The Bum's Sports Page For Friday August 28th Best Bets-Trends-News !

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Mariners (59-69) at White Sox (60-66)
Game: 2
Venue: U.S. Cellular Field
Date: August 28, 2015 8:10 PM EDT

Though the Chicago White Sox have struggled to consistently win games this season, that hasn't been the case when facing the AL West - especially at home.

They'll look for a seventh straight home victory over a West opponent Friday night against the Seattle Mariners.

Trying to remain a postseason contender, Chicago (60-66) is five games out of the AL's final wild-card spot but has four teams to hurdle. While that might seem like a tall order, the White Sox have seven games left with West residents Seattle (59-69) and Oakland to potentially help their cause.

Chicago is 18-8 against that division this season, and has a 1.50 ERA while going 9-1 against the West at home. The White Sox, however, are 33-47 overall against the rest of the AL.

Leadoff hitter Adam Eaton had three hits and rookie Trayce Thompson added two more in Thursday's 4-2 win over the Mariners. Eaton is batting .344 in the last eight games, and is 7 for 16 in four against Seattle over that stretch.

Thompson is hitting .519 with six RBIs in 27 at-bats over 12 games since making his major league debut Aug. 4.

"Trayce is swinging it well," manager Robin Ventura said. "You get him in there and he makes things happen."

John Danks (6-11, 4.90 ERA) went 2-0 with a 1.16 ERA in his first three starts against AL West teams this season, but since is 0-2 with an 8.25 ERA in outings that came in his last two overall. The Mariners tagged the left-hander for seven runs and eight hits in five-plus innings of Sunday's 8-6 defeat.

"I think anytime he elevates and doesn't work down in the zone, there's going to be some issues," Ventura said.

Though four of Danks' last six outings have come on the road, he's 3-0 in his last six at U.S. Cellular Field and has allowed two runs over 25 2-3 innings of the last four there.

Austin Jackson and Robinson Cano are batting a combined .435 with five doubles and five home runs against Danks. With two hits in the opener, Jackson is batting .373 in his last 15 contests and is 6 for 13 in the last three against the White Sox.

The Mariners, though, went 0 for 6 with runners in scoring position Thursday.

'We had opportunities throughout the game and didn't take advantage,' manager Lloyd McClendon said. "If we went up without a bat, we probably would have had a run in and the bases loaded. That's tough."

Taijuan Walker (9-7, 4.73) improved to 2-0 in his last seven starts after Sunday's win over Chicago, but his ERA rose to 5.37 in the last nine by allowing four of his five runs in a sixth inning he never completed.

"I got a little comfortable with the (7-1) lead and was leaving stuff right down the middle, and they're not going to miss pitches like that," Walker told MLB's official website.

Though Eaton is 1 for 6 against Walker, Jose Abreu is 3 for 5 with a home run off the right-hander.

The Mariners played the opener hours after dealing struggling reliever Fernando Rodney to the Chicago Cubs for cash.


SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Mariners at White Sox
Thu, Aug 27 Final 2 to 4
Boxscores

GAME 2
Mariners at White Sox
Fri, Aug 28 - 8:10PM EDT

GAME 3
Mariners at White Sox
Sat, Aug 29 - 7:10PM EDT

GAME 4
Mariners at White Sox
Sun, Aug 30 - 2:10PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Reds (52-74) at Brewers (53-74)
Game: 1
Venue: Miller Park
Date: August 28, 2015 8:10 PM EDT

The Milwaukee Brewers and Cincinnati Reds have been picking up the rear in the NL Central seemingly all season, so they've long been looking toward the future.

Part of that glimpse has involved a rookie right-hander showing a good deal of promise for each club, and they'll square off Friday night when Raisel Iglesias leads Cincinnati into Milwaukee to face Taylor Jungmann.

While the division's top three teams - St. Louis, Pittsburgh and Chicago - are all in position to make the playoffs, the Brewers (53-74) and Reds (52-74) are out of the chase and have held the Central's bottom two spots since May 22. While Cincinnati has lost 12 of 13, Milwaukee has dropped four straight and 20 of 30.

"Every time you take the field, you've got something to play for, something to compete for, something to prove," Brewers manager Craig Counsell told MLB's official website.

Both teams were sellers at the trade deadline. Milwaukee has struggled offensively after dealing Carlos Gomez, Gerardo Parra and Aramis Ramirez, ranking among the majors' worst since July 24 with 3.52 runs per game and a .238 average. Cincinnati's starters are 5-16 with a 5.53 ERA since July 31, not long after Johnny Cueto and Mike Leake were traded.

Iglesias (3-5, 3.93 ERA), though, has been a bright spot. No qualifying pitcher has a better opponent batting average in August than his .145 mark, and he has a 1.93 ERA in five starts this month.

The native Cuban's 13 strikeouts Sunday in a 4-0 loss to Arizona were the most by a Reds rookie since Gary Nolan had 15 against San Francisco in 1967.

"My changeup has been working better the last few outings," Iglesias told MLB's official website after allowing one earned run and three hits in seven innings.

Jungmann (7-5, 2.66) said he "had the changeup going" after dominating the Reds on July 5, yielding a run and four hits in eight innings of a 6-1 victory. That's among eight quality starts in 14 outings since being called up June 9, recording easily the lowest ERA of any Milwaukee starter.

He had allowed only two homers all season before serving up one Saturday en route to possibly his worst performance, giving up five runs and seven hits in four innings of a 6-1 defeat to Washington.

"It was one of those games where I felt like I was going to have to battle a little bit," Jungmann said. "... I just really never got into a rhythm."

That game, however, didn't come at Miller Park, where Jungmann has a 1.75 ERA in six starts with 39 strikeouts in 36 innings.

The Brewers are a major league-worst 28-38 at home despite winning eight of 12.

Milwaukee has won four straight over the Reds, though the season series is 5-5. Ryan Braun and Adam Lind each have four homers and 10 RBIs in those 10 games.

Khris Davis has hit .089 in his last 14 against Cincinnati, but he enters with five homers over his past six games and a major league-high 10 since Aug. 6.

Home Run Derby champ Todd Frazier has gone deep twice in his last 30 games and not once in 11 straight. Joey Votto has five homers in his last 15 games while sporting a .567 on-base percentage.


SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Reds at Brewers
Fri, Aug 28 - 8:10PM EDT

GAME 2
Reds at Brewers
Sat, Aug 29 - 7:10PM EDT

GAME 3
Reds at Brewers
Sun, Aug 30 - 2:10PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Astros (71-57) at Twins (65-62)
Game: 1
Venue: Target Field
Date: August 28, 2015 8:10 PM EDT

A lethal combination of power and speed has helped the Houston Astros to what could be their best season in over a decade.

It's their starting pitching, however, that is most responsible for their run of success lately.

Scott Kazmir will try to continue an impressive run by Houston's starters Friday night when the AL West leaders open a three-game series against the Minnesota Twins at Target Field.

While improvement was expected from the Astros after six consecutive losing seasons, surpassing last year's win total with a five-game division lead at this point seemed highly unlikely.

Wednesday's 6-2 victory at Yankee Stadium was Houston's seventh win in nine games and 71st of the season, one more than it had all of 2014. Evan Gattis hit a pair of homers and Collin McHugh became the ninth straight Astros starter to allow two runs or fewer, a franchise record.

With almost six weeks left, Houston (71-57) already has achieved its best season since 2010 and is on pace for its first 90-win campaign since finishing 92-70 in 2004.

"You could tell the pieces were here,' said Gattis, who went 6 for 12 with three home runs and six RBIs in New York. 'We're not on an island out there. We could see it.'

Houston leads the AL with a 3.30 ERA, including a major league-best 2.06 mark since Aug. 4.

"It's been nice," manager A.J. Hinch told MLB's official website. "I don't know if it's the extra rest or the momentum, but they're trying to all out-do each other. There's a little competitiveness in there."

Versatility may be the Astros' biggest strength. Besides the outstanding pitching, they lead the majors in homers (174) and the AL in stolen bases (97).

'We have a lot of strengths,' Hinch said. 'We can do a lot of damage.'

Kazmir (7-8, 2.39 ERA) has made Houston's rotation even more formidable, going 2-3 with a 2.41 ERA in six starts with his new team.

He ended a three-start losing streak Saturday against the Los Angeles Dodgers, allowing one run over six innings with eight strikeouts while outpitching Zack Greinke in a 3-1 victory.

The left-hander limited the Twins to one run over 8 1-3 innings in his final start for Oakland on July 18.

Most of Minnesota's roster has struggled against Kazmir but Trevor Plouffe (8 for 24) is an exception.

After winning five of six against the first-place Dodgers and wild card-leading Yankees, Houston faces another challenge against the Twins (65-62), who are 38-24 at home and had their season-best six-game win streak snapped with Thursday's 5-4 loss at Tampa Bay.

'You try to get greedy,' manager Paul Molitor said. 'You try to get wins when you're rolling and keep the momentum going. Hopefully we'll look at the bigger picture of how we put together a nice little run, but in the moment you're a little disappointed you couldn't find a way to finish it off.'

Eduardo Escobar hit his third homer in two games for Minnesota, which dropped one-half game behind Texas for the second wild card.

Kyle Gibson (8-9, 3.96) tries again for his elusive ninth win. Since beating Detroit on July 12, the right-hander is 0-3 with a 7.22 ERA in seven starts.

