Houston Astros baseball team

It would have seemed ludicrous at the time that they were considered the consensus World Series favorites, but the Boston Red Sox will not be in the American League postseason in 2011. Thanks to one of the most improbable sports betting comebacks in the history of the sport, the Tampa Bay Rays made it in ahead of Boston, and will now have the even tougher challenge of rallying against the defending AL champion Texas Rangers. Game three in that series will be played Monday back in Tampa Bay, where that final day of the regular season was carried out last Wednesday, while game thee between the New York Yankees and Detroit Tigers will also go Monday.

Texas Rangers @ Tampa Bay Rays

Monday, 5:07 PM ET

The biggest handicap that the Rays faced heading in to this MLB betting series was the fact that needing a win in each of the final few days before the end of the regular season did not allow them to set up their starting rotation to be ready for the ALDS. That included All Star David Price getting the call in the finale against the Yankees, which meant that he would have to wait until this game three to have a chance to start. Tampa Bay was forced to go with rookie Matt Moore and James Shields though the first two contests, but will finally get their ace on the mound in hopes that they can take this one at home. The Rangers have been among the most consistent teams all season and have power in every aspect of the game, so the Rays need to capitalize on intangibles such as momentum if they are going to overcome once again. Tampa Bay has no business winning this series, but the same could have been said about them even getting in ahead of Boston.

MLB Betting Pick: Tampa Bay Rays

New York Yankees @ Detroit Tigers

Monday, 8:37 PM ET

The Tigers will return home knowing exactly what they need to do to close out this series, and it continues with Max Scherzer on the mound against the veteran Freddy Garcia. If there is one MLB betting bonus area of this series where Detroit is projected to have the edge, it is the depth in the starting rotation, and they will need to take advantage of that here. Scherzer finished the regular season with a 15-9 record and 4.43 ERA, and he allowed more than four runs only twice over the final two months. He will need to bring his best stuff to the park on Monday to hold off a powerful Yankees offense, and prevent the veteran Garcia from stealing one on the road. Garcia and Bartolo Colon were two key signings for New York in the offseason that have really panned out better than expected, and if he can steal one here in this position, it will go a long way for the Yankees not only in this series but in the longer run.

MLB Betting Pick: Detroit Tigers

It would have seemed ludicrous at the time that they were considered the consensus World Series favorites, but the Boston Red Sox will not be in the American League postseason in 2011. Thanks to one of the most improbable sports betting comebacks in the history of the sport, the Tampa Bay Rays made it in ahead of Boston, and will now have the even tougher challenge of rallying against the defending AL champion Texas Rangers. Game three in that series will be played Monday back in Tampa Bay, where that final day of the regular season was carried out last Wednesday, while game thee between the New York Yankees and Detroit Tigers will also go Monday.

Texas Rangers @ Tampa Bay Rays

Monday, 5:07 PM ET

The biggest handicap that the Rays faced heading in to this MLB betting series was the fact that needing a win in each of the final few days before the end of the regular season did not allow them to set up their starting rotation to be ready for the ALDS. That included All Star David Price getting the call in the finale against the Yankees, which meant that he would have to wait until this game three to have a chance to start. Tampa Bay was forced to go with rookie Matt Moore and James Shields though the first two contests, but will finally get their ace on the mound in hopes that they can take this one at home. The Rangers have been among the most consistent teams all season and have power in every aspect of the game, so the Rays need to capitalize on intangibles such as momentum if they are going to overcome once again. Tampa Bay has no business winning this series, but the same could have been said about them even getting in ahead of Boston.

MLB Betting Pick: Tampa Bay Rays

New York Yankees @ Detroit Tigers

Monday, 8:37 PM ET

The Tigers will return home knowing exactly what they need to do to close out this series, and it continues with Max Scherzer on the mound against the veteran Freddy Garcia. If there is one MLB betting bonus area of this series where Detroit is projected to have the edge, it is the depth in the starting rotation, and they will need to take advantage of that here. Scherzer finished the regular season with a 15-9 record and 4.43 ERA, and he allowed more than four runs only twice over the final two months. He will need to bring his best stuff to the park on Monday to hold off a powerful Yankees offense, and prevent the veteran Garcia from stealing one on the road. Garcia and Bartolo Colon were two key signings for New York in the offseason that have really panned out better than expected, and if he can steal one here in this position, it will go a long way for the Yankees not only in this series but in the longer run.

