The Bum's Sports Page For Monday August 17th Best Bets-Trends-News !

[StarDust Bum]

WNBA Betting Recap - 8/10-8/16

August 16, 2015

League Betting Notes (from Monday, Aug. 10 through Sunday, Aug. 16)

-- Favorites went 10-5 straight up
-- Favorites went 8-7 against the spread (ATS)
-- Home teams posted a 8-7 SU record
-- Home teams posted a 8-7 ATS record
-- The 'over' went 8-7

Team Betting Notes

-- San Antonio (7-18) lost for the second straight game, and sixth time in seven outings. However, they are still a very respectable 8-3 ATS over their past 11 outings.

-- Seattle (7-19) picked up a victory and cover against San Antonio. It is their first win in three tries against the Stars, and they covered for the second time in three outings.

-- Washington (14-9) picked up a straight-up win (ML +155) despite being short dogs at home. The Mystics are 3-2 SU and 4-1 ATS when they're an underdog.

-- Atlanta (9-15) took care of business at home as a favorite, topping Connecticut (12-12). The Dream have now covered three in a row, tying a season high. They have yet to cover four straight, and look to change that in a trip to New York (16-7) Friday in Manhattan.

-- Phoenix (15-9) was surprised at home Sunday by Indiana (14-9), who finished the week unbeaten at 2-0 SU/ATS. The Mercury have dropped two of their past three games, and are just 3-9 ATS over their past 12 games.

-- The Fever continue to turn up the intensity, covering for the sixth time in the past seven games after starting the season 5-10-1 ATS in their past 16 games. After a four-game 'over' streak, the 'under' has hit in the past two for Indiana.

-- Los Angeles (8-16) put the brakes on a two-game losing streak and non-cover streak with a win over Chicago (15-11). The Sparks have had the 'under' connect in four of the past five outings.

-- Tulsa (11-14) picked up a surprise win in New York to snap a 10-game losing streak. The Shock is also just 2-8-1 ATS over the past 11 contests. One thing you can count on from the Shock is the 'over', which has hit in five of the past six games.

[StarDust Bum]

Baseball Capsules

August 17, 2015

CHICAGO (AP) Chris Sale matched a career high with 15 strikeouts while pitching seven scoreless innings, and the Chicago White Sox snapped the crosstown Cubs' nine-game winning streak with a 3-1 victory Sunday.

Sale (11-7) allowed one hit - Dexter Fowler's one-out single in the sixth.

The Cubs were trying for their first double-digit win streak since they won 12 straight in 2001. But Dan Haren (8-8) allowed homers to Jose Abreu, Melky Cabrera and Alexei Ramirez in 4 2-3 innings.

David Robertson gave up Jorge Soler's two-out homer in the ninth before finishing for his 24th save in 30 chances.

GIANTS 5, NATIONALS 0

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Madison Bumgarner homered and doubled, struck out 14 and pitched a three-hitter as San Francisco handed Washington its sixth straight loss.

Hunter Pence also homered as the playoff-contending Giants finished off a four-game sweep. Washington matched its longest skid of the season and fell below .500.

Bumgarner (14-6) held the Nats hitless into the fifth inning. The World Series MVP matched his career high for strikeouts while pitching his first shutout of the year.

Bumgarner hit his fourth homer this season and 10th overall.

Joe Ross (3-5) took the loss.

ROYALS 4, ANGELS 3

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - Kendrys Morales had an RBI single with two outs in the 10th inning to lift the Royals.

Ben Zobrist singled with one out in the 10th, the Royals' first hit since Eric Hosmer's RBI single in the first inning. After Hosmer walked, Morales singled against Trevor Gott (2-1) as Kansas City improved to 7-2 in extra-inning games.

Kelvin Herrera (4-2) pitched a perfect 10th to pick up the victory.

Kole Calhoun homered in the eighth off Wade Davis to put the Angels up 3-2.

Angels closer Huston Street, however, could not hold the lead in the ninth. He walked the bases loaded before Alex Rios' sacrifice fly scored Hosmer to tie the score. Mike Trout made a diving catch of Paulo Orlando's scorcher to right-center for the third out to preserve the tie.

ASTROS 6, TIGERS 5

HOUSTON (AP) - Jose Altuve hit an RBI single with two outs in the ninth inning and AL West-leading Houston, boosted by two homers from Colby Rasmus, beat Detroit.

Miguel Cabrera homered, doubled and drove in three runs for the Tigers.

Jake Marisnick tripled off Tom Gorzelanny (1-2) with two outs in the Houston ninth. Alex Wilson relieved and Altuve singled on the first pitch for his third hit of the game.

Will Harris (5-2) allowed two hits and a run in two innings.

PIRATES 8, METS 1

NEW YORK (AP) - Aramis Ramirez had four hits and three RBIs, Pedro Alvarez homered and Pittsburgh finished off its first season series sweep of the NL East leaders.

Alvarez, Ramirez and Gregory Polanco each had run-scoring hits in a breakaway four-run seventh, keyed by a throwing error from reliever Bobby Parnell (1-3).

The Pirates went 6-0 vs. New York this year. Arquimedes Caminero (4-1) got this win.

DODGERS 2, REDS 1

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Zack Greinke lowered his major league-best ERA to 1.58 with seven sharp innings and drove in the go-ahead run with his second homer of the season, leading the Los Angeles Dodgers over Cincinnati.

Greinke (13-2) allowed a run on six hits, struck out eight and walked one. The right-hander is 8-0 with a 1.16 ERA over his last 11 starts.

Joc Pederson and Greinke hit back-to-back home runs in the fourth off rookie Anthony DeSclafani (7-8).

Kenley Jansen got four outs for his 24th save in 25 chances and 130th of his career, just hours after becoming a father for the second time.

ORIOLES 18, ATHLETICS 2

BALTIMORE (AP) - Adam Jones hit two home runs, Gerardo Parra had five of Baltimore's 26 hits, and the Orioles breezed past Oakland.

Four days after Seattle's Hisashi Iwakuma pitched a no-hitter against them, the O's tied a team record for hits.

Parra and Jones homered off Kendall Graveman (6-9) in the third, and Baltimore put up a nine-run, 10-hit fifth.

The A's, who lost their sixth in a row, brought in first baseman Ike Davis to pitch in the eighth. He allowed a single and a walk in a scoreless inning.

Wei-Yin Chen (7-6) is 5-0 with a 2.30 ERA in seven career starts against Oakland.

BLUE JAYS 3, YANKEES 1

TORONTO (AP) - Jose Bautista hit a two-run homer, Drew Hutchison won his third straight start and Toronto avoided a three-game sweep by beating the New York Yankees.

The Blue Jays and the division-leading Yankees, separated by a half-game atop the AL East, meet seven more times this season.

New York's Carlos Beltran hit big homers in the first two games of the set. This time, he sparked a Toronto burst in the third by losing Troy Tulowitzki's fly to right field in the sun.

Tulowitzki wound up with a two-out double, Josh Donaldson hit an RBI single and Bautista added his 28th homer.

Hutchison (12-2) improved to 10-1 with a 2.57 ERA in 13 home starts. Roberto Osuna closed for his 13th save.

