The Bum's MLB Best Bets - Trends - News Thru the World Series !

[StarDust Bum]

LEADING OFF: A day off before things get wild
October 2, 2016

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

QUICK BREATHER

Baseball fans get a one-day break before the postseason begins Tuesday with the AL wild-card game, when the Orioles will travel to Toronto to determine who gets to face the Rangers in an AL Division Series. Baltimore is expected to pitch ace Chris Tillman and the Blue Jays will likely throw Marcus Stroman, although both teams had yet to announce starting pitchers as of Sunday night.

EVEN ODDS

The San Francisco Giants' quest for a fourth-straight even-year World Series title hits the road in the morning, when the team flies to New York. Ace Madison Bumgarner gets the ball Wednesday in the NL wild-card game against the Mets' Noah Syndergaard. ''Everybody knows what a good pitcher Bumgarner is, but we have a good pitcher, too,'' Mets outfielder Yoenis Cespedes said through an interpreter.

San Francisco started its run to the 2014 World Series title by beating Pittsburgh in the wild-card game, and also won championships in 2012 and 2010. The Mets, meanwhile, are the defending NL champs and finished second in the National League with 218 home runs this year.

TAKE A LOAD OFF

Division winners begin a stretch of days off while waiting for the wild-card games, and some needed the break more than others. David Ortiz and the Red Sox limped to the finish, losing five of their final six regular-season games, but now get three days off before opening an ALDS at Cleveland. The Dodgers also closed with five losses in six games - including a three-game sweep to San Francisco that let the Giants into the postseason. In particular, L.A. outfielder Joc Pederson may need a few days to recover after hurting his shoulder diving for a ball in the outfield Sunday. Pederson is expected to play Friday at Washington.

MOVING DAYS

The Braves have begun packing up at Turner Field, and home plate is already waiting for them at under-construction SunTrust Park. Right after Jim Johnson struck out Justin Upton to end Sunday's 1-0 win over Detroit, the grounds crew pried up home plate, and former home run king Hank Aaron and Braves chairman Terry McGuirk took it on a police-escorted trip to the new stadium.

[StarDust Bum]

Tuesday, October 4

8:00 PM ALWC Orioles @ Blue Jays TBD at TBD
TBS / SNET

Wednesday, October 5

8:00 PM NLWC Giants @ Mets Bumgarner (0-0) at Syndergaard (0-0)
ESPN

Thursday, October 6

TBD ALDS Gm 1 Red Sox @ Indians Porcello (0-0) at Bauer (0-0)
TBS

TBD ALDS Gm 1 AL Wild Card @ Rangers TBD at TBD
TBS

Friday, October 7

TBD NLDS Gm 1 Dodgers @ Nationals TBD at TBD
FS1 / MLBN

TBD NLDS Gm 1 NL Wild Card @ Cubs TBD at TBD
FS1 / MLBN

TBD ALDS Gm 2 Red Sox @ Indians Price (0-0) at Kluber (0-0)
TBS

TBD ALDS Gm 2 AL Wild Card @ Rangers TBD at TBD
TBS

Saturday, October 8

TBD NLDS Gm 2 Dodgers @ Nationals TBD at TBD
FS1 / MLBN

TBD NLDS Gm 2 NL Wild Card @ Cubs TBD at TBD
FS1 / MLBN

Sunday, October 9

TBD ALDS Gm 3 Rangers @ AL Wild Card TBD at TBD
TBS

TBD ALDS Gm 3 Indians @ Red Sox Tomlin (0-0) at TBD
TBS

Monday, October 10

TBD NLDS Gm 3 Nationals @ Dodgers TBD at TBD
FS1 / MLBN

TBD NLDS Gm 3 Cubs @ NL Wild Card TBD at TBD
FS1 / MLBN

TBD ALDS Gm 4* Indians @ Red Sox TBD at TBD
TBS

TBD ALDS Gm 4* Rangers @ AL Wild Card TBD at TBD
TBS
* if necessary

Tuesday, October 11

TBD NLDS Gm 4* Nationals @ Dodgers TBD at TBD
FS1

TBD NLDS Gm 4* Cubs @ NL Wild Card TBD at TBD
FS1
* if necessary

Wednesday, October 12

TBD ALDS Gm 5* Red Sox @ Indians TBD at TBD
TBS

TBD ALDS Gm 5* AL Wild Card @ Rangers TBD at TBD
TBS
* if necessary

Thursday, October 13

TBD NLDS Gm 5* Dodgers @ Nationals TBD at TBD
FS1

TBD NLDS Gm 5* NL Wild Card @ Cubs TBD at TBD
FS1
* if necessary

Friday, October 14

TBD ALCS Gm 1 AL Lower Seed @ AL Higher Seed TBD at TBD
TBS

Saturday, October 15

TBD NLCS Gm 1 NL Lower Seed @ NL Higher Seed TBD at TBD
FOX / FS1

TBD ALCS Gm 2 AL Lower Seed @ AL Higher Seed TBD at TBD
TBS

Sunday, October 16

TBD NLCS Gm 2 NL Lower Seed @ NL Higher Seed TBD at TBD
FOX / FS1

Monday, October 17

TBD ALCS Gm 3 AL Higher Seed @ AL Lower Seed TBD at TBD
TBS

Tuesday, October 18

TBD NLCS Gm 3 NL Higher Seed @ NL Lower Seed TBD at TBD
FOX / FS1

TBD ALCS Gm 4 AL Higher Seed @ AL Lower Seed TBD at TBD
TBS

Wednesday, October 19

TBD NLCS Gm 4 NL Higher Seed @ NL Lower Seed TBD at TBD
FOX / FS1

TBD ALCS Gm 5* AL Higher Seed @ AL Lower Seed TBD at TBD
TBS
* if necessary

Thursday, October 20

TBD NLCS Gm 5* NL Higher Seed @ NL Lower Seed TBD at TBD
FOX / FS1
* if necessary

Friday, October 21

TBD ALCS Gm 6* AL Lower Seed @ AL Higher Seed TBD at TBD
TBS
* if necessary

Saturday, October 22

TBD NLCS Gm 6* NL Lower Seed @ NL Higher Seed TBD at TBD
FOX / FS1

TBD ALCS Gm 7* AL Lower Seed @ AL Higher Seed TBD at TBD
TBS
* if necessary

Sunday, October 23

TBD NLCS Gm 7* NL Lower Seed @ NL Higher Seed TBD at TBD
FOX / FS1
* if necessary

