April 28 American League probable pitching matchup capsules

After two-plus injury-plagued years with the White Sox, Jake Peavy suddenly has found the form that won him the 2007 NL Cy Young award with the Padres. Can Boston hand Peavy his first loss Saturday? Bet on Red Sox-White Sox and every game at WagerWeb.com.

LA Angels at Cleveland – Angels RHP Dan Haren (0-1, 4.07) vs. Indians RHP Jeanmar Gomez (1-0, 1.93): Don’t be fooled by his 0-1 record. Three times Haren has left with a lead this season, and three times the bullpen has picked up a loss. Haren pitched very well in 7 1/3 innings Sunday against Baltimore, allowing two runs and striking out nine. … Gomez is coming off a five-game suspension handed down by Major League Baseball for intentionally hitting Mike Moustakas with a pitch on April 14. In his last start, the righty held the A’s to one run on four hits over 5 1/3 innings.

Kansas City at Minnesota – Royals LHP Bruce Chen (0-2, 2.52) vs. Twins RHP Jason Marquis (1-0, 7.15): Chen was in good form for seven innings on Monday but gave up three runs on two homers, and that was enough for the Blue Jays. Chen’s 2.52 ERA is evidence of his steady work in four starts. He has 17 strikeouts and just four walks in 25 innings. … Marquis settled down after a rocky first few innings, only to give up a two-run homer in the seventh against the Red Sox on Monday. It may have been the case of staying into the game too long, as the homer came on his 105th pitch.

Detroit at NY Yankees – Tigers LHP Drew Smyly (0-0, 1.13) vs. Yankees RHP Freddy Garcia (0-1, 9.75): Smyly is still looking for his first Major League win, but he has already made history. He’s the first Tigers pitcher since 1918 to allow less than two runs in each of his first three Major League starts. Do that to the Yanks, and he could get a win. … Garcia gets the nod vs. Detroit, hoping for better results than he has shown in his first three starts. In his last start, at Boston, Garcia was chased in the second inning, battered for five runs on seven hits. His arm speed has been down this year.

Seattle at Toronto – Mariners RHP Kevin Millwood (0-1, 7.04) vs. Jays RHP Brandon Morrow (1-1, 3.71): The veteran pitched well in his debut at Texas, but gave up 11 earned runs in 9 1/3 innings in his last two starts against the Indians and White Sox. He doesn’t have a great history against Toronto (2-7, 5.17 ERA in 12 starts). … Morrow allowed just one run over 6 1/3 innings to earn his first win and complete a four-game sweep of the Royals on Monday. He’ll face his old team Saturday. He’s won both of his career starts against Seattle, striking out 19 in 13 innings.

Oakland at Baltimore – A’s RHP Tyson Ross (1-0, 2.13) vs. Orioles LHP Wei-Yin Chen (1-0, 2.60): Ross issued five walks to the Indians on Sunday, but he managed to pitch into the seventh inning with only one run allowed. The righty allowed just four hits along the way, striking out four while notching his first win. … He’s been solid in all three starts this season, going deeper each time. Chen received a no-decision last Sunday against the Angels after allowing just one run in 6 1/3 innings.

Boston at Chicago White Sox – Red Sox LHP Jon Lester (0-2, 6.00) vs. White Sox RHP Jake Peavy (3-0, 1.88): Lester’s final couple innings against the Twins were strong Monday, but overall, it was his second straight subpar outing. He started off the season with two good outings. … Peavy has been nothing short of dominant through his first four starts this year, holding opposing hitters to a .172 average and fanning 26 over 28 2/3 innings. Peavy pitched a three-hit shutout on Monday against the A’s.

Tampa Bay at Texas – Rays RHP Jeff Niemann (1-2, 4.11) vs. Rangers RHP Colby Lewis (2-0, 2.03): Niemann allowed two runs on three hits and two walks while striking out five in 5 1/3 innings against the Twins Sunday en route to his first win of the season. He is 0-2 with a 10.66 ERA in three career appearances against Texas. … Lewis allowed two runs over seven innings in his last start vs. Detroit. He hasn’t allowed a walk in his last 25 1/3 frames. The club record is 29 1/3 innings set by Jon Matlack in ’78. He is 2-0 in three starts, including the playoffs, vs. the Rays.

Place your MLB baseball bets at our online sportsbook!