Ubaldo Jimenez leads the NL in ERA. Photo: Icon SMI
There are almost too many good games today. The first pits the Twins against the Yankees as Scott Baker takes on A.J. Burnett. Team teams sport identical 22-12 records, with Minnesota holding a 2 1/2 game lead in the AL Central and the Yankees trailing the Rays by two. Baker’s problem is power, and not just home runs. Twenty of his 46 hits allowed went for extra bases, including 14 doubles. Burnett comes off a trashing by the Red Sox. He walked three in 4 1/3 innings after keeping his walks under control all year, and gave up nine hits after being very tough to hit all season.
Texas travels north of the border to battle the surprising Toronto Blue Jays and Rich Harden and Bret Cecil take the mound. Harden tamed his wildness in May, walking two in his last 12 innings after walking 23 in 23 2/3 innings in April. Cecil is a low batting average allowed lefty, going against Texas, a team that does not hit lefties well. This could turn into a very nice pitching duel.
The Cardinals open a three game series in Cincinnati, St. Louis leading the Reds by one game in the NL Central. Jaime Garcia gets the call in game one against host Aaron Harang. Garcia’s opponents hit just .195 against him with little power. He’s given up five doubles among the 26 hits he allowed. Harang, after a slow start, is pitching lights out lately. He’s struck out 21 with two walks and one home run allowed in his last 18 2/3 innings, including a well pitched loss against the Cardinals.
Livan Hernandez ranks 2nd in NL ERA. Photo: Icon SMI
Doug Fister of the Mariners faces Wade Davis of the Rays, but I really wish Doug was taking on David Price for the Price-Fister faucet game of the day. Fister and Price rank 3-4 currently in the AL in ERA. Davis ranks 16th.
The matchup of the night, however, takes place in Colorado where Ubaldo Jimenez hosts Livan Hernandez and the Washington Nationals. With an 0.93 ERA, Jimenez leads the NL in ERA, with Livan second at 1.04. The pitchers approach the game differently. Ubaldo is all power, with 9.12 K per nine. Livan is all about control, with 2.9 BB per nine allowed. Both, however, allow a very low batting average, .172 for Jimenez, best in the NL and .187 for Hernandez, 3rd in the NL. I suspect the teams might play small ball tonight, given that every base runner is going to be precious.
Enjoy!