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[StarDust Bum]

Wednesday's Diamond Notes
July 19, 2017

Hottest team: Dodgers (10-0 past 10 games, 30-4 past 34 overall)

The Dodgers and All-Star Clayton Kershaw certainly made chalk eaters (-350) sweat for it in Tuesday's game at Guaranteed Rate Park in Chicago, but ultimately they came away with a 1-0 win despite a 17 LOB. That's good for 10 wins in a row, and a ridiculous .882 winning percentage over their past 34 games. Despite the crazy numbers, the Dodgers feel confident they can sustain that type of success for the long haul. With Kenta Maeda on the hill against disappointing left-hander Carlos Rodon, it's certainly possible that an 11th straight win is just around the corner. They Dodgers are 7-1 in their past eight road games against a left-handed starting pitcher, and 42-16 in their past 58 against losing teams.

Coldest team: Reds (0-5 past five overall, 0-6 past six home games)

The Reds turn to Tim Adleman to try and shut down the Diamondbacks and get Cincinnati back into the win column. Lately, that hasn't been a recipe for success. The Reds are 1-6 over Adleman's past seven outings, 1-5 in his past six against teams with an overall winning mark, and 3-13 over his past 16 assignments when he is working on four days of rest. While Arizona has been anything but sharp lately, they will roll All-Star Zack Greinke out to the mound. They're 6-1 over his past seven starts, and a ridiculous 18-3 over his past 21 when he toes the slab against teams with a losing overall record.

Hottest pitcher: Gio Gonzalez, Nationals (8-4, 2.66 ERA)

Gonzalez has quietly pieced together a very nice season, ascending to No. 4 in the majors in the ERA category. While he is overshadowed in D.C. by the likes of Max Scherzer and Stephen Strasburg, he holds his own with a 2.66 ERA, 116 strikeouts over 121 2/3 innings and a solid .215 opponent batting average and 1.19 WHIP. On paper, Wednesday's pitching matchup against Alex Meyer looks liks a mismatch. Washington has won six straight, six in a row on the road and five of Gio's past six road outings. Conversely, the Halos are just 2-6 in Meyer's past eight assignments, including 1-4 over his past five against teams with a winning mark.

Coldest pitcher: Kevin Gausman, Orioles (5-7, 6.39 ERA)

If Tuesday's slate proved anything, it's that even the poorest of pitchers can have their day. Bartolo Colon pitched somewhat effectively for the Twins in his debut, Edwin Jackson won his first start of 2017 (and first appearance with the Nationals) and John Lackey picked up a road win in Atlanta. Even a dog can have his day. So is Gausman next in line in that narrative? He has allowed 71 earned runs over 100 innings, most allowed in baseball, while the opposition is drumming him to the tune of a .323 average. His 6.39 ERA is the worst in the majors among regular starters.

Biggest UNDER run: Pirates (21-5-1 past 27 games overall)

The 'under' cashed in Tuesday's 4-3 win against the Brewers, as the Bucs keep earning total bettors bucks. Over the past 27 games the 'over' has hit in just five of Pittsburgh's outings with one push. A lot of their struggles on offense have come against right-handed starting pitching, as the under is 20-5-1 in the past 26 vs. RHP, including a perfect 5-0 over their past five home games against righties. They've struggled against the good teams, too, with the under 9-1-1 in the past 11 at home against teams with a winning overall record and 10-1-1 in their past 12 against teams with a winning overall mark. Milwaukee have been under kings, too, with the total going under in four in a row. However, Zach Davies has seen the over go 19-6-2 over his past 27 statrts, including 6-2-2 in his past 10 road outings.

Biggest OVER run: Blue Jays (10-2-1 past 13 games overall)


There actually haven't been very many teams to hang your hat on for the 'over' lately, but Toronto has done a decent job in the category. The under hit for a second straight game in Tuesday's 5-4 loss in extra innings, but the over is 6-3-1 over their past 10 outings. In addition, the over is 9-4-2 in their past 15 against teams with an overall winning record, and, for what it's worth, 8-2 in their past 10 games played on a Wednesday. Drew Pomeranz could help inch the total over, too, as the Boston starter has seen the over hit in five straight starts, five in a row inside the division and four of his past five assignments at Fenway Park.

Matchup to watch: White Sox vs. Dodgers

With the White Sox sitting 15 games under .500, and the Dodgers entering 36 games over .500 with 10 straight wins, why play the game, right? Well, a lot of bettors thought the run line was a slam-dunk play on Tuesday only to be disappointed in a hotly contested 1-0 loss by the ChiSox. L.A. enters as moderate favorites on the road, but they are just 9-21 over their past 30 interleague road games against teams with a left-handed starter. And they're 2-5 across their past seven interleague road games against a team with a losing overall mark. Of course, Chicago has dropped five in a row, six of seven interleague games and five of their past six vs. RHP. So who are you backing?

Betcha didn’t know: The Tigers parted with J.D. Martinez in a deal with the Diamondbacks on Tuesday, but they were still able to overcome the Royals and post an 'over' result. Justin Verlander's name has been mentioned in trade rumors, as the team could potentially explore dealing the ace before July 31. Perhaps a change of scenery would do him good, as the Tigers are 0-6 over his past six road starts, 1-8 in his past nine against losing teams and 1-4 over his past five starts overall. The Tigers have actually won four in a row, but they're 2-5 across their past seven road outings against a team with a losing record. The Royals are 1-7 in their past eight overall, and just 1-4 in their past five games at 'The K'. Perhaps Verlander figures it out against K.C., as the Royals are just 2-5 against Verlander over his past seven starts against them.

Biggest public favorite: Marlins (-200) vs. Phillies

Biggest public underdog: Yankees (+105) at Twins

Biggest line move: Red Sox (-125 to -140) vs. Blue Jays

[StarDust Bum]

WEDNESDAY, JULY 19

GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

CHC at ATL 12:10 PM

ATL +115

PHI at MIA 12:10 PM

O 8.5

NYY at MIN 01:10 PM

MIN +100

U 9.5

SEA at HOU 02:10 PM

SEA +105

SD at COL 03:10 PM

SD +155

U 11.5

TB at OAK 03:35 PM

TB +110

U 8.0

CLE at SF 03:45 PM

U 8.0

MIL at PIT 07:05 PM

MIL +135

TEX at BAL 07:05 PM

TEX +120

STL at NYM 07:10 PM

STL +135

TOR at BOS 07:10 PM

U 9.5

ARI at CIN 07:10 PM

CIN +145

U 9.0

LAD at CHW 08:10 PM

CHW +145

U 9.5

DET at KC 08:15 PM

KC +100

O 10.0

WAS at LAA 10:07 PM

U 9.5

[StarDust Bum]

Baseball Capsules
July 19, 2017

DENVER (AP) Nolan Arenado lined three homers as part of his five-hit afternoon and tied a career-high with seven RBIs, helping the Colorado Rockies complete a three-game sweep of the San Diego Padres with an 18-4 victory Wednesday.

Trevor Story and Charlie Blackmon also homered on a scorching day when the Rockies had a season-high 21 hits. Gerardo Parra ran his streak of reaching base to 10 straight plate appearances over three games before flying out in the fifth. He finished with four singles.

Arenado had a pair of RBI singles to start the game, followed by solo shots in the fourth and fifth innings, and a three-run homer in the sixth. He had a chance at a fourth homer in the eighth and lined out to left.

Jon Gray (3-1) kept the Padres in check until running out of steam. The right-hander allowed all four of his runs in the sixth - his last inning of work.

Padres starter Clayton Richard (5-10) lasted just 3 2/3 innings and gave up 11 runs, 10 earned, inflating his ERA from 4.75 to 5.35. He also matched a team record by allowing 14 hits.

CUBS 8, BRAVES 2

ATLANTA (AP) - Mike Montgomery hit his first home run and allowed two hits and one run in six innings to lead streaking Chicago over Atlanta.

Javier Baez hit a three-run homer in the eighth for Chicago, which stretched its season-best winning streak to six games since the All-Star break. The Cubs completed a three-game sweep of the Braves.

Kris Bryant, the Cubs' 2016 NL MVP, left the game with a sprained left little finger in the first inning. The team said X-rays were negative and his status is day to day.

Tommy La Stella, who replaced Bryant, also homered and Addison Russell drove in two runs with four hits, including two doubles.

