sat

[southbeach]

Major League Baseball : Baseball Today
Baseball Today
Tampa Bay at Detroit (4:10 p.m. EDT). Tampa Bay's David Price
(6-6, 4.93 ERA) is scheduled to face fellow left-hander Nate
Robertson (1-0, 7.71) in the second of four games between the AL
playoff contenders.



STARS=

Thursday=

-Andy Marte, Indians, hit a two-run homer on a full-count pitch
with two outs in the ninth inning, giving Cleveland a 5-4
victory over Baltimore.

-Garrett Jones, Pirates, hit a two-run homer in the eighth
inning to help Pittsburgh rally for a 3-2 victory over
Philadelphia.

-Ian Kinsler, Rangers, homered twice, and Texas became the first
visitor to win a series at Yankee Stadium since mid-June,
beating New York 7-2.

-Matt Kemp, Dodgers, hit his career-high 19th homer and Los
Angeles beat Colorado 3-2.

-Jeff Keppinger, Astros, hit a tiebreaking homer with two outs
in the ninth inning to lead Houston to a 4-3 victory at St.
Louis.

-Ryan Zimmerman and Adam Dunn, Nationals, each homered to power
Washington past the Chicago Cubs 5-4 at Wrigley Field.



INFIELDER IS A PITCHER=

Red Sox infielder Nick Green pitched two scoreless innings for
Boston in a 9-5 loss to the White Sox. Green, who started 78
games at shortstop this season, threw 90 mph fastballs on his
first two pitches and walked three in two hitless innings. His
last pitch was an 88 mph fastball.



WELCOME BACK=

Mark Reynolds homered and drove in two runs in his return to
Arizona's lineup in an 11-0 win over the Giants. Reynolds missed
Arizona's three previous games with the flu and received an IV
treatment in San Francisco on Tuesday. The veteran slugger
didn't play in the first two games of the series against the
Giants but returned Thursday to lead the Diamondbacks to their
third-highest run total since the All-Star break.



HIT IT=

Through 7 1/2 innings of the Rangers' 7-2 lead over the Yankees,
only 33 of 66 batters overall managed to put the ball in play.
By the end, the teams combined for 25 strikeouts and 11 walks.
A.J. Burnett struck out a season-high 12 in six innings. Texas'
Dustin Nippert was pulled after walking seven in 3 2-3 innings.



HALO HALL=

Chuck Finley and Brian Downing, teammates on the Angels' 1986 AL
West championship team, were inducted into the franchise's Hall
of Fame. Finley spent his first 14 seasons with the Angels,
going 165-140 with a 3.72 ERA, 57 complete games and 14
shutouts. Downing hit .271 with 222 homers and 846 RBIs in 1,661
games over 13 seasons with the Angels.



OUCH=

Red Sox center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury sustained a high sprain
of his left ankle in the bottom of the fifth inning of Boston's
9-5 loss to the White Sox sliding into home as he tried to score
from second base on a wild pitch. Manager Terry Francona said
the injury doesn't appear to be serious.



LEGAL TROUBLE=

Dodgers relief pitcher Ronald Belisario pleaded not guilty to
misdemeanor drunken driving. He was arrested in Pasadena early
on June 27 after California Highway Patrol officers said they
saw him talking on his cell phone while driving and arrested him
on suspicion of driving under the influence. He was released on
$5,000 bail. The 26-year-old rookie right-hander is with the
team in Colorado and did not appear in court.



LITTLE SUPPORT=

Less than 5,000 spectators turned out for the Mets 10-3 win at
the Marlins, but there were enough transplanted New Yorkers to
muster an occasional chant of "Let's go Mets."



HUDSON STARTS=

Braves pitcher Tim Hudson will make his first big league
appearance in more than a year on Monday, replacing Kenshin
Kawakami for a start against the Florida Marlins. Hudson was the
ace of the Atlanta staff before his season-ending elbow
ligament-replacement surgery on Aug. 8, 2008.



DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS=

The Cubs have gone 6-15 since Aug. 5 to fall nine games behind
St. Louis in the NL Central. Before that skid, they had won 14
of 19 and were tied for first place. The Nationals are 20-21
under interim manager Jim Riggleman after going 26-61 for Manny
Acta, who was fired last month. They are 14-11 in August.



BAD BREAK=

Nationals outfielder Nyjer Morgan is expected to miss the rest
of the season after breaking a bone in his left hand while
sliding headfirst into third base during their 5-4 victory over
the Cubs. Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo said Morgan broke
the second metacarpal bone and will fly back to Washington to
visit a hand specialist. Rizzo called it a "six-week injury."



POWER SURGE=

Yuniesky Betancourt, Brayan Pena, Alberto Callaspo and David
DeJesus homered for the Royals in their first four-homer game
this season, an 8-4 win over the Mariners. The last time they
hit four was May 23, 2007, against Cleveland.



SPEAKING=

"I didn't really want to do it, but because of the situation
today I had to do it. When he told me Manny (Delcarmen) was
going to work two, Ramon (Ramirez) one, I said, `I'm going in in
the eighth inning? Who's going to pitch the ninth?"' - Red Sox
shortstop Nick Green after pitching two hitless innings in a 9-5
loss to the White Sox. Green reached 90 mph with his fastball.



SEASONS=

Aug. 29=

1918 - The Chicago Cubs, behind the pitching of Lefty Tyler,
clinched the National League pennant with a 1-0 victory over the
Cincinnati Reds.

1934 - The Philadelphia A's ended Schoolboy Rowe's 16-game
winning streak with a 13-5 victory over the Detroit Tigers.

1965 - San Francisco's Willie Mays broke Ralph Kiner's National
League record with his 17th home run of the month in an 8-3
triumph over the New York Mets. Kiner had 16 homers in September
of 1949. Mays hi a tape measure shot off Jack Fisher.

1967 - Bert Campaneris of the Kansas City A's hit three triples
in a 9-8, 10-inning loss to the Cleveland Indians.

1971 - Hank Aaron of the Atlanta Braves knocked in his 100th run
of the season, giving him the National League record of 11
seasons with 100 or more RBIs.

1977 - Lou Brock stole base No. 893, breaking Ty Cobb's modern
record for career stolen bases.

1985 - Don Baylor of the New York Yankees set an American League
record when he was hit by a pitch for the 190th time in his
career. Baylor was struck by California Angels pitcher Kirk
McCaskill in the first inning, breaking the old mark of 189 set
by Minnie Minoso.

1993 - George Brett recorded his 200th stolen base in Kansas
City's 5-4, 12-inning victory over Boston to join Willie Mays
and Hank Aaron as the only players with 3,000 hits, 300 homers
and 200 steals.

1995 - Pittsburgh's Paul Wagner, the NL leader in losses, lost
his no-hitter against Colorado on an infield single with two out
in ninth.

2000 - Anaheim's Darin Erstad went 3-for-5 to reach 200 hits
faster than any player in 65 years as the Angels defeated
Toronto 9-4. Ducky Medwick of the St. Louis Cardinals did it in
131 games in 1935.

2002 - Mark Bellhorn became the first player in NL history to
hit a home run in the same inning from both sides of the plate,
in the fourth of the Chicago Cubs' 13-10 win over Milwaukee.

2004 - Albert Pujols hit his 40th home run and reached 100 RBIs
for the fourth straight season to help St. Louis beat Pittsburgh
4-0. He's the fourth player to start his major league career
with four straight seasons with at least 100 RBIs, joining Hall
of Famers Al Simmons, Joe DiMaggio and Ted Williams.

Today's birthdays: Aaron Rowand 32; Roy Oswalt 32; Henry Blanco
38.


