The surging Giants begin a brief three-game road trip when they hand the ball to All-Star Matt Cain (12-2, 2.12 ERA) at Minute Maid Park, while the Astros will counter with struggling southpaw Mike Hampton (6-8, 5.36).
San Francisco concluded a 6-1 homestand with Sunday’s 7-3 victory over the Phillies. However, prior to this recent run, the Giants had lost eight of 11 overall, including going 3-7 on the road. In fact, they’re in a 3-9 funk as a visitor, but on the bright side, San Francisco is on upticks of 4-0 against the N.L. Central, 7-2 in series openers, 10-3 against lefty starters and 20-8 against teams with a losing record.
Houston halted a four-game losing skid in surprising fashion Sunday, riding rookie Bud Norris to a 2-0 victory at St. Louis. The Astros are still just 2-7 in their last nine overall, including two ugly losses to the Mets at home (10-3 and 8-3). Prior to losing those two to New York, Cecil Cooper’s club had won 12 of 15 at Minute Maid Park. Houston’s streaks include 20-9 against the N.L. West, 4-1 on Monday and 5-2 in series openers, but 1-4 against both winning clubs and right-handed starters.
San Francisco took two of three from the Astros at home a month ago, winning both games by a combined score of 22-0. However, Houston is still 7-2 in the last nine series meetings, including a four-game sweep at Minute Maid last season by the combined tally of 27-11.
The Giants have won five straight games with Cain on the bump, and the right-hander was brilliant in each game, allowing a total of four runs (three earned) in 31 1/3 innings (0.86 ERA). Cain hasn’t given up more than one earned run in any of his last six starts, going 2-0 with a 1.29 ERA in three road outings during this stretch. For the season, he’s 6-1 with a 1.98 ERA in 11 starts on the highway.
With Cain on the hill, the Giants are on runs of 16-5 overall, 6-2 on the road, 4-1 on Monday and 5-0 on the highway against losing teams. He’s faced Houston three times (two starts), going 1-1 with a 3.00 ERA.
Hampton got lit up at Wrigley Field on Wednesday, allowing nine runs on eight hits and four walks in four inning of a 12-0 loss. Hampton has surrendered 23 runs (22 earned) in his last four starts covering just 19 innings (10.42 ERA), and the Astros lost three of those games by the combined score of 30-4.
The Astros are still 35-17 in Hampton’s last 52 trips to the mound overall – going way to back to his first stint with the club from 1994-99 – and 10-3 in his last 13 against the N.L. West, but they’ve lost seven of his last 10 at home. Nine of those home starts have come this year, with Hampton going 3-3 with a 5.04 ERA. He’s also 15-4 with a 3.59 ERA in his career against the Giants, including 2-0 with a 2.77 ERA in two contests in 2008.
The over is 4-1-1 in the last six Astros-Giants clashes, 4-1 in Houston’s last five home games and 12-5-1 in Hampton’s last 18 home starts. Conversely, the under for Houston is on streaks of 3-0 overall, 36-16-3 on Monday and 46-20-2 in series openers, while the Giants are on “under” tears of 6-2 overall, 4-1 on the road, 6-0 against the N.L. Central, 18-6-2 on the highway versus southpaw starters, 4-0 overall with Cain pitching and 4-0 with Cain working on the road.
ATS ADVANTAGE: SAN FRANCISCO and UNDER
Milwaukee (52-53) at L.A. Dodgers (65-40)
The Dodgers return home after a weeklong road trip and open a three-game series with the Brewers. Clayton Kershaw (8-5, 2.76 ERA) is slated to toe the rubber for Los Angeles opposite Manny Parra (5-8, 6.50) in a battle of left-handers.
L.A. concluded a seven-game trip with Sunday’s 9-1 rout of the Braves. The Dodgers still lost four of seven on the trip and have followed up a five-game winning streak by losing six of their last 10. Still, Joe Torre’s club is on positive runs of 54-25 at home, 48-17 at home against losing squads, 23-9 overall versus teams with a sub-.500 record, 5-2 on Monday and 8-3 in series openers.
