Category Archives: MLB Baseball

Major League Baseball (MLB) is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada,

MLB Baseball Online Betting: Seattle Mariners vs Oakland Athletics

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Seattle vs Oakland Betting

When: 10:05 PM ET, Friday, April 6, 2012
Where: O.co Coliseum, Oakland, California

The Opening Money Line is: —- Click here to Bet at Bovada

PREVIEW: The opening series that began in the Far East moves to the Pacific Coast as the Oakland Athletics host the Seattle Mariners on Friday. The two American League West rivals teams split two games in Tokyo last week and follow up with a two-game series. Surprisingly, Seattle Mariners ace Felix Hernandez won’t be starting as the club moved him back a day in the rotation so he can start against Oakland in the home opener on April 13.

Cuban defector Yoenis Cespedes plays his first regular-season game in front of the Oakland fans after making a splash in Japan with a booming two-run blast in the Athletics’ victory on March 29. Cespedes signed a four-year, $36 million deal with the typically frugal franchise. Seattle’s Ichiro Suzuki isn’t batting in his customary leadoff spot and has been moved to third by second-year manager Eric Wedge. Chone Figgins is the Mariners’ leadoff man.

TV: 10:05 p.m. ET, ROOT (Seattle), Comcast SportsNet California (Oakland)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Mariners LH Jason Vargas (0-0, 1.42 ERA) vs. Athletics RH Brandon McCarthy (0-0, 1.29 ERA)

Vargas often was a victim of poor run support last season so his start against Oakland in Tokyo was a painful reminder for him. Vargas received a no-decision despite allowing just one run and two hits in 6 1/3 innings. Vargas is 3-4 in 10 career appearances against the Athletics while holding Oakland hitters to a .213 average.

McCarthy also received a no-decision when he opposed Hernandez in Tokyo and allowed just one run and six hits in seven innings. McCarthy is 2-5 with a 3.90 ERA in 12 career appearances against the Mariners and has allowed 13 homers in 67 innings. He won a career-best nine games in 2011.

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1. Ichiro went 3-for-3 against McCarthy in Tokyo and has a .313 average in 32 career at-bats against him.

2. Oakland’s Coco Crisp is batting third season and is hitless in eight at-bats.

3. Seattle outfielders Mike Carp (shoulder) and Franklin Gutierrez (pectoral) are on the disabled list.

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MLB betting: Rays will open season without closer Farnsworth

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The won’t have closer Kyle Farnsworth when they open the 2012 MLB season on Friday afternoon against the New York Yankees as Farnsworth is likely headed for the disabled list for what could be a lengthy stay due to right elbow soreness.

Indications were that Farnsworth, who had elbow problems last season, will be out for at least the first month, potentially longer. An MRI revealed just an elbow strain, which is good news. Farnsworth went 5-1 with 25 saves and a 2.18 ERA last season, and he struck out 51 batters in 57 2/3 innings. However, he battled elbow discomfort in September and didn’t pitch in the Rays’ ALDS loss to the Texas Rangers. Farnsworth said the problem is similar to what he experienced last September. He occasionally feels pain when trying to finish pitches, especially his breaking ball.

Manager Joe Maddon says the Rays will return to a closer-by-committee format, with Joel Peralta, Fernando Rodney and J.P. Howell the most likely candidates for closing duties and converted starter Wade Davis potentially fast-tracked. When Farnsworth was out last September, Peralta picked up the slack, going 4 for 4 in save opportunities. Howell saved 17 games in 2009 after Troy Percival’s career ended with a hamstring injury and Jason Isringhausen suffered a season-ending elbow injury. Rodney, who signed as a free agent in January, has 87 career saves, including 37 in 2009.

“You know how Maddon is, he goes on matchups,” Peralta said. “It doesn’t mean you’re going to throw the ninth inning every night. .?.?. I’m assuming I’m probably going to get a chance, so I’m going to be ready for that.”

Farnsworth will be the third Ray to open the season on the disabled list, joining center fielder B.J. Upton (sore lower back) and outfielder Sam Fuld (wrist surgery). The Rays aren’t the only AL East team dealing with closer issues. The Red Sox lost Andrew Bailey until at least the All-Star break due to thumb surgery. Alfredo Aceves takes his place to close out games.

