The Bum's Sports Page For Tuesday September 8th Best Bets-Trends-News !

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Storm (9-22) at Lynx (21-11)

Date: September 08, 2015 8:00 PM EDT

Though gaining home-court advantage throughout the WNBA playoffs now appears unlikely, the Minnesota Lynx remain on the verge of another Western Conference regular-season title.

The Lynx begin a home-and-home series with the non-contending Seattle Storm on Tuesday night needing just one win to clinch the West's No. 1 seed for the fourth time in five seasons.

A 75-71 home loss to East-leading New York on Sunday put the celebration on hold and lessened Minnesota's chances of overtaking the Liberty for the league's best record.

Minnesota (21-11) trails New York by 1 1/2 games with two remaining.

Winning the West still seems like a foregone conclusion, especially considering the Storm's 2-14 road record and lack of success in Minneapolis. Including the playoffs, Seattle (9-22) has dropped 14 straight at the Target Center and was blown out twice there earlier this season, losing by a combined 49 points.

The Storm, who last won in Minnesota on July 17, 2010, have lost all three season meetings and five straight in the series.

They'll be facing a Lynx team that's lost five of eight and not at full strength, however, with All-Stars Seimone Augustus and Lindsay Whalen out with injuries. Augustus, who's averaged a team-best 17.0 points in the three matchups, has missed six straight with a sprained foot and Whalen two straight with a sore Achilles.

Maya Moore did play against the Liberty despite being elbowed in the nose Friday and tallied 23 points, but the Lynx turned it over on four of their final five possessions after pulling within 73-71 with 2 1/2 minutes left.

"Our offensive execution was subpar, especially at key times," coach Cheryl Reeve told the Lynx's official website. "We just had too many empty possessions, particularly in the second half - mostly in the second half."

The Storm were officially eliminated from playoff contention with Sunday's 93-65 loss at Chicago, their second straight defeat after a 3-1 home stretch.

Rookie Jewell Loyd was Seattle's lone bright spot, matching season highs with 21 points and seven rebounds in the Chicago native's first game in her hometown.

"I tried to let it not get the best of me but I had great teammates that helped settle me down," Loyd told the team's official website.

Loyd is averaging 18.3 points over the last three games but has struggled against Minnesota, mustering only 16 points on 7 of 24 shooting in the three previous meetings.

The teams will meet again Friday in Seattle.


WNBA HEAD TO HEAD

Jul 3, 2015 Score ATS Results
SEA 57 Under: 139
MIN « 82 Cover: 12.5
Tools: Recaps

Jun 25, 2015 Score ATS Results
MIN « 76 Over: 149
SEA 73 Cover: 7.5
Tools: Recaps

Jun 11, 2015 Score ATS Results
SEA 70 Over: 164
MIN « 94 Cover: 10.5
Tools: Recaps

Jul 13, 2014 Score ATS Results
SEA 60 Under: 137
MIN « 77 Cover: 9
Tools: Recaps

Jun 29, 2014 Score ATS Results
SEA 69 Cover: 4
MIN « 74 Under: 143
Tools: Recaps

Jun 27, 2014 Score ATS Results
MIN 71 Over: 152
SEA « 81 Cover: 16.5
Tools: Recaps

Jun 6, 2014 Score ATS Results
MIN 62 Under: 127
SEA « 65 Cover: 9
Tools: Recaps

[StarDust Bum]

Stars-Shock Preview

Tulsa turned in an uncharacteristic performance after relying on impressive defense during a winning streak.

Keeping the WNBA's worst offense in check doesn't figure to be much of a challenge, however.

The Shock can clinch the Western Conference's third seed Tuesday night when they host the San Antonio Stars, who are still seeking their first road victory.

Tulsa (16-15) leads fourth-place Los Angeles by 2 1/2 games, but continues to give the Sparks a small chance to usurp them after losing 92-73 at Los Angeles on Sunday. The Shock had held teams to 69.0 points per game during a six-game winning streak before allowing Los Angeles shoot 60.7 percent. They let Candace Parker and Nneka Ogwumike combine for 59 points on 24-of-33 shooting.

Tulsa's Odyssey Sims, who had totaled 54 points while going 16 for 32 in her previous two games, was held to 6-of-18 shooting.

