The Cleveland Browns are not the biggest story in town after NBA star LeBron James left the Cavaliers for Miami in the offseason. But they too will have a much different look this season under second-year head coach Eric Mangini and with Team President Mike Holmgren now on board. Gone are former quarterbacks Derek Anderson (Arizona) and Brady Quinn (Denver) in favor of veterans Jake Delhomme and Seneca Wallace along with rookie Colt McCoy. Cleveland also brought in TE Benjamin Watson and WR Bobby Engram to help stabilize a young receiving corps that is led by Chansi Stuckey, Brian Robiskie and Mohamed Massaquoi. Delhomme is expected to be the starter for the regular-season opener and will not have a receiver like he did in Carolina with Steve Smith, but he will need to play a key role in developing the youngsters.
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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).
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).
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).
Toronto fell 5-4 in 11 innings in Saturday night’s contest against the Red Sox at Fenway Park, as reliever Casey Janssen served up a walk off home run in the bottom of the 11th inning. “I just kind of talked myself out of a pitch,” Janssen said. “You can second guess. If I get him out, it’s the right pitch. If I don’t, then it’s the wrong pitch.” The Blue Jays are 4-10 against the Red Sox this season, including a 2-3 mark on the road in this series. The club is 13-27 versus Boston dating back to the middle of the 2008 season, but they’ve actually won five of the last eight contests at Fenway Park. Toronto dropped below .500 on the road with yesterday’s loss, currently standing at 33-34 away from the Rogers Centre (+590). The Blue Jays are still bring a solid 27-21 mark against division opponents into the series finale (+1,120) and the total is 22-25 O/U in those contests. It’s important to note that the team is 7-10 as a road underdog of +125 to +150 in 2010 (-60) and 18-31 in this situation the last three years (-670).
San Francisco captured a 6-3 road victory over the Cardinals in the opening game of this three-game series in St. Louis. The Giants are now 9-9 in August after completing a 20-8 July, but the club is happy with its recent results overall. In 83 games of scoring three-or-more runs in a game, the team has produced a 62-20 record (.756), which is the second-best winning percentage in the majors in that particular situation. The club is 3-4 in its current 12-game stretch in which they play against opponents in the heart of the playoff picture. San Francisco has posted a 32-31 record on the road this season, which is the fourth-best mark in the National League behind San Diego, Cincinnati and Florida. The team has compiled a 5-7 record as a road underdog of +125 to +150 this season (-30) and the total is 8-4 O/U in those contests. It’s also important to state the Giants are 12-7 when playing on Saturday (+600).
Atlanta picked up a 5-3 victory over the Chicago Cubs to open this three-game set at Wrigley Field on Friday afternoon. Braves outfielder Rick Ankiel cleared the bases with a two-out triple in the ninth inning in order for the club to move 22 games over .500 on the year. “It’s like there’s something in the water around here,” Ankiel said. “It’s fun. It’s like no matter what, we’re never out of it. It’s fun to be a part of it.” The win also gave the club its 37th comeback victory of the season, which leads all of baseball. Atlanta is 23-16 in day games this season (+450) and 70-66 over the last three years (-320). The club is also just a game over .500 versus southpaws (22-21, -490) and the total is 20-21 O/U in those contests.
