The Bum's Major League Baseball Best Bets for August/Sept. - Picks, News, Trends !

[StarDust Bum]

MLB
Short Sheet

Thursday, August 11

Arizona at NY Mets, 12:10 PM ET
Arizona: 7-1 SU in road games after allowing 4 runs or less 3 straight games
New York: 8-15 SU against NL West opponents

San Diego at Pittsburgh, 12:35 PM ET
San Diego: 28-59 SU in road games after a win
Pittsburgh: 15-8 SU against left-handed starters

Atlanta at Milwaukee, 2:10 PM ET
Atlanta: 13-33 SU as an underdog of +125 to +175
Milwaukee: 22-16 SU in home games after 2 or more consecutive home games

St Louis at Chicago, 8:05 PM ET
St Louis: 13-3 SU in road games after 1 or more consecutive unders
Chicago: 24-32 SU in home games after allowing 3 runs or less 4 straight games

Houston at Minnesota, 1:10 PM ET
Houston: 12-17 SU as a road favorite of -110 or higher
Minnesota: 16-11 SU against AL West opponents

Baltimore at Oakland, 3:35 PM ET
Baltimore: 11-1 SU after allowing 2 runs or less 2 straight games
Oakland: 3-15 SU after shutting out their opponent

NY Yankees at Boston, 7:10 PM ET
New York: 33-16 SU when playing on Thursday
Boston: 31-43 SU revenging a loss vs opponent as a home favorite

LA Angels at Cleveland, 7:10 PM ET
Los Angeles: 36-25 SU after scoring and allowing 3 runs or less
Cleveland: KLUBER is 13-20 TSR in night games

Chicago White Sox at Kansas City, 8:15 PM ET
Chicago: 19-26 SU against division opponents
Kansas City: 12-1 SU as a home favorite of -125 to -175

Colorado at Texas, 2:05 PM ET
Colorado: 35-68 SU after having lost 4 of their last 5 games
Texas: 17-7 SU at home with a money line of -100 to -150

Houston at Minnesota, 7:10 PM ET
Houston: 1-10 SU when playing on Thursday
Minnesota: 16-11 SU against AL West opponents

[StarDust Bum]

MLB POWER LINES

12:10 pm 8/11/2016
(901) ARIZONA @(902) NY METS
Play Line: ARIZONA 195
BTB PowerLine: ARIZONA +173
Edge On: ARIZONA 22

12:35 pm 8/11/2016
(903) SAN DIEGO @(904) PITTSBURGH
Play Line: SAN DIEGO 185
BTB PowerLine: SAN DIEGO +160
Edge On: SAN DIEGO 25

1:10 pm 8/11/2016
(909) HOUSTON @(910) MINNESOTA
Play Line: HOUSTON -108
BTB PowerLine: HOUSTON -185
Edge On: HOUSTON 77

2:05 pm 8/11/2016
(919) COLORADO @(920) TEXAS
Play Line: COLORADO 142
BTB PowerLine: COLORADO +130
Edge On: COLORADO 12

3:35 pm 8/11/2016
(911) BALTIMORE @(912) OAKLAND
Play Line: OAKLAND 130
BTB PowerLine: OAKLAND +103
Edge On: OAKLAND 27

7:10 pm 8/11/2016
(915) LA ANGELS @(916) CLEVELAND
Play Line: LA ANGELS 200
BTB PowerLine: LA ANGELS +207
Edge On: LA ANGELS 23

7:10 pm 8/11/2016
(913) NY YANKEES @(914) BOSTON
Play Line: BOSTON -123
BTB PowerLine: BOSTON -138
Edge On: BOSTON 15

7:10 pm 8/11/2016
(921) HOUSTON @(922) MINNESOTA
Play Line: MINNESOTA 102
BTB PowerLine: MINNESOTA -107
Edge On: MINNESOTA 9

8:05 pm 8/11/2016
(907) ST LOUIS @(908) CHICAGO CUBS
Play Line: ST LOUIS 141
BTB PowerLine: ST LOUIS +142
Edge On: ST LOUIS 14

8:15 pm 8/11/2016
(917) CHI WHITE SOX @(918) KANSAS CITY
Play Line: CHI WHITE SOX 145
BTB PowerLine: CHI WHITE SOX +122
Edge On: CHI WHITE SOX 23

[StarDust Bum]

MLB BETTING TRENDS

7:10 pm 8/11/2016
(913) NY YANKEES @(914) BOSTON
Play AGAINST BOSTON using the money line in Home games when playing against a team with a winning record.
The record is 41 Wins and 64 Losses for the last three seasons (-37.9 units)
BET NOW

7:10 pm 8/11/2016
(915) LA ANGELS @(916) CLEVELAND
Play AGAINST LA ANGELS using the money line in Road games in August games.
The record is 3 Wins and 18 Losses for the last two seasons (-15.65 units)
BET NOW

7:10 pm 8/11/2016
(921) HOUSTON @(922) MINNESOTA
Play AGAINST HOUSTON using the money line in All games when playing on Thursday.
The record is 1 Wins and 10 Losses this season (-11.3 units)
BET NOW

3:35 pm 8/11/2016
(911) BALTIMORE @(912) OAKLAND
Play AGAINST OAKLAND using the money line in Home games after shutting out their opponent.
The record is 1 Wins and 10 Losses for the last two seasons (-11.85 units)
BET NOW

3:35 pm 8/11/2016
(911) BALTIMORE @(912) OAKLAND
Play AGAINST OAKLAND using the money line in All games after shutting out their opponent.
The record is 3 Wins and 15 Losses for the last two seasons (-14.85 units)
BET NOW

2:05 pm 8/11/2016
(919) COLORADO @(920) TEXAS
Play ON TEXAS using the money line in All games in all games.
The record is 68 Wins and 47 Losses this season (+26.95 units)
BET NOW

2:05 pm 8/11/2016
(919) COLORADO @(920) TEXAS
Play ON TEXAS using the money line in All games in games played on a grass field.
The record is 67 Wins and 44 Losses this season (+28.45 units)
BET NOW