Last updated: 8/28/2009 8:16:13 AM

 

[southbeach]

Major League Baseball : AL Sub-Standings
AMERICAN LEAGUE SUBSTANDINGS THROUGH FRIDAY, AUGUST 28TH
(UPDATING)


AMERICAN LEAGUE EAST
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

TEAM WON LOST PCT GB
---- --- ---- --- --

NY YANKEES 80 48 .625 -
BOSTON 74 54 .578 6
TAMPA BAY 69 58 .543 10 1/2
TORONTO 58 68 .460 21
BALTIMORE 53 76 .411 27 1/2


AMERICAN LEAGUE CENTRAL
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

TEAM WON LOST PCT GB
---- --- ---- --- --

DETROIT 68 59 .535 -
MINNESOTA 64 64 .500 4 1/2
CHI WHITE SOX 64 65 .496 5
CLEVELAND 57 71 .445 11 1/2
KANSAS CITY 49 79 .383 19 1/2


AMERICAN LEAGUE WEST
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

TEAM WON LOST PCT GB
---- --- ---- --- --

LA ANGELS 76 51 .598 -
TEXAS 71 56 .559 5
SEATTLE 67 62 .519 10
OAKLAND 56 72 .438 20 1/2




FRIDAY, AUGUST 28TH RESULTS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BALTIMORE 13, CLEVELAND 4
DETROIT 6, TAMPA BAY 2
NY YANKEES 5, CHI WHITE SOX 2 (10 INNINGS)
BOSTON 6, TORONTO 5
MINNESOTA 3, TEXAS 2
LA ANGELS 11, OAKLAND 7
SEATTLE 6, KANSAS CITY 3



SATURDAY, AUGUST 29TH SCHEDULE
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

CHI WHITE SOX AT NY YANKEES 1:05 PM
TAMPA BAY AT DETROIT 4:10 PM
CLEVELAND AT BALTIMORE 7:05 PM
TEXAS AT MINNESOTA 7:10 PM
TORONTO AT BOSTON 7:10 PM
OAKLAND AT LA ANGELS 9:05 PM
KANSAS CITY AT SEATTLE 10:10 PM


(ALL TIMES ARE EASTERN)


Last updated: 8/29/2009 12:35:12 AM

 

[southbeach]

Major League Baseball : NL Sub-Standings
NATIONAL LEAGUE SUBSTANDINGS THROUGH FRIDAY, AUGUST 28TH
(UPDATING)


NATIONAL LEAGUE EAST
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

TEAM WON LOST PCT GB
---- --- ---- --- --

PHILADELPHIA 74 52 .587 -
ATLANTA 67 61 .523 8
FLORIDA 67 61 .523 8
NY METS 58 71 .450 17 1/2
WASHINGTON 46 83 .357 29 1/2


NATIONAL LEAGUE CENTRAL
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

TEAM WON LOST PCT GB
---- --- ---- --- --

ST LOUIS 75 55 .577 -
CHICAGO CUBS 64 62 .508 9
HOUSTON 62 66 .484 12
MILWAUKEE 62 66 .484 12
CINCINNATI 56 71 .441 17 1/2
PITTSBURGH 53 73 .421 20


NATIONAL LEAGUE WEST
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

TEAM WON LOST PCT GB
---- --- ---- --- --

LA DODGERS 76 53 .589 -
COLORADO 72 57 .558 4
SAN FRANCISCO 70 59 .543 6
ARIZONA 57 72 .442 19
SAN DIEGO 55 75 .423 21 1/2




FRIDAY, AUGUST 28TH RESULTS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

CHICAGO CUBS 5, NY METS 2
PHILADELPHIA 4, ATLANTA 2
CINCINNATI 4, LA DODGERS 2
SAN DIEGO 9, FLORIDA 5
MILWAUKEE 8, PITTSBURGH 6
ST LOUIS 3, WASHINGTON 2
ARIZONA 14, HOUSTON 7
SAN FRANCISCO 2, COLORADO 0



SATURDAY, AUGUST 29TH SCHEDULE
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

NY METS AT CHICAGO CUBS 4:10 PM
LA DODGERS AT CINCINNATI 4:10 PM
SAN DIEGO AT FLORIDA 6:10 PM
PITTSBURGH AT MILWAUKEE 7:05 PM
ATLANTA AT PHILADELPHIA 7:05 PM
WASHINGTON AT ST LOUIS 7:15 PM
HOUSTON AT ARIZONA 8:10 PM
COLORADO AT SAN FRANCISCO 9:05 PM


(ALL TIMES ARE EASTERN)


Last updated: 8/29/2009 12:09:14 AM

 

[southbeach]

Major League Baseball : Calendar
Baseball Calendar
Sept. 1 - Active rosters expand to 40 players.

Oct. 7 - Playoffs begin.

Oct. 28 - World Series begins, city of American League champion.

November - Free agent filing period, first 15 days after World
Series ends.

Nov. 9-11 - General managers meetings, Chicago.

Nov. 30-Dec. 4 - Major League Baseball Players Association
executive board meeting, Scottsdale, Ariz.

Dec. 1 - Last day for teams to offer salary arbitration to their
former players who became free agents.

Dec. 7 - Last day for free agents offered salary arbitration to
accept the offers.

Dec. 7-10 - Winter meetings, Indianapolis.

Dec. 12 - Last day for teams to offer 2010 contracts to unsigned
players.

2010=

Jan 5-15 - Salary arbitration filing.

Jan. 19 - Exchange of salary arbitration figures.

Feb. 1-21 - Salary arbitration hearings.

March 2-11 - Teams may renew contracts of unsigned players.

March 17- Last day to place a player on unconditional release
waivers and pay 30 days termination pay instead of 45 days.

March 31 - Last day to request unconditional release waivers on
a player without having to pay his full 2008 salary.

April 4 - Opening day, active rosters reduced to 25 players.

July 13 - All-Star game, Anaheim, Calif.

July 25 - Hall of Fame inductions, Cooperstown, N.Y.

July 31 - Last day to trade a player without securing waivers.

Aug. 15 - Last day to sign selections from 2010 amateur draft
who have not exhausted college eligibility.

Sept. 1 - Active rosters expand to 40 players.

November - Free agent filing period, first 15 days after World
Series ends.

Dec. 4-7 - Winter meetings, Lake Buena Vista, Fla.

Dec. 12 - Last day for teams to offer 2011 contracts to unsigned
players.


Last updated: 8/28/2009 8:03:15 AM

 

[southbeach]

Game Preview : 8/29/2009 : MLB : Washington Nationals vs. St. Louis Cardinals
*Nationals-Cardinals Preview*
=============================


By NICOLINO DIBENEDETTO
STATS Writer

Washington (46-82) at St. Louis (74-55), 7:15 p.m. EDT

Albert Pujols and the St. Louis Cardinals may be struggling to
generate runs, but certainly haven't let that become an
obstacle.

One night after connecting for a towering walkoff home run,
Pujols will try to help the NL Central leaders to their sixth
win in seven games Saturday night when they host the Washington
Nationals.

The Cardinals (75-55) have won 22 of 29. They're averaging a
middling 4.5 runs in that span but have thrived due in large
part to a 2.88 staff ERA.

They've totaled 10 runs over the last four games, but have won
three of them. Pujols homered to left field off Jason Bergmann
in the bottom of the ninth Friday, giving St. Louis a 3-2 win
over Washington (46-83) to open this three-game series.

Pujols is batting .316, leads the majors with 41 homers and a
.666 slugging percentage and ranking among the leaders with 108
RBIs. However, the first baseman had been 0 for 3 with two
groundouts to the pitcher prior to homering Friday.

The reigning NL MVP is batting .212 with two homers and three
RBIs over the last 10 games, seven of them wins for St. Louis.

"I could have had a better day, and I ended up chasing a couple
of bad pitches," Pujols said after Friday's win. "At the end of
the night I came through for the ballclub."

Pujols is hitting .417 with five homers in his last 15 games
against Washington.

The Cardinals have won nine of their last 11 meetings with the
Nationals, including four straight at Busch Stadium.

St. Louis will give the ball to rookie Mitchell Boggs (1-2,
4.58), who was recalled Sunday from Triple-A Memphis for the
fourth time this season after being sent to the minors three
days earlier.

This time, the 25-year-old right-hander is filling in for Kyle
Lohse, who landed on the disabled list one week ago after
hurting his left groin running to first base on a single.

In his most recent stint in the majors, Boggs lost both of his
starts while surrendering nine runs and 18 hits in 10 innings.

He started in a 9-4 win as Washington on April 30, allowing four
runs in six innings and striking out a career-high nine while
not getting a decision.

The Nationals have alternated wins and losses over their last
six games following a five-game slide. Rookie Craig Stammen
(4-6, 5.08) will try to help them avoid consecutive losses again
when he starts against the Cardinals for the first time.

The 25-year-old right-hander won Sunday, when he yielded three
runs in 6 1-3 innings of an 8-3 victory over Milwaukee. Stammen
had been 0-1 with an 8.71 ERA in his previous five starts, but
received two runs of support or fewer in four of them.

"You're always trying not to give up any hits - that's the goal
always - but it's a little bit of extra comfort in the back of
your mind that if you do make a mistake, you're still right
there," Stammen said of the eight runs by his teammates Sunday.
"You don't have to be picture perfect."

