The Bum's Sports Page For Saturday June 20th Best Bets-Trends-News !

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Padres (33-37) at Diamondbacks (33-34)
Game: 2
Venue: Chase Field
Date: June 20, 2015 10:10 PM EDT

Robbie Ray's disappointing numbers as a rookie didn't hinder the Arizona Diamondbacks from acquiring him during the offseason.

Even they couldn't have expected Ray would turn things around so quickly.

Pitching has been the catalyst for the Diamondbacks' latest surge, and Ray looks to add another solid performance Saturday night against the visiting San Diego Padres.

Ray (2-1, 1.09 ERA) went 1-4 with an 8.16 ERA in two stints with Detroit last season after being dealt from Washington's system in December 2013. Nearly one year to the date, the Tigers sent him to Arizona in a three-team deal that included Didi Gregorius going to the New York Yankees.

The 23-year-old got his first shot with the Diamondbacks (33-34) on May 6 and beat Colorado in a spot start before being sent back to the minors, and he's shined again since being recalled June 4 to replace the injured Archie Bradley.

Ray has gone 1-1 with a 0.96 ERA in three starts since his most recent promotion after allowing two hits in seven scoreless innings of Monday's 7-3 win over the Los Angeles Angels.

The left-hander didn't allow his first hit until giving up back-to-back singles after recording two outs in the sixth.

'Robbie did a great job,' Paul Goldschmidt said. "When we have the lead, Robbie can be a lot more aggressive and not worry about solo homers and stuff like that.'

Ray's latest effort came as part of the Diamondbacks' 6-2 stretch, during which the staff has a 2.03 ERA. The starters have a 2.25 ERA in that run after posting a 4.77 mark prior to the past eight games.

Rubby De La Rosa pitched seven effective innings Friday, and Arizona had three of its four doubles in a three-run fourth inning of a 4-2 win over the Padres.

Goldschmidt drove in a run and is batting .485 over his last nine. He's hit safely in seven of eight meetings with San Diego this season.

The Padres (33-37) have dropped five of six and have scored three runs or fewer in seven of their last eight. Justin Upton's RBI came when he walked with the bases loaded in the fifth, but he finished 1 for 4 and is batting .156 with two extra-base hits over his last 13.

"We didn't get that big hit today," interim manager Pat Murphy said.

San Diego is 1-4 since firing manager Bud Black on Monday, hours before Tyson Ross took the hill against Oakland. Ross (3-7, 3.90) admitted to being a bit rattled for that start and allowed four runs while walking five and throwing 110 pitches in five innings of a 9-1 loss.

It marked the second time in 14 starts that the right-hander allowed more than three runs, doing so while tying his shortest outing of the season.

Ross is 2-3 with a 3.05 ERA in nine career starts against the Diamondbacks after giving up two runs in six innings of San Diego's 6-4, 12-inning win at Arizona on May 9.

Diamondbacks manager Chip Hale will give the day off to right fielder Yasmany Tomas, who left Friday's game before the fourth inning with pain in his left elbow after being hit by a pitch in the first. He was diagnosed with a bruise after X-rays came back negative.


SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Padres at Diamondbacks
Fri, Jun 19 Final 2 to 4
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Padres at Diamondbacks
Sat, Jun 20 - 10:10PM EDT

GAME 3
Padres at Diamondbacks
Sun, Jun 21 - 4:10PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Diamond Trends - Saturday

June 20, 2015


SU TREND OF THE DAY:

-- The Cubs are 11-0 SU since Jun 20, 2010 as a favorite after a game in which they did not draw a walk and it is not the first game of a series.

PITCHER TREND OF THE DAY:

-- When Jered Weaver starts the Angels are 0-12-3 OU since April 27, 2008 against an AL team after the team lost his last two starts if he is facing a starter with an ERA under 5.00.

MLB BIBLE ACTIVE TREND:

-- The Tigers are 1-19 since July 2007 on the road as a dog of at least +100 in the regular seaosn, after a loss vs. this team where they allowed at least 13 hits.

CHOICE TREND:

-- The Reds are 0-12 OU (-2.83 ppg) since Aug 10, 2013 at home as a favorite after a 5+ run win.

ACTIVE TRENDS:

-- The Phillies are 0-15 SU since Sep 21, 2014 as a 170+ dog vs a team that has a better record.

[StarDust Bum]

LEADING OFF: Old-Timers' Day in Bronx; Scherzer seeks encore

June 20, 2015

A look at what's happening all around the major leagues today:


NOSTALGIA

It is Old-Timers' Day at Yankee Stadium, with Hall of Famers Yogi Berra, Wade Boggs, Whitey Ford, Goose Gossage, Rickey Henderson, Reggie Jackson and Joe Torre among those expected to be on hand. Former co-captain Willie Randolph will be honored with a plaque in Monument Park before New York plays the Detroit Tigers - one night after Alex Rodriguez homered for his 3,000th hit.

ENCORE

Coming off one of the best pitching performances in Nationals history, Max Scherzer (7-5, 1.93 ERA) takes on the resurgent Pittsburgh Pirates. Last Sunday in Milwaukee, Scherzer had a perfect game through six innings before Carlos Gomez ruined it with a bloop single. Scherzer finished with a one-hit shutout and 16 strikeouts.

BACK AT `YA

Anthony DeSclafani gets to face the team that traded him away. Miami sent him to Cincinnati as part of a three-player deal for Mat Latos in December. DeSclafani (5-4) starts the second game of their series at Great American Ball Park. Latos won't pitch in the series.

HOPING TO REBOUND

Nick Martinez (5-2, 2.76 ERA) looks to shake off his recent slump for the Texas Rangers, while Chicago White Sox lefty Carlos Rodon (2-1, 3.86) tries to rebound from his first major league loss. Martinez is 1-2 with a 4.63 ERA in his past four starts. Rodon got roughed up in an 11-0 loss at Pittsburgh on Monday. Chicago has lost eight straight.

ON THE ROAD AGAIN

Mets rookie Noah Syndergaard seeks his first road win when he pitches against the Atlanta Braves. Syndergaard, who is 2-4 with a 3.76 ERA, is 0-3 with a 6.46 ERA in three road starts and has allowed a .328 batting average away from home.

[StarDust Bum]

Pitchers to Watch - AL

June 19, 2015


AL Starting Pitcher Rankings – through 6.18.15

Starting pitching is critical to the result of any baseball game and there are many ways to evaluate the numbers. Here are my current top 15 pitchers in the American League through June 18. This is an objective list based on a combination of 2015 statistics and does not factor in any of the strengths and weaknesses of the respective teams these players pitch for, nor any previous season results.

1) Chris Sale – Chicago White Sox: It was not a great April for Sale, but he has resumed his dominant ways with seven straight outstanding starts. His average Game Score this season is 63.1, but over his last seven starts, that average is incredibly 76.4. His ERA is a bit elevated at 3.01 due to one rough outing at Minnesota in April, but he has the top strikeout rate in the AL. If you take away three outings vs. the Twins, he owns a 2.12 ERA vs. the rest of MLB this season and he has posted 10 or more strikeouts in six of his last seven starts. Even the disappointing White Sox can find ways to win behind Sale with Chicago 8-4 behind him this season.

2) Sonny Gray, Oakland Athletics: Oakland has underachieved so far this season, but starting pitching has not been the issue with Gray leading the way with the best ERA in the AL at 1.60 and the AL’s best WHIP at 0.93. Gray has an average Game Score of nearly 66 and only twice all season has he been below 53. Gray doesn’t have quite the strikeout rate of some of the other top AL pitchers, at just over eight Ks per game and he may not be able to sustain a fortunate .249 BABIP. Gray also has also stranded over 84 percent of his base runners this season as while Gray is one of the top starters in the AL at this point, he is a candidate to slip from the top 5 by season’s end.

3) Chris Archer – Tampa Bay Rays: The Rays were expected to have a very good rotation but with Matt Moore, Drew Smyly and Alex Cobb all injured, Archer has had to carry the load. He has done that more than admirably so far this season with 11 strikeouts per nine innings and the lowest xFIP in the AL at 2.34, which is just a tick higher than his 2.18 ERA for the season, which is 3rd best in the league. Archer has posted six starts with a Game Score of 74 or higher and he has really only had one bad start all season long. The Rays are 7-1 in his last eight starts and he will be a key to keeping Tampa Bay in the AL East race all season.

4) Dallas Keuchel – Houston Astros: Keuchel had a great start to the 2014 season before fading a bit in the second half and keeping Houston on top of the AL West will depend on his impressive left arm with the rest of the rotation somewhat suspect for the Astros. Keuchel owns the 2nd best ERA and WHIP in the AL at 2.04 and 0.95 respectively and he has averaged over seven innings per start with currently the biggest innings workload in the AL. After starting the season 8-1 behind Keuchel, Houston is only 2-3 in his last five starts and with a low BABIP of .232 and a FIP much higher than his ERA, he is a candidate to decline in the second half again in 2015. Keuchel is striking out fewer than seven batters per nine innings which puts him well behind most of the other pitchers on this list in that measure.

5) Felix Hernandez – Seattle Mariners: A brutal recent outing against the Astros has bumped Hernandez down a few notches in what has otherwise been a brilliant season on the mound. Seattle has been a disappointing team but Hernandez leads the AL with 10 wins and he has very impressive numbers across the board. Hernandez has posted seven starts with a Game Score of 71 or higher this season, featuring a Median Game Score of nearly 70. Hernandez certainly has the most proven track record of the top pitchers on this list and could climb back to the top, though with a disappointing offense behind him backing, Hernandez at often inflated prices can be risky.