He struggled with his command at Baltimore on Saturday, walking four, but was able to limit the damage to two runs over 5 2-3 innings before leaving without a decision in a 3-2 win.

Gibson is 2-0 with a 2.55 ERA in three career starts against the Astros, allowing one run over 14 2-3 innings in the past two.


SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Astros at Twins
Fri, Aug 28 - 8:10PM EDT

GAME 2
Astros at Twins
Sat, Aug 29 - 7:10PM EDT

GAME 3
Astros at Twins
Sun, Aug 30 - 2:10PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Athletics (55-73) at Diamondbacks (62-65)
Game: 1
Venue: Chase Field
Date: August 28, 2015 9:40 PM EDT

The hot streak that moved the Arizona Diamondbacks back into the NL West picture fizzled with four consecutive losses to baseball's best team.

The drought might be in danger of expanding against one of the majors' worst.

Sonny Gray looks to continue his personal roll as his last-place Oakland Athletics try to hand the Diamondbacks their sixth straight loss at home Friday night in the opener of a three-game series.

Arizona (62-65) used a four-game sweep in Cincinnati last week to move within five games of the division-leading Los Angeles Dodgers. But it all came crashing down with four losses to St. Louis, ending with a 5-3 defeat Thursday.

The Diamondbacks had the bases loaded with no outs in the eighth inning and failed to score.

'Another situation where the anxiety just gets to you,' manager Chip Hale said. 'Guys see it right in front of them, they have a chance to be a hero and want it to bad. That is something with experience we should get better at.'

The sweep gave the Diamondbacks their first five-game skid at home since dropping eight in a row from April 2-16, 2014.

Even worse, it's left them needing a near-miracle to make the postseason with 8 1/2 games to make up on the Dodgers and the wild card a distant 11 1/2 games away.

Gray (12-5, 2.10 ERA) should have a good chance to extend the gap.

The AL's ERA leader has a 1.58 ERA and 0.96 WHIP in his last six starts, but his last two starts haven't exactly been dominant. Gray has allowed four home runs that have accounted for six of the seven runs he's given up.

Three of the four runs the right-hander allowed over 5 2-3 innings in a 4-2 loss at Baltimore on Aug. 17 were unearned. Three of the five hits he gave up over eight in a 5-4 loss to Tampa Bay on Saturday left the park.

Gray, 8-2 with a 1.64 ERA in 13 road starts, was still in line for the win before Pat Venditte surrendered two runs in the ninth.

Oakland (55-73) is a major league-worst 14-30 in one-run games.

"We just gotta keep showing up and putting ourselves in good positions and hopefully start pulling some of these close ones off," Gray told MLB's official website.

The Diamondbacks hope Chase Anderson can snap their skid, and if he pitches anything like he did Sunday, he just might.

Anderson (6-5, 4.28) was optioned to Triple-A for two days last week before returning when Jeremy Hellickson landed on the disabled list with a strained left hamstring. Anderson brushed off allowing 10 earned runs in 9 2-3 innings over his previous two starts to last 6 2-3 innings in a 4-0 win at Cincinnati on Sunday.

"I'm thankful just to be back here and for the opportunity to be sent down then to get called back up in 36 hours," Anderson said. "Doesn't really happen very often."

A's outfielder Billy Burns has nine hits in his last four games to move his total to 123 on the season, the most among AL rookies.

Arizona left fielder David Peralta was back in the lineup Thursday after taking a foul ball off his face the previous day. Peralta has hit .444 during a five-game hitting streak.


SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Athletics at Diamondbacks
Fri, Aug 28 - 9:40PM EDT

GAME 2
Athletics at Diamondbacks
Sat, Aug 29 - 8:10PM EDT

GAME 3
Athletics at Diamondbacks
Sun, Aug 30 - 4:10PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Cubs (73-53) at Dodgers (70-56)
Game: 1
Venue: Dodger Stadium
Date: August 28, 2015 10:10 PM EDT

The Los Angeles Dodgers salvaged three games from what could have been a disastrous road trip. On Friday night they will try to squeeze something out of a Clayton Kershaw start.

Kershaw will go for his first win in three outings as the first-place Dodgers return home for a three-game series against the Chicago Cubs.

Los Angeles (70-56) has come up empty in back-to-back Kershaw gems, 10-inning walk-off losses in Oakland on Aug. 18 and Houston on Sunday.

A 3-2 loss to the Astros wasted eight innings of one-run ball from Kershaw (10-6, 2.29 ERA). More importantly, it was the Dodgers' fifth loss to start their eight-game trip through Oakland, Houston and Cincinnati, and it trimmed their NL West lead to 1 1/2 games over the Giants.

It was also just the second time all season Los Angeles dropped consecutive games from Cy Young candidates Zack Greinke and Kershaw.

'I hope we're panicking a little bit,' Kershaw told MLB's official website. 'I think panic's a good thing to a certain extent. It's obvious we've got five weeks or whatever it is, too. So, there's a sense of urgency.'

The Dodgers took the message into Cincinnati and swept the reeling Reds in the final three games of the trip, lifting their division lead to 2 1/2 games. Greinke did the heavy lifting Thursday with seven innings in a 1-0 win.

The only bad news was the departure of right fielder Yasiel Puig, who paid a heavy price for legging out a ninth-inning infield single by reinjuring his right hamstring.

Puig, who's two singles moved his hitting streak to 10 games, said the injury was worse than the original one he suffered Aug. 18 that forced him to miss two games. Manager Don Mattingly did not say if Puig would undergo an MRI on Friday.

Puig was one of the only players hitting during the road trip, which included Mike Fiers' no-hitter last week. The Dodgers averaged 2.75 runs, just below their underwhelming August number of 3.91.

They likely won't need that much for Kershaw. The reigning MVP has given up one earned run or less in nine of his last 10 starts, a span that includes two shutouts and an ERA of 0.94.

The Cubs (73-53) will face a Cy Young candidate for the second consecutive day after a 9-1 loss to San Francisco's Madison Bumgarner on Thursday cut their lead for the second wild card to 5 1/2 over the Giants.

"You have to learn how to bounce back from a loss," manager Joe Maddon told MLB's official website. "You may be upset for about 30 minutes, and then you move on."

Chicago - which added right-hander Fernando Rodney to its bullpen in a deal with Seattle on Thursday - is 5-2 against former Cy Young winners this year, including a 4-2 win over Kershaw on June 22. Kris Bryant had two home runs, including a two-run shot off Kershaw, and he's batting .370 with three homers during a seven-game hitting streak.

Jason Hammel (7-5, 3.35) will face Los Angeles for the second time this year. One of the right-hander's best outings came during a 1-0, 10-inning win June 23 as he held the Dodgers to two hits over 7 2-3.

Hammel - 2-4 with a 4.96 ERA in 11 starts against the Dodgers - posted his longest outing in eight starts Sunday, allowing two runs in 6 1-3 innings in a 9-3 win over Atlanta.

Cubs center fielder Dexter Fowler, who is 17 for 40 against Kershaw, is day to day after fouling a ball off his right shin Tuesday.


SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Cubs at Dodgers
Fri, Aug 28 - 10:10PM EDT

GAME 2
Cubs at Dodgers
Sat, Aug 29 - 9:10PM EDT

GAME 3
Cubs at Dodgers
Sun, Aug 30 - 8:05PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Cardinals (82-45) at Giants (68-59)
Game: 1
Venue: AT&T Park
Date: August 28, 2015 10:15 PM EDT

The last time Michael Wacha was seen at AT&T Park, he surrendered the walkoff homer that eliminated the St. Louis Cardinals from the NLCS.

The stakes won't be nearly as high Friday night when Wacha goes for a share of the major league lead in wins against the San Francisco Giants.

Wacha's only playoff appearance last year came with the score tied in the ninth inning of Game 5 at San Francisco. The right-hander, who had shoulder trouble in the regular season, served up a three-run blast to light-hitting Travis Ishikawa in a 6-3 loss.

Wacha (15-4, 2.80 ERA) and the Cardinals (82-45) sure look like they've put that behind them. St. Louis owns the best record in baseball and Wacha is one win shy of matching Jake Arrieta of the Chicago Cubs and San Francisco's Madison Bumgarner for the major league lead.

Wacha is 4-0 with a 1.09 ERA in his last five starts, a stretch that includes St. Louis' 2-1 home win over the Giants on Aug. 17. He allowed one run in seven innings and didn't get a decision while San Francisco went on to take two of three in that series.

Wacha followed that up six days later by yielding one run in six innings of a 10-3 win at San Diego.

"He's been very consistent for us. He's done a terrific job," manager Mike Matheny told MLB's official website. "I didn't think he had his top stuff (Sunday), missed a lot high and out of the zone, which didn't really allow his changeup to have its effectiveness that it normally has.

"He pitched with heart more than anything, and figured out a way to get outs in tough counts."

The Cardinals have put together an 11-4 stretch on the road, winning five straight with Thursday's 5-3 victory at Arizona.

They haven't had a longer streak away from home since a seven-gamer from April 22-May 5, 2013.

The Giants (68-59), 2 1/2 games back of the NL West-leading Los Angeles Dodgers, cruised to a 9-1 rout of the Chicago Cubs on Thursday for their 15th win in 18 home games. Rookie Kelby Tomlinson hit his first grand slam and Marlon Byrd added a three-run shot.