Making his third big league start, Luis Severino (0-2) struck out nine in six innings.

BRAVES 2, DIAMONDBACKS 1, 10 INNINGS

ATLANTA (AP) - Shelby Miller took a no-hit bid into the eighth inning, and Atlanta went on to beat Arizona on Cameron Maybin's home run in the 10th.

Miller, an NL All-Star last month and among the league leaders in ERA, wound up with his 16th straight winless start.

Leading 1-0, Miller's no-hit try ended when Nick Ahmed led off the eighth with a bloop single to right field. Pinch-hitter Jarod Saltalamacchia followed with another single that finished Miller, who struck out 10.

Maybin opened with the 10th with a drive over the left field wall off David Hernandez (0-3).

David Aardsma (1-1) struck out the side in the 10th.

MARLINS 6, CARDINALS 4

ST. LOUIS (AP) - Derek Dietrich drove in three runs, Dee Gordon had three hits and Miami broke a six-game losing streak against St. Louis.

Adeiny Hechavarria had two hits and scored two runs as Miami won for the fourth time in six games.

Jason Heyward homered twice and drove in three runs for St. Louis, which sports the best home record in the majors at 44-18.

Chris Narveson (1-0) pitched 2 2-3 innings. He also drove in a run with a squeeze bunt.

A.J. Ramos closed for his 19th save in 24 opportunities.

Carlos Martinez (12-5) gave up one earned run in five innings.

MARINERS 10, RED SOX 8, 12 INNINGS

BOSTON (AP) - Robinson Cano got five hits, Nelson Cruz connected for his majors-leading 36th home run and Seattle blew a big lead before edging Boston.

Franklin Gutierrez homered twice for Seattle, which led 7-0. The Mariners had been outscored 37-11 in the first two games of the series.

Xander Bogaerts and Rusney Castillo homered for the Red Sox, who lost for the first time under interim manager Torey Lovullo.

Rob Rasmussen (2-1) worked two scoreless innings and Danny Farquhar got his first save.

Craig Breslow (0-3) took the loss.

BREWERS 6, PHILLIES 1

MILWAUKEE (AP) - Ryan Braun hit a grand slam to tie Robin Yount's franchise home run mark and Milwaukee swept the season series from Philadelphia.

Braun finished with five RBIs. His 251st career homer came in the fifth when he homered off the scoreboard girder in left-center field.

Rookie Taylor Jungmann (7-4) set a career high with nine strikeouts in 6 1-3 shutout innings. Francisco Rodriguez got his 29th save.

Aaron Harang (5-14) leads the majors in losses.

RANGERS 5, RAYS 3

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) - Adrian Beltre and Ryan Strausborger hit solo home runs to spoil Drew Smyly's return, and Texas beat Tampa Bay.

The Rangers swept the three-game series and have won four straight games and seven in a row at home.

Beltre broke a tie in the third inning with a solo shot. The next inning, Strausborger hit his first major league homer in his third game.

Smyly (0-2) allowed five runs in four innings. He made his first start since going on the disabled list with a torn labrum in his shoulder in May.

Yovani Gallardo (9-9) got the win and Shawn Tolleson pitched a scoreless ninth inning for his 23rd save in 24 chances.

TWINS 4, INDIANS 1

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - Tommy Milone returned from the disabled list and pitched five innings, Kurt Suzuki had two key RBIs and Minnesota defeated Cleveland.

Trevor Plouffe hit his 17th home run and four Twins relievers held Cleveland scoreless over the final four innings, capped by Glen Perkins working the ninth for his 31st save.

Milone (6-3), making his first start since coming off the DL with a left elbow strain, was limited to 76 pitches. He allowed one run and three hits,

Carlos Carrasco (11-9) struck out seven in seven innings.

ROCKIES 4, PADRES 0

DENVER (AP) - Chris Rusin pitched a five-hitter for his first career complete game, Carlos Gonzalez homered and Colorado beat San Diego to snap a six-game losing streak.

It was the first complete game by a Rockies pitcher since Tyler Matzek blanked the Padres last Sept. 5.

Rusin (4-5) retired the final 10 batters. Ian Kennedy (7-11) got the loss.

[StarDust Bum]

LEADING OFF: Wacha, Cole try for 15th wins, A's ace Gray set

August 16, 2015

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

FIGHT FOR 15

Pirates ace Gerrit Cole and Cardinals star Michael Wacha try for their major league-leading 15th wins. Cole (14-6, 2.48 ERA) starts against Arizona in the opener of a seven-game homestand. Wacha (14-4, 2.93 ERA) gets the ball when the Cardinals begin a three-game series vs. the visiting Giants.

GRAY DAY

AL ERA leader Sonny Gray is expected to pitch for the first time since Aug. 7 in Oakland's series finale against Baltimore. Slowed by back spasms, he's 5-1 with a 2.44 ERA in his last 10 starts. His return comes at an opportune time for the A's, whose 18-2 drubbing Sunday at Camden Yards was their sixth straight loss.

ROAD SHOW

The playoff-contending Twins begin their toughest road trip of the season, a 10-game swing to New York, Baltimore and Tampa Bay. Paul Molitor's crew starts off at Yankee Stadium, where Kyle Gibson faces CC Sabathia and the AL East leaders.

HEALING HAMELS

Cole Hamels tries again for his first win since being traded from the Phillies to Texas. He'll make his third start for the Rangers when they host Seattle. Hamels, who pitched a no-hitter in his final game for Philadelphia, missed a scheduled outing last week because of a sore left groin.

WAITING

The Red Sox are hoping big hitters Pablo Sandoval and Hanley Ramirez can return to the lineup as they open a series against Cleveland at Fenway Park. Sandoval sat out Sunday with a bruised right elbow, a day after getting hit by a pitch. Ramirez has missed his six straight games with a bruised left foot.

[StarDust Bum]

MLB
Armadillo's Write-Up

Monday, August 17

National League
Diamondbacks @ Pirates
Hellickson is 0-3, 10.39 in his last four road starts; his last three starts overall went over the total.

Cole is 1-2, 5.51 in his last three starts; four of his lst five stayed under.

Pittsburgh won eight of last ten games (over 7-2-1). Pirates won five of last six games with Arizona; under is 3-0-1 in last four. D'backs lost three of last four games; four of their last six went over.

Marlins @ Brewers
Nicolino is 1-1, 4.86 in his three starts (over 2-1).

Garza is 2-2, 2.56 in his last five starts; three of his last four stayed under.

Marlins won four of last six games; seven of last nine went over- they lost seven of last ten games with Milwaukee (under 6-3-1). Brewers won three in a row-- four of their last five games stayed under.

Giants @ Cardinals
Heston is 0-2, 5.40 in his last three starts; his last five road starts went over.

Wacha is 3-0, 0.81 in his last three starts; his last four starts stayed under.

Giants won four of last five games with St Louis; five of last six in series went over total. SF won its last four games overall; five of last seven stayed under. Cardinals won eight of last 11 games; three of last four went over.

Braves @ Padres
Perez is 0-3, 8.35 in his last three starts; under is 3-1 in his last four on road.