6) David Price – Detroit Tigers: While the Tigers have had mediocre results following a hot first two weeks of the season, Price is delivering another fine season. Price owns a 1.11 WHIP with a 2.50 ERA, both top 8 marks in the AL. Price is not producing dominant strikeout numbers like he has in past seasons, but he remains a strong option on the mound while not commanding quite as high prices as he did last season after joining a top AL contending Tigers team. Price has five starts with a Game Score of 76 or higher this season though he has also had a few clunkers this season. If Detroit’s offense heats back up, backing Price at reasonable numbers may not be an option for much longer.

7) Corey Kluber – Cleveland Indians: After a nightmare start to the 2015 season, the 2014 Cy Young winner has rebounded to find better results even with a 3-8 record on the season. Kluber strikes out more than 10 batters per nine innings with a very low home run rate. His xFIP is the third lowest in the AL and he has been very unlucky this season with a .343 BABIP at this point in the season. Only Archer has struck out more batters in the league, but two incredibly dominant starts from mid-May are carrying too much weight for Kluber as he struck out 30 in 17 innings in back-to-back gems, a level of pitching that he has not come close to matching since.

8) C.J. Wilson – Los Angeles Angels: Wilson had a pretty rough 2014 season finishing with a 4.51 ERA, but he appears to be on a rebound path this year with a 3.39 ERA which matches his 2013 season in which he wound up 17-7 for the Angels. Wilson is just 5-5 this season and he appears to have his command under control with only 27 walks allowed this season after very high walk rates much of his career. Wilson has delivered five straight starts with at least seven strikeouts and while he has allowed four or more runs in five different outings this season, he is also delivering a lot of zeros with nine starts this season in which he has allowed two or fewer runs.

9) Jesse Chavez – Oakland Athletics: After starting the season in the bullpen, Chavez has performed well since being called back to the rotation. He lost five of his first six decisions, but he is yet to allow more than four runs in any start and he has the 6th lowest ERA in the AL with a FIP that is only slightly higher at this point in the season. He has struck out more than eight batters per nine innings and opponents are only batting .233 against him. Oakland continues to sit in the AL West basement, but Chavez has stepped into the rotation and put the Athletics in position to win in most of his outings even if it has not always happened with the struggles of the Oakland bullpen.

10) Danny Salazar – Cleveland Indians: With the top strikeout rate in the AL, Salazar has delivered some big games for the Indians and he is 6-2 despite a disappointing start for Cleveland in the standings. Salazar owns a .313 BABIP and he has allowed 10 home runs in 11 starts as he is still making a lot of mistakes despite his high ceiling potential. Salazar has certainly been a bit erratic and that has been the case his entire career at the big league level, though this time he appears here to stay in the Cleveland rotation after bouncing back and forth the past two seasons. Salazar has the 5th lowest xFIP in the AL, but he needs to start keeping the ball in the park to really be considered an elite pitcher in the league.

11) Yovani Gallardo – Texas Rangers: After a rocky April, Gallardo has been the front-line starter the Rangers have needed to reemerge in the AL playoff race, certainly one of the big surprises of the first half of the season at this point. Gallardo has certainly out-pitched all of his former teammates in the Milwaukee rotation and he has very good numbers across the board for the Rangers, including allowing just five earned runs in his last five starts with Texas going 4-1 in that run. This might be the ceiling for Gallardo on this list as he seems likely to allow more home runs than he has and he pitches in a challenging home ballpark but so far he has been a good acquisition for a surprising contender.

12) Jake Odorizzi – Tampa Bay Rays: While Odorizzi is currently on the DL, he is expected back in the Tampa Bay rotation soon. He has walked only 15 batters this season, featuring a 1.02 WHIP that is the 6th best in the AL, while his 2.47 ERA is the 4th best in the AL. The advanced numbers don’t support Odorizzi quite as much as he owns a lower strikeout rate than almost everyone on this list and his xFIP is more than a run higher than his ERA. Not walking batters often and allowing few home runs is a formula for success and Odorizzi has been a vital piece of Tampa’s success this season even though he currently owns a losing record.

13) Alfredo Simon – Detroit Tigers: Replacing Max Scherzer in the rotation was going to be a big challenge for Detroit, but the Tigers have to be pleased with what Simon has done to this point. He owns the 7th lowest ERA in the AL at 2.58 and he has been remarkably consistent including posting a Game Score of 50 or higher in each of his last six starts. A 4.06 xFIP is certainly a warning sign as Simon has caught some bounces in his favor this season in a 7-3 start, but he remains a viable option for the Tigers on most nights.

14) Trevor Bauer – Cleveland Indians: Bauer has had some issues with walks this season, but his strikeout counts have been impressive en route to good overall numbers for the 24-year old. Bauer has posted a Game Score of 69 or higher nine times this season, but he also has four outings with a Game Score below 50 as he has been a bit all over the map this season. That high ceiling will make him attractive in the underdog role and he has won six of his nine decisions even behind a limited Cleveland offense. Only Hernandez, Sale, and Gray have a higher Median Game Score among AL starters as Bauer is capable of delivering dominant outings if you can deal with the occasional dud.

15) Michael Pineda – New York Yankees: A case can certainly be made for Pineda as one of the better pitchers in the AL. He owns a .335 BABIP as he the potential to post even better numbers the rest of the way will be there, as that figure normalizes and his advanced numbers suggest better results than his solid but not great 3.54 ERA which is just 23rd best in the AL. Pineda has walked just 11 batters in over 81 innings this season, but he has allowed 85 hits this season while battling some inconsistency having posted five Game Scores of 47 or lower. He struck out 16 in seven innings in a May start vs. Baltimore, but he has not consistently shown the same type of strikeout potential.

Next Five: Carlos Carrasco – Cleveland Indians, Anibal Sanchez – Detroit Tigers, Miguel Gonzalez, Baltimore Orioles, Clay Buchholz, Boston Red Sox, Scott Kazmir, Oakland Athletics.

Newcomers to Watch: Chi Chi Gonzalez – Texas Rangers, Lance McCullers – Houston Astros, Carlos Rodon – Chicago White Sox.

Stock Sliding: Collin McHugh – Houston Astros, Jered Weaver – Los Angeles Angels, Nathan Eovaldi – New York Yankees.

[StarDust Bum]

MLB
Armadillo's Write-Up

Saturday, June 20


National League
Pirates @ Nationals
Liriano is 3-1, 1.29 in his last five starts; over is 4-1-1 in his last six.

Scherzer is 5-2, 1.78 in his last seven starts; five of his last six stayed under.

Pirates won eight of last nine games, allowing eleven runs (five shutouts)- 11 of their last 12 games stayed under. Pittsburgh lost its last five games with Nationals; home side won eight of last nine series games. Washington lost three of last five games; over is 6-3-1 in their last ten.

Cardinals @ Phillies
Lackey is 4-2, 2.21 in his last seven starts that weren't in Denver; eight of his last ten starts stayed under.

Harang is 0-5, 6.37 in his last five starts; under is 5-3 in his last nine.

Phillies lost ten of last 11 games; six of their last nine stayed under total. Cardinals won seven of last ten games with Philly; over is 5-2-1 in last eight series games. St Louis lost four of its last six road games; eight of their last nine games overalll stayed under the total.

Marlins @ Reds
Koehler is 1-1, 6.35 in his last three road starts; under is 4-1-1 in his last six starts overall.

Former Marlin DeSclafani is 3-0, 2.76 in his last five starts.

Reds are 9-2 in last ten home games- four of last six overall stayed under. Miami lost eight of last 11 games with Cincinnati; road team won eight of 11 games- under is 5-2-1 in last eight. Marlins are 5-12 in last 17 road games.

Mets @ Braves
Syndergaard is 0-3, 8.22 in his three road starts; five of his last six starts went under the total.

Perez is 3-0, 1.80 in his last four starts.

Mets won six of last eight games with Atlanta; nine of last 11 series games went over. NY is 3-14 in its last 17 road games- their last five games overall stayed under total. Braves are 4-5 in their last eight games; over is 5-3-1 in those nine games.

Brewers @ Rockies
Lohse is 0-4, 8.31 in his last five starts, four of which went over.

Bettis is 0-2, 5.63 in his last three starts; five of his last seven went over.

Brewers lost four of last five games with Colorado; five of last six went over; they lost six of last seven games overall, outscored 44-22- seven of their last nine games went over the total. Rockies lost nine of last ten games, with last five going over.

Padres @ Diamondbacks
Ross is 1-4, 4.63 in his last six starts.

Ray is 2-1, 1.09 in his four starts, three of which stayed under.

Padres are 1-4 since changing managers- three of five games went over. San Diego won four of last seven games with Arizona; seven of last 11 series games went over. D'backs won six of last eight games, with seven of eight staying under the total.

Giants @ Dodgers
Hudson is 1-1, 8.21 in his last four road starts; under is 4-2-1 in his last seven starts overall.

Frias is 0-2, 4.82 in his last three starts; three of his last four stayed under.

Giants won ten of last 11 games with Dodgers; home side won nine of last 11 series games- six of last nine stayed under total. SF lost six of last nine games overall; six of their last eight went under total. Dodgers lost four of last five games; five of last seven went under total. LA scored 17 runs in their last seven games.

American League
Tigers @ Bronx
Simon is 3-1, 3.42 in his last four starts; three of his last four road starts went over the total.

Eovaldi gave up eight runs in 0.2 IP at Miami Monday; he is 2-0, 2.33 in his last three home starts- his last six starts overall went over total.

Detroit lost seven of last ten games with Bronx; four of last six stayed under total. Tigers lost four of last six games overall- their last four road games went over. Bronx won ten of its last 11 home games.