The Shock are 10-5 at home, however, and should be able to get back on track against the Stars (7-25), who are one loss away from guaranteeing themselves the league's worst record. Already set to miss the postseason for just the second time in nine years, San Antonio has little left to play for beyond avoiding infamy. The Stars are 0-15 on the road and would join the 1998 Washington Mystics as the only other team to go winless away from home. They conclude their season Sunday at Seattle.

San Antonio may be playing its worst basketball of the season, losing nine in a row and 13 of 14. Its offense struggled again in Saturday's 82-52 loss to Phoenix, shooting 30.5 percent from the field, including a 1-for-12 mark form 3-point range. The Stars are averaging a league-low 68.5 points this season, and just 58.6 over the last seven contests.

Leading scorer Kayla McBride (13.8 ppg) is only shooting 38.2 percent.

Tulsa won the first two meetings before losing 65-58 at San Antonio on July 17, scoring only 23 second-half points. Stars forward Sophia Young-Malcolm had a game-high 18 points, while Danielle Robinson scored 10 of her 16 in the fourth quarter.

The Shock are seeking a fourth straight home victory in the series.

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EASTERN CONFERENCE

Team W L PCT GB CONF HOME ROAD L-10 STREAK

New York Liberty - e
22 9 0.710 0 12-7 11-4 11-5 7-3 W 1

Chicago Sky - x
20 12 0.625 2.5 14-7 12-4 8-8 7-3 W 2

Indiana Fever - x
18 13 0.581 4 11-8 10-6 8-7 6-4 L 1

Washington Mystics
16 15 0.516 6 8-11 10-5 6-10 3-7 L 4

Connecticut Sun - o
14 18 0.438 8.5 5-15 7-9 7-9 2-8 W 1

Atlanta Dream
13 18 0.419 9 9-11 8-7 5-11 6-4 W 1



WESTERN CONFERENCE

Team W L PCT GB CONF HOME ROAD L-10 STREAK

Minnesota Lynx - x
21 11 0.656 0 15-5 12-4 9-7 5-5 L 1

Phoenix Mercury - x
19 13 0.594 2 14-6 12-4 7-9 5-5 W 2

Tulsa Shock - x
16 15 0.516 4.5 9-11 10-5 6-10 6-4 L 1

Los Angeles Sparks - x
14 18 0.438 7 10-11 9-8 5-10 7-3 W 3

Seattle Storm - o
9 22 0.290 11.5 7-12 7-8 2-14 4-6 L 2

San Antonio Stars - o
7 25 0.219 14 5-15 7-10 0-15 1-9 L 9


Legend
x: Clinched Playoffs Berth
e: Clinched Eastern Conference
w: Clinched Western Conference
o: Eliminated from Playoffs contention

[StarDust Bum]

WNBA
Long Sheet

Tuesday, September 8

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INDIANA (18 - 13) at WASHINGTON (16 - 15) - 9/8/2015, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
WASHINGTON is 11-4 ATS (+6.6 Units) revenging a loss versus opponent this season.
INDIANA is 22-12 ATS (+8.8 Units) in road games over the last 2 seasons.
INDIANA is 17-8 ATS (+8.2 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 275-332 ATS (-90.2 Units) in all games since 1997.
WASHINGTON is 30-49 ATS (-23.9 Units) as a home favorite of 3 points or less since 1997.
WASHINGTON is 172-218 ATS (-67.8 Units) vs. division opponents since 1997.
WASHINGTON is 13-25 ATS (-14.5 Units) after a division game over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
INDIANA is 7-6 against the spread versus WASHINGTON over the last 3 seasons
INDIANA is 8-6 straight up against WASHINGTON over the last 3 seasons
9 of 13 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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SEATTLE (9 - 22) at MINNESOTA (21 - 11) - 9/8/2015, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
SEATTLE is 9-21 ATS (-14.1 Units) in road games revenging a loss versus opponent over the last 3 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 58-42 ATS (+11.8 Units) as a favorite over the last 3 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 35-21 ATS (+11.9 Units) in home games over the last 3 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 24-12 ATS (+10.8 Units) in home games vs. division opponents over the last 3 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 12-27 ATS (-17.7 Units) after playing 3 consecutive home games since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
MINNESOTA is 8-5 against the spread versus SEATTLE over the last 3 seasons
MINNESOTA is 11-2 straight up against SEATTLE over the last 3 seasons
8 of 13 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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SAN ANTONIO (7 - 25) at TULSA (16 - 15) - 9/8/2015, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
SAN ANTONIO is 31-49 ATS (-22.9 Units) on Tuesday since 1997.
TULSA is 12-4 ATS (+7.6 Units) revenging a loss versus opponent this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
TULSA is 8-4 against the spread versus SAN ANTONIO over the last 3 seasons
TULSA is 6-6 straight up against SAN ANTONIO over the last 3 seasons
7 of 12 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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WNBA