MLB Betting Pick: Detroit Tigers

The way that the Tampa Bay Rays and St. Louis Cardinals got in to the postseason was nothing short of impressive, but now comes the even tougher task of making an impact in the playoffs against two of the best teams in the majors in the Texas Rangers and Philadelphia Phillies respectively. Both teams have the weapons to make an impact, but will be in tough to continue their improbable runs after spending a ton of gas just to get to the big MLB Betting dance. Here is a quick look at this Saturdays games.

Arizona Diamondbacks @ Milwaukee Brewers
Saturday, TBS

The Diamondbacks broadcasters had a sense of uneasiness in their voice when they talked about preparing to face Milwaukee in the NLDS on Thursday, and it could be because of the way that the Brewers have dominated this season. With the All Star trio of Ryan Braun, Prince Fielder, and Rickie Weeks, Milwaukee will look to flex its muscle at home against an Arizona team that was able to win games despite not playing at an elite level in the NL West, and unless Ian Kennedy can carry out the unlikely task of shutting down the Brewers offense they will have a tough time opening the series with a win.

MLB Betting Pick: Milwaukee Brewers

Detroit Tigers @ New York Yankees
Saturday, TBS

The Yankees biggest problem heading in to this MLB betting season was a lack of pitching depth in their starting rotation, an area that Ivan Novas development has been crucial in. Nova goes second for New York behind CC Sabathia at the top of the rotation, and will counter veteran Doug Fister for Detroit as the pinstripes look to improve their standing in the series before the series shifts to the Motor City.

MLB Betting Pick: New York Yankees

Tampa Bay Rays @ Texas Rangers
Saturday, TBS

The Rays will never stop believing after the incredible sequence of events that unfolded on the final day of the regular season, and if they can somehow work with the momentum and continue to play the way that they have as a unit, they do have a chance at an upset. Matt Holland will start the series for Texas with Tampa Bay expected to release their official decision sometime on Friday. The Rangers have unfinished business in the AL, and have no intention of letting the Rays Cinderella story continue.

MLB Betting Pick: Texas Rangers

St. Louis Cardinals @ Philadelphia Phillies
Saturday, TBS

The Cardinals fought with everything that they had to complete the comeback and catch the Braves, but now face the even more daunting task of matching up with the Phillies in the NLDS. Philadelphia will have the edge in every pitching matchup as expected, and it may take another sports betting bonus miracle for St. Louis to rock the boat in these beginning with Roy Halladay on the mound Saturday against Jaime Garcia for the Cardinals.

MLB Betting Pick: Philadelphia Phillies

The MLB betting is getting down to the wire in MLB as the regular season comes to a close and both wild card races are still up in the air. Some of the pennants have been clinched while others wait patiently for the lead teams to reach their magic number. This week is the last full week of the regular season and it should be a fun one to watch.

Monday September 26, 2011
Boston Red Sox @ Baltimore Orioles 7:05PM EST
The only thing keeping the Boston Red Sox in the playoffs is the fact that the Tampa Bay Rays cannot beat the New York Yankees. The Red Sox have only beaten the Baltimore Orioles once in the month of September, but yet this is the second series the two teams have played against each other in the last two weeks. Boston needs to figure out a starting pitching rotation and determine what happened to its offense if it wants to find success in the playoffs.
Pick: Baltimore Orioles

Tuesday September 27, 2011
Texas Rangers @ Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim 10:05PM EST
As of late last week, the Texas magic number to beat out the Angels for the AL West pennant was two games. But the Angels have been hanging in there and a head-to-head series against the Rangers is just what the Angels need. But many MLB betting experts feel that the Angels are just putting off the inevitable as opposed to being in control of its own destiny.
Pick: Texas Rangers