Tuesday, October 25

TBD WS Gm 1 NL Champion @ AL Champion TBD at TBD
FOX

Wednesday, October 26

TBD WS Gm 2 NL Champion @ AL Champion TBD at TBD
FOX

Friday, October 28

TBD WS Gm 3 AL Champion @ NL Champion TBD at TBD
FOX

Saturday, October 29

TBD WS Gm 4 AL Champion @ NL Champion TBD at TBD
FOX


Sunday, October 30

TBD WS Gm 5* AL Champion @ NL Champion TBD at TBD
FOX
* if necessary

Tuesday, November 1

TBD WS Gm 6* NL Champion @ AL Champion TBD at TBD
FOX
* if necessary

Wednesday, November 2

TBD WS Gm 7* NL Champion @ AL Champion TBD at TBD
FOX
* if necessary

[StarDust Bum]

Five unsung heroes help Mets overcome pitching injuries to reach postseason

The Mets are heading back to the playoffs as a wild card team

For only the second time in franchise history, the New York Mets are going to the postseason in back-to-back years. The team clinched a wild-card spot with Saturday's win over the Phillies (NYM 5, PHI 3). Their only other back-to-back postseason trips came in 1999 and 2000.

Even with a playoff spot clinched, it's safe to say things did not go according to plan for the Mets this season. They envisioned riding their young power rotation to the NL East division title. Instead, four of their five young starters are out for the season:

Matt Harvey: Had season-ending thoracic outlet syndrome surgery in July.

Jacob deGrom: Had surgery to correct nerve issue in elbow in September.

Steven Matz: Having surgery to remove a bone spur from his elbow soon.

Zack Wheeler: Rehab from Tommy John surgery slowed by several setbacks.

That's left the Mets with a rotation of uber-ace Noah Syndergaard, ageless wonder Bartolo Colon, and a collection of pitchers who were no better than seventh on the depth chart on Opening Day. And yet, the Mets have gone 27-12 in their last 39 games to clinch a wild-card spot.

In fact, check out the team's postseason odds graph, per FanGraphs. The Mets bottomed out at 6.7 percent on August 19, the day before the 27-12 run began. (Their odds are 100 percent following Saturday's clincher, obviously.)

No team in baseball has a better record than the Mets since August 19. Yes, they've had an easy schedule, but they're also not playing at full strength. Besides, a weak schedule doesn't guarantee anything. Any team can beat any other team on any given day in this league.

The Mets were able to stay in the race -- climb back into the race, really, based on that postseason odds graph -- thanks to several unsung heroes. Every playoff team needs players to come out of nowhere and contribute, and this season no one needed that unexpected production more than New York. These five players have provided the biggest unexpected lift.

The Mets turned to right-hander Robert Gsellman in August after trade deadline pickup Jonathon Niese went down with a knee problem that required season-ending surgery. In seven starts and one relief appearance since being called up, Gsellman has a 2.42 ERA with a 42/15 K/BB in 44 2/3 innings. He's also allowed just one home run. Should the Mets win the Wild Card Game and advance to the NLDS, Gsellman figures to be their No. 3 starter behind Syndergaard and Colon. He's climbed the depth chart in a hurry.

For the second straight season, the Mets picked up veteran utility man Kelly Johnson in a midseason trade with the Braves to improve their bench. Through 81 games and 198 plate appearances with New York, Johnson is hitting a healthy .261/.323/.450 with nine home runs and 24 RBI, and he's done that while playing all four infield positions plus some left field. He's helped them cover for injuries to Neil Walker (back), David Wright (neck), Wilmer Flores (wrist), Asdrubal Cabrera (knee), and Lucas Duda (back) at various points. A bench player like Johnson is invaluable to an NL team.

Like Gsellman, Seth Lugo was called up to help the Mets cover for their various rotation injuries. Lugo was summoned in July, first to work as a long reliever before moving into the rotation to replace Matz in August. He has a 2.67 ERA overall, including a 2.68 ERA with a 1.15 WHIP in eight starts and 47 innings. Lugo's done it with a snapdragon curveball ...

... that Statcast says has the highest spin rate of any curveball in the game. In English, that means Lugo's curve rotates faster and breaks harder than any other curveball in baseball right now. Gsellman and Lugo have been godsends for the Mets' beat-up rotation.

T.J. Rivera, an undrafted free agent out of Troy who hit everywhere he played in the minors, was called up in August to give the club a little more versatility and right-handed thump on the bench. The 27-year-old has since hit .333/.345/.476 with three home runs and 16 RBI in 33 games and 113 plate appearances while playing the three non-first base infield positions. He's also taken over as the starting second baseman and No. 6 hitter these last few weeks. Talk about production from unexpected places.

The Mets picked up Fernando Salas from the Angels in an August 31 waiver trade to add some depth to the bullpen, and since coming over, the veteran right-hander as a 2.08 ERA with an 19/0 K/BB in 17 1/3 innings. Yes, no walks in 17 1/3 innings. Salas has taken over as the team's regular seventh-inning reliever, which pushes Hansel Robles into more of a fireman role, giving manager Terry Collins more freedom to go to his top bullpen arms earlier in the game.

Make no mistake, repeating as NL champs is going to be very tough with Harvey, deGrom, Matz, Walker, and Wright all sidelined following their season-ending injuries. All five of those guys have shown they can be impact players.

The Mets have been able to survive and thrive despite those losses thanks to call-ups like Gsellman and Lugo and Rivera, and low key trade pickups like Johnson and Salas. They've given the team exactly the kind of lift they needed to remain in the postseason race and eventually clinch a wild-card spot.

[StarDust Bum]

Giants, Blue Jays, Orioles grab playoff spots on final day
October 2, 2016

So much for any Game No. 162 chaos in baseball: The San Francisco Giants, Toronto Blue Jays and Baltimore Orioles grabbed the last three playoff spots Sunday, and the October matchups are set.