Milwaukee avoided a three-game sweep at lowly San Diego on Sunday with a 5-1 victory. Still, since July 1, the Brewers are mired in slumps of 10-18 overall, 5-9 on the highway and 2-5 against the N.L. West, and they’ve also lost four straight games against lefty starters and four consecutive series openers.
The Dodgers have had Milwaukee’s number in recent years, winning 35 of the last 51 meetings overall, including 19 of the last 26 played in Los Angeles. In the only other series this season between these teams, L.A. took two of three in Wisconsin three weeks ago.
Parra has followed up consecutive gems (one run allowed in 13 innings) with back-to-back disastrous outings, allowing nine runs on 19 hits in 11 innings in home games against the Braves (9-4 loss) and Nationals (7-5 win). The Brewers have come up empty in 20 of Parra’s last 27 starts overall (including seven of the last nine) and 13 of his last 16 on the highway, and they’ve lost four in a row to N.L. West opponents with Parra on the hill.
Parra is 3-5 with a 7.92 ERA on the road in nine road starts and 4-4 with a 7.22 ERA in night games. In two starts against the Dodgers (both last year), he gave up seven runs (five earned) on 17 hits, with the Brewers losing 6-4 at home and 5-3 on the road.
Kershaw twirled another masterpiece at St. Louis on Wednesday, scattering four hits and two walks while striking out seven over eight scoreless innings. He left with a 1-0 lead, but Dodgers closer Jonathan Broxton blew the save and L.A. eventually lost 3-2 in 15 innings. Over his last nine starts, the 21-year-old southpaw has given up a total of six runs (five earned) in 56 2/3 innings, good for a 0.95 ERA. That includes a 7-4 win at Milwaukee on July 12, as he gave up a run on two hits in six innings, improving to 2-0 with a 1.50 ERA in two career starts versus the Brewers.
Kershaw has been brilliant at Dodger Stadium in 2009, going 3-2 with a 1.75 ERA, allowing just one home run in 61 2/3 innings. Los Angeles is 7-2 in Kershaw’s last nine trips to the mound and 4-1 in his last five a home.
The Brewers carry “over” streaks of 5-2 overall, 12-2-1 against lefty starters, 10-1 on Monday, 5-0 in series openers, 5-1 with Parra starting on the road and 8-1 with Parra opposing N.L. West foes. The “over” is also 4-1-1 in the Dodgers’ last six home contests, and six of the last eight series clashes between these clubs have cleared the posted number.
Reds starter Aaron Harang told the media over the weekend that the club’s acquisition of third baseman Scott Rolen proved that the team wasn’t giving up.
You couldn’t tell from their performance on the field.
Now that the trade deadline has passed and the buyers and sellers have identified themselves, it seems the Reds have retreated to the comforts of the “wait until next year” zone despite adding the perennial All-Star to their infield.
The Reds have lost six straight home games and 12 of 14 overall. They now face a contending Cubs squad that has won eight of their past 11.
The struggling Harang (5-12) has given up 19 earned runs over his past four starts, all losses. This doesn’t bode well against the Cubs who have scored 37 runs over their past four games and sends surging starter Randy Wells to the mound.
Pick: Cubs.
San Francisco Giants at Houston Astros (+130)
In order to salvage a chance at contending in the postseason, the Houston Astros need some wins … fast.
Sending erratic veteran Mike Hampton to the mound against Cy Young candidate Matt Cain of the Giants doesn’t look like a good place to start, but the Astros have a few factors working in their favor.
They are 5-1 at home this year against teams from the NL West and are 7-2 in their last nine tilts against the Giants.
San Francisco, coming off an important home series against the Philadelphia Phillies in which it took two of three, has scored just 16 runs in its past six road games (2-4) against the NL Central. The Giants also are 3-9 in their past 12 road games.
Detroit’s cornerstone starter has been earning both his paycheck and his reputation as one of the most reliable pitchers in the American League.
The 26-year-old right-hander is 4-1 in his past five starts, giving up three or fewer earned runs in each outing and holding opponents scoreless in two of them. He has allowed just eight earned runs total in this span. He also has 42 strikeouts against just eight walks during this streak.
