Friday MLB Handicapper Report

Friday MLB Handicapper Report – FINAL

Interleague Facts of Note

In 2009, AL clubs compiled a .263 batting average with 315 home runs, 1,206 runs scored and a 3.89 ERA. NL clubs batted .257 with 249 home runs, 1,061 runs scored and a 4.45 ERA.
The New York Yankees hold the MLB’s best all-time Interleague record at 133-95 (.583), followed by Minnesota at 132-96 (.548). The Florida Marlins own the NL’s best all-time Interleague mark at 120-99.
Seattle OF Ichiro Suzuki led all batters with 33 hits during interleague play last season.
St. Louis 1B Albert Pujols smashed an MLB-high nine home runs against the AL last year. He also leads all active players (400 AB min) with a .355 average during interleague play.
Seven pitchers total posted a perfect 3-0 record, including Seattle ace Felix Hernandez, who also managed a 0.84 ERA.
Two of Friday’s starting pitchers check in with the lowest ERA during interleague play with a minimum of 150 innings. Boston SP John Lackey at 2.63 and Los Angeles Angels SP Joel Pineiro at 3.25.

Chicago Cubs

Yesterday’s setback ended Chicago’s season-high tying four-game winning streak. The Cubs have gone 5-3 in their last eight contests.
Scored exactly four runs in four of their last five games dating to May 16.
In 2009, Chicago was 6-9 in interleague play (1-5 on the road). The Cubs last had a winning interleague record in 2007, going 8-4 against the AL that year.
In their 92 interleague road contests since 1997, Cubs designated hitters have combined to bat .284 with 17 home runs and 65 RBI. In 2009, the designated hitters batted .238.
Stolen at least one base in five-straight games for the first time since June 2007. The Cubs are 19-for-23 in stolen base attempts this season, with the 82.6 success rate placing them in a tie with the Mets for tops in the NL.
Chicago is 14-15 against right-handed starters and 5-8 against left-handed starters.
SP Ted Lilly is an even 4-4 with a 3.63 ERA in 13 games (12 starts) in his career against Texas.
Lilly is 0-2 with a 5.68 ERA at home compared to a 1-1 mark and 3.00 ERA in two road starts.

Florida Marlins

Florida is currently 10-5 versus left-handed starting pitching, while compiling a 12-15 mark against righties.
Last season, Florida was 10-8 versus AL teams, just 4-5 on the road.
The Marlins are 11-8 this month and have two more wins than they had in all of May last season, when they went 9-20 in May. Historically, May has been the Marlins’ worst month, posting just a .448 all-time winning percentage.
Starters have allowed more than three earned runs just twice in the month of May, going 10-5 with a 2.79 ERA in May. In comparison, the starters were 8-8 with a 4.39 ERA in 23 April starts.
SP Ricky Nolasco is making his first career start against the White Sox, as he’s notched a 4-2 overall record and 4.04 ERA in eight career starts during interleague play.

Milwaukee Brewers

The Brewers snapped a 9-game losing streak last night at Pittsburgh, coming back from a 3-0 deficit to win, 4-3.
Milwaukee’s 15-game interleague schedule includes a 3-game series at Minnesota, vs. Texas and at Los Angeles (AL). The team is 84-100 all-time during interleague play, including 5-10 last season.
2B Casey McGehee enters tonight’s game ranked either first or second among NL third basemen in the following categories: batting average (.325), hits (49), RBI (37).
SP Dave Bush went 1-0 with a 2.41 ERA over his first three starts of the season, but is 0-4 with a 5.53 ERA over his last five starts. The team is 1-7 in his starts, as he’s managed five quality starts.
Bush is 1-5 with a 4.38 ERA in six career starts against Minnesota. He made one start versus Minnesota last season, taking a 6-3 loss at the Metrodome.

Minnesota Twins

The Twins were swept for the first time this season, losing to the Boston Red Sox, 6-2, on Thursday night. The offense struck out nine times and left 11 men on base, going 0-for-7 with RISP.
C Joe Mauer ranks fifth among active players with a .329 batting average during interleague play, including a .387 average in 2009.
Minnesota has posted a record of 17-7 in 24 games against the Brewers since 2006. During that span, they have outscored Milwaukee 158-99 and out-hit them 234-209.
DH Jason Kubel and 1B Justin Morneau have each hit six career home runs against Brewers pitching.
Pitching staff has the lowest walk rate in the Majors this season (2.31 per 9IP) and have walked just 94 batters all year.
SP Nick Blackburn has posted a career record of 8-3 with a 2.96 ERA in 14 May starts. His 2.96 ERA in May is the best of any month. He is one of 10 pitchers in the American League to have at least three wins this month.
Minnesota is 10-1 in Blackburn’s last 11 starts, dating back to 9/16/09.

New York Yankees

With 41 games played this season, the 2010 Yankees have surpassed the franchise record for most games from the start of the season without a one-run victory.
Since 2008 under manager Joe Girardi, New York’s fielding percentage of .986 is the second-best percentage in the AL and third-best in the Majors.
3B Alex Rodriguez is batting .400 (16-for-40) with three HR and 28 RBI with runners in scoring position in 2010. He has recorded multi-hit games 10 times in 18 May games, with 18 RBI this month.
Lead the AL with a .279 batting average, most runs scored per game (5.78) and most walks per game (4.320.
The Yankees were 5-1 against the Mets last season, outscoring them by a 44-17 margin.
SP Javier Vazquez owns a 10-13 record with a 4.75 ERA in 36 career interleague starts. He has gone 86-86 with a 4.07 ERA in 249 games (248 starts) against NL opponents in his career.

Pittsburgh Pirates

Pittsburgh has won two of its last three games and four of its last seven. The Pirates have gone 11-11 in their last 22 games.
Tonight’s game marks the first of the season for a East Division team at PNC park. The Pirates went 12-5 against the East in Pittsburgh last season and 8-8 in 2008.
Won five of their last seven games played against the Braves at PNC Park, dating back to 2008.
Pittsburgh’s #3 and #4 hitters, Andrew McCutchen and Garrett Jones are hitting .373 and .344 respectively during the month of May.
The Pirates are 1-1 on this five-game homestand following a two-game split with the Brewers. The Bucs have gone 10-10 at PNC Park this season.

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