The Bum's Sports Page For Thursday July 23rd Best Bets-Trends-News !

[StarDust Bum]

MLB betting cheat sheet: Giants making their move

Jul 23, 2015

Here's a comprehensive look at betting notes for the weekend major-league schedule:

Giants Making Their Move

San Francisco started off the month of July with a seven game losing streak, and it looked as though the Dodgers would run away with the NL West. They've since won nine of 11, moving to within 2.5 games of Los Angeles.

Hunter Pence returned to the lineup on July 7, and he's batting .304 with three home runs and 13 RBIs during that span.

With the Giants hosting Oakland over the weekend, they could gain even more ground on the Dodgers who are on the road in New York.

Fish Out Of Water

The Marlins might not be the hottest team in the majors, but if bettors thought that fading the Fish would be easy money after Stanton's injury, they were sadly mistaken.

Miami is 10-10 over it's last 20 games, and they are 4-8 since losing Dee Gordon. That might make you think twice about laying the chalk to bet against Miami.

Pujols Turning Back The Clock

The 35 year old has taken over the major league lead with his 28th and 29th home runs in a win over Boston on Monday. Pujols hit a major league best 47 in 2009, and a National League best 42 in 2010.

The Angels host Texas this weekend, and Albert has good numbers against the Rangers' Game 1 starter. Colby Lewis will toe the rubber for the Rangers on Friday, and Pujols is 9-for-20 (.450) with three home runs and seven RBIs lifetime versus the right-hander.

Pitching Notes

* Zack Greinke's scoreless streak is at 43 2/3 innings, and his next start comes in New York on Friday. He tossed seven scoreless innings in a win over the Mets earlier this year, and he's 2-0 with a 1.89 ERA in three starts against the Mets over the last three seasons.

* Felix Hernandez is having himself another stellar season, but he's costing bettors money lately. The right-hander only has one win in his last five starts, and the Mariners have lost six of his last 10. He's scheduled to face the Blue Jays at home on Friday, and he allowed one run on four hits over seven innings in a win over the Jays in Toronto earlier this season. The Jays lineup is hitting just .216 over a combined 241 at bats in past meetings.

Hitting Notes

* Buster Posey is crushing opposing pitchers here in the month of July, batting .396 with a pair of home runs and 12 RBIs. He'll face right-hander Jesse Chavez in Game 1 on Friday, and he's hitting .329 with a dozen home runs and 55 RBIs versus right-handed pitching this year.

* Mark Teixeira is not far off the pace in the home run race, with 24 so far. He's been swinging a hot bat this month, hitting .298 with five home runs and 11 RBIs. He'll face the Twins this weekend, and he's 4-for-7 lifetime versus Tommy Milone, who is scheduled to start Saturday's game.

Totals Streak

The Pirates will host the Nationals over the Weekend, and Pittsburgh has seen the total go under at a rate of 18-7-1 in their last 26 home games. The Nats come in banged up, missing several key hitters. It would come as no surprise if we saw a few pitcher's duels at PNC Park.

Weather Watch

* Forecasts are calling for wind to blow out to centerfield at around 10 miles per hour at Wrigley Field when the Chicago Cubs host the Philadelphia Phillies Friday.

* Saturday's forecast shows wind blowing in from right field at around 11 mpm at Fenway Park when the Boston Red Sox host the Detroit Tigers.

Injury Notes

* Injuries are piling up for the Nats, with Dernard Span, Ryan Zimmerman, Jayson Werth and Anthony Rendon all sidelined with various ailments. They can ill afford to lose Yunel Escobar who leads the team batting .321, but he left Wenesday's game with a sore wrist and wasn't expected to be in Thursday's starting lineup.

* David Peralta took a Jose Fernandez fastball to the head on Wednesday night, and he's listed as day to day pending concussion protocol.

[StarDust Bum]

Duquette: Orioles will be buyers at deadline

Jul 22, 2015

NEW YORK -- A report surfaced about the Baltimore Orioles and their willingness to trade right-hander Kevin Gausman.

When it was mentioned to executive vice president Dan Duquette, it was news to the man responsible for shaping the Orioles' roster.

The biggest news that emerged from Duquette's comments Wednesday was that despite the team being around .500, he plans to be a buyer until next week's non-waiver trade deadline.

