American League Side Looks To Bounce Back With Bautista Leading The Way

After hitting 28 home runs up until a week away from the 2011 MLB All Star game, Toronto Blue Jays’ slugger Jose Bautista will lead his American League side into the summer classic looking to get them back on track. The AL conceded their first All Star game in 14 years with a 3-1 loss in 2010, but with a powerful order led by the reigning home run king, they should be able to get back in the sports betting win column.

2011 MLB All Star Game

American League vs. National League

Tuesday July 12, 2011 – 8:00 PM ET

MLB Betting Odds: American League - 110

Bautista leads the top-three home run hitters so far in 2011 on the American League side, with New York Yankees’ teammates Mark Teixeira and Curtis Granderson right on his heels, and heading to Arizona as two of the five pinstripes’ players that will start.

MLB Betting Preview: American League

With David Ortiz and Adrian Gonzalez of the Boston Red Sox also among the starters named, the AL side has a decisively East division flavor. All but two of the starters are from the AL East, with Detroit Tigers’ catcher Alex Avila and reigning AL MVP Josh Hamilton of the Texas Rangers in the outfield. The AL might not have the big name pitching staff of its league rivals, but there is much more power in their order, and they should have no problem crushing some long sports betting bonus balls with Bautista leading the way.

MLB Betting Preview: National League

The National League has become known for its complete-game dominance, and the Philadelphia Phillies are a big reason for it. That is illustrated in the fact that the Phillies will send three starting pitchers to the All Star game in reigning NL Cy Young award winner Roy Halladay, Cole Hamels, and Cliff Lee. All three of those pitchers could be the ace of nearly any team in this league, and the fact that all three come from Philadelphia is a big reason why they have dominated the NL in 2011. A couple of top hitters that those pitchers are very familiar with have been among the best in baseball in Atlanta Braves’ catcher Brian McCann, and New York Mets’ shortstop Jose Reyes, whose month of June showed everyone why he has long been considered one of the most dangerous hitters in the MLB.

MLB Betting Preview: Outlook & Pick

As far as the home run derby is considered, consider it to be in the books. The All Star game is a little different, but the AL has enough arms that they should be able to take care of the NL order, and as Bautista showed in the Blue Jays’ series against the Phillies last weekend, he is more than capable of going yard against both Halladay and Lee. The AL has dominated this midsummer classic for years, and in 2011 they will return to the top.

MLB Betting Pick: American League - 110

Baseball Betting: Red Sox Look To Flex Muscle Against Blue Jays Tuesday

The Boston Red Sox have struggled to stay above the .500 mark over their past 10 games, and are hoping to get back on track against a Toronto Blue Jays’ team that has struggled to hit that mark over the course of the season so far. The Red Sox are looking up at the New York Yankees in the top spot in the American League East, and will need to put together a couple of quality outings to close the sports betting gap before the All Star break.

Toronto Blue Jays @ Boston Red Sox

Tuesday July 5, 2011 – 7:10 PM ET

Fenway Park, Boston, Massachusetts

MLB Betting Odds: Boston Red Sox – 130

In order to get that done the starting rotation will need to find a way to slow down All Star voting winner Jose Bautista, whose major-leading 27 home runs earned him a record 7.4-million votes. Bautista has been among the best in baseball since clinching the home run crown last season, and it will be on Boston ace Jon Lester to slow him down Tuesday.

MLB Betting Preview: Toronto Blue Jays

For all that Bautista has done for the Blue Jays this season, he could sure use some support. Bautista has hit .337 with 27 home runs, but the rest of the Toronto order has been largely inconsistent. With the exception of Adam Lind, the Blue Jays will need much more out of their young stars, with players such as Aaron Hill needing to step up in a major way. Toronto will send Brett Cecil to the mound on Tuesday, and that means the offense will need to be even better. Cecil has allowed at least five earned runs in three of his past four starts, and his ERA heading into the game is an awful 7.24.

MLB Betting Preview: Boston Red Sox

When you contrast that 7.24 mark with the 3.43 that Lester has sported so far this season, the picture for this game begins to really come into focus. Adrian Gonzalez is among the leaders for AL MVP, and although he hasn’t been able to match Baustista’s numbers his are very close, and he has gotten a ton of support from the rest of the order. Lester is 10-4 this season and is coming off perhaps his best start, a 5-2 win over the Philadelphia Phillies in which he didn’t allow a run in seven innings of sports betting bonus work.

MLB Betting Preview: Outlook & Pick

The Red Sox will enter this game with a lethal combination of offense and pitching, and that makes it hard to imagine the Blue Jays will be able to keep it close. Bautista has been arguably the best hitter in baseball the past two years, but he can’t do it alone and Boston simply has too much MLB firepower to compete with as they continue their chase for an AL East crown.

MLB Betting Pick: Boston Red Sox - 130