Atlanta Braves (34-36) Jair Jurrjens +110, 9.5 O/U at Colorado
Rockies (28-41) Ubaldo Jiminez -120, 9.5 O/U, Coors Field, 8:05
PM EST, Monday
by Badger of Predictem.com
What should have been an off day for both the Atlanta Braves and Colorado Rockies is now a makeup game Monday night at Coors Field, a
game rescheduled from a contest that was rained/snowed out back in
April.
Both teams are coming off of successful interleague series over the
weekend as the Braves took two out of three from the Los Angeles
Angels in California, while the Rockies also took two from the
Chicago White Sox in the Windy City.
For the Braves, the trip to L.A. snapped their six-game slide to make them 3-7 in their last 10 games. The Rockies meanwhile continue to be
one of the hottest teams around right now, winning for the eighth
time in their last 11 games Sunday.
Two young right-handers will square off for the second time this
season when Atlantas Jair Jurrjens climbs the bump to oppose the
Rockies Ubaldo Jiminez. Jiminez and the Rockies won the first duel,
4-3, back on April 8th at Coors Field.
Baseball Sportsbooks opened the game with Jiminez and the Rockies as -120 home favorites on the moneyline, while the Braves were listed as
+110 underdogs. The over/under total opened at 9.5.
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Tonights game should be an interesting one to watch because both pitchers have some major questions to answer for the respective clubs.
Jiminez hasnt won since his victory over the Braves in the
aforementioned game on April 8th, going winless in his last 12
starts. But he did throw perhaps his best game of the year last time
out without getting a decision, giving up just four hits in seven
innings of a 1-0 victory over the San Francisco Giants. Quality
starts have been few and far between though for Jiminez, as the
Rockies are just 3-11 in his 14 starts this year.
Jurrjens will be pitching for the first time in over a week since he was scratched from his last start when he twisted his ankle in a
freak clubhouse accident at Wrigley Field. The previous outing before
his scratch was a rough one, giving up 11 hits and five runs in six
innings, but the Braves still managed to win the game 7-5 over the
Florida Marlins. The Braves are 8-5 in the games that Jurrjens has
started so far this season.
Offensively, both teams have welcomed their big boppers back into the
lineup as Colorados Matt Holliday and Atlantas Chipper Jones have
both returned from injury.
Holliday enjoys Braves pitching, as he currently has a 10-game
hitting streak versus them and is hitting .391 with four homers and
17 RBI during the streak (including a 6-for-13 string versus the
Braves back in the April series).
While Chipper has struggled a little since his return (just 2-
for-15), its another Jones that is carrying the offensive load for
the Braves, rookie Brandon Jones. Brandon, the Triple-A call-up
starting in left field, was 6-for-11 in the Angels series and has
provided a spark at the bottom of the lineup.
The Rockies swept the Braves back in the April series, winning two one-run games before a 12-6 blowout victory in the finale. The over
is a solid 8-3 in the last 11 games between these two head-to-head as
well.
Both teams are in the top half of bullpen ERA so late-inning
collapses are hard to predict, but ironically the traditionally run-
happy Coors Field is actually playing larger this season. Coors is
6th in the league with an average of 9.75 runs scored per game.
Another conflicting stat is the fact that the Braves have come under
the total in 21 or their last 27 games when they enter as the underdog.
Badgers Pick: I expect both teams will be a little road weary from
all of the travel, as the Braves will be coming in from L.A. on the
way to Texas tomorrow, while the Rockies stay home to host the
Indians Tuesday. I like both pitchers to control tired offenses
tonight early, so take the under of 9.5 tonight.