A pair of playoff hopefuls square off in a crucial three-game series at Tropicana Field this weekend, starting with Friday’s clash that’s highlighted by All-Star southpaws.
Boston Red Sox at Tampa Bay Rays
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Author: Jeff Mattinger
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The Rangers look to finish off a sweep against a team that they could matchup against during postseason play.
Minnesota Twins at Texas Rangers
Minnesota still leads the AL Central division by 3 1/2 games despite being in a position of getting swept for the first time since dropping three straight at Milwaukee from June 22-24. It’s the first time that the Twins have lost three straight games since July 7-10 when the club lost four in a row. The Twins had won 21 of 27 before arriving in Arlington, but the offense has managed to produce just six runs in this series. “We were swinging good coming into this series, but they’ve pretty much shut us down,” said Jason Kubel. The three losses to the Rangers in this series has now dropped the team a half-game behind them in the standings, which would be important in establishing home-field advantage in the playoffs. The club is still 14-8 in August (+510) and come in with a 25-18 mark against left-handed starters (+540). The Twins have also posted a .273 batting average against southpaws this season, which is the second highest average in the AL.
The Phillies must get their offense back in gear in order to avoid being swept at Citizens Bank Park for the first time against today’s opponent.
Houston Astros at Philadelphia Phillies
Continue reading “Thursday MLB Preview – Astros at Phillies”
A pair of southpaw starters take the stage in a series that has a playoff-type atmosphere surrounding it in Arlington.
Minnesota Twins at Texas Rangers
Minnesota has run into some problems in the first two games of this four-game set in Arlington, almost getting no-hit on Monday night and then falling by a 4-3 score last night to see its lead drop to 3 1/2 games in the AL Central. The series definitely has a playoff feel and manager Ron Gardenhire knows the importance of these situations during the regular season by saying, “We missed a play in the outfield and it ended up costing us again. That’s the difference in this ballgame.” The Twins are still a solid 17-8 against the AL West this season and 14-8 this month (+510). Beginning tonight, the club has 11 more games against the division, with six occurring this week. Minnesota has also performed well against left-handed starters this season, producing a 25-18 mark in 2010 (+540) and a 82-76 record over the last three seasons (+30).
The Rays are looking to sweep the Angels in Anaheim for the first time in franchise history, as they welcome back a key member of their starting rotation.
Tampa Bay Rays at Los Angeles Angels
A pair of talented left-handers headline the second game of this three-game set in the Bay Area.
Cincinnati Reds at San Francisco Giants
Cincinnati suffered an 11-2 blowout loss to the Giants in the first game of a three-game set at AT&T Park, but the team still remains atop the league in batting average and runs scored. “The main thing is for nobody to panic. It’s one game,” Reds manager Dusty Baker said after the game. “You want to win every game, but at this point we’re 5-2 on this road trip.” The club is 36-27 on the road this season (+1,140) and has a 10-4 record as a road underdog of +100 to +125 (+760). The team has won eight of their last 10 games and has produced a solid 15-6 record in August (+920), while the total stands at an even 10-10 O/U in those contests. Cincinnati is 13-6-1 in their previous 20 road series and has compiled a winning or .500 record on six of their nine road trips. It’s also important to note that the Reds are 23-17 when facing southpaw starters in 2010 and 72-67 in this situation the last three campaigns (+510).
American League division leaders square off in the second game of a crucial series at the Ballpark in Arlington.
Minnesota Twins at Texas Rangers
Minnesota was nearly no-hit in a 4-0 road loss to the Rangers at the Ballpark in Arlington last night, but the team has still won eight of 11 and 21 of 28 games. The Twins carry a 4 1/2-game lead into tonight’s contest and hopes for a better offensive performance in the second game of the series, as they were one-hit for the 24th time in club history on Monday. “You definitely don’t want to get no-hit,” All-Star catcher Joe Mauer said. “It’s nice to get a hit up there but we want runs.” The club is now 17-7 against the AL West division and will look to improve upon its 11-7 mark on Tuesdays this evening. The staff ERA of 2.76 against the division is the lowest of any American League team and the team was 19-21 versus the division in 2009. Minnesota is a solid 14-7 in August (+610) and the total is 10-11 O/U in those contests. The Twins have played six games after being shutout this season, posting an even 3-3 mark (-210) and a 9-9 record over the last three years (-160).
Both clubs are in the playoff race as they start a three-game series at AT&T Park in front of a ESPN2 audience.
Cincinnati Reds at San Francisco Giants
Cincinnati currently leads the NL Central division by 3 1/2 games with six weeks to go, as the team starts a three-game series against the Giants. The Reds captured a 5-2 victory over the Dodgers on Sunday afternoon giving the team its eighth win in nine games and guaranteed a winning nine-game West coast road trip. “You can’t help but notice we haven’t done much winning in Los Angeles,” first baseman Joey Votto said. “For us to be the team that finally breaks that streak and gets a winning series on the road, it’s a good thing.” The pitching staff has been fantastic since June 17, posting a 3.15 ERA, which is the third-best mark in the majors over that span. Offensively, the club leads the NL with a .272 average and scoring 4.96 runs per game. The Reds are 15-5 in August (+1,020) and 10-4 as a road underdog of +100 to +125 this season (+760).
The Phillies are almost at full strength offensively and face off against a former teammate at Citizens Bank Park this evening.
Houston Astros at Philadelphia Phillies
Houston salvaged the final game of a three-game series in Florida with a 2-1 victory at Sun Life Stadium on Sunday afternoon. The Astros now move on to Philadelphia where they have a 12-7 all-time record at Citizens Bank Park and a 26-16 overall mark against the Phillies since the start of the 2004 season. Tonight’s contest is the fourth game of 10-game road trip against the NL East, as the club is 9-14 versus the division this season. The starting staff has carried the load recently, posting a 2.54 ERA in the last 13 games, with the team compiling a 7-6 record in that span. Houston is 34-55 against right-handed starters this year (-1,000) and the total is 44-41 O/U in those contests. It’s also important to note the team is 5-8 as a road underdog of +125 to +150 in 2010 and a dismal 22-36 in this situation the last three years (-580).
The Dodgers send one of the best daytime pitchers in baseball to the hill in facing off against the NL Central-leading Reds.
Cincinnati Reds at Los Angeles Dodgers
Cincinnati had its season-high seven-game win streak snapped in Saturday’s 8-5 loss to the Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. The Reds lead is now 3 1/2 games in the NL Central race with the Cardinals grabbing a victory over the Giants. “You get spoiled winning,” Baker said. “When you’re winning a lot, you think you’re going to win every game even though you know you’re not.” The club is 4-4 on the West Coast this season, but is still a dismal 17-36 on the West Coast over the last five seasons, which included a 12-game losing streak at today’s venue. Cincinnati has compiled a 22-11 record since the All-Star break that gives them the second-best record in the majors over that span. The Reds have also produced a 14-2-1 mark in their last 17 series. It’s important to note the team is just 8-11 when playing winning opponents in the second half of the season (-330).
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