1:10 pm 8/11/2016
(909) HOUSTON @(910) MINNESOTA
Play AGAINST HOUSTON using the money line in All games when playing on Thursday.
The record is 1 Wins and 10 Losses this season (-11.3 units)
BET NOW

12:10 pm 8/11/2016
(901) ARIZONA @(902) NY METS
Play ON ARIZONA using the money line in Road games after 3 or more consecutive wins.
The record is 12 Wins and 4 Losses for the last two seasons (+12.57 units)
BET NOW

12:10 pm 8/11/2016
(901) ARIZONA @(902) NY METS
Play AGAINST NY METS using the money line in Home games when playing against a team with a losing record.
The record is 8 Wins and 14 Losses this season (-16.15 units)
BET NOW

[StarDust Bum]

8/10 - Wednesday's Results: 9 - 6 + 3.04

July's Totals: 176- 174 + 37.42 50.28 %
August Totals: 73 - 58 + 27.78 55.72 %

Season's Overall Record : 419 - 390 + 96,86 51.79%

Big Winners Yesterday......San Fran + 102, Philly +182, San Diego + 165, Oakland + 115


THURSDAY, AUGUST 11

GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

ARI at NYM 12:10 PM

ARI +201

O 7.5


SD at PIT 12:35 PM

SD +177

U 8.0


HOU at MIN 01:10 PM

HOU -108

U 9.0


COL at TEX 02:05 PM

TEX -155

U 11.0


ATL at MIL 02:10 PM

ATL +113


BAL at OAK 03:35 PM

BAL -141

U 8.5

[StarDust Bum]

Cards head to Chicago
August 11, 2016


ST. LOUIS CARDINALS (60-54) at CHICAGO CUBS (71-41)

First pitch: Thursday, 8:05 p.m. ET
Sportsbook.ag Line: St. Louis +155, Chicago -165, Total: 9

The Cubs will be going for their 10th straight victory when they host the Cardinals on Thursday.

St. Louis is currently playing for a Wild Card spot in the National League and the team comes into this one after having won two of its past three games. The Cardinals do, however, face a red-hot Cubs team on Thursday and they could use at least a split in this four-game series.

Chicago, meanwhile, is running away with the division and has now won nine straight games heading into this one. The one thing that the Cubs are consistently doing well is pitching. They have allowed two or fewer earned runs in seven of the past nine games and if they can continue to shut their opponents down then it’s hard to imagine them struggling at any point over the remainder of the season.

On the mound in this game will be LHP Jon Lester (12-4, 2.93 ERA, 133 K) for the Cubs and RHP Carlos Martinez (10-7, 3.29 ERA) for the Cardinals. One trend worth pointing out is that St. Louis is an incredible 13-3 against the money line in road games after one or more consecutive UNDERS this season. The Cubs, however, are 20-1 against the money line on a good fielding streak where they go 15 straight games with one or fewer errors over the past two seasons.

The Cardinals are trying to find their way back into the postseason and they can use a big performance from Carlos Martinez on Thursday. The righty is coming off of a dreadful outing against the Braves on Aug. 6, allowing six earned runs on seven hits in just five innings of work. He walked two batters in that game and allowed two homers, so he’ll need to be better with his pitch location against the Cubs. He did, however, allow six earned runs in five innings the last time he faced Chicago as well.

With Martinez not pitching to his fullest capabilities, the Cardinals are going to need plenty of run support in this one. The guys that just might be able to provide that are OF Matt Holliday (.241, 19 HR, 60 RBI) and 3B Jhonny Peralta (.246, 6 HR, 17 RBI). Both guys are not the same hitters they used to be, but they are a combined 15-for-49 with three homers and nine RBI against Lester in their careers. If they can provide something at the plate in this game then the Cardinals might be able to steal this one.

Jon Lester has had a very good season for the Cubs and he is coming off of two very good starts for the team, allowing just two earned runs in his past 13.0 innings of work. Lester has also struck out at least seven batters in each of his past three starts. He’ll be hoping to keep missing bats at a high rate in this one. He will, however, need to avoid walks in this game. Lester didn’t walk any batters against the Athletics on Aug. 5, but he has walked three or more batters in five of his past nine starts. That is not a good number and he’ll need his control in this one.

Offensively, two guys to watch out for are 1B Anthony Rizzo (.288, 24 HR, 81 RBI) and 3B Kris Bryant (.284, 28 HR, 70 RBI). Both guys are playing very well for Chicago, as Rizzo is on a six-game hitting streak coming into this one and Bryant has homered in two of the past three games. They’re two very dangerous hitters and will be hoping to drive in some runs in this one.

[StarDust Bum]

A breakdown of Alex Rodriguez's pay from the Yankees
August 11, 2016

A breakdown of Alex Rodriguez's pay from the New York Yankees, as obtained by The Associated Press from player and management sources.

?2004 ?$15,100,000

?2005 ?.16,300,000

?2006 ?.15,100,000

?2007 ?.18,000,000

?Signing Bonus ?.10,000,000

?2008 ?.27,000,000

?2009 ?.32,000,000

?2010 ?.32,000,000

?2011 ?.31,000,000

?2012 ?.29,000,000

?2013 ?.28,000,000

?2014 ?..2,868,852

?2015 ?.21,000,000

?2016 ?.20,000,000

?2017 ?.20,000,000

?Total ?317,368,852

Note 1: Includes award bonuses of 2004-$100,000, 2005-$1.3 million, 2006-$100,000 and 2007-$2 million

Note 2: 2014 pay was 21/183 of $25 million salary, per arbitration panel decision

[StarDust Bum]

A-Rod cost Yankees $317 million for 1 World Series title
August 11, 2016

NEW YORK (AP) By the time Alex Rodriguez collects his last payment as a player from the Yankees next year, he will have received $317,368,852 from New York, according to a review of his contracts by The Associated Press.

Luxury tax caused by his deal totaled an additional $132 million through this year, although the Yankees could have spent more money on other players had A-Rod not been on the roster.

Was it worth it, given that the Yankees have won one World Series title during his years in pinstripes?

