The Bum's Sports Page For Friday August 4th Best Bets-Trends-News !

[StarDust Bum]

WNBA

Dunkel

Friday, August 7


Washington @ Connecticut

Game 601-602
August 7, 2015 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Washington
114.376
Connecticut
109.876
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Washington
by 4 1/2
147
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Washington
by 2
142 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Washington
(-2); Over

Atlanta @ Indiana

Game 603-604
August 7, 2015 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Atlanta
102.657
Indiana
114.335
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Indiana
by 11 1/2
163
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Indiana
by 7 1/2
158
Dunkel Pick:
Indiana
(-7 1/2); Over

New York @ Chicago

Game 605-606
August 7, 2015 @ 8:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
New York
110.868
Chicago
118.706
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Chicago
by 8
152
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Chicago
by 5
157 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Chicago
(-5); Under

Minnesota @ Phoenix

Game 607-608
August 7, 2015 @ 10:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Minnesota
118.093
Phoenix
115.104
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Minnesota
by 3
144
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Minnesota
by 1
148 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Minnesota
(-1); Under

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Mystics (12-7) at Sun (10-9)

Date: August 07, 2015 7:00 PM EDT

While the Connecticut Sun hope to build momentum from a historic win, the Washington Mystics kept on surging their last time out.

The Mystics aim for a seventh win in eight games when they visit Mohegan Sun Arena on Friday night for a clash between the WNBA's all-time leader in coaching victories and its newest member of the 200-win club.

Connecticut's Anne Donovan reached the milestone with Tuesday's 82-51 home rout of San Antonio, becoming the league's first female coach and fourth overall to achieve 200 wins. The result was just as important in the standings for the Sun (10-9), who sit a half-game back of Indiana for the Eastern Conference's last playoff spot but have dropped all three season meetings to the Fever.

"It means I have coached a lot of games and it means I have been fortunate enough to coach a lot of great players," Donovan said. "I have been with some great organizations, crossed paths with special people and made numerous lasting relationships. That is what you value the most about this business is the relationships, and that is what it means to me to win 200 games."

The Sun made it easy for Donovan by dominating the Stars on both ends. Connecticut notched a season-best 24 assists, topped by Chelsea Gray's career-high seven, and finished with a 41-25 rebounding advantage. Kelsey Bone grabbed 10 boards to go along with 17 points and six assists.

Bone has averaged 15.7 points over her last 10 games to take over the team scoring lead from fellow All-Star Alex Bentley, who scored 10 points in Tuesday's win after managing nine on 4-of-21 shooting over her previous three contests.

The Mystics (12-7) had a season-high five-game win streak halted with a 71-68 loss at Chicago on Sunday, then bounced back by rallying to beat San Antonio 66-63 on Wednesday for coach Mike Thibault's 251st career victory. The win moved Washington within a game of first-place New York in the East.

Ivory Latta helped the Mystics overcome a 38-27 halftime deficit by netting 15 of her 23 points after the break.

"Coach called my number a few times and to hear my teammates say 'I, lead us, lead us to victory,' it felt really good," Latta told the Mystics' official website.

The Mystics have won both meetings with Connecticut, including a 73-68 victory in Uncasville on June 5, and seven of the last eight in the series. Kara Lawson had a season-high 24 points in Washington's 89-82 home victory over the Sun on July 19, but missed Wednesday's game with a back injury and is uncertain for Friday.


WNBA HEAD TO HEAD

Jul 19, 2015 Score ATS Results
CONN 82 Over: 171
WAS « 89 Cover: 1
Tools: Recaps

Jun 5, 2015 Score ATS Results
WAS « 73 Under: 141
CONN 68 Cover: 1
Tools: Recaps

Aug 15, 2014 Score ATS Results
WAS « 71 Under: 138
CONN 67 Cover: 1.5
Tools: Recaps

Aug 10, 2014 Score ATS Results
WAS 81 Over: 170
CONN « 89 Cover: 11
Tools: Recaps

Jul 23, 2014 Score ATS Results
CONN 75 Over: 164
WAS « 89 Cover: 10
Tools: Recaps

Jun 27, 2014 Score ATS Results
CONN 63 Under: 132
WAS « 69 Cover: 2.5
Tools: Recaps

Jun 5, 2014 Score ATS Results
WAS « 74 Cover: 6.5
CONN 66 Under: 140
Tools: Recaps

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Dream (7-13) at Fever (11-9)

Date: August 07, 2015 7:00 PM EDT

The Indiana Fever have had their share of success at Bankers Life Fieldhouse of late, though the Atlanta Dream have often felt right at home at the venue as well.

Indiana takes aim at a seventh straight home win Friday night when it meets an Atlanta team that hasn't lost in Indianapolis in nearly two years.

The visitor has had the upper hand recently in this series, having won each of the last six meetings. Including a victory in the 2013 Eastern Conference finals, the Dream have prevailed in four straight trips to Bankers Life Fieldhouse.

Winning away from home hasn't been so easy for Atlanta (7-13) this season, however. The Dream have lost four straight on the road to fall to 2-8, and they enter having dropped five in a row overall.

Indiana (11-9), which leads Connecticut by a half-game for the East's final playoff spot, hasn't lost as the host since June 26 and can record its longest home winning streak since a seven-game run in 2010.

The Fever had won three straight and eight of 10 prior to a 106-82 drubbing at rival Chicago on Tuesday. Indiana allowed the Sky to shoot 63.2 percent and permitted 57 first-half points en route to allowing its highest-scoring total of the season.

"It was sort of a combination of them being really good and us not executing the way we needed to execute, and they make you pay for that," coach Stephanie White told the Fever's official website.

Indiana ranks second-to-last in field-goal percentage defense at 45.0, though the Dream's 40.2 percent shooting is the WNBA's second-worst mark. Atlanta shot 36.6 percent in Sunday's 71-68 loss to Phoenix, a game in which it trailed by 18 late in the first half before battling back.

"I thought we did a great job defensively against a team that can put some points on the board," coach Michael Cooper said. "But until we solve our problems for our scoring and stop having those droughts, (that's) when we'll be able to get back on the winning side."