Wednesday September 28, 2011
Pittsburgh Pirates @ Milwaukee Brewers 8:10PM EST
If the Brewers have not clinched the NL Central pennant by this time, then this should be the game where it happens. The Brewers magic number over the St. Louis Cardinals is two, and the Cardinals seem to be more wrapped up in the NL wild card race with the Atlanta Braves. The Pirates were a playoff contender prior to the All-Star break, but they have been a doormat ever since.
Pick: Milwaukee Brewers

Wednesday September 28, 2011
St. Louis Cardinals @ Houston Astros 8:05PM EST
The St. Louis Cardinals have this one last game of the season to try and lay claim to the NL wild card spot. While the Atlanta Braves spend its last series of the season battling with the Philadelphia Phillies, the Cardinals get the worst team in baseball in the Houston Astros. If the Cardinals want to stay in the World Series betting then they will have to win out and the Braves will have to keep losing. Considering how poorly the Braves have played in the stretch, it is not out of the question to think that the NL wild card could come down to this final day of the season.
Pick: St. Louis Cardinals

Wednesday September 28, 2011
Philadelphia Phillies @ Atlanta Braves 7:10PM EST
The only thing going for the Braves in this game is that it is at home. Atlanta has allowed a sizeable lead over the St. Louis Cardinals in the NL wild card race to shrink to two games. The Phillies are playing for real as it gets ready to enter the playoffs and that is just something that the Braves may not be able to handle.
Pick: Philadelphia Phillies

With another Boston Red Sox loss to the lowly Baltimore Orioles, the American League Wild Card race remains the only interesting MLB betting spotlight to keep an eye on heading in to the final weekend of the regular season. The fact that the Tampa Bay Rays struggled against the New York Yankees left the gap at 2.5 games in the Wild Card race, but the hunters have the chance to close on the Red Sox this week as they return home for a favorable matchup.

Boston Red Sox @ New York Yankees

Saturday, 4:10 PM ET

After watching the Rays struggle as the Yankees locked up their division, the Red Sox now make the trip to New York hoping to avoid the same embarrassment handed to them by the lowly Orioles this past week. Boston lost three of a possible four games including a 6-4 loss on Wednesday night in a game that they led 4-1 at one point, and are very fortunate that the Yankees took care of Tampa Bay. New York has already locked up the AL East title but has not confirmed its playoff rotation, which makes this an important sports betting start for AJ Burnett at home against Bostons Tim Wakefield.

MLB Betting Pick: New York Yankees

Seattle Mariners @ Texas Rangers

Saturday, 4:10 PM ET

The Rangers will not be able to close the gap between them and New York, but they should be able to lock up the AL West title as they host the Mariners this weekend. Texas faces a tough test against Felix Hernandez on Saturday, but with Alexei Ogando on the mound they should have a strong chance as long as they can punch in some runs.
MLB Betting Pick: Texas Rangers

Toronto Blue Jays @ Tampa Bay Rays

Saturday, 7:10 PM ET

The Rays fought hard to remain in contention despite such a relatively small payroll, and while they may not have enough left in the tank to clinch a Wild Card spot, they will throw everything that they have at Toronto to close that gap this week. Tampa Bay will turn to the hot hand in veteran Jeff Niemann on Saturday to counter the Blue Jays ace Ricky Romero, and if he can parlay his performance from consecutive wins the Rays should be able to take advantage.

MLB Betting Pick: Tampa Bay Rays

Oakland Athletics @ Los Angeles Angels

Saturday, 10:10 PM ET

Although they will continue to go bass fishing for that top spot in the AL West this weekend, it will come down to a case of too little, too late for the Angels, who send the undefeated Jerome Williams to the mound on Saturday against the Athletics Guillermo Moscoso. Los Angeles has gone just 5-5 over their past 10 games entering this series, but they should be able to salvage a couple of key best sportsbook promo home games to go out on a high note.

