The Bum's Major League Baseball Playoffs Rated Games - Trends - News - Etc !!

[StarDust Bum]

Tuesday's Playoff Action

October 5, 2015


HOUSTON ASTROS (86-76) at NEW YORK YANKEES (87-75)

First pitch: Tuesday, 8:05 p.m. ET
Sportsbook.ag Line: Houston -110, New York -110, Total: 7.0

The Astros and Yankees will be vying for a spot in the Division Series with a win in New York in the Wild Card Game on Tuesday.

Both the Astros and the Yankees made things very difficult on themselves, sneaking into the Wild Card Game after really struggling down the stretch. Houston lost its final game of the series and could have blown its chances of playing in this game if the Angels were able to defeat the Rangers in game 162. The Yankees, meanwhile, ended the season with three straight losses and have also lost seven of their past 10 games.

Both teams will be bringing out their aces in this win or go home matchup, as LHP Dallas Keuchel (20-8, 2.48 ERA, 216 K) of the Astros will be going up against RHP Masahiro Tanaka (12-7, 3.51 ERA, 139 K) of the Yankees. Houston will be feeling extremely confident with Keuchel on the mound, as the team is 21-7 against the money line when Keuchel starts in a game with a total of 7 to 8.5 this season. New York, meanwhile, is 42-26 against the money line after two or more consecutive road games this season.

The Astros lineup will be at nearly full strength on Monday, as OF Carlos Gomez (Side) is questionable but expected to play. The Yankees will be without 1B Mark Teixeira (Shin) for the rest of the year, but are relatively healthy outside of that.

Dallas Keuchel comes into this playoff game after having allowed just four earned runs in his last 20.2 innings of work. The last time he pitched against the Yankees, the Astros won 15-1 in New York. He threw seven innings of shutout baseball in that game and racked up nine strikeouts in doing so. He’ll be looking to repeat that performance on Tuesday in order to get his team into the next round.

While Tanaka can be a dominant pitcher, a few members of this Astros team have found success against the pitcher. He is prone to making a mistake or two in each game and this Houston team will make him pay for that. SS Carlos Correa (.279, 22 HR, 68 RBI) enters the postseason after going 4-for-12 with four runs, a homer and four RBI in the final series of the year against the Diamondbacks. He is 2-for-3 with a homer and two RBI against Tanaka in his career and will be looking to keep giving the starter trouble on Tuesday.

2B Jose Altuve (.313, 15 HR, 66 RBI) and 1B Chris Carter (.199, 24 HR, 64 RBI) have also hit homers off of Tanaka in their careers. They’ll both be looking to take advantage of the short porch in Yankee Stadium in this game.

One x-factor in this game could be OF Carlos Gomez (.255, 12 HR, 56 RBI), who has not played since Sep. 30 for the Astros. He is questionable for this one, but he is a dangerous hitter and is 2-for-2 with a double against Tanaka in his career. He’d provide a major spark if he were to be in the lineup for this game.

Masahiro Tanaka struggled the last time he took the mound this season, allowing four earned runs on five hits in just 5.0 innings of work. If the Yankees are going to advance to the next round then they will need their ace to deliver a near flawless performance, as he’ll be facing off against a pitcher that turns those in regularly. Tanaka has faced Houston just once this season and had a lot of trouble in that start, allowing six earned runs and three homers in just five innings of work. New York did, however, win that game 9-6. Another performance like that one will surely mean that the Yankees will be watching the rest of the playoffs at home, as he can not expect to get that type of run support in this one.

Offensively, OF Carlos Beltran (.276, 19 HR, 67 RBI) is somebody that has had success against Keuchel in the past. He is 4-for-9 with a homer and two RBI against him in his career and finished the season off with a 3-for-3 game against the Orioles on Sunday.

OF Jacoby Ellsbury (.257, 7 HR, 33 RBI) is somebody that will need to get back on his game. He went 0-for-8 in the final two games of the year and must get on base in this one.

[StarDust Bum]

World Series Matchups

October 4, 2015

The 10-team for the 2015 pro baseball postseason is all set and we have some new faces on the diamond this October.

Oddsmakers at Sportsbook.ag have updated their World Series Matchup Prop for all of the teams and who they might face if they were to win their respective pennants.

In the American League, Kansas City is the only team making a return trip to the playoffs. The Royals will meet the winner of Tuesday’s wild card game between the N.Y. Yankees and Houston.

The Astros haven’t been in the playoffs since 2005 when they were swept by the Chicago White Sox in four games. The Yankees are back in the postseason after missing the two previous seasons.

Toronto, the American League East winners, haven’t been in the postseason since 1993 when it won back-to-back World Series.

The Blue Jays will meet Texas in the ALDS on Thursday and the Rangers appear to be ready to roll under rookie manager Jeff Banister.

The National League has three teams returning to the postseason with Pittsburgh, St. Louis and the L.A. Dodgers.