Neat and clean, no need for all sorts of tiebreakers. Too bad - that kind of final-day scramble might've been fun for fans.

Instead, they could sit back, savor Vin Scully's farewell call and prepare for the postseason. It opens Tuesday night when the Orioles visit Toronto in the AL wild-card game.

''All we asked for is an opportunity, and right now, we have an opportunity,'' Baltimore center fielder Adam Jones said after a 5-2 win over the New York Yankees. ''So, let's celebrate and enjoy this and get back to work.''

No official word yet on the starting pitchers at Rogers Centre. Figures to be Chris Tillman for the O's against Marcus Stroman.

On Wednesday night, aces duel as Madison Bumgarner starts for the Giants vs. Noah Syndergaard and the New York Mets at Citi Field in the NL wild-card game.

''We found a way to get back to where we need to be,'' Bumgarner said after his team's 7-1 win finished off a sweep of the Dodgers. ''If we play like we have been the last three days, we'll be tough to beat.''

On Thursday, the best-of-five AL Division Series begins: David Ortiz and Boston at Cleveland, and the wild-card winner at Texas.

''I guess I wish Ortiz would consider retiring early,'' said Indians manager Terry Francona, who previously guided Big Papi with the Red Sox, ''but I don't see that happening.''

On Friday night, Clayton Kershaw starts Game 1 for the Los Angeles Dodgers at Washington, and the NL wild-card winner plays the best-in-the-majors Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field.

Going into Game 162, Detroit and St. Louis also had a chance to reach the postseason. That raised the possibility of multi-team, multi-city tiebreakers going into early next week.

The Tigers were in the middle of that mix. They hoped to win at Atlanta and have either the Orioles or Blue Jays lose - then, they would've needed to win a makeup game at home Monday against Detroit to force a tiebreaker for an AL wild-card spot.

''I would not have enjoyed the travel,'' Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said, ''but I would have relished traveling.''

That kind of drama never developed as the teams holding leads took care of business.

Manager Buck Showalter and Baltimore sealed their spot, winning at Yankee Stadium. When the Tigers later lost 1-0 at Atlanta in the last game at Turner Field, they were out and Toronto was back in for the second straight year.

Later, the Blue Jays' 2-1 victory at Fenway Park meant they would host Baltimore.

With All-Star catcher Buster Posey getting three hits and driving in three runs, San Francisco beat the Dodgers and eliminated the Cardinals.

The Giants have enjoyed a recent run of even-year success, winning the World Series in 2010, 2012 and 2014.

The last time they reached the postseason, Bumgarner pitched a shutout at Pittsburgh in the wild-card game and went on to become the World Series MVP. So another cross-country flight to begin the playoffs was fine by them.

''I don't think it bothers anybody that we go on the road to win these games. It's actually a lot of fun,'' first baseman Brandon Belt said. ''With Bumgarner on the mound, we're going to have a good shot.''

[StarDust Bum]

SCHEDULE FOR THURSDAY OCTOBER 6, 2016
Time (ET) Away Home Site
12:00 PM Boston Red Sox Cleveland Indians Progressive Field

SCHEDULE FOR FRIDAY OCTOBER 7, 2016
Time (ET) Away Home Site
12:00 PM Boston Red Sox Cleveland Indians Progressive Field
12:00 PM Los Angeles Dodgers Washington Nationals Nationals Park

SCHEDULE FOR SATURDAY OCTOBER 8, 2016
Time (ET) Away Home Site
12:00 PM Los Angeles Dodgers Washington Nationals Nationals Park

SCHEDULE FOR SUNDAY OCTOBER 9, 2016
Time (ET) Away Home Site
12:00 PM Cleveland Indians Boston Red Sox Fenway Park


Updated Mon Oct 3 2:00 AM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

A capsule look at the Orioles-Blue Jays playoff game
October 3, 2016

A look at the American League wild-card game between the Baltimore Orioles and Toronto Blue Jays:
---

Schedule: Tuesday, at Toronto, 8:08 p.m. EDT (TBS).

---

Season Series: Blue Jays won 10-9.

---

Projected Lineups:

Orioles: RF Michael Bourn (.264, 5 HRs, 52 RBIs with Diamondbacks and Orioles), CF Adam Jones (.265, 29, 83), 3B Manny Machado (.294, 37, 96), DH Mark Trumbo (.256, 47, 108, 170 Ks), C Matt Wieters (.244, 17, 66), 1B Chris Davis (.221, 38, 84, 88 BBs, 219 Ks), 2B Jonathan Schoop (.267, 25, 82), LF Hyun Soo Kim (.302, 6, 22), SS J.J. Hardy (.269, 9, 48).

Blue Jays: 2B Devon Travis (.300, 11, 50), 3B Josh Donaldson (.284, 37, 99), 1B Edwin Encarnacion (.263, 42, 127), DH Jose Bautista (.234, 22, 69), C Russell Martin (.231, 20, 74), SS Troy Tulowitzki (.254, 24, 79), RF Michael Saunders (.253, 24, 57), CF Kevin Pillar (.266, 7, 53), LF Ezequiel Carrera (.248, 6, 23) or Melvin Upton Jr. (.238, 20, 61 with San Diego and Toronto).

---

Starting Pitchers:

Orioles: RH Chris Tillman (16-6, 3.77 ERA, 140Ks) or RH Ubaldo Jimenez (8-12, 5.44, 125 Ks).

Blue Jays: RH Marcus Stroman (9-10, 4.37, career-high 204 IP) or LH Francisco Liriano (8-13, 4.69 with Pittsburgh and Toronto; 2-2, 2.92 in 10 games, 8 starts, with Blue Jays).

---

Relievers:

Orioles: LH Zach Britton (2-1, 0.54, 47/47 saves, 18 BBs, 74 Ks), RH Brad Brach (10-4, 2.05, 2 saves, 92 Ks), RH Darren O'Day (3-1, 3.77, .214 BA against), RH Mychal Givens (8-2, 3.13, .220 BA against), RH Vance Worley (2-2, 3.53) RH Oliver Drake (1-0, 4.00, 21 Ks in 18 innings), LH Brian Duensing (1-0, 4.05), RH Tommy Hunter (2-2, 3.18 with Indians and Orioles).