MLB Betting Pick: Los Angeles Angels

As the MLB betting regular season month of September continues to wind down, teams across the league are moving closer to clinching their respective divisions. While the National League has never really seemed very close, there is still some excitement to look forward to in the American League down the stretch. Here is a quick look at four matchups for this week.

Baltimore Orioles @ Boston Red Sox

Monday, 7:10 PM ET

The Red Sox are the most talented team in baseball not to have already put themselves in prime position to lock up a playoff spot, as they continue to concede games that they are favored to win in September and allow the Tampa Bay Rays to stay within reach of the AL Wild Card spot. The New York Yankees have pulled away with the pennant and division title, but that doesnt mean that Boston can afford not to finish strong. Veteran Jon Lackey gets the ball on Monday as he continues to struggle through one of the worst seasons of his career, and if he cant get the job done on Monday, then his offense better do everything they can to bail him out as the Red Sox open a series they need to have at Fenway Park.

MLB Betting Pick: Boston Red Sox

Milwaukee Brewers @ Chicago Cubs

Monday, 8:05 PM ET

Once upon a time the Brewers were in a close race for the AL Central title alongside the St. Louis Cardinals and Pittsburgh Pirates, but those days are far back in the rearview mirror and now Milwaukee is cruising towards clinching the division. Milwaukee hasnt been the best road team this season which makes home field that much more important in the playoffs, and they can help their cause by finishing strong away from home this MLB betting season continuing with Shaun Marcum on the mound Monday against the Cubs.

MLB Betting Pick: Milwaukee Brewers

Tampa Bay Rays @ New York Yankees
Tuesday, 7:05 PM ET

Despite their ridiculously low payroll and that they dealt with a ton of turnover from the previous season, the Rays have somehow managed to remain in the race for the AL Wild Card with the combination of outstanding pitching and timely hitting. Tampa Bay still has a ways to go to complete the comeback, and a series on the road this week against the New York Yankees is crucial. 26-year old Wade Davis will get the call against AJ Burnett Tuesday, and he will need to bring his best stuff as every game is now considered a must-win.

MLB Betting Pick: Tampa Bay Rays

Texas Rangers @ Oakland Athletics
Tuesday, 10:05 PM ET

The Rangers have traded wins and losses with the Los Angeles Angels to stay ahead of them in the AL West this September, and will now get the chance to take advantage of a crucial road series against an inferior opponent. Derek Holland will get the call against Rich Harden looking for his 15th sports betting bonus decision of the season.

MLB Betting Pick: Texas Rangers

With the MLB betting season winding down, the race to the postseason is heating up with the Los Angeles Angels and Tampa Bay Rays doing what they can to make this interesting in the American League. With the National League races all but complete, the AL is where the spotlight will shine this weekend, with a few key matchups to pay attention.

New York Yankees @ Toronto Blue Jays

Saturday, 1:07 PM ET

The Yankees have been wildly inconsistent this season, but a powerful offense has put them in position to clinch both the AL East and the AL pennant. New York has built a comfortable lead over second-place Boston as the Red Sox continue to struggle through the month of September, and can move even closer to securing home field advantage for the AL postseason with a win over the Blue Jays on Saturday. Bartolo Colon will get the call for New York against 21-year old Henderson Alvarez, and he should be in line to get back to .500 with his ninth sports betting decision.

MLB Betting Pick: New York Yankees

Tampa Bay Rays @ Boston Red Sox

Saturday, 4:10 PM ET

A streak of seven wins in 10 games that included a three-game sweep of the Red Sox the last time these teams met has put Tampa Bay in contention for the AL Wild Card spot, but it will take an even better effort this weekend at Fenway Park for them to close the gap. That means that there will be best sportsbook promo pressure on Jeff Niemann to provide a solid outing against Bostons Jon Lester on Saturday. While the Rays have done an excellent job of closing the gap without much pressure on whether they succeed or not, they have now heightened expectations and could be due for a letdown against a Red Sox team that is far too talented to struggle the way that they have.
MLB Betting Pick: Boston Red Sox