 

[southbeach]

*Dodgers-Reds Preview*
======================


By ANTHONY GIORNALISTA
STATS Senior Writer

Los Angeles (76-52) at Cincinnati (55-71), 4:10 p.m. EDT

Brad Ausmus is likely in line to get a start behind the plate
for Los Angeles. Coming off another tough game at the plate, the
Dodgers may want to reconsider putting the light-hitting veteran
in the lineup.

After a quick turnaround and with a knuckleball pitcher
starting, the Dodgers will probably have to make do with Ausmus
as they try to end their slump Saturday against the Cincinnati
Reds.

Los Angeles (76-53) took two of three against Colorado, its
closest pursuer in the NL West, entering this three-game series
but couldn't continue its momentum Friday night in a 4-2 loss to
injury-depleted Cincinnati (56-71).

Though the Reds have won five straight, they're a team the
Dodgers expect to take advantage of as they try to hold off the
Rockies. Los Angeles won 20 of its previous 23 against
Cincinnati.

A poor performance at the plate cost Los Angeles, which went 0
for 9 with runners in scoring position.

The Dodgers have scored three runs or fewer in 12 of 19 games,
losing 10. Now they'll likely be without starting catcher
Russell Martin for this day game.

He'll probably be rested following a night game, and Ausmus has
been catching Saturday's scheduled starter Charlie Haeger (1-1,
1.93 ERA) due to his experience handling knuckleball pitchers.

The 40-year-old Ausmus is a career .252 hitter and has never had
more than nine home runs in a season. Martin is having a subpar
year, batting .257 with four homers and 38 RBIs, but he commands
much more respect from opposing pitchers than Ausmus does.

Manny Ramirez, Los Angeles' most imposing hitter, certainly
hasn't been helping matters. He doesn't have an extra-base hit
in his last seven games and has two RBIs in his past 15.

"There's no question we need him," manager Joe Torre said.
"That's the responsibility he's had for years. Right now, he's
just a little out of whack."

If Haeger has another dominant performance, though, the Dodgers
won't need much production from their lineup. The right-hander
walked four, gave up three hits and struck out a career-high
seven in seven innings to beat the Chicago Cubs 2-0 on Saturday.

Haeger believes heat and humidity help make his knuckleball even
more unpredictable, and Saturday's temperature is expected to
climb as high as 93 degrees.

"Any time it's humid out there, I think it's going to help. It's
definitely easier to grip the ball," Haeger said. "I like
pitching day games because it's warm out, and I got a good sweat
going."

This will be Haeger's first appearance against the Reds.

Cincinnati will counter with Matt Maloney (0-2, 6.11), who is
being recalled from Triple-A Louisville after going 9-9 with a
3.08 ERA in 22 starts there. The left-hander struggled in his
first three major league starts before being sent to the minors
June 20, surrendering six home runs in 17 2-3 innings.

Maloney has never faced the Dodgers.

The Reds have a 2.88 ERA during their winning streak, their
longest since a six-game run May 12-18.

 

[southbeach]

*Padres-Marlins Preview*
========================


By MATT BECKER
STATS Senior Writer

San Diego (54-75) at Florida (67-60), 6:10 p.m. EDT

Although the San Diego Padres are well out of the playoff
picture, they haven't been making things easy for teams in the
NL wild-card hunt.

The Florida Marlins try to bounce back from a disappointing loss
Saturday when they host the Padres, who seek their fourth win in
five games.

The Marlins (67-61) entered this series against San Diego
(55-75) hoping to build some momentum before a key four-game set
against Atlanta begins Monday, but they dropped Friday's opener
9-5.

Florida has lost six of nine and is tied with the Braves in the
standings, 4 1/2 games back of wild card-leading Colorado.

Pitching is becoming a problem for the Marlins, who have allowed
19 runs and 33 hits in their last two games. Friday's starter
Chris Volstad recorded only five outs, as San Diego scored six
runs while sending 12 batters to the plate in the second inning.
Volstad was sent to Triple-A New Orleans after the game.

The Marlins aren't the first playoff hopefuls to get knocked
around by the weak-hitting Padres.

San Diego, last in the majors in runs scored (503), arrived in
Florida after winning two of three in Atlanta. The Padres had 16
hits Friday after pounding out 18 in Wednesday's 12-5 win over
the Braves.

"Usually when someone is hitting, everyone is hitting," said San
Diego's Kyle Blanks, who left Friday's game in the second inning
with a sore right foot after hitting a two-run homer. "We've
been doing that a lot lately. I think we're as good as anybody
when we're hitting."

The Padres look to keep it going against Marlins starter Ricky
Nolasco (9-8, 5.31 ERA), who tries to bounce back from a shaky
outing.

After throwing a three-hitter in a 6-2 win over Houston on Aug.
18, Nolasco gave up four runs, nine hits and three walks in 4
1-3 innings of Sunday's 7-5 loss to Atlanta, though he didn't
receive a decision. He fell in an early hole, walking two of the
first three batters before surrendering a three-run homer to
Braves catcher Brian McCann.

The right-hander has been prone to coughing up runs early,
getting knocked around for 10 first-inning runs over his last
three starts.

Nolasco had no trouble in his only start of the season against
the Padres on July 22, allowing two hits and striking out 10 in
6 1-3 innings of a 5-0 win.

San Diego counters with Wade LeBlanc (0-1, 14.54), who is
expected to be recalled from Triple-A Portland to take the
rotation spot of the recently demoted Cesar Carrillo.

LeBlanc has departed early in both of his major league starts
this season. He hasn't pitched for the Padres since giving up
four runs, five hits and three walks in 1 1-3 innings of a 9-3
loss to Seattle on June 25. Six days prior to that, the
left-hander gave up three runs in three innings against Oakland.

Though LeBlanc struggled with San Diego in June, he has pitched
well in the minors. He allowed one run with 12 strikeouts in 13
innings over his last two starts for the Beavers, and was named
the PCL pitcher of the week Monday.

LeBlanc, who appeared in five games as a September callup last
season for the Padres, will be making his first career start
against the Marlins.

 

[southbeach]

*Pirates-Brewers Preview*
=========================


By ANTHONY GIORNALISTA
STATS Senior Writer

Pittsburgh (53-72) at Milwaukee (61-66), 7:05 p.m. EDT

Milwaukee Brewers starter Yovani Gallardo has been outstanding
against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Even if the right-hander falters
his next time out, he's likely to get a good amount of support.

With their top starter taking the mound, the Brewers and their
power-laden lineup look to extend a 19-game home winning streak
against the Pirates on Saturday night.

Gallardo (12-10, 3.51 ERA), who has flourished this season after
a torn ACL limited him to four starts in 2008, is 3-1 with a
2.13 ERA in six starts versus the Pirates (53-73).

The right-hander earned a win at Washington on Monday, giving up
one run while striking out eight in five innings as Milwaukee
(62-66) won 7-1.

Gallardo has given up three runs or fewer in seven of his last
eight starts and has posted a 2.21 ERA in winning his last three
outings at home, where Milwaukee has dominated Pittsburgh.

The Brewers haven't lost to the Pirates at Miller Park since May
3, 2007, hitting .293 while averaging 6.4 runs during their
streak.

Milwaukee's lineup certainly came up big in the opener of this
three-game series. Manny Parra gave up six runs but still earned
a win in the Brewers' 8-6 victory Friday night.

"We have a good offense, that's what it means," Parra said.
"That's pitching with the offense that we've got."

Prince Fielder, Ryan Braun and Jason Bourgeois homered for
Milwaukee.

Fielder has 36 homers and a major league-leading 118 RBIs. The
first baseman is hitting .366 with six homers and 22 RBIs during
the Brewers' streak at home versus the Pirates.

Braun, meanwhile, has two homers and seven RBIs in his last
seven games. He has six homers and 17 RBIs in 16 contests at
home against Pittsburgh.

The Brewers will next face Kevin Hart (4-3, 4.14), who is 1-2
with a 6.04 ERA in four starts since the Pirates acquired him in
a trade with the Chicago Cubs on July 30. The right-hander
allowed three runs in five innings of Pittsburgh's 4-1 loss to
Cincinnati on Sunday.

Hart is 1-0 with a 4.61 ERA in one start and five relief
appearances against the Brewers.

Pittsburgh has given Hart one run to work with in his two losses
since joining the team. The Pirates' lineup, though, was
productive Friday after scoring a combined four runs in its
previous two games.

Pittsburgh rookie Andrew McCutchen went 3 for 5 and drove in
four runs. He missed a chance to hit for the cycle when reliever
Todd Coffey struck him out in the eighth.

