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Check out our quick-hitting betting notes on Sunday’s National League games:

Philadelphia Phillies at New York Mets (-107, 6.5)

Hot pitching stat: Mets starter Matt Harvey, who leads the NL with 147 strikeouts, has toyed with the Phillies in two meetings this season – holding them to a .116 batting average and 0.69 ERA.

Hot batting stat: Mets C John Buck, who sat out Saturday after cramping up in the series opener, is batting 11-for-30 with nine RBIs during his career high-tying seven-game hitting streak.

Weather: Temperatures in the mid-80s with partly cloudy skies. Wind will blow in from center field at 6 mph.

Key betting note: The Phillies are 7-1 in the last eight meetings in New York.

Pittsburgh Pirates at Cincinnati Reds (-136, 8)

Cold pitching stat: Reds starter Homer Bailey’s no-hitter against San Francisco on July 2 is a distant memory after yielding 10 hits in each of his last two starts – both losses.

Hot batting stat: Pittsburgh’s Pedro Alvarez (54) and Cincinnati’s Jay Bruce (53) are first and second in home runs among National League players since the start of 2012.

Weather: Temperatures in the mid-80s and mostly cloudy skies. Wind will blow from left field to right field at 4 mph.

Key betting note: The under is 8-2 in the Pirates last 10 overall.

Los Angeles Dodgers at Washington Nationals (-102, 7)

Hot pitching stat: Nats starter Jordan Zimmermann has kept the ball in the yard in six of his last eight outings.

Hot batting stat: Dodgers SS Hanley Ramirez is 8-for-18 in his career versus Zimmermann.

Weather: Temperatures in the low-90s and mostly cloudy skies. Wind will blow out to left field at 4 mph.

Key betting note: The Dodgers are 4-1 in SP Clayton Kershaw’s last five starts versus the Nationals.

Miami Marlins at Milwaukee Brewers (-162, 8.5)

Hot pitching stat: Brewers starter Wily Peralta gave up only one run in 21 1/3 frames in victories over Arizona and Cincinnati and a no-decision versus Washington in his last three starts.

Hot batting stat: Brewers C Jonathan Lucroy has punished Miami pitching in 2013 with 10 hits in 18 at-bats and nine RBIs in five games after a 4-for-4 effort Saturday.

Weather: Temperatures in the mid-70s and partly cloudy skies. Wind will blow in from center field at 9 mph.

Key betting note: The over is 11-3-1 in the last 15 meetings.

San Diego Padres at St. Louis Cardinals (-235, 7.5)

Hot pitching stat: Cards starter Adam Wainwright is 4-2 with a 1.34 ERA and 0.98 WHIP in nine games (six starts) against San Diego.

Cold batting stat: Padres 3B Chase Headley is 2-for-14 (.143) in his career against Wainwright.

Weather: Temperatures in the low-90s and cloudy skies. Wind will blow from right field to left field at 5 mph.

Key betting note: The Padres are 1-5 in their last six games with umpire Marty Foster behind home plate.

Arizona Diamondbacks at San Francisco Giants (-168, 7)

Hot pitching stat: Giants starter Madison Bumgarner has recorded six straight quality starts, including three victories in a row.

Cold batting stat: The Diamondbacks are 3-for-29 with runners in scoring position in their last five games.

Weather: Temperatures in the low-60s with sunny skies. Wind will blow out to center field at 12 mph.

Key betting note: The Diamondbacks are 3-12 in their last 15 road games.

Chicago Cubs at Colorado Rockies (-153, 10)

Hot pitching stat: Rockies starter Tyler Chatwood has recorded quality starts in four of his last five outings.

Hot batting stat: Colorado’s top hitters have fared well against Cubs starter Edwin Jackson, with Carlos Gonzalez (5-for-7), Michael Cuddyer (5-for-9), Troy Tulowitzki (4-for-5) and Dexter Fowler (3-for-5) leading the way.