The Braves loaded the bases with three singles off Koji Uehara in the eighth. After Pedro Strop replaced Uehara, Matt Kemp grounded into a double play to end the inning.

Montgomery (2-6) earned his first win since June 20. The only run he allowed came on a sixth-inning leadoff homer by Ender Inciarte.

R.A. Dickey (6-6) allowed four runs and seven hits in seven innings.

PIRATES 3, BREWERS 2, 10 INNINGS

PITTSBURGH (AP) - Max Moroff got his first career game-ending hit with a single in the 10th inning, lifting Pittsburgh over Milwaukee.

Moroff raised his right arm and ran to first base while his seventh big league hit scored Josh Harrison. Teammate Gregory Polanco hoisted the rookie into the air as the Pirates celebrated in the infield.

Harrison reached on a double against former Pirates reliever Jared Hughes (3-2), who got his first loss since April 18.

Pittsburgh blew a lead in the eighth before tying it in the ninth against closer Corey Knebel. Francisco Cervelli singled home Moroff, who was pinch-running for David Freese. The rally began with Freese's walk and Polanco's single. It was the fifth blown save this year for Knebel.

Tony Watson (5-2) pitched a scoreless 10th for the win.

RED SOX 5, BLUE JAYS 1

BOSTON (AP) - Dustin Pedroia drove in three, Drew Pomeranz pitched three-hit ball into the seventh inning and Boston beat Toronto.

Pomeranz (10-4) allowed an unearned run over 6 2/3 innings to win his fourth straight decision.

Pedroia and Deven Marrero each had two-run singles with two outs in the second inning to provide all the offense the Red Sox needed. Pedroia has six RBIs in the series, which concludes Thursday.

Aaron Sanchez (1-3) gave up five runs, six hits and five walks in four innings.

GIANTS 5, INDIANS 4

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Buster Posey pinch hit a two-out, two-run double in the bottom of the eighth inning and San Francisco defeated Cleveland.

Posey, on a scheduled rest day, doubled off the wall on a 3-2 slider on the seventh offering from Indians reliever Bryan Shaw (2-4).

The Indians lost for the sixth time in seven games as they concluded a 1-5 West Coast trip. The American League Central front-runners fell to 4-13 in interleague and are winless in six interleague series.

Cory Gearrin (4-3) faced just one batter in the top of the eighth for the win.

TWINS 6, YANKEES 1

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - Miguel Sano hit a three-run home run, Jose Berrios went strong into the seventh inning and Minnesota beat New York to win its first home series against the Yankees in nine years.

Berrios (9-3) allowed only one run, his fewest in 11 starts, on a two-out single by Brett Gardner in the seventh before being removed.

Berrios improved to 6-0 in seven afternoon turns this season and helped drop the Yankees to 0-8-2 in their past 10 series.

Zack Granite sparked a six-run surge by the Twins in the second inning against Yankees starter Jordan Montgomery (6-5) with a two-run single, his first major league RBIs.

Eduardo Escobar tacked on an RBI single before Sano crushed an 0-2 curveball into the bullpen for a 6-0 lead. The All-Star has 23 homers this year.

PHILLIES 10, MARLINS 3

MIAMI (AP) - Daniel Nava tied a career high with four hits and Philadelphia had a season-best 20 hits to beat Miami and win a road series for only the third time this season.

Nava singled in each of his first four at-bats, drove in two runs and increased his average to .300.

The Phillies completed a 3-3 trip but still have the worst record in the majors.

Miami's Giancarlo Stanton hit his 30th homer to forge a tie with the Yankees' Aaron Judge for the major league lead in homers. Christian Yelich hit his ninth homer for the Marlins.

Both homers came against Nick Pivetta (3-5), who has allowed 16 homers in 69 1/3 innings this season.

Dan Straily (7-5) lost for the first time since June 5. He allowed four runs in five innings.

MARINERS 4, ASTROS 1

HOUSTON (AP) - James Paxton had another strong start against Houston and rookie Ben Gamel powered the offense with a two-run homer to give Seattle a win over the Astros.

Paxton (9-3) allowed six hits and one run in seven innings, after not allowing a run in his previous two starts against Houston this season. It's the fourth straight win for Paxton, who struck out seven.

Houston starter Charlie Morton (7-4) retired the first nine batters and the Astros led 1-0 before Jean Segura led off the fourth with a single. Gamel's first homer since June 23 came next to put Seattle up 2-1.

Segura had two hits and Robinson Cano and Mike Zunino drove in a run apiece for the Mariners, who won for the sixth time in seven games. Edwin Diaz pitched a scoreless ninth for his 18th save.

ORIOLES 10, RANGERS 2

BALTIMORE (AP) - Kevin Gausman pitched six innings of four-hit ball, Adam Jones homered and scored three runs and Baltimore beat faltering Texas.

Trey Mancini contributed two hits in a seven-run seventh inning, including a bases-loaded triple, and Jonathan Schoop finished with three hits and three RBIs.

Having thus far outscored Texas 25-4 in the series, the Orioles will attempt to complete a four-game sweep on Thursday.

Gausman (6-7) gave up one run, struck out eight and walked two. The right-hander came in with a 6.39 ERA and had allowed a total of 14 runs in his past two starts.

Martin Perez (5-7) allowed five runs, four earned, and seven hits in six innings.

ATHLETICS 7, RAYS 2

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) - Sonny Gray struck out six pitching into the seventh in what might have been his final home start in Oakland if the club tries to deal him before the trade deadline, and the Athletics rallied in the fifth inning to beat Tampa Bay.

Matt Joyce hit a towering homer to the right-field seats in the eighth for Oakland.

Gray (6-4) won his third straight start and fourth in five. When speculation arose from the White Sox side before his Friday outing that the right-hander had been scratched because of a possible deal, the A's quickly announced that he was indeed taking the mound for his scheduled outing.

Oakland got to Tampa Bay right-hander Jake Faria (4-1) in the fifth. With seven straight quality starts to begin his career, Faria took his first big league loss.

METS 7, CARDINALS 3

NEW YORK (AP) - Jacob deGrom pitched into the seventh inning and won his career-best seventh straight start and New York beat St. Louis.

New York jumped on Mike Leake (6-8) for seven runs in the first two innings and cruised from there behind deGrom (11-3) to snap a three-game losing streak.

The Mets sent eight batters to the plate in the first inning and strung together three straight run-scoring hits with two outs, capped by Wilmer Flores' RBI single.

New York added four more runs off Leake in the second, only one of them earned. Third baseman Jedd Gyorko's throw sailed into right field on what could have been a double play grounder by Asdrubal Cabrera. Jay Bruce followed with an RBI single and Yoenis Cespedes doubled to right to make it 5-0.

Jose Reyes drove in two more runs with a single to center, and Leake, who came in with the sixth-best ERA in the National League, was pulled after two innings.

[StarDust Bum]

Thursday’s six-pack

Odds to win the World Series this year:
— Los Angeles Dodgers 3-1


— Houston Astros 9-2

— Washington Nationals, Boston Red Sox 6-1

— Cleveland Indians 7-1

— Chicago Cubs 8-1

— New York (A) 16-1

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Thursday’s List of 13: Doing some thinking out loud…….

13) A helicopter carrying WWE’s Shane McMahon made an emergency landing Wednesday in the Atlantic Ocean off Long Island; the helicopter took off from Westchester County Airport, made a stop at a heliport in Manhattan, then was flying east along the Long Island coast when the incident occurred.

The pilot issued a mayday call before going into the water; a commercial flight heading to Kennedy Airport heard it and relayed it to FAA controllers at a radar facility. McMahon and the pilot are both OK.

12) Quote of the Day, Part 2:
“My sense is the law will change in the next few years in the United States……..People want to bet throughout the game. It results in enormous additional engagement with the fans.”
NBA commissioner Adam Silver, on sports gambling becoming legal in the near future

11) You wonder why the other 29 NFL teams looked the other way when the Rams, Raiders and Chargers pulled up stakes and moved? There are relocation fees those teams have to pay to the league. EACH of the other 29 teams banked $55M in relocation fees this year. Must be nice.

10) Los Angeles Dodgers have been held to 1 or 2 runs in six of Clayton Kershaw’s 20 starts this year; they won five of those six games, thats how good Kershaw has been. LA won his last 14 starts- they’ve also won Alex Wood’s last 11 starts.