Rea allowed three runs in five IP (75 PT) in his first MLB start.

Atlanta lost four of last six games; over is 6-4-1 in their last 11. Braves lost five of last seven games with San Diego- four of last five went over the total. Padres won four of last six games overall-- eight of their last 11 went over.

American League
A's @ Orioles
Gray missed last start (back spasms); he is 2-0, 0.72 in his last three starts; under is 6-0-1 in his last seven.

Tillman is 2-0, 2.08 in his last four starts; six of his last seven stayed under.

Oakland lost its last six games, allowing 48 runs. A's lost last four games with Baltimore, allowing 37 runs- ten of last 13 went over total. Orioles won five of last six home games- over is 6-4 in their last ten games overall.

Twins @ Bronx
Gibson is 0-3, 7.71 in his last five starts; under is 5-3-1 in his last nine.

Sabathia is 0-1, 2.25 in his last two starts; over is 6-4 in his last ten.

Minnesota lost five of last seven games with Bronx; seven of last eight in series went over. Twins won four of last six games overall, with last three staying under. Bronx won three of last four; four of their last five went under.

Indians @ Red Sox
Salazar is 2-0, 1.27 in his last three starts; his last four stayed under.

Barnes is making first MLB start; he has a 5.64 ERA in 22.1 IP of relief in the big leagues. He is 1-1, 4.17 in AAA this year (five starts).

Red Sox won five of last seven home games, scoring 74 runs; their last seven games overall went over. Cleveland lost three of last four games; four of their last five stayed under. Tribe won five of last seven vs Boston; five of those seven game stayed under the total.

Mariners @ Rangers
Walker is is 1-0, 2.42 in his last three starts; six of his last seven went over.

Hamels is 0-1, 5.93 in two starts with Texas; four of his last five went over.

Rangers lost seven of last eight games with Seattle; under is 7-3 in last ten series games. Texas won its last four games overall; four of their last five at home stayed under. Mariners are 4-3 in last seven games; four of their last five went over- they allowed 45 runs in last three games, in Boston.

Rays @ Astros
Ramirez is 1-1, 4.35 in his last five starts; four of his last six stayed under.

Former Ray Kazmir is 0-2, 3.32 in his last three starts (under 8-1 in last nine).

Tampa Bay lost last three games, allowing 22 runs; over is 8-3 in their last 11 games. Astros won three of last four games; six of their last eight stayed under total. Rays won seven of last eight games with Houston (under 6-1-1). .

White Sox @ Angels
Rodon is 2-2, 6.75 in his last five starts (over 5-3 in last eight).

Heaney is 5-1, 2.53 in his nine starts; over is 5-2 in his last seven at home.

White Sox won last four games with the Angels; home side won eight of last ten series games. Chicago won four of last six games; over is 7-4 in its last 11 games. Angels lost six of their last seven games; four of last six went under.

Win-loss records this year for team with this starting pitcher:
Az-Pitt-- Hellickson 10-12; Cole 16-7
Mia-Mil-- Nicolino 2-1; Garza 8-13
SF-StL-- Heston 14-9; Wacha 17-5
Atl-SD-- Perez 5-6 (0-4 last 4); Rea 1-0

A's-Balt-- Gray 15-8; Tillman 11-10
Min-NY-- Gibson 12-11; Sabathia 10-12
Cle-Bos-- Salazar 13-8; Barnes 0-0
Sea-Tex-- Walker 13-10; Hamels 10-12/0-2
TB-Hst-- Ramirez 12-6; Kazmir 10-12/2-2
Chi-LA-- Rodon 10-6; Heaney 7-2

Times this starting pitcher allowed a run in first inning:
Az-Pitt-- Hellickson 8-22; Cole 7-23
Mia-Mil-- Nicolino 0-3; Garza 6-21
SF-StL-- Heston 3-23; Wacha 4-22
Atl-SD-- Perez 4-11; Rea 0-1

A's-Balt-- Gray 4-23; Tillman 4-21
Min-NY-- Gibson 5-23; Sabathia 7-22
Cle-Bos-- Salazar 6-21; Barnes 0-0
Sea-Tex-- Walker 6-23; Hamels 4-22
TB-Hst-- Ramirez 5-18; Kazmir 4-22
Chi-LA-- Rodon 5-16; Heaney 0-9

[StarDust Bum]

MLB

Monday, August 17

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

7:05 PM
ARIZONA vs. PITTSBURGH
The total has gone OVER in 9 of Arizona's last 12 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Arizona's last 9 games when playing on the road against Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 10 of Pittsburgh's last 12 games at home

7:05 PM
MINNESOTA vs. NY YANKEES
Minnesota is 7-14 SU in its last 21 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Minnesota's last 6 games
NY Yankees are 5-2 SU in their last 7 games when playing Minnesota
The total has gone OVER in 7 of NY Yankees's last 8 games when playing Minnesota

7:05 PM
OAKLAND vs. BALTIMORE
Oakland is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 9 of Oakland's last 11 games when playing Baltimore
Baltimore is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
Baltimore is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing Oakland

7:10 PM
CLEVELAND vs. BOSTON
Cleveland is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing Boston
Cleveland is 3-8 SU in its last 11 games when playing on the road against Boston
Boston is 8-3 SU in its last 11 games when playing at home against Cleveland
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Boston's last 5 games

8:05 PM
SEATTLE vs. TEXAS
Seattle is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games when playing Texas
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Seattle's last 5 games when playing on the road against Texas
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Texas's last 5 games when playing at home against Seattle
Texas is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home

8:10 PM
TAMPA BAY vs. HOUSTON
Tampa Bay is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Houston
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Tampa Bay's last 13 games when playing Houston
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Houston's last 13 games when playing Tampa Bay
Houston is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Tampa Bay

8:10 PM
MIAMI vs. MILWAUKEE
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Miami's last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Miami's last 8 games when playing on the road against Milwaukee
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Milwaukee's last 5 games
Milwaukee is 16-5 SU in its last 21 games when playing at home against Miami

8:15 PM
SAN FRANCISCO vs. ST. LOUIS
San Francisco is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing St. Louis
San Francisco is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
St. Louis is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games at home
St. Louis is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing San Francisco

10:05 PM
CHI WHITE SOX vs. LA ANGELS
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Chi White Sox's last 7 games on the road
Chi White Sox are 1-4 SU in their last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 15 of LA Angels's last 23 games at home
LA Angels are 5-0 SU in their last 5 games when playing at home against Chi White Sox

10:10 PM
ATLANTA vs. SAN DIEGO
Atlanta is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against San Diego
Atlanta is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games when playing San Diego
San Diego is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Atlanta
The total has gone OVER in 4 of San Diego's last 6 games at home

[StarDust Bum]

MLB

Monday, August 17


Under trending when Tillman takes the mound

The Under is 6-1 in Chris Tillman's last seven outings.

Tillman is scheduled to get the ball for Baltimore in Monday's clash with the Oakland A's.

Pinnacle Sports has set the O's as -110 on the moneyline for the tilt.


Pirates on a profitable run for Over bettors

The Minnesota Twins haven't enjoyed any success against southpaws in visiting ball parks as of late.