Blue Jays: RH Roberto Osuna (1-6, 2.68, 36/39 saves), RH Jason Grilli (7-6, 1.29, 81Ks in 59 innings with Atlanta and Toronto), LH Brett Cecil (1-7, 3.96), RH Joe Biagini (4-3, 3.06 in 60 games as a rookie).

---

Matchups:

A single-elimination showdown between AL East foes that battled to the final day of the regular season to determine which one would host this game. ... Toronto and Baltimore tied for second place at 89-73, four games behind division champion Boston. ... This is the first postseason meeting between the teams, who have been in the same division since the Blue Jays were born in 1977. ... Orioles went 4-6 in Toronto this season but took two of three there last week, winning the final two games of a pivotal series after losing six of their previous seven road games against the Blue Jays. Baltimore got a two-run homer from Kim in the ninth inning to win one game and a stout performance by Jimenez in a 4-0 victory. ... Toronto outscored the Orioles 97-81 overall in 19 meetings. ... Machado and Donaldson have clashed in the past, most recently last year.

... Tillman went 1-0 with a 3.63 ERA in four starts against the Blue Jays this season. ... Trumbo hit only one home run in 80 plate appearances against Toronto. ... Blue Jays have won nine of the past 15 meetings, outscoring the Orioles 83-65. ... Since moving into Rogers Centre in 1989, Toronto has gone 136-86 there against Baltimore. ... The Blue Jays hit 29 home runs in the season series, while Baltimore had 28. ... This is Martin's ninth trip to the playoffs in 11 major league seasons. He has made it with four teams (also the Dodgers, Yankees and Pirates). ... The winner heads to Texas to play the AL West champion Rangers in a best-of-five Division Series beginning Thursday.

---

Big Picture:

Orioles: Baltimore has excelled under manager Buck Showalter, who took over in July 2010. After 14 straight losing seasons, the Orioles are in the playoffs for the third time in five years. They lost to the Yankees in 2012 ALDS and advanced to ALCS in 2014 before being swept in four games by Kansas City. ... This team is built for power. Trumbo led the majors in homers and five of his teammates hit at least 22. Baltimore led majors with 253 home runs, 28 more than runner-up St. Louis. ... Though Bourn is a threat on the bases, the Orioles had only 19 steals. ... Orioles went 52-38 at home and 39-42 on the road but finished with a 4-2 mark on their season-ending trip to Toronto and Yankee Stadium. ... Baltimore won its final five series away from home. ... Orioles went 21-16 in one-run games and 6-2 in extra innings.

Blue Jays: After snapping a 22-year postseason drought in 2015, Toronto reached the playoffs for the second straight season under manager John Gibbons. The last time the Blue Jays did that was a three-year run from 1991-93 that ended with back-to-back World Series titles. ... The Blue Jays went 13-16 in September and October, their first losing month since April (11-14). ... Toronto averaged an AL-worst 3.69 runs per game in September and October, a full run off their season average of 4.70. ... Blue Jays starters were strong down the stretch, allowing no more than one earned run in 12 of the final 17 games. The bullpen struggled, however, blowing leads five times in a seven-game stretch that ended Oct. 1. ... The Blue Jays went 46-35 at home, the fourth-best mark in the division. ... Toronto has never played in the wild-card round before. ... Toronto has several pending free agents, including Bautista, Encarnacion, Saunders, Cecil and RHP R.A. Dickey.

---

Watch For:

- Mister Perfect. Britton converted every one of his 47 save opportunities this season and allowed only four earned runs, none after Aug. 24. If the Orioles have a lead in the eighth or ninth inning, they'll feel pretty good about Britton locking it down.

- Missing Benoit. Blue Jays reliever Joaquin Benoit went 2-0 with a 0.38 ERA and 24 strikeouts in 23 2/3 innings after being acquired from Seattle on July 26, but tore his left calf running in from the bullpen during a bench-clearing scrap with the Yankees on Sept. 26. He was ruled out for two to three weeks.

- RISP-Y Business. Toronto hit .249 with runners in scoring position, the worst mark among AL playoff teams. Over the final eight games, the Blue Jays were 13 for 66 (.197) with one double in those situations.

[StarDust Bum]

MLB
Long Sheet

Tuesday, October 4

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

BALTIMORE (89 - 73) at TORONTO (89 - 73) - 8:00 PM
CHRIS TILLMAN (R) vs. MARCUS STROMAN (R)
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
BALTIMORE is 9-10 (+1.8 Units) against TORONTO this season
12 of 19 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+3.9 Units)

CHRIS TILLMAN vs. TORONTO since 1997
TILLMAN is 5-10 when starting against TORONTO with an ERA of 5.18 and a WHIP of 1.361.
His team's record is 10-14 (-4.5 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 13-11. (+0.6 units)MARCUS

STROMAN vs. BALTIMORE since 1997
STROMAN is 2-3 when starting against BALTIMORE with an ERA of 5.84 and a WHIP of 1.486.
His team's record is 2-4 (-3.8 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 3-3. (-0.3 units)

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

Wednesday, October 5

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

SAN FRANCISCO (87 - 75) at NY METS (87 - 75) - 8:00 PM
MADISON BUMGARNER (L) vs. NOAH SYNDERGAARD (R)
Top Trends for this game.
SAN FRANCISCO is 87-75 (-8.3 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 10-15 (-11.0 Units) against the money line when playing on Wednesday this season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 84-75 (-11.9 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 54-53 (-13.2 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 57-53 (-17.4 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 9-27 (-16.7 Units) against the money line in road games when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
NY METS are 41-32 (+9.2 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 62-43 (+22.9 Units) against the money line in October games since 1997.
SAN FRANCISCO is 46-30 (+20.7 Units) against the money line in playoff games since 1997.
NY METS are 58-56 (-11.8 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
NY METS are 18-20 (-11.7 Units) against the money line in home games after a loss this season.
NY METS are 195-237 (-59.9 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
NY METS is 4-3 (+1.2 Units) against SAN FRANCISCO this season
6 of 7 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+5.5 Units)

MADISON BUMGARNER vs. NY METS since 1997
BUMGARNER is 5-0 when starting against NY METS with an ERA of 1.80 and a WHIP of 1.025.
His team's record is 5-1 (+3.3 units) in these starts. The OVER is 5-1. (+4.5 units)

NOAH SYNDERGAARD vs. SAN FRANCISCO since 1997
SYNDERGAARD is 1-2 when starting against SAN FRANCISCO with an ERA of 3.66 and a WHIP of 1.118.
His team's record is 1-2 (-1.4 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 2-1. (+0.6 units

[StarDust Bum]

Renteria to replace Ventura in Chicago
October 3, 2016

CHICAGO (AP) Rick Renteria is getting a second chance to manage in Chicago - this time on the South Side.

