The Bum's Sports Page For Friday August 5th Best Bets-Trends-News !

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Diamondbacks (51-54) at Nationals (55-50)
Game: 3
Venue: Nationals Park
Date: August 05, 2015 7:05 PM EDT

The Washington Nationals have proved too inconsistent to stay atop the NL East and even their most reliable starter of late hasn't pitched too deep in recent outings.

Gio Gonzalez will try to last a little longer in Wednesday night's matchup against the Arizona Diamondbacks while earning a fifth consecutive win.

Washington (55-50) has watched its three-game lead in the division evaporate during a 6-11 stretch and fell out of first place with its fourth consecutive loss in Monday's opener. The Nationals rebounded Tuesday to stay within a game of the New York Mets with a 5-4 victory, and Wilson Ramos provided the tiebreaking two-run single in the eighth.

Gonzalez, 4-0 with a 1.51 ERA in his last six starts, looks to help the Nationals possibly close that gap while winning five consecutive decisions for the first time since May 2012.

Gonzalez (8-4, 3.75 ERA) is the Nationals' only pitcher with more than one win in the past 17 games, but he hasn't pitched past the fifth inning in his last two starts.

He gave up one run Friday but needed 105 pitches to get through 4 2-3 innings in a 2-1 loss in 12 innings to the Mets, the opener to a three-game road sweep.

"I put my team in a tough situation," Gonzalez told MLB's official website. "I have to go deep in the game. I kept falling behind every hitter. No excuses. This is on me. I should have gone deeper in the game and should have given us a chance."

The left-hander gave up five runs in five innings at Arizona on May 13 and did not get a decision in a 9-6 victory.

He's 4-1 with a 1.67 ERA in his last five starts in the nation's capital and 1-0 with a 1.35 ERA in his two home matchups against Arizona (51-54) since joining the Nationals in 2012. Washington has won nine of its last 11 home matchups and 17 of 23 overall.

Rubby De La Rosa (8-5, 4.59) tries to win three consecutive decisions for the first time since opening his career 3-0 in 2011.

The right-hander nearly had his modest streak end Friday in Houston when he gave up four runs in the fifth of his six innings, but his teammates rallied for a 6-4 victory, the last of Arizona's six in a row.

The Diamondbacks have dropped three of four since and Paul Goldschmidt struck out in all four at-bats Tuesday while dropping to 0 for 15 in four games this month.

Goldschmidt, batting an NL-best .335 with 77 RBIs, finished a home run shy of the cycle against Gonzalez in May.

"It's a long season, just keep going and hopefully come out (Wednesday) and play better," he said.

De La Rosa got a 14-6 win in his only start against Washington on May 12, allowing four runs in seven innings. Bryce Harper had a two-run homer and a double off him.


SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Diamondbacks at Nationals
Mon, Aug 3 Final 6 to 4
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Diamondbacks at Nationals
Tue, Aug 4 Final 4 to 5
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Diamondbacks at Nationals
Wed, Aug 5 - 7:05PM EDT

GAME 4
Diamondbacks at Nationals
Thu, Aug 6 - 4:05PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Dodgers (60-46) at Phillies (42-65)
Game: 2
Venue: Citizens Bank Park
Date: August 05, 2015 7:05 PM EDT

Although they occupy opposite ends of the standings, the Los Angeles Dodgers wish they were as hot as the Philadelphia Phillies right now.

Philadelphia looks to continue its second-half surge Wednesday night against the Dodgers.

Three games against MLB-worst Philadelphia (42-65) appeared to give Los Angeles (60-46) a prime opportunity to extend its NL West lead, but instead its advantage over San Fransisco was cut to two games with Tuesday's 6-2 series-opening loss.

The rebuilding Phillies are 17 games out of a wild-card spot, but are a major league-best 13-3 since the All-Star break, matching their win total from the previous 52 games.

Maikel Franco hit a tiebreaking grand slam in the seventh inning Tuesday, lifting Philadelphia to its ninth win in 11 home games.

"It's amazing for me," Franco said. "I knew it was going out. I knew I hit it good."

Franco is hitting .282 with 12 homers and his 44 RBIs are the most by a Phillies rookie since Carlos Ruiz had 54 in 2007.

"We know what he is. He's a gamer," interim manager Pete Mackanin said. "This game he likes to play. He does not feel sorry for himself. He doesn't pout. He goes up there to do damage."

Fellow rookie Odubel Herrera has a .367 average with eight runs in the last seven games. He had an RBI double Tuesday.

Brett Anderson (5-6, 3.14 ERA) will attempt to cool Philadelphia.

The left-hander shook off a sore Achilles and allowed two runs in seven innings of a 2-0 loss to Oakland on July 28.

The injury ended Anderson's previous start after 2 2-3 innings a week earlier but an MRI showed no structural damage.

"The stuff wasn't great, but coming off an injury scare and being able to get ground balls, I'll take it," Anderson told MLB's official website. "It's one of those things I'll have to monitor going forward. Everybody has nicks at this point."

Anderson allowed four runs in five innings of a 7-2 loss in his only meeting with the Phillies on July 7.

Jimmy Rollins, hitting .341 in the last 11 games, went 2 for 5 Tuesday in his return to Philadelphia after being traded to the Dodgers over the winter. He's 7 for 20 with a homer, three doubles and five RBIs in five games against his former team.

The Phillies are giving the ball to Aaron Harang (5-11, 3.97), who is trying to win consecutive starts for the first time this year.

In the right-hander's first start in four weeks due to a foot injury, Harang allowed one run and nine hits in five innings of Thursday's 4-1 win over Atlanta, ending his eight-start losing streak.

"All his stuff looked sharp," Mackanin said. "He certainly looked like a different guy."

Harang allowed nine runs and 16 hits over 10 1-3 innings in two starts against the Dodgers last season, losing his only decision.

Harang figures to have his hands full with Adrian Gonzalez and Yasiel Puig. Gonzalez is 10 for 23 with three homers and two doubles in this matchup, while Puig is 5 for 6 with a home run and double.


SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Dodgers at Phillies
Tue, Aug 4 Final 2 to 6
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Dodgers at Phillies
Wed, Aug 5 - 7:05PM EDT

GAME 3
Dodgers at Phillies
Thu, Aug 6 - 1:05PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Cubs (58-47) at Pirates (61-44)
Game: 3
Venue: PNC Park
Date: August 05, 2015 7:05 PM EDT

The Chicago Cubs opted against dealing coveted prospects to acquire one of the top-line starting pitchers on the market at last week's trade deadline. They didn't stay quiet, however, as they still managed to make a trade to improve the back end of their rotation for a playoff push.

Veteran Dan Haren will make his Cubs debut Wednesday night as Chicago looks to win seven in a row for the first time in four years by again knocking around the Pittsburgh Pirates' Jeff Locke in the finale of this rain-shortened two-game series at PNC Park.

While the Cubs' top four starters of Jake Arrieta, Jon Lester, Jason Hammel and Kyle Hendricks have combined for a 3.11 ERA, the team has lacked stability from the No. 5 spot with five pitchers taking turns to combine for a 5.05 ERA. Chicago (58-47) believes it has found a reliable option at the back end with Friday's acquisition of Haren from Miami for two minor leaguers.

The 34-year-old Haren (7-7, 3.42 ERA), now on his fifth team in four seasons, led the Marlins in starts and has his lowest ERA since 2011. He ranks 10th in the NL in WHIP (1.09) and went six innings and gave up one run in three of his final five starts for Miami.

"He can pitch, that's the main thing," catcher Miguel Montero, who played with Haren in Arizona, told MLB's official website. "He knows he doesn't have the stuff that he used to, so to survive, he has to pitch, and he does pitch."

The right-hander has been susceptible to the long ball, though, allowing 1.47 homers per nine innings for the league's fourth-worst mark. His fielding-independent pitching rate of 4.59 is also the NL's fifth-worst.

This will be his first start against the Pirates since last July and he's gone 0-3 with a 7.15 ERA in his last four against them.

The Cubs won 5-0 on Tuesday to pull three back of wild card-leading Pittsburgh (61-44) and maintain a half-game lead over San Francisco for the second spot. The Pirates, who lost for just the third time in 14 home games, remained 5 1/2 games behind NL Central-leading St. Louis.

Anthony Rizzo stayed hot by matching a career high with four hits and Starlin Castro had a pair of run-scoring doubles. Rizzo is batting .500 with seven extra-base hits during Chicago's six-game winning streak.

'It's been fun to see how this has developed over the last few years to the point where now we're in contention and playing important games," he said.

Rizzo appears primed for another big game as the Cubs face Locke (6-6, 4.21) looking to push their winning streak to seven for the first time since July 31-Aug. 6, 2011.

Locke is 0-1 with a 10.22 ERA in three starts against Chicago this season - allowing 21 hits and nine walks over 12 1-3 innings - and has a 3.48 ERA against everyone else. Not surprisingly, he been hit hard by nearly every Cubs regular. Castro is 4 for 6 in this season's matchups, Rizzo is 3 for 8 with a homer and double and Dexter Fowler is 4 for 5.