''One individual is not responsible for winning only one world championship, because that's part of the team effort,'' general manager Brian Cashman said Wednesday. ''He had a big piece of that success and in most cases more so than most.''

New York acquired Rodriguez from Texas in February 2004 for infielder Alfonso Soriano and a player to be named, who turned out to be Joaquin Arias - an infielder who drove in 95 runs over eight big league seasons.

In all, Rodriguez will earn about $448 million as a player, including $119 million from Texas and about $12 million from Seattle.

Heading into Friday night's finale, the last game before New York releases him, the 41-year-old Rodriguez has hit .284 with 351 homers and 1,094 RBIs for the Yankees, helping them win their 27th Series title in 2009 but often failing in other postseasons. He won AL MVP awards in 2005 and 2007, raising his total to three.

''The trade with Texas was a tremendous move,'' Cashman said. ''We added one of the game's greatest players at a discounted price because there were considerable offsets of salary, and we got a lot of production from him for quite some time.''

A-Rod cost the Yankees $61 million in salary from 2004-07 plus an additional $3.5 million in award bonuses. An additional $22 million he earned over those four seasons was paid by New York and reimbursed by the Rangers.

Rodriguez opted out of the remainder of his deal to become a free agent, giving up $72 million in salary over three seasons. On Dec. 13, 2007 - the same day the Mitchell Report on drugs in baseball was released - Rodriguez finalized a $275 million, 10-year contract to remain with the Yankees.

He was suspended by Major League Baseball for the entire 2014 season for violations of the sport's drug agreement and labor contract, and an arbitrator cut his $25 million salary for that season to $2,868,852, taking away 162/183rds of the total.

Rodriguez's Yankees contract pays him in monthly installments, and the last payment is due on Dec. 31, 2017. However, he still will receive money from the Rangers; at the time of the trade, the $36 million in deferred money from the $252 million, 10-year deal he signed with Texas in December 2000 was converted to an assignment bonus, which accrues interest at a 2 percent annual rate.

His first payment from the Rangers was due this June 15 and the last is owed him on June 15, 2025.

New York avoided a $6 million marketing payment due last year for matching Willie Mays' total of 660 home runs. After the Yankees refused to pay, claiming Rodriguez had no marketing value following his season-long suspension, the team agreed to make $3.5 million in charitable contributions.

[StarDust Bum]

LEADING OFF: A-Rod anticipates 'one big, loud boo' at Fenway
August 11, 2016

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

ONE BIG, LOUD BOO

Alex Rodriguez will make his penultimate start for the Yankees in a game at Fenway Park. The 41-year-old slugger started on the bench for New York's first two games at Boston this week, and Red Sox fans started ''We want A-Rod!'' chants during both games - they got what they wanted when Rodriguez flew out as a pinch hitter Wednesday. A-Rod said Tuesday that this start would be ''a great chance to give me one big, loud boo on the way out.'' Rodriguez will play his final game in pinstripes at home on Friday before being released.

GOMEZ OUT

The Astros are moving on without Carlos Gomez after designating the 30-year-old outfielder for assignment Wednesday. Gomez has been in a season-long slump, batting .210 with 100 strikeouts in 295 at-bats. Manager A.J. Hinch praised Gomez's attitude and work ethic, but said Gomez put too much pressure on himself after being a midseason acquisition by Houston last July.

SYNDERGAARD'S SKID

Noah Syndergaard (9-6, 2.64) seeks his first victory since July 3 when the Mets face the Diamondbacks. ''Thor'' gave up four runs in six innings in a 4-3 loss to Detroit in his last start and is 0-3 with a 3.49 ERA in his past five outings. Right-hander Braden Shipley (1-1, 4.15) makes his fourth big league start for Arizona.

TILLMAN UP FOR O'S

Orioles right-hander Chris Tillman (14-4, 3.50) tries to end his longest winless streak so far this season - a whopping three games - against Oakland. Tillman is closing in on his career high of 16 victories, set in 2013. Righty Andrew Triggs (0-0, 5.35) makes his second major league start for the A's.

LESTER LEADS CUBS VS CARDS

Jon Lester (12-4, 2.93) and the NL Central-leading Cubs begin a four-game series with the Cardinals at Wrigley Field. Lester is 3-0 with a 2.55 ERA in his past four starts and hasn't lost since July 3. Carlos Martinez (10-7, 3.29) pitches for St. Louis looking to rebound after allowing seven runs over five innings in a 13-5 loss to Atlanta.

[StarDust Bum]

Astros-Twins postponed on umbrella night
August 10, 2016

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) The Houston-Minnesota game was postponed Wednesday by persistent rain that started in the third inning and was forecast to last throughout the night.

Major League Baseball made the decision after a 2+-hour delay. The game will be played Thursday night in the second half of a doubleheader, following the regularly scheduled game.

That means the 5-0 lead the Twins took off Dallas Kuechel has vanished. After Brian Dozier hit a leadoff home run, the Twins tagged the 2015 American League Cy Young Award winner with four more runs in the second before the skies opened up 53 minutes into the game and the customers hurried for cover.

Conveniently, this was the night white umbrellas designed to look like baseballs were given away to the first 10,000 fans.

The Astros let Kuechel down with errors by third baseman Alex Bregman and shortstop Carlos Correa, leading to two unearned runs while the Twins sent 10 batters to the plate in the second inning as dark clouds rolled in and lightning flashed in the distance.

Twins starter Ervin Santana left the mound with a disappointed look with one out and a big lead in the third as the umpires waved the players off the field and the grounds crew hustled to retrieve the tarp.

Kuechel was coming off a three-hit shutout, another sign he was getting back in a groove after a rough start to the season.

Dozier homered for the second straight night. It would have been No. 24 and it would have been the 14th leadoff home run of his career.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Astros: RHP Luke Gregerson, who started the season as the closer, threw an aggressive bullpen session without trouble for his strained left oblique muscle. He's eligible Friday to come off the DL, but manager A.J. Hinch said the decision has not yet been made. The team could have Gregerson throw again before activating him.