Three Milwaukee relievers combined to pitch three scoreless
innings after the Brewers' bullpen gave up nine runs in 17
innings over its previous three games.

Trevor Hoffman pitched the ninth for his 28th save, raising his
all-time record total to 582.

Hoffman was placed on waivers and claimed by another team, but
Brewers general manger said he hasn't had trade discussions.
Milwaukee can deal Hoffman, assign him to the team that claimed
him for no compensation or pull him back off waivers.

The 41-year-old right-hander is 1-1 with a 1.80 ERA, converting
28 of 30 save opportunities.

 

[southbeach]

*Mets-Cubs Preview*
===================


By ALAN FERGUSON
STATS Writer

New York (58-70) at Chicago (63-62), 4:10 p.m. EDT

The Chicago Cubs haven't produced many highlights this month,
but Ryan Dempster's previous start was one of those rare shining
moments.

Dempster will look for another strong outing Saturday as the
Cubs try to post back-to-back wins for the first time in two
weeks when they host the New York Mets.

Chicago's 5-2 victory in Friday's series opener was its seventh
in 21 games, but it was nearly another loss.

New York's Fernando Tatis drove in the go-ahead run in the
eighth with a two-out double that went off the glove of left
fielder Alfonso Soriano.

Aramis Ramirez tied it on a single in the bottom of the inning
and Soriano, who committed his 10th error earlier in the game,
followed with a three-run homer - his first since July 29.
Soriano, who reached 20 homers for the eighth straight season,
might sit out Saturday because of an ailing left knee.

"I want to play, but it's very tough," said Soriano, who is
expected to have an MRI on Monday. "I don't get a very good jump
(on the ball) because I cannot put weight on my knee."

Chicago may not miss Soriano's bat in the lineup with the
beleaguered Milton Bradley on a roll. The right fielder was
booed after failing to catch Omir Santos' tying bloop single in
the second, but finished with three hits and is 8 for 16 with
two homers and four RBIs since Tuesday, when he made
controversial comments about Chicago's fans.

The Cubs (64-62) will also look to Dempster (7-7, 4.07 ERA) as
they try to win their first series since taking both contests of
a rain-shortened three-game set against Pittsburgh from Aug.
14-15.

If Dempster can repeat his last effort, Chicago has a good
chance to accomplish that feat. In Sunday's 3-1 victory in Los
Angeles, he outdueled All-Star Chad Billingsley by giving up one
unearned run and three hits over seven innings.

Dempster also struck out five, giving him 23 in the last three
outings. He is 8-4 with a 5.54 ERA in 23 appearances - 12 starts
- against the Mets.

The right-hander will have to contend with former Cubs
outfielder Angel Pagan, batting .364 with three home runs in the
last eight games, and Tatis, who is 7 for 12 (.583) over his
last three.

Losers of six of seven, the Mets (58-71) will counter with
right-hander Bobby Parnell (3-6, 5.08), who will make his fifth
career start and first against the Cubs.

After beginning the season in the bullpen, Parnell joined the
rotation Aug. 8 after the birth of Mike Pelfrey's son. He has
stayed there as the Mets have continued to add to their lengthy
disabled list, going 1-3 with an 8.82 ERA in four outings.

He has posted a 15.75 ERA in consecutive losing efforts and gave
up five runs over five innings in Monday's 6-2 defeat to
visiting Philadelphia.

"I'm just scrambling a little to get back to my groove as a
starter," said Parnell, who filled that role at Double-A
Binghamton last season.

Chicago first baseman Derrek Lee, 0 for 2 with a strikeout
against Parnell, is hitting .380 with 13 RBIs over the last 13
games.

The Cubs are 5-2 against the Mets since the start of last
season, winning the last three meetings at Wrigley Field.

 

[southbeach]

*White Sox-Yankees Preview*
===========================


By PAUL DIGIACOMO
STATS Senior Editor

Chicago (64-64) at New York (79-48), 1:05 p.m. EDT

It's no surprise that Jake Peavy will not be starting for the
Chicago White Sox on Saturday afternoon. Jose Contreras taking
the mound is a bit unexpected.

With Peavy still unable to join the rotation, Chicago will give
Contreras another start when it visits the New York Yankees.

Acquired at the July 31 trade deadline from San Diego, Peavy
hasn't pitched in the majors since being put on the disabled
list in mid-June with a strained tendon in his right ankle.

The right-hander had been on schedule to start this game but
suffered a setback after taking a liner off his pitching elbow
in a rehab outing for Triple-A Charlotte on Monday.

The White Sox opted not to rush Peavy back and will give him
another start Saturday for Charlotte.

"I would think that it's probably a good shot that after the
next start in Triple-A, he will be pitching somewhere with us,"
pitching coach Don Cooper told the White Sox's official Web
site. "It's a good chance, unless something crazy happens."

Chicago (64-65) could use the services of Peavy, who won the NL
Cy Young Award in 2007 and is 92-68 with a 3.29 ERA in his
career, as it struggles to stay in the AL Central race.

After Contreras (5-12, 5.09) committed a costly error and lost
at Boston on Monday, manager Ozzie Guillen emphatically stated
that the struggling right-hander would not start again this
season.

"I got three kids and I want to see my grandkids when they are
born. I don't want to get a heart attack before my time,"
Guillen said. "We did everything we could to protect Jose to
give him the most opportunities we could. But we can't deal with
this anymore."

Contreras, who made his major league debut with the Yankees in
2003, is 1-5 with a 6.16 ERA in eight starts since the All-Star
break.

The White Sox fell into third place in the division with a 5-2,
10-inning loss in the opener of this three-game series Friday
night. Chicago has dropped five of six and trails first-place
Detroit by five games.

"There are still a lot of games left," Guillen said. "You never
know what's going to happen. But if we keep playing the way
we've been playing, it's going to be a long month."

New York became the first team in the majors to reach 80 wins as
Robinson Cano hit a three-run homer in the 10th. The Yankees
(80-48) maintained their six-game lead over the Red Sox in the
AL East.

"We've still got to continue to do what we're doing, because we
have not accomplished anything yet," captain Derek Jeter said.
"It seems like it gets harder and harder to win."

Sergio Mitre (2-1, 6.82) returns to the rotation when he takes
the mound for New York. The right-hander made six starts after
having his contract purchased from Triple-A
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on July 21 before making a relief
appearance Aug. 21 at Boston.

One of those starts came in Chicago on July 31, when Mitre
didn't receive a decision after allowing five runs and seven
hits over three innings of a 10-5 loss. He is 0-1 with a 9.00
ERA in three starts against the White Sox.

 

[southbeach]

*Rays-Tigers Preview*
=====================


By CHRIS ALTRUDA
STATS Editor

Tampa Bay (69-57) at Detroit (67-59), 4:10 p.m. EDT

Following the surprising trade of Scott Kazmir, the Tampa Bay
Rays' season has reached a crossroads with 35 games remaining.

The defending AL champions try to refocus as they head into
Saturday's game against the Detroit Tigers.

With an eye on the future to keep their talented young nucleus
together while also trying to remain in contention for the wild
card, the Rays dealt Kazmir - arguably the first staff ace in
their young franchise history and one of their highest-paid
players - to the Los Angeles Angels on Friday night for two
minor league prospects and another one to be named.

Since the Rays (69-58) are within 4 1/2 games of Boston for the
wild-card spot and Kazmir was 4-1 in his last six starts, the
deal with the AL West leaders caught players off-guard.

"I don't know what to say, because he's been pitching well,"
Rays teammate Carl Crawford said. "It surprises me to see Kaz
go, because of everything he's meant to the organization."

In addition to moving past the trade, the Rays are trying to
regroup from Friday's 6-2 loss to Detroit (68-59) in the opener
of this four-game series. Brandon Inge homered for the Tigers,
who broke open the game with consecutive two-run doubles in a
five-run fourth by Gerald Laird and Adam Everett - their Nos. 8
and 9 hitters - after Aubrey Huff and Carlos Guillen walked and
Inge singled to load the bases.

"The two walks are what cost me the game," losing Rays pitcher
Matt Garza said. "I walk those two guys, Inge singles, Laird
hits a bloop and Everett rolls one down the line. That happens,
but the walks are what really killed me."

David Price (6-6, 4.93 ERA) takes the ball for the Rays, once
more trying for his first career road win. While dominant at
home, the left-hander has been horrid on the road, where he is
0-4 with an 8.07 ERA in seven starts in 2009 - giving up at
least five runs in each of his last five.