The new faces are the Chicago Cubs and New York Mets, two teams that have huge followings and would probably produce an incredible series if they squared off.

The Cubs will meet the Pirates in the wild card game on Wednesday and the winner heads to St. Louis. The Mets and Dodgers begin the 5-game series on Friday from Los Angeles.

According to the offshore betting shop, the Dodgers-Blue Jays matchup is the top betting choice at 13/2 odds (Bet $100 to win $650).

Looking for longshots? Then check out the wild card teams, especially the Cubs and Astros. They’ll have to win road games to stay alive and both have generous odds.

2015 World Series Matchup Odds according to Sportsbook.ag:

Cardinals vs. Astros 35/1
Cardinals vs. Blue Jays 9/1
Cardinals vs. Rangers 17/1
Cardinals vs. Royals 10/1
Cardinals vs. Yankees 30/1

Cubs vs. Astros 55/1
Cubs vs. Blue Jays 15/1
Cubs vs. Rangers 25/1
Cubs vs. Royals 17/1
Cubs vs. Yankees 50/1

Dodgers vs. Astros 25/1
Dodgers vs. Blue Jays 13/2
Dodgers vs. Rangers 12/1
Dodgers vs. Royals 7/1
Dodgers vs. Yankees 23/1

Mets vs. Astros 25/1
Mets vs. Blue Jays 7/1
Mets vs. Rangers 13/1
Mets vs. Royals 8/1
Mets vs. Yankees 25/1

Pirates vs. Astros 55/1
Pirates vs. Blue Jays 15/1
Pirates vs. Rangers 25/1
Pirates vs. Royals 17/1
Pirates vs. Yankees 50/1

[StarDust Bum]

LEADING OFF: Astros-Yanks ready to get wild; Cubs, Bucs wait

October 5, 2015

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

LET'S GET WILD

The Yankees and Astros open the postseason in New York with Masahiro Tanaka pitching against Houston ace Dallas Keuchel in the AL wild-card game. Tanaka has been slowed by a hamstring injury down the stretch, but before that he had emerged as the Yankees' most dependable starter. Keuchel, meanwhile, is a 20-game winner who has been among the AL's best pitchers all season. Of particular note with this game at hitter-friendly Yankee Stadium: Keuchel gave up only 0.66 homers per nine innings this season, second-best among qualifying AL starters behind Minnesota's Mike Pelfrey.

ACES ON DECK

The Cubs and Pirates work out in Pittsburgh to prep for Wednesday night's NL wild-card game and one of the most anticipated postseason pitching matchups in the last few years. Chicago calls on Cy Young Award candidate Jake Arrieta, who won 22 games and was at his best down the stretch. He threw his first no-hitter on Aug. 30 before posting a 0.39 ERA in six September starts. Gerrit Cole goes for Pittsburgh, coming off career bests for wins (19), ERA (2.60) and strikeouts (202).

THUMBS UP

As they await the winner of Wednesday's NL wild-card game, the Cardinals hope star catcher Yadier Molina is close to 100 percent when the Division Series starts Friday. Molina has been out since Sept. 20 with a partially torn ligament in his left thumb and will try to play while wearing a splint to protect it. Backup catcher Tony Cruz has been playing in place of Molina and would be the fill-in if Molina's thumb sidelines him in the postseason.

NATIONAL SEARCH

The Nationals have begun their hunt for a new manager after firing Matt Williams on Monday a year after he won NL Manager of the Year. Nationals GM Mike Rizzo described his ideal candidate as someone with ''leadership qualities, knowledge of the game, X's and O's,'' as well as someone with experience. One notable managerial free agent who fits that description is Bud Black, fired by the Padres midway through this season despite a reputation as a quality bench boss.

[StarDust Bum]

Four managers prep for playoff debuts

October 6, 2015

NEW YORK (AP) Late in the season, as manager Terry Collins and the New York Mets closed in on their NL East championship, one opponent after another made it a point to commend Collins at Citi Field.

''Real happy for T.C.,'' was the sentiment echoed by Atlanta skipper Fredi Gonzalez and others.

The popular Collins, at 66 the oldest manager in the majors and the consummate example of a baseball lifer, is about to make his playoff managerial debut. He's one of four bench bosses who reached the postseason for the first time this year - each the fulfillment of a unique journey.

''It means a lot to me,'' Collins said recently. ''We sat up here and we told our fan base and our media that it's going to get better and next year we're going to win. And then to be sitting today and say we told you, it means a lot. It does.''

Texas rookie Jeff Banister, Toronto retread John Gibbons and Houston whiz kid A.J. Hinch are the other managers making their initial October moves this month.

''I was able to exhale a little bit,'' Gibbons said about winning the AL East in his second stint as Blue Jays manager.

Toronto is a playoff team for the first time in 22 years. Josh Donaldson and Co. will host Banister and the Rangers on Thursday in the opener of their best-of-five Division Series.