Atlanta did struggle on the defensive end in a 90-79 setback to the Fever on June 16. Indiana shot 50.0 percent and had five double-figure scorers, led by Marissa Coleman's 18 and Maggie Lucas' 17 on a 4-of-7 effort from 3-point range.

Lucas' 43.1 percent shooting on 3s ranks third in the WNBA, with teammate Shenise Johnson second at 44.2.

Fever rookie center Natalie Achonwa, who contributed 12 points to the previous win over Atlanta, will miss the next three games while competing for Canada in the FIBA Americas Championships.


WNBA HEAD TO HEAD

Jun 16, 2015 Score ATS Results
IND « 90 Cover: 16
ATL 79 Over: 169
Tools: Recaps

Jul 12, 2014 Score ATS Results
ATL « 93 Cover: 17.5
IND 74 Over: 167
Tools: Recaps

Jul 1, 2014 Score ATS Results
IND « 77 Cover: 14.5
ATL 70 Under: 147
Tools: Recaps

Jun 29, 2014 Score ATS Results
ATL « 76 Cover: 5
IND 68 Under: 144
Tools: Recaps

May 25, 2014 Score ATS Results
IND « 82 Cover: 13
ATL 77 Over: 159
Tools: Recaps

May 17, 2014 Score ATS Results
ATL « 90 Over: 178
IND 88 Cover: 1
Tools: Recaps

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Liberty (13-6) at Sky (13-8)

Date: August 07, 2015 8:30 PM EDT

With Tina Charles playing at a high level, Epiphanny Prince's emergence as a No. 2 scorer has helped the New York Liberty rise to the top of the Eastern Conference.

The Chicago Sky don't regret trading Prince with Cappie Pondexter enjoying an All-Star season.

As Prince returns to Allstate Arena, the Liberty will try to maintain their slim conference lead Friday night with their second straight road win against Elena Delle Donne and the Sky.

Prince was a two-time All-Star over her five seasons in Chicago before the Brooklyn native was dealt to New York for Pondexter on Feb. 16. She missed the first 10 games, including an 89-81 win at Chicago on June 30, while playing for Russia in the Eurobasket tournament.

The guard has given New York (13-6) a second double-digit scorer behind Charles, who is fifth in the WNBA with 17.8 points per game. Prince has averaged 13.0 points in nine games after scoring 11 with five assists in Sunday's 78-62 home win over Seattle.

The Liberty, who hold a one-game lead over Chicago (13-8) and Washington, have gone 7-2 since Prince's debut. Charles has averaged 20.9 points on 50.3 percent shooting during that stretch, earning East player of the month honors for July.

"My teammates did a great job. I was just following their lead," Charles told the Liberty's official website.

Delle Donne, who leads the league with 24.3 points per game, scored 26 to go with 13 rebounds in June when Chicago lost for the first time in six home meetings. Pondexter added 19 points but shot 6 of 17 in her first matchup against her former team.

New York, which leads the league in defensive field-goal percentage (38.0), held the Sky to 39.4 percent shooting while handing them one of only two losses in 11 home games. Chicago tops the WNBA in scoring (85.7) and field-goal percentage (46.2).

The Sky struggled to contain Charles as she finished with 26 points, 11 rebounds and five assists. Candice Wiggins hit all five of her attempts from 3-point range and Kiah Stokes scored 11 to go along with 10 rebounds for her first career double-double.

Although the Sky have allowed 83.6 points over the last seven games, they're seeking a third straight win after shooting 63.2 percent in Tuesday's 106-82 home victory over Indiana.

Delle Donne had 19 points, six rebounds and six assists, while Pondexter and Jamierra Faulkner added 16 points apiece in the team's highest-scoring effort of the season.

"The good thing about (Tuesday) is that the defense was connected to us converting offensively," coach Pokey Chatman said.

Chicago, though, could have a tough time matching that effort against a New York team that ranks third in the league with 71.1 points allowed per game.

The Liberty enter with a league-best plus-6.47 rebounding margin while Chicago ranks second at plus-3.1.


WNBA HEAD TO HEAD

Jun 30, 2015 Score ATS Results
NEW « 89 Cover: 13.5
CHI 81 Over: 170
Tools: Recaps

Jul 31, 2014 Score ATS Results
NEW 74 Over: 161
CHI « 87 Cover: 9.5
Tools: Recaps

Jun 27, 2014 Score ATS Results
CHI « 73 Cover: 2
NEW 69 Under: 142
Tools: Recaps

Jun 18, 2014 Score ATS Results
NEW 100 Over: 205
CHI « 105 Cover: 3.5
Tools: Recaps

May 17, 2014 Score ATS Results
CHI « 79 Cover: 19.5
NEW 65 Under: 144
Tools: Recaps

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Lynx (15-5) at Mercury (13-7)

Date: August 07, 2015 10:00 PM EDT

Rallying from sizable deficits has made the Phoenix Mercury's winning streak much more stressful than they would like.

The Minnesota Lynx had their own run come to an end after digging too deep of a hole.

Phoenix and Minnesota each have scored big victories over the other this season, and the Mercury look to continue the trend of the home team holding the advantage between the clubs Friday night.

The Mercury (13-7) have won four straight to pull within two games of the Lynx (15-5) for the top spot in the Western Conference, but those victories haven't come easily.

Phoenix overcame a 19-point deficit in an 89-87 overtime win over Chicago on July 28 to tie the biggest comeback in franchise history, then came back from 12 down to beat Tulsa 78-66 two nights later.

Following a tough 71-68 win at Atlanta on Sunday, the Mercury rallied from a 13-point third-quarter deficit and beat the Shock 87-84 in overtime Tuesday on DeWanna Bonner's 3-pointer at the buzzer.

Coach Sandy Brondello said she'd like to see her team come out with more energy at the start, but she also noted that the amount of minutes the Mercury get from Bonner, Candice Dupree and Brittney Griner might be taking their toll.

Bonner finished with 25 points in 41 minutes, Dupree had 24 in 35 minutes and Griner finished with 18 and 13 rebounds in 39 minutes Tuesday.