Another sign of trouble is Locke hasn't been pitching well lately. The left-hander is 1-1 with a 5.19 ERA in three starts since the All-Star break after going 2-2 with a 1.59 ERA in his previous six.

Starling Marte had two hits of Pittsburgh's four hits Tuesday and is batting .377 in the last 13 games. He is hitting .389 in 11 games against the Cubs this season with the Pirates losing seven.


SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Cubs at Pirates
Mon, Aug 3 - 7:05PM EDT ( RAIN )

GAME 2
Cubs at Pirates
Tue, Aug 4 Final 5 to 0
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Cubs at Pirates
Wed, Aug 5 - 7:05PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Giants (58-48) at Braves (48-59)
Game: 3
Venue: Turner Field
Date: August 05, 2015 7:10 PM EDT

Madison Bumgarner has been inconsistent on the road lately but will next pitch in a stadium where he's been at his best in recent visits.

Bumgarner will try to lift the San Francisco Giants with another sparkling road start against the Atlanta Braves on Wednesday night.

Bumgarner (11-6, 3.39 ERA) settled down to pitch five scoreless innings Friday in Texas after giving up a combined six runs in his first two. That was enough to send the Giants and their left-hander to a 6-3 defeat.

The reigning World Series MVP went 3-0 with a 2.04 ERA in his prior three starts but is 2-3 with a 5.45 ERA in his last five on the road.

"It was one of those games that he couldn't get settled in early and they took advantage of it," manager Bruce Bochy said.

Bumgarner will try to build on his finish to Friday's start while winning a fifth consecutive decision over Atlanta and helping the Giants (58-48) take two of three from the Braves (48-59). He has a 2.30 ERA and 41 strikeouts in 31 1-3 innings in his last five matchups and is 3-1 with a 1.64 ERA in five lifetime starts in Atlanta, including one in the 2010 playoffs.

Bumgarner hasn't allowed an earned run in his past two games at Turner Field, a combined 13 innings, with the most recent May 4, 2014. He gave up three runs in 6 1-3 innings against the Braves in San Francisco on May 31 and did not get a decision in a 7-5 loss.

After blowing a six-run advantage and two other leads in the series opener, the Giants scored six runs in the final two innings for an 8-3 victory Tuesday. Hunter Pence provided a tiebreaking three-run homer and matched a season high with four RBIs.

That result kept the Giants within a half-game of the Chicago Cubs, who have won six straight to overtake San Francisco, for the NL's second wild card.

The Braves, losers in 17 of 23, have given up double-digit hits in each of their past six games - their longest streak since April 2012 - and a combined 43 runs. That stretch includes Williams Perez's miserable return from the disabled list and his first major league loss Friday.

The rookie right-hander was tagged for nine runs - five more than in any of his other eight starts - in 4 1-3 innings in a 9-3 loss in Philadelphia. Perez (4-1, 4.14) gave up four runs in the first inning and five in his final one after missing a little more than a month because of a bruised left foot.

"I felt rusty," Perez told MLB's official website through an interpreter. "I was able to battle through it and make adjustments from the second inning on. But that last inning kind of fell apart on me."

Perez took an 8-0 win in his only matchup against San Francisco on May 30, yielding four hits in seven innings.

Chris Johnson will try to help give him some support by adding to his five hits - two of them doubles - in his last seven at-bats versus Bumgarner. Jonny Gomes is 7 for 10 lifetime with a pair of homers against the left-hander but is 9 for 48 (.188) in his last 23 games.

The Braves haven't given up double-digit hits in seven consecutive games in a single season since April 12-21, 1990.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Giants at Braves
Mon, Aug 3 Final 8 to 9
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Giants at Braves
Tue, Aug 4 Final 8 to 3
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Giants at Braves
Wed, Aug 5 - 7:10PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Mets (57-50) at Marlins (43-64)
Game: 3
Venue: Marlins Park
Date: August 05, 2015 7:10 PM EDT

As part of a dominant stretch at home, Matt Harvey isn't walking many batters. He's looking to carry that success to the road.

Harvey attempts to snap the longest road losing streak of his career by helping the NL East-leading New York Mets sweep this three-game set with the Miami Marlins on Wednesday night.

Harvey (9-7, 2.91 ERA) is 3-0 with a 1.30 ERA in his last five home starts. The right-hander was outstanding there again Friday, yielding one run with nine strikeouts in 7 2-3 innings of a 2-1 win in 12 against Washington.

Harvey, one win short of a career high, has issued one walk in his last two games after totaling 13 over the previous three.

"I think the last couple outings have been a huge improvement for that," Harvey told MLB's official website. "I think being able to throw the slider and work off of that, and also be able to locate my fastball a little better has made a huge difference."

He'll try to do that on the road, where he's lost three straight starts with nine walks and seven strikeouts in 12 innings over his last two.

Harvey is 1-2 with a 4.14 ERA in six career starts against the Marlins, splitting two this year while allowing eight runs with 18 strikeouts to just one walk over 14 innings.

Miami ranks 14th in the NL in walks with 247.

The Mets (57-50) have outscored opponents 27-7 during a five-game winning streak that's put them one game ahead of second-place Washington in the division race.

New York's 17-2 scoring edge in this series has it seeking a sweep at Marlins Park for the first time since Aug. 31-Sept. 2, 2012. A four-run eighth spurred Tuesday's 5-1 win.

"Our offense is pretty exciting," left-hander Jonathan Niese said. "At any given time during the game they can explode. It's a great feeling."

Lucas Duda is hoping his 2-for-5 effort can start a turnaround on the road, where he's batting .196 with three homers and nine RBIs. He owns a .351 average with nine homers and 12 RBIs in the last 10 games overall.

Juan Lagares' two-run triple in the eighth improved his case to remain in the lineup. He's started just three of his last 10 games but is hitting .348 in his last 18 matchups with Miami.

"I know he's down a little bit because he's not playing, and I understand it," manager Terry Collins said. "I totally get it and as we all know there's one way to get back in the lineup, and that's do what he did."

The Marlins (43-64), losers of nine of 11, could fall into a tie with Philadelphia for the worst record in baseball with a defeat Wednesday.

They're turning to David Phelps (4-7, 3.93), who is 0-4 in seven games - five starts. However, the right-hander isn't entirely to blame, posting a 3.86 ERA with the offense backing him with six total runs.

Phelps has no record and a 2.70 ERA in three starts against the Mets this year.

He's held Duda, Lagares, Yoenis Cespedes and Curtis Granderson to a combined 2 for 30.

New York acquired left-hander Eric O'Flaherty in a trade with Oakland on Tuesday, trying to improve their chances of returning to the postseason.

O'Flaherty was designated for assignment by the A's on Aug. 1 after going 1-2 with a 5.91 ERA in 25 games. He's held left-handed hitters to a .201 average during his career.


SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Mets at Marlins
Mon, Aug 3 Final 12 to 1
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Mets at Marlins
Tue, Aug 4 Final 5 to 1
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Mets at Marlins
Wed, Aug 5 - 7:10PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Cardinals (67-39) at Reds (48-56)
Game: 2
Venue: Great American Ball Park
Date: August 05, 2015 7:10 PM EDT

The St. Louis Cardinals may be running away with baseball's best record, but they have been susceptible to left-handed pitching.

They have had trouble scoring runs recently versus Cincinnati, and Reds starter David Holmberg has enjoyed success against several Cardinals' hitters entering the middle game of this series.

St. Louis (67-39) is 14-14 when opponents have started lefties and was blown away in the ninth inning Tuesday by Aroldis Chapman - who converted his 56th straight save at home - in a 3-2 defeat to see its average against southpaws dip to .238.

Mark Reynolds is hitting .213 against lefties, Kolten Wong is at .233 and Matt Carpenter is batting .238. Jhonny Peralta (.243) and Yadier Molina (.253) have fared slightly better. Lefty-swinging Jason Heyward leads the club with a .300 mark against them and Randal Grichuk is at .294.

Holmberg (1-0, 3.00 ERA) could be poised to take advantage of those woes after going 0-1 with a 1.54 ERA in a start and relief appearance against St. Louis in 2014.

Molina is 1 for 6 in this matchup, Carpenter is 1 for 4 and Peralta is 0 for 4, though Grichuk has a homer in three at-bats.

Holmberg enjoyed a successful season debut Thursday when he gave up two runs over six innings in a 15-5 rout over Pittsburgh as he has taken the place of the departed Johnny Cueto in the rotation.

The Cardinals lost two of three at home to the Reds (48-56) last week, getting shut out twice in a series which featured 10 total runs. The low-scoring nature of this matchup continued Tuesday - Cincinnati got run-scoring doubles from Marlon Byrd and Jay Bruce in a three-run first inning and gave up two runs in the third before holding on.

"It's unfortunate, the damage that was done there in the first," Cards manager Mike Matheny said

Cincinnati has taken five of its last seven while playing the NL's top teams - St. Louis and Pittsburgh.