Twins: RHP Trevor May was placed on the DL before the game with a lower back strain, an aggravation of an injury that has hampered him all season. The move was made retroactive to Sunday for May, who missed 23 games earlier due to lower back spasms. May, who has a 4.89 ERA in 42 1-3 innings and leads relievers with 59 strikeouts, will see a specialist Thursday for further evaluation. ''I know he's been trying to pitch through it a little bit, which doesn't make a lot of sense,'' said manager Paul Molitor, who had a long talk with May before the game.

TRY AGAIN

Twins rookie RHP J.T. Chargois, who was recalled from Triple-A Rochester to fill in for May, has returned for redemption with his 67.50 ERA. In his major league debut June 11 against Boston, Chargois gave up five runs while recording only two outs.

Chargois, who was picked for the All-Star Futures Game, had a 1.29 ERA with 41 strikeouts in 35 innings for Rochester.

''I wanted to pick up where I left off,'' he said. ''I wanted to prove that was a mistake.''

UP NEXT

The Astros will send RHP Doug Fister (10-7, 3.47 ERA) to the mound for one game Thursday. He has allowed only one run over 12 innings in two August starts. Rookie RHP Jose Berrios (2-2, 8.31 ERA) will pitch one game for the Twins, his third turn since being called up for his second stint in the majors.

[StarDust Bum]

Evening Best Bets:

HOU at MIN 07:10 PM

HOU -116

O 9.0


LAA at CLE 07:10 PM

LAA +210


NYY at BOS 07:10 PM

NYY +111

O 9.0


STL at CHC 08:05 PM

STL +155

U 9.0


CHW at KC 08:15 PM

KC -147

O 8.0

[StarDust Bum]

Baseball Capsules
August 12, 2016

BOSTON (AP) Alex Rodriguez drove in a run with a bases-loaded dribbler, capping a three-run rally in the eighth inning that lifted the New York Yankees over the Red Sox 4-2 on Thursday night and sent the booed designated hitter out of Boston with one last victory.

Rodriguez is set to play his final game for the Yankees on Friday night at home against Tampa Bay. The 41-year-old designated hitter will then be released and become an adviser and instructor for the club.

Rodriguez was 0 for 4 and loudly jeered throughout the game that turned in the Yankees' favor on a crucial fielding mistake that allowed them to overcome a 2-1 deficit.

Rodriguez lined out, popped out and struck out before his tapper in front of the plate in the eighth allowed Brett Gardner to score from third and put New York up 4-2. In 1994, Rodriguez was a teenager with Seattle when he got an infield single at Fenway Park for his first major league hit.

Dellin Betances earned his third save, striking out Dustin Pedroia and Xander Bogaerts with runners at the corners to end it. Luis Cessa (2-0) pitched two scoreless innings. Brad Ziegler (0-3) got the loss.

CUBS 4, CARDINALS 3, 11 INNINGS

CHICAGO (AP) - Anthony Rizzo drew a bases-loaded walk from Zach Duke with two outs in the 11th inning and Chicago beat St. Louis for its 10th consecutive victory.

Pinch-hitters Willson Contreras and Jorge Soler led off with singles against Duke (2-1) and Dexter Fowler walked to load the bases with one out. Kris Bryant struck out before Rizzo took a 3-1 pitch inside to give the Cubs their longest winning streak since getting 12 straight in 2001.

Mike Montgomery (4-5) allowed a single and two walks to load the bases in the 11th before striking out Matt Carpenter. He won for the first time for Chicago since being acquired from Seattle last month.

The Cardinals fell 13 games behind Chicago in the NL Central and lost Matt Holliday in the 10th after he was hit on the right hand by Mike Montgomery's 94 mph fastball.

ORIOLES 9, ATHLETICS 6

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) - Mark Trumbo hit a grand slam for his major league-leading 32nd homer and drove in five runs to help Baltimore beat Oakland.

The Orioles had been shut out for 17 straight innings and lost their lead in the AL East following three consecutive one-run losses in the series before Trumbo sparked them.

The All-Star slugger hit an RBI single in a three-run fourth, then connected the next inning for his third career grand slam.

Chris Tillman (15-4) allowed two runs over seven innings for his first victory since July 21. He's Baltimore's first 15-game winner since Bud Norris and Wei-Yin Chen in 2014.

Zach Britton retired three batters for his AL-leading 35th save of the season and his 37th consecutive dating to last season. The A's loaded the bases in the ninth after a replay overturn before Britton got Danny Valencia to ground out to end it.

Andrew Triggs (0-1) was the loser.

DIAMONDBACKS 9, METS 0

NEW YORK (AP) - Last-place Arizona rattled New York's Noah Syndergaard with four more stolen bases, then broke it open in a six-run sixth inning that included Chris Owings' bases-loaded triple.

Braden Shipley (2-1) pitched three-hit ball over seven innings in his fourth big league start to help the Diamondbacks sweep the three-game series. Zack Godley and Dominic Leone finished the five-hitter.

After brushing aside Syndergaard (9-7), the Diamondbacks began their sixth-inning burst against Jon Niese with Tuffy Gosewisch's leadoff homer. Owings had his second straight three-hit game, finishing with a single, double and triple.

Arizona had 13 stolen bases in the series - one shy of Baltimore's season total, three more than the Diamondbacks' previous mark for any series and the most in a three-game series against the Mets. Paul Goldschmidt had two of them, and Socrates Brito and Shipley one each.

Runners have swiped 36 bases in 40 tries against Syndergaard this year and are 51 for 56 against him in his career, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

ROYALS 2, WHITE SOX 1

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - Danny Duffy pitched his first complete game to win his eighth straight decision, and Cheslor Cuthbert had two hits and drove in a run in Kansas City's victory over Chicago.

Duffy (9-1) limited the White Sox to seven singles, struck out six and walked none. He has not lost since June 6 and has a 1.73 ERA in his past five starts.

Cuthbert tripled home Jarrod Dyson in the sixth. Dyson was initially called out trying to steal second, but the Royals appealed and the call was overturned. Cuthbert then scored the go-ahead run on Eric Hosmer's single off Carson Fulmer (0-2).