9) Dodgers are on a 30-4 roll; last major league team to go 30-4 in any stretch? The ’77 Royals.

8) Cubs’ 3B Kris Bryant left Wednesday’s game early with a sprained pinky he hurt while sliding head-first into third base……..Freddie Freeman left the same game early with an illness……… Stephen Souza Jr left the Rays’ game early with a hip injury suffered while sliding feet-first…. …….Charlie Blackmon left the Rockies’ game with a tweaked hamstring.

7) Rockies 18, Padres 4— In three games in Denver this week, San Diego starting pitchers allowed 24 runs in 10 IP. No bueno. Nolan Arenado had 3 HR’s, 7 RBI for Colorado.

6) Rockies’ catcher Ryan Hanigan is the son of an FBI agent. Has to be difficult to get away with childhood hijinx when your dad is a federal agent.

5) Todd Frazier is going to be the everyday 3B in the Bronx; Chase Headley gets the next shot at being the everyday 1B.

4) Chargers’ first-round draft pick, Clemson WR Mike Williams, might need season ending back surgery, not how the Bolts wanted their first year up north to start.

3) There have been 19 games where a team scored in every inning of a major league game; by way of contrast, there have been 21 perfect games in the big leagues.

2) In 1972, Robert Irsay bought the Rams for $19M, then traded them to Carroll Rosenbloom in exchange for the Baltimore Colts. Think something like that could ever happen today?

1) Wednesday was National Hot Dog Day; there is an ongoing question on the Interweb, as to whether a hot dog is indeed a sandwich. My opinion; a hot dog is a sandwich. Meat in between bread, that would qualify it as a sandwich. Others disagree, some vehemently. So be it.

[StarDust Bum]

Thursday’s games
National League

Brewers @ Pirates
Nelson is 3-0, 2.81 in his last four starts; under is 5-1 in his last six. Brewers are 5-3 in his road starts— their first 5-inning record with him: 8-9-2

Taillon is 2-1, 2.42 in his last four starts; under is 5-0 in his last five. Pirates are 2-4 in his home starts— their first 5-inning record with him: 5-4-3

Milwaukee lost its last four games; under is 10-3 in their last 13 games. Pittsburgh won 10 of last 12 games; under is 15-2 in their last 17 home games.

Cardinals @ Mets
Lynn is 3-1, 2,59 in his last four starts; his last three stayed under. St Louis is 5-6 in his road starts— their first 5-inning record with him: 10-8-1

Lugo is 4-2, 5.11 in six starts this year )over 4-1-1). Mets are 1-1 in his home starts— their first 5-inning record with him: 4-2

Cardinals won three of their last five games; under is 6-1-1 in their last eight games. New York lost three of its last four games; over is 5-2-1 in their last eight home games.

Diamondbacks @ Reds
Walker is 0-1, 5.18 in his last four starts; his last three stayed under. Arizona is 5-3 in his road starts— their first 5-inning record with him: 7-6-2

Castillo is 1-2, 3.41 in his first five MLB starts (under 3-2). Reds are 1-1 in his home starts— their first 5-inning record with him: 3-2

Arizona lost six of its last seven games; under is 5-2 in their last seven games. Cincinnati lost six of its last seven home games; under is 6-3 in their last nine home games.

Braves @ Dodgers
Foltynewicz is 3-0, 2.59 in his last four starts; Braves won his last seven starts- under is 4-1 in his last five. Atlanta is 4-5 in his road starts— their first 5-inning record with him: 7-6-4

McCarthy is 1-0, 4.32 in his last five starts (over 4-0-1). Dodgers are 8-2 in his home starts— their first 5-inning record with him: 8-6-1

Atlanta lost its last three games, is 10-2 in last 12 road series openers. Under is 4-2 in their last six games. Dodgers won their last 11 games; they’re 12-4 in home series openers. Under is 3-1-1 in their last five home games.

Padres @ Giants
Chacin is 2-0, 2.12 in his last three starts; under is 5-1 in his last six. San Diego is 4-5 in his road starts— their first 5-inning record with him: 6-11-2

Bumgarner is 0-3, 3.18 in five starts this year (under 3-2). Giants lost his only home start— their first 5-inning record with him: 1-4

San Diego lost its last four road games; over is 5-0-1 in their last six games. Padres are 4-11 in road series openers. Giants are 3-7 in last ten games, 5-9 in home openers. Over is 5-2-1 in their last eight games.

——————————–

American League
Rangers @ Orioles
Hamels is 2-0, 0.82 in his last three starts (over 6-2-1). Texas is 2-3 in his road starts — their first 5-inning record with him: 7-0-2

Miley is 1-4, 8.17 in his last five starts (under 4-1). Orioles are 4-5 in his home starts— their first 5-inning record with him: 8-10-1

Rangers lost their last four games (under 7-2-1). Baltimore won last three games- over is 7-3 in their last ten games.

Blue Jays @ Red Sox
Liriano is 1-2, 8.36 in his last three starts; over is 8-2 in his last ten. Toronto is 4-3 in his road starts— their first 5-inning record with him: 6-6-3

Fister is 0-2, 7.36 in his last three starts (under 2-1). Boston lost his only Fenway start— their first 5-inning record with him: 0-3

Blue Jays lost five of last seven games; over is 7-3-1 in their last 11 games. Boston won three of its last four games; under is 8-2-2 in their last 12 games.

New York @ Seattle
Severino is 0-2, 4.93 in his last six starts; under is 3-1 in his last four. New York is 4-6 in his road starts— their first 5-inning record with him: 9-7-2

Hernandez is 2-0, 2.45 in his last two starts; over is 4-2-1 in his last seven. Seattle is 4-2 in his home starts— their first 5-inning record with him: 5-5

New York lost eight of last 12 games; under is 8-0-1 in their last nine games. NY is 8-8 in road series openers. Mariners won six of their last seven games; under is 6-2 in their last eight. Seattle is 11-5 in home series openers, but lost last three.

Tigers @ Royals
Fulmer is 4-0, 2.93 in his last four starts; over is 8-5-2 in his last 15 starts. Detroit is 4-4 in his road starts— their first 5-inning record with him: 10-6-2

Duffy is 1-3, 5.04 in his last four starts; under is 7-2 in his last nine. Royals are 3-3 in his home starts— their first 5-inning record with him: 4-7-3

Detroit won five of last seven games; over is 8-2-1 in their last 11 road games. Kansas City lost seven of its last nine games; under is 5-3-1 in their last nine games.

__________________________

Interleague

None

______________________________

Record with this pitcher starting:
National League
Mil-Pitt: Nelson 11-8; Taillon 6-6
StL-NY: Lynn 9-10; Lugo 4-2
Az-Cin: Walker 10-5; Castillo 2-3
Atl-LA: Foltynewicz 10-7 (7-0 last 7); McCarthy 11-4
SD-SF: Chacin 10-9; Bumgarner 0-5

American League
Tex-Balt: Hamels 5-4; Miley 9-10
Tor-Bos: Liriano 9-6; Fister 1-2
NY-Sea: Severino 9-9; Hernandez 5-5
Det-KC: Fulmer 11-7; Duffy 6-8

Pitchers allowing a run in first inning:
National League
Mil-Pitt: Nelson 3-19; Taillon 2-12
StL-NY: Lynn 6-19; Lugo 2-6
Az-Cin: Walker 6-15; Castillo 1-5
Atl-LA: Foltynewicz 3-17; McCarthy 2-15
SD-SF: Chacin 8-19; Bumgarner 1-5

American League
Tex-Balt: Hamels 4-9; Miley 7-19
Tor-Bos: Liriano 7-15; Fister 1-3
NY-Sea: Severino 4-18; Hernandez 6-10
Det-KC: Fulmer 5-18; Duffy 3-14

_________________________

Umpires
National League
Mil-Pitt: Under is 9-1-3 in Blakney starts this year.
StL-NY: Underdogs are 11-6 in last 17 West games.
Az-Cin: Four of last five Morales games stayed under.

American League
Tex-Balt: Four of last five HGibson games went over.
Tor-Bos: Four of last five Dreckman games went over.
Det-KC: Over is 6-3-1 in last ten Ripperger games.