Orioles @ Blue Jays
Gausman is making first '15 start; he allowed seven runs in 12 IP in his eight relief appearances this year. He is 11-12, 4.42 in big leagues, making 25 starts.

Buehrle is 2-0, 2.32 in his last four starts; under is 4-1-1 in his last six.

Baltimore lost six of last eight games with Toronto; over is 6-3-1 in last ten series games. Orioles won eight of last 11 games; over is 6-3 in O's last nine games. Blue Jays won 14 of last 16 games; four of last five stayed under.

Rays @ Indians
Ramirez is 4-0, 1.16 in his last four starts (under 3-0-1).

Kluber is 0-3, 3.60 in his last three starts; five of his last seven stayed under- Tribe scored five runs in his last three starts.

Tampa Bay lost three of last five games with Cleveland; Rays won seven of last eight games overall-- over is 5-3-1 in their last nine. Indians are 4-4 in last eight games.

Red Sox @ Royals
Porcello is 0-5, 6.97 in his last five starts; last three stayed under.

Volquez is 4-1, 3.00 in his last six starts; three of his last four went over.

Red Sox won seven of last eight games with Kansas City; four of last five went over the total. Boston lost eight of last 11 overall; over is 5-2-2 in their last nine. Royals won eight of last 11; four of their last five went over.

Rangers @ White Sox
Martinez is 1-0, 2.08 in his last two starts; three of his last four stayed under.

Rodon is 2-0, 1.50 in his three home starts (under 2-1).

Texas won five of last six games with the White Sox; over is 5-4-1 in last ten series games. Rangers won six of last eight games; five of their last six went under. Chicago was outscored 36-15 in losing last eight games; five of their last six stayed under- last night's loss especially stung.

Angels @ A's
Weaver is 0-3, 7.08 in his last three starts; three of his last four went over.

Hahn is 2-0, 3.12 in his last three starts; his last four went over.

Oakland won four of its last six games; five of those six went over total. but A's lost five of last six against the Angels- six of last seven series games went over total. Halos won three of last four games; three of the four stayed under.

Astros @ Mariners
Keuchel is 2-1, 2.20 in his last four starts; five of his last six stayed under.

Walker is 3-1, 1.55 in his last four starts, three of which stayed under.

Astros won eight of last 11 games with Seattle; five of last six went over the total. Houston won five of last six games, scoring 45 runs; seven of their last eight went over the total. Mariners lost five of their last nine games, four of their last five stayed under total.

Interleague
Cubs @ Twins
Lester is 0-3, 5.40 in his last four starts; five of his last seven stayed under.

May is 2-2, 3.19 in his last five starts, four of which stayed under.

Cubs lost eight of last ten games with Minnesota; last four series games went over total. Chicago lost three of last four games; four of its last six stayed under. Twins won last three games; five of their last six stayed under total.

Win-loss records this year for team with this starting pitcher:
Pitt-Wsh-- Liriano 4-9; Scherzer 8-5
StL-Phil-- Lackey 7-6; Harang 5-9
Mia-Cin-- Koehler 7-6; DeSclafani 7-6
NY-Atl-- Syndergaard 3-4; Perez 4-2
Mil-Col-- Lohse 5-9; Bettis 5-2
SD-Az-- Ross 5-9; Ray 2-2
SF-LA-- Hudson 6-7; Frias 4-5

Det-NY-- Simon 8-4; Eovaldi 7-6
Balt-Tor-- Gausman 0-0; Buehrle 8-5
TB-Clev-- Ramirez 7-2; Kluber 3-11
Bos-KC-- Porcello 6-7; Volquez 9-4
Tex-Chi-- Martinez 9-4; Rodon 4-3
LAA-A's-- Weaver 6-8; Hahn 5-8
Hst-Sea-- Keuchel 10-4; Walker 5-8

Cubs-Min-- Lester 7-6; May 6-6

Times this starting pitcher allowed a run in first inning:
Pitt-Wsh-- Liriano 2-13; Scherzer 1-13
StL-Phil-- Lackey 3-13; Harang 4-14
Mia-Cin-- Koehler 1-13; DeSclafani 2-13
NY-Atl-- Syndergaard 2-7; Perez 2-6
Mil-Col-- Lohse 6-14; Bettis 2-7
SD-Az-- Ross 4-14; Ray 0-4
SF-LA-- Hudson 4-13; Frias 3-9

Det-NY-- Simon 1-12; Eovaldi 6-13
Balt-Tor-- Gausman 0-0; Buehrle 7-13
TB-Clev-- Ramirez 3-9; Kluber 7-14
Bos-KC-- Porcello 2-13; Volquez 3-13
Tex-Chi-- Martinez 2-13; Rodon 2-7
LAA-A's-- Weaver 3-14; Hahn 4-13
Hst-Sea-- Keuchel 3-14; Walker 3-13

Cubs-Min-- Lester 5-13; May 4-12

Umpires
Pitt-Wsh-- Favorites won last six Muchlinski games.
NY-Atl-- Five of last six Wendelstedt games stayed under.
Mia-Cin-- Home side won last five Barksdale games.
Mil-Col-- Under is 3-1-1 in last five Eddings games.
StL-Phil-- Under is 8-3-1 in Carapazza games.
SF-LA-- Four of last five Guccione games went over.
SD-Az-- Seven of last ten Hirschbeck games stayed under.

Balt-Tor-- Favorites won seven of last eight Morales games.
Tex-Chi-- Last four Cuzzi games stayed under the total.
LA-A's--- Six of last nine GGibson games stayed under.
TB-Clev-- Underdogs won seven of last eight Everitt games.
Bos-KC-- Four of last five Dreckman games stayed under.
Det-NY-- Five of last seven Estabrook games went over.
Hst-Sea-- Over is 4-2-1 in last seven HGibson games.

Chi-Min-- Underdogs are 6-4 in last ten Gonzalez games.

[StarDust Bum]

MLB

Saturday, June 20

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Trend Report
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1:07 PM
BALTIMORE vs. TORONTO
Baltimore is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games when playing Toronto
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Baltimore's last 9 games when playing on the road against Toronto
Toronto is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games when playing Baltimore
Toronto is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home

2:10 PM
TEXAS vs. CHI WHITE SOX
Texas is 5-1 SU in their last 6 games when playing Chi White Sox
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Texas's last 6 games when playing on the road against Chi White Sox
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Chi White Sox's last 6 games when playing at home against Texas
Chi White Sox are 8-4 SU in their last 12 games when playing at home against Texas

2:10 PM
CHI CUBS vs. MINNESOTA
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Chi Cubs's last 5 games when playing on the road against Minnesota
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Chi Cubs's last 6 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Minnesota's last 5 games when playing Chi Cubs
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Minnesota's last 5 games when playing at home against Chi Cubs

4:05 PM
PITTSBURGH vs. WASHINGTON
Pittsburgh is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games
Pittsburgh is 7-2 SU in its last 9 games on the road
Washington is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Pittsburgh
Washington is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Pittsburgh

4:05 PM
LA ANGELS vs. OAKLAND
The total has gone OVER in 5 of LA Angels's last 5 games when playing on the road against Oakland
LA Angels are 5-1 SU in their last 6 games when playing Oakland
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Oakland's last 5 games when playing at home against LA Angels
Oakland is 1-5 SU in their last 6 games when playing at home against LA Angels

4:10 PM
MILWAUKEE vs. COLORADO
The total has gone OVER in 17 of Milwaukee's last 20 games when playing Colorado
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Milwaukee's last 5 games
Colorado is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Colorado's last 5 games

7:05 PM
ST. LOUIS vs. PHILADELPHIA
St. Louis is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Philadelphia
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of St. Louis's last 5 games on the road
Philadelphia is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Philadelphia's last 5 games when playing at home against St. Louis

7:10 PM
MIAMI vs. CINCINNATI
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Miami's last 6 games when playing Cincinnati
Miami is 3-10 SU in its last 13 games when playing Cincinnati
Cincinnati is 10-3 SU in its last 13 games when playing Miami
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Cincinnati's last 6 games when playing Miami

7:10 PM
TAMPA BAY vs. CLEVELAND
Tampa Bay is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Cleveland
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Tampa Bay's last 5 games when playing on the road against Cleveland
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Cleveland's last 6 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Cleveland's last 5 games when playing at home against Tampa Bay

7:10 PM
BOSTON vs. KANSAS CITY
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Boston's last 5 games when playing on the road against Kansas City
Boston is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Kansas City
The total has gone UNDER in 11 of Kansas City's last 16 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Kansas City's last 5 games when playing Boston

7:10 PM
NY METS vs. ATLANTA
NY Mets are 1-5 SU in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 9 of NY Mets's last 11 games when playing Atlanta
Atlanta is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games when playing NY Mets
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Atlanta's last 5 games when playing at home against NY Mets

7:15 PM
DETROIT vs. NY YANKEES
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Detroit's last 12 games when playing NY Yankees
Detroit is 1-4 SU in their last 5 games when playing NY Yankees
The total has gone OVER in 6 of NY Yankees's last 9 games
NY Yankees are 11-5 SU in their last 16 games

7:15 PM
SAN FRANCISCO vs. LA DODGERS
The total has gone OVER in 14 of San Francisco's last 19 games on the road
San Francisco is 3-6 SU in its last 9 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of LA Dodgers's last 6 games when playing San Francisco
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of LA Dodgers's last 7 games

10:10 PM
HOUSTON vs. SEATTLE
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Houston's last 8 games
Houston is 2-8 SU in its last 10 games on the road
Seattle is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Houston
Seattle is 3-9 SU in its last 12 games at home

