SPORTS ADVISORS
NATIONAL LEAGUE
Chicago Cubs (63-44) at Milwaukee (60-47)
The Cubs gun for their fourth straight win when they send Ryan Dempster (11-4, 2.99 ERA) to the hill against southpaw Manny Parra (9-3, 3.72) and the suddenly slumping Brewers as this four-game set continues at Miller Park.
Chicago has scored back-to-back upsets in the first two games of this series, winning 6-4 on Monday and 7-1 on Tuesday. The Cubs have won three in a row overall and five of their last seven, increasing their lead in the N.L. Central to three games over Milwaukee. Lou Piniella?s squad is also on runs of 9-4 against lefty starters and 15-7 when Dempster takes the mound.
Milwaukee has followed a seven-game winning streak by losing four of its last five ? all at home ? including the last three in a row. However, the Brewers have won eight of their last nine versus right-handed starters (the lone loss coming last night).
The road team has won six of the eight series meetings between these rivals this season.
Dempster has given up two runs or fewer in seven of his last nine starts, but Chicago is just 5-4 during this stretch. Also, even though he?s posted a 1.29 ERA in his last two road starts at Houston and San Francisco ? both Cubs wins ? Dempster is just 1-3 with a 3.42 ERA in nine road outings this year. On the bright side, he?s 2-0 with a 3.00 ERA in two starts against the Brewers this year (both at home).
Parra has a 2.20 ERA over his last seven starts, six of which have been quality outings. However, Milwaukee is 1-3 in his last four efforts after going 6-0 in his previous six outings. At home, Parra is 5-1 with a 3.02 ERA, and he?s yet to face Chicago this season.
The over is on runs of 9-2 for Milwaukee at home, 9-1-2 in this rivalry at Miller Park, 5-1-1 in this series overall, 6-2 for the Cubs overall and 5-1 for the Cubs on the road,
ATS ADVANTAGE:OVER
AMERICAN LEAGUE
L.A. Angels (66-40) at Boston (61-47)
The Angels look to complete a three-game sweep of the Red Sox at Fenway Park when they hand the ball to All-Star Joe Saunders (13-5, 3.10), who is slated to oppose Boston ace Josh Beckett (9-7, 3.83).
Los Angeles, which owns baseball?s best record, improved to 11-2 in its last 13 games with Tuesday?s 6-2 win in Boston, which followed Monday?s 7-5 victory. The Halos are also on streaks of 6-1 on the road, 8-1 against the A.L. East, 8-1 against right-handed starters and 7-0 against the Red Sox. Additionally, they?re 36-15 in Saunders? last 51 starts, including 15-5 this year.
Boston has now dropped seven of 11 games since the All-Star break, and the team is 1-4 on its current homestand. Also, not only have the Sox lost seven straight games to Los Angeles, but four of those defeats have come at Fenway Park.
Saunders has given up three earned runs or fewer in seven consecutive starts, including a 4-2 home win over Boston on July 19, when the southpaw surrendered two runs on six hits in 6 2/3 innings. He?s 3-0 with a 2.87 ERA in five career starts against the Red Sox, with the Angels winning all five games. Finally, Saunders has been lights out on the highway this year, going 7-3 with a 2.41 ERA in 10 starts.
Beckett gave up just one run on nine hits over seven innings on Friday against the Yankees, yet suffered the 1-0 home loss. Boston is just 3-5 in the right-hander?s last eight outings, including 1-3 at home. Also, Beckett opposed Saunders on July 19 in Anaheim and yielded all four runs on nine hits in eight innings, taking the 4-2 loss. Prior to that, he had 1.59 ERA in five career starts ? including one playoff game ? against Los Angeles.
The over is 10-5-2 in the last 17 series meetings in Boston and 6-3-1 in Boston?s last 10 at Fenway.
ATS ADVANTAGE: OVER
Chicago White Sox (59-45) at Minnesota (58-47)
The Twins, winners of four in a row, will try to overtake the White Sox for first place in the A.L. Central when veteran Livan Hernandez (10-7, 5.31) opposes Chicago?s Gavin Floyd (10-6, 3.57) in the third game of this four-game series at the Metrodome.
Minnesota rolled to a 7-0 victory Monday night, then rallied from a 4-0 deficit on Tuesday en route to a 6-5 victory, moving to within a half-game of the White Sox in the Central. The Twins, who had lost five in a row to Chicago prior to Monday, are now on a 20-5 run at home. Meanwhile, the White Sox have followed a four-game winning streak with three straight losses. They?re also 7-16 in their last 23 on the road and 1-11 in their last 12 on artificial turf.
The host is 11-2 in this rivalry in 2008.
Hernandez has yielded 20 earned runs in his last five starts spanning 32 1/3 innings, resulting in a beefy 5.57 ERA. However, he?s managed to alternate wins and losses in his last six starts, including a 5-4 defeat at Cleveland on Friday. On the bright side, the right-hander is 8-1 with a 3.91 ERA at home this year, and Minnesota is 10-2 in his 12 outings at the Metrodome.
Hernandez has faced the White Sox twice in Chicago this year with completely different results, pitching a complete game in a 13-1 victory on May 7, then getting rocked for seven runs in four innings of an 11-2 loss exactly one month later.
Floyd is 2-1 with a 2.11 ERA in three starts against Minnesota this year, allowing just six runs (five earned) in 21 1/3 innings. On the downside, Floyd is 3-4 with a 5.29 ERA on the road this year, and the White Sox are 4-9 in his last 13 outings on the highway.
The over is 15-6-1 in Hernandez?s 22 starts this year, including 2-0 against Chicago. The over is also on runs of 10-2-1 for the White Sox overall, 5-1-1 for the White Sox on the road, 9-2 for the Twins on Wednesdays and 5-1 in this rivalry.
ATS ADVANTAGE:MINNESOTA and OVER