Tomlinson has been a pleasant surprise, hitting .346 in 20 games since being called up from Triple-A Sacramento to replace the injured Joe Panik (back).

"It was pretty crazy. Everybody got up and started clapping for me," Tomlinson said. "I'd never experienced anything like that. It's pretty special."

He went 4 for 10 in three games at St. Louis last week.

Mike Leake (9-6, 3.44) makes his third start for the Giants and first at AT&T Park for his new team. The right-hander allowed one run and one hit over six innings before leaving without a decision in a 3-2 loss at Pittsburgh on Saturday after missing nearly three weeks with a hamstring injury.

"What a job he did for us in his first start back," manager Bruce Bochy said. "He gave us what we were hoping for."

Leake should feel very comfortable pitching in San Francisco, where he went 4-0 with a 0.87 ERA in his last four starts for Cincinnati. He walked five and struck out 26 over 31 innings in those games.

He's split six decisions with a 2.81 ERA in his past seven starts against the Cardinals, tossing four-hit ball over eight innings in a 4-0 victory with the Reds on July 28.


SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Cardinals at Giants
Fri, Aug 28 - 10:15PM EDT

GAME 2
Cardinals at Giants
Sat, Aug 29 - 4:05PM EDT

GAME 3
Cardinals at Giants
Sun, Aug 30 - 4:05PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

MLB
Dunkel

Friday, August 28


Miami @ Washington

Game 901-902
August 28, 2015 @ 7:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Miami
(Conley) 14.850
Washington
(Scherzer) 16.434
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Washington
by 1 1/2
6
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Washington
-250
7
Dunkel Pick:
Washington
(-250); Under

Colorado @ Pittsburgh

Game 903-904
August 28, 2015 @ 7:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Colorado
(Gray) 10.607
Pittsburgh
(Liriano) 15.996
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Pittsburgh
by 5 1/2
8
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Pittsburgh
-230
7
Dunkel Pick:
Pittsburgh
(-230); Over

San Diego @ Philadelphia

Game 905-906
August 28, 2015 @ 7:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
San Diego
(Kennedy) 13.574
Philadelphia
(Nola) 15.706
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Philadelphia
by 2
9
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
San Diego
-130
8
Dunkel Pick:
Philadelphia
(+110); Over

Cincinnati @ Milwaukee

Game 907-908
August 28, 2015 @ 8:10 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Cincinnati
(Iglesias) 14.564
Milwaukee
(Jungmnn) 12.969
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Cincinnati
by 1 1/2
7
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Milwaukee
-130
7 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Cincinnati
(+110); Under

Chicago Cubs @ LA Dodgers

Game 909-910
August 28, 2015 @ 10:10 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Chicago Cubs
(Hammel) 17.519
LA Dodgers
(Kershaw) 15.606
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Chicago Cubs
by 2
5
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
LA Dodgers
-210
6 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Chicago Cubs
(+180); Under

St. Louis @ San Francisco

Game 911-912
August 28, 2015 @ 10:15 pm

Dunkel Rating:
St. Louis
(Wacha) 15.599
San Francisco
(Leake) 17.022
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
San Francisco
by 1 1/2
5
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
St. Louis
-120
6 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
San Francisco
(+100); Under

Detroit @ Toronto

Game 913-914
August 28, 2015 @ 7:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Detroit
(Boyd) 11.053
Toronto
(Dickey) 17.982
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Toronto
by 7
11
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Toronto
-220
9 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Toronto
(-220); Over

LA Angels @ Cleveland

Game 915-916
August 28, 2015 @ 7:10 pm

Dunkel Rating:
LA Angels
(Heaney) 14.115
Cleveland
(Salazar) 15.657
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Cleveland
by 1 1/2
9
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Cleveland
-160
7 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Cleveland
(-160); Over

Kansas City @ Tampa Bay

Game 917-918
August 28, 2015 @ 7:10 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Kansas City
(Volquez) 17.466
Tampa Bay
(Ramirez) 16.007
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Kansas City
by 1 1/2
6
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Kansas City
-115
7
Dunkel Pick:
Kansas City
(-115); Under

Baltimore @ Texas

Game 919-920
August 28, 2015 @ 8:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Baltimore
(Gausman) 14.366
Texas
(Hamels) 16.572
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Texas
by 2
7
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Texas
-145
8 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Texas
(-145); Under

Seattle @ Chicago White Sox

Game 921-922
August 28, 2015 @ 8:10 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Seattle
(Walker) 13.752
Chicago White Sox
(Danks) 15.675
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Chicago White Sox
by 2
8
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Seattle
-135
8 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Chicago White Sox
(+115); Under

Houston @ Minnesota

Game 923-924
August 28, 2015 @ 8:10 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Houston
(Kazmir) 14.017
Minnesota
(Gibson) 15.693
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Minnesota
by 1 1/2
7
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Houston
-130
8
Dunkel Pick:
Minnesota
(+110); Under

Boston @ NY Mets

Game 925-926
August 28, 2015 @ 7:10 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Boston
(Owens) 13.752
NY Mets
(Harvey) 16.299
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
NY Mets
by 2 1/2
8
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
NY Mets
-200
7
Dunkel Pick:
NY Mets
(-200); Over

NY Yankees @ Atlanta

Game 927-928
August 28, 2015 @ 7:35 pm

Dunkel Rating:
NY Yankees
(Tanaka) 17.462
Atlanta
(Perez) 13.976
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
NY Yankees
by 3 1/2
6
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
NY Yankees
-220
7 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
NY Yankees
(-220); Under

Oakland @ Arizona

Game 929-930
August 28, 2015 @ 9:40 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Oakland
(Gray) 12.675
Arizona
(Anderson) 15.277
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Arizona
by 2 1/2
6
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Oakland
-130
7 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Arizona
(+110); Under

[StarDust Bum]

MLB
Armadillo's Write-Up

Friday, August 28

National League
Marlins @ Nationals
Conley is 1-1, 5.12 in his four starts (over 3-1).

Scherzer is 0-2, 6.86 in his last four starts (over 3-1).

Miami lost three of last four games with Washington; over is 5-3 in their last eight games. Marlins lost six of last seven games- five of their last six stayed under total. Washington won four of its last five (over 4-1-1 in last six). .

Rockies @ Pirates
Gray is 0-0, 6.48 in his four starts (over 3-1).

Liriano is 4-0, 4.91 in his last six starts; over is 6-0-1 in his last seven.

Colorado lost four of last six games with Pittsburgh; home side won nine of last ten series games. Rockies won last two games after losing six of previous seven-- four of their last six went over total. Pirates won eight of last ten games; four of their last five stayed under.

Padres @ Phillies
Kennedy is 2-1, 2.55 in his last three starts (under 7-3 in his last ten).

Nola is 4-0, 3.93 in his last six starts (over 5-1); Phils scored 41 runs for him.

Padres lost four of last five games with Philly; five of last six series games got over total. San Diego lost three of last four games; five of its last six games stayed under. Phillies lost last four games; eight of their last ten went over. .

Reds @ Brewers
Iglesias is 2-2, 2.20 in his last five starts; five of his last six stayed under.

Jungmann is 2-4, 4.55 in his last six starts; under is 4-2-1 in his last seven.

Reds lost last four games with Milwaukee (over 3-1); Cincy lost 11 of last 12 games (over 5-2 in last seven) overall. Brewers lost last four games, allowing 32 runs; over is 6-0-1 in their last seven games.

Cubs @ Dodgers
Hammel is 2-1, 4.01 in his last five starts; six of his last eight went over.

Kershaw is 5-0, 0.90 in his last nine starts; eight of his last ten stayed under.

Cubs are 3-5 in last eight games with LA; last four series games went under total. Chicago won six of last eight games (over 6-3 in last nine). Dodgers won last three games, allowing five runs; five of their last six stayed under.

Cardinals @ Giants
Wacha is 4-0, 1.09 in his last five starts (under 5-1 in last six).

Leake is 4-1, 1.06 in his last six starts (under 6-1 in last seven).

Cardinals lost four of their last six games with Giants (under 2-0-1 last three); St Louis won last five games; over is 4-1-2 in last seven. Giants are 3-5 in last eight games; over is 6-3-2 in their last eleven.

St Louis closer Rosenthal won't be in SF this weekend; his wife is having a baby and Rosenthal will be in St Louis with her.

American League
Tigers @ Blue Jays
Former Blue Jay Boyd is 0-2, 6.06 in his last three starts (under 3-1 last four).

Dickey is 5-0, 3.50 in his last seven starts; last three went over. Dickey has a 7.31 RA in his last three starts; Jays scored 30 runs in those three games.

Tigers lost six of last seven games; six of their last eight stayed under; Tigers lost six of last nine games with Toronto (over 7-1 in last eight). Blue Jays won seven of last nine (seven of last eight went over).

Angels @ Indians
Heaney is 0-2, 5.96 in his last five starts; six of his last nine went over.

Salazar is 3-1, 2.45 in his last five starts; four of his last six stayed under.

Angels won seven of last ten games with Cleveland; under is 5-3 in last eight series games. Halos lost five of last seven games (over 5-2). Indians won five of last seven games; seven of their last ten went over the total.

Royals @ Rays
Volquez is 0-1, 5.95 in his last three starts; over is 5-3 in his last eight.

Ramirez is 2-0, 2.75 in his last three starts; four of his last five went over.