Interleague play
NL @ AL– 46-38 AL, favorites -$820
AL @ NL– 49-45 NL, favorites -$628
Total: 91-87 AL, favorites -$1,448

Totals in interleague games
NL @ AL: Over 47-40-2
AL @ NL: Over 49-39-3
Total: Over 96-79-5

Teams’ records in first five innings:
Team (road-home-total)- thru 7/19/17
Ariz 15-20-11……27-14–7……….41-34
Atl 20-19-6……19-25-4………..39-44
Cubs 23-24-3……20-19-5………..43-43
Reds 14-27-4……18-27–4…………32-54
Colo 27-17-6…….25-19-2……….52-36
LA 22-18-5…….33-13-4……….55-31
Miami 19-23-3…….23-19-6……..42-42
Milw 23-14-8…….25-20-7………47-34
Mets 22-19-2……..22-24-3………44-43
Philly 12-29-11……14-20-7……….26-49
Pitt 22-21-3…..18-22-9………..40-43
St. Louis 18-20-6……28-15-7……….46-35
SD 12-30-5……..24-19–4………36-49
SF 10-35-7……..17-22-5……….30-57
Wash 33-13-3……21-17-7………….54-30

Orioles 16-27-4……..20-24-3………36-51
Boston 20-24-6………21-23-2…….41-47
White Sox 16-28-6……..18-21–3……..34-48
Cleveland 23-19-6……..20-20-5……..42-39
Detroit 18-22-7…….23-19-4……..41-41
Astros 23-13-8……..31-17-4……..54-30
KC 15-22-7………21-19-9…….36-41
Angels 18-25-7………20-17-10………38-42
Twins 23-14-6………21-25-5……..44-38
NYY 21-26-3……….25-15-3…..…46-41
A’s 13-24-7……..23-18-10……..36-42
Seattle 17-25-6……..23-18-8……..40-43
TB 23-17-10……..29-11-6……..52-28
Texas 24-16-9……..20-17-8………44-33
Toronto 19-26-3……..15-23-8……..34-49

%age of times teams score in first inning (road/home/total- 7/19/17)
Ariz 13-46……..18-48………..31
Atl 8-45……..13-48…………21
Cubs 14-50……..16-44……….30
Reds 18-45……..19-49……….37
Colo 12-50……..16-47..……..28
LA 14-45……..19-50..……..33
Miami 18-45……..17-48………35
Milw 19-45……20-52…..…..39
Mets 19-43……..17-49……….36
Philly 15-52……..11-41………..26
Pitt 12-46……..16-49……….28
StL 12-44……..14-50………..26
SD 19-47……..14-47…………33
SF 12-52……..12-44…………24
Wash 20-49……..20-45………40

Orioles 7-47……..17-48……….24
Boston 15-50……..10-46………25
White Sox 15-50……12-42……….27
Clev 9-48……..14-45……….23
Detroit 10-47…….20-46……..30
Astros 14-44……..21-51………35
KC 9-44……..9-49…………18
Angels 20-50…….12-47……….32
Twins 11-43……..12-51……….23
NYY 11-50……..14-43………25
A’s 8-44……..15-51……….23
Seattle 16-47…….18-49………34
TB 14-50……..20-46……..34
Texas 15-49……..21-45………36
Toronto 14-48……..9-46……….23

[StarDust Bum]

MLB notebook: Cubs' Bryant leaves game with finger injury
July 19, 2017

Chicago Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant left Wednesday's game against the Atlanta Braves in the first inning after spraining the little finger on his left hand in a head-first slide.

X-rays were negative, ruling out a fracture, and Bryant was listed as day to day.

Bryant, the reigning National League MVP, hit the foot of Braves third baseman Johan Camargo with his hand as he tried to advance on a pitch in the dirt. He was thrown out by catcher Tyler Flowers to end the top of the first.

Bryant is hitting .275 with 19 home runs and 40 RBIs this season.

--Tampa Bay Rays right fielder Steven Souza Jr. strained his left hip in the top of the first inning while sliding into second base in the game against the Oakland Athletics.

X-rays were negative, and Souza will be evaluated further when the Rays return to Florida after the game.

Souza led off the game with a walk, but he slid awkwardly into second base on a steal attempt as he was thrown out by A's catcher Bruce Maxwell.

Souza is batting .271 with 20 homers and 60 RBIs this season.

--The New York Yankees added third baseman Todd Frazier and right-handed relievers David Robertson and Tommy Kahnle to the active roster prior to Wednesday afternoon's game against the Minnesota Twins.

Frazier when 0-for-1, and Kahnle pitched one scoreless inning.

New York obtained the three players from the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday night for Blake Rutherford, the Yankees' top outfield prospect, two more minor-leaguers -- left-hander Ian Clarkin and outfielder Tito Polo -- and veteran right-hander Tyler Clippard.

To make room on the roster, the Yankees optioned left-hander Chasen Shreve to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and designated infielder Ji-Man Choi and infielder/outfielder Rob Refsnyder for assignment.

--Yoan Moncada, widely considered the top prospect in baseball, was called up by the Chicago White Sox.

One day after dealing third baseman Todd Frazier to the New York Yankees as part of an ongoing purge of big-league assets, the White Sox shifted gears on their rebuild and plan to put Moncada and other top prospects in a burgeoning farm system on the field in Chicago.

Moncada was slotted sixth in the order for his debut with the White Sox on Wednesday against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Moncada, a switch-hitter originally signed by the Boston Red Sox in a deal that included a $31.5 million signing bonus, played primarily second base in the minor leagues.

[StarDust Bum]

LEADING OFF: Bryant's pinkie problem, MadBum back in SF
July 19, 2017

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


PINKIE PROBLEM

The Cubs are hopeful that NL MVP Kris Bryant won't miss much time after he sprained his left pinkie during a headfirst slide in Wednesday's win over Atlanta. X-rays were negative, and Bryant is considered day-to-day. ''I think we really kind of dodged the bullet right there,'' manager Joe Maddon said. Bryant, the 2016 NL MVP, is hitting .273 with 19 homers and 40 RBIs. Chicago has a day off before opening a series against St. Louis at Wrigley Field on Friday.

BUMGARNER'S RETURN

Madison Bumgarner makes his first home start since missing three months following a dirt bike accident. Bumgarner (0-3, 3.18 ERA in five starts) threw 103 pitches and allowed three runs in seven innings in his first start back, taking a no-decision in a loss to the Padres. The Giants have the second-worst record in the majors.

TRY AGAIN

J.D. Martinez's debut with the Diamondbacks turned out to be more of a soft open, as the slugger bruised his left hand in his first game since a trade from the Tigers. X-Rays were negative, and Arizona will hope to get him back in the lineup soon as they close out a series in Cincinnati. Taijuan Walker (6-4, 3.61) gets the ball for the Diamondbacks against Reds rookie Luis Castillo (1-2, 3.41).

SEVERINO AND SUPPORT

Yankees All-Star Luis Severino (5-4, 3.40) will take the mound to open a four-game series at Seattle. The 23-year-old has 16 strikeouts in 14 innings over his past two starts, with four runs allowed. He's likely to get a boost in the starting lineup from slugger Todd Frazier, who was acquired Tuesday night along with relievers David Robertson and Tommy Kahnle, but only arrived in time to pinch hit for New York on Wednesday. Felix Hernandez (5-3, 4.20) is up for Seattle and has allowed one earned run in 11 innings over his past two starts, both victories.

[StarDust Bum]

Reports: Sandoval set to rejoin Giants organization
July 19, 2017

Third baseman Pablo Sandoval, who was released by the Boston Red Sox earlier in the day, was in the process of finalizing a minor league deal with the San Francisco Giants on Wednesday, multiple media outlets reported.

Sandoval was flying to San Francisco and must first pass a physical before completing a contract. He then reportedly would join the Giants' Triple-A affiliate in Sacramento.

Sandoval was the 2012 World Series MVP while with the Giants, but he has struggled since leaving San Francisco and joining the Red Sox as a free agent. He signed a five-year, $95 million contract with Boston after the 2014 season.

Injuries and poor performance have plagued Sandoval ever since. He hit .245 with 10 homers in 2015, played in only three games in 2016, and hit .212 with four homers in 32 games this season.