Tuesday, September 8

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Trend Report
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7:00 PM
INDIANA vs. WASHINGTON
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Indiana's last 10 games when playing on the road against Washington
Indiana is 16-7 SU in its last 23 games when playing Washington
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Washington's last 6 games at home
Washington is 7-2 SU in its last 9 games at home

8:00 PM
SAN ANTONIO vs. TULSA
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of San Antonio's last 6 games on the road
San Antonio is 1-7 ATS in its last 8 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Tulsa's last 6 games when playing at home against San Antonio
Tulsa is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing San Antonio

8:00 PM
SEATTLE vs. MINNESOTA
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Seattle's last 5 games when playing on the road against Minnesota
Seattle is 1-6 ATS in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Minnesota
Minnesota is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Seattle
Minnesota is 20-5 SU in its last 25 games at home

[StarDust Bum]

WNBA
Dunkel

Tuesday, September 8


Indiana @ Washington

Game 601-602
September 8, 2015 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Indiana
110.365
Washington
117.144
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Washington
by 7
141
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Washington
by 1 1/2
146
Dunkel Pick:
Washington
(-1 1/2); Under

Seattle @ Minnesota

Game 603-604
September 8, 2015 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Seattle
104.950
Minnesota
117.872
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Minnesota
by 13
150
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Minnesota
by 10
146
Dunkel Pick:
Minnesota
(-10); Over

San Antonio @ Tulsa

Game 605-606
September 8, 2015 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
San Antonio
104.362
Tulsa
110.383
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Tulsa
by 6
156
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Tulsa
by 8 1/2
150 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
San Antonio
(+8 1/2); Over

[StarDust Bum]

MLB

Tuesday, September 8


Carrasco at his very best in starts away from home

Cleveland Indians starter Carlos Carrasco has been at his best away from home this season and the Tribe look to win for the eighth time in his last nine outings on the road as they visit the Chicago White Sox Tuesday evening.

Carrasco is 8-3 with a 2.41 ERA and 0.87 WHIP in 13 starts away from Progressive Field this season. The Indians have gone 10-3 in those 13 ball games.

The Venezuelan and the Indians are currently offered in the -133 vicinity while the White Sox, who are expected to counter with Carlos Rodon, are presently +123.


Harvey not the best bet as an underdog

New York Mets starter Matt Harvey has been so good in his return from Tommy John surgery he has rarely been an underdog, but when he has been he hasn't had his best stuff.

In Harvey's last four starts as an underdog this season the Mets are 0-4 with Harvey pitching at a 4.70 ERA with just 20 strikeouts to 13 walks.

Harvey and the Mets will be slight +104 dogs for the second game of their pivotal series with the Washington Nationals Tuesday. The Nats will counter with Jordan Zimmermann.


Blue Jays look for 10th straight win when Dickey starts

A resurgent looking R.A. Dickey has been a big part of the Toronto Blue Jays success this season as they try to win their 10th consecutive game in which the knuckleballer starts.

Dickey has pitched to a very good 2.90 ERA with 38 strikeouts to 12 walks in those nine games.

Dickey and the Jays are currently -150 road favorites for the second game of the series with the Boston Red Sox. Lefty Henry Owens (5.87 ERA, 6-0 O/U) gets the start for the BoSox.


Tigers getting mowed down by right-handers

The Detroit Tigers are struggling mightily against right-handed starters, going just 2-11 in their last 13 games against them.

The Tigers have been outscored a whopping 97-40 in those 13 games, meaning they are allowing 7.46 runs per game, while scoring 3.07 during that stretch.