Royals won their last five games with Tampa Bay (over 5-0); KC won five of last six games- over is 4-1-2 in its last seven. Tampa Bay lost of its three of last four games; Rays' last five games all went over.

Orioles @ Rangers
Gausman is 0-3, 4.91 in his last four starts; under is 6-3-1 in his last ten.

Hamels is 1-1, 4.72 in his four starts for Texas.

Rangers won three of last four games with Baltimore; under is 3-1-1 in last five series games. Texas won nine of last 13 games (under is 8-2-1 in their last 11 games). Orioles lost seven of last eight games (under 4-2-1 in last seven).

Mariners @ White Sox
Walker is 2-0, 3.71 in his last five starts (over is 7-2 in his last nine).

Danks is 0-3, 5.68 in his last four starts; four of his last six went over.

White Sox won three of last four games with Seattle (over 3-1); Chicago lost three of last five games overall-- seven of their last ten went over. Mariners won three of last five games- five of their last six games went over total.

Astros @ Twins
Kazmir is 1-3, 5.56 in his last four starts (under 8-2 in his last ten).

Gibson is 0-3, 7.45 in his last seven starts.

Houston is 4-6 in last ten games with Minnesota (over 6-3 in last nine); Astros won seven of last nine games (over 7-2). Twins won six of last seven games-- their last three all went over.

Interleague
Red Sox @ Mets
Owens is 2-1, 4.88 in his four starts (over 4-0).

Harvey skipped his last start to keep his innings down; he is 3-0, 1.01 in his last five starts (over 4-2 in last six).

Mets won their last seven games, scoring 73 runs; 10 of their last 11 games went over total. NY lost four of last six games with Boston- six of last nine series games stayed under total. Boston won four of last six games (over 7-2-1 in last ten). If Ortiz is in lineup (NL park, no DH), Red Sox have a pathetic defensive infield.

Bronx @ Braves
Tanaka is 2-3, 3.82 in his last five starts; under is 5-3 in his last eight.

Perez is 0-4, 8.28 in his last five starts (over 3-1-1).

Bronx won five of last seven games with Atlanta; three of last four series tilts stayed under total. NY lost five of last seven games overall; four of last six went over total. Braves lost nine of last ten games; four of their last five went over.

A's @ Diamondbacks
Gray is 2-1, 2.09 in his last five starts (under 7-1-1 in his last nine).

Anderson is 2-1, 4.63 in his last four starts.

Oakland lost four of last five games with Arizona; three of last four went over total. A's lost four of last six games; their last five went over total. Diamondbacks lost last four games; over is 4-2-2 in their last eight.

Win-loss records this year for team with this starting pitcher:
Mia-Wsh-- Conley 3-1; Scherzer 13-12
Col-Pitt-- Gray 0-4; Liriano 14-10 (10-0 last 10)
SD-Phil-- Kennedy 11-12; Nola 5-2
Cin-Mil-- Iglesias 4-8; Jungmann 8-6
Chi-LA-- Hammel 12-12 (4-1 last 5); Kershaw 13-12
StL-SF-- Wacha 19-5; Leake 11-12/0-2

Det-Tor-- Boyd 1-5/1-3; Dickey 17-7 (6-0 last 6)
LA-Clev-- Heaney 8-3; Salazar 14-9
KC-TB-- Volquez 18-8; Ramirez 14-6
Balt-Tex-- Gausman 3-7; Hamels 12-12/2-2
Hst-Min-- Kazmir 11-13/3-3; Gibson 13-12
Sea-Chi-- Walker 14-11; Danks 11-13

Bos-NY-- Owens 2-2; Harvey 14-9
NY-Atl-- Tanaka 12-6; Perez 5-8 (0-6 last 6)
A's-Az-- Gray 15-10; Anderson 9-13

Times this starting pitcher allowed a run in first inning:
Mia-Wsh-- Conley 0-4; Scherzer 5-23
Col-Pitt-- Gray 3-4; Liriano 5-25
SD-Phil-- Kennedy 8-23; Nola 4-7
Cin-Mil-- Iglesias 2-12; Jungmann 2-14
Chi-LA-- Hammel 10-24; Kershaw 5-25
StL-SF-- Wacha 4-24; Leake 4-23

Det-Tor-- Boyd 2-6; Dickey 11-24 (4 of last 5)
LA-Clev-- Heaney 0-11; Salazar 7-23
KC-TB-- Volquez 6-26; Ramirez 5-20
Balt-Tex-- Gausman 5-10; Hamels 5-24
Hst-Min-- Kazmir 4-24; Gibson 6-25
Sea-Chi-- Walker 7-25; Danks 8-24

Bos-NY-- Owens 2-4; Harvey 6-23
NY-Atl-- Tanaka 4-18; Perez 5-13
A's-Az-- Gray 4-25; Anderson 8-22

[StarDust Bum]

MLB

Friday, August 28

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Trend Report
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7:05 PM
MIAMI vs. WASHINGTON
Miami is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games
Miami is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing Washington
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Washington's last 6 games
Washington is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home

7:05 PM
SAN DIEGO vs. PHILADELPHIA
San Diego is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Philadelphia
The total has gone OVER in 5 of San Diego's last 6 games when playing Philadelphia
Philadelphia is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing San Diego
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Philadelphia's last 6 games when playing San Diego

7:05 PM
COLORADO vs. PITTSBURGH
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Colorado's last 6 games
Colorado is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Pittsburgh
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Pittsburgh's last 7 games when playing Colorado
Pittsburgh is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing Colorado

7:07 PM
DETROIT vs. TORONTO
Detroit is 3-6 SU in its last 9 games when playing Toronto
Detroit is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games
Toronto is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
Toronto is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games when playing Detroit

7:10 PM
BOSTON vs. NY METS
Boston is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against NY Mets
Boston is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing NY Mets
NY Mets are 7-3 SU in its last 10 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of NY Mets's last 6 games when playing at home against Boston

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

7:10 PM
LA ANGELS vs. CLEVELAND
The total has gone OVER in 5 of LA Angels's last 7 games
LA Angels are 2-5 SU in their last 7 games
Cleveland is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 18 of Cleveland's last 25 games when playing at home against LA Angels

7:35 PM
NY YANKEES vs. ATLANTA
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of NY Yankees's last 13 games when playing Atlanta
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of NY Yankees's last 5 games on the road
Atlanta is 2-6 SU in their last 8 games when playing NY Yankees
Atlanta is 1-9 SU in its last 10 games

8:05 PM
BALTIMORE vs. TEXAS
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Baltimore's last 6 games on the road
Baltimore is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Texas is 10-3 SU in its last 13 games at home
Texas is 4-12 SU in its last 16 games when playing Baltimore

8:10 PM
HOUSTON vs. MINNESOTA
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Houston's last 9 games when playing Minnesota
Houston is 5-16 SU in its last 21 games on the road
Minnesota is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Houston
Minnesota is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games at home

8:10 PM
SEATTLE vs. CHI WHITE SOX
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Seattle's last 7 games
Seattle is 1-5 SU in their last 6 games when playing on the road against Chi White Sox
Chi White Sox are 5-1 SU in their last 6 games when playing at home against Seattle
Chi White Sox are 4-2 SU in their last 6 games when playing Seattle

8:10 PM
CINCINNATI vs. MILWAUKEE
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Cincinnati's last 6 games on the road
Cincinnati is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games on the road
Milwaukee is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Cincinnati
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Milwaukee's last 10 games when playing at home against Cincinnati

9:40 PM
OAKLAND vs. ARIZONA
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Oakland's last 5 games on the road
Oakland is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Arizona
Arizona is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Oakland
Arizona is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games

10:10 PM
CHI CUBS vs. LA DODGERS
Chi Cubs are 3-6 SU in their last 9 games when playing on the road against LA Dodgers
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Chi Cubs's last 7 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of LA Dodgers's last 5 games when playing Chi Cubs
LA Dodgers are 6-3 SU in their last 9 games when playing at home against Chi Cubs

10:15 PM
ST. LOUIS vs. SAN FRANCISCO
St. Louis is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against San Francisco
The total has gone OVER in 4 of St. Louis's last 5 games when playing on the road against San Francisco
The total has gone OVER in 4 of San Francisco's last 5 games when playing at home against St. Louis
The total has gone OVER in 4 of San Francisco's last 6 games at home

[StarDust Bum]

MLB
Long Sheet

Friday, August 28

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MIAMI (51 - 77) at WASHINGTON (64 - 62) - 7:05 PM
ADAM CONLEY (L) vs. MAX SCHERZER (R)
Top Trends for this game.
MIAMI is 51-77 (-24.1 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
MIAMI is 21-41 (-16.0 Units) against the money line in road games this season.
MIAMI is 17-31 (-17.9 Units) against the money line against division opponents this season.
MIAMI is 51-74 (-21.1 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
MIAMI is 33-53 (-20.1 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
MIAMI is 40-60 (-18.9 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
MIAMI is 26-50 (-21.7 Units) against the money line after a loss this season.
SCHERZER is 33-9 (+19.7 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
SCHERZER is 38-13 (+18.3 Units) against the money line after a win over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
MIAMI is 366-423 (+39.1 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season since 1997.
WASHINGTON is 64-62 (-12.2 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
WASHINGTON is 34-37 (-11.6 Units) against the money line when the total is 7 or less this season.
WASHINGTON is 10-15 (-10.4 Units) against the money line in August games this season.
WASHINGTON is 20-28 (-17.9 Units) against the money line when playing on Friday over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 63-61 (-12.4 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
WASHINGTON is 39-44 (-14.1 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
WASHINGTON is 30-28 (-10.0 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
MIAMI is 5-4 (+2.0 Units) against WASHINGTON this season
5 of 9 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+1.2 Units)

ADAM CONLEY vs. WASHINGTON since 1997
No recent starts.