''A lot of satisfaction,'' Gibbons said. ''Because I mean, really, it was a long time coming - but not just for me here. You look at the organization all those years and a lot of people have been around. I'm more happy for guys that have been around here forever that went through the lean years. I don't put a whole lot of focus on myself.''

Gibbons surely knows being a novice is no picnic in the playoffs, when every pressure-packed decision gets scrutinized by millions. Plenty of managers, from Casey Stengel and Grady Little to Matt Williams and Ned Yost just last year, have been widely criticized - even vilified - for fateful moves gone wrong.

This time of year, fans are not forgiving.

''The first thing you have to do is forget about the regular season,'' said Hall of Fame hockey coach Scotty Bowman, who chatted with Gibbons behind the batting cage Saturday before the Blue Jays faced Tampa Bay. ''The way you played in the season is probably not going to be good enough. You've got to be a little better.''

Bowman won a record nine Stanley Cups. Collins and the rest of this year's playoff neophytes are all looking for a first championship.

''I'm a baseball guy and I'm a baseball development guy,'' said Collins, who leads the Mets into their series against the NL West champion Dodgers beginning Friday night in Los Angeles. ''This summer, all I did was write the lineup and try to keep the clubhouse a fun place to be, and it worked out. So I was pretty happy the other day when we won that thing.''

Hinch gets the first crack at winning in the playoffs when his Astros play at Yankee Stadium in the AL wild-card game Tuesday night.

''Octobers usually come through New York - at least they have in my career,'' he said Monday.

Hinch was 34 and by far the youngest manager in the majors when the Stanford graduate took over the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2009.

With no previous experience on the bench, his unsuccessful tenure didn't last long. But he's been a big hit this year in his first season piloting the young Astros.

''Very open door. Very much a player's manager. For us, that's great. We need a guy like that, that lets us play,'' Houston ace Dallas Keuchel said. ''Kind of a trial by fire, but he has our backs. That's what he's done all year.''

Collins could hardly be more opposite. He's managed in Japan and Venezuela, Vero Beach and Buffalo. He coached with Tampa Bay, scouted for the Chicago Cubs and spent more than a decade all told during separate stints in the Dodgers organization.

Along the way, the diminutive pepper pot developed a fiery reputation and seemingly crossed paths with almost everyone working in baseball these days.

He managed Triple-A Albuquerque to a 1987 minor league championship in the Pacific Coast League. But until now, his only chance to wear a big league uniform in the postseason came as mentor Jim Leyland's bullpen coach with the 1992 Pittsburgh Pirates.

Once he got his opportunity to manage in the majors, Collins finished in second place five times during the 1990s, his Astros and Angels teams squandering several late leads.

This time, the Mets made big moves to upgrade their muddling offense before the July 31 trade deadline. Given enough talent to win for the first time during his five-year tenure in New York, Collins guided the Mets expertly as they pulled away from heavily favored Washington in the NL East.

It was no simple task, either. New York often juggled its rotation down the stretch in an effort to protect its prized young pitchers - decisions that sometimes ran counter to his old-school instincts.

''He says things when he needs to, but he's definitely not on us all the time,'' Mets outfielder Curtis Granderson said. ''Lets us go ahead and learn from our bruises - all right, we fell down, we've got to find a way to pick ourselves back up.''

Ready for his first postseason, that's one move Collins has already perfected.

[StarDust Bum]

A capsule look at the Astros-Yankees playoff game

October 5, 2015

A look at the American League wild-card game between the Houston Astros and New York Yankees:

Schedule: Tuesday, at New York, 8:08 p.m. EDT (ESPN).

---

Season Series: Astros won 4-3.

---

Projected Lineups:

Astros: 2B Jose Altuve (.313, 15, 66, 40 2Bs, 38 SBs, 200 hits), RF George Springer (.276, 16, 41, 16 SBs), SS Carlos Correa (.279, 22, 68, 22 2Bs), DH Evan Gattis (.246, 27, 88, 11 3Bs), LF Colby Rasmus (.238, 25, 61, 23 2Bs), CF Carlos Gomez (.255, 12 HRs, 56 RBIs, 29 2Bs, 17 SBs with Brewers and Astros) or Jake Marisnick (.236, 9, 36, 24 SBs), 3B Jed Lowrie (.222, 9, 30), 1B Chris Carter (.199, 24, 64), C Jason Castro (.211, 11, 31).

Yankees: CF Jacoby Ellsbury(.257, 7, 33, 21 SBs), LF Chris Young (.252, 14, 42, .327 avg. against lefties), RF Carlos Beltran (.276, 19, 67), DH Alex Rodriguez (.250, 33, 86, 83 runs, .356 OBP), C Brian McCann (.232, 26, 94), 3B Chase Headley (.259, 11, 62, 23 errors), 1B Greg Bird (.261, 11, 31 in 157 ABs), SS Didi Gregorius (.265, 9, 56), 2B Rob Refsnyder (.302, 2, 5 in 43 at-bats).