"We're still contenders for the playoffs, and we are going to approach our season as though we're going to advance to the playoffs, so we're going to continue to build and add to our team where we can," Duquette said before the Orioles' 4-3 loss to the New York Yankees.

Duquette's viewpoint will not change regardless of how Baltimore's nine-game trip finishes up.

"I don't think so, because there's a lot of baseball to be played and there's a lot of teams in the hunt," he said. "When you're a few games off the pace and you have a team that gets (players) or you have a couple of additions that you make to your ballclub and now you're winning the close games, you can turn your season around, so we're still in there. We're still competing."

The Orioles were buyers at the previous three deadlines.

In recent years, Duquette obtained relievers Andrew Miller and Francisco Rodriguez, starter Bud Norris and designated hitter Jim Thome.

So now that Duquette's stance is known, the question is what the Orioles need.

Some production from the corner outfield positions would not hurt after the Orioles did not re-sign free agent left fielder Nelson Cruz and right fielder Nick Markakis last winter. Baltimore has started six players in both right field and in left field.

While the right fielders have combined for a .285 average with 13 home runs and 41 RBIs, Baltimore's left fielders have combined for a .216 mark with eight home runs and 25 RBIs after that group batted .271 with 30 home runs and 81 RBIs last year.

"There's no question about that, so if we can improve (with a) trade in that area, that's something we need to take a look at," Duquette said.

[StarDust Bum]

Orioles can't get the job done against right-handers

The Baltimore Orioles just can't get the job done when facing right-handed starters, losing nine of their last 10 games against them.

Excluding a 9-3 win over Detroit's Justin Verlander last week, the Orioles were outscored 41-21 in those games.

They face another tough righty Thursday afternoon, when they visit Masahiro Tanaka (6-3, 3.65 ERA) and the New York Yankees. The Orioles, currently +132 dogs, will counter with Ubaldo Jiminez (7-5, 3.29 ERA).

[StarDust Bum]

Angels place 3B Freese on DL, recall 3B Kubitza

The Los Angeles Angels placed third baseman David Freese on the 15-day disabled list Thursday and recalled third baseman Kyle Kubitza from Triple-A Salt Lake.

Freese was hit by a pitch on the right hand in the fourth inning of the Angels' 5-2 victory over the Minnesota Twins on Wednesday, and he immediately came out of the game.

X-rays showed a non-displaced fracture on the tip of his index finger, which was placed in a splint. He will have the splint removed and be re-evaluated in two weeks.

Taylor Featherston is the most likely player to fill in during Freese's absence. However, Featherston is hitting just .134 with a .181 on-base percentage, a .209 slugging percentage, one homer and four RBIs in 58 games this season.

Kubitza hit .207 in 12 games with the Angels in June.

[StarDust Bum]

EVENING RATED GAMES:


Washington - 7:05 PM ET Pittsburgh -182 500 DOUBLE PLAY
Pittsburgh - Under 7 500

Chi. White Sox - 7:10 PM ET Cleveland -134 500 GRAND SLAM
Cleveland - Over 7.5 500

LA Dodgers - 7:10 PM ET NY Mets +232 500 DOUBLE PLAY
NY Mets - Over 6.5 500

Kansas City - 7:15 PM ET St. Louis -145 500 *****
St. Louis - Over 7 500

Boston - 8:10 PM ET Boston +120 500 *****
Houston - Under 7.5 500

Milwaukee - 9:40 PM ET Milwaukee -133 500 GRAND SLAM
Arizona - Over 8 500

Miami - 10:10 PM ET San Diego -151 500 DOUBLE PLAY
San Diego - Under 6.5 500 DOUBLE PLAY

[StarDust Bum]

Diamond Trends - Thursday

July 23, 2015


SU TREND OF THE DAY:

-- The Royals are 13-0 since April 25, 2014 on the road after a game in which they drew 1 or fewer walks and it is the first game of a series.

PITCHER TREND OF THE DAY:

-- When Clayton Kershaw starts the Dodgers are 14-0 since June 08, 2014 after he had a WHIP of less than one his last start and they won in his previous start.

