The second half of the season will have to be amazing for the Seattle Mariners (41-48 SU, -13.10 SU) if they want to get back into the playoff picture in the tight American League. They start off on an East Coast swing against the New York Yankees (48-40 SU, +0.62) one of the many teams they could have to hop over if they want to play into October.
PITCHING MATCHUP
Lloyd McClendon is going to let Felix Hernandez have a couple days off to start the second half of the year, but once you get past him, there isn't a heck of a lot here for the M's to rely upon.
You probably hadn't heard of Mike Montgomery before a few weeks ago when he made his debut in the majors, but bettors and fantasy baseball players now know him as the man who threw back-to-back complete games in his first season.
However, we're really not all that sure what Montgomery is going to bring to the table in this one. This is the second time he has faced the Bronx Bombers in his career, and it’s the first time that he has pitched against the same team twice.
The rookie allowed just four hits and one run over six innings in his first start in the bigs, but this is a much different challenge. Live bettors should be aware of the fact that all of these hitters have seen Montgomery before and could be ready to tee off.
Masahiro Tanaka also had an awesome start against the Mariners earlier this year. He tossed seven innings and allowed one run back on June 3.
The Japanese star though, has had a real problem getting through the batting lineup the first time. He has allowed at least two runs in each of his last four starts in the first two innings, and he has allowed at least one run the first time through the order in all but one start since returning from the DL in June.
ADVANCED STATS
Tanaka has only made 11 starts this season, but the power numbers he has allowed have been a bit alarming. He has allowed 10 home runs already in just 67 innings pitched, and he has a team with a lot of power taking hacks against him for the second time this year as well.
The Mariners already have 93 home runs this season, led by the 21 of Nelson Cruz, and they have a team ISO of .146. Theoretically, they should be stringing together a lot more big innings, and Tanaka has been prone to giving those up, especially early in games.
Remember that Robinson Cano, a man who had at least 25 homers in five straight seasons from 2009 through 2013, only has six dingers this year, and he could be heating up as well in the near future.
TALKING BULLPENS
The Yankees have their bullpen back intact, as Andrew Miller is healthy again, but we're not all that sure that that is a good thing for live bettors.
Miller has pitched three times since coming off of the DL with a forearm problem, and he has allowed four runs in three innings.
Meanwhile, Dellin Betances has allowed three runs in 6.1 innings of work since the start of July as well.
We know that these Yankees are capable of pitching and striking out a ton of batters, but if we were in the late innings with the Bronx Bombers nursing a small lead, we wouldn't want to be laying a lot of vig.
The MLB lines for this Friday contest will first be released by BookMaker Sportsbook. Gamble on the game between every half inning with BookMaker's live betting feature. Along with an adjusted in-game moneyline, you can wager on what will happen in the next at-bat or how many runs will be scored in the next inning. Live betting is the most exciting way to play!
Need to fund your account before the big game but don't have your computer? No problem! BookMaker Sportsbook now offers a mobile betting cashier so you can deposit money directly from your smartphone. Don't miss out on getting paid because you couldn't bet. Click here, and deposit at BookMaker now! The ballgame pitting the Seattle Mariners versus the New York Yankees will commence Friday, July 17, 2015 at 7:05 p.m. ET at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, NY. You can watch the contest live on the MLB Network.