In their last seven road games versus lefties, the Twinkies are 0-7. Minny faces off against CC Sabathia and the New York Yankees in the Bronx Monday.

Sportsbooks are currently dealing the Twins as +143 underdogs.


Twins struggling on the road against lefties

The Minnesota Twins haven't enjoyed any success against southpaws in visiting ball parks as of late.

In their last seven road games versus lefties, the Twinkies are 0-7. Minny faces off against left-hander CC Sabathia and the New York Yankees in the Bronx Monday.

Sportsbooks are currently dealing the Twins as +143 underdogs.


Over bettors loving Miami in recent weeks

The Miami Marlins have gone above the closing total in 11 out of their last 14 ball games.

The Fish face off against the Milwaukee Brewers in Wisconsin Monday.

Pinnacle Sports has tabbed Miami as +134 moneyline pups.

[StarDust Bum]

MLB

Monday, August 17


Pitcher change - CC Sabathia, NY Yankees

NY Yankees vs. Minnesota on August 17 at 7:05 PM. New Starter: Bryan Mitchell.

The Yankees are giving a spot start to rookie Bryan Mitchell, Sabathia is moved back to Tuesday.


Home teams not perfect, but have strong showing Sunday

Home teams may not have been perfect Sunday, like they were last week, but they still had a very strong showing going 12-3 straight up.

The strong showing Sunday was part of a bigger trend the past week, where the home team has been a solid bet, going 66-25 over the last seven days. Good for a success rate of 72.53 percent.

With 10 games on the schedule Monday, check out our Scores and Matchups page for all you need to know to see if home teams can keep it up.

[StarDust Bum]

MLB
Dunkel

Monday, August 17


Arizona @ Pittsburgh

Game 951-952
August 17, 2015 @ 7:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Arizona
(Hellckson) 15.119
Pittsburgh
(Cole) 17.287
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Pittsburgh
by 2
5 1/2
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Pittsburgh
-210
7
Dunkel Pick:
Pittsburgh
(-210); Under

Miami @ Milwaukee

Game 953-954
August 17, 2015 @ 8:10 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Miami
(Niclino) 14.138
Milwaukee
(Garza) 15.714
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Milwaukee
by 1 1/2
7
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Milwaukee
-155
8
Dunkel Pick:
Milwaukee
(-155); Under

San Francisco @ St. Louis

Game 955-956
August 17, 2015 @ 8:09 pm

Dunkel Rating:
San Francisco
(Heston) 15.285
St. Louis
(Wacha) 16.841
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
St. Louis
by 1 1/2
8
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
St. Louis
-155
7
Dunkel Pick:
St. Louis
(-155); Over

Atlanta @ San Diego

Game 957-958
August 17, 2015 @ 10:10 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Atlanta
(Perez) 11.929
San Diego
(Rea) 13.418
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
San Diego
by 1 1/2
8 1/2
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
San Diego
-160
7
Dunkel Pick:
San Diego
(-160); Over

Minnesota @ NY Yankees

Game 959-960
August 17, 2015 @ 7:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Minnesota
(Gibson) 17.509
NY Yankees
(Mitchell) 16.339
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Minnesota
by 1
10
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
NY Yankees
-165
8 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Minnesota
(+145); Over

Oakland @ Baltimore

Game 961-962
August 17, 2015 @ 7:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Oakland
(Gray) 16.162
Baltimore
(Tillman) 14.546
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Oakland
by 1 1/2
8
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Baltimore
-115
7 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Oakland
(-105); Over

Cleveland @ Boston

Game 963-964
August 17, 2015 @ 7:10 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Cleveland
(Salazar) 16.394
Boston
(Barnes) 14.774
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Cleveland
by 1 1/2
10 1/2
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Cleveland
-135
9
Dunkel Pick:
Cleveland
(-135); Over

Seattle @ Texas

Game 965-966
August 17, 2015 @ 8:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Seattle
(Walker) 14.621
Texas
(Hamels) 16.861
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Texas
by 2
7
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Texas
-155
8 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Texas
(-155); Under

Tampa Bay @ Houston

Game 967-968
August 17, 2015 @ 8:10 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Tampa Bay
(Ramirez) 14.914
Houston
(Kazmir) 16.493
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Houston
by 1 1/2
9
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Houston
-170
7 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Houston
(-170); Over

Chicago White Sox @ LA Angels

Game 969-970
August 17, 2015 @ 10:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Chicago White Sox
(Rodon) 14.212
LA Angels
(Heaney) 15.649
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
LA Angels
by 1 1/2
8
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
LA Angels
-160
7 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
LA Angels
(-160); Over

[StarDust Bum]

MLB
Long Sheet

Monday, August 17

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

ARIZONA (57 - 59) at PITTSBURGH (69 - 46) - 7:05 PM
JEREMY HELLICKSON (R) vs. GERRIT COLE (R)
Top Trends for this game.
ARIZONA is 121-157 (-30.5 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
ARIZONA is 121-157 (-30.5 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
ARIZONA is 45-84 (-32.4 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
ARIZONA is 12-39 (-24.0 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.
HELLICKSON is 4-16 (-13.0 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. (Team's Record)
PITTSBURGH is 69-46 (+15.4 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
PITTSBURGH is 39-18 (+14.7 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
PITTSBURGH is 69-46 (+15.4 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
PITTSBURGH is 111-78 (+20.7 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 56-37 (+13.8 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
PITTSBURGH is 44-24 (+16.5 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
PITTSBURGH is 83-50 (+20.6 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 22-6 (+13.1 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
COLE is 31-14 (+14.0 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
COLE is 18-4 (+12.1 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
COLE is 31-14 (+14.0 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
ARIZONA is 32-27 (+7.0 Units) against the money line after a loss this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
PITTSBURGH is 3-0 (+3.0 Units) against ARIZONA this season
2 of 2 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+2.0 Units)

JEREMY HELLICKSON vs. PITTSBURGH since 1997
HELLICKSON is 0-1 when starting against PITTSBURGH with an ERA of 7.71 and a WHIP of 1.927.
His team's record is 0-1 (-1.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 0-0. (+0.0 units)

GERRIT COLE vs. ARIZONA since 1997
COLE is 2-0 when starting against ARIZONA with an ERA of 1.98 and a WHIP of 1.170.
His team's record is 2-0 (+2.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-1. (-0.2 units)

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

MIAMI (47 - 70) at MILWAUKEE (51 - 68) - 8:10 PM
JUSTIN NICOLINO (L) vs. MATT GARZA (R)
Top Trends for this game.
MIAMI is 47-70 (-21.3 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
MIAMI is 19-40 (-17.8 Units) against the money line in road games this season.
MIAMI is 1-11 (-10.9 Units) against the money line when playing on Monday this season.
MIAMI is 47-67 (-18.3 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
MIAMI is 29-49 (-20.8 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
MIAMI is 36-55 (-18.1 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
MIAMI is 27-38 (-13.4 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
MILWAUKEE is 51-68 (-16.6 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
MILWAUKEE is 37-42 (-20.0 Units) against the money line as a home favorite of -125 to -150 over the last 3 seasons.
MILWAUKEE is 27-36 (-12.9 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
MILWAUKEE is 51-68 (-16.6 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
MILWAUKEE is 8-16 (-12.6 Units) against the money line in home games after 3 or more consecutive wins over the last 2 seasons.
MILWAUKEE is 63-67 (-18.4 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
MILWAUKEE is 20-30 (-20.4 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.
GARZA is 70-81 (-25.7 Units) against the money line in night games since 1997. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.