Verlander (12-5, 3.16 ERA) has gone at least seven innings in each of his past four starts, including a complete-game, 6-1 win over the Chicago White Sox.
Randy Wells, Chicago Cubs
Wells quietly has become a big reason why the Cubs boast a team ERA of 3.81, which is fifth in the majors.
He has gone 7-1 over his last eight starts, going at least six innings in all but one contest. He has been a model of consistency, yielding four runs or fewer each time out during this span.
In his last start, Wells (7-4, 2.84) shut out the Houston Astros over eight innings while picking up another win. He has notched two of Chicago’s eight wins in their past 10 games.
Slumping
Scott Kazmir, Tampa Bay Rays
Tampa Bay’s erstwhile reliable lefty – he has posted double-figure wins in each of the past four seasons – Kazmir (5-6, 6.22 ERA) has battled both injuries and inconsistency this season.
He is 1-3 with four no-decisions in his past eight starts, and has struggled to find the strike zone despite winning his last start against the New York Yankees.
Kazmir has allowed seven earned runs in three starts during this span, and yielded five earned runs in another, contributing to his hefty ERA.
Kenshin Kawakami, Atlanta Braves
Kawakami (5-8, 4.37 ERA) has been a source of concern for Atlanta’s bullpen of late. He's failed to reach the fifth inning in three of his past six starts.
The 34-year-old righty is 1-2 with three no-decisions during this span; he was tagged for six earned runs in four-plus innings in his last start, a loss to the Florida Marlins.
In keeping with our game plan of acknowledging good pitchers and avoiding bad pitchers during their GOOD and BAD months of the season, below is the list of arms to watch throughout the month of August. Note that the W-L records are those of the team in which the listed pitcher started over the previous three seasons.
Herein, I present a list of the BEST and WORST pitcher performance records during the month of August over the past three years. Note: a handful of pitchers on this list are currently on the Disabled List but could return to the rotation sometime this month. Keep a close eye on their status.
And, hey beer man, pour me another one for the road, whadda ya say? Enjoy...
AUGUST GOOD MONTH PITCHERS
American League
A.J. Burnett - NY Yankees: 11-5
Brad Penny - Boston: 10-4
Ervin Santana - Anaheim: 10-4
Jake Westbrook - Cleveland: 9-2
National League
David Bush - Milwaukee: 11-5
Josh Johnson - Florida: 7-3
Brett Myers - Philadelphia: 9-3
Roy Oswalt - Houston: 14-2
Johan Santana - NY Mets: 14-4
Randy Wolf - L.A. Dodgers: 10-2
AUGUST BAD MONTH PITCHERS
American League
John Danks - White Sox: 2-9
Kyle Davies - Kansas City: 3-8
Jeremy Guthrie - Baltimore: 4-9
Gil Meche - Kansas City: 4-12
Nate Robertson - Detroit: 4-12
Jarrod Washburn - Seattle: 5-13
National League
Zach Duke - Pittsburgh: 2-8
Scott Olsen - Washington: 5-12
Chris Young - San Diego: 3-8
Hot Pitchers
-- Morton has a 3.06 RA in his last three starts.
-- Wells is 3-0, 3.32 in his last three starts.
-- Haren is 6-2, 2.43 in his last nine starts.
-- Cain is 4-0, 1.17 in his last six starts.
-- Latos is 2-1, 2.70 in his first three big league starts.
-- Kershaw is 5-0, 0.95 in his last nine starts. Parra is 2-0, 3.75 in his last four starts.
-- Royals lost Greinke's last five starts, despite his 1.80 RA in his last three outings.
-- Verlander is 4-1, 3.00 in his last five starts.
-- Anderson has a 1.85 RA in his last six starts.
Cold Pitchers
-- Nationals are 0-3 when Mock starts (0-2, 10.54).
-- Harang is 0-4, 7.83 in his last four starts.
-- Figueroa allowed three runs in six IP in his only '09 start, a 4-3 loss to the Brewers back on April 19.