MLB BIBLE ACTIVE TREND:

-- None

CHOICE TREND:

-- When Masahiro Tanaka starts the Yankees are 0-10-3 OU since May 20, 2014 when he pitched at least six innings and allowed no more than six hits last start.

ACTIVE TRENDS:

-- The Indians are 0-11 SU since Apr 13, 2014 when they are off an away game in which they scored in at least five separate innings.

-- The Pirates are 11-0 OU since Jun 11, 2013 at home when they are off a loss in which they scored first and in the first game of a series.

[StarDust Bum]

Big Unit finds life in focus after HOF

July 23, 2015

PHOENIX (AP) With great enthusiasm, in great detail, Randy Johnson talks of watching through a camera lens as wild dogs in Africa chased a leopard from the carcass of a gazelle, and how the leopard stayed warily nearby for his chance to salvage what food it could. He witnessed female lions work to extract a dead baby elephant floating down a river, the male lion watching from above on a nearby ridge.

He has photographed rock star friends from onstage and taken his cameras on USO tours to military installations around the world.

Somewhere along the way, Johnson's intimidating glare faded away. Often a broad smile was in its place.

Johnson clearly is enjoying life after baseball.

''As you know, I was extremely intense when I played. I just felt like I was wired that way,'' said Johnson, who will be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame this weekend. ''Since I retired I'd like to think that I'm not wound as tight because the expectations of whatever those expectations are every fifth day aren't there anymore. `'

Mark Grace played against Johnson before becoming a teammate on Arizona's 2001 World Series championship team.

''Randy played with fury,'' said Grace, now the Diamondbacks' assistant hitting coach. ''I couldn't play angry. I'd have been swinging at everything if I'd played angry. But he had to be that way. That's what worked for him.''

He was moody and could be short with reporters, and God forbid if some novice scribe ventured to Johnson's corner of the clubhouse the day before he was to pitch.

When he left baseball, photography was a natural outlet for Johnson. He had been a photojournalism major at USC.

''I'm not any good, I just enjoy it,'' he said. ''I really kind of look at it as a great outlet and it was a great way to go into that from baseball.''

As in baseball, ''I have a game plan of what I'm doing,'' he said.

''And I have that tunnel vision and I'm looking through that camera lens at my subject matter, `' Johnson said. ''On the day I pitched I was looking at the catcher's glove and I was extremely focused. So there's some parallels to both of those. I think It's a good release for me to do something I enjoy doing, and there's really no expectations, either.''

It's no private hobby for a man who had led such a private life away from the ballpark when he was playing.

He has a website, rj51photos.com, to exhibit his work. He's also on Instagram and plugs it in interviews.

There, you will find that majestic leopard, a piece of the ill-fated gazelle's ribcage in its mouth. There's another photo of a surfer riding a big wave. And Ozzy Osbourne riding on Johnson's back, making an obscene gesture at the camera. There are photos of wounded veterans. Johnson is a big supporter of the Wounded Warriors program and will have wounded soldiers among his guests at his Hall of Fame induction ceremony.

When he left the game, Johnson for years kept baseball at arm's length, as if to be decompressing from 22 years of professional play, a time he worked tirelessly to condition his body, hone his craft and maintain that searing inner strength.

Only in recent years has he eased back into it.

This year, as his first-ballot Hall of Fame election was announced, Johnson was hired by the Diamondbacks as a special assistant to team President Derrick Hall.

His duties include working with players in the Diamondbacks farm system, often assuring them he had many struggles before reaching the top of his profession.

''He let us know early on his greatest interest was going to our affiliates and spending time with our youngsters,'' Hall said. ''He has made some trips for us and spent time with the pitching staffs. His success and experience have been widely embraced and his influence is already being felt.''

Johnson won four consecutive Cy Young Awards, pitched a perfect game and won a World Series with the Diamondbacks, who will retire his No. 51 on Aug. 8.

First, there is business to take care of in Cooperstown.

And, yes, Johnson will take his cameras along.

''I will have the greatest vantage point of anybody, being on stage, and I would like to share these moments with anybody that's interested,'' he said. ''So I will be snapping away and taking pictures of my other three inductee brothers. And then maybe a selfie or two of me and the forty, fifty thousand people that are in the field on Hall of Fame Day.''