Monday 5/1 Baseball

[Tinfish]

4-3 YTD

TORONTO BLUE JAYS ML +102 *even @ BALTIMORE ORIOLES *Listed Pitchers
Toronto (12-11, ) at Baltimore (13-13), 7:05 pm EDT

Erik Bedard will attempt to exact some revenge against Ted Lilly and the Toronto Blue Jays on Monday, when the Baltimore Orioles host the opener of a two-game series.

After winning each of his first four starts of the season, Bedard (4-1, 3.69 ERA) was dealt an 8-2 loss by the Blue Jays and Lilly in his native Canada on Wednesday. The five runs Bedard allowed in 5 2/3 innings of that game matched the total he surrendered in his previous three starts combined.

Despite winning each of his three home starts this season, the 27-year-old Bedard has allowed the opposition to hit .297 against him at Camden Yards.

Lilly (2-1, 3.72) has allowed five runs over his last three starts after opening the season by surrendering four runs and six walks in 2 1/3 frames against Tampa Bay. In 11 lifetime appearances - nine starts - vs. Baltimore, Lilly has gone 4-1 with a 4.56 ERA.

Shea Hillenbrand, Lyle Overbay and Troy Glaus - the fourth through sixth hitters in Toronto's lineup - will attempt to generate more offense for Lilly than they did for Gustavo Chacin in Sunday's 4-1 loss to the New York Yankees. The trio combined for just one hit and six strikeouts in 12 at-bats, leaving 10 runners on base.

Overall, however, Toronto's offense has been a strength as the Blue Jays own a .301 team batting average. The team has scored at least five runs in seven of its last nine games.

In addition to dropping two straight home games to Seattle over the weekend, the Orioles lost leadoff hitter Brian Roberts to the 15-day disabled list with a groin injury. Roberts was hitting .330 with 13 runs scored and an American League-leading nine stolen bases.

TOR are 8-1 in their last 9 night games.
BAL are 7-3 in their last 10 night games.
BAL are 12-25 in their last 37 home games.

[Tinfish]

CHICAGO WHITE SOX ML +103 @ CLEVELAND INDIANS *Listed Pitchers
Chi White Sox (17-7) at Cleveland (13-12), 7:05 pm EDT

Riding the best record in the American League, the Chicago White Sox will look to resume their dominance at Jacobs Field.

The White Sox will look to extend their road winning streak against the Cleveland Indians to eight games Monday, when the teams meet for the first of two games.

Chicago went 9-1 here last year, including a season-ending three-game sweep that eliminated the Indians from playoff contention. The White Sox then went 11-1 in the postseason en route to their first World Series triumph since 1917.

After raising their championship banner on April 2, the White Sox posted a season-opening 10-4 victory against Cleveland at U.S. Cellular Field behind three hits from Jermaine Dye and the first of a club-record 10 home runs in April from Jim Thome. Chicago lost its next four games before winning 16 of its last 19, including a three-game sweep of Anaheim over the weekend.

Javier Vazquez (2-1, 3.67 ERA) will attempt to keep the White Sox rolling when he makes his fourth start of the season. Acquired in an offseason trade with Arizona, Vazquez has allowed two runs and six hits in his last 14 innings.

In four lifetime starts against Cleveland, Vazquez has gone 1-1 with a 6.06 ERA.

The Indians will counter with lefthander Cliff Lee (2-1, 2.97), who allowed one run and four hits in six innings to post a 7-1 win in his last start against Boston. He is 2-2 with a 6.65 ERA in nine lifetime starts against the White Sox.

Lee allowed three runs and four hits in 5 1/3 innings at Chicago on April 5 but was not involved in the decision, an eventual 4-3 victory. Indians designated hitter Travis Hafner connected for his first home run of the season in that contest, marking the beginning of a nine-game stretch in which he belted seven homers.

Hafner since has managed just three extra-base hits - all doubles - in his last 13 games for Cleveland, which dropped the final two games of its weekend series with Texas.

CHW are 21-7 in their last 28 night games.
CHW are 38-13 in their last 51 overall.
CHW are 37-14 in their last 51 games on Grass.

CLE are 4-9 in their last 13 games as a favorite.
CLE are 20-6 in Lee's last 26 night starts.

Head to Head: CHW are 17-5 in the last 22 meetings in Cleveland. CHW are 9-4 in the last 13 meetings.