-- Hampton is 1-3, 10.89 in his last four starts.
-- Kawakami is 0-2, 4.96 in his last three starts.
-- Rays won four of Kazmir's last five home starts.
-- Tillman allowed three runs in 4.2 IP in his major league debut.
-- Nippert has a 4.85 RA in his first three starts.
Hot Teams
-- Pirates won six of their last nine home games.
-- Cubs won eight of their last eleven games.
-- Arizona is 15-10 in its last 25 games.
-- Giants won six of their last seven games.
-- Padres won five of their last six games.
-- Dodgers won six of their last eight home games.
-- Tigers are 16-5 in their last 21 home games.
-- Rangers won 11 of their last 14 games.
Cold Teams
-- Nationals lost 15 of their last 20 road games.
-- Reds lost 15 of their last 18 games.
-- Mets lost three of their last four games.
-- Astros lost seven of their last nine games.
-- Braves are 4-6 in their last ten games.
-- Brewers lost 12 of their last 17 road games.
-- Royals lost 15 of their last 19 road games. Rays lost five of their last eight home games.
-- Orioles lost their last three games, allowing 28 runs.
-- Oakland lost three of its last four games.
Totals
-- Under is 5-2-1 in last eight Pittsburgh games.
-- Seven of last eleven Cub games went over the total.
-- Under is 14-4 in Arizona's last eighteen road games.
-- Seven of last eight Cain starts stayed under the total.
-- Three of last four Kawakami starts stayed under the total.
-- Over is 13-7-1 in Milwaukee's last 21 road games.
-- Under is 12-2-1 in last fifteen Tampa Bay games.
-- Under is 7-2 in Verlander's home starts.
-- Three of last four Anderson starts went over the total.
12:08 PM
KANSAS CITY vs. TAMPA BAY
Kansas City is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
Kansas City is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Tampa Bay is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games when playing Kansas City
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Tampa Bay's last 5 games when playing Kansas City
7:05 PM
BALTIMORE vs. DETROIT
Baltimore is 3-10 SU in its last 13 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Baltimore's last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Detroit's last 6 games when playing Baltimore
Detroit is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Baltimore
7:05 PM
WASHINGTON vs. PITTSBURGH
Washington is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Washington's last 7 games
Pittsburgh is 7-2 SU in its last 9 games when playing Washington
Pittsburgh is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Washington
7:10 PM
ARIZONA vs. NY METS
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Arizona's last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Arizona's last 14 games on the road
NY Mets are 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing Arizona
NY Mets are 2-5 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Arizona
7:10 PM
CHI CUBS vs. CINCINNATI
Chi Cubs are 8-3 SU in their last 11 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Chi Cubs's last 6 games
Cincinnati is 1-5 SU in their last 6 games when playing Chi Cubs
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Cincinnati's last 8 games when playing Chi Cubs
8:00 PM
SAN FRANCISCO vs. HOUSTON
San Francisco is 2-7 SU in its last 9 games when playing Houston
The total has gone OVER in 4 of San Francisco's last 6 games when playing Houston
Houston is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
Houston is 8-3 SU in its last 11 games at home
10:05 PM
ATLANTA vs. SAN DIEGO
Atlanta is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Atlanta's last 7 games on the road
San Diego is 2-8 SU in its last 10 games when playing at home against Atlanta
The total has gone OVER in 8 of San Diego's last 10 games when playing at home against Atlanta
10:05 PM
TEXAS vs. OAKLAND
Texas is 7-3 SU in its last 10 games when playing Oakland
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Texas's last 8 games when playing Oakland
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Oakland's last 5 games
Oakland is 6-12 SU in its last 18 games at home
10:10 PM
MILWAUKEE vs. LA DODGERS
Milwaukee is 2-9 SU in their last 11 games when playing on the road against LA Dodgers
Milwaukee is 2-6 SU in their last 8 games when playing LA Dodgers
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of LA Dodgers's last 5 games
LA Dodgers are 6-2 SU in their last 8 games at home
Inside the lines 8/3
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