10:10 PM
SAN DIEGO vs. ARIZONA
The total has gone OVER in 17 of San Diego's last 23 games
San Diego is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Arizona
Arizona is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Arizona's last 8 games

[StarDust Bum]

MLB
Dunkel

Saturday, June 20


Pittsburgh @ Washington

Game 951-952
June 20, 2015 @ 4:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Pittsburgh
(Liriano) 15.283
Washington
(Scherzer) 16.733
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Washington
by 1 1/2
5
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Washington
-140
6 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Washington
(-140); Under

NY Mets @ Atlanta

Game 953-954
June 20, 2015 @ 7:10 pm

Dunkel Rating:
NY Mets
(Syndrgrd) 16.052
Atlanta
(Perez) 13.671
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
NY Mets
by 2 1/2
8
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
NY Mets
-125
7 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
NY Mets
(-125); Over

Miami @ Cincinnati

Game 955-956
June 20, 2015 @ 7:10 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Miami
(Koehler) 15.907
Cincinnati
(DeSclafani) 14.414
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Miami
by 1 1/2
10
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Cincinnati
-135
9
Dunkel Pick:
Miami
(+115); Over

Milwaukee @ Colorado

Game 957-958
June 20, 2015 @ 4:10 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Milwaukee
(Lohse) 15.492
Colorado
(Bettis) 14.420
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Milwaukee
by 1
11
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Colorado
-140
10 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Colorado
(-140); Over

St. Louis @ Philadelphia

Game 959-960
June 20, 2015 @ 7:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
St. Louis
(Lackey) 14.574
Philadelphia
(Harang) 15.409
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Philadelphia
by 1
7
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
St. Louis
-195
7 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Philadelphia
(+170); Under

San Francisco @ LA Dodgers

Game 961-962
June 20, 2015 @ 7:15 pm

Dunkel Rating:
San Francisco
(Hudson) 15.347
LA Dodgers
(Frias) 14.219
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
San Francisco
by 1
9
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
LA Dodgers
-150
7 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
San Francisco
(+130); Over

San Diego @ Arizona

Game 963-964
June 20, 2015 @ 10:10 pm

Dunkel Rating:
San Diego
(Ross) 15.018
Arizona
(Ray) 16.572
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Arizona
by 1 1/2
7
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Arizona
-115
8 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Arizona
(-115); Under

Baltimore @ Toronto

Game 965-966
June 20, 2015 @ 1:07 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Baltimore
(Gausman) 16.191
Toronto
(Buehrle) 18.769
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Toronto
by 2 1/2
10
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Toronto
-130
9
Dunkel Pick:
Toronto
(-130); Over

Texas @ Chicago White Sox

Game 967-968
June 20, 2015 @ 2:10 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Texas
(Martinez) 14.583
Chicago White Sox
(Rodon) 13.112
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Texas
by 1 1/2
10
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Chicago White Sox
-125
8 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Texas
(+105); Over

LA Angels @ Oakland

Game 969-970
June 20, 2015 @ 4:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
LA Angels
(Weaver) 16,844
Oakland
(Hahn) 15.918
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
LA Angels
by 1
9
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Oakland
-135
7 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
LA Angels
(+115); Over

Tampa Bay @ Cleveland

Game 971-972
June 20, 2015 @ 7:10 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Tampa Bay
(Ramirez) 11.868
Cleveland
(Kluber) 16.257
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Cleveland
by 4 1/2
5 1/2
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Cleveland
-180
7
Dunkel Pick:
Cleveland
(-180); Under

Boston @ Kansas City

Game 973-974
June 20, 2015 @ 7:10 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Boston
(Porcello) 14.089
Kansas City
(Volquez) 15.512
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Kansas City
by 1 1/2
8 1/2
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Kansas City
-130
8
Dunkel Pick:
Kansas City
(-130); Over

Detroit @ NY Yankees

Game 975-976
June 20, 2015 @ 7:15 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Detroit
(Simon) 16.773
NY Yankees
(Eovaldi) 15.107
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Detroit
by 1 1/2
10
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
NY Yankees
-115
8 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Detroit
(-105); Over

Houston @ Seattle

Game 977-978
June 20, 2015 @ 10:10 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Houston
(Keuchel) 14.420
Seattle
(Walker) 15.683
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Seattle
by 1
6
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Houston
-125
6 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Seattle
(+105); Under

Chicago Cubs @ Minnesota

Game 979-980
June 20, 2015 @ 2:10 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Chicago Cubs
(Lester) 17.213
Minnesota
(May) 14.819
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Chicago Cubs
by 2 1/2
9
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Chicago Cubs
-120
8 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Chicago Cubs
(-120); Over

[StarDust Bum]

MLB
Long Sheet

Saturday, June 20

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

PITTSBURGH (39 - 28) at WASHINGTON (35 - 33) - 4:05 PM
FRANCISCO LIRIANO (L) vs. MAX SCHERZER (R)
Top Trends for this game.
PITTSBURGH is 15-29 (-15.9 Units) against the money line in road games in day games over the last 2 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 252-488 (-106.4 Units) against the money line in road games when playing against a team with a winning record since 1997.
LIRIANO is 4-9 (-7.7 Units) against the money line in all games this season. (Team's Record)
LIRIANO is 4-9 (-7.7 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season. (Team's Record)
SCHERZER is 58-24 (+24.7 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
SCHERZER is 55-23 (+22.8 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
SCHERZER is 34-11 (+18.9 Units) against the money line after a win over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
PITTSBURGH is 224-174 (+34.5 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 3 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 30-14 (+14.3 Units) against the money line in June games over the last 2 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 222-173 (+32.9 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
WASHINGTON is 1-0 (+1.2 Units) against PITTSBURGH this season
1 of 1 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+1.1 Units)

FRANCISCO LIRIANO vs. WASHINGTON since 1997
LIRIANO is 1-1 when starting against WASHINGTON with an ERA of 2.84 and a WHIP of 1.184.
His team's record is 1-1 (+0.1 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-1. (-1.0 units)

MAX SCHERZER vs. PITTSBURGH since 1997
SCHERZER is 3-2 when starting against PITTSBURGH with an ERA of 3.00 and a WHIP of 0.949.
His team's record is 4-2 (+1.4 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-3. (-1.3 units)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

NY METS (36 - 33) at ATLANTA (33 - 35) - 7:10 PM
NOAH SYNDERGAARD (R) vs. WILLIAMS PEREZ (R)
Top Trends for this game.
NY METS are 10-22 (-11.8 Units) against the money line in road games this season.
NY METS are 4-19 (-15.6 Units) against the money line in road games in night games this season.
NY METS are 28-20 (+12.9 Units) against the money line after 3 or more consecutive losses over the last 3 seasons.
NY METS are 65-45 (+17.1 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 110-117 (-16.1 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 89-96 (-14.5 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
NY METS is 6-4 (+1.0 Units) against ATLANTA this season
8 of 10 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+6.1 Units)

NOAH SYNDERGAARD vs. ATLANTA since 1997
No recent starts.

WILLIAMS PEREZ vs. NY METS since 1997
No recent starts.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

MIAMI (29 - 40) at CINCINNATI (31 - 35) - 7:10 PM
TOM KOEHLER (R) vs. ANTHONY DESCLAFANI (R)
Top Trends for this game.
MIAMI is 21-33 (-13.9 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
CINCINNATI is 367-385 (-88.9 Units) against the money line in home games after a win since 1997.
CINCINNATI is 6-15 (-11.2 Units) against the money line after 3 or more consecutive wins over the last 2 seasons.
CINCINNATI is 368-333 (-81.9 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a losing record since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
CINCINNATI is 1-0 (+1.0 Units) against MIAMI this season
1 of 1 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+1.0 Units)

TOM KOEHLER vs. CINCINNATI since 1997
KOEHLER is 0-1 when starting against CINCINNATI with an ERA of 0.00 and a WHIP of 0.714.
His team's record is 0-1 (-1.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-0. (+1.0 units)

ANTHONY DESCLAFANI vs. MIAMI since 1997
No recent starts.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

MILWAUKEE (25 - 44) at COLORADO (28 - 39) - 4:10 PM
KYLE LOHSE (R) vs. CHAD BETTIS (R)
Top Trends for this game.
MILWAUKEE is 25-44 (-17.7 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
MILWAUKEE is 55-79 (-29.1 Units) against the money line in day games over the last 3 seasons.
MILWAUKEE is 25-44 (-17.7 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
MILWAUKEE is 18-38 (-20.0 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
MILWAUKEE is 4-15 (-12.2 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
COLORADO is 94-135 (-35.7 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
COLORADO is 14-33 (-17.7 Units) against the money line in June games over the last 2 seasons.
COLORADO is 94-135 (-35.7 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
COLORADO is 68-101 (-30.5 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
COLORADO is 52-84 (-28.1 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 2 seasons.
COLORADO is 3-13 (-10.3 Units) against the money line after 3 or more consecutive losses this season.
COLORADO is 75-98 (-32.9 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
COLORADO is 3-1 (+2.4 Units) against MILWAUKEE this season
3 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+1.9 Units)

KYLE LOHSE vs. COLORADO since 1997
LOHSE is 6-4 when starting against COLORADO with an ERA of 4.39 and a WHIP of 1.513.
His team's record is 9-5 (+4.1 units) in these starts. The OVER is 5-7. (-2.6 units)

CHAD BETTIS vs. MILWAUKEE since 1997
No recent starts.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

