Run the Bases – Monday, Aug. 30

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Last Updated on Monday, 30th Aug 2010, 

Written by BetRepublic

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Teams have been using the ‘dog days’ excuse to write-off late summer slumps ever since 1884 when the length of the National League schedule officially broke through the 100-game plateau.

It’s a convenient excuse for good teams playing bad, and it still leaves enough time for teams in the playoff hunt to snap out the fog and start playing ‘pennant race’ baseball.

A quick look at the newspaper standings doesn’t tell the story of teams that have been slacking in the back-half of August, only “Last 10 games” or current W/L streak. But as the first day of September creeps closer it’s worth noting the teams that need to pull up their pants, and soon.

AMERICAN LEAGUE HOTSEAT
The Chicago White Sox (7-13 last 20 games) started the season slow and it wasn’t until an 11-game win streak mid-June, all against NL opponents, that they climbed above .500 (June 22) for the first time since opening day.

Chicago has played some difficult opponents the past three weeks including two series against the Twins, but if teams can’t beat the team they are chasing it proves they don’t belong in the playoff picture anyway.

Chicago (-132) begins a series against a bad team today (Cleveland) and the Sox are 4-8 vs. the Tribe this year, going 2-4 at Progressive Field. It’s time for Ozzie to clean up his act.
BetRepublic.com Pick: Take the White Sox

NATIONAL LEAGUE HOTSEAT
The St. Louis Cardinals (69-59, .539) have the 10th best record in baseball but not one of the nine teams with a better record has had as much trouble as the Cards away from home.

St. Louis (28-36) is in the midst of a 10 game road trip right now that so far has yielded just two wins to five losses. Overall, the team has lost 10 of its past 14.

Today the Cards (-120) begin the final leg of the tour against an Astros team they have not had a lot of recent success against (3-7 last 10), but on the road is where the Cards have put up the better fight. St. Louis has won four of the past six at Minute Maid Park and five games back of Cincinnati, needs to turn this ship around right now.


J.A. Happ (4-2, 3.45 ERA) is coming off a great outing against his former team in Philadelphia and the Astros are 4-1 at home following a road trip of seven days or longer. It’s created line value on a Cardinals team whose top hitters are a combined 8-of-14 (.364) vs. Happ.
BetRepublic.com Pick: Take the Cardinals

The Padres (0-4) and Giants (1-3) were both great ‘play AGAINST’ teams this past weekend; the only difference is that San Diego is five games up in the standings.

Each begins a divisional series today and online sportsbooks are offering good prices on these teams getting back in gear. San Diego (-140) is at Arizona and San Francisco (-140) hosts Colorado)

Lines provided by Sportsbetting.com