The White Sox promoted Renteria from bench coach to replace Robin Ventura on Monday, hoping he can help turn around a struggling franchise.

Renteria takes over a team with one playoff appearance since the 2005 championship year. And he gets a second chance after the Cubs unceremoniously let him go after the 2014 season so they could hire Joe Maddon.

''I appreciate this tremendous opportunity,'' Renteria said in a statement released by the team. ''We want to field a team that plays smart baseball, takes advantage of any opportunity within the game and competes hard each and every day in a way that makes White Sox fans proud of our team's effort.''

Renteria also thanked Ventura and singled out his former boss for ''unmatched'' class and professionalism.

The White Sox noted that Renteria is the only Latino manager in the majors, and general manager Rick Hahn said his ability to communicate with players in English and Spanish was a ''real plus''

''Rick is incredibly well respected within the game as one of the top baseball men,'' Hahn said. "He is a knowledgeable teacher of the game who loves to develop players and spends hours watching video looking for any nuance that gives us an edge.''

Ventura announced Sunday after the final game against Minnesota that he would not return, insisting the decision was his and he wasn't pushed out despite five seasons without a playoff appearance.

The White Sox went 375-435 but finished with losing records the past four years after an 85-77 debut in 2012. They finished fourth in the AL Central at 78-84 despite a 23-10 start that gave them a six-game lead in the AL Central on May 9. They went 55-74 the rest of the way thanks to injuries, a slumping offense and struggling bullpen.

There were also some strange incidents this year, starting with Adam LaRoche's abrupt retirement in spring training after executive vice president Ken Williams banned his son from the clubhouse. Ace Chris Sale ripped Williams at the time, and Sale was suspended for five days in July for cutting up collared throwback jerseys he didn't want to wear for a start. He later criticized Ventura for not sticking up for him in his dispute with the marketing staff.

The 54-year-old Renteria led the Cubs to a 73-89 record in his lone year and drew praise for his work with their young players. But his tenure ended with an awkward dismissal, with management reversing course once Maddon became available and letting him go after announcing he would return for a second season.

The Cubs went on to win 97 games on the way to the NL Championship Series in 2015 and lead the majors with 103 wins this season, the most for them since 1910. Renteria joins Hall-of-Famer Johnny Evers as the only managers in history to manage games for both the White Sox and the Cubs. Evers managed the White Sox in 1924 and the Cubs in 1913 and 1921.

Renteria spent six seasons (2008-13) on San Diego's major-league coaching staff and he managed Team Mexico in the 2013 World Baseball Classic. A career .237 hitter, he played five seasons in the majors with Pittsburgh, Seattle and Florida.

When the White Sox hired Renteria last November, he was seen as likely candidate eventually to take over as manager with Ventura entering the final year of his contract. The change on the bench is the first move in what figures to be a busy offseason. The question is how far the White Sox go in rebuilding.

They have tried to contend in recent seasons by bringing in high profile players such as Adam Dunn, Jeff Samardzija, David Robertson, Melky Cabrera, Adam Eaton, Todd Frazier and LaRoche, only to come up short. The team's struggles have coincided with a resurgence brought on by a major overhaul on the North Side, where the Cubs drew over three million fans - compared to 1.75 million on the South Side.

Sale and fellow All-Star starter Jose Quintana would no doubt command a high price on the trade market. Their contracts that don't expire anytime soon. Slugger Jose Abreu, Frazier, Cabrera, Robertson and Eaton might also be attractive to other teams.

[StarDust Bum]

Rockies' Walt Weiss out after team's best season since 2010
October 3, 2016

DENVER (AP) Walt Weiss is out as manager of the Colorado Rockies after four seasons in charge.

In a statement Monday, the team said Weiss has decided to step down. However, he really didn't have a job to come back to because his contract expired after this season. General manager Jeff Bridich took over two years ago and will now get to select his own manager.

The Rockies finished 75-87 this season, their best record since 2010.

Weiss took over a team on Nov. 7, 2012, that was coming off its worst season in franchise history. He finished with a 283-365 record.

His players appreciated his laid-back style, with All-Star third baseman Nolan Arenado giving Weiss credit for pointing the Rockies in the right direction. Arenado said Sunday that Weiss is a manager that ''every play respects, everyone around the game respects. You don't find those people too often.''

[StarDust Bum]

Cubs? Kershaw? Big Papi? Plenty of playoff questions pop up
October 3, 2016

After a scramble to finish the regular season, the playoffs are finally on deck. With 10 teams left, here are 10 questions to carry fans through October:

CAN THE CUBS DO IT?

Joe Maddon's crew romped to 103 wins, and now the North Side of Chicago is set up for either the biggest party of all time or the most brutal disappointment ever. Nothing in between for Wrigleyville, really. The pressure won't rattle Jon Lester and John Lackey - they've pitched in these spots. Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo and the young hitters must handle hopes and expectations that have been building since the Cubs' last World Series championship in 1908.

WILL KERSHAW COME UP ACES?

Dodgers star Clayton Kershaw is all set to pitch Game 1 at Washington. He's certainly got the pedigree: Cy Young Awards, ERA titles, 20-win seasons and an MVP. What he doesn't have is a winning record in the playoffs - 2-6. And in his last six starts in the postseason over the past three years, he's 1-5 with a 5.45 ERA, plus a high walk and home run rate. Remember, Hall of Famers Randy Johnson, Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine had losing career marks in the postseason. But Kershaw could use a couple of wins to round out an otherwise glittering resume.

ONE MORE BIG SWING FOR BIG PAPI?