"The good thing is we have been able to come back," Brondello said. "We keep grinding out wins, and sometimes that's what it's about."

Phoenix didn't need to rally in the first meeting with the Lynx, winning 81-66 on June 14 at home without Griner, who still was serving her seven-game suspension.

Minnesota returned the favor on its home floor June 27 with a 71-56 victory. The home team has won the last eight meetings, a streak the Lynx look to end after falling 83-61 at Los Angeles on Tuesday.

The Lynx had won three in a row, and Maya Moore's 11-game run of 20-point games came to an end after she finished with 13, 11 of which came in the first quarter.

Minnesota committed 15 turnovers while allowing exactly 12 more points than its season average.

"We didn't have a lot of good flow that we usually play with," Moore said. "We turned the ball over and sparked their transition and settled early for some quick shots. It was just a struggle to get into our offense. We weren't able to get some of our passes. The little things cost us."

Phoenix leads the league with 7.1 blocks per game and ranks second in defensive field-goal percentage at 39.4. Griner needs four blocks to break Diana Taurasi's franchise record of 271, which took Taurasi 334 games to accomplish.

This will be Griner's 76th. She's recorded at least five blocks in each game during the Mercury's winning streak and is averaging 4.46 per game, nearly two more than any other player in the league.


WNBA HEAD TO HEAD

Jun 27, 2015 Score ATS Results
PHO 56 Under: 127
MIN « 71 Cover: 8.5
Tools: Recaps

Jun 14, 2015 Score ATS Results
MIN 66 Under: 147
PHO « 81 Cover: 23
Tools: Recaps

Sep 2, 2014 Score ATS Results
MIN 78 Over: 174
PHO « 96 Cover: 13
Tools:

Aug 31, 2014 Score ATS Results
PHO 77 Under: 159
MIN « 82 Cover: 2
Tools: Recaps

Aug 29, 2014 Score ATS Results
MIN 71 Under: 156
PHO « 85 Cover: 9.5
Tools: Recaps

Aug 9, 2014 Score ATS Results
MIN 80 Cover: 3
PHO « 82 Over: 162
Tools: Recaps

Jul 31, 2014 Score ATS Results
PHO 67 Under: 142
MIN « 75 Cover: 6
Tools: Recaps

Jun 18, 2014 Score ATS Results
MIN 79 Over: 171
PHO « 92 Cover: 8.5
Tools: Recaps

Jun 15, 2014 Score ATS Results
PHO « 80 Cover: 13.5
MIN 72 Under: 152
Tools: Recaps

[StarDust Bum]

Standings

EASTERN CONFERENCE

Team Win Loss Percent GB Home Away Conf. Last 10 Streak

New York Liberty 13 6 0.684 0 7-2 6-4 6-5 8-2 W-1

Washington Mystics 12 7 0.632 1 7-3 5-4 7-6 6-4 W-1

Chicago Sky 13 8 0.619 1 9-2 4-6 10-4 7-3 W-2

Indiana Fever 11 9 0.550 2 7-4 4-5 7-7 7-3 L-1

Connecticut Sun 10 9 0.526 3 5-5 5-4 3-8 3-7 W-1

Atlanta Dream 7 13 0.350 6 5-5 2-8 4-7 3-7 L-5


WESTERN CONFERENCE

Team Win Loss Percent GB Home Away Conf. Last 10 Streak

Minnesota Lynx 15 5 0.750 0 8-2 7-3 11-3 7-3 L-1

Phoenix Mercury 13 7 0.650 2 8-2 5-5 10-3 8-2 W-4

Tulsa Shock 10 12 0.455 6 6-4 4-8 6-10 2-8 L-8

Los Angeles Sparks 7 14 0.333 8 5-6 2-8 6-8 5-5 W-4

San Antonio Stars 6 16 0.273 10 6-5 0-11 4-8 3-7 L-4

Seattle Storm 5 16 0.238 10 4-5 1-11 4-9 2-8 L-4

Updated Fri Aug 7 11:37 AM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

A's, Astros hook up

August 7, 2015


HOUSTON ASTROS (61-49) at OAKLAND ATHLETICS (48-62)

First pitch: Friday, 10:05 p.m. ET
Sportsbook.ag Line: Houston -115, Oakland +105, Total: 6

The AL West leading Houston Astros continue their road trip when they play the Oakland Athletics in the second of four games on Friday night.

It has been quite a season for the Astros as they’ve jumped straight from rebuilding mode to a playoff push thanks to a wealth of talent coming out of their system. It has put them 2.5-games ahead of the Angels in the division and they are 12-7 since the break despite losing three of the first four contests on this road trip. They were swept in Texas to start it off, losing two one-run games in the series, but got it back together on Thursday night; a one run victory of their own in Oakland in a 5-4 game over 10 frames.

Since his return from injury, 3B Jed Lowrie (.300) has gone 6-for-20 (.400) with three doubles, three RBIs and six runs scored. The Athletics had been the team to beat in the division over the last few years, but their moves during the offseason did not pan out this time around and they have 13 games separating them from Houston. It doesn’t look to be getting any better as they are losers in 10 of the past 14 games; scoring 2.9 runs per contest over that stretch. They nearly grabbed a win in the opener of this series and had plenty of opportunities to do so, but went a putrid 1-for-10 with RISP after starter Aaron Brooks put up a big effort (7 IP, 1 ER, 4 H, 7 K). With the offense doing so poorly of late, no player on the roster with more than 20 at-bats since the break has hit better than .260 or has more than two homers.

The pitching matchup will be a fun one to watch as LHP Dallas Keuchel (13-5, 2.35 ERA) takes the ball for the Astros and goes up against RHP Sonny Gray (11-4, 2.12 ERA) for the visitors. Although Houston has been huge when at home, they have not taken that play on the road where they are 23-31, but may have a chance to improve that record against this Athletics group which is a poor 24-34 at home in 2015. The teams have had plenty of recent exposure to each other and Oakland owns a record of 29-19 since the beginning of 2013 with 13 victories in 23 attempts at home. It has been a big turnaround this season, though, with the Astros taking 7-of-10 and all four games at Oakland thus far.