Los Angeles Angels @ Baltimore Orioles

Saturday, 7:05 PM ET

While the Rays have come back to make things interesting in the Wild Card race, the Angels are barely staying alive in the West where they continue to chase the defending AL champion Rangers. Los Angeles had won seven of 10 entering play on Thursday night, but as long as Texas continues to win they will only lose more time. Regardless, all the Angels can focus on at this point is their schedule, and that includes a game they absolutely have to win on Saturday with Ervin Santana on the mound against the Orioles.
MLB Betting Pick: Los Angeles Angels

Texas Rangers @ Seattle Mariners

Saturday, 7:10 PM ET

The Rangers have shown their depth on both offense and in the rotation this season, and will look to finish the year off strong as they attempt to avenge last years World Series disappointment. Texas will turn to Colby Lewis on Saturday hoping that the veteran can provide another solid outing like his last, when he allowed just three runs over 7.1 innings to get his 12th win of the year. Lewis has been inconsistent, but as long as he can keep his ERA down in this game the Rangers bats should be able to do enough to get him win No. 13 as they go up against Seattle rookie Anthony Vasquez.

MLB Betting Pick: Texas Rangers

The first MLB betting weekend in September means that the postseason races are beginning to tighten up, and with a couple of divisions still up for grabs it will be interesting to see how things play out in the rivalry games coming up. In the American League, the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees continue to fight for the pennant, while the defending AL champion Texas Rangers are looking to become part of that conversation once again. Meanwhile in the National League, the defending World Series champions are battling for their division, but this year they have become the hunted.

Toronto Blue Jays @ New York Yankees

Saturday, 1:05 PM ET

The power in the Yankees order has managed to keep them in the hunt for a playoff spot, but after Wednesdays loss to the Boston Red Sox they still havent proven their merit against the consensus MLB betting World Series favorites. New York will look to regroup at home this weekend with a visit from the Blue Jays, and while Toronto has been very inconsistent so far this year, the pinstripes will have to be careful not to underestimate their potential. Veteran Bartolo Colon will get the call against the Blue Jays Ricky Romero Saturday, and the Yankees offense will need a big performance to get through.

MLB Betting Pick: New York Yankees

Texas Rangers @ Boston Red Sox

Saturday, 4:10 PM ET

Despite a couple of losses the Red Sox have had the Yankees number all year, and that is why they are now in the driver seat to lock up the division, pennant, and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. The bigger picture has Boston and New York alone at the top of the pennant race, with the Rangers six games back heading into this series. Texas will go looking for that top spot this weekend as they look to close the gap between them and first place, but they will need more from Colby Lewis on Saturday after he allowed 12 earned runs combined through his past two starts. Erik Bedard gets the call for Boston, and though he hasnt been much better, he did look good in his last start.
MLB Betting Pick: Boston Red Sox

Arizona Diamondbacks @ San Francisco Giants

Saturday, 9:05 PM ET

A year ago at this time it was the Giants that chased down the San Diego Padres for the division in the final weeks of the regular season. Fast-forward 12 months and it is the Diamondbacks that have blown past the defending World Series champions, and looking for the same type of playoff success that San Francisco had a year ago. A nine-game winning streak pushed Arizona up to six games head of the Giants for first in the NL West, and with the Wild Card out of reach the only hope for San Francisco is through the division. Ace Tim Lincecum will get the call against Joe Saunders on Saturday, representing their best sports betting bonus chance to gain some ground in the weekend series.

MLB Betting Pick: San Francisco Giants

Rusty Pendergrass, the scout who signed Hunter Pence for the Astros, and area scout Lincoln Martin were informed Wednesday that their contracts were not being renewed, general manager Ed Wade said.

Pendergrass scouted south Texas for the Astros, and Martin scouted in Georgia. Wade said contracts with scouts run through the end of October, but assistant general manager Bobby Heck notified Pendergrass and Martin on Wednesday their contracts wouldn’t be renewed.

“We try to give them enough advance notice so they have the ability to see what else might be out there during the offseason,” Wade said. “We appreciate the work both guys did for us. Both are hard-working guys, but as difficult as it was, we felt it was appropriate to make a change.”