ASTROS 15, TWINS 7, 1ST GAME

ASTROS 10, TWINS 2, 2ND GAME

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - Evan Gattis homered and had four RBIs, Carlos Correa went deep for the third straight game and Houston Astros beat Minnesota 10-2 to sweep a split doubleheader.

Houston had 16 hits after a season-high 19 in a 15-7 afternoon victory. The doubleheader was necessitated by a rainout Wednesday night, a game Minnesota led 5-0 in the third before the storms hit.

Jose Altuve had four hits in the first game and was 1 for 4 in the second. He leads the majors with a .365 batting average and has reached base in 41 straight road games.

Chris Devenski (1-4) won the second game for his first major league victory.

Tommy Milone (3-4) was the loser.

In the opener, Altuve also had three RBIs and three runs, and Marwin Gonzalez tied a career high with four hits. Doug Fister (11-7) was the winner, and Jose Berrios (2-3) the loser.

Kennys Vargas homered from each side of the plate for Minnesota.

ROCKIES 12, RANGERS 9

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) - Pinch-hitter Carlos Gonzalez had a bases-clearing double in a five-run, eighth-inning rally and Colorado held on to end AL West-leading Texas' winning streak at five games.

After David Dahl drew a bases-loaded walk from Matt Bush with two outs to tie it at 9, Gonzalez doubled into the left-center gap.

Texas tied it at 7 when Adrian Beltre and Mitch Moreland hit back-to-back homers to start the seventh. Elvis Andrus had an RBI double later in the inning after twice failing to get down a bunt, and another run came home on Ian Desmond's grounder to make it 9-7.

But Colorado rallied in the eighth when lefty Jake Diekman (3-2) gave up a walk and consecutive singles to left-handers before Bush relieved him.

Scott Oberg (1-1) was the winner, and Adam Ottavino pitched the ninth for his first save.

Charlie Blackmon homered, doubled and singled twice for Colorado. Rougned Odor had an RBI triple and a two-run homer for the Rangers.

INDIANS 14, ANGELS 4

CLEVELAND (AP) - Mike Napoli was 4 for 4 with a homer and four RBIs, Lonnie Chisenhall drove in four and Cleveland routed Los Angeles in game delayed by rain in the fourth and seventh innings.

Indians designated hitter Carlos Santana left with a contusion on the right side of his head after being struck by a foul ball while standing in the dugout during the fifth inning. Santana hit his 25th homer to lead off the first inning.

Napoli's three-run homer, his 29th, highlighted a four-run fifth. He had an RBI double in the second. Chisenhall added a three-run double when Cleveland scored five times in the first.

Corey Kluber (12-8) allowed three runs in six innings.

Mike Trout homered in the first for Los Angeles, which has dropped seven straight - its longest losing streak since 2010. Jhoulys Chacin (2-6) was the loser.

PIRATES 4, PADRES 0

PITTSBURGH (AP) - Rookie Jameson Taillon pitched three-hit ball for eight innings, David Freese drove in two runs and Pittsburgh beat San Diego.

Taillon (3-2) struck out four and walked two. Neftali Feliz got two outs in the ninth, and also gave up a single and a walk. Tony Watson got his fourth save by striking out Jabari Blash.

Josh Harrison hit a leadoff double in the first off Christian Friedrich (4-8) and scored on Freese's single. Freese had an RBI double in the third and scored on Gregory Polanco's single. Harrison singled home a run in the fourth. Starling Marte snapped an 0-for-12 streak with two hits.

BREWERS 11, BRAVES 3

MILWAUKEE (AP) - Matt Garza won his third straight start, and Chris Carter, Scooter Gennett and Hernan Perez homered in Milwaukee's victory over Atlanta.

Garza (4-4) allowed two runs and seven hits in six innings.

Roberto Hernandez (1-1) was the loser. Erick Aybar homered for the Braves.

[StarDust Bum]

Friday’s 6-pack

Week 8 CFL knowledge is on the NHL page. Saratoga horse racing analysis is on the college football page.

— Hard to believe NFL teams used to play six exhibition games every year- four is too many.

— A’s used 8 different starting pitchers in their last eight games, first time they’ve done that since 1961.

— Alex Rodriguez wanted to play 3B in his last game tonight…..denied!!!!

— Only 4 of Patriots’ 14 coaches played I-A (bigtime) college football.

— Noah Syndergaard has given up 36 stolen bases this year, most in NL; next highest total is 20.

— Preseason football scores mean very little; the ’08 Lions went 4-0 in the preseason, then went 0-16 in the regular season.


Friday’s List of 13: NFL knowledge to ponder


13) In two years under Chip Kelly, Eagles scored 18 TDs on defense/special teams; next-highest in NFL during that time was Arizona, with 12.

12) Speaking of Cardinals, they’ve scored 17 TDs on defense/special teams in three years under Bruce Arians, while allowing only 3. Redbirds are 15-3-1 vs spread in games with spread of 3 or less points.

11) Jets had their first winning year since 2010 LY, scoring 24.2 ppg, after scoring 17.6/17.1 the previous two years. Jets are 7-2 as home underdogs the last three years.

10) Jaguars scored 23.5 ppg LY, after scoring less than 16 ppg the four years before that. Jags are 11-29 vs spread in last 40 non-divisional home games. Over is 20-12 in their road games the last four years.

9) Redskins are 7-17 as home favorites the last eight years, during which time they’ve had two winning years- they were +4/+17 in turnovers those two years, a combined -49 the other six.

8) Browns are 12-36 SU in division games last eight years; they’ve started season 1-0 once in 17 years. Cleveland is 1-6 as a favorite vs AFC North foes, 21-19-1 as a dog.

7) Jay Cutler completed 63.9% of his passes LY but only 46.5% in red zone. Bears let Lovie Smith go after a 10-6 year in 2012 (they were +20 in TOs); since then, they’re 19-29, with a -4 TO ratio.

6) Dallas still needs a backup QB, with Kellen Moore hurt. Cowboys scored only 17.2 ppg LY with Romo missing lot of time. Dallas backup QBs completed 16 of 48 passes in red zone.

5) Carolina Panthers are 12-4-2 as home favorites last three years; over last eight years, they’re 11-3 as a HF in NFC South games.

