued loss in their last meeting.
"We have to win no matter who we're playing against," Dempster said. "The more this season keeps getting later and later, the more losses pile up. We have to win more games, that's the bottom line."
The Brewers counter with lefty Manny Parra, who is 0-1 in four appearances against the Cubs with a 5.84 ERA. He has only one quality outing in his last six starts.
The Cubs are batting .302 against lefties in their last 10 games and should be plenty motivated after Monday's embarrassing 18-1 defeat.
Pick: Cubs
Cincinnati Reds at Pittsburgh Pirates (+137, 8)
Despite taking a no-decision in his last outing, Reds righty Johnny Cueto remains one of the hottest and most underrated pitchers in baseball with a 4-0 record and 1.55 ERA over his last seven starts.
Cueto is 2-0 against the Pirates this season and 8-2 for his career, carrying an even 3.00 ERA. He brings a 15-inning scoreless streak against the Bucs into this one, including a complete-game shutout on May 11.
"We appreciate what he's done and we appreciate the progress he's made," Reds manager Dusty Baker said. "A lot of people are thinking he should be further ahead than he is now, but we don't. We think he's right on course to being an outstanding pitcher."
Pittsburgh answers with righthander Jeff Karstens, who is 0-3 lifetime against the Reds with a 6.45 ERA. He lasted just 2 1/3 innings in his last start vs. Cincy and the Bucs' bullpen is a question mark after trading away closer Octavio Dotel and another reliever.
The Reds are batting a solid .294 against righties in their last 10 games to the Pirates' .225. With Cincy seeking the NL Central crown and the Bucs battling for the basement, look for the Reds to batter the Bucs.
Pick: Reds
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Streaking and Slumping Pitchers
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Streaking
Chris Carpenter, St. Louis Cardinals (11-3, 2.93 ERA)
The Cardinals veteran righty has been stellar in his last four starts, going 2-0 with a 1.45 ERA. Carpenter’s most recent outing was an eight-inning shutout effort in which he allowed just five hits and struck out six batters in a 1-0 no-decision over the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Cy Young contender has also dominated his divisional foes this year, going 11-0 with a 1.58 ERA in 15 outings versus National League Central teams.
Anibal Sanchez, Florida Marlins (8-6, 3.33 ERA)
The Marlins righty has just one win in his last three outings, with two no-decisions, but he his carrying a slim 1.71 ERA and 17 strikeouts during that span. His last start was a complete-game shutout against the San Francisco Giants in which he allowed just one hit and walked only one batter.
Slumping
Edwin Jackson, Chicago White Sox (6-10, 5.16 ERA)
The former Arizona Diamondbacks hurler makes his debut with the Chicago White Sox Wednesday after being dealt during the trade deadline this past week. Jackson will to squaring off against another former team in the Tigers, hoping to snap a four-game losing skid in Comerica Park. The righty has a 7.25 ERA over those four outings. In 2009, while with Detroit, Jackson went 7-3 with a 4.27 ERA in 15 games inside Comerica Park.
Brian Matusz, Baltimore Orioles (3-11, 5.46 ERA)
The Orioles starter hasn’t won a game since the Fourth of July, going 0-2 with a 12.46 ERA in his four outings since. In his last trip to the bump, Matusz allowed five earned runs on two hits while walking four batters in only 3 1-3 innings pitched for a no-decision against the Kansas City Royals. The funny thing is the left hander had a no-hitter through four innings before the wheels fell off.
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This Day in Baseball
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On August 4 in Baseball History...
1901 - Cincinnati and Pittsburgh players are clocked while running from home plate to first base. The fastest time for the 90-foot sprint is three seconds flat, by Pirates outfielder Ginger Beaumont.
1903 - Nap Lajoie is so furious that umpire Tommy Connolly has put an old black ball into play that he hurls the ball over the grandstand. His act results in Cleveland forfeiting the game to Detroit.
1909 - Umpire Tim Hurst instigates a riot by spitting at Athletics second baseman Eddie Collins, who had questioned a call. This incident eventually leads to Hurst's banishment from baseball two weeks later.
1910 - Jack Coombs of the Philadelphia A's and Ed Walsh of the Chicago White Sox hooked up in a 16-inning scoreless tie. Coombs struck out 18 and allowed three hits.
1929 - The Cleveland Indians, down to their last out, scored nine runs in the ninth inning for a 14-6 comeback victory over the New York Yankees.
1941 - In the third inning, catcher Mickey Owen catches three foul flies, the first time in the major leagues that feat has been recorded. His Dodgers whip the Giants 11-6.
1963 - New York's Mickey Mantle, batting for the first time in two months after breaking his left foot, hit a pinch home run in the ninth inning to beat the Baltimore Orioles 11-10 and give the Yankees a split of a doubleheader.
1980 - The Seattle Mariners fire manager Darrell Johnson and replace him with Maury Wills, who becomes the third black manager in Major League history. Seattle had lost nine games in a row and 20 of 24 since the All-Star break.
1982 - Joel Youngblood became the first in Major League history to get a base hit for two different teams in two different cities in the same day. In the afternoon, his hit drove in the winning run for the New York Mets in a 7-4 victory in Chicago. After the game, he was traded to the Montreal Expos and played that night in Philadelphia. He entered the game in right field in the fourth inning and later got a single.
1983 - While warming up before the fifth inning of the Yankees 3-1 win over the Blue Jays game at Toronto's Exhibition Stadium, New York outfielder Dave Winfield accidentally kills a seagull with a thrown ball. After the game, Winfield is brought to the Ontario Provincial Police station on charges of cruelty to animals and is forced to post a $500 bond before being released. The charges will be dropped the following day.
1985 - The 40-year-old Tom Seaver became the 17th 300-game winner in major league history with a six-hitter — all singles — as the Chicago White Sox defeated the New York Yankees 4-1 on Phil Rizzuto Day. Seaver walked one and struck out seven, giving him 3,499 in his 19-year career.
1989 - Dave Stieb of the Toronto Blue Jays, who lost consecutive no-hit bids with two outs in the ninth inning in September, came within one out of a perfect game before settling for a two-hit 2-1 victory over the New York Yankees.
1993 - Tony Gwynn has six hits against the Giants. It is the Padres outfielder's fourth game of 1993 with five or more hits. He becomes only the third person to get five hits or better that many times in a season.
1996 - Jim Bunning and Earl Weaver are inducted into the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York.
1997 - Brad Radke of Minnesota got his 12th straight win, pitching seven strong innings in the Twins' 9-3 victory over Toronto. Radke became only the third pitcher since 1950 to win 12 consecutive starts.