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Carrie Stroup here with your Phillies vs. Giants betting line for this April 18 game, which was coming in at near even -107 Texas. Find all the latest Baseball lines here at Sportsbook.com and receive up to $250 in FREE CASH when you open an online betting account now.
Sportsbook.com Line & Total: Phillies -110 & 5.5 flat
Both sitting at 5-6 on the season, the Phillies and Giants will play the rubber match of their three-game set Wednesday night featuring a battle between two elite hurlers.
Matt Cain’s last start was arguably the best in baseball so far this season, allowing just one hit and no walks in a complete-game win, striking out 11. Lee allowed four runs his last time out to the Mets at home, giving up two home runs. Longballs should not be a problem in the spacious confines of San Francisco. Additionally, the Giants rank last in the majors this season when facing lefties, batting just .185 with a .246 slugging percentage. And as well as Cain pitched his last time out, he is just 1-4 in his career against Philadelphia, giving up seven home runs in seven regular-season starts. Lee, on the other hand, is 4-0 with a miniscule 0.82 ERA in four career regular-season starts versus San Francisco.
AT&T Park is a good place for the Phillies’ bats because they have proven they can get hits this season, they just lack power without injured sluggers Chase Utley (knee) and Ryan Howard (Achilles). Philadelphia is ninth in baseball with a .259 BA, but ranks 25th out of 30 teams with a .644 OPS. This discrepancy is explained by its paltry five home runs on the season, tied with Pittsburgh for the fewest in baseball. OF Hunter Pence went yard Tuesday night in the team’s 4-2 loss, but this lineup is at its best when they start a hit parade, something very possible in the vast grounds of San Francisco. Those grounds are friendly to Lee on the mound too—his splits against the Giants get even better at AT&T Park where he has a 0.72 career ERA in three starts at this ballpark.
Cain is an accomplished starter, but he draws one of the toughest matchups in baseball in Lee. Given the Giants’ anemic performance against southpaws this season, he may have to repeat his last start to give his team a chance. Including playoffs, Cain has five straight quality starts against the Phils, posting a 1.29 ERA and 0.77 WHIP in 35 IP. The bad news is that San Francisco’s failures versus lefties does not appear as they it will get better. With a lineup of many of the same faces, the Giants scored the fewest runs in baseball against left-handers last season (127), with a measly .661 OPS. The team’s best hitter, Pablo Sandoval (.341 BA, 2 HR, 9 RBI), had a batting average more than 40 points lower against lefties in 2011, and the Giants are in real trouble on a given night if he cannot get going. Sandoval is 1-for-8 in his career versus Lee.
- Carrie Stroup, Gambling911.com Senior Reporter