4) Houston went 9-7 in both of Bill O’Brien’s seasons as coach, with +17 TO ratio, but were only #17, #19 in yards gained. Texans are 11-3 as a favorite, 10-4-1 in AFC South road games.

3) Cincinnati’s last playoff win was so long ago, it came against the Houston Oilers in 1990. Marvin Lewis is 112-94-2 as Bengals’ coach in regular season, but 0-7 in playoff games and that has become a problem.

2) Over last two years, favorites are 12-2-2 vs spread in Detroit’s home games. Under is 20-12 in games at Ford Field the last four years. Lions are 7-12 as road underdogs the last four years, during which time they’re -27 in TOs.

1) In Andy Reid’s three years coaching the Chiefs, they’ve scored 20 TDs on defense/special teams, allowed only two, going 31-17. Alex Smith doesn’t make mistakes, which wins a lot of regular season games.

[StarDust Bum]

Friday’s games

National League

Cardinals @ Cubs

Wainwright is 0-1, 5.32 in his last four starts (over 4-0). St Louis is 6-2 in his last eight road starts.

Arrieta is 1-1, 2.25 in his last four starts (under 3-1). Cubs lost five of his last six at home.

Cardinals lost eight of last 12 games; over is 8-4-2 in their last 13 games. Chicago won its last ten games; seven of their last nine stayed under.

Braves @ Nationals

Foltynewicz is 2-2, 6.45 in his last four starts; his last three went over. Braves are 4-4 in his road starts.

Strasburg is 2-1, 2.55 in his last three starts; over is 14-3-2 in his last 19 starts.
Washington lost his last two home starts, after winning his first ten.

Braves won six of last nine road games; they’re 7-6 in last 13 road series openers.
Three of last four Atlanta games stayed under. Washington won six of last eight games; they’re 11-7 in home series openers. Under is 5-2-1 in their last eight home games.

Rockies @ Phillies

Gray is 1-1, 1.80 in his last three road starts; six of his last seven starts stayed under. Rockies are 3-7 in his road starts.

Thompson allowed six runs in 4.2 IP (83 PT) in his MLB debut.

Colorado lost six of last eight games; they’re 4-8 in last 12 road series openers. Over is 3-1-1 in their last five road games. Phillies are 3-5 in last eight home games, 5-12 in home series openers. Over is 7-1-1 in their last nine games.

Padres @ Mets

Clemens is 0-2, 5.52 in three starts for San Diego (under 2-1).
Verrett is 0-5, 6.95 in his last nine starts; his last three went over. Mets lost his last three home starts.

San Diego lost 12 of last 16 road games; they’re 11-7 in road series openers. Five of Padres’ last seven games went over. Mets are 4-11 in last 15 games; they lost last four home series openers. Six of last seven games at Citi Field went over.

Reds @ Brewers

Bailey is 1-1, 7.27 in two starts this year (under 2-0).

Nelson is 0-4, 12.50 in his last four starts; under is 5-3 in his last eight. Milwaukee is 2-5 in his last seven home starts.

Reds are 4-7 in last 11 road games, but 9-1 overall in game following their last ten losses. Cincy is 6-13 in road series openers. Milwaukee is 8-3 in last 11 home games, 9-10 in home series openers. Six of last seven games at Miller Park stayed under.

Pirates @ Dodgers

Nova is 2-1, 3.70 in his last four starts (under 4-0).

Stripling is 3-1, 4.35 in his last four starts (under 6-2-1). Dodgers are 3-2 in his home starts.

Pittsburgh lost eight of last ten road games; they’re 11-8 in road series openers. Under is 8-4 in their last 12 games. Dodgers won four of last five games, are 10-9 in home series openers. Over is 5-1-1 in last seven Dodger home games.


American League

Rays @ New York

Archer is 2-2, 3.08 in his last four starts; under is 7-4 in his last 11. Rays are 4-8 in his road starts.

Sabathia is 1-3, 5.70 in his last five starts; over is 5-3-1 in his last nine. Bronx lost his last four home starts.

Rays are 2-6 in last eight road games (under 6-2), 6-12 in road series openers. New York won three of last four games, won their last four home series openers. Five of last seven New York games stayed under the total.

Astros @ Blue Jays

Musgrove allowed one run in seven IP (99 PT) in his first MLB start.

Liriano is 2-2, 7.29 in his last four starts; four of his last five stayed under.

Astros won last three games; they scored 25 runs in DH sweep yesterday. Houston is 7-11 in road series openers. Over is 5-2 in Astros’ last seven road games. Toronto is 7-3 in last ten home games, 5-1 in last six home series openers. Over is 6-1-1 in last eight games at Sky Dome.

Angels @ Indians

Skaggs is 1-0, 2.04 in three starts this year (over 2-1).

Carrasco is 0-3, 7.56 in his last three starts; under is 8-4 in his last 12. Indians lost his last three home starts.

Angels lost 12 of last 14 road games; three of their last four games stayed under. Cleveland is 5-3 in its last eight home games; their last five home games went over total.

Royals @ Twins

Ventura is 1-1, 2.75 in his last three starts; five of his last six stayed under. Royals are 2-6 in his last eight road starts.

Gibson is 2-0, 4.18 in his last four starts; under is 5-3 in his home starts. Minnesota won three of his last home starts.

Royals won four of last five games, are 5-13 in road series openers. Under is 7-2 in Royals’ last nine road games. Minnesota lost its last three games, is 8-11 in home series openers. Five of Twins’ last six home games went over.

Tigers @ Rangers

Sanchez is 1-0, 2.70 in his last three starts; under is 4-1-1 in his last six. Detroit lost his last seven road starts.

Darvish is 0-3, 3.03 in his last five starts (under 5-2-1). Texas is 3-1 in his starts if they give him more than one run.

Tigers lost their last four games, are 7-12 in road series openers. Three of last four Detroit games stayed under. Texas won five of last six home games, is 11-6 in home series openers. Under is 9-1-2 in last dozen Ranger games.


