East/West clashes on MLB weekend slate
Posted on June 04, 20089 | 1:58 PM ET Filed under:First place in the East meets first place in the West in both leagues this weekend as the Philadelphia Phillies hit La La Land for four games with the Dodgers beginning Thursday, and the Texas Rangers visit Beantown for three games with the Red Sox starting Friday.
Going into a Thursday afternoon rubber match in New York vs. the Yankees, Texas leads the American League West by 4.5 games over the second-place Los Angeles Angels. Since losing three games in a row in Detroit a couple of weeks ago, the Rangers have won eight of their last 12.
As Boston shoots for a sweep of a three-game series with the Tigers on Thursday in Detroit, they sit in a tie atop the AL East with the Yanks, two games ahead of the third-place Toronto Blue Jays. The Sox have won three in a row, but are only 4-4 over their last eight games.
Texas will send Kevin Millwood to the mound for Friday's series opener (7:10 pm Eastern), rookie lefty Derek Holland on Saturday (7:10), and Vicente Padilla on Sunday (1:35), while Boston will counter with the threesome of Brad Penny, Jon Lester, and Daisuke Matsuzaka.
The Rangers placed Padilla on waivers Wednesday, but if no team claims him, he could still start for Texas on Sunday.
This is the first meeting between these two teams this season. Last year, Boston took the season series from the Rangers nine games to one. And those 10 games averaged a healthy 14 total runs per, helped along by a 19-17 Sox win in August.
Texas is without OF Josh Hamilton, who's on the DL with an abdominal strain.
Philadelphia carries a six-game winning streak into their series in Los Angeles, and leads the NL East by three games over the second-place New York Mets. The Dodgers, meanwhile, who own the best record in the majors and are 16-10 since losing Manny Ramirez, lead the NL West by 9.5 games over the second-place San Francisco Giants.
The Phillies will throw Cole Hamels at the Dodgers on Thursday (10:10 pm), Jamie Moyer Friday (10:10), Joe Blanton Saturday (4:10, Fox), and second-time starter Antonio Bastardo Sunday (8:05, ESPN). Los Angeles will go with Clayton Kershaw, Eric Milton, Hiroki Kuroda, and Randy Wolf.
Left-handed hitters might have a tough time at Chavez Ravine this weekend, as Hamels, Moyer, Bastardo, Kershaw, Milton, and Wolf all throw from the south side.
In the only other meeting so far this season between these two teams, the Dodgers took two of three games from the Phillies in Philly three weeks ago. Last year, the teams split eight games during the regular season, but the Phillies beat LA in five games in the NL Championship Series.
As of Thursday morning, Oddsmaker.com is listing Boston as -120 co-favorites, along with the Yankees, to win the AL East this season, +300 co-faves with NY to win the American League pennant, and +600 co-faves with the Yankees to win the World Series. Texas is a -200 favorite at Oddsmaker to win the AL West this year, a +1,200 choice to win the pennant, and a +2,000 pick to win the World Series.
Oddsmaker is listing Philadelphia at +150 to win the NL East this year, +800 to win the National League pennant, and +2,000 to repeat as World Champions. And the Dodgers are -3,000 favorites to win the NL West at Oddsmaker.com, +300 chalk to win the pennant, and +800 choices to win the World Series.For 24-hour online sportsbook betting and live wagering, OddsMaker.com has everything you need. Bet on all your favorite sports events and games ranging from Football, Basketball, Baseball, Hockey, Golf, Soccer, and so much more.
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