ST LOUIS (44 - 23) at PHILADELPHIA (23 - 46) - 7:05 PM
JOHN LACKEY (R) vs. AARON HARANG (R)
Top Trends for this game.
ST LOUIS is 22-39 (-20.6 Units) against the money line in road games after a win over the last 2 seasons.
LACKEY is 14-26 (-14.2 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
LACKEY is 9-21 (-14.4 Units) against the money line in road games in night games over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
LACKEY is 1-8 (-8.2 Units) against the money line in road games when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
ST LOUIS is 44-23 (+18.5 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
ST LOUIS is 44-23 (+18.5 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
ST LOUIS is 37-15 (+20.4 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 23-46 (-19.0 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 23-46 (-19.0 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 69-104 (-24.7 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
HARANG is 57-71 (-23.6 Units) against the money line in home games in night games since 1997. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
ST LOUIS is 4-1 (+2.6 Units) against PHILADELPHIA this season
3 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+2.1 Units)

JOHN LACKEY vs. PHILADELPHIA since 1997
LACKEY is 2-4 when starting against PHILADELPHIA with an ERA of 3.46 and a WHIP of 1.333.
His team's record is 2-4 (-2.8 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 5-1. (+4.0 units)

AARON HARANG vs. ST LOUIS since 1997
HARANG is 7-16 when starting against ST LOUIS with an ERA of 4.44 and a WHIP of 1.288.
His team's record is 9-19 (-7.6 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 18-8. (+9.1 units)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SAN FRANCISCO (37 - 32) at LA DODGERS (38 - 30) - 7:15 PM
TIM HUDSON (R) vs. CARLOS FRIAS (R)
Top Trends for this game.
SAN FRANCISCO is 17-26 (-13.4 Units) against the money line in June games over the last 2 seasons.
LA DODGERS are 64-34 (+18.7 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 2 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 137-111 (+19.0 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 20-14 (+8.3 Units) against the money line in road games this season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 20-14 (+8.3 Units) against the money line in road games in games played on a grass field this season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 95-76 (+10.8 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 79-57 (+22.0 Units) against the money line after a win over the last 2 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 62-53 (+14.9 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
HUDSON is 296-187 (+51.6 Units) against the money line in all games since 1997. (Team's Record)
HUDSON is 124-68 (+33.3 Units) against the money line against division opponents since 1997. (Team's Record)
HUDSON is 108-61 (+32.1 Units) against the money line in day games since 1997. (Team's Record)
HUDSON is 284-175 (+55.6 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field since 1997. (Team's Record)
HUDSON is 169-96 (+40.1 Units) against the money line after a win since 1997. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
SAN FRANCISCO is 8-2 (+8.1 Units) against LA DODGERS this season
6 of 10 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+1.9 Units)

TIM HUDSON vs. LA DODGERS since 1997
HUDSON is 7-6 when starting against LA DODGERS with an ERA of 3.80 and a WHIP of 1.303.
His team's record is 11-7 (+3.9 units) in these starts. The OVER is 11-7. (+3.3 units)

CARLOS FRIAS vs. SAN FRANCISCO since 1997
FRIAS is 0-1 when starting against SAN FRANCISCO with an ERA of 1.50 and a WHIP of 1.500.
His team's record is 0-1 (-1.2 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-0. (+1.0 units)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SAN DIEGO (33 - 37) at ARIZONA (33 - 34) - 10:10 PM
TYSON ROSS (R) vs. ROBBIE RAY (L)
Top Trends for this game.
SAN DIEGO is 10-20 (-12.8 Units) against the money line on the road with a money line of -100 to -125 over the last 2 seasons.
ARIZONA is 97-132 (-28.9 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
ARIZONA is 761-671 (-87.7 Units) against the money line in home games since 1997.
ARIZONA is 97-132 (-28.9 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
ARIZONA is 37-58 (-20.1 Units) against the money line after a win over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
ARIZONA is 4-4 (+0.4 Units) against SAN DIEGO this season
4 of 8 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=-0.1 Units, Under=-0.4 Units)

TYSON ROSS vs. ARIZONA since 1997
ROSS is 2-3 when starting against ARIZONA with an ERA of 3.05 and a WHIP of 1.143.
His team's record is 4-5 (-0.8 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 5-3. (+1.5 units)

ROBBIE RAY vs. SAN DIEGO since 1997
No recent starts.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

BALTIMORE (34 - 33) at TORONTO (37 - 32) - 1:05 PM
KEVIN GAUSMAN (R) vs. MARK BUEHRLE (L)
Top Trends for this game.
TORONTO is 53-32 (+17.7 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 over the last 2 seasons.
TORONTO is 14-3 (+11.9 Units) against the money line in June games this season.
TORONTO is 32-15 (+15.1 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
BUEHRLE is 29-16 (+13.7 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
BUEHRLE is 163-84 (+53.0 Units) against the money line in home games since 1997. (Team's Record)
BUEHRLE is 53-24 (+28.2 Units) against the money line when playing on Saturday since 1997. (Team's Record)
BUEHRLE is 30-14 (+16.1 Units) against the money line in games played on artificial turf over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
BUEHRLE is 17-6 (+12.0 Units) against the money line after a win over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
BALTIMORE is 134-103 (+35.9 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 58-56 (+13.5 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 68-48 (+21.7 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 59-43 (+19.6 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 2 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 62-50 (+18.7 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
TORONTO is 7-3 (+4.4 Units) against BALTIMORE this season
6 of 9 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+2.7 Units)

KEVIN GAUSMAN vs. TORONTO since 1997
GAUSMAN is 1-1 when starting against TORONTO with an ERA of 4.09 and a WHIP of 1.545.
His team's record is 1-1 (+0.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-1. (-0.2 units)

MARK BUEHRLE vs. BALTIMORE since 1997
BUEHRLE is 11-10 when starting against BALTIMORE with an ERA of 3.69 and a WHIP of 1.305.
His team's record is 14-11 (+0.5 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 11-13. (-3.4 units)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

TEXAS (37 - 31) at CHI WHITE SOX (28 - 38) - 2:10 PM
NICK MARTINEZ (R) vs. CARLOS RODON (L)
Top Trends for this game.
TEXAS is 37-31 (+19.1 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
TEXAS is 15-10 (+9.9 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 this season.
TEXAS is 22-15 (+19.3 Units) against the money line in road games this season.
TEXAS is 9-4 (+9.7 Units) against the money line on the road when the total is 8 to 8.5 this season.
TEXAS is 11-6 (+9.3 Units) against the money line in June games this season.
TEXAS is 34-29 (+14.3 Units) against the money line in day games over the last 2 seasons.
TEXAS is 35-29 (+18.2 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
TEXAS is 22-18 (+14.1 Units) against the money line in road games against left-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
MARTINEZ is 9-4 (+8.4 Units) against the money line in all games this season. (Team's Record)
MARTINEZ is 6-0 (+9.1 Units) against the money line in road games this season. (Team's Record)
MARTINEZ is 10-4 (+10.8 Units) against the money line in day games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
MARTINEZ is 5-0 (+7.6 Units) against the money line in road games in games played on a grass field this season. (Team's Record)
CHI WHITE SOX are 28-38 (-12.5 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
CHI WHITE SOX are 24-46 (-23.3 Units) against the money line in June games over the last 3 seasons.
CHI WHITE SOX are 31-52 (-20.5 Units) against the money line in day games over the last 2 seasons.
CHI WHITE SOX are 156-214 (-43.1 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
TEXAS is 3-1 (+2.8 Units) against CHI WHITE SOX this season
2 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=-0.1 Units, Under=-0.4 Units)

NICK MARTINEZ vs. CHI WHITE SOX since 1997
MARTINEZ is 0-2 when starting against CHI WHITE SOX with an ERA of 12.97 and a WHIP of 2.641.
His team's record is 0-2 (-2.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-1. (-0.3 units)

CARLOS RODON vs. TEXAS since 1997
RODON is 0-0 when starting against TEXAS with an ERA of 1.50 and a WHIP of 1.333.
His team's record is 0-1 (-1.1 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-0. (+1.0 units)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

LA ANGELS (35 - 33) at OAKLAND (29 - 41) - 4:05 PM
JERED WEAVER (R) vs. JESSE HAHN (R)
Top Trends for this game.
OAKLAND is 159-83 (+60.8 Units) against the money line in home games in June games since 1997.
LA ANGELS are 766-746 (+68.4 Units) against the money line in road games since 1997.
LA ANGELS are 140-116 (+37.1 Units) against the money line in road games in June games since 1997.
LA ANGELS are 273-231 (+71.6 Units) against the money line in road games in day games since 1997.
LA ANGELS are 641-627 (+61.0 Units) against the money line in road games in games played on a grass field since 1997.
LA ANGELS are 548-528 (+50.3 Units) against the money line in road games against right-handed starters since 1997.
LA ANGELS are 75-42 (+21.5 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
WEAVER is 92-45 (+34.1 Units) against the money line after a win since 1997. (Team's Record)
OAKLAND is 29-41 (-19.4 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
OAKLAND is 12-20 (-15.2 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
OAKLAND is 14-22 (-12.7 Units) against the money line against division opponents this season.
OAKLAND is 9-17 (-11.1 Units) against the money line in day games this season.
OAKLAND is 27-39 (-19.9 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
OAKLAND is 9-14 (-10.2 Units) against the money line in home games against right-handed starters this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
LA ANGELS is 7-4 (+3.0 Units) against OAKLAND this season
9 of 11 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+7.0 Units)

JERED WEAVER vs. OAKLAND since 1997
WEAVER is 13-10 when starting against OAKLAND with an ERA of 2.64 and a WHIP of 1.082.
His team's record is 17-15 (-3.6 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 21-8. (+11.4 units)