Detroit faces another right-hander Monday, when the Tampa Bay Rays send Erasmo Ramirez (3.84 ERA, 9-11 O/U) to the mound. Detroit counters with Matt Boyd (8.36 ERA, 3-5 O/U).

The Tigers are currently +110 home dogs, with a total that is sitting at 9.0 runs.


Pirates really struggling versus NL Central

The Pittsburgh Pirates own one of the best records in baseball, but have struggled all season against teams from within their own division.

The Buccos are just 23-34 versus the National League Central and are 2-5 in their last seven games - all against division rivals - heading into Tuesday's meeting with the Cincinnati Reds.

Pittsburgh lost 3-1 in the series opener Monday and is presently -123 for Tuesday's meeting.


Brewers go for eighth consecutive over

The over in Milwaukee Brewers games is one of the hottest bets in baseball, going over the total in seven consecutive games.

The Brewers offense, that had been averaging just 4.13 runs per game this season, has woken up to the tune of 6.86 runs per game during the over streak.

Bettors backing the streak are hoping the Brewers make it nine in a row when they visit the Miami Marlins Tuesday.

Milwaukee will send Taylor Jungmann (2.42 ERA, 5-9 O/U) to the mound to take on the Marlins Adam Conley (5.02, 4-1 O/U). The total is currently on the board at 7.5.


Mariners look to snap drought in Hallion's games

The Seattle Mariners have a record of 0-7 in their last seven ball games when umpire Tom Hallion is working behind home plate. Hallion is scheduled to call balls and strikes in Seattle when the Mariners host the Texas Rangers Tuesday evening.

The futile streak dates back to the 2012 season and includes one game this year - an 8-2 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks back on July 29.

Taijuan Walker is scheduled to start for the Mariners (+115) while the visiting Rangers (-125) are expected to counter with Cole Hamels.

[StarDust Bum]

MLB

Tuesday, September 8

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Game of the Day: Mets at Nationals
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Harvey has handcuffed the Nats (3-2, 0.99 ERA and 0.88 WHIP) in his career, permitting three earned runs and 18 hits in 27 2/3 innings to post a 2-1 mark in four meetings this season.

New York Mets at Washington Nationals (-113, 7)

Matt Harvey caused a stir when he put pen to paper to announce in The Players' Tribune that he intends to pitch in the postseason, despite having doctors recommend that he be shut down after 180 innings. The 26-year-old resides just 13 2/3 shy of that total in his first season since Tommy John surgery as the New York Mets play the second contest of their three-game series versus the host Washington Nationals on Tuesday.

"Let me get into detail after we've sort of worked it out among the parties," Mets general manager Sandy Alderson said. "I don't want to get ahead of the situation and create another disconnect." New York slugged its way to an 8-5 series-opening victory to move five games ahead of second-place Washington in the National League East. Ryan Zimmermann had a pair of singles on Monday to extend his hitting streak to 11 games, but is just 4-for-17 (.235) in his career versus Harvey. The right-hander has flustered Bryce Harper by retiring the Nationals star in all 17 career at-bats, including seven via strikeout.

TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, SNY (New York), MASN2 (Washington)

LINE HISTORY: Books opened the Nats -108 with a total of 7.

INJURY REPORT: Mets - 1B Lucas Duda (Probable, back), SP Matt Harvey (Probable, fatigue), LF Michael Cuddyer (Questionable, wrist). Nationals - CF Denard Span (Season, hip).

WEATHER: Temperatures in the low-80s under clear skies. Wind will blow out to center field at around 8 miles per hour.

WHAT CAPPERS SAY: "Think everything is perfect in Queens these days? Think again. Agent Scott Boras and the Mets are at odds over Matt Harvey's innings with the team saying they'll skip a few starts, but use him in the playoffs, while Boras contends that the doctors want him shut down. Stay tuned. The Nats did their best to keep pace with the Mets, beating up on their favorite punching bag (Atlanta) over four games. Now is their chance to finally make a move, with three home games this week against the Division Leaders (their last games against NYM until the final weekend)."

