With Albert Pujols sidelined after fracturing his wrist two weeks ago, the St. Louis Cardinals could only hope to tread water and avoid falling out of the National League Central division race.
The St. Louis Cardinals and the Baltimore Orioles wrap-up their three-game interleague series this Thursday night at Camden Yards. Game time is set for 7:05 p.m. (ET) and it will be broadcast nationally on the MLB Network.
MLB Gambling Online – Brewers vs Yankees Preview & Pick
Date: Thursday, June 30, 2011
Venue: Yankee Stadium, Bronx, NY
Broadcast: FSWI, YES
Milwaukee Brewers at New York Yankees Betting Lines from BetOnline.com
Money Line: -200
Over/Under: 8.5
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Milwaukee Brewers (44-36 through June 28)
Randy Wolf (6-4, 3.20)
The Milwaukee Brewers have to be pleased with holding first place in the National League Central. 
However, they have a demon to overcome in the Bronx this week. Miller Park has treated them great; the Brewers are 29-11 at home, best in the majors. But they’re 10 games under .500 on the road.
In their last two road games (through Tuesday), one at Fenway Park and one at Yankee Stadium, they were outscored 24-5.
Randy Wolf will try to curb Milwaukee’s road struggles Thursday afternoon.
The lefty hasn’t lost in seven decisions and has allowed just one homer over his last four starts. Still, he must be sweating. Wolf has always been a homer-prone pitcher and he’s facing the majors’ top power-hitting team on Thursday.
Over two career starts against the Bronx Bombers, Wolf has lasted a combined 10 innings, allowing eight runs and four homers.
New York Yankees (46-31 through June 28)
C.C. Sabathia (10-4, 3.25)
The New York Yankees had won three straight, scoring 26 runs, and seven of nine through Tuesday. Their power bats are cooking as usual. Mark Teixeira’s 24 bombs tie him with Jose Bautista for the major-league lead. [dfads params=’groups=10&limit=1&return_javascript=0′]
With Curtis Granderson (21) and Robinson Cano (14) also raking, the Yanks have three of the top 12 home-run hitters in the American League.
Despite their regular sluggers’ prowess, the Yanks should consider calling Andruw Jones off the bench to start on Thursday. The former star has three homers off Wolf over 55 career at-bats.
C.C. Sabathia will go for his major league-leading 11th victory against the Brewers on Thursday.
He isn’t exactly hot of late, allowing four or more runs in three of his last four outings, and he’s winless over two career starts against Milwaukee.
MLB Trends:
Over is 6-2 in MIL last 8 road games.
Over is 9-4-1 in MIL last 14 on grass.
Over is 9-4-1 in MIL last 14 overall.
NYY are 14-4 in their last 18 Thu. games.
NYY are 20-8 in their last 28 overall.
NYY are 20-8 in their last 28 games on grass.
The pick:
C.C. hasn’t been great of late but the wins keep on coming. The key: run support. The Yankees’ offensive output over his last three outings: 12 runs, 10 runs, eight runs. C.C. only has to be average to win when the Yankees are producing runs like they are right now.
And it feels like Wolf and his gopher-ball ways will be thrown to the, er, wolves at Yankee Stadium.
Brewers vs Yankees prediction: Yankees 7, Brewers 3
For a team that remains very much in the American League East race, just as we thought it would be, Boston has really ridden a rollercoaster this season.
Fausto Carmona has struggled mightily of late, getting rocked for six-plus runs in four of his last seven starts. It’s easy to see why: the sinkerballer’s sinker just ain’t sinkin’.
Before the Minnesota Twins dropped two straight to San Francisco, they were doing the unthinkable.
The Los Angeles Angels will play their 10th straight road game Friday night but they haven’t seemed to mind the break from home so far, going 6-3 on the trip.
Most of us knew it was only a matter of time before the Cleveland Indians turned into a pumpkin.
The Toronto Blue Jays continue their three game series with the Atlanta Braves at Turner Field on Tuesday night in what will be the fourth of a nine-game interleague road trip. Game time is set for 7:35 p.m. and it will be broadcast nationally on the MLB Network.
The New York Yankees are heating up at the right time. The Boston Red Sox are on fire and they thumped the Bronx Bombers over and over last week to gain the American League East lead, so the Yankees’ 6-1 run since then is well-timed.
The Phillies have the best record in the Majors, not surprising with their stacked pitching staff, but they will be tested in this game facing last year’s Cy Young winner Felix Hernandez.
With the Tigers streaking this month they have taken over the lead in the AL Central and they visit the Mile High City in an interleague match up with the Rockies, who has beat Detroit in 7 of their last 8 games facing them.
The Toronto Blue Jays are more or less where we thought they’d be at this point of the season, not truly contending in the American League East but remaining a competitive pest for the juggernauts.
While they haven’t been perfect, the Milwaukee Brewers have settled in as one of the National League’s better teams, going 23-9 over their last 32 games.
The Chicago White Sox are back in the American League Central hunt, partially because their play has improved and partially because the Cleveland Indians have predictably faltered.
The Texas Rangers and the Atlanta Braves kick-off the second round of interleague play this Friday night in the first of a of a three-game set weekend at Turner Field. Game time is set for 7:35 p.m. and it will be broadcast nationally on the MLB Network.