Some trends to watch include that the Athletics are a meager 9-20 (.310) against left-handed starters this year as Houston is just 7-18 (.280) when on the road with a money line of -100 to -150 in the past two seasons. OF George Springer (Wrist) is the one omission due to injury for the visiting Astros while the Athletics have no significant injuries to their roster.

Keuchel was able to start the All-Star game this year after improving in each of his first four seasons in the big leagues. He has led this Houston staff as he currently owns career highs in K/9 (8.0), BB/9 (2.1) and HR/9 (0.46). While Keuchel can get his fair share of strikeouts, his game is to get it on the ground which he has done so successfully 63.6% of the time this year and is leaving 78.6% of runners on base when they do get on. The Astros have won in five of his last seven starts, all of which he went at least six innings as he posted three scoreless outings and a 57:7 K/BB ratio during that stretch. In his career against the Athletics, Keuchel is 2-2 (6-3 team record) with a 2.83 ERA (1.26 WHIP) and in his two starts against them in 2015 has pitched 16 innings with a mere one unearned run allowed on eight hits with eight strikeouts (4 walks).

OF Coco Crisp (7-for-19, 3 doubles) has actually hit the lefty quite well when facing the Astros, while on the other hand, OF Billy Burns, 1B Billy Butler, OF Mark Canha, 3B Brett Lawrie and OF Josh Reddick have combined to go 4-for-53 (.075) with nine strikeouts in the matchup. Houston’s bullpen has been one of the best, going 20-17 with a 2.70 ERA (1.02 WHIP) and are 29-for-44 (66%) in save opportunities. Luke Gregerson (3.05 ERA, 22 saves) has five blown saves this season and blew one on Thursday behind two unearned runs, but eventually got a win with his team scoring the next inning.

Gray is a bright spot on his struggling ballclub and the 25-year-old is in the midst of a career season with all his peripherals proving his performance is legitimate. He is mowing down 7.7 K/9 with impressive control (2.4 BB/9) and has allowed a mere eight balls to leave the park in his 152.2 innings (0.47 HR/9). Just like his counterpart in this one, Ross is a groundball pitcher and gets the opposition to hit it on the ground 54.5% of the time while leaving 80.3% of runners on base. The Athletics have won in six of his last seven starts, allowing three or fewer runs in all of those team wins with two of them being complete game shutouts on the road.

In his time against the Astros, Gray is 2-2 with a 2.67 ERA (1.26 WHIP), but did take a loss against them in his one start (5 IP, 3 ER, 7 H, 4 K) this year. He will not be looking forward to facing 2B Jose Altuve who is 5-for-14 against him in his career, but may have some reprieve when C Hank Conger (0-for-7, 3 K) or 1B Chris Carter (2-for-9) come to the dish. A big problem for Oakland has been their relievers as they are 11-22 with a 4.30 ERA (1.29 WHIP) while being successful in a mere 19-of-35 (54%) save attempts. Edward Mujica (4.13 ERA, 0 saves) is supposedly the current closer, but the team has not had a save since the break and Mujica failed to keep the tie game in the first game of this series, so his hold of the job may be short lived.

[StarDust Bum]

Friday's Tip Sheet

August 7, 2015


Los Angeles Dodgers at Pittsburgh Pirates | 7:05 p.m. ET (ESPN)

For whatever reason, there’s an extremely rare edition of Friday Night Baseball on ESPN this evening, but that’s great news for fans who don’t possess the Extra Innings package, as they’ll be treated to an absolutely fantastic National League pitching matchup in a game featuring two top contenders. On one side, you have the great Clayton Kershaw (9-6, 2.37 ERA), who has suddenly thrust himself into contention for this year’s NL Cy Young award, which would actually be his third straight and fourth in five years if he can pull it off. Even more impressively, Kershaw enters tonight’s assignment carrying a scoreless streak of 37 innings, which actually puts him in position to potentially pass teammate Zack Greinke’s span of 45 2/3 innings set only a couple of weeks ago. In the process, he could also break his own personal record of 41 straight innings without allowing a run, which he had last season. Unsurprisingly, the over/under is a measly 6.

On the other side of this All-Star pitching matchup is Gerrit Cole (14-5, 2.29 ERA), who also is very much in the conversation for this year’s NL Cy Young honors. He’s certainly been remarkably consistent in ’15, having yielded more than three runs in an outing only once in his 21 starts, and possesses a terrific 138/29 K/BB ratio in his 137 1/3 total innings of work. Since Cole isn’t facing the Reds tonight, the Pirates might be an intriguing home ’dog based on these interesting splits: In Cole’s four starts opposite Cincinnati this season, Pittsburgh is 0-4, but when their staff ace faces everybody else, the Pirates are 15-2, while Cole has accumulated a dazzling 1.68 ERA in those 17 starts. The Bucs have been given +125 odds from the linesmakers.

Toronto Blue Jays at New York Yankees | 7:05 p.m. ET

Remarkably, this is probably the most interesting Yankees-Blue Jays series on tap in more than two decades. That’s because Toronto hasn’t made the playoffs since 1993 -- the Majors’ longest active playoff drought -- but due to a couple of savvy moves prior to the trade deadline that netted Troy Tulowitzki and David Price, the Blue Jays appear poised to finally end their run of ineptitude. But it may not be in the form of a Wild Card berth, as many were anticipating, as Toronto’s current five-game winning streak suddenly has them sitting just 4.5 games back of first-place New York entering this huge three-game set. The Blue Jays will turn to veteran R.A. Dickey (6-10, 4.06 ERA) in the opener, and despite overall unspectacular numbers on the season, the 2012 NL Cy Young award winner has been pitching his best ball of late, having recorded five straight quality starts, not to mention nine such starts in his last 10 tries. Despite his lengthy hot run, Dickey and the Blue Jays are +105 road ’dogs.