Mariners @ A’s

Miranda allowed two runs in six IP (80 PT) in his first MLB start.
Manaea is 0-2, 5.40 in his last two starts; under is 8-4-1 in his last 13. Oakland won four of his last five home starts
.
Mariners won their last six games; they’re 3-7 in last ten road series openers. Over is 5-2 in Seattle’s last seven road games. Oakland won three of last four games, is 10-6 in last 16 home series openers. Five of last six Oakland games stayed under.


Interleague

White Sox @ Marlins

Rodon is 0-2, 6.75 in his last three starts; three of his last four went over. White Sox lost his last six road starts.

Cashner is 0-1, 7.36 in two starts for Miami (over 2-0).

White Sox are 4-13 in last 17 road games, 2-10 in last 12 road series openers. Over is 7-4 in their last 11 games. Miami lost six of last nine games and last four home series openers. Six of Marlins’ last eight home games went over.


Diamondbacks @ Red Sox

Corbin is 0-5, 9.71 in his last six starts; his last eight starts went over. Arizona is 6-5 when he starts on the road.

Price is 0-2, 5.17 in his last five starts; three of his last four went over. Boston is 6-5 in his home starts.

Diamondbacks won their last four games, are 4-7 in last 11 road series openers. Five of their last seven road games went over. Boston lost seven of last nine home games; they’re 6-1 in last seven home series openers. Under is 11-4 in their last fifteen games.

Orioles @ Giants

Bundy is 3-1, 2.28 in his last four starts (under 4-1).
Cain is 3-0, 2.35 in his last three starts; over is 3-1-1 in his last five. Giants are 4-4 in his home starts.

Orioles lost four of last six games, are 9-10 in road series openers- they didn’t travel, having played in Oakland during week. Under is 12-5-1 in their last 18 road games. Giants are 1-7 in game following their last eight wins; they’re 8-9 in home series openers. Under is 5-1-1 in their last seven games.


Teams’ record when this pitcher starts:

StL-Chi– Wainwright 15-8; Arrieta 14-8
Atl-Wsh– Foltynewicz 6-8; Strasburg 18-3
Col-Phil– Gray 9-11; Thompson 0-1
SD-NY– Clemens 1-2/1-1; Verrett 3-8
Cin-Mil– Bailey 1-1; Nelson 9-14
Pitt-LA– Nova 1-0/7-8; Stripling 5-4
TB-NY– Archer 7-17; Sabathia 10-10
Hst-Tor– Musgrove 0-1; Liriano 1-0/9-12
LA-Cle– Skaggs 1-2; Carrasco 11-6
Det-Tex– Sanchez 4-13; Darvish 3-5
KC-Min– Ventura 11-11; Gibson 8-7 (4-0 last 4)
Sea-A’s– Miranda 0-1; Manaea 7-9
CWS-Mia– Rodon 6-12; Cashner 1-1/7-9
Az-Bos– Corbin 7-16 (0-6 last 6); Price 11-13 (1-7 last 8)
Balt-SF– Bundy 3-2; Cain 7-8 (6-2 last 8)


%age of time pitcher allows 1+ runs in first inning:

StL-Chi– Wainwright 8-23; Arrieta 3-22
Atl-Wsh– Foltynewicz 3-14; Strasburg 6-21
Col-Phil– Gray 7-20; Thompson 1-1
SD-NY– Clemens 0-5; Verrett 2-11
Cin-Mil– Bailey 2-2; Nelson 6-23
Pitt-LA– Nova 4-16; Stripling 2-9
TB-NY– Archer 10-24; Sabathia 4-20
Hst-Tor– Musgrove 0-1; Liriano 6-22
LA-Cle– Skaggs 1-3; Carrasco 4-17
Det-Tex– Sanchez 6-17; Darvish 3-8
KC-Min– Ventura 5-22; Gibson 8-15
Sea-A’s– Miranda 0-1; Manaea 1-16
CWS-Mia– Rodon 6-18; Cashner 6-17
Az-Bos– Corbin 11-23; Price 8-24
Balt-SF– Bundy 1-5; Cain 2-15


Teams’ records in first five innings:

Team (road-home-total)- thru 8/11

Arizona 22-25-9……21-32-5…….43-57
Atlanta 22-28-8……18-26-12…..40-54
Cubs 30-18-8……33-17-8……..63-35
Reds 15-36-7……24-27-4……39-63
Colo 23-24-11…..22-30-4……45-54
LA 23-23-9……35-18-7…….58-41
Miami 24-23-9…..27-17-13……51-40
Milw 18-30-7……32-19-7……50-49
Mets 23-37-7……25-23-9……48-50
Philly 20-27-15…..19-25-10….39-50
Pitt 14-32-9……36-18-4……50-49
St. Louis 27-23-4……24-25-12….51-48
SD 18-35-4……26-27-4……44-62
SF 27-28-7……28-14-10…..55-42
Wash 29-15-13……23-17-16…..52-32
Orioles 22-30-7…….30-19-8…….52-49
Boston 18-25-8…….36-17-8……54-42
White Sox 26-24-8……30-25-2……56-49
Cleveland 34-21-6……24-21-5…….57-42
Detroit 23-28-8……28-21-3…….51-49
Astros 19-26-11…..29-23-6……48-49
KC 20-30-8……23-23-11…..,43-53
Angels 21-31-7……21-25-10…….42-56
Twins 22-30-8……19-30-11……41-60
NYY 18-32-8……25-26-8…….43-58
A’s 18-30-8……22-27-11……40-57
Seattle 24-23-8……25-20-12……49-43
Tampa Bay 20-24-9…….25-26-9……45-50
Texas 23-32-8…….25-18-9…….48-50
Toronto 34-17-4……..34-22-4…….68-39


%age of times teams score in first inning (road/home/total)