Earlier this year, the Astros lost East Coast scouting supervisor Clarence Johns to the Rangers and replaced him with J.D. Alleva, who had been an amateur scout. Johns is now the national cross-checker for the Rangers.

On a day where two Double-A callups made their Minute Maid Park debuts, it was another Double-A callup who sent the Astros walking off.

With no outs and the bases loaded in the 10th inning, Jose Altuve ripped a grounder up the middle, which was snagged by a diving Brandon Phillips, who turned and fired home. The throw beat Humberto Quintero to the plate, but the ball popped out of catcher Ryan Hanigan’s glove, allowing Quintero to score the game-winning run in a 4-3 series-opening Astros victory against the Reds on Monday.

Quintero led the inning off with a single, and Angel Sanchez singled on a hit-and-run to move Quintero to third. Brian Bogusevic drew an intentional walk, setting the stage for Altuve’s game-winner.

“Altuve’s going to be a good player for a long time, but I’m sure this is one night he’ll remember for a long time,” said Astros starting pitcher Bud Norris.

Norris said he doesn’t know many of the new Astros personally yet, but he can tell the new group has provided a spark.

“I think this team’s going to have a lot more energy, a lot more enthusiasm, and that’s what it needs to be,” Norris said.

Third baseman Jimmy Paredes became the first player in franchise history to triple in his first Major League plate appearance, and he knocked in the first two runs of the game in the process in the second inning.

Paredes scored on an RBI double from Quintero, who drilled the fourth hit of the frame. Paredes said he was nervous leading up to the game, but once he rounded the bases on the three-bagger, all the nerves disappeared.

Paredes, Altuve and J.D. Martinez were all playing at Double-A Corpus Christi just two weeks ago.

“We really don’t know many guys out there,” Phillips said. “But I’ll tell you one thing, the way they played, they showed they were really hungry, and we have to motivate ourselves to really go out there and push ourselves harder for us to get the win.”

Paredes joined the Astros prior to Monday’s game from Corpus Christi, and Martinez joined the club from Corpus Christi on Friday. Martinez, who went 1-for-4 with a run scored on Monday, also lined an RBI extra-base hit in his first Major League plate appearance with an RBI double against Milwaukee.

“We were, a couple weeks ago, down in Double-A talking about and wishing we’d be in the big leagues,” Altuve said. “Suddenly we are, and then we look at each other like, ‘Wow, we’re in the big leagues. OK, now we’ve got to [do] a good job to help the team win the game.’”

Fernando Rodriguez, Sergio Escalona, David Carpenter and Mark Melancon held the Reds scoreless in five combined innings of relief. Rodriguez took the loss in July’s finale against the Brewers, but has allowed just three earned runs in his last 15 1/3 innings pitched.

“For them to put me into those situations shows me a lot of what they’re expecting, and it gives me my own confidence,” Rodriguez said.

The Reds got two runs back in the top of the third on an RBI double by Joey Votto and an RBI single by Phillips.

The duo also notched consecutive base hits to load the bases with no outs in the fifth inning. Miguel Cairo scored on a 4-6-3 double play, and Norris forced Hanigan into a popout to end the frame.

Cincinnati left a runner on third base in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings. Houston struggled to get on base after the fourth inning, as right-hander Bronson Arroyo sent all nine Astros back to the dugout in the fifth, sixth and seventh frames.

A blister forced Norris to leave the game after allowing a leadoff double to Paul Janish in the sixth inning. Norris’ previous start against St. Louis was also cut short for the same reason.

“That’s two starts in a row, but definitely back home I’ve got a lot of things I can do to take care of it,” he said. “I’m not too worried about it.”

The Reds blasted 10 hits against Norris but mustered only three runs.

“Those guys definitely can hit the ball, and they mashed a lot of singles,” Norris said. “Luckily enough, not any real damage, a couple doubles here and there. But like I said, keeping them at bay is all I can do, and once again, hats go off to the bullpen and the guys for finding a way to win.”