The Yankees have been playing their own impressive brand of baseball over the past few weeks, being 13-6 in their 19 games since the All-Star break. That streak led them to soar from what was once a very tight American League East race, but with the Blue Jays getting hot, it appears the Bronx Bombers no longer have the division in the bag as previously thought. This series could go a long way in rectifying that, and the Yankees will trot out Nathan Eovaldi (11-2, 4.30 ERA) to kick things off. Like his counterpart this evening, Eovaldi has been at his best most recently, yielding three runs or less in each of his past eight outings. The odds might be in his favor to continue that this evening, as he’s been considerably better at home this year (3.66 ERA, 1.34 WHIP, .266 BAA) than on the road (4.80 ERA, 1.61 WHIP, .325 BAA). The over/under has settled in at 9.

Houston Astros at Oakland Athletics | 10:05 p.m. ET (MLB Network)

It’ll be a meeting of All-Star aces down by The Bay Area tonight when the Astros and Athletics play game two of their four-game series in Oakland. Dallas Keuchel (13-5, 2.35 ERA), this year’s American League All-Star starting pitcher, takes the ball for Houston after his club escaped a disastrous ninth-inning collapse last night to take the series opener, 5-4. He’s probably salivating over tonight’s assignment, as the left-hander has enjoyed some pretty notable success opposite the A’s in 2015. In fact, in his two starts versus division rival Oakland, Keuchel hasn’t even surrendered an earned run, tallying 16 scoreless innings, while maintaining a 0.75 WHIP. In addition, the Athletics have mustered only a .145 team batting average in those two starts. As a result, Keuchel is a -120 road favorite.

There would be a lot more chalk on the Houston side if the Athletics weren’t leaning on their own No. 1 arm in this affair, that of course being the brilliant Sonny Gray (11-4, 2.12 ERA). The 25-year-old hasn’t enjoyed the same success against his counterpart this evening, as he yielded three runs and ten baserunners in five innings in his one and only start facing the Astros in 2015, but that shouldn’t take away from his overall greatness. When you look at the big picture, you can safely conclude that Gray has been as reliable as any American League pitcher this season, and has been so remarkably consistent that he’s registered six innings or more in all but two of his 22 starts, and in those pair of outings he still managed to last five frames. He also enters tonight’s assignment relatively hot, having allowed only three runs combined over his past three starts, spanning 23 innings pitched. After the over/under came out at 6, it has since gone up to 6.5 in many shops.

Texas Rangers at Seattle Mariners | 10:10 p.m. ET

One of the most coveted arms around the trade deadline, Cole Hamels (6-7, 3.76 ERA) didn’t exactly back that up in his Texas Rangers debut last weekend, but he wasn’t necessarily bad either. In last Saturday’s home outing against the defending world champion San Francisco Giants, Hamels pitched into the eighth inning and picked up six strikeouts compared to only one walk, but he also gave up five runs on eight hits as well. He’ll look for a better performance in his next trip to the mound, as he takes on a Texas division foe for the first time. Hamels is also looking to keep the Rangers paced in the Wild Card hunt, as they currently sit 2.5 games out of the second spot.

The Mariners’ Wild Card hopes are on life support, as although they’re just 7.5 games back -- which really isn’t that much of a deficit with about two months to go -- they still have to leapfrog over seven other AL teams just to have occupancy of a postseason berth. In any event, they’ll look to lean on Hisashi Iwakuma (2-2, 4.47 ERA) in the opener of this key series to help try and jumpstart a run. Iwakuma has been limited to just nine starts this year thanks a lengthy stint on the disabled list, and since returning about a month ago, Iwakuma has made five assignments, and ended up looking good in four of them. His most impressive performance came his last time out, when he just missed out on a complete game shutout in Minnesota, surrendering the lone run with two outs in the ninth. The over/under is understandably 6.5 for this contest.

[StarDust Bum]

LEADING OFF: Aces on mound, Blue Jays at Yanks, Utley back

August 7, 2015

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


FOUR ACES

Dodgers lefty Clayton Kershaw (9-6, 2.37 ERA) faces Pirates righty Gerrit Cole (14-5, 2.29) in the opener of a three-game series between NL playoff contenders. Dallas Keuchel (13-5, 2.35 ERA) starts for the AL West-leading Astros against Oakland's Sonny Gray (11-4, 2.12) in a matchup of All-Star aces.

POWER PLAY

The first-place Yankees are 4 1/2 games ahead of the surging Blue Jays as they meet in the first of 13 remaining games this season between the AL East rivals, the two highest-scoring teams in the majors. Troy Tulowitzki makes his initial appearance at Yankee Stadium with Toronto, which starts R.A. Dickey (6-10) against Nathan Eovaldi (11-2). New York is batting .185 this season against Dickey and fellow knuckleballer Steven Wright of the Boston Red Sox, who beat the Yankees 2-1 Wednesday night.

STEPPING IN

Ryan Vogelsong pitches for the Giants in place of ailing newcomer Mike Leake at Wrigley Field. Acquired from Cincinnati last week, Leake (9-6, 3.52 ERA) was scheduled to make his second start with San Francisco. Instead, Vogelsong (7-7, 4.16) will face Jon Lester and the Chicago Cubs in a matchup of playoff hopefuls. Giants manager Bruce Bochy is unsure if Leake's strained left hamstring will force him to miss more than one turn.

WELCOME BACK

Second baseman Chase Utley, on the disabled list since June 23 with right ankle inflammation, is expected to be activated when the Phillies open a nine-game road trip against San Diego. Philadelphia is 13-5 since the All-Star break but still has the worst record in the majors at 42-67.

JOIN THE PARTY

Cole Hamels makes his second start for the Rangers in the series opener at Seattle. The only loss for Texas its last eight games was Hamels' debut last Saturday night against San Francisco, even though the left-hander worked 7 2-3 innings and left with a three-run lead.

INTERLEAGUE ACTION

All-Star pitcher Jacob deGrom (10-6, 2.09 ERA) expects to have a large cheering section on hand when he starts close to home at Tropicana Field for the NL East-leading New York Mets. The right-hander has a 1.47 ERA over his last 13 starts. Jake Odorizzi (6-6, 2.86) goes for the Rays.

[StarDust Bum]

Baseball Capsules

August 7, 2015

PHILADELPHIA (AP) Zack Greinke was 3 for 3 with a homer to offset his worst start in three years, and the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Philadelphia Phillies 10-8 on Thursday.

