Larry Ness - Betting Expert

My 8* Daytime Dominator is on teh Cle Indians at 4:10 ET.

The series opener between the Atlanta Braves and the Cleveland Indians was rained out Friday, so the Braves and Indians will play a traditional doubleheader on Saturday. Reigning NL Rookie of the Year Ronald Acuna Jr. brings a nine-game hitting streak into the series for Atlanta, going 16-for-32 in that span with four HRs and 10 RBI, but the 9-9 Braves limp into Saturday's doubleheader after getting swept in a three-game home series against Arizona. Atlanta's bullpen allowed 11 runs (nine earned) in the series with 10 walks over 10 innings (9.00 ERA).

Meanwhile, things are looking up for the Cleveland Indians. The Indians shook off a three-game sweep last weekend at Kansas City with three victories at Seattle to move into first place in the American League Central at 11-7. First baseman Carlos Santana, who missed his first game of the season Wednesday with a tight hamstring that is not considered serious, leads the Indians in batting average (.389) and RBI (11), while hitting 12-for-22 with runners on base. More good news comes in that one of Cleveland's star players is close to making his season debut. SS Francisco Lindor (38 HRs and 92 RBI in 2018) has been sidelined with a strained right calf and an ankle injury since spring training but is scheduled to rejoin the team after three Triple-A rehab games and could be activated as soon as this weekend.

The pitching matchup in Game 1 is scheduled to be Julio Teheran (2-1, 4.71 ERA) vs Corey Kluber (1-2, 6.16 ERA). The veteran Teheran has made four starts, allowing one run or less in two outings and comes in having won back-to-back starts (team is 3-1 with him on the mound to open 2019). Two-time Cy Young winner Kluber has battled inconsistency through his first four starts, with two outings of six-plus innings and two games where he has lasted 3.1 and 2.2 innings. He's off a no-decision in his last start Sunday at Kansas City, when he allowed six runs on six hits with five walks over just 2.2 innings. Teheran has never faced the Indians, while Kluber beat the Braves in his only career appearance in 2016, surrendering two runs on three hits with seven strikeouts in eight innings.

Teheran has been solid (just ONE bad start in four starts, so far) but the team's bullpen owns a 5.13 ERA (24th) and is tied for second in the National League for most walks (40). I expect a bounce-back effort from Kluber( off that embarrassing outing vs KC), as after all, he has piled up 56 wins over the past three seasons. Let me add that the Indians are 5-1 in 2019 at home, holding opponents to 2.83 RPG. Another plus here is that Cleveland's bullpen owns a 2.68 ER, third-best in MLB.

Good luck...Larry

My 8* Division Dominator (AL East) is on the TB Rays at 6:10 ET.

It's a "first vs worst" matchup in the AL East on Saturday, as the Boston Red Sox and the Tampa Rays square off at Tropicana Field. In a "role reversal," the defending champion Red Sox sit 7-13 and in the AL East 'cellar,' while the 14-6 Rays sit atop the division, 4 1/2 games clear of the second-place Yankees (SEVEN games up on Boston). Reigning American League MVP Mookie Betts had gone SEVEN straight games without an extra-base hit and was 2-for-23 in that span, before leading off the sixth inning with a double on Friday and clubbing a go-ahead solo HR in the eighth to lead Boston to a 6-4 victory, snapping a three-game slide. As for Tampa Bay, the Rays lost Thursday night to Baltimore (6-5 in 11 innings), making Friday's loss the team's first set of back-to-back defeats this season.

Rick Porcello (0-3, 11.12 ERA) will get the ball for Boston and Charlie Morton (2-0, 2.18 ERA) for Tampa Bay. Porcello issued five walks in four innings and was charged with three runs on six hits in a 9-5 loss to Baltimore last Saturday. The scary thought is that the effort 'lowered' his ERA from 13.50 to 11.12! The former AL Cy Young Award winner has issued a total of 12 walks to go with 22 hits allowed in 11.1 innings over his first three outings (owns a horrific 3.00 WHIP). Morton arrived in Tampa Bay after registering his best two seasons in the majors with Houston, going 29-10 with a 3.36 ERA in 55 starts. He's proving to be an excellent addition, allowing two or fewer runs in each of his first four outings (team is 3-1 in his starts).

Porcello has faced Tampa Bay 28 times as a starter, going 14-10 with a 3.42 ERA (team is 17-11). He made five starts against Tampa Bay last season and went 2-2 with a 4.34 ERA, with both losses coming at Tropicana Field. Boston is just 4-10 on the road this season, allowing 6.36 RPG. The pitching staff owns a team ERA of 5.85, which ranks 29th of 30 teams. Meanwhile, the Rays are allowing just 2.36 RPG in 11 home games this season and the pitching staff owns the AL's best team ERA (2.67). NO three straight losses here for the Rays.

Good luck...Larry

My MLB 10* Game of the Week is on the SD Padres at 8:40 ET.

The Cincinnati Reds beat the Pirates 5-3 on Opening Day but then lost EIGHT in a row. They came to San Diego to open a four-game series with a 5-12 overall record, including an 0-7 record on the road. However, Cincinnati won its first road game of 2019 on Thursday (4-1) and followed with its second straight road win on Friday, when the Reds outlasted the Padres 3-2 in 11 innings (Derek Dietrich snapped a 1-1 tie in the top of the 11th with a two-run HR). While the Reds look to be "turning things around," the Padres have lost FIVE straight, after a surprising 11-5 start.

Luis Castillo (1-1, 1.46 ERA) will take the mound for Cincy and will be opposed by San Diego lefty Eric Lauer (2-2, 4.91 ERA). Castillo not only owns a 1.46 ERA but he's struck out 32 in 24.2 innings this season (at least seven in each of his four starts). However, he has yet to defeat San Diego in his career, going 0-2 with a 5.17 ERA in three starts (team is 1-2). Lauer, a former first-round pick, will be making his fifth start of the season and first against a non-division opponent (He's beaten the Giants twice and lost twice to the D'backs). Lauer made two starts against Cincinnati as a rookie last year, going 1-0 while allowing one run and registering 12 strikeouts over nine innings (1.00 ERA / SD won both games).

Castillo has pitched very well but I believe he's been "over his head." In his first two ML seasons, he's just 13-19 (3.89 ERA) in 46 starts (team is 23-23). He steps to the mound for a team averaging just 3.42 RPG (26th) and batting a MLB-low of .192 (note: Reds have averaged just 2.56 RPG on the road). Speaking of Cincy's road record, the Reds were 30-51 on the road last season and in road night games vs lefties, went 3-10 while averaging a woeful 2.9 RPG. The Reds face a young lefty tonight (Lauer), who has the makings of a being a solid (good?) ML pitcher. San Diego breaks its five-game slide right here.

Good luck...Larry