Giants at Phillies: MLB Pitching Odds at YouWager

Oliver Graham

The last time YouWager bettors saw the National League’s two best teams, San Francisco Giants and Philadelphia Phillies, hooking up on the diamond was last October. Ryan Howard went down looking at strike three. The tying and winning runs were left stranded on base, Brian Wilson’s lovely beard lived to see another day (and then some), and the Giants celebrated a National League Pennant, ending Philly’s two-year reign.

Today, the two MLB teams move forward with their dominance over their respective divisions despite a plethora of debilitating injuries to key position players up and down their lineups. History repeats itself and the teams are doing it with their pitching and plenty of it. That starting pitching will be on display over the next three days at Citizens Bank Park, though not as much as normal. While the Phillies will have to deal with Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain, who combined for two victories in last year’s NLCS, San Francisco will miss out on facing Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee. Both teams are 7-3 since the All-Star break, but the Giants have the pitching edge in two of the three games. In a slight upset, oddsmakers expect SAN FRANCISCO to win the series.

Even though they possess an offense in the bottom third of the league in runs scored and batting average, an offense that is the only team in the league without a player with 10 homers, San Francisco (59-43) continues to find a way to finish games with more runs than the opponent, and a bullpen that is as gritty as the starters they complement. The Giants relievers are 22-12 with a 2.86 ERA and 1.16 WHIP this year. With 33 runs in their past six games, the Phillies offense is showing signs of waking up for good. In the meantime, with eight runs in its past four games, the Giants offense is looking like status quo.

At 6-1 with a 2.02 ERA, Vance Worley has impressed online sports wagering fans when it comes to filling the shoes of one of Philadelphia’s four aces, in this case, Roy Oswalt. Now the right-hander gets a chance to really see what it feels like to go toe-to-toe with an ace, when he tries to out-duel “The Freak” Tim Lincecum. Worley has won four straight starts and has led the Phillies to wins in each of his past six outings. During that stretch the 23 year-old has allowed just four earned runs (0.94 ERA). If stinginess is a prerequisite for beating the 27 year-old Giants pitcher, then the Phils might have one of their best candidates on the mound Tuesday. While “The Freak” is only 8-8 on the year, his 2.90 ERA is a testament to how well he has pitched this season. However it is a rare for Lincecum to have the higher ERA in a pitching matchup. Worley will be facing Frisco for the first time in his young career, while Lincecum is 3-2 lifetime versus Philly, winning Game 1 of last year’s NLCS (defeating Roy Halladay) before losing Game 5 of the same series.

Usually Cole Hamels’ stats (12-5, 2.62 ERA, 0.96 WHIP) would be cause for Cy Young front-runner status, but with teammate Roy Halladay and Jair Jurrjens pitching in the same league and controlling the Cy Young debate, the 27 year-old starting pitcher will have to settle for being the Jack Tripper of the NL (“Three’s Company”). Even so, San Francisco will have to prepare as if they’re taking on an ace. Perhaps their best shot is to dress up in New York Mets uniforms. The lefty is 1-2, and has allowed 22 hits and 15 runs in 14 innings versus the Mets; he is 11-3 against the rest of the league. If the “rest of the league” Hamels shows up Wednesday night, it could be a long night for the Giants. Barry Zito will try and keep his team in the game. The left-hander has won three of his past four starts since returning to the rotation, but in his most recent outing versus the Padres (a team not normally confused with the ’27 Yankees), he was pounded for seven hits and eight runs in 3.2 innings.

Cain was very able last October when he shut down Philadelphia in Game 3 of the NLCS, out-dueling Cole Hamels that afternoon, and allowing his team to take a lead in the series that they ultimately never relinquished. In this right-handers past five starts, though, he is 1-2 with two no-decisions. Even so, his ERA is an outstanding 3.06.

Kendrick, who has been great on the Phillies pitching staff in 2011 (short man, long relief, spot starter, now-extended spot starter), has an ERA close to 4.00 and has taken four no-decisions in his past six outings. The 26 year-old also does not strike out that many batters (his season high is five), but where Kendrick is best is keeping his team in the game. If this series, and this game, takes on a MLB playoff atmosphere (and there is little reason that it shouldn’t), then the righty will have to be at his very best. If Cain takes his game to playoff-atmosphere mode, that could be bad news for the home team. Cain is 2-0 in three career postseason starts, and has not allowed an earned run in 21.1 innings pitched.

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