Greinke (11-2) gave up five runs before getting an out and finished with six runs allowed and seven hits in six innings. But he helped himself at the plate, and Adrian Gonzalez hit a three-run homer to pace the NL West leaders.

The six runs equaled the total Greinke gave up in his previous nine starts combined. He had a scoreless streak of 45 2-3 innings during that span. Greinke hadn't allowed six earned runs since Aug. 19, 2012, when he gave up six for the Angels at Tampa Bay.

Greinke's ERA rose from 1.41 to 1.71. His batting average went from .170 to .220.

Kenley Jansen got two outs for his 21st save in 22 chances.

Domonic Brown hit a three-run homer for the Phillies. David Buchanan (2-6) lasted four innings and gave up seven runs and 10 hits.

CUBS 5, GIANTS 4

CHICAGO (AP) - Rookie bopper Kyle Schwarber homered in his second consecutive game and Chicago beat San Francisco to move a half-game ahead of the Giants in the race for the second NL wild card.

The Cubs, playing meaningful baseball in August for the first time in years, won for the seventh time in eight games.

Jorge Soler hit a two-run single in the first inning and Schwarber made it 5-0 with a three-run drive off Chris Heston (11-6) in the second. But instead of an easy win, the Cubs had to hang on.

San Francisco's Brandon Belt hit a two-run homer off Jason Hammel in the fourth and Brandon Crawford added another one off Tommy Hunter in the sixth to make it 5-4.

Jason Motte and Pedro Strop each worked a scoreless inning for the Cubs. Hector Rondon pitched the ninth for his 17th save in 20 chances.

The Giants lost for just the sixth time in 22 games.

Winning pitcher Justin Grimm (2-3) got out of a jam in the fifth.

YANKEES 2, RED SOX 1

NEW YORK (AP) - Jacoby Ellsbury hit a tiebreaking homer to snap out of a slump and CC Sabathia pitched six gritty innings after leaving his previous outing with dehydration, leading New York over Boston.

Alex Rodriguez had an RBI double and Justin Wilson (4-0) struck out three batters in the seventh to help the Yankees take two of three from the last-place Red Sox.

The AL East leaders next face a pair of Cy Young Award winners, R.A. Dickey and Toronto newcomer David Price, when they take on the streaking Blue Jays in a key weekend series. The division rivals, separated by 4 1/2 games, play the first of 13 remaining games against one another Friday night.

Andrew Miller put two on in the ninth but struck out Rusney Castillo to remain perfect in 24 save chances.

Ellsbury connected with two outs in the seventh off 22-year-old Eduardo Rodriguez (6-4).

BLUE JAYS 9, TWINS 3

TORONTO (AP) - Edwin Encarnacion hit a two-run homer and Mark Buehrle earned his 30th career win against Minnesota as Toronto beat the struggling Twins to complete a four-game sweep.

Encarnacion went 3 for 4 with four RBIs and scored twice. The surging Blue Jays won their fifth straight and swept a four-game series from the Twins for the first time.

Buehrle (12-5) allowed three runs in seven innings to win his third consecutive decision. He is 30-19 with a 3.68 ERA in 54 appearances against Minnesota.

Trevor Plouffe hit a two-run homer and Aaron Hicks had a solo shot for the Twins, who matched a season worst by losing their fifth straight. Minnesota is 5-14 since the All-Star break.

Now 54-54, the Twins are .500 for the first time since May 2, when they were 12-12.

Kyle Gibson (8-9), winless in four starts, matched his career worst by allowing eight runs in 4 2-3 innings.

CARDINALS 3, REDS 0

CINCINNATI (AP) - Michael Wacha gave St. Louis' tired bullpen a respite by throwing seven innings in the rain, and the Cardinals pulled away to beat Cincinnati.

The Cardinals improved to 30 games over .500 for the first time since the end of the 2013 season. They have the best record in the major leagues at 69-39. They took two of three in Cincinnati and have won 15 of their last 18 series together. The Reds were shut out for the last 18 innings.

Wacha (13-4) overcame a 68-minute rain delay at the start. The right-hander allowed four hits and a pair of walks, allowing only two runners to reach second base. Trevor Rosenthal gave up an infield single and a walk in the ninth while getting his 32nd save in 34 chances and completing a five-hitter.

Tony Cruz snapped his 0-for-15 slump with an RBI single, and Kolten Wong singled home two more off Michael Lorenzen (3-7) as the teams played through intermittent, sometimes heavy rain. There was a long delay after the sixth inning to spread a drying compound around the infield.

TIGERS 8, ROYALS 6

DETROIT (AP) - Ian Kinsler hit a two-run homer off Ryan Madson in the ninth inning to lift Detroit past Kansas City.

Jose Iglesias led off with a single against Madson (1-2) before Kinsler hit a 2-0 fastball into the bullpen in left field. Alex Wilson (2-3) got the win after getting out of a bases-loaded jam in the ninth.

Victor Martinez hit a three-run homer in the third and a two-run shot in the fifth to help the Tigers take a 6-3 lead. Martinez hadn't homered since July 17 and hadn't had a multihomer game since hitting two for Boston against Toronto on Sept. 17, 2010.

The Royals tied it with a three-run seventh. Drew Butera led off with a homer, and Kendrys Morales had a two-run double.

NATIONALS 8, DIAMONDBACKS 3

WASHINGTON (AP) - Ian Desmond broke out of a prolonged slump with a home run and a double, and Bryce Harper reached base five times to help Washington beat Arizona.

Desmond's 12th homer of the season ended a 2-for-35 skid. His double leading off the fourth inning gave him more extra-base hits in one day than he had produced in his previous nine games.

Joe Ross (3-3) pitched six solid innings, giving up just a solo homer to Jarrod Saltalamacchia. The rookie allowed five hits and struck out seven without walking a batter.

The Nationals, who had lost four of five, split the four-game series and moved within 1 1/2 games of the first-place Mets in the NL East.

Jeremy Hellickson (7-8) gave up four runs, five hits and four walks in 4 2-3 innings.

Clint Robinson broke the game open with a three-run homer in the eighth.