MAX SCHERZER vs. MIAMI since 1997
SCHERZER is 2-0 when starting against MIAMI with an ERA of 3.60 and a WHIP of 1.200.
His team's record is 3-0 (+3.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 2-1. (+0.7 units)

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COLORADO (51 - 74) at PITTSBURGH (77 - 49) - 7:05 PM
JON GRAY (R) vs. FRANCISCO LIRIANO (L)
Top Trends for this game.
COLORADO is 117-170 (-43.5 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
COLORADO is 45-98 (-38.9 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
COLORADO is 117-170 (-43.5 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
COLORADO is 28-54 (-21.6 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
COLORADO is 5-21 (-15.8 Units) against the money line against left-handed starters this season.
COLORADO is 48-88 (-29.4 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
COLORADO is 6-28 (-17.8 Units) against the money line in road games when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 77-49 (+19.0 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
PITTSBURGH is 44-20 (+16.7 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
PITTSBURGH is 30-15 (+15.2 Units) against the money line when playing on Friday over the last 2 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 77-49 (+19.0 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
PITTSBURGH is 118-81 (+23.3 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 61-38 (+16.8 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
PITTSBURGH is 49-27 (+17.0 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
PITTSBURGH is 88-52 (+22.1 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 24-7 (+13.0 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.

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

JON GRAY vs. PITTSBURGH since 1997
No recent starts.

FRANCISCO LIRIANO vs. COLORADO since 1997
LIRIANO is 1-2 when starting against COLORADO with an ERA of 5.49 and a WHIP of 1.641.
His team's record is 2-2 (-0.4 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-2. (-1.2 units)

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SAN DIEGO (62 - 65) at PHILADELPHIA (50 - 78) - 7:05 PM
IAN KENNEDY (R) vs. AARON NOLA (R)
Top Trends for this game.
SAN DIEGO is 60-101 (-31.5 Units) against the money line in road games against right-handed starters over the last 3 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 13-9 (+7.5 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season this season.
SAN DIEGO is 47-42 (+4.3 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 89-116 (-33.1 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
PHILADELPHIA is 3-0 (+5.0 Units) against SAN DIEGO this season
2 of 3 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+1.1 Units)

IAN KENNEDY vs. PHILADELPHIA since 1997
KENNEDY is 3-2 when starting against PHILADELPHIA with an ERA of 3.33 and a WHIP of 1.022.
His team's record is 4-3 (+1.1 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 6-1. (+5.0 units)

AARON NOLA vs. SAN DIEGO since 1997
NOLA is 0-0 when starting against SAN DIEGO with an ERA of 4.50 and a WHIP of 1.333.
His team's record is 1-0 (+1.4 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-0. (+1.0 units)

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CINCINNATI (52 - 74) at MILWAUKEE (53 - 74) - 8:10 PM
RAISEL IGLESIAS (R) vs. TAYLOR JUNGMANN (R)
Top Trends for this game.
CINCINNATI is 52-74 (-21.6 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
CINCINNATI is 56-88 (-25.6 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
CINCINNATI is 6-19 (-12.2 Units) against the money line in August games this season.
CINCINNATI is 52-74 (-21.6 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
CINCINNATI is 83-110 (-24.8 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
CINCINNATI is 39-54 (-15.1 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
CINCINNATI is 30-44 (-13.6 Units) against the money line after a loss this season.
CINCINNATI is 25-36 (-14.3 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
CINCINNATI is 19-34 (-19.1 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.
CINCINNATI is 18-9 (+10.5 Units) against the money line after getting shut out over the last 2 seasons.
MILWAUKEE is 53-74 (-21.2 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
MILWAUKEE is 25-29 (-14.9 Units) against the money line as a home favorite of -125 to -150 over the last 2 seasons.
MILWAUKEE is 28-38 (-14.9 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
MILWAUKEE is 53-74 (-21.2 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
MILWAUKEE is 17-26 (-12.0 Units) against the money line in home games in night games this season.
MILWAUKEE is 39-60 (-21.3 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
MILWAUKEE is 28-45 (-17.8 Units) against the money line after a loss this season.
MILWAUKEE is 7-17 (-10.6 Units) against the money line after 3 or more consecutive losses this season.
MILWAUKEE is 20-30 (-13.5 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
MILWAUKEE is 21-35 (-25.4 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
MILWAUKEE is 5-5 (-0.0 Units) against CINCINNATI this season
5 of 10 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+0.1 Units)

RAISEL IGLESIAS vs. MILWAUKEE since 1997
No recent starts.

TAYLOR JUNGMANN vs. CINCINNATI since 1997
JUNGMANN is 1-0 when starting against CINCINNATI with an ERA of 1.13 and a WHIP of 0.750.
His team's record is 1-0 (+1.1 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-1. (-1.0 units)

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CHICAGO CUBS (73 - 53) at LA DODGERS (70 - 56) - 10:10 PM
JASON HAMMEL (R) vs. CLAYTON KERSHAW (L)
Top Trends for this game.
CHICAGO CUBS are 73-53 (+9.2 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
CHICAGO CUBS are 34-27 (+6.8 Units) against the money line in road games this season.
CHICAGO CUBS are 16-6 (+11.1 Units) against the money line on the road when the total is 7 or less this season.
CHICAGO CUBS are 34-20 (+15.9 Units) against the money line in August games over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO CUBS are 73-53 (+9.2 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
CHICAGO CUBS are 45-29 (+13.9 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
CHICAGO CUBS are 29-25 (+15.6 Units) against the money line in road games against left-handed starters over the last 3 seasons.
CHICAGO CUBS are 72-67 (+7.6 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO CUBS are 33-23 (+9.1 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
HAMMEL is 32-26 (+14.6 Units) against the money line in road games after a loss since 1997. (Team's Record)
HAMMEL is 60-51 (+16.1 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record since 1997. (Team's Record)
LA DODGERS are 70-56 (-12.9 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
LA DODGERS are 33-32 (-17.2 Units) against the money line when the total is 7 or less this season.
LA DODGERS are 70-56 (-12.9 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
LA DODGERS are 50-42 (-13.8 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
LA DODGERS are 38-33 (-13.6 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
LA DODGERS are 15-23 (-19.1 Units) against the money line after 3 or more consecutive wins over the last 2 seasons.
LA DODGERS are 23-26 (-10.3 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
CHICAGO CUBS is 2-2 (+0.5 Units) against LA DODGERS this season
4 of 4 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+4.0 Units)

JASON HAMMEL vs. LA DODGERS since 1997
HAMMEL is 2-4 when starting against LA DODGERS with an ERA of 4.94 and a WHIP of 1.516.
His team's record is 6-5 (+1.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 7-4. (+2.8 units)

CLAYTON KERSHAW vs. CHICAGO CUBS since 1997
KERSHAW is 4-3 when starting against CHICAGO CUBS with an ERA of 2.36 and a WHIP of 1.139.
His team's record is 4-3 (-1.7 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 6-1. (+4.9 units)

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ST LOUIS (82 - 45) at SAN FRANCISCO (68 - 59) - 10:15 PM
MICHAEL WACHA (R) vs. MIKE LEAKE (R)
Top Trends for this game.
ST LOUIS is 81-111 (-44.7 Units) against the money line in road games after 3 or more consecutive wins since 1997.
SAN FRANCISCO is 68-59 (+3.5 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 11-3 (+9.3 Units) against the money line as a home underdog of +100 to +125 this season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 68-59 (+3.5 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 1066-893 (+119.1 Units) against the money line in night games since 1997.
SAN FRANCISCO is 118-96 (+11.5 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 40-28 (+10.5 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 743-733 (+46.6 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record since 1997.
ST LOUIS is 82-45 (+27.1 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
ST LOUIS is 36-26 (+8.5 Units) against the money line in road games this season.
ST LOUIS is 82-45 (+27.1 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
ST LOUIS is 59-32 (+21.3 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
ST LOUIS is 63-30 (+26.2 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
ST LOUIS is 52-30 (+14.0 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
ST LOUIS is 35-19 (+14.8 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
WACHA is 19-5 (+11.8 Units) against the money line in all games this season. (Team's Record)
WACHA is 12-2 (+9.1 Units) against the money line when the total is 7 or less this season. (Team's Record)
WACHA is 11-2 (+8.5 Units) against the money line in road games this season. (Team's Record)
WACHA is 6-0 (+6.5 Units) against the money line on the road when the total is 7 or less this season. (Team's Record)
WACHA is 19-5 (+11.8 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season. (Team's Record)
WACHA is 10-1 (+9.0 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
ST LOUIS is 2-1 (+0.6 Units) against SAN FRANCISCO this season
2 of 2 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+2.0 Units)

MICHAEL WACHA vs. SAN FRANCISCO since 1997
WACHA is 1-0 when starting against SAN FRANCISCO with an ERA of 0.69 and a WHIP of 0.769.
His team's record is 2-0 (+2.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-2. (-2.0 units)

MIKE LEAKE vs. ST LOUIS since 1997
LEAKE is 5-7 when starting against ST LOUIS with an ERA of 4.47 and a WHIP of 1.241.
His team's record is 6-9 (-2.1 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 7-8. (-2.3 units)

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DETROIT (60 - 67) at TORONTO (71 - 56) - 7:05 PM
MATT BOYD (L) vs. R.A. DICKEY (R)
Top Trends for this game.
DETROIT is 150-142 (-14.3 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
DETROIT is 33-46 (-12.9 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
DETROIT is 41-53 (-12.1 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
DETROIT is 67-73 (-16.8 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 2 seasons.
TORONTO is 18-5 (+10.1 Units) against the money line in August games this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
DETROIT is 2-1 (+1.0 Units) against TORONTO this season
3 of 3 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+3.0 Units)

MATT BOYD vs. TORONTO since 1997
No recent starts.