'It's fun playing the Cards and Pirates,' center fielder Billy Hamilton said. 'We get so motivated playing those guys."

The Reds hitters may not be too motivated to step into the batters' box Wednesday against Carlos Martinez (11-4, 2.61), who starts for St. Louis after going 1-0 with a 2.25 ERA in two April outings versus Cincinnati.

The three runs allowed by Martinez in those games came on homers by Bruce, Hamilton and Zack Cozart, who is currently injured. Bruce is hitless in his other eight at-bats versus Martinez, Joey Votto is 0 for 6 against the right-hander and Brandon Phillips and Todd Frazier each have gone 2 for 12 while combining for 10 strikeouts.

Martinez posted a 1.08 ERA over his previous 11 starts before allowing five runs in five innings and leaving without a decision in Thursday's 9-8 home win over Colorado. He is 6-2 with a 2.44 ERA in nine road starts.

Frazier went 0 for 4 in the series opener to drop to 3 for 30 with 11 strikeouts in his last eight games. Byrd is 8 for 20 with five RBIs in his last five.

Carpenter went deep to give him four homers and seven RBIs in his last five contests.


SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Cardinals at Reds
Tue, Aug 4 Final 2 to 3
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Cardinals at Reds
Wed, Aug 5 - 7:10PM EDT

GAME 3
Cardinals at Reds
Thu, Aug 6 - 12:35PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Astros (60-48) at Rangers (53-53)
Game: 3
Venue: Globe Life Park in Arlington
Date: August 05, 2015 8:05 PM EDT

Scott Kazmir's July was among the best in baseball history so it's not a big surprise that he now leads the league in ERA.

The AL West-leading Houston Astros just want him to help them snap their four-game road skid.

Kazmir looks to extend his shutout streak as the Astros face the Texas Rangers in the finale of this Lone Star Series on Wednesday night.

In five starts last month, Kazmir (6-5, 2.10 ERA) went 2-0 with a 0.26 ERA, the third-lowest for July in major league history.

"This month, being able to use all my pitches and being able to have a feel for them in any count, that's been the key," Kazmir told MLB's official website.

The left-hander has displayed that dominance with the Astros (60-48), tossing 14 2-3 scoreless innings over two starts since being acquired in a trade with Oakland.

He's closing in on the longest shutout streak by a Houston starter since Carlos Hernandez went 17 innings from Aug. 18-29, 2001.

Kazmir limited the Los Angeles Angels to three hits over 7 2-3 innings in a 3-0 win Thursday.

"I felt good every time I went out there," Kazmir said. "Every pitch I was throwing, it felt like I was able to hit the spot I wanted to and just keep hitters off balance. I was able to attack the strike zone early and expand later on, and that gave me success."

Kazmir is 2-0 with a 1.29 ERA and 22 strikeouts in 21 innings over three starts against the Rangers (53-53) this year but this will be his first with Houston.

The Astros have dropped 10 of 11 on the road, including four in a row after falling 4-3 to Texas on Tuesday.

Carlos Gomez is 8 for 23 in five games since moving to Houston in a trade from Milwaukee. The center fielder has four hits in this series, connecting for a solo homer and an RBI double on Tuesday.

He's a .400 hitter in 11 games in Arlington.

The Rangers are back at .500 after winning six of the last seven at home following a 1-12 stretch there. They're two games back of Toronto for the second wild-card spot.

"Five hundred is not where we want to be," manager Jeff Banister said. "It's just a number we've got to get to (in order) to go where we want to go."

Banister gives the ball to Nick Martinez (6-6, 4.01), who is 2-0 with a 1.59 ERA in three starts against Houston and will be pitching on his 25th birthday.

The right-hander earned his first win in seven starts Friday, allowing two runs over 6 1-3 innings in a 6-3 victory over San Francisco. He went 0-4 with a 7.01 ERA in his six prior outings.

"I was able to locate (the inside fastball) for effect and for a strike," Martinez said. "I don't throw 95, so I can't just live outside. I have to throw inside so I can keep guys on their toes on both sides of the plate."

Martinez has had a tough time with Jose Altuve, who is 4 for 10 with three doubles off him.

Texas' Josh Hamilton is 7 for 19 with two homers against Kazmir.


SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Astros at Rangers
Mon, Aug 3 Final 9 to 12
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Astros at Rangers
Tue, Aug 4 Final 3 to 4
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Astros at Rangers
Wed, Aug 5 - 8:05PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Padres (52-55) at Brewers (45-63)
Game: 3
Venue: Miller Park
Date: August 05, 2015 8:10 PM EDT

Though they appear focused on the future, the Milwaukee Brewers have enough pride to make a good showing over the final two months of the season.

They'll look to win consecutive games for the first time in two weeks Wednesday night against the visiting San Diego Padres.

Khris Davis drove in two runs and Jimmy Nelson threw 6 2-3 solid innings as Milwaukee (45-63) snapped a six-game skid with Tuesday's 4-1 victory. It was the third win in 14 games since the Brewers won four in a row July 17-21.

With key offensive contributors Aramis Ramirez, Carlos Gomez and Gerardo Parra traded along with pitchers Mike Fiers and Jonathan Broxton, the Brewers can glance down the road by showcasing some youth while trying to remain competitive in the present. That begins with everybody, no matter the experience level, doing their part.

"Everybody has a role in leadership," manager Craig Counsell told MLB's official website. "That's everybody's job. It's not solely incumbent on a veteran player to do that. A young player can lead by the way he's playing. Leadership is on every player."

The Brewers as an organization would like to give Davis consistent playing time the rest of the way, but the third-year outfielder is batting .160 with 22 strikeouts in his last 19 games.

Talented Milwaukee prospect Taylor Jungmann (5-3, 2.23 ERA) has dropped two straight starts but allowed two earned runs in each, and no more than that amount in nine of 10 starts since making his major league debut June 9. The right-hander has yielded two home runs and struck out 53 over 64 2-3 innings but also walked 21 batters.

He'll face a Padres team that has lost two of the last three since winning seven of eight. Hoping to remain a serious postseason contender, San Diego (52-55) was held to six hits after pounding out 13 in Monday's series-opening 13-5 victory.

The Padres were minus Justin Upton, who sat Tuesday with a sore thumb.

'We missed our 4-hole hitter, that's for sure,' interim manager Pat Murphy said. 'You got to do the little things, especially when your guy is out. We didn't do that.'

Murphy wouldn't say when the All-Star outfielder could return.

"I think he's close," Murphy said. "I think the throwing's more of an issue than the swinging right now."

Upton's teammate Yangervis Solarte has three hits in the set and is batting .405 during a career-high 10-game hitting streak.

San Diego's Ian Kennedy (6-9, 4.44) was reinstated from the paternity list following the birth of his fourth daughter Friday, the same day he allowed a two-run, first-inning homer over seven of an 8-3, 11-inning victory at Miami. The right-hander opted to pitch after his flight to be with his wife was delayed.

"I felt good about it. He's the one who called us back and said he wanted to pitch," Murphy said. "I know he didn't get the win, but that was seven exceptional innings."

Kennedy, 2-0 with a 2.37 ERA in his last three outings, is 1-0 with a 3.60 ERA in four regular-season starts at Miller Park.


SERIES AT A GLANCE
GAME 1
Padres at Brewers

Mon, Aug 3 Final 13 to 5
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Padres at Brewers
Tue, Aug 4 Final 1 to 4
Boxscores

GAME 3
Padres at Brewers
Wed, Aug 5 - 8:10PM EDT

GAME 4
Padres at Brewers
Thu, Aug 6 - 2:10PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

MLB
Armadillo's Write-Up

Wednesday, August 5

National League
Cubs @ Pirates
Haren was 0-2, 4.50 in his last three starts for Miami; seven of his last 10 starts stayed under the total. .

Locke is 1-2, 5.64 in his last four starts; under is 4-1-1 in his last six.

Cubs won five of their last seven games with Pittsburgh; Chicago won its last six games overall (under 5-0-1). Pirates won five of last eight (under 3-0-1 in last four games).

Dodgers @ Phillies
Anderson is 0-2, 4.98 in his last four starts; under is 3-1-1 in his last five.

Harang is 1-6, 7.94 in his last seven starts (over 5-2).

Phillies are 13-3 since All-Star break; over is 3-1-2 in his last six. Dodgers won four of last six games with the Phillies; under is 5-2-1 in last eight. LA won four of its last five games; over is 3-1-1 in their last five.

Diamondbacks @ Nationals
de la Rosa is 2-0, 2.14 in his last three starts; four of his last six went over.

Gonzalez is 4-0, 2.02 in his last six starts.

Washington is 4-8 in last 12 games overall; six of last nine stayed under the total- they won eight of last ten games with Arizona- six of last nine in series went over. D'backs lost six of their last nine games (under 6-3).

Giants @ Braves
Bumgarner is 3-1, 3.65 in his last four starts; under is 5-3-1 in his last nine.

Perez is 1-1, 9.00 in his last three starts; six of his last nine went over.