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MLB Betting: Friday’s National League probable pitching matchup capsules

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A big reason the Arizona Diamondbacks won the NL West last year was the breakout season of Ian Kennedy, who tied for the NL lead in wins with 21. Was 2011 a fluke or will Kennedy be an annual Cy Young candidate as he was last year? He opens against the NL West-favored Giants. Bet on every game at WagerWeb.com.

St.  Louis at Milwaukee – Cardinals LHP Jaime Garcia vs. Brewers RHP Yovani Gallardo. Perhaps Garcia is poised for another big step forward as he prepares for his third full season as a big league starter. The sole lefty in the rotation, Garcia had an up-and-down spring, but he did so last year, too, and started the season strong. … Gallardo will be the fourth Brewers pitcher to start three Opening Days, and is halfway to Ben Sheets’ club-record six openers. The Cards have given Gallardo trouble; he’s 1-7 with a 5.66 ERA in 11 regular season starts.

Colorado at Houston – Rockies RHP Jeremy Guthrie vs. Astros LHP Wandy Rodriguez. Guthrie is making his third Opening Day start in four years and is 2-0 with a 1.93 ERA in openers. Guthrie was 0-1 with a 4.79 ERA in Spring Training. A career American Leaguer before now, Guthrie has never pitched at Minute Maid Park. … Rodriguez makes his first Opening Day start. Rodriguez went 11-11 with a 3.49 ERA in 30 starts last year. He’s the first left-handed Opening Day starter in 38 years.

San Francisco at Arizona – Giants RHP Tim Lincecum vs. Diamondbacks RHP Ian Kennedy. Lincecum has had mixed success in three previous Opening Day starts. He received a no-decision while yielding three runs in three innings in 2009 vs. Milwaukee, blanked Houston for seven innings in a victory the following year and then lost in L.A. … Kennedy will be making his second successive Opening Day start. He finished fourth in the NL Cy Young Award voting last year after winning 21 games. Kennedy was dominant against the Giants in 2011, going 3-0 with a 1.22 ERA in five starts.

LA Dodgers at San Diego – Dodgers RHP Chad Billingsley vs. Padres LHP Cory Luebke. Billingsley will make his first start of the season on Friday in San Diego. He got roughed up in his final spring start Sunday, when he served up two homers. He’s made slight alterations to his delivery and finished the spring 0-1 with a 5.91 ERA. … Luebke recently signed a deal that will guarantee him $12 million and could keep him in San Diego through 2017. Luebke excelled as a reliever last season and then again once he was moved into the rotation.

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MLB Betting: Friday’s American League probable pitching matchup capsules

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The AL East-favored New York Yankees – who project to have to most wins in baseball this season – open on Friday against the division-rival and New York trots out one of the AL Cy Young favorites in CC Sabathia at Tropicana Field. Bet on every game at WagerWeb.com.

NY Yankees at Tampa Bay – Yankees LHP CC Sabathia vs. Rays RHP James Shields. Sabathia will make his ninth career Opening Day start, and his fourth as a Yankee. He has gone 95-40 with a 3.09 ERA over the past five seasons, leading the Majors in wins, winning percentage and innings pitched. … Shields is coming off his best season after going 16-12 with a 2.82 ERA in 2011. Included in his body of work were 11 complete games and 249 1/3 innings. Shields is 5-11 with a 4.14 ERA in 20 career starts against the Yankees.

Chicago White Sox at Texas – White Sox LHP John Danks vs. Rangers RHP Colby Lewis. Danks is ecstatic to have stayed with the White Sox after agreeing on a five-year, $65 million extension during the past offseason. The southpaw will make his first career Opening Day start in his home state of Texas. … Lewis will make his first Opening Day start. The Rangers like his experience and ability to pitch in big games. He is 4-1 with a 2.34 ERA in eight postseason starts. He was 11-9 with a 4.51 ERA in 29 regular-season starts in Arlington in 2010-11.

Minnesota at Baltimore – Twins RHP Carl Pavano vs. Orioles RHP Jake Arrieta. Pavano, 36, will make his second successive Opening Day start for the Twins. The veteran right-hander is the leader of Minnesota’s staff, as he’s pitched more than 220 innings in each of the past two seasons. … From elbow surgery in August, to the Opening Day nod, Arrieta has come full circle. He may have history on his side, having tossed six scoreless frames to beat the Twins the only time he faced them last season.