R.A. DICKEY vs. DETROIT since 1997
DICKEY is 6-2 when starting against DETROIT with an ERA of 4.32 and a WHIP of 1.545.
His team's record is 8-3 (+5.4 units) in these starts. The OVER is 7-3. (+4.0 units)

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

LA ANGELS (65 - 62) at CLEVELAND (60 - 66) - 7:10 PM
ANDREW HEANEY (L) vs. DANNY SALAZAR (R)
Top Trends for this game.
LA ANGELS are 776-763 (+61.0 Units) against the money line in road games since 1997.
LA ANGELS are 285-209 (+53.0 Units) against the money line when playing on Friday since 1997.
LA ANGELS are 651-644 (+53.6 Units) against the money line in road games in games played on a grass field since 1997.
LA ANGELS are 128-95 (+16.4 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
LA ANGELS are 17-7 (+10.5 Units) against the money line after shutting out their opponent over the last 2 seasons.
LA ANGELS are 93-55 (+24.8 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
LA ANGELS are 47-21 (+18.2 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
CLEVELAND is 60-66 (-18.3 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
CLEVELAND is 26-34 (-19.8 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
CLEVELAND is 56-66 (-22.4 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
CLEVELAND is 14-24 (-18.4 Units) against the money line in home games in night games this season.
CLEVELAND is 16-28 (-15.9 Units) against the money line against left-handed starters this season.
CLEVELAND is 25-34 (-16.0 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
CLEVELAND is 29-34 (-8.9 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
LA ANGELS is 2-1 (+0.9 Units) against CLEVELAND this season
2 of 3 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+0.9 Units)

ANDREW HEANEY vs. CLEVELAND since 1997
No recent starts.

DANNY SALAZAR vs. LA ANGELS since 1997
SALAZAR is 0-1 when starting against LA ANGELS with an ERA of 4.50 and a WHIP of 1.250.
His team's record is 1-2 (-1.2 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-2. (-1.2 units)

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

KANSAS CITY (78 - 49) at TAMPA BAY (63 - 64) - 7:10 PM
EDINSON VOLQUEZ (R) vs. ERASMO RAMIREZ (R)
Top Trends for this game.
RAMIREZ is 14-6 (+10.4 Units) against the money line in all games this season. (Team's Record)
RAMIREZ is 11-4 (+8.7 Units) against the money line in night games this season. (Team's Record)
RAMIREZ is 6-0 (+6.9 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season. (Team's Record)
KANSAS CITY is 78-49 (+25.9 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
KANSAS CITY is 21-11 (+11.4 Units) against the money line when the total is 7 or less this season.
KANSAS CITY is 33-28 (+6.7 Units) against the money line in road games this season.
KANSAS CITY is 36-17 (+16.2 Units) against the money line in August games over the last 2 seasons.
KANSAS CITY is 17-8 (+11.3 Units) against the money line in road games when playing on Friday over the last 2 seasons.
KANSAS CITY is 53-35 (+13.7 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
KANSAS CITY is 54-27 (+25.6 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
KANSAS CITY is 48-31 (+14.2 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
KANSAS CITY is 40-24 (+14.4 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
KANSAS CITY is 44-24 (+17.6 Units) against the money line in road games when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season over the last 3 seasons.
VOLQUEZ is 18-8 (+8.8 Units) against the money line in all games this season. (Team's Record)
VOLQUEZ is 9-2 (+8.8 Units) against the money line when the total is 7 or less over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
TAMPA BAY is 140-149 (-31.3 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 54-61 (-19.1 Units) against the money line when the total is 7 or less over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 67-76 (-32.1 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 16-24 (-12.8 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 7 or less this season.
TAMPA BAY is 68-77 (-32.4 Units) against the money line in games played in a dome over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 76-85 (-31.4 Units) against the money line in games played on artificial turf over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 41-50 (-11.9 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
KANSAS CITY is 4-0 (+4.3 Units) against TAMPA BAY this season
4 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+4.2 Units)

EDINSON VOLQUEZ vs. TAMPA BAY since 1997
VOLQUEZ is 2-0 when starting against TAMPA BAY with an ERA of 2.49 and a WHIP of 1.145.
His team's record is 3-1 (+3.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 3-1. (+2.0 units)

ERASMO RAMIREZ vs. KANSAS CITY since 1997
RAMIREZ is 0-0 when starting against KANSAS CITY with an ERA of 4.27 and a WHIP of 1.580.
His team's record is 0-1 (-1.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-1. (-1.0 units)

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

BALTIMORE (63 - 64) at TEXAS (65 - 61) - 8:05 PM
KEVIN GAUSMAN (R) vs. COLE HAMELS (L)
Top Trends for this game.
BALTIMORE is 63-64 (-6.2 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
BALTIMORE is 24-38 (-12.9 Units) against the money line in road games this season.
BALTIMORE is 56-57 (-6.6 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
BALTIMORE is 40-44 (-8.7 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
BALTIMORE is 22-36 (-14.6 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
BALTIMORE is 5-15 (-10.9 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season this season.
TEXAS is 65-61 (+20.6 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
TEXAS is 25-18 (+13.0 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 this season.
TEXAS is 62-57 (+20.1 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
TEXAS is 47-43 (+17.0 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
TEXAS is 41-36 (+13.6 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
TEXAS is 33-31 (+11.4 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
BALTIMORE is 74-59 (+16.3 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 2 seasons.
TEXAS is 62-80 (-18.9 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons.
TEXAS is 11-21 (-10.9 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
HAMELS is 17-26 (-18.9 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
TEXAS is 3-1 (+2.5 Units) against BALTIMORE this season
2 of 3 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+1.0 Units)

KEVIN GAUSMAN vs. TEXAS since 1997
GAUSMAN is 0-0 when starting against TEXAS with an ERA of 0.00 and a WHIP of 0.948.
His team's record is 0-1 (-1.1 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-0. (+1.0 units)

COLE HAMELS vs. BALTIMORE since 1997
HAMELS is 0-2 when starting against BALTIMORE with an ERA of 6.23 and a WHIP of 1.615.
His team's record is 0-2 (-2.6 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-1. (-0.2 units)

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

SEATTLE (59 - 69) at CHI WHITE SOX (60 - 66) - 8:10 PM
TAIJUAN WALKER (R) vs. JOHN DANKS (L)
Top Trends for this game.
SEATTLE is 59-69 (-18.1 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
SEATTLE is 7-18 (-10.5 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 this season.
SEATTLE is 7-17 (-9.5 Units) against the money line on the road when the total is 8 to 8.5 this season.
SEATTLE is 54-68 (-22.7 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
SEATTLE is 39-46 (-13.9 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
SEATTLE is 15-26 (-13.2 Units) against the money line against left-handed starters this season.
SEATTLE is 68-71 (-17.6 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
SEATTLE is 345-326 (-87.1 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season since 1997.
CHI WHITE SOX are 92-92 (+13.1 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
SEATTLE is 76-68 (+14.0 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
SEATTLE is 20-13 (+9.1 Units) against the money line in road games after a loss this season.
CHI WHITE SOX are 20-33 (-15.8 Units) against the money line in August games over the last 2 seasons.
DANKS is 8-24 (-18.8 Units) against the money line when playing on Friday since 1997. (Team's Record)
DANKS is 21-36 (-21.3 Units) against the money line in home games after a win since 1997. (Team's Record)
DANKS is 8-22 (-13.3 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
CHI WHITE SOX is 3-1 (+2.0 Units) against SEATTLE this season
3 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+2.4 Units)

TAIJUAN WALKER vs. CHI WHITE SOX since 1997
WALKER is 1-1 when starting against CHI WHITE SOX with an ERA of 5.58 and a WHIP of 1.448.
His team's record is 1-1 (-0.3 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-1. (-0.1 units)

JOHN DANKS vs. SEATTLE since 1997
DANKS is 7-7 when starting against SEATTLE with an ERA of 3.71 and a WHIP of 1.228.
His team's record is 7-8 (-1.6 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 10-5. (+4.7 units)

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

HOUSTON (71 - 57) at MINNESOTA (65 - 62) - 8:10 PM
SCOTT KAZMIR (L) vs. KYLE GIBSON (R)
Top Trends for this game.
MINNESOTA is 65-62 (+16.2 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
MINNESOTA is 34-32 (+8.2 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 this season.
MINNESOTA is 38-24 (+16.8 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
MINNESOTA is 63-57 (+18.2 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
MINNESOTA is 38-34 (+13.5 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
MINNESOTA is 32-29 (+9.6 Units) against the money line after a loss this season.
HOUSTON is 71-57 (+8.9 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
HOUSTON is 71-51 (+15.3 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
HOUSTON is 97-104 (+7.0 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 46-35 (+9.5 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
HOUSTON is 40-30 (+8.1 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
HOUSTON is 22-8 (+15.6 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
HOUSTON is 30-28 (+12.8 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.
MINNESOTA is 118-134 (-37.4 Units) against the money line in home games in August games since 1997.