---

Starting Pitchers:

Astros: LH Dallas Keuchel (20-8, 2.48 ERA, 216 Ks).

Yankees: RH Masahiro Tanaka (12-7, 3.51, 139 Ks in in 154 innings, 25 HRs allowed).

---

Relievers:

Astros: RH Luke Gregerson (7-3, 3.10, 31/36 saves), RH Chad Qualls (3-4, 4.04, 4 saves), LH Tony Sipp (3-4, 1.99, 62 Ks in 54 1-3 innings), RH Will Harris (5-5, 1.90, 2 saves), LH Oliver Perez (2-4, 4.28 with Arizona and Houston) RH Vince Velasquez (1-1, 4.37), RH Josh Fields (4-1, 3.55).

Yankees: LH Andrew Miller (3-2, 2.04, 36/38, 100 Ks in 61 2-3 innings), RH Dellin Betances (6-4, 1.50, 9/13, 131 Ks in 84 innings), RH Andrew Bailey (0-1, 8.31, 10 games; missed all last season after shoulder surgery); LH Chasen Shreve (6-2, 3.09), LP Justin Wilson (5-0, 3.10, 74 games), RP Adam Warren (7-7, 3.29, 43 appearances - 17 starts), RH Luis Severino (5-3, 2.89, 11 starts).

---

Matchups:

The Astros won two of three in New York, including a 15-1 rout on Aug. 25. ... Keuchel got two wins over the Yankees this season and didn't allow a run in either game. The first one was a six-hitter on June 25. He allowed three hits in seven scoreless innings in the 15-1 victory. He struck out 21 combined in those two starts. ... The Astros hit eight homers against the Yankees this season, led by three from Gattis. ... Houston teed off on Tanaka in its one matchup against the Japanese star, scoring six runs in five innings of a 9-6 loss at Minute Maid Park. Carter, Correa and Altuve all homered in the game. ... The Yankees were 9 for 48 (.188) with one extra base hit - a double - against Keuchel this year. ... Young should push All-Star Brett Gardner to the bench because he is 6 for 20 (.300) with two doubles and a triple off Keuchel. ... Young batted .327 (50 for 153) with a .397 on-base percentage against lefties this season, boosted by an early tear. ... Switch-hitting Beltran, a former Astros postseason star, is 4 for 9 (.444) with a homer vs. Keuchel. ... The Yankees were 7-5 with a .253 batting average with 14 homers and 45 RBIs against starting pitchers they were facing for a third time this season, STATS said. They will be facing Keuchel for a third time. New York hit .251 overall this season.

---

Big Picture:

Astros: Houston (86-76) made the playoffs for the first time since reaching the World Series in 2005, getting in as the second wild card on the last day of the season. ... The Astros made a 16-game improvement from last year's 70-92 season that came after three straight 100-loss seasons. ... Houston led the AL West for most of the season before late-season struggles allowed the Rangers to take the division title. ... The Astros finished second in the majors with 230 home runs. ... Keuchel is expected to pitch on three days' rest for the first time after winning his 20th game on Friday night. He was the AL's only 20-game winner and the first Houston pitcher to reach the mark since Roy Oswalt in 2005. ... Houston's pitching staff posted an AL-best 3.57 ERA. ... The Astros struggled on the road, going 33-48. ... Correa, the top overall pick in the 2012 draft, set a franchise record for home runs for a rookie with 22 despite not being called up until June 8. His 22 home runs were the most by an AL rookie and led all AL shortstops. ... Carter, who lost his starting job late in the season, returned to the lineup in mid-September and got hot, batting .326 with an .837 slugging percentage and six homers and 12 RBIs in his last 15 games.

Yankees: In the playoffs for first time in three years, using a combination of veterans and young players to exceed expectations in the first season of the post-Derek Jeter era. ... New York (87-75) had a seven-game lead in the AL East on July 28 but went 30-33 down the stretch and was overtaken by Toronto. ... The Yankees lost six of seven to end the season, going 11 for 68 (.161) with runners in scoring position. ... Rodriguez was a surprise catalyst for the Yankees' offensive revival early in his return from a yearlong drug suspension but has slowed in the last two months. ... Bird has filled in nicely for Mark Teixeira, who was having a stellar comeback season before breaking his leg in mid-August. ... Gregorius has played stellar defense as Jeter's replacement at shortstop. ... The 21-year-old Severino would be on his normal throw day so he could provide a one- or two-inning bridge to Betances. ... The bullpen set a record for strikeouts by relievers in a season with 593. ... With Stephen Drew sidelined by dizziness, Refsnyder has made eight starts since Sept. 24, hitting .393 (11 for 28) with three doubles, a homer and three RBIs.

---

Watch For:

- Aggressive baserunning. The Astros topped the AL with 121 stolen bases, led by Altuve's 38, which also led the AL. Marisnick, who often comes in as a pinch runner when not in the starting lineup, is second on the team with 24. But sometimes their approach on the basepaths doesn't pay off. Altuve also leads the AL by being caught stealing 13 times and Marisnick is tied for third with nine.

