MLB: Normal Wagering returns with League Play
For many baseball purists, the return of major league baseball teams competing in their respective leagues is a welcome sight
2008-07-01
For many baseball purists, the return of major league baseball teams competing in their respective leagues is a welcome sight, with interleague action wrapped up for another season. Some of the first series’ out of the gate are key divisional contests, including Boston and Tampa Bay, where 64% of Sportsbook.com bettors have already jumped on the side of the host Rays for Monday’s game.
For competitors in the same division, the games have the two-for-one quality, meaning each contest either advances situation or puts a team further back. Here is a look at tonight’s top games, in relation to what they mean in the standings as each teams gears up for the second half of the season.
Boston at Tampa Bay
For those that don’t like a global economy, have a flashing 12:00 on DVD/VCR machine and think Blu-ray is a cosmic light from outer space, getting over the fact the Tampa Bay Rays are actually good enough to be in first place with July arriving, is unsettling. The Rays are a half a game in the standings ahead of Boston and two in the loss column. This is easily the most anticipated series this week, with enough bad blood; Tony Soprano should be sitting behind the Tampa Bay dugout. Tampa Bay felt Boston’s Coco Crisp had attempted to take out second baseman Akinori Iwamura on a slide, and Rays pitcher James Shields responded by hitting Crisp in the hip with a fastball. That provoked a benches-clearing brawl that earned eight players suspensions.
Crisp charged Shields and exchanged punches with him, is serving a five-game penalty and will miss this series. “I protected my own players and that’s what we need to do around here,” Shields said that night. “We’ve been getting stomped around the last 10 years and it isn’t going to happen anymore. I had to let them know early and let them know right away.”
Both teams have mentioned things to the media in the last couple of weeks, this has not been forgotten, however the umpires assuredly have been instructed not to let anything occur. (Traditionalists have to yearn for the days when these problems were solved by the players.) Shields (5-5. 3.76, 1.155 WHIP) will be the starter in Game 1 and is big part why Tampa Bay is 30-13, +14 units at home. Shields and mates are 7-1 when he starts at Tropicana Field.
This is a big week, not critical, but important seven days for Boston, playing in Florida, before heading back north to face the Yankees for four contests on the road. The Red Sox are 19-24, -4.5 units as visitors, scoring a half a run less compared to season average. Justin Masterson (4-1, 3.43, 1.190 WHIP) will try to help prevent the Red Sox’s first three-game skid since they were swept at Oakland from May 23-25. Boston is a mere 4-12 against the money line in road games when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
Sportsbook.com has Tampa Bay -137 money line favorites, with total Ov8.5. The home team has won all nine meetings this season with the Rays 13-3 in home games after a win by two runs or less this season.
Detroit at Minnesota
It took half a season, but Detroit has fought their way back to be over .500 for the first time in 2008. Nothing has gone according to plan for the Tigers, yet now are in third place and within five games of the front-running White Sox. All would be forgiven if they could comeback and win the AL Central. Detroit travels to Minnesota riding a five-game winning streak and has won 15 of last 18, trying to chase down second place Minnesota.
The Twins have been able to keep the Tigers at bay while gaining ground on the White Sox, having won 11 of 12. Minnesota handed Ben Sheets just his second loss of the season yesterday and is 12-1 after three consecutive games versus an interleague opponent this season. Lefty Glen Perkins (4-2, 4.47, 1.543 WHIP) will go for the Twins against Tigers lineup that has feasted on left-handers with 15-5 record. Minnesota will get a look at Armando Galarraga (7-2, 3.32, 1.105 WHIP) again, having handed him both of his losses. Minnesota is a +110 home underdog, despite 37-24 record versus RH starters. Minny is 5-3 in 2008 taking on the Tigers.
Oakland at L.A. Angels
It’s not very often a team scores one total run in a series and doesn’t get swept, however even more unusual when you don’t allow a hit in a game and get beat. The Los Angeles Angels proved over the weekend why baseball is such a crazy game. “It’s pitching and defense - no magic formula,” Angels manager Mike Scioscia told the team’s official Web site. “Our pitchers are executing and getting in good zones. That’s what we rely on.” This has proven to be especially true scoring one run in last two games and surrendering no earned runs and three measly hits to Dodgers on Saturday and Sunday.
The Angels are up 4.5 games over Oakland in the AL West and will look to extend the A’s hitting woes, when they scored just one run in last two contests against rival San Francisco on their side of the Bay. The A’s are batting .197 with two homers in the last five games while scoring 10 runs. Oakland will send Greg Smith (4-6, 3.69, 1.284) to the mound and it would him if they actually touched home plate with greater frequency, scoring 14 runs in his last 11 starts.
The gang from Anaheim will counter with John Garland (7-4, 4.05, 1.437). The Halos are a -125 money line favorite and Garland is 1-7 as a home favorite of -125 to -175 over the last two seasons. (Team's Record) Oakland is just 1-13 in road games after a loss by 10 runs or more, while the Angels are 15-4 facing lefties like Smith. Los Angeles has won four of first seven in this underrated rivalry and will try to create more distance between the Athletics.
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