He yielded three runs, three hits and three walks in seven
innings of a 4-0 loss to Texas on Sunday, the second time in
three starts the Rays failed to provide him any runs. Price
pitched 2 2-3 scoreless innings in two relief appearances versus
the Tigers as a rookie last year.

Detroit, which has won nine of 14, turns to Nate Robertson (1-0,
7.71) as it tries to extend its 4 1/2-game lead atop the AL
Central. The left-hander, filling injured Armando Galarraga's
spot in the rotation, recently completed a minor league rehab
stint with Triple-A Toledo following surgery in June to remove
tissue mass from his throwing elbow.

Robertson went 1-1 with a 1.89 ERA in five starts for the Mud
Hens and struck out nine in 6 2-3 shutout innings Tuesday,
throwing 38 of his first 41 pitches for strikes.

"He threw strikes. He had good command of his pitches," general
manager Dave Dombrowski told the Tigers' official Web site. "His
slider was very good. His changeup was very good. He feels
healthy."

Robertson, who made 21 relief appearances prior to the surgery,
is 0-3 in five lifetime starts against the Rays, whom he has not
faced since 2007.

 

[southbeach]

*Blue Jays-Red Sox Preview*
===========================


By MATT BROWN
STATS Editor

Toronto (58-67) at Boston (73-54), 7:10 p.m. EDT

After slumping through a significant portion of August, the
Boston Red Sox's bats have the team rolling again.

Those bats got well against Toronto Blue Jays starter Ricky
Romero.

The Red Sox seek their fifth win in six games and try to hit
Romero hard for the fourth consecutive time when they meet the
Blue Jays on Saturday night at Fenway Park.

Boston (74-54) dropped nine of 13 from Aug. 4-16, getting shut
out three times while batting .221 and averaging fewer than four
runs per game. The Red Sox have since won eight of 11, led by a
resurgent offense averaging 7.7 runs and batting .300 with 24
home runs.

J.D. Drew had two hits Friday, including an eighth-inning double
that put David Ortiz in position to score the go-ahead run on
Casey Kotchman's groundout, as the Red Sox beat the Blue Jays
6-5 in the series opener and increased their AL wild-card lead
to 2 1/2 games over Texas.

Boston's surge began Aug. 18 with a 10-9 win at Toronto in which
Romero surrendered six runs and eight hits in 3 2-3 innings,
though he did not get charged with the loss. The Red Sox went on
to sweep that three-game series, scoring 24 runs in the process.

Romero (11-5, 3.91 ERA) bounced back in an 8-3 victory over Los
Angeles on Sunday, allowing two runs over six innings while
snapping a personal three-start winless streak and possibly
rejuvenating his Rookie of the Year candidacy.

"If I win it, it's going to be an unbelievable accomplishment
for me personally," Romero said. "I've just got to take it start
by start."

Romero might be a shoo-in for AL Rookie of the Year were it not
for the Red Sox. The 24-year-old left-hander is 0-2 with a 10.50
ERA in three starts against Boston. He's failed to make it out
of the fifth inning three times in 21 starts - all versus the
Red Sox.

Ortiz is 5 for 7 with a homer and three doubles off Romero,
while Kevin Youkilis is 3 for 5 with two home runs, a double and
three walks.

One of Romero's losses to Boston was 4-1 at home July 17. That
game also marked the season debut for Clay Buchholz (2-3, 5.02),
who gets the ball again for the Red Sox on Saturday.

While Romero's worst outings have come against Boston, Buchholz
has earned both of his wins at Toronto's expense. The
right-hander allowed one run in 5 2-3 innings to beat Romero and
outpitched Blue Jays ace Roy Halladay on Aug. 19, giving up one
run over six innings of a 6-1 victory.

Buchholz pitched poorly at home against the Chicago White Sox on
Monday, surrendering seven runs and six hits - two homers - in 4
2-3 innings although the Red Sox eventually won 12-8. He is 0-3
with a 6.07 ERA in six starts at Fenway since July 11, 2008.

Toronto first baseman Lyle Overbay, who was 2 for 5 in the
series opener, is 5 for 9 against Buchholz.

Friday's loss was the 11th in 15 games for the Blue Jays
(58-68), who fell a season-worst 10 games below .500 and are
17-34 since June 27.

Red Sox center fielder and leadoff man Jacoby Ellsbury went 2
for 3 on Friday, returning to the lineup one night after
spraining his left ankle while sliding into home. It was the
fourth multihit effort in five games for Ellsbury, who raised
his average to .300.

"He has the ability to change the game in different ways because
of his legs, defensively or hitting the ball out of the
ballpark," manager Terry Francona told the Red Sox's official
Web site. "That's why he's a good player."

 

[southbeach]

*Rangers-Twins Preview*
=======================


By MATT BECKER
STATS Senior Writer

Texas (71-55) at Minnesota (63-64), 7:10 p.m. EDT

Scott Feldman wasn't particularly sharp against the Minnesota
Twins last week, but with the way he has been pitching on the
road, there's reason to believe he could have better success at
the Metrodome.

Feldman looks to win his sixth consecutive road start when he
takes the ball for the Texas Rangers on Saturday against the
surging Twins, who seek their seventh victory in eight games.

After taking two of three from AL East-leading New York to
become the first team to win a series at Yankee Stadium since
mid-June, Texas (71-56) came out a bit flat in Friday's 3-2 loss
to Minnesota.

The Rangers, who fell 2 1/2 games back of wild card-leading
Boston, were limited to five singles until Ivan Rodriguez and
David Murphy hit back-to-back doubles in the ninth.

Texas fell to 4-10 at the Metrodome since 2007, but Feldman
(13-4, 3.87 ERA) should give the team a good chance to even this
three-game series.

Feldman allowed four hits with a career-high 11 strikeouts - the
most by a Texas pitcher since Matt Perisho had 12 on Oct. 3,
1999, against the Angels - in seven innings of Sunday's 4-0 win
over Tampa Bay.

The right-hander improved to 4-0 with a 3.41 ERA in five starts
this month, striking out 32 in 31 2-3 innings. The only start in
that span Feldman didn't get a decision came against the Twins
on Aug. 18, when he yielded five runs and nine hits in 5 2-3
innings of a 9-6 loss.

That outing, however, came at home, which is not his favorite
place to pitch.

Feldman has posted a 1.87 ERA in winning his last five starts
away from Rangers Ballpark and is 9-1 with a 2.97 ERA in 11 road
starts on the season. The franchise record for road wins in a
single season is 11, set in 1998 by Rick Helling and matched by
Vicente Padilla last year.

"I don't do anything different," Feldman told the Rangers'
official Web site. "I don't know. I don't know why I have such a
different line on the road than at home."

While Feldman is outstanding on the road, he struggled in his
only career start at the Metrodome on May 19, 2008, allowing
five runs and seven hits in six innings of a 7-6, 12-inning
loss.

He'll also have to try and slow down a Twins team that has won
eight of 10 to pull within four games of AL Central-leading
Detroit.

Minnesota (64-64) came out with a sense of urgency Friday, as
Joe Mauer, Jason Kubel and Michael Cuddyer had run-scoring hits
in the first inning.

Carl Pavano (11-9, 5.20) takes the ball for the Twins after
giving up two runs in seven innings of Sunday's 10-3 win over
Kansas City.

Since being acquired from Cleveland on Aug. 7, Pavano has
allowed two runs over 14 innings in a pair of wins while giving
up 10 runs in 11 innings in his other two starts.

One of those poor outings came against Texas and Feldman 11 days
ago, as he permitted five runs, seven hits and three walks in
four innings without receiving a decision.

 

[southbeach]

Saturday's Streaking and Slumping Starting Pitchers

Streaking

Cliff Lee, Philadelphia Phillies

It?s no secret that Lee has been more than the Phillies could have hoped for when they traded for him to bolster their rotation down the stretch. There?s also no way you can keep him off of this list.

Lee (12-9, 2.62 ERA overall), who has an American League Cy Young award to his credit, might make a strong case for earning the NL?s honor despite a limited body of work. But what he?s shown so far is a masterpiece.

The 31-year-old perennial All-Star is 5-0 with an ERA of 0.68 since joining the Phillies. In his last start, he gave up two runs ? both unearned?against the New York Mets. The left-hander has given up just one run in each of his four other starts for Philadelphia.

He also has been a bettor?s friend. With the exception of his last start, in which bettors were charged -250 to fade the Mets, Lee has been available for less than $2 in each of his other starts. That?s a bargain when you consider the return on investment.