ASTROS 5, ATHLETICS 4, 10 INNINGS

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) - Jed Lowrie hit an RBI double off Edward Mujica with two outs in the 10th inning to make up for a costly error and lift Houston over Oakland.

Carlos Correa launched a go-ahead homer in a three-run eighth that gave the Astros a 4-2 lead. But the AL West leaders had to rally again after the A's scored two unearned runs off closer Luke Gregerson in the ninth.

Lowrie aided the Oakland comeback with a throwing error at third base. But the former Athletics shortstop, who drove in Houston's first run with a sacrifice fly, came through an inning later.

Jose Altuve led off the 10th with his third hit. He stole second on a pitchout and was sacrificed to third by Carlos Gomez. Mujica (2-4) retired Correa on a popup before Lowrie doubled to left field.

Gregerson (5-1) was credited with the win after his fourth blown save in 26 chances. Will Harris got three outs for his first major league save.

Stephen Vogt and Brett Lawrie homered for Oakland, which wasted a strong start by rookie Aaron Brooks.

BREWERS 10, PADRES 1

MILWAUKEE (AP) - Khris Davis hit two three-run homers for Milwaukee, and Matt Garza limited San Diego to two hits in seven innings.

Davis homered for the first time since July 18, connecting off Padres starter Odrisamer Despaigne (5-8) in the third - a shot into the San Diego bullpen that made it 4-0. Davis also homered off Kevin Quackenbush in the eighth.

Garza (6-12) walked two and struck out five in his first victory in three starts. He avoided joining teammate Kyle Lohse as the only 13-game losers in the majors.

Garza gave up a single to Derek Norris in the second and then nothing more until Melvin Upton Jr. hit a home run in the fifth. Garza retired the next seven batters and left with a 7-1 lead.

BRAVES 9, MARLINS 8

ATLANTA (AP) - Eury Perez drove in the go-ahead run in the eighth inning and Nick Markakis had three RBIs to help Atlanta beat Miami.

Adonis Garcia hit a two-run homer for the Braves, who won for just the fourth time in 15 games.

Martin Prado had three RBIs for Miami, which has dropped 11 of 13.

The Marlins scored three in the eighth to tie it 8-all. But then Perez delivered the decisive hit against Bryan Morris (3-3) after Daniel Castro reached on an infield single, advanced to second on an error and moved over on a bunt.

Andrew McKirahan (1-0) got the win despite giving up three hits and three runs in the eighth. Arodys Vizcaino earned his first career save.

[StarDust Bum]

Kelly hurting the pockets of BoSox backers

The Boston Red Sox haven't been getting the job done behind starting pitcher Joe Kelly recently, dropping five out of the last six games he's taken the hill.

Kelly and the BoSox will be seeking to buck that trend Friday versus Daniel Norris and the Detroit Tigers.

Sportsbooks are presently dealing Boston in the +116 ballpark.

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

Kershaw cruising under totals in recent starts

The Under is 7-0 in Clayton Kershaw's last seven outings.

The Dodgers ace is listed as the probable starter for Friday's matchup with the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park. Gerrit Cole is slated to counter for the Buccos.

As a result of the talent on the mound, sportsbooks have tabbed the game with a low six run total.

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

Surging Dickey has been money for Jays bettors

Toronto Blue Jays knuckleballer R.A. Dickey has looked like the pitcher who won the NL Cy Young Award in 2012 over the past few weeks.

Dickey has had his struggles since coming north of the border a few years ago, but the 40-year-old is 3-0 with a 0.77 ERA to go along with 16 strikeouts in his previous three starts. The veteran has only surrendered two earned runs during that span.

Dickey is slated to get the ball Friday in the Bronx against Nathan Eovaldi and the New York Yankees.

Pinnacle Sports has priced the Jays as slight +102 moneyline pups.

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

Surging Dickey has been money for Jays bettors

Toronto Blue Jays knuckleballer R.A. Dickey has looked like the pitcher who won the NL Cy Young Award in 2012 over the past few weeks.

Dickey has had his struggles since coming north of the border a few years ago, but the 40-year-old is 3-0 with a 0.77 ERA to go along with 16 strikeouts in his previous three starts. The veteran has only surrendered two earned runs during that span.

Dickey is slated to get the ball Friday in the Bronx against Nathan Eovaldi and the New York Yankees.

Pinnacle Sports has priced the Jays as slight +102 moneyline pups.

[StarDust Bum]

Cubs entering uncharted territory

Aug 07, 2015

CHICAGO -- For the playoff-contending Chicago Cubs the series keep keeping bigger.

But for an organization that hasn't been in post-season contention for a number of seasons, it's also uncharted territory.

The Cubs opened the second in back-to-back series against wild card contenders on Thursday as the reigning World Series champion San Francisco Giants arrived for a four-game set.

Chicago manager Joe Maddon is trying to keep things on an even keel.

"The concept in spring training is to hopefully get your guys to play the game one way," Maddon said. "Whenever you're playing that game you should be not nervous, upset, concerned or having to dial up or dial down. And here comes October and you're playing in a playoff game and the last thing I want them to do is anything differently then."

Chicago left fielder Chris Coghlan concurs but he also knows the stakes this week.

"We try to regulate and make every series the exact same, for our sanity," Coghlan said. "For me, I know who we're playing. And I know that they're right there and they're going to be there at the end."

Thursday's 5-4 victory over the Giants allowed the Cubs to leapfrog over the Giants into the second wild card spot. They'll play San Francisco six more times over the next 21 days.

Pittsburgh holds the first wild card spot. Earlier in the week, the Cubs split two games with the Pirates while a third game was rained out.

[StarDust Bum]

Giants announce Vogelsong to start for injured Leake

Aug 07, 2015

CHICAGO -- Right-handed pitcher Ryan Vogelsong is back in the starting lineup while the newest San Francisco Giants pitcher -- right-hander Mike Leake -- is temporarily out.

Giants manager Bruce Bochy said prior to Thursday's series opener against the Chicagi Cubs a that Leake has a strained left hamstring and will not start Friday's second game.

Vogelsong will return to the rotation -- at least for one day -- and pitch in Leake's place.