Kansas City at LA Angels – Royals LHP Bruce Chen vs. Angels RHP Jered Weaver. Chen, 34, is making the first Opening Day start of his 15-year career. A lefty with an array of pitches and arm angles, he’s not a hard thrower and depends on his location and veteran knowledge to succeed. He led the club with 12 victories in 2011. … Weaver finished second in Cy Young voting last year and now gets his third straight Opening Day start. Last year, the 29-year-old finished second in the AL in ERA (2.41), third in wins (18) and fifth in innings (235 2/3).

Seattle at Oakland – Mariners LHP Jason Vargas (0-0, 1.42) vs. A’s RHP Brandon McCarthy (0-0, 1.29). Vargas faces Oakland for a second straight game, having gone 6 1/3 innings with one run on two hits in last Thursday’s 4-1 loss in the Opening Series in Tokyo. He’s 3-4 with a 3.97 ERA in nine career games vs. A’s. … More than a week removed from his Opening Series start vs. Seattle in Tokyo, McCarthy is set to take the mound a second time vs. the Mariners. On March 28, he held them to one run in seven innings with three K’s, but left with a no-decision.

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MLB Odds: Rays Look to Buck Opening MLB Odds and Win AL East

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After getting back to the playoffs in 2011 the Tampa Bay Rays will try to navigate the tough AL East again in 2012 and take another shot at the MLB betting lines and a World Series championship.

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Tampa Bay went 91-71 last season, which was just good enough to edge the 90-72 Boston Red Sox for second place in the AL East and the league’s Wild Card berth. The Rays ended up six games back of the first-place Yankees in the division standings.

Once in the playoffs, however, the Rays went away meekly, falling in just four games to the Texas Rangers in the ALDS.

And despite finishing second in the AL East in 2011, the Rays are actually listed third on those MLB futures at Bovada heading into this season; they’re at +450 odds to claim the division title, which has them behind New York (-130) and Boston (+275).

The Rays are also sixth behind the Yankees, Tigers, Angels, Red Sox and Rangers at 9/1 odds to win the American League this season, and they’re at 20/1 odds to win their first World Series in franchise history.

On the props market the Rays’ wins OVER/UNDER for the season is listed at 87.5, with Evan Longoria at 12/1 odds to win the AL MVP award this season. Longoria, who hit 31 home runs in just 133 games last year, is also at 25/1 to lead the AL in long balls.

Tampa Bay has given Longoria some extra support in the lineup this year, as they brought first baseman Carlos Pena back to the team after he played last season with the Cubs. The Rays also signed outfielder Luke Scott over the winter.

The Rays get their 2012 campaign underway on Friday afternoon at home against the Yankees, with right-hander James Shields getting the ball against New York left-hander CC Sabathia. The first pitch of that contest is set for 3:10pm ET.

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2012 MLB Baseball Futures: Yankees Seek Improvement after Early 2011 Exit

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Just reaching the playoffs makes a season a success for most teams, but not for the New York Yankees. After getting bounced in the ALDS by the Tigers in 2011 the Bronx Bombers will be looking to make a little more noise this time around.

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The Yankees’ wins OVER/UNDER for the year is sitting at 93.5, while the Bovada MLB props have Robinson Cano at 12/1 to win the AL MVP award. Mark Teixeira is at 18/1 to win the AL MVP, with Alex Rodriguez at 25/1, Curtis Granderson at 40/1 and both CC Sabathia and Derek Jeter at 50/1.

New York cruised to the American League East title in 2011, going 97-65 and ending up six games ahead of the Tampa Bay Rays and seven games up on the rival Boston Red Sox – who missed the playoffs altogether.

Despite having the best record in the Junior Circuit, the Yankees couldn’t get past the Tigers in the first round of the playoffs and started their offseason early.

Still, the Yankees’ lineup remains loaded and they enter the 2012 season as the -130 favorites on the MLB futures at Bovada to win the AL East once again. Boston is next at +275, with Tampa Bay at +450, Toronto at +1000, and Baltimore the +7500 longshot.

New York is also atop the AL Pennant odds at 7/2, which puts them ahead of the 4/1 Tigers and Angels, and they’re behind only the Phillies at 7/1 odds to win the World Series this season; Philadelphia is listed at 11/2 on those futures.

The Yankees will get their 2012 campaign underway on Friday afternoon on the road against the Rays, with ace starter Sabathia taking the mound for New York against Tampa Bay’s James Shields. First pitch is set for 3:10pm ET.