Barry Zito, San Francisco Giants

Lost amid the deserved attention that San Francisco?s young aces have garnered, is the fact that Zito has quietly made a nice comeback for the Giants.

Since he arrived in San Francisco, Zito (8-11, 4.09 ERA) was becoming known as the guy with a nine-figure contract and 90-cent curveball. But the 31-year-old lefty has turned things around, going 3-1 with two no-decisions in his past six starts.

His last two starts ended in no-decisions, but Zito gave up no earned runs in each of those outings. A sign of his improving consistency lies in the fact that the three earned runs he gave up to the New York Mets is his worst outing over his past six starts.


Slumping

Yovani Gallardo, Milwaukee Brewers

The 23-year-old right-hander has taken his share of lumps as the Milwaukee rotation has struggled. Gallardo is just 2-3 in his past five starts. But worse is the fact that he has put the Brewers? bullpen in a tough spot by failing to give them quality innings.

Gallardo (12-10, 3.51 ERA) has made it past the sixth inning just once in his past five starts, during which he has yielded 16 walks. This included a five-inning outing against the Los Angeles Dodgers in which he was tagged for nine earned runs.

Ryan Dempster, Chicago Cubs

The hard-throwing right-hander appears to have revived his career as a starter in Chicago. Even so, Dempster has struggled at the worst possible time for a club desperately in need of a reliable ace.

Dempster (7-7, 4.07 ERA) is 2-2 with two no-decisions in his past six starts. This includes a two-loss stretch in which he gave up 10 total earned runs against the Philadelphia Phillies and San Diego Padres.

Dempster has given up at least four earned runs in three of his past six starts, a testament to his struggles.

 

[southbeach]

Best Under Umps
By CHRIS BERNUCCA

Betting baseball?s boys in blue is a seldom-used practice that can lead to huge profits, especially when wagering on MLB totals.

The umpires working the lowest-scoring games come in all categories - big and small, young and experienced, argumentative and passive.

However, the ones at the top of the list are providing consistent returns better than any team totals play on either side. The best are operating at nearly 75 percent.

There are nearly seven weeks left in the season, leaving plenty of time to track the men in blue with the best under records and collect a little coin.

We used a cutoff of 20 games, so honorable mention goes to Brian Runge, the only third-generation umpire in history who worked Jonathan Sanchez's no-hitter. The under is 14-5 when Runge is behind the plate.

James Hoye (Seven years)

The least experienced of the group with seven years (He was a substitute ump for five years), Hoye was a computer science major who once drove a beer truck in the offseason.

Hoye has the highest average total of anyone on this list at 8.6 runs. But that is a very low number league-wide. The under is 19-8 when Hoye works the plate, including 7-1 when the number is 8.5 or lower.

Jeff Kellogg (16 years)

The under is 17-8 with Kellogg, who called Anibal Sanchez's no-hitter in September 2006. He also worked last year's World Series.

Kellogg's strike percentage of 61.0 is the lowest of any umpire who has been behind the plate at least 20 times. That's somewhat odd considering he also is tied for the lowest average total of 7.8 runs.

John Hirschbeck (25 years)

The only crew chief in this group, Hirschbeck and brother Mark were umps from 1988-2003, the first set of umpiring brothers. He is best known for get spat on by Roberto Alomar during a heated argument in 2006.

Hirschbeck has worked two World Series and also was behind the plate for Barry Bonds' record-breaking 756th home run. He is tied for the best under mark at 17-6.

Andy Fletcher (Nine years)

The only ump to wear a mouthguard to protect against concussions, Fletcher gave Coco Crisp a three-ball walk about a year ago. However, he also is credited with using Terry Francona as a conduit to teach a hopeful minor leaguer named Michael Jordan how to respectfully disagree with umps while working in the Southern League in the 1990s.

Fletcher, who has never worked the postseason, is tied with Kellogg for the lowest total average at 7.8 runs. When he works the plate, those games average just 1.40 homers, the second-lowest mark. Both of those stats help contribute to his under mark of 15-7.

Ted Barrett (12 years)

A former amateur boxer and devout Christian (How's that for a dichotomy?), Barrett is one of the best young umpires in the game, working six Division Series, an ALCS and a World Series. In his first full season, he called David Cone's perfect game in 1999.

Barrett is tied with Hirschbeck for the best under mark at 17-6, including a 5-1 record when the number is 8.5 runs or lower. His 8.1 average runs are second-lowest among this group and his average homers (1.58) is third behind Fletcher and Larry Vanover (1.38).

As an added bonus, Barrett and Fletcher have worked in the same crew many times this season.

 

[southbeach]

MLB Weekend Cheat Sheet
By Marc Lawrence

The final weekend in August finds the MLB pennant races heating up. And with it comes the opportunity to cash in on some solid handicapping situations.

Take a look into the top four series on tap this weekend. Remember, all results are within the series and all pitcher records are ?team starts? (the team?s record in games in which the pitcher starts) versus this opponent.

NATIONAL LEAGUE

Atlanta Braves at Philadelphia Phillies

Most Recent Series Result: Braves 6-2 last eight games (8-4 this season)

Most Recent Series Result at the Site: Braves 6-2 last eight games away (4-2 this season)

Key Day/Month Stat: Braves 7-0 away Fridays

Best Arm in the Series: Phillies? Martinez 5-1, 2.42 ERA home career starts

Worst Arm in the Series: Phillies? Blanton 1-2, 4.50 ERA last three starts

Colorado Rockies at San Francisco Giants

Most Recent Series Result: Rockies 5-1 last six games (7-5 this season)

Most Recent Series Result at the Site: Rockies 6-3 last nine games away (1-2 this season)

Key Day/Month Stat: Rockies 11-2 on Sundays

Best Arm in the Series: Rockies? Marquis 7-2, 2.16 ERA career starts

Worst Arm in the Series: Giants? Lincecum 3-6, 6.00 ERA career starts

AMERICAN LEAGUE

Tampa Bay Rays at Detroit Tigers

Most Recent Series Result: Rays 6-3 last nine games

Most Recent Series Result at the Site: Tigers 10-4 last 14 games home

Key Day/Month Stat: Rays 14-2 Saturdays

Best Arm in the Series: Tigers? Verlander 4-0, 4.50 ERA career starts

Worst Arm in the Series: Rays? Garza 1-4, 5.28 ERA career starts

Texas Rangers at Minnesota Twins

Most Recent Series Result: Twins 6-4 last 10 games (4-3 this season)

Most Recent Series Result at the Site: Twins 8-3 last 11 games home

Key Day/Month Stat: Twins 16-4 home Sundays

Best Arm in the Series: Twins? Baker 3-0, 5.11 ERA career starts

Worst Arm in the Series: Rangers? Millwood 1-5, 4.31 ERA away career starts

 

[southbeach]

MLB Weekend Top 10
By Bodog

How good is the American League East right now? The Tampa Bay Rays are one of the top teams in baseball, and yet they?re 10 games out of first place in the division. The New York Yankees lead the AL East with the best record in the majors. And if the Rays are going to make the playoffs, they?re four games behind the Boston Red Sox for the Wild Card, so they?d better get a move on.

We?ve got all three Eastern rivals lined up in this week?s betting preview, plus the hard-luck Toronto Blue Jays in their latest trip to Fenway Park. All stats are at press time; Bodog Sports is your home for the latest lines.

