Roy Oswalt now joins Roy Halladay in the Philadelphia rotation.
Roy Oswalt, Dan Haren, Matt Capps, Edwin Jackson and Jorge Cantu.
Those are just some of the players who were traded before Saturday’s Major League Baseball deadline, giving a new look to some of this weekend’s games.
Philadelphia made a huge statement about trying to win a third straight National League pennant by obtaining Oswalt. The Phillies’ odds of winning the NL pennant were plus 550 earlier this week at Justbet.com. That has dropped to 3/1 to capture the pennant after getting Oswalt.
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The Phillies catch a break in their weekend series with Washington by missing Stephen Strasburg, who is on the disabled list. Philadelphia, though, entered its series with the Nationals having dropped seven of its last nine NL East contests. The Phillies were 38-14 in their last 52 games versus the Nationals.
St. Louis and Philadelphia have the second-shortest NL pennant odds each at 3/1, according to Justbet.com. Atlanta has the lowest odds at plus 235.
The Los Angeles Dodgers are playing a key NL West series against the San Francisco Giants. Right-hander Chad Billingsley is slated to go for the Dodgers on Saturday, pitching on three days rest for the first time in his career.
The Giants were 10-3 in their last 13 games against right-handed starters through Thursday.
The Dodgers picked up speedy outfielder Scott Podsednik. Los Angeles’ odds of winning the NL pennant currently are 12/1, which is the same odds they had earlier in the week.
The New York Yankees have the lowest pennant odds in the AL at minus 120. The Yankees are at Tampa Bay this weekend. The ‘over’ has cashed in 10 of the past 11 meetings between the two clubs going into the series.
Texas, which acquired a solid RBI bat in Cantu, has the next shortest odds in the AL at plus 225. The Rangers are at the Los Angeles Angels.
Haren is scheduled to make his second start for the Angels on Saturday. The Angels are 70/1 to win the World Series despite trading for the former Arizona Diamondbacks ace.
The Boston Red Sox are hoping to make up some ground in the AL East hosting Detroit this weekend. The Tigers entered the series having lost 10 consecutive road games. They also were 6-21 during this past 27 games at Fenway Park.
Atlanta and Cincinnati entered Friday’s action leading their respective divisions. The two teams are playing each other this weekend in Cincinnati.
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The Braves entered the series six games below .500 in road games, but had won 17 of their first 25 NL Central Division games. The Reds, trying to hold off St. Louis in the NL Central, opened the series having won nine of their past 12 home contests against the Braves.
After finishing with the Reds, the Braves host the New York Mets for three games beginning Monday. The Braves own the best home mark in the NL at 34-13.
Baltimore is at Kansas City this weekend where the ‘over’ has proven quite profitable. The Orioles and Royals have gone ‘over’ in 30 of their last 41 head-to-head games played in Kansas City through Thursday.
The ‘over’ has historically made money, too, when the Chicago Cubs have played recently at Colorado. The two teams entered their series having gone ‘over’ in 10 of their past 14 matchups at Coors Field.
Petco Park in San Diego is probably the top pitching park in the majors. But the Padres entered their home series against Florida this weekend having gone 15-6-2 to the ‘over’ in their last 23 home games. The ‘over’ has cashed in 13 of San Diego’s last 18 games.