SPORTS ADVISORS
N.Y. Mets (8-6) at Philadelphia (8-8)
Two of the top southpaws in the game square off at Citizens Bank Park, as the Phillies? Cole Hamels (2-1, 0.82 ERA) opposes Johan Santana (1-2, 2.91) in the opener of a weekend series between division rivals.
The Mets completed a three-game sweep of the Nationals with Thursday?s grueling 3-2, 14-inning victory. New York went 6-3 during its nine-game homestand, including 2-1 against the Phillies. Also, the Mets have won six straight games against division rivals and four straight road games against left-handed starters.
Philadelphia has alternated wins and losses in its last five outings, including crushing the Astros 10-2 on Thursday. The Phillies are 4-2 on their current homestand, 19-8 in Hamels? last 27 starts overall, 15-5 in his last 20 outings at home and 5-0 in their last five games on Friday.
Prior to winning the final two games of last week?s series against the Phillies, New York had lost nine straight to its rivals, including going 0-5 in its last five contests at Citizens Bank Park.
Hamels has been virtually unhittable through his first three starts, giving up just three runs (two earned) on 11 hits in 22 innings. In his most recent start, Hamels allowed just a single hit over seven scoreless innings of a 7-1 home victory over the Cubs. In his lone road start this year, the hard-throwing lefty beat the Reds 5-3, giving up two runs (one earned) on five hits in seven innings.
Hamels is 1-1 with a 2.77 ERA in four career starts against the Mets, with Philadelphia splitting the four contests, going 1-1 on the road and at home.
Santana suffered his second straight loss on Saturday, giving up five runs (four earned) on six hits (three home runs) in 6 2/3 innings, falling 5-3 to the Brewers. In two road outings, the former Cy Young winner is 1-1 with a 1.93 ERA. Santana?s lone career start against the Phillies came way back in 2002 in an interleague game when he was with the Twins.
The under is 6-0 in Hamels? last six starts overall and 5-0 in his last five outings at home, but the over is 3-1 in his four career games against the Mets (2-0 at home). Meanwhile, the over is 4-1 in Santana?s last four starts going back to last season when he was with Minnesota.
The over is 19-9-1 in New York?s last 29 overall and 10-2 in its last 12 on the road (4-1 this year). However, the under is 5-2 in Philadelphia?s last seven overall and 7-3-1 in the last 11 series meetings between these clubs (3-0-1 in Philadelphia).
ATS ADVANTAGE: NONE
San Diego (8-8) at Arizona (11-4)
Just hours after completing the longest game in franchise history, the Padres kick off a five-game road trip with their first visit to the desert in the opener of a three-game weekend set. San Diego will hand the ball to future Hall-of-Famer Greg Maddux (2-0, 2.00 ERA), while the red-hot DBacks will counter with Dan Haren (2-0, 2.50).
San Diego went 22 innings last night against Colorado and came up empty in a 2-1 loss with the game lasting more than six hours. The Padres have dropped two in a row and six of their last 10. Also, they?ve split their six road games so far this year, alternating wins and losses in the last four, including Sunday?s 1-0 win at the Dodgers.
The DBacks, who took Thursday off, have won 10 of their last 12 since starting the season 1-2, and three of their four losses have come by a single run. Arizona, which leads the majors in runs scored (93) and team ERA (2.98), is off to a 5-1 start at home and is 16-5 in its last 21 at Chase Field dating to last season. Finally, Bob Melvin?s squad has won 10 of its last 12 regular-season contests against N.L. West rivals.
Arizona has been a house of horrors for the Padres in recent years, as they?ve lost 54 of their last 79 games at Chase Field. Last year, the DBacks won the season series from San Diego 10-8, which proved to be the difference in the N.L. West race, as Arizona finished 1? games ahead of the Padres and a game ahead of Colorado.
Maddux has been phenomenal in his last two outings, giving up a total of one run, five hits and three walks over 12 innings, beating the Giants 8-4 and the Dodgers 1-0, both on the road. Last year ? his first with San Diego ? the veteran right-hander went 6-6 with a 4.65 ERA in 18 road starts.
On the downside for Maddux, his worst career numbers by far have come against the DBacks, as he?s 2-10 with a 4.88 ERA in 18 lifetime starts, including 1-6 with a 5.37 ERA at Chase Field. Last year, though, Maddux was 1-1 with a 3.63 ERA in three outings versus the Snakes, with the Padres winning the one no-decision.
Haren, who was acquired from Oakland in the offseason, has been spectacular through three starts in a DBacks uniform, including in Saturday?s 10-3 rout of the Rockies. In that contest, the right-hander gave up just a single run on five hits in six innings. In fact, going back to last September, Haren has pitched exactly six innings in five straight starts, posting a 2.40 ERA during this stretch.
Haren?s last two starts have come at home ? his only career appearances at Chase Field ?as he?s 2-0 with a 1.50 ERA. Also, he?s started against San Diego twice in his career ? once when with the Cardinals in 2003, once with the A?s in 2006 ? and he?s posted a 1.69 ERA. He didn?t get a decision in either contest, but the Padres lost both games.
Maddux?s 1-0 win at L.A. on Sunday easily stayed under the total, snapping a 5-0-1 ?over? streak in Maddux starts that dated to last September. The over is still 4-2-1 in his last seven efforts on the highway and 3-1 in his last four against Arizona. Also, the over is on streaks of 3-0 in Haren?s three starts this year. 23-8-1 for the Padres on the road, 19-7-2 for the Padres on Fridays, 5-1 for the DBacks overall, 5-1 for the DBacks at home this year, 4-0 overall in this rivalry and 5-0-1 in the last six clashes in Arizona.
ATS ADVANTAGE: ARIZONA and OVER