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Larry Ness' 15* Getaway Day Game of the Week (186-103 two-year run)
My 15* play is on the LA Angels at 3:35 ET. All of a sudden, the Angels are struggling on the road. LA still owns MLB's best road record at 43-30 but last night's 3-2 loss to the A's, drops the Angels to 5-11 over their last 16 road games. Last night's loss was particularly tough to swallow. Teixeira hit a two-run HR in the top of the ninth to give the Angels a 2-1 lead but the Angels made two throwing errors in the bottom of the inning (one by record-setting closer K-Rod), which allowed two runs to score. Oakland has now won four straight but is still only 71-80 on the year, including 40-37 at home, where the A's have averaged a puny 3.99 RPG. Rookie Josh Outman (1-0, 3.86 ERA) will make his second career start this afternoon. He won his first major league start Saturday against Texas, giving up one run in five innings in a 7-1 victory. The 24-year-old left-hander was acquired July 17 in a trade that sent Joe Blanton to Philadelphia and while the Angels are slumping, one must still note that they are 30-14 this year against lefties. Speaking of lefties, getting the call for LA is Joe Saunders. Saunders did whatever was asked of him in '06 and '07, regularly getting shuttled between the majors and the minors. Under very difficult conditions, his two-year mark was an impressive 15-5 (4.55 ERA), as the Angels went 21-10 in his starts. He's been a MAJOR cog in the rotation all season and enters this game 15-7 with a 3.65 ERA. In fact, he's been the team's biggest "money-maker" among starters, as the Angels are 21-8 (plus-$1,068) in his 29 starts TY (ranks 8th-best among all MLB starters). He's got 20 quality starts this season and has allowed three ERs or less in 23 of 29 outings in '08. He's actually been better on the road (9-3 with a 2.74 ERA), than he has at home (6-4 with a 4.55 ERA) this season and he's been just terrific in daytime starts this year. Saunders has made nine afternoon starts in '08, going 6-0 with a 3.38 ERA (team is 8-1). His good daytime record is VERY significant here, as the A's are only 5-15 ve lefties in day games this year, averaging 3.2 RPG. Getaway Day Game of the Week 15* LA Angels.
Good Luck...Larry
Larry Ness' Las Vegas Insider-MLB (52-33 with MLB Insiders since May 26)
My Las Vegas Insider is on the NY Yankees at 7:05 ET. The Yankees will likely will be eliminated from the playoff 'picture' this weekend for the first time since 1993 but the Yanks are making life hard on the White Sox this week in The Bronx, winning two of the first three games of this four-game series which concludes tonight. Chicago leads the Twins by 2 1/2 games in the Central and with the Twins opening a four-game series at Tampa tonight (Rays are 55-22 at home!), the White Sox know they have a great opportunity to distance themselves from Minnesota if they can start winning. Winning here will be no easy task, as they'll face Mike Mussina. "The Moose" went 11-10 in '07 with a career-high 5.15 ERA. When he opened '08 with a 1-3 mark in his first four starts and a 5.76 ERA, most felt "it was just a matter of time." However, he's surprised everyone by going 16-4 over his next 25 starts (team was 19-6) from April 23 through September 2. He has been hit hard in his last two starts (11 IP / 15 hits / 9 ERs / 7.36 ERA) but he's 17-9 (3.63 ERA) on the year and the Yanks are 20-11 in his starts. This will be his final start of the year in Yankee Stadium (which closes at the end of '08) and he's won five straight home starts against the White Sox. Chicago will start Javier Vazquez (12-13, 4.13 ERA), who will be pitching on just three days rest, after starting Game 1 of Sunday's doubleheader with the Tigers. That's not good news, as the White Sox need innings from their starters right now, as the team's bullpen is 1-1 with a 11.50 ERA in its last eight appearances. Advantage New York and Mussina. Las Vegas Insider on the NY Yankees.
Good Luck...Larry
My 15* play is on the LA Angels at 3:35 ET. All of a sudden, the Angels are struggling on the road. LA still owns MLB's best road record at 43-30 but last night's 3-2 loss to the A's, drops the Angels to 5-11 over their last 16 road games. Last night's loss was particularly tough to swallow. Teixeira hit a two-run HR in the top of the ninth to give the Angels a 2-1 lead but the Angels made two throwing errors in the bottom of the inning (one by record-setting closer K-Rod), which allowed two runs to score. Oakland has now won four straight but is still only 71-80 on the year, including 40-37 at home, where the A's have averaged a puny 3.99 RPG. Rookie Josh Outman (1-0, 3.86 ERA) will make his second career start this afternoon. He won his first major league start Saturday against Texas, giving up one run in five innings in a 7-1 victory. The 24-year-old left-hander was acquired July 17 in a trade that sent Joe Blanton to Philadelphia and while the Angels are slumping, one must still note that they are 30-14 this year against lefties. Speaking of lefties, getting the call for LA is Joe Saunders. Saunders did whatever was asked of him in '06 and '07, regularly getting shuttled between the majors and the minors. Under very difficult conditions, his two-year mark was an impressive 15-5 (4.55 ERA), as the Angels went 21-10 in his starts. He's been a MAJOR cog in the rotation all season and enters this game 15-7 with a 3.65 ERA. In fact, he's been the team's biggest "money-maker" among starters, as the Angels are 21-8 (plus-$1,068) in his 29 starts TY (ranks 8th-best among all MLB starters). He's got 20 quality starts this season and has allowed three ERs or less in 23 of 29 outings in '08. He's actually been better on the road (9-3 with a 2.74 ERA), than he has at home (6-4 with a 4.55 ERA) this season and he's been just terrific in daytime starts this year. Saunders has made nine afternoon starts in '08, going 6-0 with a 3.38 ERA (team is 8-1). His good daytime record is VERY significant here, as the A's are only 5-15 ve lefties in day games this year, averaging 3.2 RPG. Getaway Day Game of the Week 15* LA Angels.
Good Luck...Larry
Larry Ness' Las Vegas Insider-MLB (52-33 with MLB Insiders since May 26)
My Las Vegas Insider is on the NY Yankees at 7:05 ET. The Yankees will likely will be eliminated from the playoff 'picture' this weekend for the first time since 1993 but the Yanks are making life hard on the White Sox this week in The Bronx, winning two of the first three games of this four-game series which concludes tonight. Chicago leads the Twins by 2 1/2 games in the Central and with the Twins opening a four-game series at Tampa tonight (Rays are 55-22 at home!), the White Sox know they have a great opportunity to distance themselves from Minnesota if they can start winning. Winning here will be no easy task, as they'll face Mike Mussina. "The Moose" went 11-10 in '07 with a career-high 5.15 ERA. When he opened '08 with a 1-3 mark in his first four starts and a 5.76 ERA, most felt "it was just a matter of time." However, he's surprised everyone by going 16-4 over his next 25 starts (team was 19-6) from April 23 through September 2. He has been hit hard in his last two starts (11 IP / 15 hits / 9 ERs / 7.36 ERA) but he's 17-9 (3.63 ERA) on the year and the Yanks are 20-11 in his starts. This will be his final start of the year in Yankee Stadium (which closes at the end of '08) and he's won five straight home starts against the White Sox. Chicago will start Javier Vazquez (12-13, 4.13 ERA), who will be pitching on just three days rest, after starting Game 1 of Sunday's doubleheader with the Tigers. That's not good news, as the White Sox need innings from their starters right now, as the team's bullpen is 1-1 with a 11.50 ERA in its last eight appearances. Advantage New York and Mussina. Las Vegas Insider on the NY Yankees.
Good Luck...Larry
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