In his seven seasons in San Francisco, he hit .294 with 106 homers while helping the Giants win three World Series titles. A two-time All-Star, Sandoval had his best season in 2011, when he batted .315 with 23 homers.

In 39 postseason games, Sandoval has a .344 average with six homers and 20 RBIs. He hit .429 in the 2014 World Series.

He turns 31 next month.

Adding Sandoval suggests the Giants might be interested in trading their current third baseman, Eduardo Nunez. ESPN's Buster Olney reported Wednesday night that the Cleveland Indians are scouting Nunez.

[StarDust Bum]

Thursday's Diamond Notes
July 19, 2017

Hottest team: Mariners (7-2 last nine) vs. Yankees

Seattle suffered through a 1-8 road stretch back in May, but that seems like a distant memory as the M’s finished off a successful 5-1 away swing to pull back to the .500 mark. Following a three-game sweep of the White Sox, the Mariners went into Houston and grabbed two of three from the AL West leaders. In each of Seattle’s last 37 wins, it has scored at least four runs, but the M’s have slumped to a 2-10 record in the last 12 games at Safeco Field.

The Mariners return home for a critical four-game series with the struggling Yankees at Safeco as ace Felix Hernandez takes the mound in the opener. Hernandez has won consecutive starts against the Athletics and White Sox, while allowing only eight hits and three runs. The M’s have lost two of Hernandez’s last three starts against the Yankees since 2015, including a 7-2 home setback two seasons ago.

Coldest team: Reds (1-5 last six) vs. D-backs

Cincinnati snapped a five-game skid in Wednesday’s 11-inning triumph over Arizona, 4-3 for its first victory since the All-Star break. However, the Reds have gone through a brutal stretch with eight series against teams currently above .500, including the last nine games against the D-backs and Nationals. Three times on this homestand, the Reds have allowed at least 10 runs, while the offense has plated just 11 runs in the past four games combined.

The good news for Cincinnati is the Reds knocked around Thursday’s starter Taijuan Walker when these teams hooked up in Phoenix prior to the All-Star break. The Reds beat Walker and the D-backs, 7-0, while tagging the right-hander for five runs in five innings. The winning pitcher in that contest was Luis Castillo, who picked up his first Major League victory by tossing 6.2 scoreless innings and striking out eight.

Hottest pitcher: Cole Hamels, Rangers (4-0, 3.05 ERA)

Hamels and Texas failed to win in his first three starts of the season, but the Rangers have turned it around by winning five of his previous six outings. In the southpaw's last two starts, Hamels hasn’t given up a run in victories over the Angels and Royals, while walking only two batters in his previous three trips to the mound. Hamels and the Rangers look to avoid the four-game sweep to the Orioles as the former Phillies’ standout allowed three first-inning runs in a 3-2 defeat at Camden Yards last August.

Coldest pitcher: Doug Fister, Red Sox (0-3, 6.75 ERA)

In 2014, Fister compiled an impressive 16-6 record to go along with a 2.41 ERA in Washington. Fister has bounced to Houston and now Boston since that career season and he has failed to pick up a victory in three starts. Fister came out of the bullpen in Saturday’s marathon loss to the Yankees, allowing three earned runs in 2.2 innings of work. Through four outings as a member of the Red Sox, Fister has been touched up for three runs or more each time, while his teams are 1-9 in his past 10 starts since last August.

Biggest OVER run: Padres (6-0 last six)

San Diego closed the first half with victories in five of its final seven games, but the Padres have slumped to a 2-4 record since the All-Star break. The Padres were swept by the Rockies at Coors Field as their pitching was lit up by allowing 36 runs, including a whopping 18 runs in Wednesday’s setback. San Diego hopes to turn things around at San Francisco as the Padres have captured all three series against the Giants this season, including a home series victory last weekend. Jhoulys Chacin makes his fourth start against San Francisco this season as the Padres are 3-0 in those games, while the OVER has hit twice.

Biggest UNDER run: Pirates (6-0 last six)

Pittsburgh looked to be sellers at the trade deadline following a dreadful start to the season, but the Pirates have won 10 of their last 12 games to creep back into the NL Central race. The Bucs are getting lifted by terrific pitching, while rallying past the Brewers in each of the first three games of their series. Pittsburgh goes for the sweep on Thursday afternoon as Jameson Taillon heads to the hill. The right-hander has cashed the UNDER in five straight starts, while the Pirates have scored four runs or less in each of those outings.

Matchup to watch: Tigers vs. Royals

Detroit traded off outfielder J.D. Martinez to Arizona earlier this week and may be looking to make more moves before the end of the month. The Tigers picked up a pair of victories over the Royals at Kauffman Stadium in the first two games of their four-game set and were on their way to a third straight triumph. However, Detroit’s shaky bullpen struck again on Wednesday as the Royals rallied for a pair of ninth inning runs to edge the Tigers, 4-3 to win for only the second time in the past nine contests.

Michael Fulmer has taken over the ace role on this Detroit pitching staff as the right-hander tries to improve on a 10-6 record and lower his 3.06 ERA. Fulmer has won four consecutive starts, including three of those wins in the favorite role. Fulmer is listed as a short favorite on Thursday as he came within one out of a complete game in a 7-3 victory over the Royals in late June.

Southpaw Danny Duffy went toe-to-toe with Cole Hamels last Saturday, but Duffy allowed a run in the ninth inning of a scoreless contest as the Royals fell to the Rangers, 1-0. Duffy has squared off with Felix Hernandez, Clayton Kershaw, and Hamels in his past three starts, with the only victory coming at Seattle. Kansas City lost three of Duffy’s five starts against Detroit last season, including a pair of defeats at home as the left-hander hasn’t faced the Tigers in 2017.

Betcha didn’t know: The Dodgers have won a lot recently. No, that’s not the tidbit in this portion, although Los Angeles is currently 14-1 in its last 15 games. The Braves travel to Chavez Ravine for a four-game series after getting swept at home by the streaking Cubs. Right-hander Mike Foltynewicz has been on fire for Atlanta as the Braves have won each of his last seven starts, including three as an underdog of +150 or higher.

Biggest public favorite: Dodgers (-220) vs. Braves

Biggest public underdog: Brewers (+115) at Pirates

Biggest line move: Orioles (+105 to -110) vs. Rangers

[StarDust Bum]

Best Bets and Opinions
Date....................... W-L-T................. %...................... Units Record

07/19/2017............9-12-0............42.86%.....................-15.00
07/18/2017..............8-9-0............47.06% ......................-7.25
07/17/2017..............8-7-1............53.33%......................+7.75
07/16/2017.............5-10-0............33.33%.....................-20.75
07/15/2017...........10-10-2.............50.00%.....................+4.50
07/14/2017.............10-7-1.............58.82%...................+13.75
07/09/2017.............14-4-2.............77.78%...................+61.75
07/08/2017...............5-8-2.............38.46%....................-16.25
07/07/2017.............11-7-2.............61.11%...................+23.00
07/06/2017............. 6-7-0............. 46.15%..................... -1.75
07/05/2017.......... 11-10-0............. 52.38%.................. +12.75
07/04/2017............ 4-13-0............. 23.53%................... -41.00
07/03/2017.............. 5-9-1............. 35.71%................... -20.75
07/02/2017.............. 5-4-1............. 55.56%.................. +10.75
07/01/2017............ 11-9-0............. 55.00%.................. +11.00

Total:.............122 - 126 - 12............49.19%....................+ 22.60

ATS / Totals
Best Bets:

07/19/2017.........4 - 6................40.00%............-1.50..........1 - 5...........-5.60
07/18/2017.........2 - 2................50.00%...........+0.25..........6 - 6...........-0.60
07/17/2017.........1 - 3................25.00%...........- 1.05..........4 - 4...........- 0.40
07/16/2017.........3 - 3................50.00%..........+ 1.55..........1 - 5............-4.50
07/15/2017.........5 - 3................62.50%...........+3.60..........4 - 4...........- 0.40
07/14/2017.........2 - 1................66.66%...........+1.25..........6 - 6...........+2.70
07/09/2017.........5 - 2................71.42%...........+5.15..........5 - 1..........+ 4.90
07/08/2017.........1 - 3................25.00%............-1.75..........4 - 5 - 2......- 1.50
07/07/2017.........4 - 5................44.44%............-0.20...........5 - 1..........+ 3.90
07/06/2017.........2 - 5................28.57%...........- 2.70...........2 - 0..........+ 2.00
07/05/2017.........4 - 3................57,14%...........+3.25.......... 6 - 7...........- 1.70
07/04/2017........ 1 - 5 - 0...........16.66%............-2.40...........3 - 3............- 0.30
07/03/2017.........0 - 5 - 0...........00.00%............-5.00...........2 - 2 - 0.......- 0.20
07/02/2017.........4 - 3 - 0...........57.14%.........+11.75...........2 - 2 - 1.......- 1.00
07/01/2017........ 3 - 3 - 0.......... 50.00%.......... +0.70...........5 - 3...........+ 1.70