Top 10 paying teams

1. Los Angeles Angels (75-50, 22.80 units)
2. Texas Rangers (70-55, 18.76 units)
3. Colorado Rockies (72-55, 14.56 units)
4. Los Angeles Dodgers (75-52, 12.93 units)
5. Philadelphia Phillies (73-51, 10.79 units)
6. St. Louis Cardinals (74-54, 10.71 units)
7. San Francisco Giants (69-58, 10.46 units)
8. Florida Marlins (67-59, 9.60 units)
9. Seattle Mariners (66-61, 8.39 units)
10. New York Yankees (79-47, 6.81 units)

Top 10 paying pitchers

1. Matt Palmer, L.A. Angels (10-2 team record, 11.64 units)
2. Josh Johnson, Florida (19-7, 10.95 units)
3. Tim Wakefield, Boston (14-4, 10.22 units)
4. Jason Marquis, Colorado (17-8, 10.10 units)
5. Jeff Niemann, Tampa Bay (16-7, 9.95 units)
6. Scott Feldman, Texas (16-7, 9.54 units)
7. Josh Beckett, Boston (18-7, 8.48 units)
8. Matt Cain, San Francisco (18-8, 8.30 units)
9. Jered Weaver, L.A. Angels (18-8, 8.13 units)
10. Felix Hernandez, Seattle (18-8, 7.41 units)

This weekend's top 10 storylines

1. Red Sox release SP Brad Penny, welcome RP Billy Wagner
2. Mets SP Oliver Perez (knee) out for season
3. Alfonso Soriano returns to left field for Cubs; may require MRI
4. Diamondbacks activate OF Justin Upton from DL
5. Catcher Jorge Posada (bruised finger) listed as day-to-day for Yankees
6. Rockies call up OF Eric Young Jr., put OF Dexter Fowler on DL
7. Nationals sign SP Livan Hernandez after release by Mets
8. Jake Peavy unlikely to start for White Sox on Saturday
9. John Smoltz to start for St. Louis on Friday, Mitchell Boggs on Saturday
10. Report: Milwaukee places RP Trevor Hoffman on waivers

This weekend's top 10 games to bet on:

1. Sunday: Atlanta at Philadelphia (8:05 p.m. Eastern, ESPN)

We should have an entertaining duel on Sunday Night Baseball between Jair Jurrjens (2.91 ERA, 1.26 WHIP) and Joe Blanton (3.88 ERA, 1.29 WHIP).

2. Saturday: N.Y. Mets at Chicago Cubs (4:10 p.m., FOX)

The Mets are sending rookie Bobby Parnell (5.08 ERA, 1.63 WHIP) to the mound. This is his first month as a starter; New York?s only win was Parnell?s only quality start in four attempts.

3. Sunday: Chicago White Sox at N.Y. Yankees (1:05 p.m., TBS)

Chicago traded Freddy Garcia to the Phillies in 2006. He?ll make the third start of his return engagement for the White Sox after allowing eight earned runs in his first 10.2 innings of work, both losses for Chicago.

4. Friday: Toronto at Boston (7:05 p.m.)

The Jays (58-67, -14.82 units) have a run differential of plus-16, three more than the AL Central-leading Tigers at 67-59. Boston is on a 5-0 streak against Toronto at Fenway.

5. Saturday: Colorado at San Francisco (9:05 p.m., MLBN)

Our No. 4 money pitcher, Jason Marquis (3.47 ERA, 1.27 WHIP), squares off against former Cy Young winner Barry Zito (4.09 ERA, 1.32 WHIP).

6. Friday: Tampa Bay at Detroit (7:05 p.m.)

The under is 16-7-2 in Detroit?s last 25 games against winning teams and 37-13-3 for Tampa?s Matt Garza (3.74 ERA, 1.25 WHIP) in his last 57 starts.

7. Saturday: L.A. Dodgers at Cincinnati (4:10 p.m., FOX)

It?s another start for Dodgers knuckleballer Charlie Haeger (1.93 ERA, 0.86 WHIP), who threw seven quality innings in each of his first two games, splitting the pair down the middle.

8. Sunday: Texas at Minnesota (2:10 p.m.)

Kevin Millwood (3.63 ERA, 1.34 WHIP) has the under at 15-7-3 for the Rangers, while the over is 15-9-1 for Scott Baker (4.47 ERA, 1.15 WHIP) and the Twins.

9. Friday: Kansas City at Seattle (10:10 p.m.)

It?s Felix Hernandez (2.73 ERA, 1.19 ERA) checking in at No. 10 on our money list. The Mariners are 11-3 in his last 14 starts, and the under is 11-4-1 in his last 16.

10. Saturday: Pittsburgh at Milwaukee (7:05 p.m.)

The Pirates will make Kevin Hart (4.14 ERA, 1.60 WHIP) walk the plank. They?ve lost three of his four starts since coming over from the Cubs at the trade deadline.

 

[southbeach]

Bullpen Banter: Indians Could Play Spoiler
By ASA

Thriving

Cleveland Indians

If you take a look at the overall pitching and bullpen numbers for the Indians this year, it might leave you scratching your head as to why the Tribe are in this position.

This pitching staff, in particular the bullpen, has gotten much better. The relievers are pitching better than they have all year long which directly correlates to Cleveland?s 20-15 mark since the All-Star break.

For the season, the Indians bullpen has an ERA of 4.82 which is the fourth worst in all of baseball. However, their .255 opponent batting average and 1.8 strikeout to walk ratio indicates they have pitched better than that lofty ERA indicates.

Over the last 10 games, this relief corps has an ERA of just 2.95. The pitching staff, as a whole, has allowed five or fewer runs in 14 of their last 17 games which is an improvement for a staff that has an ERA over 5.00 on the season.

Many of the Cleveland relievers have been improving their stock. Closer Kerry Wood has registered a save in seven of his last eight attempts. His ERA since the break is 3.38 - a drastic improvement over the first half of the season.

Chris Perez, who was acquired in the Mark DeRosa deal, gave up six runs in his first three outings. Since then, he has gone 16 straight scoreless innings and dropped his ERA under 3.00.

Joe Smith has an ERA of just 3.34 on the year, but since the break that number is just 1.42.

Finally, left-handed specialist Tony Sipp has allowed only one earned run in 11 appearances this month.

Improved starting pitching has also helped the bullpen numbers improve. This team lost Cliff Lee to the Phillies, but Fausto Carmon has pitched well since returning from the minors in late July. Justin Masterson was acquired from Boston in the Victor Martinez deal and he has shown promise. Aaron Laffey and Jeremy Sowers have also been fairly solid.

This team can score runs. Their 631 runs place them seventh in the league. They also hit nearly .270 as a team. With the pitching improving, especially the bullpen, this team can be a spoiler in the American League Central race.

Struggling

San Francisco Giants

In direct contrast to the Indians, the Giants have some of the best bullpen numbers on the season.

But lately they have not pitched up to those impressive stats. That is partly attributed to AT&T Park which surrenders the second lowest OPS of any ballpark and just 7.85 runs per game.

On Saturday, the Giants bullpen blew a huge game with Colorado allowing eight runs in just three innings of work. Things didn?t get any better for the relievers Monday. They allowed four runs in the 14th inning, blowing a three-run lead and losing to the Rockies.

That was the fourth loss for the bullpen in San Francisco?s last nine games. All of those losses have been on the road which lends to the ballpark theory. Monday?s bullpen effort, five earned runs in 7.1 innings, pushed their ERA to near 4.50 over the last 11 games.

Due to poor offensive numbers, this team has been carried by their starting pitching and bullpen for much of the season. Now it looks as if the starters might be fading which will continue to negatively affect the bullpen.

Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain have been Cy Young contenders all season. However, Lincecum has not won a start since August 1 and Cain in winless in his last five outings. With Zito, Sanchez and Martinez being up and down, the strain on the bullpen looks like it will continue.

Closer Brian Wilson has 30 saves on the year but has blown two of his last five attempts. Veteran Bobby Howry has a 1-6 record out of the pen after losing another game last week. Even Justin Miller, who has put up fantastic numbers for much of the year, is slowing down. On Saturday he allowed four runs while getting only two outs. Monday was worse for Wilson, when he gave up three earned runs and failed to retire a batter.

San Fran has a very tough schedule down the stretch. It still faces the Dodgers and Rockies six more times. The Giants face off against the Cubs four times and the Brewers and Phillies three more times each.

The bullpen will have immense pressure applied down the stretch and they may not have the depth or talent to hold up. Especially of the starters continue to struggle.

 

[southbeach]

Cy Young Contenders
By Joe Nelson

Cliff Lee has posted simply incredible numbers since joining the Phillies, picking up his fifth win in five starts on Monday and featuring an ERA of 0.68. Much like CC Sabathia did last season there has been talk of Lee being considered for the Cy Young award despite splitting time in both leagues. Sabathia had a much larger sample in the NL last season and he did finish fifth in the voting, but Lee even has acknowledged it would be ridiculous to consider him over pitchers that have posted impressive numbers all season long in the league. The conversation about Lee would be made moot much more easily if a pitcher had stepped out to deliver a truly remarkable Cy Young season, but in both leagues the voting will lack a clear-cut standout choice unless something special happens in the final weeks.

In the National League, Tim Lincecum remains the favorite to win the award this season, which would make for impressive back-to-back wins for the 25-year old. Lincecum has certainly had a fine season as he leads baseball in strikeouts and owns the third best ERA in the NL at 2.43. Stat-gurus rightfully disvalue the win as a key measure of a pitcher but in reality the voters will not, so Lincecum with just 12 wins may get passed up as he has not won in any of his past four outings and the Giants appear to be fading. Adding to the dilemma for voters is that Lincecum?s teammate Matt Cain currently has an identical 12-4 record and also a 2.43 ERA. Lincecum greatly overshadows Cain in strikeouts but Cain has had a remarkable season as well but he may also lack the number of wins to seriously contend for the award.