Weather: Sunny skies and temperatures in the mid-80s. Wind will blow in from center field at 6 mph.

Key betting note: The Cubs are 7-19 in the last 26 meetings in Colorado.

** Odds, probable starter and weather forecast as of 11:33 a.m. ET.

Baseball’s best rivalry takes center stage on Sunday Night when the Red Sox host the Yankees.

New York Yankees at Boston Red Sox (-135, 9)

DEMPSTER FOR LESTER

Boston decided to make a pitching change for this game as Jon Lester was the original starter. He will now pitch on Monday against the Tampa Bay Rays. Ryan Dempster is now the scheduled starter and he enters with a mediocre 4.24 ERA and 1.43 WHIP in his 19 games this season. Dempster’s biggest problem has been giving up the long ball as he allows 1.63 home runs per nine innings which is the worst percentage among Boston’s five regular starting pitchers this season.

CC IF HE CAN PITCH BETTER

C.C. Sabathia is 9-8 with a 4.07 ERA for the Yankees. He needs to improve off his last start when he allowed eight runs and eight hits in four innings pitched at home against the Minnesota Twins. He has allowed four runs or more in three of his last five road starts. Sabathia is seeing the Red Sox for the third time and he owns a win and a loss against them. In the win, the lefty struck out 10 while walking none in just over seven innings. He had different results in the loss back on April 1 when he gave up four runs and eight hits in just five innings. Sabathia’s last start in Boston came on August 30, 2011 when he struck out ten batters in six innings of work.

INJURY REPORT

The Yankees’ injury report got a little longer after Zoilo Almonte left Friday’s game with a sprained ankle. He joins Derek Jeter, Jayson Nix, Kevin Youkilis, Alex Rodriguez, Curtis Granderson, Mark Teixeira and Francisco Cervelli who are New York hitters that are unavailable. A-Rod hopes to return Monday, while Youkilis, Granderson and Jeter are still a little bit away from helping the team.
 
Boston had some injury news on Friday as well with Shane Victorino straining a hamstring. The team also put Andrew Bailey on the DL with a shoulder injury that most likely will end his season. The bullpen is already without Andrew Miller and Joel Hanrahan who are each out for the season. Clay Buchholz has been out for awhile with a neck strain and inflammation.

TRENDS
 
Yankees are 11-4 in Sabathia’s last 15 Sunday starts
Sabathia 21-6-1 Over in his last 28 Sunday starts

Red Sox are 4-1 in Dempster’s last five home starts
Dempster 5-1 Under in his last six starts vs. AL East

HITTERS TO WATCH

David Ortiz 11-for-52 vs. Sabathia
Dustin Pedroia 13-for-43 vs. Sabathia

Robinson Cano 1-for-6 vs. Dempster
Vernon Wells 3-for-9 vs. Dempster

Check out our quick-hitting betting notes on Saturday’s National League games:

Los Angeles Dodgers at Washington Nationals (-132, 7.5)

Hot pitching stat: Dodgers starter Zack Greinke improved to 3-0 in his career versus Washington after yielding one run on five hits in 5 1/3 innings in a 3-1 victory on May 15.

Hot batting stat: Los Angeles SS Hanley Ramirez hit safely in 14 of his last 17 games after belting a two-run homer Friday.

Weather: Temperatures in the mid-90s and mostly sunny skies. Wind will blow out to right field at 12 mph.

Key betting note: The Nationals are 7-0 in SP Gio Gonzalez’s last seven starts vs. National League West.

Miami Marlins at Milwaukee Brewers (-164, 8.5)

Hot pitching stat: Milwaukee’s three scoreless innings in the series opener lowered its bullpen ERA to 2.94 – the third-best mark in the majors.

Hot batting stat: Marlins SS Adeiny Hechavarria had three hits Friday and is 24-for-54 in 14 games this month.

Weather: Temperatures in the low-70s with mostly sunny skies. Wind will blow in from left field at 9 mph.

Key betting note: The over is 10-1-2 in Brewers SP Yovani Gallardo’s last 13 starts as a favorite.

