Philadelphia at St.na (3) 22nd, 23rd, 24th
The Royals still have lots of weaknesses, but they’ve turned a nice profit in road games vs. righthanders (+$590) and could be a decent underdog value here at Miller Park. And with Chris Capuano now on the DL, they won’t be taking on any lefties unless the Brewers bring one up. Lay off anytime KC sends a southpaw to the mound (Brewers +$610 at home vs. lefties), otherwise the visitor looks like the way to go. BEST BET: Royals when righty meets righty.
Houston at Texas (3) 22nd, 23rd, 24th
They’ve got a pair of bad baseball teams in Texas in 2007 (Rangers only 26-43, -$1225 . . . Astros 30-39, -$1325) so it’s hard to get a decent read on this. Statistically, Houston looks like they should be doing much better (.255 team BA, 4.36 ERA, roughly average for the NL this year), but the Rangers are a complete disaster (.255 BA, 5.50 ERA, 2nd worst in the AL in both departments). If we see a price we like we’ll consider taking a shot with the visitor, but we prefer to wait until game day before we jump in. BEST BET: None.
Baltimore at Arizona (3) 22nd, 23rd, 24th
The Orioles were in 2nd place in the AL East not long ago, but they’ve fallen to the back of the pack (29-40, -$1345) and they’ll have a tough time here at Chase Field taking on a formidable Arizona squad. The home team is 18--9 (+$775) against righthanders in this ballpark and can improve those numbers, but watch out for Jeremy Guthrie (1.71 ERA in nine starts) if he happens to get a start. BEST BET: Diamondbacks vs. all righthanders except Guthrie.
Boston at San Diego (3) 22nd, 23rd, 24th
The Red Sox have posted very strong numbers vs. righties on the road this season (17-6, +$1290) so it will be interesting to see how they fare against the best pitching staff in baseball (SD 2.92) one that boasts some of the finest righthanders in MLB today. The Padres have lost money vs. righthanders here at Petco Park in night games (-$340 with 3.5 runs per game), so we’ll grab the short prices on the Bosox here. BEST BET: Red Sox when righty meets righty.
Cincinnati at Seattle (3) 22nd, 23rd, 24th
The Mariners have emerged as serious contenders in the competitive AL West, but their pitching has struggled in recent days (6.08 ERA among starters last 10) so caution is advised. We’d consider taking them if the Reds send a southpaw to the hill (Seattle 13-5, +$1095 vs. lefties this year), but that might not happen. The Reds have the worst record in the NL right now (27-43, -$1875) and there is nothing to recommend them here at Safeco. BEST BET: None.
Pittsburgh at L.A. Angels (3) 22nd, 23rd, 24th
The Pirates may not be in the same class as the first place Angels, but there might have been some opportunities to use them as underdogs if Maholm and Gorzelanny were going to be available (Angels -$120 vs. lefties at home with 4.4 runs per game vs. southpaws overall). But it appears likely that they’ll both miss this series, and given LA’s stellar performance vs. righthanders in this ballpark (19-5, +$1110), it’s worth it to take the home team in that situation at any price. BEST BET: Angels vs. righthanders.
N.Y. Yankees at San Francisco (3) 22nd, 23rd, 24th
The Yankees are the hottest team in baseball right now (9-1, +$730 last 10 days with 7.4 runs per game and a 3.87 ERA among starters), and while their overall numbers are still pretty bad, they are a lot better than they were. The Giants have dropped into last place in the NL West, and they’ve lost money vs. righthanders here at ATT PARK (-$545). We’ll take a shot with Chien-Ming Wang and Mike Mussina, who have both looked very sharp in their most recent outings (1.72 & 1.98 ERA’s respectively) and who are slated to take turns in this series. BEST BET: Wang/Mussina.
