Rivalry Week – Yankees/Red Sox, Tigers/White Sox and Mets/Phillies

MLB Weekly Preview

Three tremendous divisional rivalries highlight this week’s MLB betting schedule. It all gets started on Monday with a doubleheader between the Tigers and White Sox, and really heats up on Tuesday when the Phillies and Mets and Yankees and Red Sox collide.

Thanks to Monday’s double dip the Tigers and White Sox will meet up five times this week. They’ve only played each other three times previously this season, with the White Sox taking two-of-three. In Game 1 on Monday Armando Galarraga (3-6, 5.31) gets the start for Detroit and rookie Clayton Richard (2-1, 3.97) goes for Chicago. Galarraga is 0-6 in his last seven starts after giving up three earned runs on six hits in seven innings against Boston last time out. Richard was tagged with his first loss of the season in his last start after giving up five runs on 5 1-3 innings against Oakland.

In Game 2 on Monday Jeremy Bonderman is expected to make his season debut for Detroit, while Jose Contreras (0-5, 8.19) is expected to be recalled from the minors to start for Chicago. Bonderman hasn’t pitched since last season due to a shoulder injury. Contreras has made five starts at AAA, and he went 3-1 with a 2.70 ERA.

The rest of the pitching matchups in the series include Dontrelle Willis (1-3, 684) versus Mark Buehrle (6-2, 2.91) on Tuesday, Justin Verlander (6-2, 3.26) versus John Danks (4-4, 5.10) on Wednesday, and Edwin Jackson (12-6, 2.16) versus Gavin Floyd (4-5, 5.35) on Thursday.

The Phillies and Mets start a three-game set at Citi Field on Tuesday, with the Mets leading the season series 3-1. In Tuesday’s opener the Mets appear to have the advantage with ace Johan Santana (7-3, 2.00) facing Phillies starter J.A. Happ (4-0, 2.48). Earlier this season Santana pitched seven shutout innings with 10 strikeouts in a 1-0 win over the Phillies. Happ delivered seven shutout innings against San Diego in his last start as a -115 favorite on the MLB odds. Happ faced the Mets out of the bullpen twice this season and did not allow a single run in 5 2-3 innings.

The rest of the series sees Cole Hamels (4-2, 4.40) face Mike Pelfry (4-2, 4.85) on Wednesday, and Jamie Moyer (4-5, 6.27) take on Tim Redding (0-2, 6.97) on Thursday.

Baseball’s biggest rivalry continues on Tuesday when the Yankees head to Fenway Park for a three-game series against the Red Sox. Two hard-throwing former teammates face off in Tuesday’s series opener with A.J. Burnett (4-2, 4.69) slated to start for the Yankees and Josh Beckett (6-2, 4.09) on tap for Boston. Burnett has won his last two starts after allowing three runs on eight hits with eight strikeouts in seven innings versus the Rangers. Against Boston earlier this season Burnett was lit up for eight runs in five innings in a no-decision. Beckett is cruising right now with a 4-0 record in his last six starts. In his last outing he allowed three unearned runs on two hits with nine strikeouts against the Tigers. In two starts against the Yankees this season he’s 1-0 despite a 9.00 ERA.

Set to pitch in the rest of the series are Chien-Ming Wang (0-3, 14.46) versus Tim Wakefield (7-3, 4.50) on Wednesday, and CC Sabathia (5-3, 3.56) versus Brad Penny (5-2, 5.85) on Thursday.