San Diego Padres at St. Louis Cardinals (-203, 8.5)

Cold pitching stat: Cards starter Lance Lynn is 1-3 with a 6.12 ERA in his last four starts.

Hot batting stat: St. Louis C Yadier Molina leads the NL in hitting with a .340 average – one of four Cardinals in the top 10.

Weather: There is a 30 percent chance of thunderstorms in the forecast. Temperatures in the mid-90s with partly cloudy skies. Wind will blow in from right field at 5 mph.

Key betting note: The Padres are 1-10 in their last 11 games as a road underdog.

Chicago Cubs at Colorado Rockies (-152, 10)

Cold pitching stat: Cubs pitcher Carlos Villanueva is 0-2 with a 10.71 ERA in 12 games (one start) against Colorado.

Hot batting stat: Chicago has hit a National League-best 18 home runs in July.

Weather: Partly cloudy skies with temperatures in the low-80s. Wind will blow in from right field at 7 mph.

Key betting note: The Cubs are 2-10 in the last 12 meetings in Colorado.

Arizona Diamondbacks at San Francisco Giants (-135, 7)

Hot pitching stat: Giants closer Sergio Romo has a 29-game scoreless streak against the Diamondbacks consisting of 21 2/3 consecutive scoreless innings.

Hot batting stat: San Francisco 1B Brandon Belt is 14-for-34 with four home runs and 10 RBIs in 10 games against the Diamondbacks this season.

Weather: Temperatures in the high-50s and sunny skies. Wind will blow out to center field at 11 mph.

Key betting note: The Giants are 8-2 in starter Matt Cain’s last 10 home starts vs. Diamondbacks.

** Odds, probable pitchers and weather forecast as of 4:21 p.m. ET.

Check out our quick-hitting betting notes on Saturday’s American League games:

Detroit Tigers at Kansas City Royals (+165, 8.5)

Hot pitching stat: Tigers starter Justin Verlander is 15-2 with a 2.56 ERA in 25 career starts against Kansas City.

Hot batting stat: Royals DH Billy Butler is 24-for-57 lifetime against Verlander.

Weather: There is a 30 percent chance of thunderstorms in the forecast. Temperatures will be in the mid-90s and wind will blow from right field to left field at 4 mph.

Key betting note: The under is 7-3 in Verlander’s last 10 starts vs. Royals.

Seattle Mariners at Houston Astros (+128, 8)

Cold pitching stat: Astros lefty Erik Bedard has allowed at least three runs in each of his last four outings after giving up two or fewer in seven of his previous eight turns.

Hot batting stat: Seattle has hit a major league-high 41 home runs since June 20.

Weather: Temperatures in the low-90s and partly cloudy skies. Wind will blow in from center field at 8 mph.

Key betting note: The under is 5-1 in umpire Bill Miller’s last six games behind home plate.

Cleveland Indians at Minnesota Twins (+118, 9)

Cold pitching stat: Twins starter Kevin Correia is winless in his last four starts and has issued 13 walks in 22 1/3 innings over that span.

Hot batting stat: Twins C Joe Mauer has hit safely in eight straight games.

Weather: Temperatures in the high-70s and partly cloudy skies. Wind will blow from left field to right field at 3 mph.

Key betting note: The Indians are 0-4 in the last four meetings in Minnesota.

Baltimore Orioles at Texas Rangers (-104, 9.5)

Hot pitching stat: O’s starter Miguel Gonzalez handcuffed the Rangers over 6 2/3 strong innings to pick up the win in Baltimore’s 3-1 triumph on July 11.

Cold batting stat: The Rangers went 0-for-10 with runners in scoring position in Friday’s loss.

Weather: Temperatures in the mid-80s and partly cloudy skies. Wind will blow in from right field at 7 mph.

Key betting note: The Orioles are 1-6 in Gonzalez’s last seven road starts.