- Top of the order. During the first half of the season Ellsbury, Gardner and A-Rod carried the offense, along with Teixeira, who is out for the season. Gardner made the All-Star team and Rodriguez was one of the biggest stories in baseball. But Ellsbury has slumped to a .220 average with five homers and 23 RBIs since the July break. Gardner has been even worse, hitting .206 with six homers and 24 RBIs. The 40-year-old Rodriguez slugged his way into the No. 3 spot in the order. However, he's only connected once in his last 18 games and has hit .186 with nine homers since Aug. 7, when his swoon began.

[StarDust Bum]

MLB
Dunkel

Wild Card Games

Houston @ NY Yankees

Game 931-932
October 6, 2015 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Houston
(Keuchel) 16.090
NY Yankees
(Tanaka) 17.527
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
NY Yankees
by 1 1/2
8
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Houston
-115
7
Dunkel Pick:
NY Yankees
(-105); Over


Chicago Cubs @ Pittsburgh

Game 933-934
October 7, 2015 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Chicago Cubs
(Arrieta) 16.654
Pittsburgh
(Cole) 12.885
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Chicago Cubs
by 4
5
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Chicago Cubs
-130
5 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Chicago Cubs
(-130); Under

[StarDust Bum]

MLB
Long Sheet

Tuesday, October 6

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

HOUSTON (86 - 76) at NY YANKEES (87 - 75) - 8:05 PM
DALLAS KEUCHEL (L) vs. MASAHIRO TANAKA (R)
Top Trends for this game.
HOUSTON is 9-17 (-10.5 Units) against the money line on the road with a money line of -100 to -125 this season.
HOUSTON is 33-48 (-18.1 Units) against the money line in road games this season.
HOUSTON is 33-42 (-11.7 Units) against the money line in road games in games played on a grass field this season.
HOUSTON is 21-31 (-12.3 Units) against the money line in road games in night games this season.
HOUSTON is 17-25 (-10.7 Units) against the money line in road games after a loss this season.
NY YANKEES are 32-20 (+12.7 Units) against the money line when the total is 7 or less over the last 2 seasons.
NY YANKEES are 39-31 (+7.0 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
HOUSTON is 63-64 (+10.3 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
KEUCHEL is 40-22 (+20.3 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
KEUCHEL is 39-20 (+20.5 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
KEUCHEL is 27-13 (+15.8 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
KEUCHEL is 24-12 (+15.3 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
KEUCHEL is 16-6 (+12.6 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
NY YANKEES are 18-29 (-18.4 Units) against the money line when playing on Tuesday over the last 2 seasons.
NY YANKEES are 35-37 (-17.6 Units) against the money line in home games after a loss over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
HOUSTON is 4-3 (+1.2 Units) against NY YANKEES this season
4 of 7 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+0.8 Units)

DALLAS KEUCHEL vs. NY YANKEES since 1997
KEUCHEL is 2-1 when starting against NY YANKEES with an ERA of 1.13 and a WHIP of 0.708.
His team's record is 2-1 (+1.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-2. (-1.2 units)

MASAHIRO TANAKA vs. HOUSTON since 1997
TANAKA is 0-0 when starting against HOUSTON with an ERA of 10.80 and a WHIP of 1.800.
His team's record is 1-0 (+1.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-0. (+1.0 units)