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

SCOTT KAZMIR vs. MINNESOTA since 1997
KAZMIR is 7-5 when starting against MINNESOTA with an ERA of 3.56 and a WHIP of 1.167.
His team's record is 9-6 (+3.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 7-8. (-1.5 units)

KYLE GIBSON vs. HOUSTON since 1997
GIBSON is 2-0 when starting against HOUSTON with an ERA of 2.55 and a WHIP of 1.358.
His team's record is 3-0 (+3.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-2. (-1.2 units)

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

BOSTON (58 - 69) at NY METS (71 - 56) - 7:10 PM
HENRY OWENS (L) vs. MATT HARVEY (R)
Top Trends for this game.
BOSTON is 58-69 (-16.3 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
BOSTON is 25-37 (-10.0 Units) against the money line in road games this season.
BOSTON is 11-21 (-11.9 Units) against the money line when playing with a day off over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 51-63 (-18.7 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
BOSTON is 40-46 (-8.8 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
BOSTON is 43-47 (-8.2 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
BOSTON is 22-35 (-16.8 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
BOSTON is 22-34 (-14.5 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
BOSTON is 27-47 (-17.2 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
NY METS are 71-56 (+13.8 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
NY METS are 42-21 (+17.9 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
NY METS are 29-15 (+11.3 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 7 or less this season.
NY METS are 70-52 (+16.9 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
NY METS are 44-26 (+16.7 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
NY METS are 43-26 (+14.5 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
NY METS are 18-4 (+13.9 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season this season.
BOSTON is 23-12 (+15.8 Units) against the money line when the total is 7 or less over the last 3 seasons.
BOSTON is 19-11 (+12.9 Units) against the money line on the road when the total is 7 or less over the last 3 seasons.

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

HENRY OWENS vs. NY METS since 1997
No recent starts.

MATT HARVEY vs. BOSTON since 1997
No recent starts.

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

NY YANKEES (69 - 57) at ATLANTA (54 - 73) - 7:35 PM
MASAHIRO TANAKA (R) vs. WILLIAMS PEREZ (R)
Top Trends for this game.
NY YANKEES are 161-103 (-52.2 Units) against the money line as a road favorite of -175 or more since 1997.
NY YANKEES are 70-71 (-19.4 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 33-26 (+9.4 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
ATLANTA is 17-5 (+12.1 Units) against the money line in home games when playing on Friday over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 33-26 (+9.4 Units) against the money line in home games in games played on a grass field this season.
ATLANTA is 29-20 (+11.3 Units) against the money line in home games in night games this season.
ATLANTA is 27-19 (+10.8 Units) against the money line in home games against right-handed starters this season.
ATLANTA is 18-8 (+11.7 Units) against the money line in home games after a loss this season.
ATLANTA is 53-31 (+19.8 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.
ATLANTA is 133-156 (-27.3 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.

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

MASAHIRO TANAKA vs. ATLANTA since 1997
No recent starts.

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

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

OAKLAND (55 - 73) at ARIZONA (62 - 65) - 9:40 PM
SONNY GRAY (R) vs. CHASE ANDERSON (R)
Top Trends for this game.
OAKLAND is 55-73 (-25.4 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
OAKLAND is 65-79 (-20.3 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
OAKLAND is 22-31 (-13.6 Units) against the money line in August games over the last 2 seasons.
OAKLAND is 4-16 (-14.7 Units) against the money line when playing on Friday this season.
OAKLAND is 53-68 (-22.9 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
OAKLAND is 34-45 (-15.2 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
OAKLAND is 43-49 (-12.1 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
OAKLAND is 31-41 (-12.8 Units) against the money line after a loss this season.
OAKLAND is 20-30 (-13.0 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
OAKLAND is 24-26 (-17.5 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.
ARIZONA is 37-20 (+17.2 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
ARIZONA is 126-163 (-30.7 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
ARIZONA is 15-33 (-16.8 Units) against the money line as a home underdog of +100 to +125 over the last 2 seasons.
ARIZONA is 63-79 (-21.7 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons.
ARIZONA is 126-163 (-30.7 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.

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

SONNY GRAY vs. ARIZONA since 1997
No recent starts.

CHASE ANDERSON vs. OAKLAND since 1997
No recent starts.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Mercury (17-11) at Mystics (15-11)

Date: August 28, 2015 7:00 PM EDT

With no point in dwelling on back-to-back defeats to the same Eastern Conference rival, the Washington Mystics feel confident they're capable of successfully moving forward.

They can do so Friday night by ending their recent struggles against the visiting Phoenix Mercury.

Two days after losing 87-85 at Chicago, Washington (15-11) once again fell short as Cappie Pondexter's layup with 6 seconds left gave the Sky a 66-64 victory Sunday.

"It's tough the way we lost both of those games," said guard Kara Lawson, who had 19 points and hit a tying 3-pointer with 28 seconds remaining. "We were right there. We feel it could have very easily been 2-0 us."

The Mystics are 4-5 since concluding July with a season-high five-game winning streak. Though Washington is one game behind the third-place Sky in the East, it owns the conference's final playoff spot and has no intentions of feeling sorry itself.

"You rebound from it, learn from it, watch film and get ready for the next game and forget what we did last week," guard Tierra Ruffin-Pratt said. "The game in front of us is always the hardest. We've just got to stay focused."

Washington, which dropped a season-high three straight in July, has lost four in a row to Phoenix (17-11), including the two 2014 meetings by a combined 27 points.

"It will be a good test for us," Mystics coach Mike Thibault said. "It's a back-to-back for them so hopefully we can push the pace and that tires them down, too."

Lawson (9.6 points per game) has averaged 16.8 points in the last four games but should be in for a stiff challenge against a Mercury squad that has clinched a playoff spot and will try for a third consecutive victory.

DeWanna Bonner recorded a game-high 26 points and Leilani Mitchell hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer to give Phoenix an 81-80 victory at Connecticut on Thursday. Brittney Griner had 14 points with 13 rebounds and ex-Mystic Monique Currie scored 13 in the opener of a three-game trip.

Griner totaled 36 points in the two games last season against the Mystics.

Currie makes her first trip back to Washington, where she averaged 11.0 points over the previous seven-plus seasons before signing with Phoenix in February.

"Right now she's the enemy," Thibault said. "She's been a big part of the organization here, but for two hours she's the enemy and we'll treat her just like that."

These teams meet again Wednesday at Phoenix.


WNBA HEAD TO HEAD

Jul 15, 2014 Score ATS Results
WAS 78 Over: 168
PHO « 90 Cover: 1.5
Tools: Recaps

Jun 10, 2014 Score ATS Results
PHO « 81 Cover: 10.5
WAS 66 Under: 147
Tools: Recaps

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Mercury (17-11) at Mystics (15-11)

Date: August 28, 2015 7:00 PM EDT

With no point in dwelling on back-to-back defeats to the same Eastern Conference rival, the Washington Mystics feel confident they're capable of successfully moving forward.

They can do so Friday night by ending their recent struggles against the visiting Phoenix Mercury.

Two days after losing 87-85 at Chicago, Washington (15-11) once again fell short as Cappie Pondexter's layup with 6 seconds left gave the Sky a 66-64 victory Sunday.

"It's tough the way we lost both of those games," said guard Kara Lawson, who had 19 points and hit a tying 3-pointer with 28 seconds remaining. "We were right there. We feel it could have very easily been 2-0 us."

The Mystics are 4-5 since concluding July with a season-high five-game winning streak. Though Washington is one game behind the third-place Sky in the East, it owns the conference's final playoff spot and has no intentions of feeling sorry itself.

"You rebound from it, learn from it, watch film and get ready for the next game and forget what we did last week," guard Tierra Ruffin-Pratt said. "The game in front of us is always the hardest. We've just got to stay focused."

Washington, which dropped a season-high three straight in July, has lost four in a row to Phoenix (17-11), including the two 2014 meetings by a combined 27 points.

"It will be a good test for us," Mystics coach Mike Thibault said. "It's a back-to-back for them so hopefully we can push the pace and that tires them down, too."

Lawson (9.6 points per game) has averaged 16.8 points in the last four games but should be in for a stiff challenge against a Mercury squad that has clinched a playoff spot and will try for a third consecutive victory.

DeWanna Bonner recorded a game-high 26 points and Leilani Mitchell hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer to give Phoenix an 81-80 victory at Connecticut on Thursday. Brittney Griner had 14 points with 13 rebounds and ex-Mystic Monique Currie scored 13 in the opener of a three-game trip.

Griner totaled 36 points in the two games last season against the Mystics.

Currie makes her first trip back to Washington, where she averaged 11.0 points over the previous seven-plus seasons before signing with Phoenix in February.

"Right now she's the enemy," Thibault said. "She's been a big part of the organization here, but for two hours she's the enemy and we'll treat her just like that."