Oakland A’s at Los Angeles Angels (-142, 8)

Hot pitching stat: A’s starter Dan Straily has allowed two runs or fewer in seven of his last nine starts.

Cold batting stat: A’s OF Coco Crisp is hitting just .167 (4-for-24) in his career versus Angels starter C.J. Wilson.

Weather: Temperatures in the mid-70s with mostly sunny skies. Wind will blow out to right field at 7 mph.

Key betting note: The over is 8-2-1 in Straily’s last 11 starts vs. American League West.

** Odds, probable pitchers and weather forecast as of 4:24 pm E.T.

The MLB All-Star break presents the perfect opportunity to study the first half of the baseball season in search of key statistics and trends that can serve as a handicapping guide for the rest of the year.

Some of the most telling stats revolve around how each of the 30 MLB ballparks held up against the hitters it faced. While there are many different factors that help make a “hitters’ park�, the proof of which ones where truly the best still lie in the numbers.

There are a number of different ways to measure ballparks in terms of whether or not they were favorable to hitters, but the top statistic is its OPS. This is a combination of on-base percentage and slugging percentage that measures the ability to get on base as well as hitting for power.

Through the first half of the season the Top 5 hitters’ ballparks according to OPS were as follows:

1. Fenway Park, Boston – .772
2.  Rogers Centre, Toronto – .766
3. Coors Field, Colorado – .764
4. Comerica Park, Detroit – .762
5. Miller Park, Milwaukee – .757

It’s no big surprise that Fenway tops this list as that has always been known as a hitters’ park. It also helps when the home team is ranked first in the majors in runs scored with 498 through 97 games. The Red Sox are also ranked first overall in OPS at .793.

Comerica Park’s high OPS has also aided by the hitting power of its tenant. The Tigers are ranked second in the Majors with an OPS of .785. They are the second-highest scoring team in MLB with an average of 5.08 runs per game.

The best pure hitters’ park on this list would probably be Miller Park in Milwaukee, considering that the hometown Brewers are ranked 14th in the majors in OPS at .714 and ranked 23rd in scoring with an average of 3.9 runs a game.

If you just want to rank a hitters’ park on slugging percentage alone then the Rogers Centre would move to the top of the list with a SLG of .445. The Blue Jays are ranked sixth overall in slugging percentage at .416, and their team OPS is .732. Fenway ranks second in slugging percentage at .438, and Coors Field is tied with Camden Yards in Baltimore for third with a SLG of .434.

Some people like to equate a hitters’ park with the number of home runs it has given up. Camden Yards would be at the top of this list after yielding 138 homers so far this year. This number has been greatly aided by the fact that the Orioles have accounted for 132 of these blasts through 96 games.

Another good measure of what constitutes a good hitters’ park is a team’s over/under. While this may have little to do with actual baseball statistics and is more a measure of how the oddsmakers set the line, it still provides a valuable handicapping tool for predicting future results.

The final score has gone over in 51 of Detroit’s first 94 games – 54 3 percent. This stands to reason considering that the Tigers are one of the best hitting teams in baseball. A few other teams that have been profitable on the total in terms of games going over the total are not necessarily known for their hitting ability.

The total has gone over in 53.1 percent of Philadelphia and San Diego’s 96 games so far. While the Phillies could be considered a middle-of-the-road team when it comes to OPS and slugging percentage, the Padres remain one of the worst overall hitting teams in the majors.

Check out our quick-hitting betting notes on Saturday’s National League games:

Los Angeles Dodgers at Washington Nationals (-132, 7.5)

Hot pitching stat: Dodgers starter Zack Greinke improved to 3-0 in his career versus Washington after yielding one run on five hits in 5 1/3 innings in a 3-1 victory on May 15.

Hot batting stat: Los Angeles SS Hanley Ramirez hit safely in 14 of his last 17 games after belting a two-run homer Friday.

Weather: Temperatures in the mid-90s and mostly sunny skies. Wind will blow out to right field at 12 mph.

