West Coast Aces
September 8, 2009
Three of the best pitchers in baseball are playing late Tuesday games on the West Coast.
Chad Billingsley (L.A. Dodgers) -200 at Arizona Diamondbacks ? 9:40 pm ET
Billingsley and the Dodgers are -200 ?chalk? for the second in a four-game series. The Dodgers won the opener 7-2 and lead the season series 10-6.
L.A. only has a 3.5 game lead over Colorado in the NL West so they need to keep on winning.
Billingsley (12-9, 3.86 ERA) has lost his last three starts with a 5.29 ERA. His splits are pretty even between home and away, and this is his first meeting against Arizona this season. Billingsley was 6-4 with a 3.36 ERA against the Diamondbacks from 2006-2008.
Billy Buckner (2-6, 8.29 ERA) is the opposing pitcher and Red Sox fans cringe at even hearing that name. This Buckner has made eight starts, but only one since being sent to AAA in June. That start was last Thursday night at the Dodgers when he gave up four runs in six innings.
Felix Hernandez (Seattle) +110 at L.A. Angels ? 10:05 pm ET
Hernandez and Seattle are +110 underdogs as they open up a three games series. The Angels are only 7-9 versus Seattle this year, but they lead Texas by five games in the AL West.
Hernandez (14-5, 2.65 ERA) is a Cy Young candidate who is pitching with plenty of motivation. His last start was against these Angels, and all he did was shut-out their potent lineup over eight innings in a 3-0 win. Hernandez is a mind-blowing 8-2 with a 2.06 ERA away from home.
Scott Kazmir (8-8, 5.68 ERA) was Hernandez?s opposition last week and tonight as well. That was Kazmir?s first start after being traded from Tampa and he pitched very good with one run allowed in 6 1/3rd innings. Look for another good outing from Kazmir.
Tim Lincecum (San Francisco) -270 vs. San Diego ? 10:15 pm ET
Lincecum and the Giants are huge -270 home favorites in the middle of this three-game series. The Giants won yesterday 9-4 and are 6-1 at home versus San Diego and 0-6 on the road. San Fran trails Colorado by two games in the NL Wild Card.
Lincecum (13-5, 2.34 ERA) is 1-2 in his last three starts even though he has a 2.04 ERA. His home numbers are ridiculous at 8-1 and a 1.83 ERA. That fact, plus the Giants success against San Diego at home, is why the spread is so large.
San Diego?s Kevin Correia (10-10, 4.29 ERA) is a former Giant who has pitched solidly overall this year. Correia has a 3.00 ERA in two starts versus San Francisco this year, including one on the road. The Padres won both contests.
September 8, 2009
Three of the best pitchers in baseball are playing late Tuesday games on the West Coast.
Chad Billingsley (L.A. Dodgers) -200 at Arizona Diamondbacks ? 9:40 pm ET
Billingsley and the Dodgers are -200 ?chalk? for the second in a four-game series. The Dodgers won the opener 7-2 and lead the season series 10-6.
L.A. only has a 3.5 game lead over Colorado in the NL West so they need to keep on winning.
Billingsley (12-9, 3.86 ERA) has lost his last three starts with a 5.29 ERA. His splits are pretty even between home and away, and this is his first meeting against Arizona this season. Billingsley was 6-4 with a 3.36 ERA against the Diamondbacks from 2006-2008.
Billy Buckner (2-6, 8.29 ERA) is the opposing pitcher and Red Sox fans cringe at even hearing that name. This Buckner has made eight starts, but only one since being sent to AAA in June. That start was last Thursday night at the Dodgers when he gave up four runs in six innings.
Felix Hernandez (Seattle) +110 at L.A. Angels ? 10:05 pm ET
Hernandez and Seattle are +110 underdogs as they open up a three games series. The Angels are only 7-9 versus Seattle this year, but they lead Texas by five games in the AL West.
Hernandez (14-5, 2.65 ERA) is a Cy Young candidate who is pitching with plenty of motivation. His last start was against these Angels, and all he did was shut-out their potent lineup over eight innings in a 3-0 win. Hernandez is a mind-blowing 8-2 with a 2.06 ERA away from home.
Scott Kazmir (8-8, 5.68 ERA) was Hernandez?s opposition last week and tonight as well. That was Kazmir?s first start after being traded from Tampa and he pitched very good with one run allowed in 6 1/3rd innings. Look for another good outing from Kazmir.
Tim Lincecum (San Francisco) -270 vs. San Diego ? 10:15 pm ET
Lincecum and the Giants are huge -270 home favorites in the middle of this three-game series. The Giants won yesterday 9-4 and are 6-1 at home versus San Diego and 0-6 on the road. San Fran trails Colorado by two games in the NL Wild Card.
Lincecum (13-5, 2.34 ERA) is 1-2 in his last three starts even though he has a 2.04 ERA. His home numbers are ridiculous at 8-1 and a 1.83 ERA. That fact, plus the Giants success against San Diego at home, is why the spread is so large.
San Diego?s Kevin Correia (10-10, 4.29 ERA) is a former Giant who has pitched solidly overall this year. Correia has a 3.00 ERA in two starts versus San Francisco this year, including one on the road. The Padres won both contests.