These teams meet again Wednesday at Phoenix.


WNBA HEAD TO HEAD

Jul 15, 2014 Score ATS Results
WAS 78 Over: 168
PHO « 90 Cover: 1.5
Tools: Recaps

Jun 10, 2014 Score ATS Results
PHO « 81 Cover: 10.5
WAS 66 Under: 147
Tools: Recaps

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Lynx (19-9) at Liberty (18-8)

Date: August 28, 2015 7:30 PM EDT

GREENBURGH, N.Y. (AP) Bill Laimbeer and Cheryl Reeve are downplaying the significance of Friday night's game between the WNBA's conference leaders.

As Minnesota's coach put it, 'it's a chance to add another `W' in the win column. There's no championship being won. It's just a chance to get better.'

Laimbeer also said that there's no added meaning to the game besides a chance to further distance New York from the rest of the East.

'Every game is important this time of year,' the Liberty coach said.

It almost sounds as if the two longtime friends coordinated their answers. The two have known each other from Reeve's days as an assistant for Laimbeer when they were winning titles with the Detroit Shock. They still text a few times a week.

The pair has guided their teams to the top of their conferences and will meet for the first time this season Friday in the first of two matchups over the next nine days. This is the latest in the season that two WNBA conference leaders have met for the first time according to STATS.

While Minnesota has already clinched a playoff berth, New York's magic number sits at one. A win by the Liberty over the Lynx on Friday would give New York its first playoff berth in three seasons.

'It means something to me,' New York's Tina Charles said. 'Growing up in Queens, New York, and what we've been able to accomplish this year, it's special for me to be a part of it. I haven't been to the playoffs in the last two years of my career and to be able to get this team back there would be huge.'

New York (18-8) also is percentage points ahead of Minnesota (19-9) for the best record in the league.

'In the back of both teams' minds we're thinking about overall record,' Charles said. 'This game means a lot, it also would help us separate ourselves from other Eastern Conference teams.'

The Liberty, who have seven games left after Friday, hold a 1 1/2-game lead on Indiana for the No. 1 seed in the East. Clinching a playoff spot would be nice, but the Liberty have bigger goals. They haven't reached the conference finals since 2010 and haven't made it to the WNBA Finals since 2002.

'Yes we're on the verge of making the playoffs, but that doesn't mean anything to us anymore,' Laimbeer said. 'I don't think it did throughout the course of the year. I don't think it was one of our goals, we had loftier goals than that.'

While New York hasn't been in the championship chase for more than a decade, Minnesota has been to the Finals in three of the past four seasons and won two titles.

The Lynx were the prohibitive favorite to win a third crown in five seasons coming into this year, but they have struggled lately since acquiring All-Star center Sylvia Fowles.

They have gone just 7-5 since the blockbuster deal on July 28 after starting the season 12-4.

'It definitely takes a lot of work to maintain a winning record and a winning culture,' Lynx forward Maya Moore said. 'We're trying to focus on the day to day. We haven't been as efficient as we wanted on the offensive end. We're taking steps forward.'

Part of the Lynx problem recently might just be fatigue. They are finishing off a hectic month where they had 10 games in 23 days. They finally had a few days off this week to recoup and prepare for Friday's matchup.

'It's not a lack of effort, we're playing hard,' Reeve said. 'We're not playing well enough to win hard road games in that stretch. We would like to be able to have a signature win on the road before the playoffs starts.'

Beating the Eastern Conference leader would qualify. Minnesota may have to do it without Seimone Augustus.

She's missed half the games this past month dealing with a knee and foot injury. Reeve said that Augustus is out 'indefinitely' and they are taking it day by day.

'She's a big piece of what we're doing,' Reeve said. 'As soon as she can get back on the floor, we'll have her.'


WNBA HEAD TO HEAD

Jul 6, 2014 Score ATS Results
MIN 80 Over: 167
NEW « 87 Cover: 11
Tools: Recaps

May 24, 2014 Score ATS Results
NEW 82 Cover: 3
MIN « 87 Over: 169
Tools: Recaps

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Sparks (11-17) at Shock (13-14)

Date: August 28, 2015 8:00 PM EDT

A modest win streak has put the Tulsa Shock on the verge of clinching their first playoff berth since relocating from Detroit in 2010.

On a bittersweet note, it would be their only one in Tulsa as they're set to move again after this season.

The well-rested Shock could secure that parting gift for their fans with some help and a win over the also-streaking Los Angeles Sparks on Friday night.

Tulsa (13-14) has been off since earning a third consecutive win last Friday, 84-76 in overtime against visiting Connecticut. The Shock come out of their break with a six-game lead on a Western Conference postseason spot, and they can wrap one up with a victory as well as a Seattle loss to San Antonio on Friday.

That long-awaited postseason appearance would come just before the franchise's relocation to the Dallas-Fort Worth area, which was approved by the WNBA last month. The Shock went 41-129 in their first five seasons in Oklahoma after making the playoffs in each of their final seven in Detroit and winning three league titles.

The Shock appeared to be cruising to a playoff spot after an 82-67 home win over the Sparks on July 11 pushed their record to 10-4. However, they went on to lose 10 in a row, including an 84-57 drubbing in Los Angeles on Aug. 6, but have since turned things around with victories over New York, Phoenix and the Sun.

The Sparks (11-17) also are seeking a fourth straight win, which would tie a season high. They are within 2 1/2 games of third-place Tulsa and have moved 3 1/2 games ahead of Seattle for the West's fourth and final playoff spot.

Ana Dabovic's basket with 6.1 seconds remaining gave them an 81-79 victory at Indiana on Wednesday. She had a career-high 18 points for the second straight game.

Los Angeles, which is closing a four-game road trip, has won five of six away from home.

The Sparks have been hot despite second-leading scorer Nneka Ogwumike missing the past four games due to concussion-like symptoms. Ogwumike, averaging 16.1 points, had a team-best 26 against Tulsa earlier this month and is averaging 24.8 on 63.5 percent shooting in her last five matchups with the Shock.

Riquna Williams led Tulsa with 22 points last Friday and is averaging 20.8 over the last five games, but she's totaled 12 points on 2-of-16 shooting in the past two meetings with Los Angeles.

The Sparks' Kristi Toliver scored a franchise-record 43 in a 98-95 victory over Tulsa on July 3.


WNBA HEAD TO HEAD

Aug 6, 2015 Score ATS Results
TUL 57 Under: 141
LOS « 84 Cover: 19.5
Tools: Recaps

Jul 11, 2015 Score ATS Results
LOS 67 Under: 149
TUL « 82 Cover: 10.5
Tools: Recaps

Jul 3, 2015 Score ATS Results
TUL 95 Cover: 2.5
LOS « 98 Over: 193
Tools: Recaps

Aug 5, 2014 Score ATS Results
TUL « 96 Cover: 12.5
LOS 90 Over: 186
Tools: Recaps

Jun 28, 2014 Score ATS Results
LOS « 92 Cover: 2
TUL 89 Over: 181
Tools: Recaps

Jun 19, 2014 Score ATS Results
TUL 77 Over: 164
LOS « 87 Cover: 3.5
Tools: Recaps

Jun 13, 2014 Score ATS Results
LOS 67 Under: 136
TUL « 69 Cover: 6
Tools: Recaps

[StarDust Bum]

Stars-Storm Preview

The stakes are still high for the Seattle Storm and San Antonio Stars, though one of the two's already slim postseason chances will be reduced to near nil following Friday's matchup at KeyArena.

Each remains alive - albeit barely - in the Western Conference playoff race despite owning the WNBA's two worst records. Seattle (7-20) trails fourth-place Los Angeles by 3 1/2 games with seven to play, with San Antonio (7-21) another half-game back with six remaining.

The Storm lost further ground following Friday's 75-63 loss to Indiana and the Sparks' 90-59 rout at fading San Antonio on Sunday. The loss was the Stars' fifth straight, with the last three all at home by an average of 25.3 points.

San Antonio hasn't fared any better on the road, going 0-13. That includes a 72-63 defeat in Seattle on Aug. 16, one of the Storm's only two wins in their last 10 games.

Seattle's Jewell Loyd had 18 points that evening and 15 in Friday's loss to the Fever, with the rookie shooting 7 for 11 both games. The No. 1 overall draft pick was a bright spot on a night when the Storm were outscored 30-9 by Indiana in the third quarter after leading by six at halftime.

"I thought we played a good game for three quarters but we really laid an egg in the third quarter," coach Jenny Boucek told the team's official site. "And against good teams, which Indiana is a very good team, you just have to have 40 minutes of sustained focus and effort."

Loyd has tallied 15 or more points in four of the past six games as she enters another showdown with former Notre Dame teammate Kayla McBride. The second-year standout has averaged 20.7 points in three 2015 meetings with Seattle, and the Stars won the first two.

McBride has been off lately, shooting 10 of 32 from the field in the past two games and 2 for 8 on 3-pointers. She was 19 of 35 (54.3 percent) from beyond the arc in her previous five contests.

Backcourt mate Jia Perkins also is in a shooting slump, making 32.1 percent from the field in five games since amassing a season-best 32 points in the Stars' 88-81 win over Seattle on Aug. 8.

Storm leading scorer Crystal Langhorne had 47 points on 20-of-22 shooting in the two losses to San Antonio before being held to four in the most recent meeting.