JUSTIN NICOLINO vs. MILWAUKEE since 1997
No recent starts.

MATT GARZA vs. MIAMI since 1997
GARZA is 3-2 when starting against MIAMI with an ERA of 4.62 and a WHIP of 1.359.
His team's record is 3-4 (-2.1 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 2-5. (-3.7 units)

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

SAN FRANCISCO (64 - 53) at ST LOUIS (75 - 42) - 8:05 PM
CHRIS HESTON (R) vs. MICHAEL WACHA (R)
Top Trends for this game.
SAN FRANCISCO is 10-18 (-12.9 Units) against the money line when playing on Monday over the last 2 seasons.
ST LOUIS is 75-42 (+23.8 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
ST LOUIS is 44-18 (+18.0 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
ST LOUIS is 75-42 (+23.8 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
ST LOUIS is 53-29 (+19.0 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
ST LOUIS is 58-27 (+25.1 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
ST LOUIS is 73-44 (+21.2 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 2 seasons.
ST LOUIS is 32-18 (+13.2 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
ST LOUIS is 20-7 (+12.1 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.
WACHA is 17-5 (+9.8 Units) against the money line in all games this season. (Team's Record)
WACHA is 17-5 (+9.8 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season. (Team's Record)
WACHA is 9-1 (+8.0 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season. (Team's Record)
SAN FRANCISCO is 64-53 (+5.2 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 78-70 (+14.7 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 64-53 (+5.2 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 1063-888 (+120.8 Units) against the money line in night games since 1997.
SAN FRANCISCO is 115-92 (+12.2 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 39-25 (+12.5 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 68-64 (+9.9 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.

CHRIS HESTON vs. ST LOUIS since 1997
No recent starts.

MICHAEL WACHA vs. SAN FRANCISCO since 1997
WACHA is 1-0 when starting against SAN FRANCISCO with an ERA of 0.00 and a WHIP of 0.500.
His team's record is 1-0 (+1.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-1. (-1.0 units)

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

ATLANTA (53 - 64) at SAN DIEGO (56 - 62) - 10:10 PM
WILLIAMS PEREZ (R) vs. COLIN REA (R)
Top Trends for this game.
ATLANTA is 130-144 (-18.8 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 104-117 (-16.7 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 67-80 (-24.8 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 33-40 (-14.7 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.
ATLANTA is 30-28 (+8.4 Units) against the money line when the total is 7 or less this season.
ATLANTA is 38-37 (+22.9 Units) against the money line as a road underdog of +150 to +175 since 1997.
SAN DIEGO is 33-44 (-13.5 Units) against the money line when the total is 7 or less this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
ATLANTA is 2-2 (+0.1 Units) against SAN DIEGO this season
3 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+1.9 Units)

WILLIAMS PEREZ vs. SAN DIEGO since 1997
PEREZ is 1-0 when starting against SAN DIEGO with an ERA of 0.00 and a WHIP of 0.857.
His team's record is 1-0 (+1.1 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-1. (-1.2 units)

COLIN REA vs. ATLANTA since 1997
No recent starts.

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

MINNESOTA (59 - 58) at NY YANKEES (64 - 52) - 7:05 PM
KYLE GIBSON (R) vs. BRYAN MITCHELL (R)
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
NY YANKEES is 2-1 (+0.5 Units) against MINNESOTA this season
3 of 3 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+3.0 Units)

KYLE GIBSON vs. NY YANKEES since 1997
GIBSON is 1-3 when starting against NY YANKEES with an ERA of 10.70 and a WHIP of 2.039.
His team's record is 1-3 (-1.5 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 0-4. (-4.6 units)

BRYAN MITCHELL vs. MINNESOTA since 1997
No recent starts.

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

OAKLAND (51 - 68) at BALTIMORE (60 - 56) - 7:05 PM
SONNY GRAY (R) vs. CHRIS TILLMAN (R)
Top Trends for this game.
OAKLAND is 51-68 (-25.6 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
OAKLAND is 9-23 (-12.9 Units) against the money line as a road underdog of +100 to +125 over the last 2 seasons.
OAKLAND is 64-76 (-18.7 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
OAKLAND is 18-26 (-13.7 Units) against the money line in August games over the last 2 seasons.
OAKLAND is 49-63 (-23.0 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
OAKLAND is 32-41 (-14.2 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
OAKLAND is 41-46 (-11.2 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
OAKLAND is 29-38 (-12.6 Units) against the money line after a loss this season.
OAKLAND is 29-37 (-12.8 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
OAKLAND is 27-39 (-17.9 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.
BALTIMORE is 160-126 (+36.4 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 54-33 (+16.5 Units) against the money line at home with a money line of -100 to -125 over the last 3 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 37-21 (+12.2 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
BALTIMORE is 16-4 (+10.8 Units) against the money line in home games in August games over the last 2 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 22-10 (+14.2 Units) against the money line when playing on Monday over the last 2 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 36-20 (+12.1 Units) against the money line in home games in games played on a grass field this season.
BALTIMORE is 27-13 (+11.6 Units) against the money line in home games in night games this season.
BALTIMORE is 27-14 (+11.4 Units) against the money line in home games against right-handed starters this season.
BALTIMORE is 86-72 (+13.3 Units) against the money line after a win over the last 2 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 33-19 (+11.6 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
BALTIMORE is 35-16 (+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.
TILLMAN is 37-21 (+17.5 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
TILLMAN is 33-17 (+16.9 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
TILLMAN is 27-15 (+12.7 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
TILLMAN is 19-8 (+10.4 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
BALTIMORE is 21-33 (-17.3 Units) against the money line after 3 or more consecutive wins over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
BALTIMORE is 5-1 (+4.0 Units) against OAKLAND this season
4 of 6 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+2.0 Units)

SONNY GRAY vs. BALTIMORE since 1997
GRAY is 1-2 when starting against BALTIMORE with an ERA of 7.05 and a WHIP of 1.435.
His team's record is 1-2 (-1.3 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 0-3. (-3.7 units)

CHRIS TILLMAN vs. OAKLAND since 1997
TILLMAN is 1-0 when starting against OAKLAND with an ERA of 2.16 and a WHIP of 1.120.
His team's record is 1-3 (-1.8 units) in these starts. The OVER is 3-1. (+2.1 units)

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

CLEVELAND (54 - 62) at BOSTON (52 - 65) - 7:10 PM
DANNY SALAZAR (R) vs. MATT BARNES (R)
Top Trends for this game.
CLEVELAND is 54-62 (-20.9 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
CLEVELAND is 1-9 (-9.3 Units) against the money line when playing on Monday this season.
CLEVELAND is 50-62 (-25.0 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
CLEVELAND is 35-39 (-11.8 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
CLEVELAND is 20-26 (-14.2 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
CLEVELAND is 68-34 (+24.0 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season over the last 3 seasons.
BOSTON is 52-65 (-19.9 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
BOSTON is 613-554 (-81.1 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 since 1997.
BOSTON is 63-77 (-33.9 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 24-31 (-16.4 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 9 to 9.5 over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 45-59 (-22.2 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
BOSTON is 34-43 (-13.5 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
BOSTON is 39-44 (-9.9 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
BOSTON is 34-41 (-18.0 Units) against the money line in home games after a loss over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 53-60 (-16.4 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.