Giants lost three of last four games with Atlanta; six of last seven went over the total. SF won 15 of last 20 games; under is 5-3-2 in their last ten. Braves lost seven of last nine games (over 4-0-1 in last five).

Mets @ Marlins
Harvey is 2-2, 3.48 in his last five starts; under is 5-3 in his last eight.

Phelps is 0-3, 3.57 in his last four starts (under 3-1); Marlins scored total of five runs in those four games.

Mets won eight of last ten games; four of their last seven went over- they lost four of last seven with Miami- four of last six went over. Marlins lost nine of last 11 games (under 10-5 in last 15 games).

Cardinals @ Reds
Cardinals are 16-3 when Martinez starts; he is 3-1, 2.19 in his last six starts. Under is 8-1-1 in his last ten starts.

Holmberg allowed two runs in six IP (100 PT) in his first '15 start.

St Louis won five of last eight games with Cincinnati; last six series games stayed under. Cardinals won three of last five games; nine of their last 11 stayed under. Reds won five of last seven games; under is 6-1-1 in last eight.

Padres @ Brewers
Kennedy is 2-0, 2.37 in his last three starts; eight of his last nine went under.

Jungmann is 3-2, 2.02 in his last five starts (under 4-1).

Brewers lost 11 of last 14 games; under is 9-1-2 in last 12. Milwaukee is 5-7 in its last 12 games with San Diego (under 9-3). Padres won five of their last seven games (over 6-1).

American League
Royals @ Tigers
Cueto is 1-0, 2.50 in his last three starts; three of his last four went over.

Boyd was 0-2, 14.85 in his two starts for Toronto (over 1-1).

Royals are 6-3 in last eight games with Detroit; seven of last 10 series games stayed under. KC lost four of its last six games overall. Tigers are 3-6 in last nine games overall- they fired their longtime GM this week.

Twins @ Blue Jays
Duffey is making first MLB start; he is 6-8, 2.66 in 21 AAA starts this year. .
Hutchison is 1-1, 8.39 in his last five starts (over 4-1).
Minnesota won six of last ten games with Toronto; three of last four stayed under Twins lost eight of last ten games overall, with last five staying under. Blue Jays won six of last seven games; their last three stayed under.

Red Sox @ Bronx
Wright is 1-3, 6.11 in his last five starts (over 4-1).

Severino is making MLB debut; he was 7-0, 1.91 in 11 AAA starts.

Boston lost seven of its last eight games with Bronx; four of last seven in series stayed under the total. Red Sox won three of last five games; eight of their last nine went over. Bronx won eight of its last nine home games.

Astros @ Rangers
Kazmir hasn't allowed a run in his first two Houston starts (1-0, 14.2 IP); he is 2-0, 0.53 in his last five starts-- six of his last seven stayed under.

Martinez is 1-4, 7.68 in his last six starts (over is 3-1-1 in his last five).

Houston lost six of last eight games with Texas; four of last six went over the total. Astros won five of last eight games (over 5-3). Rangers won six of last seven games; over is 6-4-1 in their last eleven.

Rays @ White Sox
Ramirez is 0-1, 5.00 in his last three starts; three of his last four went under.

Rodon is 1-3, 6.93 in his last five starts; four of his last six went over.

Rays won six of last seven games with Chicago; five of last six went over the total. Tampa Bay won its last three games, scoring 20 runs; five of their last six on road went over. White Sox lost five of last six games; 10 of their last 11 games went over.

Orioles @ A's
Chen is 1-2, 4.80 in his last five starts; under is 8-1-1 in his last ten.

Graveman is 0-3, 7.11 in his last four starts; four of his last five stayed under.

Baltimore won eight of last 11 games; under is 5-2-1 in their last eight road games. A's lost eight of last 12 games; nine of those twelve games stayed under. Orioles lost four of last six games with Oakland; nine of last 12 in series went over the total.

Indians @ Angels
Salazar is 2-2, 2.15 in his last four starts (under 3-1).

Santiago is 0-1, 8.10 in his last two starts; his last five all went over.

Angels lost ten of last 12 games; seven of last ten went over-- they're 6-3 in last nine games with Indians (under 7-5 in last 12). Indians lost nine of last 13 games, with five of last six staying under.

Interleague
Mariners @ Rockies
Walker is 1-1, 6.82 in his last five starts (over 4-1).

Rusin is 0-2, 6.75 in his last five starts; over is 5-3-1 in his last nine.

Rockies are 4-8 in last 12 games; over is 6-1-1 in their last eight. Colorado lost its last four games with Seattle; over is 3-0-1 in last four series games. Seattle won its last three games, scoring 22 runs-- over is 6-3-1 in their last ten.

Win-loss records this year for team with this starting pitcher:
Chi-Pitt-- Haren (10-11 w/Mia); Locke 11-9
LA-Phil-- Anderson 10-10; Harang 6-12 (1-9 last 10)
Az-Wsh-- de la Rosa 12-9; Gonzalez 12-7
SF-Atl-- Bumgarner 12-9; Perez 5-4
NY-Mia-- Harvey 12-8; Phelps 5-12 (0-5 last 5)
StL-Cin-- Martinez 16-3; Holmberg 1-0
SD-Mil-- Kennedy 9-10; Jungmann 6-4

KC-Det-- Cueto (11-9/0-1); Boyd 0-2
Min-Tor-- Duffey 0-0; Hutchison 14-7
Bos-NY-- Wright 2-5; Severino 0-0
Hst-Tex-- Kazmir (10-10/2-0); Martinez 10-9 (2-8 last 10)
TB-Chi-- Ramirez 11-5; Rodon 8-6
Balt-A's-- Chen 12-8; Graveman 8-9 (0-4 last 4)
Clev-LAA-- Salazar 12-7; Santiago 11-9

Sea-Col-- Walker 12-9; Rusin 2-8

Times this starting pitcher allowed a run in first inning:
Chi-Pitt-- Haren 2-21; Locke 4-20
LA-Phil-- Anderson 8-20 (7 of last 9); Harang 6-18
Az-Wsh-- de la Rosa 5-21; Gonzalez 2-19
SF-Atl-- Bumgarner 5-21; Perez 4-9
NY-Mia-- Harvey 6-20; Phelps 6-17
StL-Cin-- Martinez 3-19; Holmberg 0-1
SD-Mil-- Kennedy 7-19; Jungmann 1-10

KC-Det-- Cueto 5-20; Boyd 1-2
Min-Tor-- Duffey 0-0; Hutchison 9-21 (5 of last 7)
Bos-NY-- Wright 3-7; Severino 0-0
Hst-Tex-- Kazmir 2-20; Martinez 6-19 (4 of last 5)
TB-Chi-- Ramirez 4-16; Rodon 5-14
Balt-A's-- Chen 6-20; Graveman 5-17
Clev-LAA-- Salazar 6-19; Santiago 6-20

Sea-Col-- Walker 5-21; Rusin 4-10

Umpires
Chi-Pitt-- Under is 6-2-1 in last nine Randazzo games.
Az-Wash-- Over is 8-3-1 in last twelve Morales games.
LA-Phil-- Seven of last nine Porter games went over.
SF-Atl-- Underdogs are 10-11 (+$240) in Scott games this year.
StL-Cin-- Six of last eight May games stayed under.
NY-Mia-- Underdogs won three of last five BWelke games.
SD-Mil-- Five of last seven Carapazza games went over.

Min-Tor-- Three of last four Woodring games went over.
KC-Det-- Under is 9-5 in last fourteen Foster games.
Hst-Tex-- Last three Reynolds games went over total.
TB-Chi-- Under is 11-6 in last seventeen Hudson games.
Balt-A's-- Under is 7-1-1 in last nine Bellino games.
Bos-NY-- Favorites won last five Danley games; three of last four stayed under the total.
Cle-LA-- Over is 4-1-1 in last six Hoberg games.

Sea-Col-- Road team won last three Pattillo games.