Totals:...............41 - 52 - 0.........44.08%..........+ 12.90........54 - 53 - 3......- 1.00

[StarDust Bum]

MLB
Dunkel

Thursday, July 20


NY Yankees @ Seattle

Game 967-968
July 20, 2017 @ 10:10 pm

Dunkel Rating:
NY Yankees
(Severino) 14.590
Seattle
(Hernandez) 15.995
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Seattle
by 1 1/2
7
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
NY Yankees
-120
8 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Seattle
(+100); Under

Detroit @ Kansas City

Game 965-966
July 20, 2017 @ 8:15 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Detroit
(Fulmer) 14.644
Kansas City
(Duffy) 16.589
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Kansas City
by 2
8
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Detroit
-115
9
Dunkel Pick:
Kansas City
(-105); Under

Texas @ Baltimore

Game 963-964
July 20, 2017 @ 7:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Texas
(Hamels) 14.943
Baltimore
(Miley) 13.573
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Texas
by 1 1/2
13
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Baltimore
-115
10
Dunkel Pick:
Texas
(-105); Over

Toronto @ Boston

Game 961-962
July 20, 2017 @ 1:35 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Toronto
(Liriano) 15.706
Boston
(Fister) 13.287
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Toronto
by 2 1/2
8
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Boston
-125
10
Dunkel Pick:
Toronto
(+105); Under

San Diego @ San Francisco

Game 959-960
July 20, 2017 @ 10:15 pm

Dunkel Rating:
San Diego
(Chacin) 12.894
San Francisco
(Bmgrner) 13.799
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
San Francisco
by 1
11
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
San Francisco
-200
7
Dunkel Pick:
San Francisco
(-200); Over

Atlanta @ LA Dodgers

Game 957-958
July 20, 2017 @ 10:10 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Atlanta
(Fltynwcz) 16.848
LA Dodgers
(McCrthy) 15.916
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Atlanta
by 1
9
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
LA Dodgers
-220
8
Dunkel Pick:
Atlanta
(+190); Over

Arizona @ Cincinnati

Game 955-956
July 20, 2017 @ 12:35 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Arizona
(Walker) 12.055
Cincinnati
(Castillo) 14.582
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Cincinnati
by 2 1/2
8
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Cincinnati
-110
10
Dunkel Pick:
Cincinnati
(-110); Under

Milwaukee @ Pittsburgh

Game 953-954
July 20, 2017 @ 12:35 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Milwaukee
(Nelson) 14.572
Pittsburgh
(Taillon) 16.029
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Pittsburgh
by 1 1/2
7
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Pittsburgh
-125
8 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Pittsburgh
(-125); Under

St. Louis @ NY Mets

Game 951-952
July 20, 2017 @ 12:10 pm

Dunkel Rating:
St. Louis
(Lynn) 15.505
NY Mets
(Lugo) 14.412
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
St. Louis
by 1
11
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
St. Louis
-115
9
Dunkel Pick:
St. Louis
(-115); Over

[StarDust Bum]

MLB

Thursday, July 20

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

12:10 PM
ST. LOUIS vs. NY METS
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of St. Louis's last 6 games on the road
St. Louis is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against NY Mets
NY Mets are 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing St. Louis
The total has gone OVER in 4 of NY Mets's last 6 games at home

12:35 PM
MILWAUKEE vs. PITTSBURGH
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Milwaukee's last 5 games when playing Pittsburgh
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Milwaukee's last 5 games
Pittsburgh is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Milwaukee
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Pittsburgh's last 5 games when playing Milwaukee

12:35 PM
ARIZONA vs. CINCINNATI
Arizona is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games on the road
Arizona is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games
Cincinnati is 3-7 SU in its last 10 games when playing at home against Arizona
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Cincinnati's last 9 games at home

1:35 PM
TORONTO vs. BOSTON
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Toronto's last 5 games when playing on the road against Boston
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Toronto's last 6 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Boston's last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Boston's last 5 games when playing Toronto

7:05 PM
TEXAS vs. BALTIMORE
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Texas's last 8 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Texas's last 7 games when playing Baltimore
Baltimore is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Texas
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Baltimore's last 8 games when playing at home against Texas

8:15 PM
DETROIT vs. KANSAS CITY
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Detroit's last 7 games when playing on the road against Kansas City
Detroit is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Kansas City
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Kansas City's last 7 games at home
Kansas City is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games when playing Detroit

10:10 PM
NY YANKEES vs. SEATTLE
NY Yankees are 4-8 SU in their last 12 games
NY Yankees are 10-1 SU in their last 11 games when playing on the road against Seattle
Seattle is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games
Seattle is 2-9 SU in its last 11 games at home

10:10 PM
ATLANTA vs. LA DODGERS
Atlanta is 0-5 SU in their last 5 games when playing LA Dodgers
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Atlanta's last 6 games
LA Dodgers are 10-1 SU in their last 11 games when playing at home against Atlanta
LA Dodgers are 5-0 SU in their last 5 games at home

10:15 PM
SAN DIEGO vs. SAN FRANCISCO
San Diego is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against San Francisco
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of San Diego's last 7 games when playing on the road against San Francisco
San Francisco is 6-14 SU in its last 20 games at home
San Francisco is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing San Diego

[StarDust Bum]

MLB
Long Sheet

Thursday, July 20

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

ST LOUIS (46 - 48) at NY METS (42 - 50) - 12:10 PM
LANCE LYNN (R) vs. SETH LUGO (R)
Top Trends for this game.
ST LOUIS is 46-48 (-9.6 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
ST LOUIS is 34-39 (-11.9 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
LUGO is 11-3 (+9.3 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
LUGO is 7-0 (+7.6 Units) against the money line after a win over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
LUGO is 7-0 (+7.8 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
ST LOUIS is 68-57 (+13.2 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
ST LOUIS is 437-394 (+51.7 Units) against the money line in road games after a loss since 1997.
NY METS are 42-50 (-15.8 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
NY METS are 22-27 (-13.7 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
NY METS are 9-17 (-10.1 Units) against the money line in day games this season.
NY METS are 33-40 (-15.3 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
NY METS are 10-16 (-11.9 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a losing record this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
ST LOUIS is 4-2 (+1.8 Units) against NY METS this season
3 of 5 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+1.1 Units)

LANCE LYNN vs. NY METS since 1997
LYNN is 3-3 when starting against NY METS with an ERA of 2.37 and a WHIP of 1.079.
His team's record is 3-3 (-0.6 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 5-1. (+4.1 units)

SETH LUGO vs. ST LOUIS since 1997
LUGO is 1-0 when starting against ST LOUIS with an ERA of 0.00 and a WHIP of 1.000.
His team's record is 1-0 (+1.6 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-0. (+1.0 units)

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

MILWAUKEE (52 - 45) at PITTSBURGH (47 - 48) - 12:35 PM
JIMMY NELSON (R) vs. JAMESON TAILLON (R)
Top Trends for this game.
PITTSBURGH is 41-24 (+18.5 Units) against the money line in July games over the last 3 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 408-417 (+38.7 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a winning record since 1997.
TAILLON is 13-3 (+9.6 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
MILWAUKEE is 52-45 (+14.9 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
MILWAUKEE is 24-21 (+11.2 Units) against the money line in road games this season.
MILWAUKEE is 7-0 (+8.6 Units) against the money line in road games when playing on Thursday this season.
MILWAUKEE is 40-36 (+9.1 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
MILWAUKEE is 65-68 (+8.5 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 2 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 86-104 (-29.9 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 3 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 94-110 (-26.6 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
PITTSBURGH is 7-3 (+4.0 Units) against MILWAUKEE this season
7 of 8 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+5.8 Units)