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

Wednesday, October 7

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

CHICAGO CUBS (97 - 65) at PITTSBURGH (98 - 64) - 8:05 PM
JAKE ARRIETA (R) vs. GERRIT COLE (R)
Top Trends for this game.
PITTSBURGH is 98-64 (+21.5 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
PITTSBURGH is 42-26 (+13.0 Units) against the money line when the total is 7 or less this season.
PITTSBURGH is 53-28 (+14.4 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
PITTSBURGH is 98-64 (+21.5 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
PITTSBURGH is 132-92 (+23.7 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 78-48 (+21.7 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
PITTSBURGH is 62-34 (+20.5 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
PITTSBURGH is 46-33 (+11.7 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
PITTSBURGH is 28-16 (+13.0 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season this season.
COLE is 23-9 (+10.4 Units) against the money line in all games this season. (Team's Record)
COLE is 21-5 (+13.0 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
COLE is 23-9 (+10.4 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season. (Team's Record)
COLE is 20-5 (+12.4 Units) against the money line after a win over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
COLE is 15-3 (+12.1 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season. (Team's Record)
CHICAGO CUBS are 97-65 (+16.9 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
CHICAGO CUBS are 37-24 (+9.0 Units) against the money line when the total is 7 or less this season.
CHICAGO CUBS are 19-9 (+8.6 Units) against the money line on the road with a money line of -100 to -125 this season.
CHICAGO CUBS are 13-3 (+9.2 Units) against the money line as a road favorite of -125 to -150 this season.
CHICAGO CUBS are 48-33 (+13.7 Units) against the money line in road games this season.
CHICAGO CUBS are 21-9 (+13.1 Units) against the money line on the road when the total is 7 or less this season.
CHICAGO CUBS are 46-30 (+10.8 Units) against the money line against division opponents this season.
CHICAGO CUBS are 97-65 (+16.9 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
CHICAGO CUBS are 59-35 (+19.0 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
CHICAGO CUBS are 77-51 (+12.8 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
CHICAGO CUBS are 58-37 (+12.4 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
CHICAGO CUBS are 25-10 (+13.8 Units) against the money line after 3 or more consecutive wins this season.
CHICAGO CUBS are 43-30 (+12.1 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
ARRIETA is 25-8 (+13.6 Units) against the money line in all games this season. (Team's Record)
ARRIETA is 18-4 (+12.2 Units) against the money line when the total is 7 or less this season. (Team's Record)
ARRIETA is 16-2 (+14.1 Units) against the money line in road games this season. (Team's Record)
ARRIETA is 12-1 (+11.1 Units) against the money line on the road when the total is 7 or less this season. (Team's Record)
ARRIETA is 25-8 (+13.6 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season. (Team's Record)
ARRIETA is 16-3 (+12.2 Units) against the money line in night games this season. (Team's Record)
ARRIETA is 10-1 (+9.1 Units) against the money line in road games after a win this season. (Team's Record)
ARRIETA is 7-0 (+10.3 Units) against the money line in road games after 3 or more consecutive wins since 1997. (Team's Record)
ARRIETA is 24-12 (+12.7 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
ARRIETA is 14-5 (+10.0 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
PITTSBURGH is 34-42 (-16.6 Units) against the money line against division opponents this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
CHICAGO CUBS is 11-8 (+2.7 Units) against PITTSBURGH this season
10 of 17 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+2.5 Units)

JAKE ARRIETA vs. PITTSBURGH since 1997
ARRIETA is 6-1 when starting against PITTSBURGH with an ERA of 1.68 and a WHIP of 0.831.
His team's record is 8-1 (+7.7 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-6. (-4.3 units)

GERRIT COLE vs. CHICAGO CUBS since 1997
COLE is 7-1 when starting against CHICAGO CUBS with an ERA of 2.88 and a WHIP of 1.101.
His team's record is 8-1 (+7.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 6-3. (+3.2 units)

[StarDust Bum]

MLB
Armadillo's Write-Up

Tuesday, October 6

National League
Houston @ Bronx
Keuchel is 3-0, 1.74 in his last six starts (over 6-2 last eight). Astros are 23-10 when Keuchel starts this season.

Tanaka is 1-1, 2.42 in his last four starts (under 3-1). Bronx is 15-9 in his starts this season.

Astros are in playoffs for first time since losing the '05 World Series; Bronx is in for first time since '12- they got bad news yesterday with Sabathia leaving team due to personal issues. Houston won three of last four games with Bronx, four of last six played here- under is 6-3 in last nine series games.

[StarDust Bum]

MLB

Tuesday, October 6

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

8:08 PM
HOUSTON vs. NY YANKEES
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Houston's last 11 games when playing on the road against NY Yankees
Houston is 4-2 SU in their last 6 games when playing on the road against NY Yankees
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of NY Yankees's last 9 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of NY Yankees's last 12 games

[StarDust Bum]

MLB

Tuesday, October 6

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

The first game of the Major League Baseball postseason has Dallas Keuchel and the Astros heading into Yankee Stadium to take on Masahiro Tanaka and the Bronx Bombers.

Houston Astros at New York Yankees (-102, 7.0)

The New York Yankees backed into homefield advantage in the American League wild-card game and have to hope that a pitching staff that struggled mightily over the final weeks can put it together for one game. The Houston Astros, who visit New York for the AL wild-card game on Tuesday, squandered a chance to earn homefield advantage in the contest with a loss on Sunday but have things lined up to start their ace against the Yankees.

Cy Young Award front-runner Dallas Keuchel will get the nod for the Astros, who waited until the final day of the season to figure out their place in the postseason and are returning to playoff baseball for the first time since representing the National League in the 2005 World Series. New York returns to the postseason following a two-year absence but comes in having lost three straight and six of their last seven. Wins in any of those games would have made the final weekend anticlimactic, but the Yankees instead surrendered a total of 46 runs in six losses to the Boston Red Sox and Baltimore Orioles – two teams with nothing left for which to play by that point. New York will start Masahiro Tanaka, who has made one start since Sept. 18 while dealing with a hamstring strain, on Tuesday but figures to have most of their starters available out of the bullpen.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, ESPN

LINE HISTORY: The Yankees opened as very slight +104 home dogs, but the odds have almost moved to dead eve, with the Yankees now at -102.

INJURY REPORT:

Astros - CF C. Gomez (questionable Tuesday, ribs).