DANNY SALAZAR vs. BOSTON since 1997
No recent starts.

MATT BARNES vs. CLEVELAND since 1997
No recent starts.

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

SEATTLE (55 - 63) at TEXAS (59 - 57) - 8:05 PM
TAIJUAN WALKER (R) vs. COLE HAMELS (L)
Top Trends for this game.
SEATTLE is 55-63 (-15.4 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
SEATTLE is 50-62 (-20.0 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
SEATTLE is 37-41 (-10.2 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
SEATTLE is 18-36 (-23.4 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
TEXAS is 59-57 (+18.4 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
TEXAS is 22-17 (+10.9 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 this season.
TEXAS is 56-53 (+18.0 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
TEXAS is 44-39 (+17.9 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
TEXAS is 38-34 (+12.5 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
TEXAS is 30-28 (+11.4 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
SEATTLE is 75-65 (+16.0 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
TEXAS is 59-77 (-18.9 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons.
TEXAS is 20-40 (-20.8 Units) against the money line in home games against division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
TEXAS is 9-20 (-11.9 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
HAMELS is 71-69 (-28.3 Units) against the money line against division opponents since 1997. (Team's Record)
HAMELS is 15-26 (-20.9 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
SEATTLE is 7-2 (+4.4 Units) against TEXAS this season
6 of 9 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+2.6 Units)

TAIJUAN WALKER vs. TEXAS since 1997
WALKER is 1-0 when starting against TEXAS with an ERA of 0.00 and a WHIP of 1.000.
His team's record is 1-0 (+1.1 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-1. (-1.0 units)

COLE HAMELS vs. SEATTLE since 1997
HAMELS is 1-2 when starting against SEATTLE with an ERA of 4.67 and a WHIP of 1.558.
His team's record is 1-2 (-1.7 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-1. (-0.1 units)

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

TAMPA BAY (58 - 59) at HOUSTON (64 - 54) - 8:10 PM
ERASMO RAMIREZ (R) vs. SCOTT KAZMIR (L)
Top Trends for this game.
TAMPA BAY is 135-144 (-31.0 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 66-75 (-17.8 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 64-54 (+4.6 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
HOUSTON is 40-19 (+15.6 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
HOUSTON is 64-48 (+11.0 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
HOUSTON is 29-14 (+10.9 Units) against the money line in home games in night games this season.
HOUSTON is 24-11 (+11.2 Units) against the money line in home games against right-handed starters this season.
HOUSTON is 67-66 (+10.7 Units) against the money line after a win over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 28-13 (+10.6 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
KAZMIR is 25-4 (+18.4 Units) against the money line as a home favorite of -150 to -175 since 1997. (Team's Record)
RAMIREZ is 7-1 (+10.1 Units) against the money line as a road underdog of +150 to +175 since 1997. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
TAMPA BAY is 3-0 (+3.2 Units) against HOUSTON this season
2 of 2 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+2.0 Units)

ERASMO RAMIREZ vs. HOUSTON since 1997
RAMIREZ is 2-1 when starting against HOUSTON with an ERA of 3.06 and a WHIP of 1.019.
His team's record is 2-1 (+0.4 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 3-0. (+3.0 units)

SCOTT KAZMIR vs. TAMPA BAY since 1997
KAZMIR is 1-3 when starting against TAMPA BAY with an ERA of 3.86 and a WHIP of 1.810.
His team's record is 1-3 (-1.2 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-1. (-1.1 units)

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

CHI WHITE SOX (55 - 60) at LA ANGELS (60 - 57) - 10:05 PM
CARLOS RODON (L) vs. ANDREW HEANEY (L)
Top Trends for this game.
LA ANGELS are 158-124 (+13.5 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
LA ANGELS are 124-91 (+16.6 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
LA ANGELS are 88-53 (+22.0 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
LA ANGELS are 42-19 (+15.4 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.
CHI WHITE SOX are 87-87 (+14.4 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
CHI WHITE SOX are 378-377 (+37.4 Units) against the money line in road games after a win since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
CHI WHITE SOX is 3-0 (+3.2 Units) against LA ANGELS this season
2 of 3 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+1.0 Units)

CARLOS RODON vs. LA ANGELS since 1997
RODON is 1-0 when starting against LA ANGELS with an ERA of 0.00 and a WHIP of 0.714.
His team's record is 1-0 (+1.2 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-1. (-1.2 units)

ANDREW HEANEY vs. CHI WHITE SOX since 1997
HEANEY is 0-0 when starting against CHI WHITE SOX with an ERA of 3.17 and a WHIP of 1.235.
His team's record is 0-1 (-1.2 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-0. (+1.0 units)

[StarDust Bum]

Armadillo: Monday's six-pack

-- Look at the eight highest paid QBs in the NFL; no Brady, no Peyton Manning.

-- Jameis Winston's debut: 9-19 for 131 yards. Not great, not terrible.

-- Evan Gattis is first player since 1980 to have 9+ triples but no stolen bases.

-- Browns' #3 QB Connor Shaw needs season-ending thumb surgery.

-- KC's backup QB is Chase Daniel; he looked very sharp in this week's game.

-- Arizona Cardinals were 6-0 LY when Carson Palmer started; if they cannot keep him healthier this year, their high expectations will go down the drain.


**********

Armadillo: Monday's List of 13: Wrapping up a sports weekend......

13) Stat of the Day: Mets finish the season 0-13 against the Cubs/Pirates. It looks like the Mets will win the NL East, while Cubs/Pirates will have to play a play-in game in October just to get into the regular playoffs.

12) Pittsburgh relief pitchers have now won 16 straight decisions; they're 17-4 in last 21 games where winning run scored after the sixth inning, after being 3-12 in first 15 such games this season.

11) Saturday night in Denver, Justin Upton got mad and threw his helmet in the San Diego dugout; he missed what he was aiming at and the helmet hit Yonder Alonso in the head, knocking him out of the game. Alonso didn't play Sunday, but a lefty was on hill for Colorado, so he might not have played anyway. Upton played Sunday.

10) "If you're not first, you're last." Wen a pro golfer says that, you know he's really rich already. Jordan Spieth said that earlier this week; well, he made $1.1M when he finished second last night. Last place was $17,300. Uh huh.

9) Rams are staying in California for the early part of this week, practicing against the Dallas Cowboys in Oxnard- they lost in Oakland Friday, play Jeff Fisher's old team the Titans on national TV Sunday night.

8) Do people really wake up at 9am on Sunday mornings to watch NFL pregame shows? Really? Can't remember the last time I saw 9am on a Sunday.