Key betting note: The Nationals are 7-0 in SP Gio Gonzalez’s last seven starts vs. National League West.

Miami Marlins at Milwaukee Brewers (-164, 8.5)

Hot pitching stat: Milwaukee’s three scoreless innings in the series opener lowered its bullpen ERA to 2.94 – the third-best mark in the majors.

Hot batting stat: Marlins SS Adeiny Hechavarria had three hits Friday and is 24-for-54 in 14 games this month.

Weather: Temperatures in the low-70s with mostly sunny skies. Wind will blow in from left field at 9 mph.

Key betting note: The over is 10-1-2 in Brewers SP Yovani Gallardo’s last 13 starts as a favorite.

San Diego Padres at St. Louis Cardinals (-203, 8.5)

Cold pitching stat: Cards starter Lance Lynn is 1-3 with a 6.12 ERA in his last four starts.

Hot batting stat: St. Louis C Yadier Molina leads the NL in hitting with a .340 average – one of four Cardinals in the top 10.

Weather: There is a 30 percent chance of thunderstorms in the forecast. Temperatures in the mid-90s with partly cloudy skies. Wind will blow in from right field at 5 mph.

Key betting note: The Padres are 1-10 in their last 11 games as a road underdog.

Chicago Cubs at Colorado Rockies (-152, 10)

Cold pitching stat: Cubs pitcher Carlos Villanueva is 0-2 with a 10.71 ERA in 12 games (one start) against Colorado.

Hot batting stat: Chicago has hit a National League-best 18 home runs in July.

Weather: Partly cloudy skies with temperatures in the low-80s. Wind will blow in from right field at 7 mph.

Key betting note: The Cubs are 2-10 in the last 12 meetings in Colorado.

Arizona Diamondbacks at San Francisco Giants (-135, 7)

Hot pitching stat: Giants closer Sergio Romo has a 29-game scoreless streak against the Diamondbacks consisting of 21 2/3 consecutive scoreless innings.

Hot batting stat: San Francisco 1B Brandon Belt is 14-for-34 with four home runs and 10 RBIs in 10 games against the Diamondbacks this season.

Weather: Temperatures in the high-50s and sunny skies. Wind will blow out to center field at 11 mph.

Key betting note: The Giants are 8-2 in starter Matt Cain’s last 10 home starts vs. Diamondbacks.

** Odds, probable pitchers and weather forecast as of 4:21 p.m. ET.

Check out our quick-hitting betting notes on Saturday’s American League games:

Detroit Tigers at Kansas City Royals (+165, 8.5)

Hot pitching stat: Tigers starter Justin Verlander is 15-2 with a 2.56 ERA in 25 career starts against Kansas City.

Hot batting stat: Royals DH Billy Butler is 24-for-57 lifetime against Verlander.

Weather: There is a 30 percent chance of thunderstorms in the forecast. Temperatures will be in the mid-90s and wind will blow from right field to left field at 4 mph.

Key betting note: The under is 7-3 in Verlander’s last 10 starts vs. Royals.

Seattle Mariners at Houston Astros (+128, 8)

Cold pitching stat: Astros lefty Erik Bedard has allowed at least three runs in each of his last four outings after giving up two or fewer in seven of his previous eight turns.

Hot batting stat: Seattle has hit a major league-high 41 home runs since June 20.

Weather: Temperatures in the low-90s and partly cloudy skies. Wind will blow in from center field at 8 mph.

Key betting note: The under is 5-1 in umpire Bill Miller’s last six games behind home plate.

Cleveland Indians at Minnesota Twins (+118, 9)

Cold pitching stat: Twins starter Kevin Correia is winless in his last four starts and has issued 13 walks in 22 1/3 innings over that span.

Hot batting stat: Twins C Joe Mauer has hit safely in eight straight games.

Weather: Temperatures in the high-70s and partly cloudy skies. Wind will blow from left field to right field at 3 mph.

Key betting note: The Indians are 0-4 in the last four meetings in Minnesota.