JIMMY NELSON vs. PITTSBURGH since 1997
NELSON is 5-3 when starting against PITTSBURGH with an ERA of 3.49 and a WHIP of 1.230.
His team's record is 6-5 (+2.9 units) in these starts. The OVER is 7-4. (+3.0 units)

JAMESON TAILLON vs. MILWAUKEE since 1997
TAILLON is 0-2 when starting against MILWAUKEE with an ERA of 3.86 and a WHIP of 1.095.
His team's record is 2-2 (-1.4 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 3-1. (+1.8 units)

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

ARIZONA (54 - 40) at CINCINNATI (40 - 54) - 12:35 PM
TAIJUAN WALKER (R) vs. LUIS CASTILLO (R)
Top Trends for this game.
ARIZONA is 11-26 (-15.9 Units) against the money line in July games over the last 2 seasons.
ARIZONA is 54-40 (+11.4 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
ARIZONA is 44-28 (+13.0 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
ARIZONA is 120-83 (+28.5 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 3 seasons.
CINCINNATI is 397-426 (-98.3 Units) against the money line in home games after a win since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
CINCINNATI is 3-2 (+2.0 Units) against ARIZONA this season
3 of 4 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+1.9 Units)

TAIJUAN WALKER vs. CINCINNATI since 1997
WALKER is 0-1 when starting against CINCINNATI with an ERA of 9.00 and a WHIP of 1.600.
His team's record is 0-1 (-1.3 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-0. (+1.0 units)

LUIS CASTILLO vs. ARIZONA since 1997
CASTILLO is 1-0 when starting against ARIZONA with an ERA of 0.00 and a WHIP of 0.600.
His team's record is 1-0 (+1.2 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-1. (-1.2 units)

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

ATLANTA (45 - 48) at LA DODGERS (66 - 29) - 10:10 PM
MIKE FOLTYNEWICZ (R) vs. BRANDON MCCARTHY (R)
Top Trends for this game.
LA DODGERS are 66-29 (+23.8 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
LA DODGERS are 22-4 (+13.5 Units) against the money line as a home favorite of -175 to -250 this season.
LA DODGERS are 39-11 (+20.2 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
LA DODGERS are 28-5 (+21.6 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 2 seasons.
LA DODGERS are 29-7 (+15.7 Units) against the money line in home games after a win this season.
LA DODGERS are 30-9 (+15.8 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
ATLANTA is 113-141 (+10.0 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 52-51 (+17.6 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 19-23 (+16.0 Units) against the money line as a road underdog of +175 to +250 over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 59-66 (+24.8 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 26-24 (+13.9 Units) against the money line on the road when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 43-42 (+25.2 Units) against the money line in road games in night games over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 90-104 (+13.6 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 52-68 (+13.2 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
FOLTYNEWICZ is 10-5 (+10.6 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)

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

MIKE FOLTYNEWICZ vs. LA DODGERS since 1997
No recent starts.

BRANDON MCCARTHY vs. ATLANTA since 1997
MCCARTHY is 0-1 when starting against ATLANTA with an ERA of 4.27 and a WHIP of 1.580.
His team's record is 0-1 (-1.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-0. (+1.0 units)

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SAN DIEGO (40 - 54) at SAN FRANCISCO (37 - 59) - 10:15 PM
JHOULYS CHACIN (R) vs. MADISON BUMGARNER (L)
Top Trends for this game.
SAN FRANCISCO is 153-59 (+37.6 Units) against the money line as a home favorite of -175 to -250 since 1997.
SAN DIEGO is 80-94 (+12.5 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
SAN DIEGO is 23-20 (+12.2 Units) against the money line after 3 or more consecutive losses over the last 2 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 37-59 (-24.2 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 81-91 (-24.0 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 24-41 (-20.4 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 60-65 (-20.1 Units) against the money line after a win over the last 2 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 12-27 (-19.5 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 24-28 (-19.7 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
BUMGARNER is 0-5 (-7.7 Units) against the money line in all games this season. (Team's Record)
BUMGARNER is 6-11 (-14.0 Units) against the money line after a win over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
BUMGARNER is 19-21 (-18.9 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
SAN DIEGO is 6-3 (+4.4 Units) against SAN FRANCISCO this season
6 of 9 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+2.6 Units)

JHOULYS CHACIN vs. SAN FRANCISCO since 1997
CHACIN is 7-6 when starting against SAN FRANCISCO with an ERA of 3.43 and a WHIP of 1.173.
His team's record is 8-9 (-0.8 units) in these starts. The OVER is 6-10. (-5.2 units)

MADISON BUMGARNER vs. SAN DIEGO since 1997
BUMGARNER is 10-8 when starting against SAN DIEGO with an ERA of 3.42 and a WHIP of 1.064.
His team's record is 16-13 (-4.2 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 16-13. (+1.6 units)

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TORONTO (43 - 51) at BOSTON (54 - 42) - 1:35 PM
FRANCISCO LIRIANO (L) vs. DOUG FISTER (R)
Top Trends for this game.
TORONTO is 43-51 (-17.2 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
TORONTO is 16-27 (-14.9 Units) against the money line against division opponents this season.
BOSTON is 12-18 (-13.5 Units) against the money line when playing on Thursday over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 387-339 (-91.0 Units) against the money line in home games against division opponents since 1997.
BOSTON is 25-27 (-9.8 Units) against the money line after a win this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
BOSTON is 7-2 (+5.8 Units) against TORONTO this season
6 of 9 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+2.7 Units)

FRANCISCO LIRIANO vs. BOSTON since 1997
LIRIANO is 3-4 when starting against BOSTON with an ERA of 5.44 and a WHIP of 1.558.
His team's record is 3-5 (-2.2 units) in these starts. The OVER is 3-4. (-1.2 units)

DOUG FISTER vs. TORONTO since 1997
FISTER is 2-2 when starting against TORONTO with an ERA of 3.69 and a WHIP of 1.099.
His team's record is 5-3 (+2.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 4-4. (-0.3 units)

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TEXAS (45 - 49) at BALTIMORE (45 - 49) - 7:05 PM
COLE HAMELS (L) vs. WADE MILEY (L)
Top Trends for this game.
TEXAS is 5-16 (-11.2 Units) against the money line in road games when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
BALTIMORE is 133-123 (+10.4 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 67-49 (+16.1 Units) against the money line at home when the money line is +125 to -125 over the last 3 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 28-19 (+8.0 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
BALTIMORE is 21-12 (+8.6 Units) against the money line in home games in night games this season.
BALTIMORE is 74-59 (+16.1 Units) against the money line after a win over the last 2 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 58-28 (+21.1 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 3 seasons.
TEXAS is 140-119 (+25.2 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
TEXAS is 109-106 (+34.3 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 3 seasons.
TEXAS is 25-16 (+13.1 Units) against the money line when playing on Thursday over the last 3 seasons.
TEXAS is 101-83 (+21.1 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
TEXAS is 69-60 (+20.1 Units) against the money line against left-handed starters over the last 3 seasons.
TEXAS is 23-13 (+13.6 Units) against the money line after allowing 10 runs or more over the last 3 seasons.
TEXAS is 100-93 (+17.6 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 3 seasons.
TEXAS is 25-16 (+13.7 Units) against the money line after 3 or more consecutive losses over the last 3 seasons.
HAMELS is 29-13 (+14.7 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
HAMELS is 23-8 (+14.0 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
HAMELS is 17-4 (+12.5 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
BALTIMORE is 3-0 (+3.0 Units) against TEXAS this season
2 of 3 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+0.7 Units)

COLE HAMELS vs. BALTIMORE since 1997
HAMELS is 1-3 when starting against BALTIMORE with an ERA of 4.32 and a WHIP of 1.320.
His team's record is 2-3 (-1.6 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-3. (-1.3 units)

WADE MILEY vs. TEXAS since 1997
MILEY is 1-5 when starting against TEXAS with an ERA of 5.75 and a WHIP of 1.352.
His team's record is 2-5 (-4.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 4-3. (+0.5 units)