Yankees - SP C. Sabathia (out for season, personal), 2B S. Drew (out for season, concussion), SP N. Eovaldi (out for season, elbow), 1B (out for season, shin).

WEATHER REPORT: It should be a perfect night for baseball in the Bronx with clear skies and temperatures in the mid 60's at gametime. There will be a very slight three mile per hour wind blowing out to right center field.

PITCHING MATCHUP: Astros LH Dallas Keuchel (20-8, 2.48 ERA) vs. Yankees RH Masahiro Tanaka (12-7, 3.51)

One reason a loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks on Sunday was so crushing is that it meant Keuchel, who is 15-0 with a 1.46 ERA at home, would have to make the start on the road. The All-Star is 5-8 with a 3.77 ERA on the road in 2015 but won at Arizona on Friday and will be making Tuesday’s start on three days’ rest for the first time in his career. Keuchel struck out nine and scattered three hits in seven scoreless frames at New York on Aug. 25 and is 2-1 with a 1.13 ERA in three career starts against the Yankees.

Tanaka tuned up on Wednesday against Boston and was reached for four runs on five hits and a walk in five innings without factoring in the decision. The Japan native will be appearing in his first postseason since joining the Yankees and will try to keep the ball in the park after yielding 25 home runs in 154 total innings. Tanaka made his lone career start against Houston on June 27 and was ripped for six runs on seven hits – three homers – in five innings.

TRENDS:

* Astros are 3-8 in Keuchel's last 11 road starts.
* Yankees are 1-4 in Tanaka's last five home starts.
* Under is 4-0 in Tanaka's last our starts versus a team with a winning record.
* Under is 12-4 in the last 16 meetings.

CONSENSUS: The public is almost split right down the middle, with 52.36 percent of wagers backing the Astros.

[StarDust Bum]

MLB

Tuesday, October 6


Cardinals' Molina will try to play with splint

St. Louis Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina apparently will try to play in the postseason with a splint protecting his injured left thumb.

The team announced Monday that Molina had his thumb examined again on Monday by a hand specialist and was told that damage still exists in the ligament in his left thumb.

However, the Cardinals also announced that Molina will have a splint built for the thumb that will try to allow him to both hit and catch.

Molina will test his playing abilities with the splint over the next few days, hoping that he will be available to play when the Cardinals start their playoff series on Friday against the wild-card game winner.

"We are still optimistic that Yadier will be on our postseason roster," general manager John Mozeliak said in a statement released by the team.

Molina, who has not played since Sept. 20, is hitting .270 with four homers this season. He has won the National League Gold Glove for catchers each of the past seven seasons.

[StarDust Bum]

MLB

Tuesday, October 6


Astros, Yanks seek turnaround in wild-card game

The Houston Astros and New York Yankees, two teams that stumbled into the playoffs, will square off in the American League wild-card game Tuesday at Yankee Stadium.

The Astros held a 5 1/2-game lead in the AL West as late as Aug. 27. However, they went 15-19 the rest of the way, ceding the division title to the Texas Rangers.

After winning three in a row last week to get into position to seal a wild-card berth, the Astros lost 5-3 to the Arizona Diamondbacks on Sunday when a win would have secured home-field advantage for the one-game showdown with the Yankees.

New York, meanwhile, lost six of seven games in the final week of the regular season, including dropping three in a row to the Orioles in Baltimore over the weekend.

Compounding their problems is the fact that their ace and scheduled wild-card starting pitcher, right-hander Masahiro Tanaka, made just one start in the season's final two weeks because of a right hamstring strain. After a 12-day break, Tanaka returned for an unconvincing five-inning outing against the Boston Red Sox on Wednesday. He allowed four runs in a no-decision.

The Astros counter with the AL Cy Young Award front-runner, Dallas Keuchel. The left-hander finished 20-8 with a 2.48 ERA, topping the league in wins, innings pitched (232) and walks-plus-hits-per-inning-pitched ratio (1.02). Keuchel finished second in ERA and fifth in strikeouts (216).

"It's going to be like any other start," Keuchel said of the wild-card game. "It's going to be fun."

Perhaps the Astros' lone concern about Keuchel for Tuesday is that he won't be pitching in Houston, where he went 15-0 with a 1.46 ERA. On the road, he was a mediocre 5-8 with a 3.77 ERA.

The winner of the AL wild-card game advances to meet the AL Central champion Royals in a best-of-five AL Division Series that begins Thursday in Kansas City. Last year, the Royals rallied from a late four-run deficit to beat the Oakland A's in the AL wild-card game, then advanced all the way to Game 7 of the World Series before falling to the San Francisco Giants.

The Astros are in the postseason for the first time since making the 2005 World Series, while the Yankees are returning to the playoffs after a two-year absence.

"It all starts over (now)," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "It does. Regular season doesn't matter now. It comes down to Tuesday."