PITCHING MATCHUP: Mets RH Matt Harvey (12-7, 2.60 ERA) vs. Nationals RH Jordan Zimmermann (12-8, 3.38)

Harvey improved to 4-0 in his last seven starts on Wednesday after allowing four runs on nine hits in 6 1/3 innings of a 9-4 triumph over Philadelphia. The seventh overall pick of the 2010 draft, Harvey's run total versus the Phillies matched his complete tally of his previous six games (41 2/3 frames). Harvey has handcuffed the Nationals (3-2, 0.99 ERA and 0.88 WHIP) in his career, permitting three earned runs and 18 hits in 27 2/3 innings to post a 2-1 mark in four meetings this season.

Zimmermann recorded his fourth straight victory in as many outings after allowing one run on two hits in six innings of a 15-1 rout of Atlanta on Thursday. The 29-year-old has benefited from a power surge by his own team, which has amassed 44 runs in his last four starts. Zimmermann dominated the Mets in his season-opening debut, yielded three runs in seven innings in the next meeting before getting taken deep three times and surrendering five runs total in a 5-2 setback on Aug. 2.

TRENDS:

* Nationals are 7-1 in Zimmermann's last eight starts vs. Mets.
* Home team is 6-1 in umpire Dana DeMuth's last seven games behind home plate.
* Mets are 9-2 in their last 11 road games.
* Over is 5-1 in Harvey's last six starts as an underdog.

CONSENSUS: Fifty-three percent of users are backing the Nationals.

[StarDust Bum]

RECAPPING SUNDAY'S ACTION:

MLB: 2 - 8 - 0

WNBA: 0 - 0 - 0

CFL: 1 - 3

CFB: 1 - 1 - 0


WNBA JUNE/ JULY / AUGUST / SEPTEMBER :

*****...............................28 - 23 - 2
DOUBLE PLAY....................5 8 - 49 - 1
TRIPLE PLAY......................31 - 22
SLAM DUNK.......................36 - 29

MLB RECORD FOR JUNE/JULY/AUGUST/SEPTEMBER :

*****.............................128 - 151 - 1 .....................,........- 13.30
double play......................197 - 215 - 2 ..............................- 40.52
triple play........................107 - 111 - 2 .............................. - 70.59
grand slam......................109 - 10 - 4...................,.,............- 28.89
double grand slam.............24 - 23...................................... - 21.11
underdog of the year.........0 - 1...........................................- 8.00


CFL JUNE/JULY/ AUGUST/SEPTEMBER RECORD:

SINGLE PLAY.................................3 - 5
DOUBLE PLAY................................9 - 15
TRIPLE PLAY..................................16 - 8
BLOW OUT.....................................4 - 3

[StarDust Bum]

Tuesday's Tip Sheet

September 8, 2015


New York Mets at Washington Nationals | 7:05 p.m. ET

In the second game of this crucial three-game set between the two teams competing for NL East supremacy, Mets right-hander Matt Harvey (12-7, 2.60 ERA) makes his first start since the recent controversy involving potentially being shut down at the 180-innings mark. Fortunately for fans of the Metropolitans, Harvey proclaimed that he would indeed be pitching in the playoffs, although the real news involving the stud 26-year-old should be just how dominant he has been as of late.

In fact, Harvey just enjoyed an absolutely spectacular showing in August, posting a 0.33 ERA and 0.63 WHIP in four starts during the month (one earned run allowed in 27 total innings!), while opponents only hit .160 off him over that span. Harvey’s September started a little rough -- not just off the baseball diamond -- as he yielded four runs in six-plus innings against the Phillies his last time out. Considering his career numbers against the Nationals, he’ll be a good bet to get back on track, as in his eight starts opposing Washington since first debuting, Harvey has a 0.99 ERA and 0.88 WHIP in 54.2 innings, with 59 strikeouts compared to 13 walks. Even so, he’s getting the standard -110 odds.

There’s no favorite in this stellar pitching matchup, considering Stephen Strasburg (8-6, 4.35 ERA) will be toeing the rubber for the second-place Nationals, who will be looking to climb back to within four-games of the division lead after dropping yesterday afternoon’s series opener. Strasburg is very familiar with what his counterpart has been going through after experiencing the whole Tommy John rehab process a few years, which actually resulted in the club deciding to shut him down in September 2012 just before Washington’s playoff run at the conclusion of that season.