7) Sharpest woman in sports TV is Jody Jackson, who works in Phoenix, doing Diamondback pre/post-game shows. She knows her stuff, seems like a nice person who is respected by coaches-- she asks good questions.

6) If Ollie shot free throws underhanded in Hoosiers, why can't Dwight Howard?

5) Chargers signed Philip Rivers to a 4-year extension worth $65M or so, with little more than half of it guaranteed; that solves one of two big questions for San Diego, the other being where will they call home after this season? .

4) They showed Back to the Future after the Dodger game Saturday night in Chavez Ravine; Lea Thompson threw out the first ball before the game.

3) If Cardinal coach Bruce Arians can turn Logan Thomas into an NFL QB, they should send him over to the Middle East next to fix that mess. Thomas looks like he should be a bigtime QB, but he has never played like one, not even in college.

2) Jimmy Garoppolo threw 30 passes for New England Thursday night; wonder what the record is for most passes thrown by a QB in an exhibition game?

1) How committed are the Nationals to Matt Williams as manager? They look like a dead team, a team that sags as soon as something bad happens. They're not out of the NL East race yet, but they've lost six in a row and need a bolt of energy. Fast.

[StarDust Bum]

MLB

Monday, August 17


Under wagers hot as Salazar continues to roll

Cleveland Indians starter Danny Salazar has strung together six straight quality starts, so it's no surprise Under bets have gone 5-1 over that stretch and have cashed in his last four starts.

Over those previous six outings, Salazar has given up just seven earned runs while tossing 42 2/3 innings, good for a sparkling 1.48 ERA.

The 25-year-old struck out eight and allowed one run on four hits and five walks over 7 1/3 innings to earn a win over the New York Yankees on Wednesday.

Salazar is expected to get the start at Fenway Park as the Indians (-147) visit the Boston Red Sox (+136). The total is presently at 9.


Road teams cashing bets in Vanover's games

Road teams have posted a record of 4-1 in the last five ball games that umpire Larry Vanover has worked behind home plate. Vanover will be tasked with working the dish in Baltimore when the Orioles host the Oakland A's Monday evening.

Vanover's numbers still skew toward the home team as hosts have a 12-9 record in his 21 ball games behind home plate.


Chance of rain, thunderstorms at Yankee Stadium

There will be an 18 percent chance of rain and thunderstorms in New York for Monday's series opener between the Yankees and Twins.

There will also be a slight seven mile per hour wind blowing out to left field during the game.

Right-hander Kyle Gibson gets the call for the Twins, while the Yanks counter with rookie right-hander Bryan Mitchell. New York is currently a -163 favorite with a total of 8.5.


Chance of rain, thunderstorms in St. Louis

There is a 24 percent chance of rain and a chance of thunderstorms for the series opener between the San Francisco Giants and the Cardinals in St. Louis Monday.

There will also be a very slight wind blowing out to left field at five miles per hour at game time.

Chris Heston (3.38 ERA, 12-10 O/U) gets the ball for the Giants, while Michael Wacha (2.93 ERA, 9-12 O/U) is expected to start for the -149 favored Cardinals. The total sits at 7.0 runs.

[StarDust Bum]

MLB

Monday, August 17


Pirates dominating Cole's home starts

The Pittsburgh Pirates love when Gerrit Cole takes the mound at PNC Park, going 22-5 in his last 27 starts there.

Cole (2.48 ERA, 8-13 O/U) will take his familiar spot on the mound when the Pirates host Jeremy Hellickson (4.73 ERA, 11-8 O/U) and the Arizona Diamondbacks Monday night.

The Pirates are currently big -209 favorites and the total currently sits at 7.0 runs.


Braves stinging backers in San Diego visits

The Atlanta Braves have posted a terrible record of 0-7 in their last seven meetings with the San Diego Padres at Petco Park.

The Padres have hammered the Braves over the course of those seven games, outscoring their NL East opponents 40-19. The Braves' last win in San Diego came on Aug. 28, 2012 in a 2-0 win.

Williams Perez is slated to start for the Braves (+135) as the two clubs open a three-game set Monday. San Diego (-146) is expected to counter with Colin Rea.

[StarDust Bum]

Monday's Tip Sheet

August 17, 2015


Oakland Athletics at Baltimore Orioles | 7:05 p.m. ET

It’s no secret that Athletics ace Sonny Gray (12-4, 2.06 ERA) is one of the top road pitchers in the league. He’s already one of the best on the mound overall, hence his outstanding numbers on the year, but Gray takes it to another level when he’s pitching away from the O.co Coliseum. In fact, in his 12 road starts, the AL Cy Young candidate is a remarkable 8-1 with an even more remarkable 1.64 ERA, 0.98 WHIP, and he’s averaging a strikeout per inning, owning 82 punch-outs in 82 1/3 total innings away from home. Furthermore, opposing lineups are hitting a microscopic .197 off the right-hander in those outings. Somewhat surprisingly, though, Gray is the +100 underdog here, but that might have something to do with the fact that he was scratched in his last assignment.

Those odds might also be related to the fact that his counterpart this evening, Chris Tillman (8-7, 4.66 ERA), has been absolutely lights-out since the All-Star break. Despite giving up five runs in his last start, Tillman owns a tremendous 2.08 ERA and 0.73 WHIP in his four starts since the break, while opponents have only been able to muster a .167 average against him over that span. He’s also gone seven innings or more in three of those contests, though his most recent effort could foreshadow a regression is ahead. In any event, the over/under for this series opener from Camden Yards is 7.5.

Seattle Mariners at Texas Rangers 8:05 p.m. ET

The Mariners just finished up a very high-scoring series with the Red Sox over the weekend, one that easily resulted in three overs hitting -- all before the fifth inning, in fact -- and they might be in for more fireworks ahead in their trip to hitter-friendly Arlington. They won’t be facing an easy pitcher, however, as Cole Hamels (6-8, 3.86 ERA) gets set to make his third start as a member of the Rangers since being acquired at the trade deadline. Hamels has been okay for Texas thus far, as despite not registering an official quality start in his first two outings, he’s been pitching deep into games, and owns a 13/3 K/BB ratio in 13 2/3 innings with the Rangers. One of those starts came against these same Mariners, who tagged the veteran southpaw for four runs on eight hits in six innings, including three home runs. Even so, Texas draws the -125 odds as tonight’s favorite.

As a result, the Mariners might be an interesting underdog tonight with flamethrower Taijuan Walker (8-7, 4.60 ERA) toeing the rubber. Walker has exhibited flashes of greatness throughout the season, as many were expecting after the 23-year-old crafted together arguably the best spring training showing of any American League pitcher. Instead, the right-hander followed it up with a lot of inconsistency, but he has settled down since then, having yielded three runs or less in 11 of his past 14 starts. On the final day of July, Walker recorded his first career complete game, doing so against the Twins in the form of a one-hitter, while also striking out 11 batters. That’s Walker’s strength, as he’s logged 132 strikeouts in 135 innings this season, compared to just 35 walks. The over/under for this matchup is 8.5.