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Baseball Predictions: Marlins Open New Ballpark, MLB Betting Season against the Cardinals

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The Miami Marlins will have a special guest at the opening of their brand new stadium on Wednesday night; with the defending-champion St. Louis Cardinals in town for a quick one-game series to begin the season for both teams.

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And the Cardinals and Marlins find themselves close together on the MLB futures at Bovada heading into the season, despite the fact that St. Louis won the championship last year while Miami finished in last place in the NL East standings.

The Cardinals are listed at 25/1 to win the World Series once again this season, while they’re at 10/1 to claim the NL Pennant, and at 2/1 to win the NL Central division title.

The Marlins are at 22/1 on the World Series futures at Bovada as they get ready to open their 2012 season, and they’re at 9/1 to win the NL Pennant, and 9/2 to win the NL East.

As well, both teams enter the year with a wins OVER/UNDER of 85.5 on the MLB props market. St. Louis won 90 games last year but lost slugger Albert Pujols over the winter. Miami won 72 games last year but added star shortstop Jose Reyes, starting pitcher Mark Buehrle and relief pitcherHeath Bell to their roster in the offseason.

Miami will also hope to get a complete season from ace pitcher Josh Johnson in 2012 after he was only able to make nine starts in 2011 because of a shoulder injury. The right-hander went 3-1 with a 1.64 ERA and 56 strikeouts in 60 1-3 innings in that limited action.

Johnson gets the start on Wednesday night for the Marlins, and he’ll be up against St. Louis right-hander Kyle Lohse – who went 14-8 last season with a 3.39 ERA and 111 strikeouts over his 188 1-3 innings of work.

St. Louis will have Thursday off before starting a three-game series in Milwaukee on Friday afternoon. Miami will be right back in action on Thursday on the road in Cincinnati.

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MLB Odds: Verlander vs. Lester as Tigers Host Red Sox in Marquee Opener

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The official opener to the 2012 Major League Baseball season happened very quietly last week in Japan between Seattle and Oakland. And the opener in the U.S. is tonight when the reigning World Series champion Cardinals christen the Miami Marlins’ new schedule. But the REAL Opening Day is Thursday and that schedule is highlighted when Boston visits Detroit in a matchup of top AL contenders.

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Detroit opened as a -139 favorite on Bovada’s MLB baseball odds – there will be live betting at the book for the ESPN2 telecast — because the Tigers start the best pitcher in baseball in reigning AL Cy Young and MVP winner Justin Verlander, who is the Bovada betting favorite to repeat as Cy Young winner. Verlander won the AL pitching Triple Crown in 2011, leading in wins (24 career-high and tops in MLB), ERA (2.40, also career best) and strikeouts (250, MLB high). Verlander also set career highs in innings pitched with 251.0 and fewest hits allowed (174) and WHIP (0.92). The right-hander started twice against Boston last year, going 1-0 with 1.72 ERA and 12 strikeouts in 15.2 innings. The Red Sox hit just .182 against him.

The Tigers will be missing one expected starter in the lineup for the first few weeks as second baseman Brandon Inge starts on the 15-day disabled list. Thus Ramon Santiago starts at second base. The switch-hitter has made most of his starts against right-handed pitchers the last few years. Santiago and Inge probably will platoon this year, with Inge facing lefties. And of course this game marks the debut of Prince Fielder, who got more than $210 million as a free agent this offseason. Fielder starts at first base and hits behind reigning AL batting champion Miguel Cabrera, who has moved to third base.

Boston starts its ace, lefty Jon Lester. He was 15-9 with a 3.47 ERA and 182 strikeouts in 191.2 innings last season, but Lester was among the many Red Sox who struggled in September as the team blew a historic lead in the wild-card race. Lester didn’t face Detroit a season ago. He did pitch on Opening Day and was roughed up by Texas.

If the Red Sox have a lead in the ninth inning Thursday, they likely will have to turn now to Mark Melancon. That’s because projected closer Andrew Bailey is out until at least the All-Star break due to thumb surgery. Melancon saved 20 games for the Astros last season, becoming the closer in May. He had a 0.59 ERA over the last month of the season, not allowing a run in his final 11 outings.