David Ortiz had a dream season in his final year - huge numbers, an MVP candidate, a worst-to-first turnaround by the Red Sox. His likeness has been cut into the grass at Fenway Park, his legacy is etched into history. What the retiring 40-year-old DH really wants is one more ring - he's won three with Boston and owns a career .455 batting average and .576 on-base percentage in the World Series. He begins these playoffs against former manager Terry Francona and Cleveland.

WILL MADBUM STAND TALL?

When last seen in the postseason, Madison Bumgarner posted a Giant save to win Game 7 in Kansas City. The 6-foot-5 lefty will try to save San Francisco's season on Wednesday night in the NL wild-card game, on the road vs. the Mets. In 2014, he pitched a shutout at Pittsburgh to win the wild-card game. If he gets to the World Series, watch out - no one can match his 4-0 mark with one save and an 0.25 ERA.

WHO'S HURTIN'?

Stephen Strasburg, Carlos Carrasco and Jacob deGrom are among the injured aces as the playoffs begin. Wilson Ramos, Neil Walker and Michael Brantley are out, too. A few others have been banged up, with Daniel Murphy, Eduardo Nunez and Danny Salazar among them. It's easy to wonder what a team would've done with a full roster; this late in the year, as managers often say, it's not worth worrying about.

WHAT ABOUT THE TRADE-OFFS?

In late July 2015, the Royals acquired Johnny Cueto and Ben Zobrist, and the pair helped them win the crown. A lot of big names moved to contenders this year in midseason - Carlos Beltran and Jonathan Lucroy to Texas, Matt Moore (Giants), Aroldis Chapman (Cubs), Andrew Miller (Indians), Mark Melancon (Nationals) and Jay Bruce (Mets). We'll soon see which trade-deadline guys deliver.

WHO'S NEW?

Orioles slugger Mark Trumbo led the majors with 47 home runs and powered into his first postseason. Red Sox outfielders Mookie Betts and Jackie Bradley Jr. also get to play for the first time on the big stage. Productive newcomers Trea Turner, Nomar Mazara and T.J. Rivera will join them this week.

GOT A BEEF?

A bat flip by Jose Bautista last October sparked a wild scene in Toronto, and lingering ill will led to him getting punched this season by Texas' Rougned Odor. Just imagine if they meet again this month. Brawls are rare in the playoffs, but they happen - the Blue Jays, as we got to see, don't take no guff.

ANYONE GET SKIPPED?

Quite a collection of managers in these playoffs. Some have won the World Series (Bruce Bochy, Francona, John Farrell), others have gotten close (Dusty Baker, Terry Collins). Some have been in the playoffs before (Buck Showalter, Joe Maddon, John Gibbons, Jeff Banister), while Dave Roberts (Dodgers) made it in his first year.

STARTER OR RELIEVER?

Many of the most-scrutinized decisions this month will involve how managers handle their pitching staffs. Use a starter like Cole Hamels on short rest, or maybe in emergency relief? Push a closer like Kenley Jansen for four outs, or five or six? Four-man rotation or three? With a lot of teams trying to advance farther than they've been in years - the Cubs, Indians, Texas and Washington - get ready to ramp up the second-guessing.

[StarDust Bum]

Pirates head into offseason with work
October 3, 2016

PITTSBURGH (AP) Clint Hurdle has gained an appreciation for advanced metrics during his six seasons with the Pittsburgh Pirates. The manager, though, doesn't need to dive too deeply into the numbers to figure out where his team went wrong in 2016.

''The game will always start with pitching,'' Hurdle said. ''Always has, always will. If you look at it any other way, I think you're confused.''

There was no confusion about what happened in Pittsburgh over the summer, when a bid for a fourth straight playoff berth cratered underneath the weight of a starting rotation that failed to live up to the standards set by its predecessors and a bullpen that faltered in crucial moments. The Pirates finished 18th in the majors in ERA (4.21), a full run a game higher than they allowed while winning 98 games in 2015.

A.J. Burnett's retirement and the inability to re-sign J.A. Happ last winter led Pittsburgh to take fliers on erratic veterans Jon Niese, Juan Nicasio and Ryan Vogelsong in the hopes pitching coach Ray Searage could replicate the magic that rejuvenated the careers of players like Burnett and Francisco Liriano. It simply didn't work. Niese was back with the New York Mets by August. Liriano was shipped to Toronto at the trade deadline following a nightmarish loss in form. Nicasio finished the year as a reliever and Vogelsong looked every bit his age as the 39-year-old went 0-3 with a 7.48 ERA over the final month.

How shaky was the rotation for the Pirates? Jeff Locke led them in innings pitched (127 1/3) and he spent the second half of the season as a long reliever.

''We took some chances on things early that didn't work out as anticipated,'' Hurdle said. ''We're well aware of what we need to do to improve to be a championship-caliber team.''

The goal over the winter will be figuring out how to get there in a typically competitive division that spent 2016 watching the Chicago Cubs become a distant spec on the horizon while they won the NL Central by an astounding 17 + games.

Some takeaways from six months of middling baseball that offered glimpses of promise and concern in near equal measure.

THE CUTCH QUANDRY: Pittsburgh's rise to contender coincided with star centerfielder Andrew McCutchen's evolution into one of the game's best players. The 2013 NL MVP, however, never found a rhythm in 2016. His .256 batting average marked a career low and he struck out a career-high 143 times. He's about to enter the final year of his contract and the Pirates front office has shown it won't hesitate to deal away favorite sons if necessary. They did it a year ago when second baseman Neil Walker - entering his final season of arbitration - was sent to New York in exchange for Niese.

Asked on Sunday if expected to be back in 2017, McCutchen took a pragmatic approach.

''I mean I'm under contract with them right?'' McCutchen said. ''So that's the way I'm looking at it but like I said, I don't align the stars, I'm not the person who controls all that.''

PROSPERING PROSPECTS: Two years removed from Tommy John surgery that threatened his development, Jameson Taillon looked like a top-end starter while going 5-4 with a 3.38 ERA in 18 starts. Perhaps the most encouraging sign is Taillon's durability. He threw a combined 165 innings between the minors and the majors and didn't give up more than three runs in five September starts.