JESSE HAHN vs. LA ANGELS since 1997
HAHN is 0-0 when starting against LA ANGELS with an ERA of 5.40 and a WHIP of 1.000.
His team's record is 0-1 (-1.1 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 0-1. (-1.2 units)

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TAMPA BAY (39 - 30) at CLEVELAND (31 - 35) - 7:10 PM
ERASMO RAMIREZ (L) vs. COREY KLUBER (R)
Top Trends for this game.
TAMPA BAY is 39-30 (+8.7 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
TAMPA BAY is 21-13 (+10.1 Units) against the money line in road games this season.
TAMPA BAY is 13-5 (+9.1 Units) against the money line in June games this season.
TAMPA BAY is 29-22 (+7.4 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
CLEVELAND is 31-35 (-12.0 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
CLEVELAND is 13-20 (-14.4 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
CLEVELAND is 119-122 (-47.2 Units) against the money line in home games in June games since 1997.
CLEVELAND is 31-35 (-12.0 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
CLEVELAND is 5-12 (-11.9 Units) against the money line in home games in night games this season.
CLEVELAND is 11-18 (-10.3 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
KLUBER is 3-11 (-12.2 Units) against the money line in all games this season. (Team's Record)
KLUBER is 3-11 (-12.2 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
TAMPA BAY is 1-0 (+1.6 Units) against CLEVELAND this season
1 of 1 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+1.0 Units)

ERASMO RAMIREZ vs. CLEVELAND since 1997
RAMIREZ is 1-0 when starting against CLEVELAND with an ERA of 4.76 and a WHIP of 1.764.
His team's record is 1-0 (+1.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-0. (+1.0 units)

COREY KLUBER vs. TAMPA BAY since 1997
KLUBER is 2-0 when starting against TAMPA BAY with an ERA of 1.08 and a WHIP of 1.020.
His team's record is 2-1 (+1.1 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-2. (-1.2 units)

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BOSTON (30 - 39) at KANSAS CITY (38 - 26) - 7:10 PM
RICK PORCELLO (R) vs. EDINSON VOLQUEZ (R)
Top Trends for this game.
BOSTON is 30-39 (-16.5 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
BOSTON is 14-21 (-12.3 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 this season.
BOSTON is 28-35 (-14.3 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
BOSTON is 19-26 (-12.1 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
BOSTON is 22-28 (-11.6 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
BOSTON is 11-18 (-10.0 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
BOSTON is 9-15 (-10.3 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
KANSAS CITY is 38-26 (+10.1 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
KANSAS CITY is 29-11 (+16.2 Units) against the money line at home with a money line of -100 to -125 over the last 2 seasons.
KANSAS CITY is 38-26 (+10.1 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
KANSAS CITY is 27-17 (+8.5 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
KANSAS CITY is 28-15 (+11.7 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
VOLQUEZ is 53-34 (+23.3 Units) against the money line after a loss since 1997. (Team's Record)
KANSAS CITY is 24-38 (-18.0 Units) against the money line when playing on Saturday over the last 3 seasons.
KANSAS CITY is 304-322 (-71.1 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a losing record since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
BOSTON is 1-0 (+1.0 Units) against KANSAS CITY this season
1 of 1 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+1.1 Units)

RICK PORCELLO vs. KANSAS CITY since 1997
PORCELLO is 8-5 when starting against KANSAS CITY with an ERA of 4.30 and a WHIP of 1.319.
His team's record is 12-7 (+3.2 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 6-11. (-6.9 units)

EDINSON VOLQUEZ vs. BOSTON since 1997
VOLQUEZ is 0-0 when starting against BOSTON with an ERA of 2.08 and a WHIP of 1.231.
His team's record is 0-2 (-2.5 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-1. (+0.0 units)

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DETROIT (34 - 33) at NY YANKEES (37 - 30) - 7:15 PM
ALFREDO SIMON (R) vs. NATHAN EOVALDI (R)
Top Trends for this game.
DETROIT is 144-219 (-58.8 Units) against the money line as a road underdog of +100 to +125 since 1997.
DETROIT is 15-24 (-11.9 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
DETROIT is 50-56 (-20.3 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 2 seasons.
NY YANKEES are 15-4 (+9.5 Units) against the money line in home games in night games this season.
NY YANKEES are 22-13 (+8.6 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
SIMON is 28-17 (+14.3 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
SIMON is 8-1 (+8.2 Units) against the money line in June games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
SIMON is 28-17 (+14.3 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
NY YANKEES is 4-1 (+3.8 Units) against DETROIT this season
3 of 5 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+0.9 Units)

ALFREDO SIMON vs. NY YANKEES since 1997
SIMON is 1-3 when starting against NY YANKEES with an ERA of 4.45 and a WHIP of 1.306.
His team's record is 2-3 (-0.3 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 3-2. (+0.7 units)

NATHAN EOVALDI vs. DETROIT since 1997
EOVALDI is 1-0 when starting against DETROIT with an ERA of 1.38 and a WHIP of 1.385.
His team's record is 2-0 (+2.8 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-2. (-2.2 units)

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HOUSTON (40 - 29) at SEATTLE (31 - 37) - 10:10 PM
DALLAS KEUCHEL (L) vs. TAIJUAN WALKER (R)
Top Trends for this game.
HOUSTON is 90-154 (-58.8 Units) against the money line in road games when playing on Saturday since 1997.
HOUSTON is 40-29 (+8.6 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
HOUSTON is 11-6 (+9.3 Units) against the money line on the road when the total is 7 or less over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 55-54 (+14.6 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 40-26 (+11.6 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
HOUSTON is 26-14 (+13.3 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
KEUCHEL is 27-16 (+14.9 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
KEUCHEL is 14-8 (+11.7 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
KEUCHEL is 17-5 (+15.6 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
KEUCHEL is 26-15 (+14.0 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
KEUCHEL is 17-9 (+11.1 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
KEUCHEL is 17-8 (+13.2 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
SEATTLE is 31-37 (-10.5 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
SEATTLE is 15-20 (-10.9 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
SEATTLE is 8-13 (-7.8 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 7 or less this season.
SEATTLE is 113-129 (-49.8 Units) against the money line in home games when playing on Saturday since 1997.
SEATTLE is 26-36 (-15.1 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
SEATTLE is 22-27 (-9.2 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
SEATTLE is 12-18 (-9.4 Units) against the money line after a win this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
HOUSTON is 8-3 (+5.7 Units) against SEATTLE this season
7 of 10 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+3.8 Units)

DALLAS KEUCHEL vs. SEATTLE since 1997
KEUCHEL is 3-3 when starting against SEATTLE with an ERA of 2.36 and a WHIP of 0.929.
His team's record is 3-3 (+1.3 units) in these starts. The OVER is 3-3. (-0.2 units)

TAIJUAN WALKER vs. HOUSTON since 1997
WALKER is 3-1 when starting against HOUSTON with an ERA of 4.50 and a WHIP of 1.467.
His team's record is 3-3 (-0.9 units) in these starts. The OVER is 5-1. (+4.0 units)

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CHICAGO CUBS (35 - 30) at MINNESOTA (37 - 30) - 2:10 PM
JON LESTER (L) vs. TREVOR MAY (R)
Top Trends for this game.
CHICAGO CUBS are 1422-1583 (-279.2 Units) against the money line in all games since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 754-800 (-153.8 Units) against the money line in day games since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 1365-1496 (-254.0 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 1046-1179 (-213.0 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters since 1997.
MINNESOTA is 37-30 (+13.6 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
MINNESOTA is 15-6 (+10.1 Units) against the money line as a home underdog of +100 to +125 this season.
MINNESOTA is 23-12 (+13.0 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
MINNESOTA is 51-50 (+9.8 Units) against the money line in day games over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 37-30 (+13.6 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
MINNESOTA is 16-9 (+10.5 Units) against the money line against left-handed starters this season.
MINNESOTA is 20-16 (+7.0 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
CHICAGO CUBS are 60-56 (+10.9 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
MINNESOTA is 1-0 (+1.0 Units) against CHICAGO CUBS this season
1 of 1 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+1.0 Units)

JON LESTER vs. MINNESOTA since 1997
LESTER is 3-4 when starting against MINNESOTA with an ERA of 3.97 and a WHIP of 1.251.
His team's record is 5-5 (-2.6 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 6-3. (+2.5 units)

TREVOR MAY vs. CHICAGO CUBS since 1997
No recent starts.

[StarDust Bum]

MLB

Saturday, June 20


Just how good are the Jays at home with Buehrle?

The Toronto Blue Jays love playing behind Marc Buehrle in the Great White North, which is the situation they find themselves in once again Saturday afternoon when the Baltimore Orioles come to town.

Toronto is 5-1 in Buehrle's last six outings at Rogers Centre. Countering for the O's is Kevin Gausman.

Oddsmakers have priced the Bluebirds as -120 favorites for the AL East tilt.


Under bettors are loving this squad lately

The Under has paid out in five out of the last six times the Minnesota Twins have taken the diamond.

Minny plays host to the Chicago Cubs in an interleague affair Saturday. Trevor May is slated to take the bump for the Twinkies, while Jon Lester is the probable starter for the Cubbies.

Pinnacle Sports is currently offering the Twins as +102 pups with a total of 8.5.