[StarDust Bum]

MLB

Wednesday, August 5

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trend Report
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2:10 PM
TAMPA BAY vs. CHI WHITE SOX
Tampa Bay is 5-0 SU in their last 5 games when playing Chi White Sox
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Tampa Bay's last 6 games when playing Chi White Sox
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Chi White Sox's last 5 games at home
Chi White Sox are 1-8 SU in their last 9 games at home

3:10 PM
SEATTLE vs. COLORADO
Seattle is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Colorado
Seattle is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Colorado's last 5 games when playing Seattle
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Colorado's last 6 games at home

3:35 PM
BALTIMORE vs. OAKLAND
Baltimore is 8-3 SU in its last 11 games
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Baltimore's last 7 games when playing Oakland
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Oakland's last 7 games at home
Oakland is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing Baltimore

3:35 PM
CLEVELAND vs. LA ANGELS
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Cleveland's last 6 games
Cleveland is 4-9 SU in its last 13 games
LA Angels are 6-3 SU in their last 9 games when playing Cleveland
The total has gone OVER in 7 of LA Angels's last 10 games

7:05 PM
CHI CUBS vs. PITTSBURGH
Chi Cubs are 7-15 SU in their last 22 games when playing on the road against Pittsburgh
Chi Cubs are 5-2 SU in their last 7 games when playing Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh is 2-5 SU in their last 7 games when playing Chi Cubs
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Pittsburgh's last 8 games at home

7:05 PM
LA DODGERS vs. PHILADELPHIA
The total has gone UNDER in 17 of LA Dodgers's last 25 games on the road
LA Dodgers are 4-1 SU in their last 5 games
Philadelphia is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Philadelphia's last 5 games when playing at home against LA Dodgers

7:05 PM
ARIZONA vs. WASHINGTON
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Arizona's last 6 games when playing on the road against Washington
Arizona is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Washington
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Washington's last 5 games when playing Arizona
Washington is 8-2 SU in its last 10 games when playing Arizona

7:05 PM
BOSTON vs. NY YANKEES
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Boston's last 9 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Boston's last 5 games when playing on the road against NY Yankees
NY Yankees are 7-1 SU in their last 8 games when playing Boston
NY Yankees are 4-2 SU in their last 6 games when playing at home against Boston

7:07 PM
MINNESOTA vs. TORONTO
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Minnesota's last 5 games on the road
Minnesota is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games on the road
Toronto is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Toronto's last 6 games

7:08 PM
KANSAS CITY vs. DETROIT
Kansas City is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games when playing Detroit
Kansas City is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
Detroit is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Detroit's last 7 games when playing Kansas City

7:10 PM
ST. LOUIS vs. CINCINNATI
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of St. Louis's last 5 games when playing Cincinnati
The total has gone OVER in 7 of St. Louis's last 10 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Cincinnati's last 8 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Cincinnati's last 5 games when playing St. Louis

7:10 PM
SAN FRANCISCO vs. ATLANTA
The total has gone OVER in 5 of San Francisco's last 7 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of San Francisco's last 6 games when playing on the road against Atlanta
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Atlanta's last 6 games when playing at home against San Francisco
Atlanta is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against San Francisco

7:10 PM
NY METS vs. MIAMI
The total has gone OVER in 16 of NY Mets's last 22 games when playing Miami
NY Mets are 4-2 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Miami is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Miami's last 5 games at home

8:05 PM
HOUSTON vs. TEXAS
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Houston's last 8 games when playing on the road against Texas
Houston is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games when playing on the road against Texas
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Texas's last 8 games when playing at home against Houston
Texas is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games when playing at home against Houston

8:10 PM
SAN DIEGO vs. MILWAUKEE
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of San Diego's last 5 games when playing on the road against Milwaukee
The total has gone OVER in 6 of San Diego's last 7 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Milwaukee's last 5 games when playing at home against San Diego
Milwaukee is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games

[StarDust Bum]

MLB
Dunkel

Wednesday, August 5


Arizona @ Washington

Game 953-954
August 5, 2015 @ 7:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Arizona
(DeLaRosa) 13.362
Washington
(Gonzalez) 17.735
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Washington
by 4 1/2
7
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Washington
-160
7 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Washington
(-160); Under

Chicago Cubs @ Pittsburgh

Game 951-952
August 5, 2015 @ 7:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Chicago Cubs
(Haren) 12.135
Pittsburgh
(Locke) 16.837
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Pittsburgh
by 4 1/2
7
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Pittsburgh
-130
7 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Pittsburgh
(-130); Under

LA Dodgers @ Philadelphia

Game 955-956
August 5, 2015 @ 7:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
LA Dodgers
(Anderson) 15.104
Philadelphia
(Harang) 16.262
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Philadelphia
by 1
9
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
LA Dodgers
-190
8
Dunkel Pick:
Philadelphia
(+165); Over

San Francisco @ Atlanta

Game 957-958
August 5, 2015 @ 7:10 pm

Dunkel Rating:
San Francisco
(Bumgarner) 14.449
Atlanta
(Perez) 15.429
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Atlanta
by 1
8
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
San Francisco
-180
7
Dunkel Pick:
Atlanta
(+160); Over

St. Louis @ Cincinnati

Game 959-960
August 5, 2015 @ 7:10 pm

Dunkel Rating:
St. Louis
(Martinez) 16.837
Cincinnati
(Holmberg) 12.980
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
St. Louis
by 4
9
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
St. Louis
-155
7 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
St. Louis
(-155); Over

NY Mets @ Miami

Game 961-962
August 5, 2015 @ 7:10 pm

Dunkel Rating:
NY Mets
(Harvey) 15.932
Miami
(Phelps) 14.425
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
NY Mets
by 1 1/2
7
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
NY Mets
-170
6 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
NY Mets
(-170); Over

San Diego @ Milwaukee

Game 963-964
August 5, 2015 @ 8:10 pm

Dunkel Rating:
San Diego
(Kennedy) 16.592
Milwaukee
(Jngmann) 15.133
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
San Diego
by 1 1/2
7
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Milwaukee
-115
7 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
San Diego
(-105); Under

Tampa Bay @ Chicago White Sox

Game 965-966
August 5, 2015 @ 2:10 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Tampa Bay
(Ramirez) 16.247
Chicago White Sox
(Rodon) 14.837
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Tampa Bay
by 1 1/2
7
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Chicago White Sox
-115
8 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Tampa Bay
(-105); Under

Baltimore @ Oakland

Game 967-968
August 5, 2015 @ 3:35 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Baltimore
(Chen) 13.480
Oakland
(Graveman) 16.604
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Oakland
by 3
6
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Baltimore
-145
7
Dunkel Pick:
Oakland
(+125); Under

Cleveland @ LA Angels

Game 969-970
August 5, 2015 @ 3:35 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Cleveland
(Salazar) 16.500
LA Angels
(Santiago) 14.902
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Cleveland
by 1 1/2
6
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
LA Angels
-125
7
Dunkel Pick:
Cleveland
(+105); Under

Kansas City @ Detroit

Game 971-972
August 5, 2015 @ 7:08 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Kansas City
(Cueto) 15.514
Detroit
(Boyd) 13.180
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Kansas City
by 2 1/2
9 1/2
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Kansas City
-165
8
Dunkel Pick:
Kansas City
(-165); Over

Minnesota @ Toronto

Game 973-974
August 5, 2015 @ 7:07 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Minnesota
(Duffey) 14.732
Toronto
(Hutchison) 16.234
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Toronto
by 1 1/2
10
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Toronto
-200
8 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Toronto
(-200); Over

Boston @ NY Yankees

Game 975-976
August 5, 2015 @ 7:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Boston
(Wright) 15.523
NY Yankees
(Severino) 17.088
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
NY Yankees
by 1 1/2
10 1/2
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
NY Yankees
-185
9
Dunkel Pick:
NY Yankees
(-185); Over

Houston @ Texas

Game 977-978
August 5, 2015 @ 8:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Houston
(Kazmir) 17.515
Texas
(Martinez) 15.549
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Houston
by 2
11
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Houston
-155
9 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Houston
(-155); Over

Seattle @ Colorado

Game 979-980
August 5, 2015 @ 3:10 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Seattle
(Walker) 12.506
Colorado
(Rusin) 16.456
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Colorado
by 4
10
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Seattle
-130
11
Dunkel Pick:
Colorado
(+110); Under

[StarDust Bum]

MLB

Wednesday, August 5

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Game of the Day: Astros at Rangers
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Houston Astros at Texas Rangers (+134, 9.5)

It appears first-place Houston made a solid move in acquiring Scott Kazmir prior to the trade deadline, and the Astros hope the investment continues to pay dividends when they visit the Texas Rangers on Wednesday for the finale of their three-game series. Kazmir, the American League Pitcher of the Month for July whose 0.26 ERA during that period was the third-lowest in the month's history, has yet to allow a run in two starts since joining his hometown team and has dominated Texas.

“He was great coming out of the draft. He had a really good start to his career. He traveled different roads to get to where he is today,'' Astros manager A.J. Hinch told the Houston Chronicle about Kazmir, who was 2-0 in five starts with the Astros and Oakland in July. "Now he’s in the thick of the pennant race pitching for a team that acquired him at the deadline to be a force in his hometown. The story continues to get better. We hope to add another chapter in the rest of the year.” Kazmir on Wednesday must play the role of stopper as the Rangers made it two straight over Houston with a 4-3 victory Tuesday to climb within two games of Toronto for the final wild-card spot and six of the first-place Astros in the AL West. Nick Martinez takes the ball on his 25th birthday Wednesday after snapping a six-start winless streak (0-4) in his last turn for Texas, which has won three straight and five of six while already extending their unbeaten series string to five (4-0-1).

TV: 8:05 p.m. ET, ROOT (Houston), FSN Southwest (Texas)

LINE HISTORY: The Rangers have held steady at their opening number of +134. The total has also stayed put at 9.5 runs.

INJURY REPORT:

Astros - RF G. Springer (Mid Aug, wrist), SP B. Peacock (60-day DL, abdominal).