This year, Strasburg has endured other injuries, resulting in multiple stints on the disabled list, but since coming back from his most recent stint, Strasburg has been excellent. He’s made five starts since returning exactly a month ago today, and is 3-1 in those assignments with a 2.70 ERA and 0.80 WHIP, while holding opposing hitters to a .194 clip. Despite both dominant pitchers appearing to be in a rhythm entering tonight, the linesmakers have set the over/under at 7.

Chicago Cubs at St. Louis Cardinals | 8:15 p.m. ET (MLB Network)

While the St. Louis Cardinals have possessed Major League Baseball’s record for much of the 2015 campaign, they also realize they can’t let up, with the division rival Pirates and Cubs still breathing down their necks for first-place in the NL Central. They’ll look to bounce back from yesterday’s series-opening spanking, with staff leader (while Adam Wainwright remains out) Michael Wacha (15-4, 2.69 ERA) toeing the rubber. The 24-year-old has been one of the most consistent pitchers in the game this season, but is actually coming off his best month of the year, after going 3-0 in five August starts with a 1.13 ERA. The linesmakers have him as a -155 home favorite as a result.

Being 7.5 games back of the Cardinals, the Cubs may realistically have their sights set on catching second-place Pittsburgh instead, which would also give them home-field advantage in the National League Wild Card game. Jason Hammel (7-6, 3.55 ERA) leads the effort in trying to secure game two, while also trying to get back on track. The 10-year veteran was enjoying a tremendous season, carrying a sparkling 2.86 ERA and 0.95 WHIP into the All-Star break, but since then, Hammel is 2-2 in nine starts with an unpleasant 5.19 ERA and 1.52 WHIP, which is one of the main reasons for his current odds as the underdog in this matchup. The over/under, meanwhile, is 7.

Los Angeles Dodgers at Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim | 10:05 p.m. ET

Enter the second and final Freeway Series of the 2015 Major League Baseball season, one Los Angeles team seems comfortably en route towards securing a playoff berth, while the other needs to step it up again or risk finishing on the outside looking in when postseason baseball begins in less than a month. The Dodgers, of course, are that LA team in the more desirable position, now holding a 8.5-game lead for first-place in the NL West after last night’s victory behind Zack Greinke.

They’ll have their other ace, Clayton Kershaw (12-6, 2.18 ERA), doing battle tonight, seeking to continue his latest incredible run of pitching. Kershaw has remarkably allowed one run or less in 11 of his past 12 starts (!), with the ‘under’ going 10-2 over that span. His current streak of dominance also includes an exceptional outing against these same Angels. On the first day of August, the reigning NL MVP and Cy Young award winner tossed eight shutout innings against LA’s other team, surrendering only two hits and striking out seven. Being in the rhythm he’s currently in, Kershaw is a heavy -190 ML favorite despite being on the road against a quality ballclub.

When Kershaw beat the Angels to begin last month, rookie southpaw Andrew Heaney (6-2, 3.18 ERA) was on the losing end of that pitcher’s duel, and will be on the hill once again opposing the great Dodger ace. The 24-year-old had his roughest performance yet a couple of starts ago when he was lit up by the Blue Jays, but Heaney has bounced back nicely with a pair of quality starts since. And although he lost to Kershaw in his lone meeting with the Dodgers, Heaney was still solid, holding the Angels’ crosstown rival to two runs in five-plus innings. Overall, the former Miami Marlin has allowed three runs or less in all but two of his 13 starts, and as a result, the linesmakers have the over/under set at 6.5, just like in their first matchup.

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

When fans and analysts alike discuss the feel-good stories in regards to this year’s baseball season, they’ll typically go over the usual suspects (Mets, Cubs, Blue Jays), while omitting the unexpected outstanding success of the Texas Rangers, the team that current holds the American League’s second Wild Card spot despite finishing with the AL’s worst record only a year ago. Big trade deadline acquisition Cole Hamels (8-8, 3.70 ERA) has helped solidify the Rangers’ current position, as he gets set to make his seventh start with the club.

In the first six, he’s gone 2-1 with a 3.89 ERA and 1.32 WHIP, which isn’t the strong line you’d expect from your newfound ace, but he’s eating up more than seven innings a start, a rare trait that isn’t often found in the Rangers rotation, especially this year with Yu Darvish sidelined. Hamels also appears to have settled in with his new teammates, entering this contest having churned out four consecutive quality starts. He’s an intriguing -130 road favorite as a result.

