MLB
Thursday, August 12
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Streaking and Slumping Pitchers
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Streakers
Gavin Floyd, Chicago White Sox (8-8, 3.49 ERA)
Floyd went two months without giving up a home run before that streak ended at 77 1/3 innings in his last start against the Orioles. Even with that longball, hit by Baltimore's Adam Jones, Floyd's ERA is an impressive 1.19 in the 12 starts between dingers.
"He has got good stuff - fastball, slider, curveball," Jones said of Floyd after the White Sox's 4-2 victory. "He basically has been throwing like he's been throwing the past two months."
Floyd has been exceptionally hot in his last three outings, going 3-0 with a 1.29 ERA during that span. He is 6-1 over his past eight starts and has lasted fewer than seven innings only twice in that stretch.
Livan Hernandez, Washington Nationals (8-7, 3.03 ERA)
He shall be Livan, and he shall be a good man ... to send to the mound in the month of August.
The 35-year-old righthander is 1-0 in his two starts this month, allowing only one earned run in more than seven innings of work in both outings.
With Stephen Strasburg suddenly struggling and Craig Stammen sent to the bullpen, the Nats need a crafty veteran like Livan they can lean on.
Slumping
John Lackey, Boston Red Sox (10-7, 4.60 ERA)
After posting three strong outings to open to the second half, Lackey has returned to his unsteady form by suffering back-to-back bad losses.
The righthander was shelled by the Yankees and Indians in his last two appearances, allowing 17 hits and 11 earned runs in those 11 2/3 innings.
"He's been that guy at times this year, like today, they bunched four hits together," Red Sox manager Terry Francona said. "Or he's left the game (with runners on base) and given up a couple of extra runs. No, we love him to death. He just got outpitched today - or we got outplayed."
Perhaps the skipper had it right the first time.
Randy Wells, Chicago Cubs (5-10, 4.37 ERA)
Wells has lost has last three starts with a 6.48 ERA during that span and it appears the lack of offensive support from the Cubs' bats is starting to take a toll on the righthander.
"You can't really change your approach based on what kind of run support you're getting or not," Wells said. "Even if you have a 15-0 lead, you're still going out there trying to get quick outs and have us score more. It's the same thing - just be aggressive, throw strikes."
Easier said than done. Wells has allowed three or fewer runs in seven of his last nine starts but is just 2-5 in those games. The Cubs scored only one run in five of those games and three or less in all but one.
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Hot Lines: Today's best MLB bets
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Boston Red Sox at Toronto Blue Jays (-110, 9)
There will be a lot of strained necks leaving the Rogers Centre by the time the Red Sox and Jays wrap up their three-game set Thursday.
Boston opened the series with a 7-5 win Tuesday night, in a game that featured five home runs including three from the home side. Toronto tops the bigs in dingers this season, sending 178 balls over the fence, heading into Wednesday’s Game 2, with 102 of those coming at home.
"It definitely was a dog fight out there -- a tough one to lose for us," Blue Jays outfielder Travis Snider told reporters following Tuesday’s loss. "I think we showed some heart down the stretch and had a few opportunities we weren't able to take advantage of. It was one of those games.”
The Red Sox are no slouches at the plate either. Despite injuries to some of their star players, the BoSox have rocked 149 home runs, which ranks second in the majors.
Baseball bettors should expect more fireworks in the final game of this series. Toronto sends some fresh meat to the mound in youngster Brad Mills, who gave up four dingers over his four 2010 starts. Boston goes with John Lackey, who has allowed 11 total runs in his last two outings.
Pick: Over
Colorado Rockies at New York Mets (-165, 7)
The timing couldn’t be any worse for Johan Santana.
News broke on Wednesday that a woman who claims she was raped by Santana at a golf course in Florida last fall filed a civil suit against him and the Mets ace takes the mound on Thursday.
The Lee County Sheriff’s Department told the New York Daily News last year that there wasn’t enough evidence to press charges against Santana. The case hinged too heavily on the victim’s word against Santana.
And while the married southpaw pitch admits to having sex with the woman, he argues it was consensual.