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MLB Betting: Blue Jays Star Jose Bautista Favored to Win 2012 Home Run Title

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Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Jose Bautista emerged from total obscurity to win the 2010 Major League Baseball home run title with 54 that season – a whopping 12 over the second-place finisher. Many thought Bautista was a one-year wonder like former Oriole Brady Anderson, but Bautista proved doubters wrong last year when he again led baseball with 43 homers. Can he become the first player since Mark McGwire in the late 1990s to win three straight home run crowns? Bautista is the 13/2 favorite on Bovada’s MLB baseball betting odds.

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Bautista’s homers and RBIs were down a year ago from 2010, but his .302 average was 42 points better than the previous season and Bautista led the majors in walks in 2011 with 132. That could be the problem – he could continue to get pitched around without a superstar hitting behind him. Bautista has an over/under of 38.5 homers at Bovada for this season.

The second-favorites at 9/1 are the Angels’ Albert Pujols and the Marlins’ Giancarlo (formerly Mike) Stanton. Pujols of course spent his first 11 Hall of Fame seasons in St. Louis before signing a $250 million deal with the Halos this offseason. Pujols, the AL MVP betting favorite at 6/1, won the NL home run title twice, including leading all of baseball with 47 in 2009. His over/under homer total for this season on Bovada is 37.5.

Stanton, meanwhile, is perhaps the top young slugger in the game at age 22. He hit 34 homers a season ago and with 56 has the third-most home runs of any player before their 22nd birthday. Stanton’s home run total is set at 35.5 for the season.

Detroit’s Prince Fielder followed Pujols from the NL Central to the American League, and Fielder is at 10/1 to win his first home run title. The lefty hitter had 38 homers last season with Milwaukee. His career high is 50, set in 2007 when Fielder led the NL. Fielder’s over/under homers total this season is 35.5.

If bettors want to get the most bang for their buck, Boston DH David Ortiz is the longest shot on the board at 90/1. The 36-year-old his 29 dingers in 2011 and has a career-high of 52, set in 2007 when he was the AL leader. Ortiz’s over/under homers total this season is 25.5.

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MLB Opening Night: St. Louis Cardinals at Miami Marlins

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Yes, technically the Major League Baseball season began last week with two games between the Seattle Mariners and Oakland A’s in Tokyo, but the real opening night is Wednesday in Miami as the new-look Marlins open their glistening new stadium against the reigning World Series champion St. Louis Cardinals, who begin life without Albert Pujols and Tony La Russa. The Marlins are solid favorites for this one on WagerWeb.com.

The Marlins spent big bucks this offseason in luring free agents Jose Reyes, Mark Buehrle and Heath Bell, as well as trading for White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen. But the key to the team is likely ace pitcher Josh Johnson. He’s healthy and ready to lead a rotation that has plenty of potential heading into the season. In spring training, Johnson was 2-2 with a 2.42 ERA. He struck out 24 batters in 22 1/3 innings pitched and gave up just six earned runs over all.

When he’s healthy, the Marlins’ 28-year-old ace is one of the elite starters in the game. A year ago, his season was cut short by right shoulder inflammation, which surfaced in mid-May. He spent the rest of the year on the disabled list. The injury, which didn’t require surgery, limited Johnson to nine starts and 60 1/3 innings. Had the 2011 campaign lasted another week or so, Johnson says he would have returned. Johnson is 1-2 with a 3.60 ERA in his career vs. St. Louis.

Even without losing a future Hall of Fame hitter and manager, the quest to defend a World Series title would be difficult enough for St. Louis. Since 1979, only two clubs have successfully done so. The Blue Jays captured back-to-back championships in 1992-93. The Yankees won three straight beginning in 1998.

The Cardinals go with Kyle Lohse because projected No. 1 starter Chris Carpenter begins the season on the DL. Carpenter was 4-0 in last year’s playoffs, including winning Game 7 against the Rangers in the World Series. But he’s out at least all of April because of nerve irritation.

Lohse actually led the St. Louis rotation in ERA last at 3.39 and wins with 14, which ranked ninth in the National League. Lohse has made an Opening Day start before, but this is the first one preceded by ample prep time. In 2008, Lohse started the season opener only because the scheduled one was rained out before the game had become official. He pitched five scoreless innings in that game, a springboard for the 15-win season that followed. Lohse is 2-2 with a 5.85 ERA in his career vs. the Marlins.

Also set to begin the year on the DL are Skip Schumaker and Allen Craig, two key position players that the Cardinals had hoped to have available for an early-season schedule that is challenging.

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