[StarDust Bum]

MLB

Saturday, June 20

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Game of the Day: Giants at Dodgers
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San Francisco Giants at Los Angeles Dodgers (-150, 7.5)

The Dodgers have lost four of their last five and need more production from their entire lineup, including shortstop Jimmy Rollins, who is mired in a 6-for-47 slump and has seen his batting average plummet to .197. Manager Don Mattingly shook up his lineup Friday and had Yasiel Puig in the leadoff spot for the first time this season, but he went 0-for-5 in the Dodgers’ 9-5 loss. San Francisco’s outfield received a boost Friday with the return of Gregor Blanco, who missed nine days due to a concussion. With Hunter Pence (wrist) expected to miss at least another two weeks, Blanco will platoon with Justin Maxwell in right field and serve as Angel Pagan’s primary backup in center.

TV: 7:15 p.m. ET, CSN Bay Area (San Francisco), SportsNet LA (Los Angeles)

LINE HISTORY: Books opened the Dodgers as -142 faves, but have since adjusted that number to -150.

INJURY REPORT: Giants - M. Scutaro, H. Pence, J. Peavy, M. Cain. Dodgers - C. Hatcher, J. Peralta, P. Rodriguez, P. Baez, B. League, C. Crawford, H. Ryu, B. McCarthy, B. Beachy.

PITCHING MATCHUP: Giants RH Tim Hudson (4-6, 4.65 ERA) vs. Dodgers RH Carlos Frias (4-4, 4.14)

Hudson has failed to pitch past the fifth inning in each of his last two starts, including last Monday when he yielded three runs over five frames in a 5-1 loss to Seattle. The 17-year veteran is 7-6 with a 3.80 ERA in 18 career starts against the Dodgers, including 6 1/3 scoreless innings in the Giants’ 2-0 victory on May 19. Adrian Gonzalez is 10-for-29 with two home runs against Hudson while Puig is 5-for-11 with two homers.

Frias is looking to bounce back from a rough outing against Texas last Monday, when he allowed four runs on five hits over 5 1/3 innings. The 25-year-old is 1-1 with a 2.61 ERA in three career games (one start) against the Giants, including six innings of one-run ball on May 19. Frias has issued 17 walks in 54 1/3 innings, including seven over his last three outings.

TRENDS:

*Giants are 5-2 in Hudsons last 7 road starts.
*Over is 6-1 in Giants last 7 games following a win.
*Giants are 4-0 in the last 4 meetings.
*Over is 4-1 in the last 5 meetings in Los Angeles.

[StarDust Bum]

Armadillo: Saturday's six-pack

College football recruiting notes, from Phil Steele's magazine.......

-- Six of the top ten freshman classes this year are in the SEC.

-- Jim Harbaugh had a late start, brought in the #40 recruiting class this year.

-- Top four freshman QBs are at: UCLA-Texas A&M-Alabama-Ohio State.

-- UNLV hired Tony Sanchez as coach, from Bishop Gorman HS, a regional power, but he brought in only the 107th ranked recruiting class.

-- One of his players ar Bishop Gorman was Cordell Broadus, who is going to UCLA; he is the #35 WR, and is Snoop Dawg's son.

-- Boise State brought in Brett Rypien, the #24 QB, the nephew of former NFL QB Mark Rypien.

**********

Armadillo: Saturday's List of 13: Clearing out a cluttered mind...........

13) Alex Rodriguez got his 3,000th hit last night with a home run, only third player ever to do that; he is hitting .278 with a .384 OB%, Bronx is 37-30, in the middle of a playoff race, but no one sees to want to give ol' A-Rod credit. Go figure.

12) So much of A-Rod's career has been about money; ironic that the guy who caught the home run ball last night, A-Rod's 3000th hit, is Zack Hample, a 37-year-old from NYC who has caught more than 8,000 baseballs in batting practice-- and even wrote a book about it. He says he is keeping the ball, which is estimated to be worth $50K+.

11) The CEO and COO of the Bronx Bombers even went out to try and talk the guy out of keeping the ball. My godson said if he had the ball, he would ask ARod for one game's salary for the ball, roughly $136,400. Wonder if that would've worked.

Guy on Twitter said he would start the bidding at a million bucks.

10) Scary moment at the US Open, when Jason Day collapsed on the 9th fairway, his last hole of the day. Day has been batting vertigo and had an attack at the end of his round. He managed to finish the last hole, but no word if he will be able to play the third round today. He is -2 and in contention.

9) It is good to be a pro golfer; their courtesy cars this week are Lexus SUVs.

8) Six golfers in the US Open this week won an NCAA singles championship; seven others are former US Amateur champs.

7) Someone ht a 7-iron 226 yards yesterday, at which point Jack Nicklaus probably threw something at his TV. Modern equipment is really, really good.

6) FOX is doing its first US Open; one addition that is a big help-- when a putt is rolling towards the hole or a ball is in the air, they keep the player's name who hit the shot on the screen. How has no one ever thought of that before?

5) Non-ARod oddity in the Bronx last night; both teams had a runner picked off first base in the first inning. Not sure I've ever seen that before.

4) Texas 2, White Sox 1-- Chicago's Chris Sale is third pitcher in baseball history with five consecutive starts of 12+ strikeouts; he allowed 17 hits in his last 37.1 IP, with six walks and 65 strikeouts. This was a brutal loss for the White Sox last night.

3) Braves 2, Mets 1-- Similar doings in Atlanta, where Jacob deGrom was vicitimized by left side of his infield, which continues to be suspect. Mets have a chance to make the playoffs, but not unless their defense tightens up- they're now 3-14 in their last 17 road games, which is not the mark of a playoff team.

2) Angels 12, A's 7-- You're up 7-2 in 7th inning with Sonny Gray pitching; what are odds you don't win? Top of 7th inning of this fiasco was so ugly, I had to turn it off and watched this movie Whiplash, about a music teacher who emotionally tormented his students to try and get their maximum performance out of them.

JK Simmons (the guy in the Farmers' Insurance commercials) won an Oscar for his portrayal of the teacher who was such a bastard one of his students physically attacked him and another one took his own life. Disturbing movie.

1) If you caught A-Rod's 3,000th hit, what would you charge him for it?

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Mystics (3-2) at Fever (3-4)

Date: June 20, 2015 7:00 PM EDT

Tamika Catchings had been performing up to the standards she's set during a stellar 14-year WNBA career before a dreadful night at Madison Square Garden.

Although her Indiana Fever teammates picked her up in an easy win, Catchings will be looking to bounce back Saturday night at home against the Washington Mystics.

Catchings, who has missed two games to injury and one to a suspension, came in averaging 17.0 points and 10.0 rebounds before shooting 0 for 10 while pulling down eight boards in Friday's 80-63 win over the New York Liberty.

Her teammates shot a combined 27 for 56, including 10 of 16 from 3-point range. Maggie Lucas hit five 3s and scored a career-high 23 while Marissa Coleman added 16 points to help the Fever (3-4) win for the third time in four games.

Things were pretty easy from the start for Indiana, which jumped out to a 20-point lead in the first quarter and never trailed. New York closed to within 70-63 with 6:24 to play but the Fever put it away with a 10-0 run.

Indiana and Washington (3-2) split four regular-season meetings last year, with each team picking up both victories on the other's home floor. The Mystics shot 46.7 percent in the two games at Bankers Life Fieldhouse while holding Indiana to 35.2.

Washington's positive results in Indianapolis disappeared in the playoffs, however, as it dropped Game 1 of its first-round series there before being eliminated with a home loss in the following contest. The Fever, who kept the Mystics without a playoff series win since 2002, went on to lose to Chicago in the Eastern Conference finals.

Catchings led the way in that series with 48 points and 21 rebounds to surpass Lisa Leslie as the league's all-time leader in playoff scoring and boards.

After a season high in points wasn't enough for Washington in its last game, the team could get on track in Indiana given its recent regular-season success there.

The Mystics, who lost by two at Indiana in their preseason finale, dropped their second in three games with an 86-82 home loss to Tulsa on Friday. They posted their highest point total since July 25 when they also scored 82 in a win over the Shock.

The Mystics had a one-point lead with 45 seconds left after Tierra Ruffin-Pratt went made one of two foul shots, but Tulsa rallied from there with a jumper and three free throws to prevent them from tying Connecticut atop the East.

Emma Meesseman led Washington with 24 points and 10 rebounds and Stefanie Dolson had 11 points and nine boards, but the team went 4 of 20 from beyond the arc.

Prior to Tulsa's offensive outburst, the Mystics had been allowing 68.8 points per game and 34.8 percent shooting.

WNB HEAD TO HEAD

Aug 25, 2014 Score ATS Results
WAS 0 Over: 0
IND « 0 Cover: 0
Tools:

Aug 23, 2014 Score ATS Results
IND « 81 Cover: 8
WAS 76 Over: 157
Tools: Recaps

Aug 21, 2014 Score ATS Results
WAS 73 Cover: 0
IND « 78 Over: 151
Tools: Recaps

Aug 8, 2014 Score ATS Results
WAS « 74 Cover: 18
IND 61 Under: 135
Tools: Recaps

Jul 2, 2014 Score ATS Results
IND « 80 Cover: 7
WAS 77 Over: 157
Tools: Recaps

Jun 6, 2014 Score ATS Results
IND « 64 Cover: 7
WAS 61 Under: 125
Tools: Recaps

May 23, 2014 Score ATS Results
WAS « 79 Cover: 19.5
IND 63 Under: 142
Tools: Recaps

[StarDust Bum]

5 torn ACLs later, Jacki Gemelos finally makes WNBA roster

Jacki Gemelos nearly gave up on her goal of reaching the WNBA.

Who could blame her? Most players might feel the same way after suffering five ACL tears.

Yes, five. Yet she persevered. And now the 26-year-old guard has finally achieved her dream, signing with the Chicago Sky on Wednesday.