Baltimore Orioles at Texas Rangers (-104, 9.5)

Hot pitching stat: O’s starter Miguel Gonzalez handcuffed the Rangers over 6 2/3 strong innings to pick up the win in Baltimore’s 3-1 triumph on July 11.

Cold batting stat: The Rangers went 0-for-10 with runners in scoring position in Friday’s loss.

Weather: Temperatures in the mid-80s and partly cloudy skies. Wind will blow in from right field at 7 mph.

Key betting note: The Orioles are 1-6 in Gonzalez’s last seven road starts.

Oakland A’s at Los Angeles Angels (-142, 8)

Hot pitching stat: A’s starter Dan Straily has allowed two runs or fewer in seven of his last nine starts.

Cold batting stat: A’s OF Coco Crisp is hitting just .167 (4-for-24) in his career versus Angels starter C.J. Wilson.

Weather: Temperatures in the mid-70s with mostly sunny skies. Wind will blow out to right field at 7 mph.

Key betting note: The over is 8-2-1 in Straily’s last 11 starts vs. American League West.

** Odds, probable pitchers and weather forecast as of 4:24 pm E.T.

The MLB All-Star break presents the perfect opportunity to study the first half of the baseball season in search of key statistics and trends that can serve as a handicapping guide for the rest of the year.

Some of the most telling stats revolve around how each of the 30 MLB ballparks held up against the hitters it faced. While there are many different factors that help make a “hitters’ park�, the proof of which ones where truly the best still lie in the numbers.

There are a number of different ways to measure ballparks in terms of whether or not they were favorable to hitters, but the top statistic is its OPS. This is a combination of on-base percentage and slugging percentage that measures the ability to get on base as well as hitting for power.

Through the first half of the season the Top 5 hitters’ ballparks according to OPS were as follows:

1. Fenway Park, Boston – .772
2.  Rogers Centre, Toronto – .766
3. Coors Field, Colorado – .764
4. Comerica Park, Detroit – .762
5. Miller Park, Milwaukee – .757

It’s no big surprise that Fenway tops this list as that has always been known as a hitters’ park. It also helps when the home team is ranked first in the majors in runs scored with 498 through 97 games. The Red Sox are also ranked first overall in OPS at .793.

Comerica Park’s high OPS has also aided by the hitting power of its tenant. The Tigers are ranked second in the Majors with an OPS of .785. They are the second-highest scoring team in MLB with an average of 5.08 runs per game.

The best pure hitters’ park on this list would probably be Miller Park in Milwaukee, considering that the hometown Brewers are ranked 14th in the majors in OPS at .714 and ranked 23rd in scoring with an average of 3.9 runs a game.

If you just want to rank a hitters’ park on slugging percentage alone then the Rogers Centre would move to the top of the list with a SLG of .445. The Blue Jays are ranked sixth overall in slugging percentage at .416, and their team OPS is .732. Fenway ranks second in slugging percentage at .438, and Coors Field is tied with Camden Yards in Baltimore for third with a SLG of .434.

Some people like to equate a hitters’ park with the number of home runs it has given up. Camden Yards would be at the top of this list after yielding 138 homers so far this year. This number has been greatly aided by the fact that the Orioles have accounted for 132 of these blasts through 96 games.

Another good measure of what constitutes a good hitters’ park is a team’s over/under. While this may have little to do with actual baseball statistics and is more a measure of how the oddsmakers set the line, it still provides a valuable handicapping tool for predicting future results.

The final score has gone over in 51 of Detroit’s first 94 games – 54 3 percent. This stands to reason considering that the Tigers are one of the best hitting teams in baseball. A few other teams that have been profitable on the total in terms of games going over the total are not necessarily known for their hitting ability.

The total has gone over in 53.1 percent of Philadelphia and San Diego’s 96 games so far. While the Phillies could be considered a middle-of-the-road team when it comes to OPS and slugging percentage, the Padres remain one of the worst overall hitting teams in the majors.