Two teams that are in the thick of the NL playoff race face off in a quick one-game series due to a rainout in May at Coors Field.
Philadelphia Phillies at Colorado Rockies
Philadelphia heads to Colorado to play a single game series due to a May rainout on Thursday night at Coors Field. The Phillies followed a three-game sweep of the Padres in San Diego by picking up two of three versus the Dodgers in Los Angeles. The team is 5-1 on its seven-game road trip and leads tonight’s opponent by 5 1/2 games in the NL Wild Card race. Overall, the club has posted a fantastic 11-2 record away from Philadelphia since the start of August. Their upcoming schedule of opponents has a combined .498 winning percentage over the final 29 games of the season and the Phillies will play 16 of those games at Citizens Bank Park. Philadelphia started the month off with a 5-1 victory on Wednesday and the team has compiled a fantastic 35-21 record in September over the last three years (+190).
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Oakland has dropped seven of eight games versus the Yankees this season and have been outscored 20-8 in dropping the first two games of this four-game set. The Athletics came into the series with a major league-best 3.36 ERA, but that has been pushed up to 3.49 due to the last couple days. The team has lost four of its last six games, but has still won eight of 14 overall. It’s important to note that the club has a 16-27 record in the first game of a series, 21-22 in the second and a dominating 25-14 mark in the third contest. Oakland finished August with a 13-15 record, which was tied with Texas for the best record among AL West clubs during the month. Tonight marks the 25th time in the last 36 games that the Athletics have played a team that was in first place in their division or the wild card race at the time, posting a 10-14 record in the previous 24 contests. The club has a 12-10 record on the road when the total is 9 to 9.5 (+260) and 45-47 in this situation the last three campaigns (+1,440).
Toronto fell 6-2 in the series opener against the Rays at Tropicana Field, with a costly error by second baseman Aaron Hill proving too difficult to fight back from. “I’m not going to fault my guys for playing hard,” Monday night’s starter Brett Cecil said. “I’ve got to take it upon myself.” The Blue Jays had won four straight against the Rays in the season series, but now trail 7-6 with last night’s loss. Offensively, the team has been led by outfielder Jose Bautista, recently named AL Player of the Week for August 23-29. Over those seven days, he hit .500 with eight extra-base hits and four home runs. Bautista currently leads the majors with 42 home runs. The club owns a 33-36 mark away from the Rogers Centre this season, including a 12-11 record on the road. Toronto is a disappointing 7-13 as a road underdog of +125 to +150 this season (-360) and the total is 10-9 O/U in those contests.
Oakland sits 7 1/2 games back of the Texas Rangers in the AL West divisional race, as they head East for a three-game set in the Bronx. The Athletics still have a legitimate shot at catching them due to a starting rotation that owns a major league-best 3.36 ERA. The club will have dramatically improve against the Yankees due to dropping five of six against them this season and 16 of the last 19 meetings overall. In winning eight of their last 12 games overall, the team now sits a game over .500 for the season (65-64, +230), while remaining in second place in the division for seven consecutive days. Oakland has posted a 13-3 record in its last 16 day games, but it’s a different story at night, compiling a 35-51 mark at night (-1,680). The Athletics are an even 13-13 in August (-20) and the total is 6-19 O/U in those games.
New York finished off its current homestand with a 3-3 record and now embark on a 10-game trip, which will serve as the team’s longest this season. The Mets record has also not been more than one game above or below .500 since July 31, when they were 53-51. The starting staff has been doing its part, posting a 3.42 ERA since the All-Star break, the fourth-lowest mark in the majors during that span. Only Oakland (2.66), San Diego (3.36) and Atlanta (3.40) have a lower ERA. The club has a 23-29 record against divisional opponents this season (-850) and the total is 23-28 O/U in those contests. New York is winless in eight games this season as a road underdog of +150 to +175 (-800) and 5-12 in this situation the last three years (-390).
Florida fell 12-3 in the second game of this three-game set in Atlanta, falling 8 1/2 games back in the NL East race. The 12 runs allowed were a season-high by the Marlins and starting pitcher Ricky Nolasco managed to last just two innings. “I just stunk. I didn’t throw anything where I wanted to,” said Nolasco. The club still has seven meetings remaining in the season series which includes today’s series finale at Turner Field. The Fish expect rookie outfielder Mike Stanton to get the start in right field this afternoon after not starting in the previous two games. Also, third baseman Wes Helms is also expected to return after sitting out the first pair of games in this series. Florida still holds a solid 27-23 record against divisional opponents (+460) and the total is 26-21 O/U in those contests. The Marlins also possess a winning 17-15 mark in daytime games and are 64-58 under the sun the past three years (+1,060).
Philadelphia picked up a 3-2 victory in the series opener over the San Diego Padres last night, as both teams see this matchup as a potential playoff series. The victory snapped a four-game losing streak and moved the Phillies within two games of the Atlanta Braves in the National League East and into a half-game lead over the San Francisco Giants in the NL Wild Card race. Overall this season, the club is 31-32 on the road and hitting .254 with 46 home runs and 251 runs scored in 63 games away from Citizens Bank Park. Philadelphia is 8-6 as a road underdog of +100 to +125 this season (+300) and 36-24 in this situation the past three years (+1,660). The Phillies are also a solid 53-38 in 2010 against right-handed starters (+500) and the total is 44-45 O/U in those contests.
Oakland opened up its 10-game road trip in Cleveland and missed an opportunity to collect a sweep with a 3-2 loss on Thursday night. “We’ll get on the flight and go get ‘em on Friday,” manager Bob Geren said. “We have to be ready.” The Athleticis have won six of their last nine games overall and are 22-17 since July 10, which is the fourth-best record in the American League over that span. The starting staff has been key in the team’s success over the last 18 games, allowing three earned runs or less and tossing six innings in all of those contests. The club fell a game below .500 in August with last night’s loss (11-12, -190) and is 35-47 overall during the month the past three seasons (-560). Oakland has produced a winning 19-18 record against divisional opponents in 2010, but has gone 68-83 versus Western foes over the last three campaigns (-1,060).