Rangers - RP T. Scheppers (15-day DL, knee), C R. Chirinos (15-day Dl, shoulder), C C. Corporan (15-day DL, thumb), 1B K. Blanks (15-day DL, Achillies), SP N. Tepesch (60-day DL, elbow), SP D. Holland (60-day DL, shoulder), RF A. Richardson (60-day DL, back), 2B J. Profar (60-day DL, elbow).

WEATHER REPORT: There should be a moderate pitchers wind gusting in from right field at 10 miles per hour. Otherwise, expect clear skies and temperatures in the high 90's at game time.

UMPIRE REPORT: The MLB's best home team ump, Jim Reynolds, will be calling strikes for this game. The home team is 17-4 in the 21 games he has been behind home plate. The over is 17-12-2 in Reynolds' games and he also has a strike rate of 63.23 percent.

PITCHING MATCHUP: Astros LH Scott Kazmir (6-5, 2.10 ERA) vs. Rangers RH Nick Martinez (6-6, 4.01)

Kazmir immediately got a taste of the pennant race when he received a no-decision after allowing three hits and three walks while striking out five in 7 2/3 innings of a 3-0 victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Thursday. That performance - his first in an Astros uniform at Minute Maid Park - followed up a 4-0 victory at Kansas City on July 24, when he permitted three hits in seven frames. The 31-year-old is 11-5 with a 2.98 ERA in 21 starts versus Texas, including 2-0 with a 1.29 ERA in three turns this season while with Oakland, and has little trouble with Prince Fielder (2-for-16), who is second in the AL in batting with a .329 average.

Martinez yielded two runs in 6 1/3 innings of a 6-3 victory over San Francisco on Friday. The Florida native gave up 27 runs in 34 2/3 frames over his previous six starts, with the last five turns during that stretch coming on the road. Martinez is 2-1 with a 1.80 ERA in five games (three starts) versus Houston - all last season.

TRENDS:

* Astros are 1-8 in their last nine road games versus a right-handed starter.
* Rangers are 5-0 in their last five games as an underdog.
* Under is 9-1-1 in the Astros last 11 road games.
* Over is 9-1-1 in the Rangers last 11 games versus a left-handed starter.

CONSENSUS: The public is backing Houston in this AL West showdown, with 63.98 percent of wagers taking the favored Astros.

[StarDust Bum]

MLB

Wednesday, August 5


Pitchers wind at U.S. Cellular Field Wednesday

The pitchers for today's contest between the Tampa Bay Rays and the Chicago White Sox could be given a hand by the wind Wednesday at U.S. Cellular Field Wednesday.

There will be a 10 mile per hour wind gusting in from left field during the game, otherwise, the weather is expected to be clear with temperatures in the high 70's.

The pitchers benefiting from the wind are the Rays' Erasmo Ramirez (3.61 ERA, 5-9 O/U) and the White Sox's Carlos Rodon (4.84 ERA, 8-6 O/U). The total currently sits at 8.0.


White Sox slumping at home

The Chicago White Sox are in a slump at U.S. Cellular Field, going 1-8 in their last nine games there.

The Pale Hose problem during the slump has been pitching, allowing a whopping 7.22 runs per game in those nine games, while scoring just 4.22 runs themselves.

They try to break out of the slump Wednesday afternoon against the visting Tampa Bay Rays.

The White Sox, currently -121 faves, send left-hander Carlos Rondon (4-4, 4.84 ERA) to the mound to take on the Rays right-hander Erasmo Ramirez (8-4, 3.61 ERA).

[StarDust Bum]

MLB
Long Sheet

Wednesday, August 5

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

CHICAGO CUBS (58 - 47) at PITTSBURGH (61 - 44) - 7:05 PM
DAN HAREN (R) vs. JEFF LOCKE (L)
Top Trends for this game.
CHICAGO CUBS are 1445-1600 (-278.9 Units) against the money line in all games since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 223-295 (-79.5 Units) against the money line in August games since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 672-774 (-201.6 Units) against the money line after a win since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 152-166 (-44.2 Units) against the money line after 3 or more consecutive wins since 1997.
HAREN is 186-185 (-41.1 Units) against the money line in all games since 1997. (Team's Record)
HAREN is 65-83 (-41.0 Units) against the money line against division opponents since 1997. (Team's Record)
HAREN is 173-178 (-47.0 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field since 1997. (Team's Record)
HAREN is 123-128 (-35.8 Units) against the money line in night games since 1997. (Team's Record)
PITTSBURGH is 246-190 (+36.9 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 3 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 86-49 (+22.3 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 86-49 (+22.3 Units) against the money line in home games in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 105-76 (+16.4 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 51-35 (+10.3 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
PITTSBURGH is 372-374 (+52.3 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a winning record since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 31-23 (+7.9 Units) against the money line in road games this season.
CHICAGO CUBS are 31-23 (+7.9 Units) against the money line in road games in games played on a grass field this season.
CHICAGO CUBS are 39-25 (+13.4 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
CHICAGO CUBS are 28-22 (+17.6 Units) against the money line in road games against left-handed starters over the last 3 seasons.
CHICAGO CUBS are 69-70 (+5.4 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 19-27 (-13.3 Units) against the money line against division opponents this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
CHICAGO CUBS is 7-4 (+2.8 Units) against PITTSBURGH this season
5 of 9 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+0.5 Units)

DAN HAREN vs. PITTSBURGH since 1997
HAREN is 3-3 when starting against PITTSBURGH with an ERA of 5.28 and a WHIP of 1.379.
His team's record is 5-5 (-2.4 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 3-7. (-4.9 units)

JEFF LOCKE vs. CHICAGO CUBS since 1997
LOCKE is 1-2 when starting against CHICAGO CUBS with an ERA of 5.75 and a WHIP of 1.623.
His team's record is 2-6 (-6.3 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 3-4. (-1.7 units)

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

ARIZONA (51 - 54) at WASHINGTON (55 - 50) - 7:05 PM
RUBBY DE LA ROSA (R) vs. GIO GONZALEZ (L)
Top Trends for this game.
ARIZONA is 115-152 (-30.3 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
ARIZONA is 115-152 (-30.3 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
ARIZONA is 44-83 (-32.6 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
ARIZONA is 11-38 (-24.2 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 28-11 (+13.6 Units) against the money line when playing on Wednesday over the last 2 seasons.
GONZALEZ is 119-83 (+31.5 Units) against the money line in all games since 1997. (Team's Record)
GONZALEZ is 17-4 (+11.1 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
GONZALEZ is 10-1 (+9.9 Units) against the money line when playing on Wednesday over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
GONZALEZ is 17-4 (+11.1 Units) against the money line in home games in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
WASHINGTON is 32-34 (-7.6 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
WASHINGTON is 41-41 (-7.0 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
WASHINGTON is 3-2 (+0.4 Units) against ARIZONA this season
5 of 5 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+5.0 Units)

RUBBY DE LA ROSA vs. WASHINGTON since 1997
DE LA ROSA is 1-0 when starting against WASHINGTON with an ERA of 5.14 and a WHIP of 1.429.
His team's record is 1-0 (+1.3 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-0. (+1.0 units)

GIO GONZALEZ vs. ARIZONA since 1997
GONZALEZ is 2-0 when starting against ARIZONA with an ERA of 2.84 and a WHIP of 1.421.
His team's record is 4-0 (+4.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 3-1. (+2.1 units)

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LA DODGERS (60 - 46) at PHILADELPHIA (42 - 65) - 7:05 PM
BRETT ANDERSON (L) vs. AARON HARANG (R)
Top Trends for this game.
LA DODGERS are 60-46 (-9.3 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
LA DODGERS are 23-28 (-15.8 Units) against the money line in road games this season.
LA DODGERS are 60-46 (-9.3 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
LA DODGERS are 43-35 (-10.9 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
LA DODGERS are 18-23 (-14.2 Units) against the money line in road games against right-handed starters this season.
ANDERSON is 43-55 (-22.4 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field since 1997. (Team's Record)
PHILADELPHIA is 402-378 (+54.8 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season since 1997.
HARANG is 34-21 (+18.0 Units) against the money line when playing on Wednesday since 1997. (Team's Record)
LA DODGERS are 74-39 (+21.9 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 22-44 (-22.3 Units) against the money line when playing on Wednesday over the last 3 seasons.
HARANG is 58-74 (-25.4 Units) against the money line in home games in night games since 1997. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
PHILADELPHIA is 2-3 (+1.3 Units) against LA DODGERS this season
3 of 5 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+1.0 Units)

BRETT ANDERSON vs. PHILADELPHIA since 1997
ANDERSON is 0-1 when starting against PHILADELPHIA with an ERA of 5.40 and a WHIP of 1.600.
His team's record is 0-1 (-2.4 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 0-1. (-1.0 units)

AARON HARANG vs. LA DODGERS since 1997
HARANG is 4-7 when starting against LA DODGERS with an ERA of 4.73 and a WHIP of 1.359.
His team's record is 4-9 (-5.8 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 5-8. (-3.9 units)