Tyler Glasnow's introduction to the majors was a bit rockier but he'll have all offseason to work on his mechanics and should arrive for spring training with a spot in the rotation as his to lose. First baseman Josh Bell brought a needed jolt of energy in 45 games, hitting .273 with three home runs and showed impressive plate discipline drawing 21 walks against 19 strikeouts.

''I like the fact that we've got young some really good young players in place for some time together,'' Hurdle said. ''I think it bodes well for us.''

WATSON'S WORKLOAD: The Pirates raised eyebrows when they sent All-Star closer Mark Melancon to Washington before the trade deadline and longtime apprentice Tony Watson dealt with some issues after moving from his set-up role to the back end of the bullpen. He blew four of his 19 save chances after taking over, including one in what became an 8-7 extra inning loss to the Cubs on Aug. 29 that sent Pittsburgh into an eight-game skid from which it never fully recovered. He'll almost certainly arrive in Bradenton as the closer, with Felipe Rivero - acquired from the Nationals - expected to become the setup man full-time.

BIG SPENDERS? Ivan Nova looked right at home in PNC Park after coming over from the New York Yankees. Nova went 5-2 with a 3.06 ERA for the Pirates, who are aggressively trying to court Nova to stick around before he hits free agency. With a thin class to compete against, however, Nova won't come cheap on the open market. He may, however, be Pittsburgh's best bet to give Taillon and Gerrit Cole - who battled injuries all season - some help at the top of the rotation.

[StarDust Bum]

Weekend Sports in Brief
October 3, 2016

BASEBALL

CHICAGO (AP) Robin Ventura announced he will not return as manager of the White Sox next season.

Speaking after Chicago's season-ending 6-3 loss to the Minnesota Twins, Ventura said it was ''a personal decision.'' He was in the last year of his contract.

The Chicago Sun-Times reported Saturday that bench coach and former Cubs manager Rick Renteria will likely take over, but the team did not immediately announce a replacement. White Sox general manager Rick Hahn is scheduled to address reporters Monday.

Ventura said he ''initiated'' the departure and the front office didn't push him out.

Ventura went 375-435 in five seasons with the White Sox. After an 85-77 debut in 2012 that wasn't good enough for the playoffs, Ventura suffered through four consecutive losing seasons.

The White Sox finished 78-84 this year despite a 23-10 start that gave them a six-game lead in the AL Central on May 9.

ATLANTA (AP) - The Atlanta Braves have interviewed interim manager Brian Snitker and three coaches for the full-time job heading into 2017.

Snitker met with president of baseball operations John Hart and general manager John Coppolella earlier this week. Hart and Coppolella also spoke with bench coach Terry Pendleton, first base coach Eddie Perez and third base coach Bo Porter about the job.

After the season, Hart and Coppolella are expected to begin the process of interviewing candidates outside the organization.

Snitker said the interview was his first, for any position, in 40 years with the Braves.

He managed 20 years in the minor leagues, worked seven years as third base coach under Hall of Fame manager Bobby Cox and was in his third Triple-A stint when the Braves promoted him to replace Fredi Gonzalez on May 17.

PRO BASKETBALL

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - No. 1 overall pick Ben Simmons will likely need surgery for a broken bone in his right foot.

Philadelphia 76ers president Bryan Colangelo said no decision had been made and there was no timetable for how long Simmons would be out of action.

Simmons fractured the fifth metatarsal bone during the 76ers' final training camp scrimmage on Friday.

Simmons' injury is the latest blow to a franchise that has been beset in recent years by injuries to draft lottery picks and has losing streaks of 26 and 28 games over the last three seasons.

NEW YORK (AP) - Sacramento Kings guard Darren Collison has been suspended eight games without pay by the NBA because of a domestic violence incident involving his wife.

Collison pleaded guilty Sept. 2 to a misdemeanor domestic battery charge resulting from the May 30 incident.

The NBA said it conducted its own investigation and consulted a panel of experts in the field of domestic violence before determining its penalty.

Collison will lose about $380,000 of his $5.2 million salary this season. His suspension begins with the Kings' season opener on Oct. 26 and he will be eligible to return Nov. 8 against New Orleans.

OLYMPICS

PARIS (AP) - IOC President Thomas Bach met with French athletes and Paris leaders of their 2024 bid at the start of a two-day visit in the French capital.

Bach was invited by the bid committee.

Paris is competing against Budapest and Los Angeles. The International Olympic Committee will choose the host in September 2017.

Bach, who has already made equivalent trips to Los Angeles and Budapest, was greeted by athletes at France's institute of sport then attended a private dinner with Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo.

Next week, Bach will meet Italian officials, who still hope the Rome bid can be revived despite city council opposition.

BOXING

GLASGOW, Scotland (AP) - A Scottish boxer has died after suffering severe bleeding and swelling to his brain during a televised fight.

Mike Towell, who was 25, had to be carried from the ring on a stretcher after a fifth-round loss to Dale Evans in Glasgow on Thursday.

Towell had been undefeated going into the fight - an eliminator for the British welterweight title - with 11 wins and one draw on his professional record.

Towell's partner, Chloe Ross, said she was ''absolutely heartbroken'' to announce that he died Friday night, 12 hours after he was taken off life support.

Ross said the welterweight had been complaining of migraines in the run-up to the fight but put it down to stress.

[StarDust Bum]

Armadillo: Tuesday's six-pack

Odds to win the World Series:

7-4– Chicago Cubs

5-1– Texas Rangers

6-1– Boston Red Sox

7-1– Los Angeles Dodgers/Washington Nationals

14-1– Cleveland Indians, Toronto Blue Jays

20-1– New York Mets

25-1– Baltimore Orioles, San Francisco Giants

**********

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

13) Tennessee won their game Saturday at Georgia on a Hail Mary on the last play of the game; Pitt Panthers scored a pick-6 on the last play of their game against Marshall.

In both games, the PAT wasn’t tried after the TD, because time had run out, which was bad news for gamblers who had the two favorites, since both failed to cover by half a point.

12) Home teams are 13-3 vs spread in SEC conference games so far, 10-2 in Pac-12 games; in all the other conferences combined, home teams are 29-34 vs spread in conference play.

11) This year and last, Toronto Blue Jays are a combined 181-142, but just 35-53 in one-run games.