Leake could miss one start, or maybe more. Giants manager Bruce Bochy wasn't sure.

"No guarantee," Bochy said. "In a couple of days, we'll make a call."

The hamstring strain was found during an MRI examination.

Leake, acquired from the Cincinnati Reds prior to last week's trading deadline, worked 6 2/3 innings in his first Giants outing -- a 2-1 loss to the Texas Rangers on Sunday.

Vogelsong's last outing was Monday at Atlanta with a blown save in the Giants' 9-8 loss in 12 innings.

He switched to the bullpen after the All-Star break following the return of Tim Hudson from the disabled list. Vogelsong has allowed 11 runs (seven earned) in 11 2/3 innings of relief, covering eight appearances.

[StarDust Bum]

Frustrations mount for slumping Twins

Aug 06, 2015

TORONTO -- The Minnesota Twins are glad to get out of Canada.

Actually, they were swept out of Toronto by the Blue Jays, who won all four games of their series at Rogers Centre.

The losses knocked the Twins to .500 for the season at 54-54 with three games left in Cleveland on their seven-game trip.

Minnesota is 5-14 since the All-Star break.

"Coming out of spring training, if you said you'd be .500 in August, you might have had some optimism there," manager Paul Molitor said. "Right now, it doesn't feel good at all. It's how you get there. We're going the wrong way."

Right fielder Torii Hunter is sure the Twins can recover.

"We can definitely get our swag back," Hunter said. "We just have to brush it off. We've got to let that go. We've got to run through customs and get the heck out of Toronto."

The Blue Jays put a punctuation mark on their dominance of the Twins this week with a 9-3 thumping Thursday.

"There aren't too many teams going to beat that team over there," Hunter said. "They've got a great squad. The way they hit the ball is just unbelievable. When they hit the ball, it sounds like car crashes. They're one of the best teams in baseball, offensively. With the upgrade of David Price over there, that team can do a lot of damage.

"We got demolished these four games. We got crushed. That team made some upgrades over there with Price and (Troy) Tulowitzki and got some guys who are pretty hot, like (Edwin) Encarnacion.

"I'm pretty that they can make a lot of teams look bad. Those guys can really play, they can really hit the ball."

Right-hander Kyle Gibson, who allowed eight runs in 4 2/3 innings to take the loss Thursday, added, "We're kind of in a little bit of a funk right now, obviously. We've got to focus on the next one, and that's the only way you're going to turn it around is not dwelling on whatever streak that we're on right now."

Molitor said, "You just have to take a step back. I'm not feeling real good about it myself, and I don't think the players are. The frustration is continuing."

[StarDust Bum]

Armadillo: Friday's six-pack

Spreads for six of the NFL's more interesting games this season

-- Week 12 Ravens -2.5 @ Browns on a cold Monday night in Cleveland.

-- Week 13 Cowboys -3 @ Redskins on a cold Monday night in Maryland.

-- Week 14 Seahawks -1.5 @ Ravens-- Long trip for NFC champs.

-- Week 15 Bucs @ Rams -7-- Is this the week Rams clinch NFC West? Ha!!!

-- Week 16 Bengals @ Broncos -6 on a chilly Monday night in Denver.

-- Week 17 Eagles @ Giants even-- How many QBs will Eagles go thru this year?


**********

Armadillo: Friday's List of 13: Random stuff with weekend here........

13) Roughly 20 people running for President, but no bald men? How is that possible? There is a conspiracy in this country against baldness and it stinks. Hillary Cinton is running around with the Kardashians but will probably be the Democratic nomineee, yet a bald man can't even make it into a debate? Sad day to be an American.

12) No matter what you think of Donald Trump, I agree with him 1,000% on one thing; this country has become too damn politically correct. God forbid someone be offended by something, everyone has to walk on eggshells. We all have the freedom of speech, it is invaluable and the second we lose that, it'll be a very bad day.

Enough about politics, lets move on to the important stuff.........
11) DeSean Jackson screwed up his shoulder hitting a blocking sled; he'll be out for most of the preseason-- not good for the Redskins.

10) Dallas plays at Washington in a Monday night game December 7; if you're a Dallas coach, when you go to production meetings with the ESPN guys, how you can even talk to Jon Gruden? His brother coaches the Redskins!!!

9) Some very good matchups at Battle of Atlantis basketball tournament in November; Washington-Gonzaga and Texas A&M-Texas are couple of local rivalries that will get renewed a long way from home. UConn-Syracuse is a possible second day game.

8) Houston Astros are 13 games ahead of Oakland in the AL West, but if you look at the teams' records, you see that if every game ended after the 5th inning, Houston has a 46-44-20 record, Oakland 49-46-15.

That means the Astros gained 13.5 games on the A's in innings 6-9 and in extra innings, which underlines how brutal Oakland is in clutch situations, and how good Houston has been. Bullpen quality is a tenuous thing, but now the Astros have added Gomez and Correa and are the most talented they've been since the Bagwell/Biggio era.

7) St Louis Cardinals drafted pitcher Michael Wacha with the compensation pick they got for Albert Pujols signing with the Angels.

6) Cubs have a big decision coming up; where do they put Kyle Schwarber in the field? He probably hits too well to be a full-time catcher; those guys take a physical beating , which would diminish his offense. Left field looks like a good landing spot.

5) Brutal week for the Twins, who have lost five games in a row by a combined score of 30-13. they started the week holding one of the Wild Card spots, but didn't look at all playoff-worthy in their four-game beatdown in Toronto.

4) It is odd seeing the Tigers as non-contenders; they sold off guys at the deadline, they canned the GM, their owner is 85-- you wonder what is down the road for them.

3) Golfers get paid big bucks to switch equipment, but Keegan Bradley went back to his old driver Thursday and shot a 69, hitting 11 of 14 fairways. He hadn't used the old driver in more than two years.

2) Patriot fans have to stop whining about Roger Goodell; face it guys, they've been cheating for years and the league finally had enough. Be quiet, move on and hope the backup QB is good enough to go 2-2 or 3-1 in the first four games.

1) Thank you Jon Stewart, for helping show that people can laugh and think at the same time; his 16-year run on Comedy Central came to an end last night.