It seems as though after years of clutch offense dominating the sport at the highest level, the focus has shifted to those on the mound, with the pitchers taking center stage in MLB betting this year. Whether it has been Tim Lincecum and Roy Halladay, or Cliff Lee and CC Sabathia, the defensive battles have stolen the spotlight this baseball postseason, particularly since the final four. That will undoubtedly continue when the 2010 World Series gets underway this Wednesday, with Lincecum and the San Francisco Giants taking on Lee and the Texas Rangers. Both have been outstanding for their respective clubs in these playoffs, with Lee putting on an absolute pitching clinic over the past three weeks, while Lincecum carries over his Cy Young form from the past couple of years.For Texas, the acquisition of Lee via trade with Seattle this past July has been the difference in their team’s success this postseason. The 32-year old is 3-0 with a 0.75 ERA this month, and is 7-0 with a 1.26 ERA over the past two playoffs. Only Sandy Koufax and Christy Mathewson have lower career postseason ERA’s as pitchers that have started in at least five games. His command has been incredible, with a 34-1 stikeout-to-walk betting ratio, and over 70-percent of his pitches have forced the umpire to swing his arm. His technique and the consistency in his mechanics have been what has separated Lee from the other pitchers around the league, and has given Texas a go-to guy to shut down opposing offenses.
While he hasn’t locked down the same type of numbers as Lee, Lincecum has provided San Francisco with the same quality throwing that has made the difference in the Giants getting to the World Series. The only pitcher to ever win consecutive Cy Young awards his first two years in the league, the 26-year old has a 1.93 ERA this postseason, going 2-1 in three starts while striking out 30 compared to tossing only five walks. Lincecum allowed just two earned runs in his only baseball betting loss, which had more to do with a brilliant performance from Phillies’ ace Roy Halladay and a lackluster offense than it did with the San Francisco hurler’s job.
While the aces will get the majority of the attention heading into the game, the Rangers and Giants are more than just the top dogs. San Francisco will start Matt Cain for game two against Texas’ CJ Wilson, while game three will feature the Giants’ Jonathan Sanchez against the Rangers’ Colby Lewis. With the pitching match ups so close, the tendency among the sportsbook Northbet reviews has been to look to the offenses of both teams, which has led to Texas earning the role of favorites for the championship series. Regardless of the outcome however, the biggest storyline this postseason has been pitching, and that will continue this week with the Giants and Rangers battling for the World Series.
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