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DETROIT (43 - 50) at KANSAS CITY (46 - 47) - 8:15 PM
MICHAEL FULMER (R) vs. DANNY DUFFY (L)
Top Trends for this game.
DETROIT is 14-24 (-11.7 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 this season.
DETROIT is 327-416 (-93.7 Units) against the money line on the road when the money line is +125 to -125 since 1997.
KANSAS CITY is 46-47 (+4.5 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
KANSAS CITY is 75-52 (+22.3 Units) against the money line at home when the money line is +125 to -125 over the last 3 seasons.
KANSAS CITY is 73-57 (+14.5 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons.
KANSAS CITY is 34-31 (+7.0 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
KANSAS CITY is 69-59 (+14.7 Units) against the money line after a win over the last 2 seasons.
FULMER is 30-14 (+16.1 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
FULMER is 8-0 (+9.2 Units) against the money line in July games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
FULMER is 16-7 (+10.4 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
KANSAS CITY is 273-392 (-110.5 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 9 to 9.5 since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
DETROIT is 6-3 (+2.4 Units) against KANSAS CITY this season
6 of 9 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+2.9 Units)

MICHAEL FULMER vs. KANSAS CITY since 1997
FULMER is 2-2 when starting against KANSAS CITY with an ERA of 2.29 and a WHIP of 1.104.
His team's record is 3-2 (+0.9 units) in these starts. The OVER is 3-2. (+0.9 units)

DANNY DUFFY vs. DETROIT since 1997
DUFFY is 5-7 when starting against DETROIT with an ERA of 3.80 and a WHIP of 1.224.
His team's record is 7-9 (-0.7 units) in these starts. The OVER is 7-8. (-1.6 units)

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NY YANKEES (48 - 45) at SEATTLE (48 - 48) - 10:10 PM
LUIS SEVERINO (R) vs. FELIX HERNANDEZ (R)
Top Trends for this game.
NY YANKEES are 11-23 (-13.1 Units) against the money line on the road when the money line is +125 to -125 this season.
NY YANKEES are 6-16 (-11.6 Units) against the money line on the road when the total is 8 to 8.5 this season.
SEVERINO is 11-18 (-10.4 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
SEVERINO is 7-14 (-10.8 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
HERNANDEZ is 32-14 (+17.2 Units) against the money line at home when the money line is +125 to -125 since 1997. (Team's Record)
SEATTLE is 107-104 (-28.2 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 3 seasons.
SEATTLE is 251-245 (-53.6 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 8 to 8.5 since 1997.
SEATTLE is 162-201 (-54.2 Units) against the money line when playing on Thursday since 1997.
SEATTLE is 617-568 (-97.1 Units) against the money line in home games in night games since 1997.
SEATTLE is 48-57 (-25.6 Units) against the money line in home games after a win over the last 3 seasons.

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

LUIS SEVERINO vs. SEATTLE since 1997
SEVERINO is 0-1 when starting against SEATTLE with an ERA of 6.35 and a WHIP of 1.587.
His team's record is 0-1 (-1.4 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 0-0. (+0.0 units)

FELIX HERNANDEZ vs. NY YANKEES since 1997
HERNANDEZ is 10-6 when starting against NY YANKEES with an ERA of 3.13 and a WHIP of 1.326.
His team's record is 11-9 (+2.9 units) in these starts. The OVER is 7-12. (-5.9 units)

[StarDust Bum]

MLB Daily Line Drive: Thursday's picks, betting odds and analysis

There are just nine games on the schedule Thursday, but today we are highlighting some teams that are already making moves before the July 31st trade deadline.

Double-Play Picks

Detroit Tigers at Kansas City Royals (+100, 9)

The Tigers have already started selling off assets by trading away J.D. Martinez to the Diamondbacks, but funny enough they’ve won two of the first three games of the series with the division rival Royals.

Now it’s Kansas City who is probably questioning whether or not they will be buyers or sellers heading into the July 31st trade deadline. Either way these AL Central foes will close out a four-game set at Kauffman Stadium Thursday night in Kansas City.

Detroit sends young ace in the making, Michael Fulmer to the mound in an attempt to win the series, while the Royals will counter left-hander Danny Duffy.

Fulmer has been fantastic for the Tigers this season, resulting in an All-Star appearance. The right-hander is 10-6 with a 3.06 ERA a 1.07 WHIP and he has been just plain dominant in his last six starts, pitching to a 2.43 ERA with a 0.90 WHIP.

Fulmer faces a Royals offense, while better of late, still ranks 27th in runs per game, 21st in average and 26th in OPS.

Duffy meanwhile, has been a consistent starter for the Royals this year, going 5-6 with a 3.51 ERA and a 1.25 WHIP. But he loves pitching at Kauffman Stadium. At home the southpaw is just 2-3, but owns a very impressive 2.41 ERA and a 1.07 WHIP.

The Tigers are a good offensive team, but Martinez leaves a big hole in the lineup. Plus the Under is 6-0when Duffy starts at home this season.

Pick: Under 9

New York Yankees at Seattle Mariners (+100, 9)

The Yankees on the other hand, have decided they are going for it by acquiring third baseman Todd Frazier and reliever David Robertson from the White Sox this week. Frazier and Robertson will join their new team on the West coast as the Yanks start a series in Seattle against the Mariners Thursday night.

While the Yankees didn’t address their biggest need, starting pitching they added some much needed protection in the lineup for Aaron Judge as the Yankees offense has been struggling of late and especially on this latest road trip, as they are plating just 2.9 runs per game during the trip.

New York sends young right-hander Louis Severino to the mound for Game 1, while the Seattle asks Felix Hernandez to toe the rubber in the opener.

Severino has bounced back after a rocky 2016, going 5-4 with a 3.40 ERA and a 1.10 WHIP. But what is more impressive is the strikeouts he is racking up, notching 130 to just 29 walks. On the road the numbers get better, where he is 2-1 with a 3.02 ERA and a 1.12 WHIP with 74 punch outs and 16 walks.

For Seattle, Hernandez has been less “Kingly” of late and more of a Jester not knowing what you will get from him. He is 5-3 this season with a 4.20 ERA, that’s the worst his ERA has been since 2006.

However, he has been much better in the pitcher friendly Safeco Field, where he is 4-1 with a 3.82 ERA and 1.35 WHIP.

The Yanks’ offense obviously got better, but I think the fireworks hold of for a couple of days. Expect two strong starts Thursday night in Seattle, handed over to good and great bullpens. Plus, the Under is also 5-0 in Yankees last five games and is 6-1 in Mariners last seven games vs. a right-handed starter.

Pick: Under 8.5

Yesterday's Picks: 0-2
Season To Date: 93-81-8


Streaking and Slumping Starting Pitchers

Streaking: Lance Lynn, St. Louis Cardinals (8-6 3.40 ERA, $-126)

The Cardinals are another team that has been involved in trade rumors, but they are looking for some help for guys like Lance Lynn, who has been killing it lately.

Lynn has given up zero runs in his last two starts, scatting 11 hits and one walk over 13.1 innings pitched. Over his lasst four starts he is 3-1 with a 1.82 ERA and a 0.933 WHIP. St. Louis is currently -105 this afternoon today in New York against the Mets.

Slumping: Doug Fister, Boston Red Sox (0-3, 6.75 ERA, $-168)

And finally another team involved in constant trade talks it seems, the Red Sox. They may need an upgrade in the rotation if Fister continues to pitche. Simply put, he has not been good since joining Boston.

His 6.75 ERA is glaring enough, but its 11 walks in just 17.1 innings and a WHIP of 1.79 that is really troublesome. The Red Sox are currently -122 home favorites as they wrap up a series with the Jays this afternoon.

[StarDust Bum]

Diamond Trends - Thursday
July 20, 2017

TOP SU TREND

-- The Padres are 0-12 since May 24, 2016 as a dog coming off a game as a road dog and when their opponent whose starter has a strike-per-ball ratio greater than 2 on the season.

TOP OU TREND

-- The Pirates are 0-16 OU (-2.44 ppg) since May 04, 2017 when the total is no more than nine and they playing a divisional opponent with a higher winning percentage on the season.

TOP STARTER TREND

-- The Mariners are 14-0 RUN LINE ON since Aug 13, 2007 when Felix Hernandez starts as a dog after they won each his last two starts

TOP CHOICE TREND

-- The Rangers are 14-0-3 OU (2.85 ppg) since Sep 24, 2015 when Cole Hamels starts after they lost in his last start against the current opponent while scoring at least two runs.