10) Heard some good news over the weekend; 71-year old Sam Wyche, the former NFL coach (Bengals/Bucs) received the heart transplant he needed. Has to be a weird thing, waiting for someone else to pass away (often unexpectedly) so you can have their heart.

9) Baylor has an odd football schedule; they’re off on both October 8 and 22 and play doormat Kansas on the 15th, so basically they have three open dates in a row. They should be unbeaten when they play TCU/Oklahoma back-to-back later on.

8) There were 12 catcher interference calls this year when Jacoby Ellsbury was hitting; with all the baseball I watch every night, think I saw one catchers’ interference the whole season. It doesn’t happen very often.

7) College basketball practices started last weekend; from reports on Twitter, every single practice went really, really well. Either that, or the team who had lousy practices stayed off of social media.

6) Had to laugh the other night; was watching a Bruins-Red Wings NHL preseason game- the announcers spent a good five minutes discussing how many teeth a certain player had knocked out by a slap shot last year. Losing 13, 14 teeth- that had to hurt. Hockey players are tough.

5) North Carolina’s punter is a 27-year old freshman from Australia.

4) BYU’s kicker is the grandson of former Cougars’ coach LaVell Edwards. Speaking of BYU, their first five games this year were decided by a total of 11 points.

3) I despise taunting penalties; either let ‘em talk a little, or just throw a flag and call it offsetting penalties. Picking out the instigator is stupid— it goes on the whole game. Very subjective as to who started what. NFL football is VERY over-officiated— too damn many penalty flags.

2) Evander Holyfield’s son is a freshman running back at Georgia.

1) Houston Astros were 28-25 in one-run games this year, ending a dismal streak from 2011-2015, where they went 93-148 in games decided by one run.
Last edited by Udog; Today at 04:15 AM.

[StarDust Bum]

MLB
Long Sheet

Tuesday, October 4

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

BALTIMORE (89 - 73) at TORONTO (89 - 73) - 8:00 PM
CHRIS TILLMAN (R) vs. MARCUS STROMAN (R)
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
BALTIMORE is 9-10 (+1.8 Units) against TORONTO this season
12 of 19 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+3.9 Units)

CHRIS TILLMAN vs. TORONTO since 1997
TILLMAN is 5-10 when starting against TORONTO with an ERA of 5.18 and a WHIP of 1.361.
His team's record is 10-14 (-4.5 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 13-11. (+0.6 units)MARCUS

STROMAN vs. BALTIMORE since 1997
STROMAN is 2-3 when starting against BALTIMORE with an ERA of 5.84 and a WHIP of 1.486.
His team's record is 2-4 (-3.8 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 3-3. (-0.3 units)

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

Wednesday, October 5

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

SAN FRANCISCO (87 - 75) at NY METS (87 - 75) - 8:00 PM
MADISON BUMGARNER (L) vs. NOAH SYNDERGAARD (R)
Top Trends for this game.
SAN FRANCISCO is 87-75 (-8.3 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 10-15 (-11.0 Units) against the money line when playing on Wednesday this season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 84-75 (-11.9 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 54-53 (-13.2 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 57-53 (-17.4 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 9-27 (-16.7 Units) against the money line in road games when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
NY METS are 41-32 (+9.2 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 62-43 (+22.9 Units) against the money line in October games since 1997.
SAN FRANCISCO is 46-30 (+20.7 Units) against the money line in playoff games since 1997.
NY METS are 58-56 (-11.8 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
NY METS are 18-20 (-11.7 Units) against the money line in home games after a loss this season.
NY METS are 195-237 (-59.9 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
NY METS is 4-3 (+1.2 Units) against SAN FRANCISCO this season
6 of 7 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+5.5 Units)

MADISON BUMGARNER vs. NY METS since 1997
BUMGARNER is 5-0 when starting against NY METS with an ERA of 1.80 and a WHIP of 1.025.
His team's record is 5-1 (+3.3 units) in these starts. The OVER is 5-1. (+4.5 units)

NOAH SYNDERGAARD vs. SAN FRANCISCO since 1997
SYNDERGAARD is 1-2 when starting against SAN FRANCISCO with an ERA of 3.66 and a WHIP of 1.118.
His team's record is 1-2 (-1.4 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 2-1. (+0.6 units)

[StarDust Bum]

MLB
Armadillo's Write-Up

Tuesday, October 4


Tuesday’s game- AL Wild Card

Orioles @ Blue Jays

Tillman is 1-1, 4.26 in four starts since coming off the DL (under 4-0). Orioles won six of his last seven road starts. He is 1-0, 4.03 in four starts against the Jays this year. Stroman is 0-5, 3.65 in his last six starts; his last five starts stayed under the total. He was 1-2, 7.04 in four starts vs Baltimore this year. Toronto won five of his last seven home starts.

Toronto is 10-9 vs Baltimore this year, with average of 9.4 runs/game. Jays are 36-53 in one-run games last two years; they went 6-4 in last ten games overall, losing two of three here to Orioles last week. Baltimore won seven of its last nine games.

Gibbons is in playoffs for second year in row, after not making it in first seven years as Toronto skipper; he was 5-6 in playoffs LY, Jays’ first in playoffs since 1993. Orioles are in playoffs for third time in last five years; Showalter is 9-13 in playoff games.

NL Wild Card game is Wednesday.

Giants @ Mets

Bumgarner is 1-1, 3.54 in his last three starts; seven of his last ten starts went over total. SF is 9-8 in his road starts, 3-1 in his last four. He is 2-0, 3.27 against the Mets this year. Syndergaard is 4-2, 2.06 in his last seven starts; three of his last four went over. Mets lost four of his last six home starts. He is 1-1, 2.63 against the Giants this year.

Giants are 3-4 vs New York this year, with 10.6 runs/game scored. SF won its last four games to make playoffs after a dismal second half of season- they had best record in MLB at All-Star break. Mets are only Wild Card that had couple days to enjoy it and set up starter for this round. NY is 7-3 in last 10 games, but played also-rans the last two weeks. Last time they played a good team was Washington on September 14.

Giants won World Series is 2010, ’12, ’14; Bochy is 42-30 in postseason games as a manager. Collins made playoffs LY for first time in 11 years as a skipper (8-6); now he is in postseason for second straight year.