“It’s still the same, I won’t comment,” Santana told reporters. “It’s a legal matter. The truth will come out. I’m just gonna wait and see but I can’t give any further comment at this time.”
Will Santana be able to focus on keeping Colorado hitters off the bases on Thursday or will his mind be on other things?
Pick: Rockies
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This Day in Baseball
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On August 12 in Baseball History...
1887 - At the Metropolitans' grounds on Staten Island, Athletic batter Gus Weyhing hits an apparent triple that right fielder Eddie Hogan kicks onto the stage of the play The Fall of Babylon. Since the ground rules at the park call for a double on hits into the theatrical set, the American Association umpire orders Weyhing back to second. After a futile argument, the Athletics leave and forfeit the game.
1921 - Philadelphia's George Smith gave up 12 hits and still pitched a shutout as the Phillies beat the Boston Braves 4-0.
1934 - Making a farewell appearance in Boston, Babe Ruth draws a record 46,766 fans, with an estimated 20,000 turned away, at Fenway Park, the place where he began his career as a pitcher twenty years earlier. Ruth leaves the field to standing cheers in the eighth inning of the second game of the doubleheader.
1936 - The largest crowd ever to watch a baseball game, between 90,000 and 125,000, sees a demonstration game at the Berlin Olympics. The world amateurs beat the U.S. amateurs 6-5.
1948 - The Cleveland Indians beat the St. Louis Browns 26-3 with a 29-hit barrage. The Indians set a major league record as 14 different players had hits.
1954 - Eddie Yost of the Senators draws his 100th walk for the fifth year in a row.
1963 - Stan Musial announces he will retire at the end of the year.
1964 - Mickey Mantle homers from each side of the plate in the same game for the tenth and final time, a major league record, as New York beats Chicago 7-3 at Yankee Stadium.
1966 - Art Shamsky of the Cincinnati Reds hit three home runs in a 14-11, 13-inning loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates at Crosley Field. Two of the homers came in the 10th and 11th innings. The game featured 11 homers by both clubs. Shamsky entered the game in the eighth inning for defensive purposes. In the bottom of the eighth, Shamsky hit a two-run homer to put the Reds ahead 8-7. Shamsky hit a solo shot to tie the game 9-9 in the 10th. He came back the in 11th inning with a two-run homer to tie the game again, 11-11. The Pirates scored three runs in the 13th to win.
1970 - Curt Flood loses his $4.1 million antitrust suit against baseball, as Federal Judge Irving Ben Cooper upholds the legality of the sport's reserve clause. Cooper does recommend changes in the reserve system, to be achieved through negotiation between players and owners. In fewer than six years, this recommendation would become a reality.
1974 - Nolan Ryan strikes out 19 and walks only two as the Angels top the Red Sox 4-2.
1977 - For the second straight day, Oakland's Manny Sanguillen foils a no-hit bid. Today's single is off the Orioles' Jim Palmer, who settles for a two-hit 6-0 victory. Yesterday's hit was off Mike Torrez, who finished with a 3-0 two-hitter for the Yankees.
1984 - Harmon Killebrew, Rick Ferrell, Don Drysdale, Pee Wee Reese, and Luis Aparicio are inducted into the Hall of Fame at Cooperstown, New York.
1986 - Don Baylor of the Boston Red Sox set an American League record when he was hit by a pitch for the 25th time for the season, breaking the record he had shared with Bill Freehan (1968) and Kid Elberfeld (1911). Kansas City's Bud Black was the pitcher as the Royals completed a doubleheader sweep with a 6-5 victory.
1987 - The Braves send veteran pitcher Doyle Alexander to the Tigers in exchange for minor leaguer John Smoltz. Alexander will help lead the Tigers to the American League East title by posting a perfect 9-0 record.
1988 - The Red Sox beat the Tigers 9-4 for their 23rd consecutive win at home, breaking the American League record held by the 1931 A's. Boston has not lost at Fenway Park since June 24.
1994 - The players went on strike for the sport's eighth work stoppage since 1972.