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SAN FRANCISCO (58 - 48) at ATLANTA (48 - 59) - 7:10 PM
MADISON BUMGARNER (L) vs. WILLIAMS PEREZ (R)
Top Trends for this game.
ATLANTA is 27-24 (+9.1 Units) against the money line when the total is 7 or less this season.
ATLANTA is 27-21 (+8.7 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
ATLANTA is 27-21 (+8.7 Units) against the money line in home games in games played on a grass field this season.
ATLANTA is 24-15 (+11.7 Units) against the money line in home games in night games this season.
ATLANTA is 14-6 (+9.9 Units) against the money line in home games after a loss this season.
ATLANTA is 53-30 (+20.8 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 158-127 (+21.2 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 77-66 (+17.7 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 29-16 (+13.8 Units) against the money line when playing on Wednesday over the last 2 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 158-127 (+21.2 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 1058-887 (+116.4 Units) against the money line in night games since 1997.
SAN FRANCISCO is 111-88 (+12.1 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 35-23 (+10.7 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 45-21 (+20.0 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
BUMGARNER is 22-9 (+13.9 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
BUMGARNER is 22-9 (+13.9 Units) against the money line in road games in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
BUMGARNER is 27-9 (+16.6 Units) against the money line after a win over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
ATLANTA is 127-142 (-19.0 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
ATLANTA is 3-3 (+1.5 Units) against SAN FRANCISCO this season
5 of 6 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+4.0 Units)

MADISON BUMGARNER vs. ATLANTA since 1997
BUMGARNER is 5-3 when starting against ATLANTA with an ERA of 3.13 and a WHIP of 1.061.
His team's record is 5-5 (-1.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 5-5. (-0.2 units)

WILLIAMS PEREZ vs. SAN FRANCISCO since 1997
PEREZ is 1-0 when starting against SAN FRANCISCO with an ERA of 0.00 and a WHIP of 1.143.
His team's record is 1-0 (+1.4 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-0. (+1.0 units)

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ST LOUIS (67 - 39) at CINCINNATI (48 - 56) - 7:10 PM
CARLOS MARTINEZ (R) vs. DAVID HOLMBERG (L)
Top Trends for this game.
CINCINNATI is 39-27 (+12.6 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
ST LOUIS is 67-39 (+20.4 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
ST LOUIS is 67-39 (+20.4 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
ST LOUIS is 46-28 (+13.0 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
ST LOUIS is 70-44 (+18.2 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 2 seasons.
MARTINEZ is 16-3 (+12.4 Units) against the money line in all games this season. (Team's Record)
MARTINEZ is 16-3 (+12.4 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season. (Team's Record)
CINCINNATI is 368-392 (-95.0 Units) against the money line in home games after a win since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
ST LOUIS is 6-4 (+0.5 Units) against CINCINNATI this season
7 of 10 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+3.6 Units)

CARLOS MARTINEZ vs. CINCINNATI since 1997
MARTINEZ is 1-0 when starting against CINCINNATI with an ERA of 2.25 and a WHIP of 0.917.
His team's record is 2-0 (+2.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-1. (+0.2 units)

DAVID HOLMBERG vs. ST LOUIS since 1997
HOLMBERG is 0-1 when starting against ST LOUIS with an ERA of 3.00 and a WHIP of 1.333.
His team's record is 0-1 (-1.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-1. (-1.0 units)

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NY METS (57 - 50) at MIAMI (43 - 64) - 7:10 PM
MATT HARVEY (R) vs. DAVID PHELPS (R)
Top Trends for this game.
NY METS are 9-27 (-17.5 Units) against the money line in road games in night games this season.
NY METS are 13-26 (-12.4 Units) against the money line in road games against right-handed starters this season.
NY METS are 5-16 (-11.1 Units) against the money line in road games after a win this season.
MIAMI is 51-40 (+17.7 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 7 or less over the last 3 seasons.
MIAMI is 364-417 (+41.6 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season since 1997.
NY METS are 57-50 (+6.8 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
NY METS are 67-55 (+12.1 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
NY METS are 57-48 (+8.8 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
NY METS are 74-51 (+19.7 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
NY METS are 32-15 (+16.0 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
MIAMI is 43-64 (-20.2 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
MIAMI is 43-61 (-17.2 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
MIAMI is 27-43 (-16.3 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
MIAMI is 33-50 (-16.9 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
MIAMI is 22-41 (-17.2 Units) against the money line after a loss this season.
PHELPS is 11-23 (-11.8 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
NY METS is 8-4 (+3.4 Units) against MIAMI this season
7 of 12 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+2.1 Units)

MATT HARVEY vs. MIAMI since 1997
HARVEY is 1-2 when starting against MIAMI with an ERA of 4.14 and a WHIP of 1.270.
His team's record is 1-5 (-7.9 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 2-3. (-1.5 units)

DAVID PHELPS vs. NY METS since 1997
PHELPS is 0-1 when starting against NY METS with an ERA of 4.76 and a WHIP of 1.235.
His team's record is 1-3 (-2.8 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 3-1. (+1.8 units)

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SAN DIEGO (52 - 55) at MILWAUKEE (45 - 63) - 8:10 PM
IAN KENNEDY (R) vs. TAYLOR JUNGMANN (R)
Top Trends for this game.
MILWAUKEE is 45-63 (-17.6 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
MILWAUKEE is 21-34 (-16.9 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
MILWAUKEE is 45-63 (-17.6 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
MILWAUKEE is 33-53 (-20.3 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
MILWAUKEE is 14-25 (-13.5 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
MILWAUKEE is 15-30 (-25.4 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
MILWAUKEE is 1-1 (+0.0 Units) against SAN DIEGO this season
1 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+0.1 Units)

IAN KENNEDY vs. MILWAUKEE since 1997
KENNEDY is 2-4 when starting against MILWAUKEE with an ERA of 3.82 and a WHIP of 1.241.
His team's record is 5-5 (-0.7 units) in these starts. The OVER is 3-7. (-4.6 units)

TAYLOR JUNGMANN vs. SAN DIEGO since 1997
No recent starts.

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TAMPA BAY (54 - 54) at CHI WHITE SOX (50 - 55) - 2:10 PM
ERASMO RAMIREZ (R) vs. CARLOS RODON (L)
Top Trends for this game.
TAMPA BAY is 131-139 (-29.6 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 54-61 (-18.6 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 20-11 (+8.2 Units) against the money line against left-handed starters this season.
RAMIREZ is 11-5 (+7.6 Units) against the money line in all games this season. (Team's Record)
CHI WHITE SOX are 10-22 (-13.8 Units) against the money line in August games over the last 2 seasons.
CHI WHITE SOX are 39-60 (-20.6 Units) against the money line in day games over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
TAMPA BAY is 5-0 (+5.4 Units) against CHI WHITE SOX this season
4 of 5 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+3.1 Units)

ERASMO RAMIREZ vs. CHI WHITE SOX since 1997
RAMIREZ is 0-0 when starting against CHI WHITE SOX with an ERA of 0.00 and a WHIP of 1.155.
His team's record is 1-0 (+1.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-1. (-1.0 units)

CARLOS RODON vs. TAMPA BAY since 1997
No recent starts.

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BALTIMORE (54 - 52) at OAKLAND (48 - 60) - 3:35 PM
WEI-YIN CHEN (L) vs. KENDALL GRAVEMAN (R)
Top Trends for this game.
BALTIMORE is 14-25 (-10.7 Units) against the money line in road games in games played on a grass field this season.
BALTIMORE is 13-27 (-13.6 Units) against the money line in road games against right-handed starters this season.
OAKLAND is 292-222 (+57.0 Units) against the money line in August games since 1997.
BALTIMORE is 154-122 (+34.2 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 47-38 (+15.7 Units) against the money line in road games in day games over the last 3 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 68-53 (+17.7 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 2 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 74-47 (+24.3 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 30-14 (+14.8 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
CHEN is 30-17 (+13.0 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
OAKLAND is 48-60 (-20.8 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
OAKLAND is 24-32 (-17.6 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
OAKLAND is 17-24 (-10.6 Units) against the money line in day games this season.
OAKLAND is 46-58 (-21.3 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
OAKLAND is 9-19 (-12.4 Units) against the money line against left-handed starters this season.
OAKLAND is 2-11 (-11.6 Units) against the money line after shutting out their opponent this season.
OAKLAND is 19-28 (-14.2 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
OAKLAND is 24-31 (-13.2 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
OAKLAND is 1-1 (-0.2 Units) against BALTIMORE this season
1 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=-0.1 Units, Under=-0.4 Units)

WEI-YIN CHEN vs. OAKLAND since 1997
CHEN is 4-0 when starting against OAKLAND with an ERA of 1.69 and a WHIP of 0.938.
His team's record is 4-1 (+3.6 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-3. (-1.1 units)

KENDALL GRAVEMAN vs. BALTIMORE since 1997
No recent starts.