Arizona 21-54……23-59……44
Atlanta 17-59……13-56……30
Cubs 20-58……15-58……35
Reds 22-59……20-55……42
Colo 10-57……..19-55……29
LA 15-54……22-61…….37
Miami 19-57……16-54…….35
Milw 13-53…..26-59……39
Mets 14-54……21-57……35
Philly 10-63……14-51……24
Pitt 10-51…….21-59……31
StL 12-52……..13-60…..25
SD 14-57…….23-56…..37
SF 10-60……..13-52…..23
Wash 23-56…….21-55……44
Orioles 14-60……15-53……29
Boston 14-49……27-62…..41
White Sox 16-58……17-59…..33
Cleveland 14-61…….19-51……33
Detroit 13-59……20-55……33
Astros 19-54……21-58……40
KC 17-57…… 17-58…..34
Angels 21-59…….18-55…..39
Twins 13-57…….22-60…..35
NYY 3-58…….21-57……24
A’s 15-55…….13-59…..28
Seattle 14-56…….20-58…..34
Tampa Bay 18-53……20-58…..38
Texas 18-62…….16-52…..34
Toronto 18-55…….24-62…..42

[StarDust Bum]

Interleague Results


The 2016 MLB regular season will usually feature at least one Interleague game every day. All teams will play exactly 20 Interleague games broken down into eight series, four at home and four on the road.

AMERICAN LEAGUE RESULTS (2014-2016)

Team 2014 2015 2016 (Home-Away)

Baltimore Orioles 12-8 12-8 (2-3, 4-1)

Boston Red Sox 9-11 13-7 (5-2, 3-2)

Chicago White Sox 11-9 9-11 (4-4, 2-3)

Cleveland Indians 10-10 12-8 (4-3, 5-3)

Detroit Tigers 12-8 9-11 (7-3, 5-2)

Houston Astros 5-15 16-4 (3-2, 5-2)

Kansas City Royals 15-5 13-7 (5-5, 3-4)

Los Angeles Angels 12-8 8-12 (2-5, 4-4)

Minnesota Twins 9-11 8-12 (5-5, 1-4)

New York Yankees 13-7 11-9 (4-3, 3-7)

Oakland Athletics 13-7 11-9 (2-8, 3-2)

Seattle Mariners 9-11 8-12 (5-2, 6-4)

Tampa Bay Rays 10-10 14-6 (1-6, 6-4)

Texas Rangers 10-10 11-9 (4-3, 6-2)

Toronto Blue Jays 13-7 12-8 (5-5, 8-2)

AL Totals 163-137 167-133 (58-59, 64-46)


NATIONAL LEAGUE RESULTS (2014-2016)

Team 2014 2015 2016 (Home-Away)

Arizona Diamondbacks 7-13 11-9 (3-7, 2-2)

Atlanta Braves 7-13 6-14 (0-5, 6-4)

Chicago Cubs 9-11 10-10 (6-2, 5-2)

Cincinnati Reds 6-14 7-13 (2-6, 2-5)

Colorado Rockies 7-13 5-15 (4-6, 5-5)

Los Angeles Dodgers 11-9 10-10 (5-5, 3-4)

Miami Marlins 13-7 7-13 (1-3, 3-4)

Milwaukee Brewers 11-9 8-12 (5-3, 2-2)

New York Mets 11-9 9-11 (4-3, 5-5)

Philadelphia Phillies 7-13 8-12 (5-3, 3-5)

Pittsburgh Pirates 11-9 13-7 (2-5, 6-4)

St. Louis Cardinals 8-12 11-9 (0-7, 5-3)

San Diego Padres 9-11 7-13 (3-4, 2-5)

San Francisco Giants 10-10 13-7 (1-4, 5-5)

Washington Nationals 10-10 8-12 (5-1, 5-3)

NL Totals 137-163 133-167 (46-64, 59-58)


Updated - Thu Aug 11, 2016, 7:00 PM ET

[StarDust Bum]

LEADING OFF: A-Rod's farewell, Dahl's promising start
August 12, 2016

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

A-ROD'S FAREWELL

Alex Rodriguez will play his final game in pinstripes when the Yankees host the Rays. A-Rod asked manager Joe Girardi to play third base in his New York finale but was denied . Instead, Rodriguez will be the designated hitter in his final game before being released and transitioning into a role as special adviser and instructor. Rodriguez has been with the Yankees since 2004, costing New York $317 million while helping them win one World Series.

ROOKIE ON A ROLL

David Dahl can break the modern-day major league record by stretching his hitting streak to begin his career to 18 games when Colorado faces Philadelphia. The 22-year-old outfielder has matched Chuck Aleno's mark from 1941 with the Reds while batting .358 with three homers and 10 RBIs.

STRASBURG GOES FOR 16

Stephen Strasburg (15-2, 2.80) can tie J.A. Happ for the major league lead with his 16th victory when Washington hosts Atlanta. Strasburg failed in his first attempt at No. 16, allowing four runs in 4 2/3 innings in a 7-1 loss to San Francisco. Mike Foltynewicz (5-5, 4.37) is up for the Braves.

STARTING STRONG

Orioles right-hander Dylan Bundy (5-3, 3.05) looks to provide Baltimore with another quality start in a game at San Francisco. In five outings since finally getting a shot in the big league rotation, the 23-year-old is 3-2 with a 3.00 ERA, including quality starts in his past two games despite limited pitch counts. Last time out, he struck out nine over six innings of two-run ball in a 10-2 win over the White Sox. Matt Cain (4-6, 5.16) is up for the Giants.

STRIPLING TO THE RESCUE

Ross Stripling (3-3, 3.79) is back in the Dodgers' rotation and tries to provide more strong innings in a start against Pittsburgh. Stripling was pulled seven innings into a no-hitter in his major league debut April 8 but was removed from the rotation in May to limit his innings. He returned to starting with five shutout innings against Boston on Aug. 6, and may be a pivotal piece for Los Angeles' banged-up pitching staff down the stretch. Ivan Nova (8-6, 4.83) makes his second start with Pittsburgh since being acquired from the Yankees.

LEFTY REINFORCEMENT

Seattle turns to rookie left-hander Ariel Miranda (1-0, 6.00) in a start against Oakland while it chases an AL wild-card spot. The 27-year-old Cuban was acquired from Baltimore for Wade Miley last month and got his first major league win in a surprise appearance Tuesday by pitching the 15th inning of a 6-5 victory over Detroit. The A's will send out their own rookie left-hander in Sean Manaea (3-7, 4.58).