On the other end of the spectrum, while Texas has been one of the surprise stories in baseball this season, the Seattle Mariners have checked in as arguably the most disappointing, at least as far as the AL is concerned. Even though they haven’t made the playoffs in over a decade, the Mariners actually had very lofty expectations entering 2015, only to fall short of those significantly. Miraculously, they’re not completely out of the picture just yet, as a 7-3 record in their last 10 has the Mariners trailing the Rangers by seven games for that desired Wild Card berth. Taijuan Walker (10-7, 4.51 ERA) gets the nod this evening, looking to build on his recent momentum. The hard-throwing righty has seven quality starts in his past eight tries, including one against these same Rangers a few weeks ago in Arlington. The over/under is 7.

[StarDust Bum]

Diamond Trends - Tuesday

September 8, 2015


SU TREND OF THE DAY:

-- The Angels are 0-14 since Sep 27, 2014 as a dog vs a team that has won at least their last two games.

PITCHER TREND OF THE DAY:

-- None

OU TREND OF THE DAY:

-- The Marlins are 0-12 OU since Jun 07, 2015 as a dog after a 5+ run loss.

CHOICE TREND:

-- The Orioles are 0-10 since Apr 08, 2015 on the road after scoring 6+ runs and it is not the first game of a series

ACTIVE TRENDS:

-- The Cardinals are 10-0 since Jul 17, 2015 after a loss in which they used 5+ pitchers.

[StarDust Bum]

Giants, D-backs square off

September 8, 2015


SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS (71-67) at ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS (66-72)

First pitch: Tuesday, 9:40 p.m. ET
Sportsbook.ag Line: San Francisco +105, Arizona -115, Total: 9

The Giants will be looking to snap out of their recent funk when they face the Diamondbacks in Arizona on Tuesday.

San Francisco has really struggled recently, losing eight of its past 10 games and scoring one or less runs in five of those contests. The Giants had been fighting for a spot in the postseason, but they now find themselves nine games back from the Cubs in the race for the Wild Card. The Diamondbacks, meanwhile, have struggled all season long. This team snapped a four-game losing streak with a 6-1 win in the first game of this series on Monday, but it has still lost 10 of its past 14 contests. Arizona has gotten the better of San Francisco on the season, going 8-6 in the matchup. The Giants, however, are 19-7 when facing the Diamondbacks in Arizona over the past three seasons.

Pitching for San Francisco in this one will be RHP Tim Hudson (6-8, 4.69 ERA, 55 K) and he’ll be facing RHP Chase Anderson (6-5, 4.26 ERA, 94 K ) for Arizona. The Giants are an impressive 78-52 against the money line with an on base percentage of .310 or worse over their past 20 games in the past two seasons. The Diamondbacks are 38-28 against the money line after one or more consecutive Unders this season. OF Norichika Aoki (Head) is out indefinitely for San Francisco and Arizona will be playing this came at close to full strength.

Tim Hudson is getting the start for the Giants on Tuesday and it’s the first time he’s doing so since Jul. 26. Hudson has pitched out of the bullpen for San Francisco recently and has allowed no earned runs in his past 2.1 innings of work. The veteran righty faced the Diamondbacks earlier in the season and allowed five earned runs on six hits in five innings of work. He walked two batters in that game, but was able to strike out six also. If Hudson can give the Giants something close to a quality start then he will have done his job well in this one.

Offensively, San Francisco struggled on Monday and the only person who showed up was C Buster Posey (.330, 17 HR, 82 RBI), who has been on a tear recently. Posey is on a nine-game hitting streak and is 5-for-8 over the past two contests. He’ll need to keep hitting the cover off the ball moving forward or this team will continue to struggle. 3B Matt Duffy (.302, 10 HR, 65 RBI) has also been hitting pretty well as of late. He is 7-for-18 with four RBI over the past four games and will need to continue to drive in runs for this struggling offense. San Francisco can also use some production from 1B Brandon Belt (.278, 17 HR, 62 RBI), who hasn’t homered since Aug. 11.