[StarDust Bum]

B]MLB

Tuesday, October 6


Keuchel has dominated the Yankees this season[/B]

Houston Astros starter Dallas Keuchel gets the call in tonight's American League Wild Card game and to say he matches up against the Yankees well is an understatement.

The Astros' Cy Young candidate has give up zero earned runs in 16.0 innings pitched against the Yanks (one home start, one road) with a 0.625 WHIP, while striking out 21.

The Astros are currently slight -108 road favorites.

[StarDust Bum]

MLB
Short Sheet

Wild Card Games


Tuesday - Oct, 6

Houston at NY Yankees, 8:05 PM EDT
Houston: 7-16 SU in road games after 2 or more consecutive unders
New York: 20-9 SU after scoring 4 runs or less 3 straight games


Wednesday - Oct, 7

Chicago Cubs at Pittsburgh, 8:05 PM EDT
Chicago: 40-17 SU as a favorite of -125 to -175
Pittsburgh: 34-42 SU against division opponents

[StarDust Bum]

Armadillo: Tuesday's six-pack

Six of the more interesting college football games this weekend......

-- Washington @ USC (-16.5)-- I'm hesitant to give the Huskies this many points.

-- Oklahoma (-16.5) vs Texas- Only a masochist would bet the Longhorns now.

-- Arkansas @ Alabama (-16.5)-- Both teams won on road last week.

-- Georgia (-3) @ Tennessee-- Dawgs try to bounce back after Alabama debacle.

-- Georgia Tech @ Clemson (-7.5)-- Tigers had emotional win last week.

-- TCU (-8.5) @ Kansas State-- Snyder is 10-4 in last 14 games as home dog.


**********

Armadillo: Tuesday's List of 13: Nobody asked me, but........

13) Greetings from America's favorite city; flight to Las Vegas took a little longer Monday. We were on the plane for 90 minutes before the flight took off- repairs had to be made, and the rain was pouring down when we landed, but now I'm here, things are going well. They are making lot of improvements to Westgate Hotel; good place to stay if you're coming here. Sportsbook is being remodeled now.

12) Seahawks 13, Lions 10-- Kam Chancellor single-handedly saved day by stripping Calvin Johnson of the ball just before he scored the winning TD for Detroit. If I own the Seahawks, Chancellor gets his $1M in fines back after that play-- saved the game and prevented Seattle from falling to 1-3.

Matthew Stafford lost his last 18 road games against teams who finished that season over .500- Lions are already 0-3 on road this season.

11) NFL home favorites of 6+ points are 6-9-1 vs spread this season.

10) Dolphins fired coach Joe Philbin and hired TE coach Dan Campbell as interim coach-- he played for Bill Parcells and Sean Payton and talked big in his introductory press conference. Coach Philbin is a quiet man who worked hard-- he tried to let his coaching do his talking for him, but he didn't win enough games to stick around.

9) 12 of 32 NFL kickers are in their first year with their current team.

8) Get well soon, CC Sabathia; he checked into a rehab facility this week, as he begins to battle alcoholism. We forget that athletes are people too, with everyday problems of their own. Granted most of their problems are better than our problems, but they're also out in the public eye, which ain't always easy......

7) In Max Scherzer's no-hitter Saturday, there were no walks and 35 strikeouts in the game; I'm pretty sure I've never seen that in a major league boxscore before. Sure it was a meaningless game and the nightcap of a doubleheader, but wow....

6) Washington booted Matt Williams and his coaches; they should've done it after they got swept in that series in Citi Field in early August, maybe the team could've righted itself. Former Padre manager Bud Black is mentioned as a replacement.

Cincinnati is bringing Bryan (Bleepin') Price back as manager next year; no idea why.

5) San Diego won't retain Black's replacement, interim skipper Pat Murphy, as its new fulltime manager; Padres' GM AJ Preller may have gone to an Ivy League school, but he's been a nitwit in his first year as GM in San Diego.

4) Ichiro Suzuki pitched an inning for the Marlins Sunday; there had always been rumors that he wanted to pitch an inning before he retired. Ichiro is popular with his teammates and they enjoyed seeing him toe the slab- he was the 27th position player to pitch in the major leagues this season.

3) Funny how Dan Haren threatened to retire in spring training, because he wanted to pitch for a west coast team, but the Dodgers had traded him to Miami. $10M speaks very loudly; Haren pitched, he got traded to the Cubs and now he is in the playoffs, in what he says is his last big league season.

Like I said, being displaced for six months for $10M was a problem for Haren, but a problem 99% of us would love to have.

2) I'm not trying to be mean; this is a serious question-- if you owned an NFL team worth almost a billion dollars, would you hire Jim Caldwell to be the coach?

1) Albany-area college hoop teams have interesting season openers; Siena starts with couple of probable losses, at Duke, at Wisconsin. UAlbany opens at Kentucky; key to those three games is making sure the checks they get clear at the bank, because those games are scheduled to balance the budget, not the win-loss column.