64-39 Last 103 (62.1%)
41-22 Last 63 (65.0%)
Season:162-148-3
ML: 91-79
RL: 24-14
Totals: 34-41-2
Props: 13-14-1
Friday Bases
Nationals RL (+135): The Nationals returned home on Thursday and had an off day following a very successful 10 game road trip in which they went 8-2. Overall the Nats are very hot regardless of the ballpark they have been playing in. They 12-3 in there last 15 games overall. The addition of Jayson Werth to the line up has really benefited a ball club that gets production from just about every person in the line up. They also have benefited from outstanding pitching. In this game they will be sending a young left hander Ross Detwiler who has really started to emerge lately. He enters the game 6-5 with a 3.18 on the year, but he has pitched very well as of late (2.89 era in hist last 3 outings). He has enjoyed pitching at home this year as well coming with a 5-1 mark and 2.51 era. This will mark the 2nd start in 2012 vs the New York Mets, with the first start being one of his best all year. On July 17th Detwiler went 7 scoreless innings, allowing just 5 hits, 0 walks and 5 Ks. A similar outing shouldn't be too much of a stretch since the Mets are in the bottom third offensively against lefties at #21 overall. The Mets will be countering with pure fade material in Johan Santana. On the year Santana is 2-4 with a 5.36 era on the road. He will be making his 2nd start since returning from the DL, and the first one wasn't pretty (unless you had the Braves ML that day haha). In the start vs the Braves, Santana got yanked after 1 inning, after he allowed 8 runs on 8 hits. How you allow 8 runs on 8 hits in 1 inning of work is beyond me. But the #s simply don't lie. In his last 3 outings overall Santana is 0-3 with a... get ready for it.... 19.29 era!!! Once again, the #s don't lie. Santana has allowed 21 runs in his last 4 outings in a total of 13 innings. His chances of a miracles turn around on Friday seems very very slim. The Nationals should feast against Santana in this one and cover the + money RL with relative ease.
Reds RL (+110) In this game we will have a very similar match up from last weeks meeting. The only difference is this game will be played in a hitters ball park in Cincy. The Reds will be sending Bronson Arroyo to the hill to face the Cubs Travis Wood. These 2 met in Chicago last week with the Reds prevailing 4-2. I think we will see a much different game with Cincy playing host. The Cubs are a good team at home and will make you earn it more times then not. But when traveling outside the confines of Wrigley, the Cubs are just 16-42 on the road, meanwhile the Reds come with an impressive 38-21 mark at home. The Cubs will be sending left hander Travis Wood to the hill in this game. He has been pitching much better lately, but 4 out of his last 5 starts have all come at home. Pitching in a hitters park like Great American Ballpark against the #6 ranked offense (against lefties) will present a much much tougher challenge. Wood does have a respectable 3.67 era on the road this year, but I wouldn't put too much stock into that due to who the opponents were. In his 7 road starts he has faced the Padres, Cardinals, Mets, White Sox, Twins, Giants and Astros. The only team in that group who have a real offense threat would be the Cardinals. Well in that road start he struggled surrendering 6 runs on 9 hits in just 6 innings off work. I think we will see a similar type of performance in Friday's contest against the Reds. On the other side of the mound for the hosts will be Bronson Arroyo. While I am not a huge fan of his, he has done well against the Cubs. In the start 2 weeks ago he went 8 innings, allowing just 2 runs on 5 hits. In his career against the Cubs, he is 10-9 with a 2.94 era. He should have a very good chance at improving those #s against an offense that ranks near the bottom at #28 overall against right handed pitching. The Reds will also have a landslide advantage in the bullpen department being #2 overall vs the dead last bullpen of the Cubs. I always feel a lot better playing a RL on a team that has a very dependable bullpen who can hold leads.
D'Backs RL (-112): The D'Backs will be fresh off a very momentum building come from behind 9th inning win against the Cardinals on Thursday. They were able to gain ground on the idle Giants and the Dodgers who had lost earlier in Pittsburgh. Those kind of wins very often leads to hot streaks. This squad is the dark horse in the division and just like last season, people tend to forget about them. They know they have a very good shot, especially with the Giants reeling. In this game they will be sending their ace Wade Miley. On the year Miley is 12-8 with a 3.04 era. He has done very well on the road this year, coming in with a 5-4 record and a 2.94 era. His road success has a lot to do with an impressive WHIP of 1.04. In his last 3 outings he has been even better with a 2.45 era. The lefty Miley will have a great chance of bettering those #s, facing an Astros team that is dead last #30 overall against left handed pitching. The league worst Astros will be countering with Dallas Keuchel. On the year Keuchel is 1-4 with a 5.29 era. He has really struggled lately with a 6.75 era in his last 3 outings. He will have a very very daunting task ahead of him facing a D'Backs team that ranks #2 overall against left handed pitching. The D'backs will also have a landslide advantage in bullpens being #5 overall against the Astros #25 ranked pen. Once again, always feel better on the RL play with a very reliable bullpen. I think the D'Backs will come in with a ton of confidence and ride the hot hand hand of Miley to a comfortable win.