Chase Anderson will take the mound for Arizona on Tuesday and he has pitched pretty well recently, allowing just five earned runs over his past 17.2 innings of work. One problem for the Diamondbacks’ starter is that he got lit up the last time he faced the Giants, allowing seven earned runs on 10 hits in just 3.2 innings on Jul. 18. He’ll need to erase that from his memory and go out and pitch much better on Tuesday if he wants to give his team a chance to win. 1B Paul Goldschmidt (.319, 27 HR, 97 RBI) returned from paternity leave three games ago and has just two hits in his past 11 at bats. He’ll need to get back in his groove moving forward, as this offense really relies on him to produce runs. The Diamondbacks did, however, hit well in Monday’s 6-1 victory to start off this series. OF A.J. Pollock (.317, 16 HR, 63 RBI) and 3B Phil Gosselin (.317, 2 HR, 10 RBI) provided the offense in the win. Pollock went 2-for-4 with a homer and two RBI in the game and Gosselin went 2-for-4 with a homer and three RBI. Pollock will be the player to watch of the two, though, as he is 5-for-12 with a homer and two RBI against Hudson in his career.

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Former Cardinal P Andujar dies at 62

September 8, 2015

ST. LOUIS (AP) Joaquin Andujar, a star pitcher with the St. Louis Cardinals in the 1980s, has died in his native Dominican Republic. He was 62.

The team said he died Tuesday. Leonardo Matos Berrido, president of the Dominican Baseball League, said the cause was diabetes complications.

The Cardinals planned a tribute to the fiery right-hander before playing the Cubs.

Andujar was a two-time All-Star during five seasons with the Cardinals from 1981-85. He had 20-win seasons in 1984 and '85 and led the National League in victories in '84 and was a member of the Cardinals World Series title team in 1982 and NL championship team in '85. Andjujar was ejected from Game 7 of the 1985 World Series.

Andujar also played for Houston and Oakland.

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Red Sox 2B Pedroia back in lineup

September 8, 2015

BOSTON (AP) Boston Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia is back in the lineup for Tuesday's game against AL East-leading Toronto after missing seven weeks with a strained right hamstring.

The 32-year-old Pedroia was activated from the 15-day disabled list before the game after missing 57 games. It was his second time sidelined by the same injury - he also missed 16 games from late June to mid-July.

The 2008 AL MVP is batting .287 with nine homers and 34 RBIs.

Pedroia is batting second in the order.

In other moves, the Red Sox recalled right-handers Jonathan Aro and Matt Barnes from Triple-A Pawtucket. Left-hander Rich Hill was selected from the PawSox.

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Mets-Royals among openers in '16

September 8, 2015

NEW YORK (AP) The Kansas City Royals will host the New York Mets in an opening-day interleague matchup next season.

Major League Baseball announced on Tuesday the season will open with a Sunday night game on April 3 with teams to be named later.

Thirteen games are scheduled for April 4, with the Mets-Royals matchup joined by Philadelphia at Cincinnati, Washington at Atlanta in Turner Field's last opener, Colorado at Arizona, Minnesota at Baltimore, Boston at Cleveland, San Francisco at Milwaukee, Houston at the New York Yankees, the Chicago White Sox at Oakland, St. Louis at Pittsburgh, the Los Angeles Dodgers at San Diego, Toronto at Tampa Bay and Seattle at Texas.

The openers on April 5 include the Chicago Cubs at the Los Angeles Angels and Detroit at Miami.

San Diego will play at Toronto for the first time from July 25-27; the Padres-Blue Jays at Rogers Centre is the only site matchup that hasn't taken place since interleague play started in 1997.

The regular season is scheduled to end Oct. 2 with 12 games involving division rivals.

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Orioles active SS Hardy off DL

September 8, 2015

NEW YORK (AP) Shortstop J.J. Hardy has been activated from the 15-day disabled list by the Baltimore Orioles after recovering from a strained left groin.

Baltimore also recalled outfielder Dariel Alvarez from Class A Frederick before Tuesday night's game at the New York Yankees.

Hardy, who went on the disabled list on Aug. 24, is hitting .222 with seven homers and 32 RBIs.

Alvarez made his big league debut Aug. 28 and has played four games with the Orioles.