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Power rankings in September mean it’s really time for the men to separate themselves from the boys. Which teams made critical moves in their divisional races over the last week?
Nine and a half games back of Milwaukee through Tuesday, it’s an understatement to stay the St. Louis Cardinals are on the ropes. They’re more like on the canvas with the referee’s count up to eight seconds.
To me, Wednesday’s matchup with Boston represents the New York Yankees’ season in a nutshell. They’re major contenders, narrowly behind Boston, and they need Phil Hughes to step up if they want to close the gap.
After pummelling the Toronto Blue Jays over the weekend, the Rays have sent a clear message to the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox in the American League East: we’re not ready to quit just yet.
Sunday Night Baseball Betting – Angels vs Rangers Preview & Pick
Date: Sunday, August 28, 2011
Venue: Rangers Ballpark in Arlington, Arlington, TX
Broadcast: ESPN
Los Angeles Angels at Texas Rangers Betting Lines from Sportsbook.com
Money Line: Texas -115
Over/Under: 8.5
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Los Angeles Angels (71-59 through August 25)
Jered Weaver (15-6, 2.03)
Talk about a perfect matchup for Sunday Night Baseball. Riding a six-game winning streak through Thursday night’s action, Angels climbed right back into the American League West hunt behind the Texas Rangers. The three-game weekend set between the two squads could make or break the season.
Jered Weaver will get the nod Sunday night at Texas. While he’s had the odd blip on the radar, he’s been a Cy Young contender all season long. He’s allowed one or zero earned runs in seven of his last 10 starts, so the dog days of August clearly aren’t slowing him down.
Weaver has already faced Texas four times this season, going 2-1 with a 1.86 ERA. He’s done a fine job against most of the Rangers’ top hitters in 2011, holding Nelson Cruz to a .200 average, Ian Kinsler to .133, Adrian Beltre to .200 and keeping Josh Hamilton hitless.
But boy, does Elvis Andrus ever own Weaver. He’s a whopping 10 for 14 (.714) against the Halos’ ace this year.
Texas Rangers (71-59 through August 25)
Colby Lewis (11-9, 4.07)
Eek. The Rangers picked a bad time to drop three straight against Boston and five of six overall. They’ve let the Angels off the mat. Though Boston shut them out on Thursday, pitching has been their prime problem of late. In three of their last four defeats, they’ve allowed 10 or more runs. That void left by Cliff Lee’s offseason departure stands out. [dfads params=’groups=10&limit=1&return_javascript=0′]
Colby Lewis will start for Texas on Sunday night. He’s almost matched his resurgent 2010 numbers, as his walks, strikeouts and WHIP are right in line with last year. But Lewis’ game has regressed in one noteworthy area: homers.
He can’t stop serving up gopher balls. Lewis has been taken deep a whopping 30 times in 165.2 innings (26 starts). Only Bronson Arroyo has allowed more long balls this season.
Over is 8-1 in LAA last 9 games following a win.
LAA are 7-1 in their last 8 overall.
LAA are 7-1 in their last 8 games on grass.
Over is 7-2 in TEX last 9 vs. American League West.
Over is 10-3 in Lewis’ last 13 home starts.
Under is 15-5-1 in Weavers last 21 starts vs. TEX.
Weaver has been lights-out against Texas this season. Yeah, Andrus has his number, but that won’t matter if none of Texas’ other hitters can drive him in.
On the flipside, Lewis has really struggled at home in 2011, posting a 5.56 ERA. His homer rate at Rangers Ballpark is especially high; he’s allowed 20 in just 79.1 innings. Almost every stat points to an Angels win on Sunday night.
Sunday Night Baseball Prediction: Angels 5, Rangers 2
The Colorado Rockies are out of the National League West hunt. Right? Right!?
Is there still a glimmer of hope for the Tampa Bay Rays in the American League East race?
With the waiver deadline arriving, it’s safe to say we’ve officially entered baseball’s stretch run. Which teams are making a final push up the power rankings?
Oh, how the Pittsburgh Pirates long for the good old days of…six weeks ago. Around the All-Star break, they were in the thick of the National League Central race, jockeying for the division lead with Milwaukee and St. Louis.
After the pack was tight for the first two thirds of the season, the American League Central is finally crystallizing.
So far, so good for the Boston Red Sox on their road trip. They opened by taking three of four from the Kansas City Royals.
Make it five wins and five losses for the St. Louis Cardinals over their last 10 games (through Thursday). Not good enough.
The Arizona Diamondbacks are taking a pretty big gamble on Saturday when they trot a rookie out to the mound in the middle of a playoff race.
The Arizona Diamondbacks are taking a pretty big gamble on Saturday when they trot a rookie out to the mound in the middle of a playoff race.
That’s more like it, Milwaukee! The Brewers are finally doing what most of us expected them to do all year: lap the field in the National League Central.
The San Francisco Giants and the Atlanta Braves wrap-up their four-game series at Turner Field this Thursday night in a match-up of two teams fighting desperately for a spot in the postseason.