The emerging candidate in the race has to come from St. Louis, as the Cardinals continue to pull away in the NL Central. Voters would also have a bit of dilemma as well as two Cardinals pitchers are deserving of mention. Chris Carpenter, a past Cy Young winner would have to be the leader with a 14-3 record and a league-leading 2.16 ERA. Carpenter has made just 21 starts however and his counting statistics like strikeouts will not measure favorably with many of the other contenders. Adam Wainwright has also delivered a fantastic season for the Cardinals and in the past six weeks he has pitched as well as anyone in baseball, perhaps outside of Lee. Wainwright also has 14 wins but his seven losses will make it tough for him to compete with Carpenter though he has made five more starts and also features a strong 2.61 ERA and 41 more strikeouts. There will likely be little mention for him as a candidate but St. Louis closer Ryan Franklin deserves some notice as the most dominant reliever in the NL, featuring a 1.11 ERA and going 30 for 32 in save opportunities.

Dan Haren owns a great 2.74 ERA and impressive strikeout-to-walk numbers, but playing for a struggling Arizona team leave him with a 12-8 record and likely out of contention barring an incredible finish. Dodger pitchers Chad Billingsley and Clayton Kershaw were relevant in this race for much of the first half of the season, but like their team, both have faded in recent weeks. Wandy Rodriguez also has enjoyed a great season and is competitive with all the contenders in the key categories, but playing for a Houston team out of playoff race will count him out. Other than Franklin, the other relievers in contention lack the eye-popping numbers that would be needed for a relief pitcher to jump into the mix.

The pitchers with chance to make a move into contention for this award will likely hinge on the playoff push of their respective teams. Florida ace Josh Johnson owns a 12-3 record with a 2.99 ERA and if he pitches brilliantly down the stretch and can lead the Marlins into a wild card spot or at least commendably close playing for the low-payroll Marlins he should warrant serious consideration. The Colorado Rockies are a team with serious momentum right now and if the Rockies make the playoffs and particularly if they unseat Los Angeles in the AL West, starters Jason Marquis and Ubaldo Jimenez could both move into that picture. Both would sit a solid step back in terms of raw numbers at this point in the year and likely would have trouble surpassing some of the more established pitchers. An extreme dark horse candidate would be Javier Vazquez of the Braves who has the requisite strikeouts and a great ERA but has just ten wins and would need the Braves to make a serious September push.

In the American League, the challenge for voters will be even more difficult. At the All-Star Break, two candidates stood out, Zack Greinke and Roy Halladay. Neither likely has the credentials to contend for the award at this point as both have struggled in the second half. Greinke still leads the AL in ERA at 2.44 but he is now 11-8 after starting 8-1 and the Royals have fallen back to the familiar depths of the AL Central despite a promising start and the chances of Greinke improving his numbers are bleak. After constant trade rumors failed to materialize, Halladay has failed to live up to the great results that created his high demand and too-steep price tag. Halladay still owns strong numbers but not likely good enough to win the votes especially on what will be a losing team in Toronto.

Voters will be left to choose from the pitchers that will likely lead the league in wins playing on playoff teams, but featuring less than elite ERAs or choosing a pitcher on a decent team that has slightly better overall numbers. CC Sabathia leads baseball with 15 wins despite most considering it to be somewhat of a disappointing year relative to his last two seasons. Sabathia?s ERA is currently 3.59 which would be considered high for Cy Young consideration but he conceivably could lead the lead by several wins for the team with the best record in baseball. Josh Beckett will be in a similar situation and a couple of clutch performances that leads Boston into the playoffs could build some traction for his campaign but his 3.65 ERA is also a shade too high. Sabathia edged out Beckett for the award in 2007, despite Beckett getting the last laugh in the playoffs and the storyline between the two pitchers could continue with this vote and the potential playoff results.

Detroit has two starters that should be in the mix should the Tigers hold on to the AL Central lead. Neither has truly standout numbers, but Edwin Jackson is third in the AL for ERA and has been a reliable starter for Detroit even though he has just ten wins. Justin Verlander likely has a greater chance of getting votes as a more established name, plus 14 wins and the AL lead in strikeouts. Verlander has been hit hard in several games however and owns a much higher ERA than Jackson and several other AL starters.

The long shot candidates lack the past success and familiarity that Sabathia, Beckett, Halladay, and Verlander would benefit from. Felix Hernandez has the numbers in every key category to warrant attention, but he will have a hard time keeping up in wins and he will be hurt by the lack of visibility playing in Seattle. Scott Feldman and Jeff Niemann have great records pitching for playoff contenders, but neither comes close to an elite level in strikeouts nor ERA. Mark Buehrle has the perfect game stamp on his resume, but he likely will not get enough wins either and his overall numbers are not in the same league as some of the other candidates.

Francisco Rodriguez was able to steal some votes last year with his spectacular season for an Angel team with a great record, but even an all-time single season saves record was not enough to win the award. It would be tough for Rodriguez and Angel fans to swallow but the New York media could make a push for Mariano Rivera that would have a decent chance of success in a year with no standout candidate. Rivera is having a season similar to many of his other great years but playing for a first place team after years of success could garner some career achievement votes for this year?s Cy Young award. Rivera?s 1-2 record does not look Cy worthy, but his ERA is 1.87 and he has converted 36 of 37 saves while posting a 6.5:1 strikeout to walk ratio.

VegasInsider.com

 

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*Rockies-Giants Preview*
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By NICOLINO DIBENEDETTO
STATS Writer

Colorado (72-56) at San Francisco (69-59), 9:05 p.m. EDT

Another key series against their closest pursuer may have been
seen as a perfect chance for the Colorado Rockies to expand
their lead for the NL wild card. Instead, they've seen it
shrink.

Jason Marquis will try to help the Rockies create a little
breathing room on the San Francisco Giants on Saturday night.

The Rockies (72-57) led the wild-card race by a season-high four
games over San Francisco (70-59) after they took two of three
from the NL West rival at Denver, capped by Monday's 6-4,
14-inning win.

Colorado, however, has won only once in four games since, and
Friday's 2-0 loss in the opener of this three-game set at AT&T
Park was its third straight defeat overall.

"I wish I could create a way where we could win this game but
when you get no runs you don't have a chance to win," manager
Jim Tracy said.

The Rockies, who have been outscored 11-3 during the slide, are
in position to match their longest losing streak of the season
for a second time. They last dropped four straight from May
31-June 3, when they were 20-32 and in danger of falling out of
the playoff race early.

Their current losing streak has also seen their wild-card lead
reduced to two games in front of the Giants. Colorado is also
four games back of division-leading Los Angeles.

Marquis (14-8, 3.47 ERA) will take the mound attempting to match
his career high in wins set with St. Louis in 2004.

The right-hander is 2-0 with a 2.14 ERA in his last three starts
and is currently one victory behind CC Sabathia of the New York
Yankees and the Cardinals' Adam Wainwright for the most in
baseball.

Marquis was outstanding in Monday's win over the Giants,
yielding one run in eight innings while getting just one run of
support.

The 10-year veteran, who was named to his first All-Star game
last month, has been just as effective in six career starts at
San Francisco, going 4-1 with a 1.97 ERA. He won his last start
there May 2, throwing a five-hitter in a 5-1 victory.

Barry Zito (8-11, 4.09) will take the mound for San Francisco
looking to gain some inspiration from Tim Lincecum's terrific
performance Friday. The ace - and reigning NL Cy Young Award
winner - allowed four runs with eight strikeouts in eight
innings before Brian Wilson threw a perfect ninth to get the
save.

"We're coming down the stretch here to the last month," Lincecum
said. "These are really big games. We've got to buckle down."

Zito might prefer a little help after going 0-1 with a 1.59 ERA
in his last three trips to the mound while getting just one run
of support. In four prior starts, he had received 16 total runs
of help while posting a 3-0 mark and 2.19 ERA.

The left-hander labored at times opposite Marquis on Monday,
allowing one unearned run and walking a season-high six while
throwing 105 pitches in six innings.

Not getting support has been a theme for Zito in four starts
against the Rockies at San Francisco, where he's gone 0-1 with a
1.55 ERA while the offense has totaled four runs.