Thursday's Diamond Notes
June 30, 2016
By Joe Williams
VegasInsider.com
New Sportsbook.ag customers: Make your 1st bet, get your 2nd bet free, 100%, winnings paid in cash.
Join Now
Already have an account? Click here to view new Exclusive Rewards!
ShareFacebookTwitterDiggMySpace
Hottest team: Orioles (7-0 past 7)
The Baltimore Orioles powered their way past the San Diego Padres in interleague play, and now set their sights on the Seattle Mariners at Safeco Field. The O's have scored at least 11 runs in each of their past three games, and five or more runs in eight straight outings. A big part of their success has been the long ball, as they enter Thursday's game with 55 homers in the month of June. If they can hit one home run they will break the all-time record for homers hit in June. The Orioles have won four straight against right-handed pitchers, and they're 5-2 in Chris Tillman's past seven road starts.
Coldest team: Rays (2-12 past 14)
The Tampa Bay Rays blanked the Boston Red Sox and old friend David Price in Wednesday's game, taking two of three from their division rivals. But they still have a long way to go before bettors stop fading them and start to take them seriously. They haven't been able to beat a right-handed pitcher in quite some time, going 0-11 vs. RHP overall, including 0-4 in their past four tries at home against righties. They're also a dismal 1-4 in Jake Odorizzi's past five home outings. The Tigers have won five of the past seven meetings in this series, too.
Hottest pitcher: Madison Bumgarner, Giants (8-4, 1.99 ERA)
MadBum enters his start Thursday in Oakland with a sub-2.00 ERA and 122 strikeouts over 108 1/3 innings in 16 starts. He wasn't terribly impressive last time out, so that doesn't bode well for the A's in this one. Manager Bruce Bochy is so confident in Bumgarner that he is letting him hit, too, in an American League park. It has been 40 years since a major league manager intentionally forfeited the designated hitter in an American League ballpark. It isn't that Bumgarner is lighting it up offensively, but the team is short on right-handed hitters against LHP Dillon Overton, and he does have 11 homers over the past 183 at-bats.
Coldest pitcher: R.A. Dickey, Blue Jays (5-8, 4.23 ERA)
The knuckleballer Dickey has the unenviable task of trying to shut down the streaking Cleveland Indians, who enter on a 12-game overall win streak, including six in a row on the road. To make matters worse for Dickey, the Blue Jays are 0-8 in his past eight starts at Rogers Centre, and 4-11 in his past 15 starts overall. Toronto has won eight of their past 11 games at home, and they're 18-8 in their past 26 vs. RHP. The Indians have managed just two wins in their past seven trips north of the border.
Biggest UNDER run: Mets (7-3 past 10)
The Mets offense has been struggling lately, averaging just 1.8 runs per game over their past five outings. It's no surprise that they have lost four of those games, and the under has also gone 4-1 during the span. They'll be trying to take down Cubs RHP John Lackey. The under is 7-2 in Lackey's past nine outings, and the under is 5-1-1 in Chicago's past seven against left-handed pitching. The under is 9-2 in New York's past 11 vs. RHP, including 4-0 in their past four home games against righties. In this series the under is 8-3-2 in the past 13 meetings, and 5-1-1 in the past seven tilts at Citi Field.
Biggest OVER run: Yankees (8-2-1 past 11)
The other New York team is having an under run, but the Yankees are on an over kick. They'll wrap up their four-game set against Texas Thursday afternoon, with the over going 2-0-1 in the first three outings. The Rangers are also on an over run, going 5-1-2 over their past eight, and 4-1 in A.J. Griffin's past five outings. The over has cashed in six of the past eight for the Yankees vs. RHP, and 5-2-1 in their past eight home games. New York pitching has allowed six or more runs in four straight, and eight of the past 10 outings.
Matchup to watch: Braves vs. Marlins
The Miami Marlins head up Interstate 75 to Atlanta looking to add to the misery of the Braves. Atlanta has won just 11 of their 43 games at Turner Field this season, and they are coming off a sweep at the hands of the red-hot Cleveland Indians. The Marlins have been strong on the road, winning 20 of their 38 games away from South Florida. The Marlins will also have the luxury of facing RHP Mike Foltynewicz, who is fresh off the 15-day disabled list and could potentially show a little rust after a long layoff.
Betcha didn’t know: The Reds and Nationals square off in D.C. with two ice-cold pitchers on the bump. The Reds are just 2-11 in Brandon Finnegan's past 13 starts overall, and 1-5 in his past six road outings. The Nationals are 0-7 in Gio Gonzalez's past seven outings, and 1-4 in his past five home outings. So something's gotta give. The Nats are also 0-4 in their past four against southpaws. So something's gotta give. Looking at past history in this series, the Reds have dominated. Cincinnati is 7-2 in the past nine matchups, and 5-2 in their past seven trips to our nation's capital.
Biggest public favorite: Nationals (-200) vs. Reds
Biggest public underdog: Rangers (+135) at Yankees
Biggest line move: Athletics (+160 to +145) vs. Giants
Joe Williams can be followed on Twitter at JoeWilliamsVI....courtesy Joe Williams Vegasinsider