San Francisco Giants at St. Louis Cardinals | 8:09 p.m. ET (ESPN)

There looks to be a good one on tap for this week’s ESPN Monday Night Baseball, when two perennial National League contenders begin their series at Busch Stadium. For the MLB-best Cardinals, it will be Michael Wacha (14-4, 2.93 ERA) on the hill, enjoying arguably his best campaign to date, which is saying something considering how much he exploded when first arriving on the scene a couple of years ago. He’s simply been fantastic in 2015, and he’s been consistently excellent if you evaluate his full game log, in which he’s surrendered two runs or less in 15 of his 22 starts. In addition, his best work has come at home this year, which is where he finds himself this evening, as Wacha is 6-2 with a 2.56 ERA in his ten outings in front of Cardinals faithful. He’s a -150 favorite this evening.

He’ll be taking on a very game starting pitcher in the series opener, that being rookie Chris Heston (11-7, 3.38 ERA), who has been somewhat of a godsend this year for a team that really needed it within the pitching staff. Without Heston, it’s been a mess at the back-end of the rotation, with disappointing campaigns from the likes of Tim Lincecum, Tim Hudson, Matt Cain, not to mention the lengthy injury stint endured by Jake Peavy. Not only has Heston been very valuable to the Giants, he’s also a dark horse in the NL Rookie of the Year race, with some very solid numbers overall. At the same time, he might be in a tough spot here considering his home-and-road splits, as Heston owns a 4.45 ERA in his 11 starts away from AT&T Park. The over/under is unsurprisingly 7.

Chicago White Sox at Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim | 10:05 p.m. ET

Once considered one of the most disappointing teams in baseball this season, the Chicago White Sox have actually been in the process of making things interesting, as they continue to hover around the playoff chase. In fact, at 55-60 on the season, the White Sox are actually just 4.5 games back of the second Wild Card berth, and while they still have to leapfrog over six other American League clubs just to get there, the fact remains they are still very much alive with plenty of time to go. Thus, they have some important dates coming up with one of the teams they’re behind, the Angels, and will turn to hard-throwing rookie Carlos Rodon (5-4, 4.61 ERA) to start it off right. The 22-year-old left-hander has been wildly inconsistent this season, part of which might have to do with his 51 walks in 91 2/3 total innings, but he is coming off his best performance, when he blanked this same Angels club over seven innings and struck out a career-high 11.

The Angels will counter with their own rookie southpaw Andrew Heaney (5-1, 2.53 ERA), who has been much more consistent compared to his counterpart tonight since being called up in the second half June. In actuality, he’s pretty much been as consistent as any starting pitcher in the league, considering he’s made nine starts up to this point, and in eight of them, he yielded two runs or less. Thus, it’s no surprise to see that Los Angeles is 7-2 in games started by Heaney. Things haven’t been as easy for the youngster most recently, though, as the 24-year-old hasn’t logged six innings in each of his last three starts, after doing just that in each of his first six assignments. He’ll carry -140 odds into this one.

[StarDust Bum]

Diamond Trends - Monday

August 17, 2015


SU TREND OF THE DAY:

-- The Mariners are 0-13 since Jul 19, 2010 as a dog after an extra inning road win.


PITCHER TREND OF THE DAY:

-- When Gerrit Cole starts the Pirates are 10-0 SU since May 02, 2014 after his team lost the last time he started.

OU TREND OF THE DAY:

-- The Athletics are 0-9 OU since May 23, 2015 after a loss in which they allowed 12+ hits.

CHOICE TREND:

-- The Braves are 0-11 since Apr 29, 2014 on the road after a win in which they never trailed and it is the first game of a series.

ACTIVE TRENDS:

-- The Yankees are 9-0 ML since Jul 22, 2011 at home after a loss in which they never led and after an away game.

[StarDust Bum]

Cards look to cool off Giants

August 17, 2015


SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS (63-53) at ST LOUIS CARDINALS (75-41)

First pitch: Monday, 8:05 p.m. ET
Sportsbook.ag Line: San Francisco +130, St. Louis -140, Total: 7.0

The Giants will be going for their fifth straight victory when they take on the Cardinals in St. Louis on Monday.

San Francisco is now only 2.5 games back in the NL West after a four-game sweep over the Nationals over the weekend. The Giants scored 25 runs in the past three games and will be looking to stay hot offensively against one of the best teams in baseball this season.

St. Louis has been a powerhouse all year long, holding the league’s best record by a significant margin. The team is coming off of a loss against the Marlins in its last game, but won the three-game set and is 7-3 in its past 10 games.

On the mound for the Giants in this game is RHP Chris Heston (11-7, 3.38 ERA, 106 K) and he’ll be going up against RHP Michael Wacha (14-4, 2.93 ERA, 119 K) for the Cardinals.

This is the first time that these teams have met on the season, but the Giants are 5-4 against St. Louis over the past three seasons. The Giants are 25-18 against the money line as an underdog of +100 to +150 this season. The Cardinals, meanwhile, are an incredible 62-23 against the money line as a favorite of -110 or higher this season.

OFs Norichika Aoki (Concussion) and Angel Pagan (Knee) and 2B Joe Panik (Back) are out for San Francisco for the next week or so and OF Matt Holliday (Quad) continues to be out for St. Louis.

Chris Heston has been a pleasant surprise for the Giants this season, but he has really struggled in his past two road starts. In those appearances, Heston has pitched just 8.2 innings total and has allowed 12 hits and eight earned runs in that time on the mound. He’ll need to find his groove on Monday or it’ll be tough for San Francisco to come away with this win. Only four players (Adrianza, Blanco, Pence, Sanchez) from this San Francisco team have faced Michael Wacha and those guys are a combined 1-for-9 against the Cardinals’ starter in this one.

If San Francisco is going to beat this elite Cardinals team then 3B Matt Duffy (.306, 10 HRs, 59 RBIs), C Buster Posey (.327, 16 HRs, 78 RBIs) and OF Hunter Pence (.281, 9 HRs, 40 RBIs) will have to get something going at the plate. The three of these guys combined for 14 RBIs in the sweep over the Nationals in their last series. RP Santiago Casilla (3.79 ERA, 28 SV) will also need to be ready to have his number called. He has been inconsistent as a closer this season and needs to be more reliable moving forward for this Giants team.

Michael Wacha has been an absolute stud for the Cardinals this season and has been in good form as of late, allowing just two earned runs over his past 20.0 innings of work. The Cardinals have earned victories in five of his past six starts and will be feeling confident with him on the mound in this one. Offensively, OF Jason Heyward (.288, 11 HRs, 43 RBIs) has been one of the most consistent performers for this team on the year.

He’s coming off of a game against the Marlins in which he had two homers and three RBIs and should be feeling extremely confident heading into this one. 3B Matt Carpenter (.271, 18 HRs, 62 RBIs) could provide his team with a huge spark if he is to get his bat going on Monday. Carpenter has gotten two hits in three of the past four games, so it is certainly possible. OF Stephen Piscotty (.333, 1 HR, 11 RBIs) could be an x-factor in this one. He has played in just 24 games this season, but has four hits in the past two games and will be counted on to provide some offense for St. Louis in this game.