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CLEVELAND (49 - 57) at LA ANGELS (56 - 50) - 3:35 PM
DANNY SALAZAR (R) vs. HECTOR SANTIAGO (L)
Top Trends for this game.
CLEVELAND is 49-57 (-20.3 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
CLEVELAND is 45-57 (-24.4 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
CLEVELAND is 14-24 (-14.0 Units) against the money line against left-handed starters this season.
CLEVELAND is 6-15 (-11.8 Units) against the money line after shutting out their opponent over the last 2 seasons.
CLEVELAND is 20-28 (-15.1 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
CLEVELAND is 23-30 (-11.9 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
LA ANGELS are 154-117 (+17.2 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
LA ANGELS are 87-50 (+24.4 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
LA ANGELS are 41-16 (+17.8 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
CLEVELAND is 28-14 (+12.4 Units) against the money line when playing on Wednesday over the last 2 seasons.
SANTIAGO is 3-11 (-10.5 Units) against the money line in home games after a loss over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
CLEVELAND is 1-1 (+0.1 Units) against LA ANGELS this season
1 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=-0.1 Units, Under=-0.2 Units)

DANNY SALAZAR vs. LA ANGELS since 1997
SALAZAR is 0-1 when starting against LA ANGELS with an ERA of 6.30 and a WHIP of 1.500.
His team's record is 1-1 (-0.2 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-1. (-0.2 units)

HECTOR SANTIAGO vs. CLEVELAND since 1997
SANTIAGO is 1-1 when starting against CLEVELAND with an ERA of 5.48 and a WHIP of 1.653.
His team's record is 1-4 (-3.8 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-4. (-3.9 units)

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

KANSAS CITY (63 - 42) at DETROIT (51 - 55) - 7:05 PM
JOHNNY CUETO (R) vs. MATT BOYD (L)
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
KANSAS CITY is 5-3 (+2.4 Units) against DETROIT this season
5 of 8 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+1.8 Units)

JOHNNY CUETO vs. DETROIT since 1997
CUETO is 0-0 when starting against DETROIT with an ERA of 5.07 and a WHIP of 0.938.
His team's record is 1-0 (+1.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-0. (+1.0 units)

MATT BOYD vs. KANSAS CITY since 1997
No recent starts.

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MINNESOTA (54 - 52) at TORONTO (56 - 52) - 7:05 PM
TYLER DUFFEY (R) vs. DREW HUTCHISON (R)
Top Trends for this game.
TORONTO is 41-18 (+20.4 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
TORONTO is 19-7 (+12.3 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 54-52 (+12.1 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
MINNESOTA is 29-27 (+8.8 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
MINNESOTA is 28-23 (+10.8 Units) against the money line after a loss this season.
MINNESOTA is 22-14 (+12.3 Units) against the money line after 3 or more consecutive losses over the last 2 seasons.
TORONTO is 25-30 (-9.0 Units) against the money line after a win this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
TORONTO is 3-2 (+0.7 Units) against MINNESOTA this season
3 of 5 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+0.7 Units)

TYLER DUFFEY vs. TORONTO since 1997
No recent starts.

DREW HUTCHISON vs. MINNESOTA since 1997
HUTCHISON is 1-0 when starting against MINNESOTA with an ERA of 3.97 and a WHIP of 1.236.
His team's record is 1-1 (-0.3 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-1. (-0.3 units)

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

BOSTON (47 - 60) at NY YANKEES (60 - 45) - 7:05 PM
STEVEN WRIGHT (R) vs. LUIS SEVERINO (R)
Top Trends for this game.
BOSTON is 47-60 (-20.3 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
BOSTON is 35-41 (-14.8 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 20-32 (-11.5 Units) against the money line in road games this season.
BOSTON is 5-12 (-9.3 Units) against the money line when playing on Wednesday this season.
BOSTON is 19-29 (-12.5 Units) against the money line against division opponents this season.
BOSTON is 40-54 (-22.7 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
BOSTON is 31-40 (-13.9 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
BOSTON is 36-43 (-12.9 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
BOSTON is 19-31 (-15.4 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
BOSTON is 24-44 (-18.1 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
NY YANKEES are 60-45 (+5.4 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
NY YANKEES are 55-40 (+5.8 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
NY YANKEES are 22-7 (+10.0 Units) against the money line in home games in night games this season.
NY YANKEES are 36-23 (+9.9 Units) against the money line after a win this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
NY YANKEES is 7-3 (+4.3 Units) against BOSTON this season
6 of 10 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+1.6 Units)

STEVEN WRIGHT vs. NY YANKEES since 1997
WRIGHT is 0-1 when starting against NY YANKEES with an ERA of 0.00 and a WHIP of 1.200.
His team's record is 0-1 (-1.4 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-0. (+1.0 units)

LUIS SEVERINO vs. BOSTON since 1997
No recent starts.

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HOUSTON (60 - 48) at TEXAS (53 - 53) - 8:05 PM
SCOTT KAZMIR (L) vs. NICK MARTINEZ (R)
Top Trends for this game.
TEXAS is 53-53 (+15.6 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
TEXAS is 50-49 (+15.2 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
TEXAS is 41-36 (+17.4 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
TEXAS is 32-19 (+23.9 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
HOUSTON is 60-48 (+8.0 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
HOUSTON is 62-60 (+14.9 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 60-42 (+14.4 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
HOUSTON is 41-31 (+6.9 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
HOUSTON is 38-27 (+11.0 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
TEXAS is 41-65 (-22.8 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 over the last 2 seasons.
TEXAS is 55-77 (-23.6 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons.
TEXAS is 29-54 (-26.4 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 9 to 9.5 over the last 2 seasons.
TEXAS is 5-15 (-10.2 Units) against the money line in home games against division opponents this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
TEXAS is 7-4 (+4.6 Units) against HOUSTON this season
6 of 11 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+0.6 Units)

SCOTT KAZMIR vs. TEXAS since 1997
KAZMIR is 11-5 when starting against TEXAS with an ERA of 2.98 and a WHIP of 1.137.
His team's record is 15-6 (+7.3 units) in these starts. The OVER is 10-8. (+1.7 units)

NICK MARTINEZ vs. HOUSTON since 1997
MARTINEZ is 2-0 when starting against HOUSTON with an ERA of 1.59 and a WHIP of 1.235.
His team's record is 2-1 (+1.4 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-3. (-3.2 units)

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

SEATTLE (50 - 58) at COLORADO (44 - 61) - 3:10 PM
TAIJUAN WALKER (R) vs. CHRIS RUSIN (L)
Top Trends for this game.
SEATTLE is 50-58 (-15.0 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
SEATTLE is 45-57 (-19.5 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
SEATTLE is 17-32 (-20.1 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
SEATTLE is 94-100 (-27.4 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 3 seasons.
SEATTLE is 341-319 (-83.1 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season since 1997.
SEATTLE is 74-62 (+18.4 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
SEATTLE is 20-12 (+13.0 Units) against the money line in road games in August games over the last 3 seasons.
COLORADO is 110-157 (-40.5 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
COLORADO is 2-14 (-12.7 Units) against the money line in an inter-league game this season.
COLORADO is 110-157 (-40.5 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
COLORADO is 62-96 (-28.7 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 2 seasons.
COLORADO is 88-111 (-32.8 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
SEATTLE is 2-0 (+2.0 Units) against COLORADO this season
2 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+2.0 Units)

TAIJUAN WALKER vs. COLORADO since 1997
No recent starts.

CHRIS RUSIN vs. SEATTLE since 1997
No recent starts.

[StarDust Bum]

Stars-Mystics Preview

Washington Mystics coach Mike Thibault is doing his best to try to get his team to think that it won't be easy to repeat last week's 35-point blowout of the San Antonio Stars.

His club will find that hard to believe based on how the Stars opened a two-game trip by again getting pummeled.

The Mystics will be heavily favored to drop the Stars to 0-11 on the road when these teams meet Wednesday night.

Washington (11-7) handed out a franchise-record 30 assists in an 88-53 rout of San Antonio on Friday. Kia Vaughn scored all 15 of her points in a first half that ended with the Mystics up by 22 while Stefanie Dolson finished with 14.

"I kind of told our players that in some ways you have to throw that out the window a little bit," Thibault said.

San Antonio (6-15) had a six-game home win streak snapped that night with its third-lowest scoring output of the season. The Stars played without the suspended Danielle Adams while Alex Montgomery was out with a knee injury.

"We caught 'em at the right time," Thibault said. "We played one of our best games offensively. They're going to be better, I'm sure. They're going to have maybe two players back that they didn't have that game."

The coach may not be correct since Adams didn't play in Tuesday's 82-51 loss at Connecticut even though her suspension is over. Montgomery also remains out.

Jia Perkins scored 15 for the Stars while leading scorer Kayla McBride was held to a season-low two - 11.9 below her average.

The Mystics had a season-high five-game win streak snapped with Sunday's 71-68 loss at Chicago in which Ivory Latta led the way with 19 points. Washington has won three straight at home.

The club entered play Tuesday leading the league with 18.9 assists per game.

"We're playing at a high level in many aspects," Thibault said. "We've been unselfish, we've been moving the basketball. Obviously leading the league in assists is a great stat."

Washington is 4-1 against Western Conference foes while San Antonio is 2-7 versus the East.