The Sky had brought her in as a free agent to training camp before she was the final cut. General manager and coach Pokey Chatman knew she wanted Gemelos in a Chicago uniform and when guard Allie Quigley left to play for Hungary in the Eurobasket tournament this week, a spot opened up on the roster.

"I had tears of joy, tears of every emotion that I felt," Gemelos said about signing her first WNBA contract. "Even when I was putting on the uniform in my first scrimmage, I was tearing up inside. Wearing that jersey and being so close. It was tough when they cut me, but now I'll be able to play in my first real WNBA game. It's going to be hard to keep it together."

Gemelos will get her first chance Friday in Atlanta.

"This has been a day I've been waiting for since I was 7 years old," Gemelos said. "I'm ready for this, this is the next step in my career."

Gemelos had to wait a few extra days to sign with Chicago. The team tried to sign her Friday, but a league rule doesn't allow teams to acquire players who are cut from training camp rosters until 11 days after the season starts. So she had to wait until Wednesday to officially be on a WNBA regular-season roster.

It was hard for Gemelos to imagine this day ever arriving.

Coming out of high school, she was the next big thing for women's basketball. The northern California native averaged nearly 40 points a game as a senior before tearing her ACL for the first time in her final game. That was just the beginning of a long, winding road over the next eight years when she suffered four more ACL tears in college while playing for Southern Cal.

After her third ligament tear at USC, everyone was telling her to call it quits. After one ACL injury, most players aren't the same. Do it more than once and playing again is rarely an option.

"The hardest part for me was when my dad asked me to please stop," she said. "He's the one that drove me to every AAU tournament, killed himself to make sure I was at every practice. He rebounded for me every day since I was a little girl."

It would have been easy for Gemelos to feel sorry for herself and feel she's cursed. Heck, even the family dog — a cocker spaniel named Oliver she had growing up — tore his ACL at one point.

Still, Gemelos never gave up, a trait she learned from her parents. Her father, Steve, overcame prostate cancer. Her mother, Linda, beat cancer twice and survived a stroke.

In 2012, her agent Allison Galer set Gemelos up with physical therapist Fabrice Gautier, who helped her rehab again. She's been healthy ever since.

"She is resilient and perseveres in the face of seemingly impossible odds," Galer said. "I am constantly amazed by her, she is an inspiration."

Gemelos was drafted in the third round by the Minnesota Lynx in 2012. She wasn't healthy enough to play and the Lynx brought her back in 2013, but cut her in training camp. Not discouraged, Gemelos played in Greece in the winter and spring and had a great season.

The Atlanta Dream, who were coached by her former college coach Michael Cooper, gave her another tryout last season. She was cut again.

"That cut the deepest," Gemelos said of being released by the Dream. "I didn't know if I could keep going. I felt like I had been let down by basketball so many times. I questioned if it was worth it."

But once again, she persevered.

Gemelos said she took a month away from the game she loved. It was her first break, not because of an injury, since she was 7. That re-energized her and she knew she wasn't done.

"Being away really helped me refocus," she said. "I got myself back in gear and had a great opportunity to play in Italy, so I had to take that."

Gemelos put up great numbers in the Italian League that also featured WNBA rookie of the year Chiney Ogwumike. She was teammates with New York Liberty center Carolyn Swords, who was impressed with Gemelos.

"Jacki's one of the most resilient players I've ever met. To go through all those injuries and exhausting rehab, it's really commendable," said Swords. "She's done it with a smiling face and is very positive. She's a great teammate, very talented, a gifted athlete. I'm rooting for her."

Gemelos averaged 14 points, 5.8 rebounds and 2.9 assists for Umbertide and her play caught the eye of Chatman.

"I remembered seeing her play in high school when I was coaching at LSU," Chatman said. "I was trying to get one of her other AAU players knowing we had no chance of getting her. To see what she's been through, it really is a remarkable story."

One that now has a happy ending with Gemelos finally getting a chance in the WNBA.

[StarDust Bum]

WNBA on NBA TV: Previewing Sunday’s Four-Game Father’s Day Slate

With the NBA champion crowned, it’s time for #SummerHoops to take center stage. And the WNBA delivers this weekend with 11 games, including four on Sunday on NBA TV to cap Dads & Daughters Week across the league.

Here’s what to watch for in each matchup:

New York Liberty @ Atlanta Dream (3 PM ET)

Righting the Ship?

Atlanta’s slow start has been one of the early surprises of the 2015 season. The Dream have struggled on both ends, but their shaky offense — with a league-leading 19.3 turnovers per game entering the weekend — has been their undoing, especially for a team that banked on its continuity. Head coach Michael Cooper needs his championship-caliber offense to start flowing.

Starry Afternoon:

Two of the league’s top five scorers (as of 6/19) will face off in this matchup, and both bring a unique skill set to appreciate. No one is more dangerous in the open floor than Angel McCoughtry, while Tina Charles rules the post for the Liberty. They won’t match up directly, but Charles’ battle with fellow All-Star center Erika de Souza will be a highlight.
Bench Brigade:

When these two teams met on opening night, it wasn’t the stars but the bench that made the difference. New York’s subs outscored Atlanta’s 44-10 in the 83-72 victory, and depth is a major reason why the Liberty have returned to form while the Dream are still searching for answers.

Connecticut Sun @ Los Angeles Sparks (5 PM ET)

Sunny Days:

The Sun have been the feel-good story of the season thus far, rising to the top of the Eastern Conference despite missing injured star Chiney Ogwumike. Alex Bentley, Kelsey Bone and others have picked up the slack, and Connecticut boasts the league’s second-best defense entering the weekend.

Searching for a Spark:

In L.A. the absences have simply been too much to overcome. With Nneka Ogwumike and Candace Parker sidelined, the Sparks have struggled defensively and especially struggled to score the ball. They will need Alana Beard to return from a foot injury or Jantel Lavender and Erin Phillips to step into leading roles.

Gray Area:

It was difficult to know what to expect from former Duke star Chelsea Gray as she returned from a knee injury, but the guard has been electric in limited minutes through five games. Gray, who missed all of last season while rehabbing, is averaging 9.2 points, 1.4 assists and a steal in just 15.0 minutes per game — numbers that could skyrocket as she works her way back to full strength.

Tulsa Shock @ Minnesota Lynx (7 PM ET)

Sky vs. Maya:

When these two teams meet, the spotlight will always be on two of the league’s brightest stars. Of course, this is a matchup of the Lynx versus the Stars, but Diggins versus Moore in prime time is as good as it gets in the WNBA. Both will look to break out after a relatively quiet first two weeks.


Playoff Preview?

Tulsa’s rise appears to be happening even faster than expected, meaning Sunday’s game could very well serve as a playoff preview. Minnesota and Tulsa sit atop the Western Conference and have the type of balanced talent that should make them top contenders for the title come the fall. But are the Shock ready to take down the two-time champs on the road?

Dominating the Glass:

Don’t forget that the Shock are more than just run-and-gunners led by the dynamic backcourt of Diggins and Odyssey Sims. This team can just as effectively punish opponents in the paint, as it showed in a historic (record 30 offensive rebounds) performance against the Stars. Look for Courtney Paris, the league’s leading rebounder, to try to make her mark, and for Rebekkah Brunson to try to slow her down.

Phoenix Mercury @ Seattle Storm (9 PM ET)

Student vs. Teacher?

Games like this are invaluable for a growing team like Seattle to gain experience against a veteran-laden defending champ. The Mercury are vulnerable, but hanging with them will be a tough task for the Storm after blowout losses to the West’s other contenders, Minnesota and Tulsa, earlier this month.


On Guard:

In her seventh WNBA season, 30-year-old Leilani Mitchell has found new life in the Mercury’s system, averaging a career-high 12.3 points per game entering the weekend while lighting it up from downtown (league-leading 2.8 threes per game, 50% 3FG). Sue Bird, the ultimate vet, will have her hands full, and facing Mitchell will be another rookie test for No. 1 pick Jewell Loyd.


The Turnover Battle:

Youth vs. experience may show up most in the turnover column. Phoenix has coughed it up just 10.5 times per game while forcing 15.8 per game; Seattle has 67 turnovers compared to 55 forced. The Mercury know how to get the ball to their current dynamic duo of DeWanna Bonner and Candice Dupree in the right places at the right times.

[StarDust Bum]

Standings

EASTERN CONFERENCE

Team W L PCT GB CONF HOME ROAD L-10 STREAK

Connecticut Sun 5 1 0.833 0 3-1 2-1 3-0 5-1 W 5

Washington Mystics 3 2 0.600 1.5 3-1 1-2 2-0 3-2 L 1

New York Liberty 3 3 0.500 2 2-3 3-2 0-1 3-3 L 2

Indiana Fever 3 4 0.429 2.5 2-3 1-2 2-2 3-4 W 2

Atlanta Dream 3 4 0.429 2.5 2-4 2-2 1-2 3-4 W 1

Chicago Sky 2 3 0.400 2.5 2-2 1-0 1-3 2-3 L 1


WESTERN CONFERENCE

Team W L PCT GB CONF HOME ROAD L-10 STREAK

Minnesota Lynx 5 1 0.833 0 4-1 2-0 3-1 5-1 W 2

Tulsa Shock 5 1 0.833 0 3-1 3-0 2-1 5-1 W 5

Phoenix Mercury 2 3 0.400 2.5 2-0 2-1 0-2 2-3 L 1

Seattle Storm 2 3 0.400 2.5 2-2 1-1 1-2 2-3 L 1

Los Angeles Sparks 0 3 0.000 3.5 0-3 0-2 0-1 0-3 L 3

San Antonio Stars 0 5 0.000 4.5 0-4 0-2 0-3 0-5 L 5