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

[StarDust Bum]

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[StarDust Bum]

Armadillo: Monday's six-pack

Early betting odds on the 2017 Heisman Trophy:

15-2— Sam Darnold (USC), Baker Mayfield (Oklahoma), Lamar Jackson (Louisville)

9-1- JT Barrett, Ohio State

12-1— Jake Browning, Washington

14-1— Deondre Francois, Florida State

15-1— Jalen Hurts (Alabama), Saquon Barkley (Penn State)

16-1— Mason Rudolph, Oklahoma State

**********

Armadillo: Monday's List of 13: Wrapping up a sports weekend……..

13) Bulls 106, Celtics 102— Isaiah Thomas scored 33 points in 38:00, the day after he found out his 22-year old sister died in a car accident. Boston took 38 3’s, 48 2’s; seems like a lot- they only took 19 foul shots.

12) ESPN had the Cubs on in primetime Opening Night in St Louis, which is fine- they’re World Champs and deserve it; ESPN’s next three Sunday night games were in Queens, Bronx and next week again, Queens. What the bleep are they thinking?

Teams like Toronto, Kansas City and Houston are rarely on national TV, then networks wonder why playoff ratings are low when those teams make it. Promote the whole sport, not just teams in New York, plus the Cubs, Dodgers, Red Sox.

11) Mets’ first 32 games this season are all against NL East opponents.

10) Miami 4, Mets 2— JT Riddle’s first major league hit was a walk-off homer. The way the Marlins ran the bases in this game, home runs were a good idea.

Justin Boer got thrown out at the plate after maybe the worst slide in baseball history; Giancarlo Stanton got hit with an Ozuna line drive that would’ve put men on 1st and 3rd with one out had the ball not hit him. Ozuna got thrown out at the plate before Riddle’s winning home run.

9) Orioles pit closer Zach Britton on the 10-day DL; their pitching is really thin, but they’re still 8-3 and atop the AL East, but make no mistake about it, Baltimore needs to get healthy soon.

8) Rumors have it that the Chiefs will open Week 1 of the NFL season in Foxboro in a Thursday night game. Falcons were a more logical option, but Atlanta has a new stadium opening and they want to play there in Week 1, so apparently they’re no longer an option for the Thursday game.

7) It rained in Oakland Sunday, and the A’s couldn’t wait to cancel their game with the Astros; the Warriors were playing across the parking lot, the A’s are playing lousy anyway (shortstop Marcus Semien is on the DL, which hurts there defense) and there would’ve been a lousy crowd in the rain.

Giants played their home game across the bay, but the field was a mess- they sell out their games, so it would cost them seven figures to lose a home game to the weather.

6) Toronto-Cleveland-Texas are your last place teams in the American League.

5) Reds and Colorado are in first place in the National League; even after only two weeks, that is odd.

4) Baltimore’s Trey Mancini hit two more homers Sunday, has now hit seven in his first 12 major league games, which is really good.

Blue Jays lost again, are now 2-10, which is really bad.

3) Montreal 3, NY Rangers 1— New York seems to play better on the road. Canadiens lead this series, 2-1.

2) Penguins/Blues both won their games, grabbing 3-0 leads in their first round series.

1— Solid scheduling by the AD at U of Albany- they’re playing at Memphis next year, in a year when the Tigers will be in a total rebuild. Great Danes could actually win that game.

[StarDust Bum]

MLB
Dunkel

Monday, April 17


Miami @ Seattle

Game 969-970
April 17, 2017 @ 10:10 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Miami
(Koehler) 16.437
Seattle
(Miranda) 17.627
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Seattle
by 1
7
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Seattle
-130
8 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Seattle
(-130); Under

Texas @ Oakland

Game 967-968
April 17, 2017 @ 10:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Texas
(Griffin) 14.137
Oakland
(Cotton) 15.014
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Oakland
by 1
7
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Oakland
-135
8
Dunkel Pick:
Oakland
(-135); Under

LA Angels @ Houston

Game 965-966
April 17, 2017 @ 8:10 pm

Dunkel Rating:
LA Angels
(Chavez) 14.862
Houston
(Morton) 13.956
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
LA Angels
by 1
7
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Houston
-150
8 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
LA Angels
(+130); Under

Cleveland @ Minnesota

Game 963-964
April 17, 2017 @ 8:10 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Cleveland
(Salazar) 15.715
Minnesota
(Gibson) 17.194
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Minnesota
by 1 1/2
9
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Cleveland
-155
8 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Minnesota
(+135); Over

Chicago White Sox @ NY Yankees

Game 961-962
April 17, 2017 @ 7:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Chicago White Sox
(Holland) 14.620
NY Yankees
(Mntgmry) 15.568
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
NY Yankees
by 1
11
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
NY Yankees
-140
8 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
NY Yankees
(-140); Over

Tampa Bay @ Boston

Game 959-960
April 17, 2017 @ 11:05 am

Dunkel Rating:
Tampa Bay
(Snell) 12.879
Boston
(Wright) 17.331
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Boston
by 4 1/2
8
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Boston
-140
10
Dunkel Pick:
Boston
(-140); Under

Arizona @ LA Dodgers

Game 957-958
April 17, 2017 @ 10:10 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Arizona
(Ray) 16.748
LA Dodgers
(McCarthy) 15.286
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Arizona
by 1 1/2
9
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
LA Dodgers
-155
7
Dunkel Pick:
Arizona
(+135); Over

Milwaukee @ Chicago Cubs

Game 955-956
April 17, 2017 @ 8:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Milwaukee
(Andrson) 14.714
Chicago Cubs
(Lackey) 15.804
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Chicago Cubs
by 1
5
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Chicago Cubs
-180
No Total
Dunkel Pick:
Chicago Cubs
(-180); N/A

San Diego @ Atlanta

Game 953-954
April 17, 2017 @ 7:35 pm

Dunkel Rating:
San Diego
(Weaver) 16.036
Atlanta
(Garcia) 12.551
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
San Diego
by 3 1/2
7
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Atlanta
-160
8 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
San Diego
(+140); Under

Pittsburgh @ St. Louis

Game 951-952
April 17, 2017 @ 7:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Pittsburgh
(Nova) 14.363
St. Louis
(Lynn) 15.913
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
St. Louis
by 1 1/2
9
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
St. Louis
-130
8
Dunkel Pick:
St. Louis
(-130); Over

[StarDust Bum]

MLB
Long Sheet

Monday, April 17

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PITTSBURGH (6 - 6) at ST LOUIS (3 - 9) - 7:05 PM
IVAN NOVA (R) vs. LANCE LYNN (R)
Top Trends for this game.
PITTSBURGH is 70-88 (-31.7 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 3 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 63-76 (-24.2 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
LYNN is 13-2 (+10.7 Units) against the money line when playing on Monday since 1997. (Team's Record)
PITTSBURGH is 108-73 (+25.4 Units) against the money line after a win over the last 3 seasons.
ST LOUIS is 40-47 (-27.4 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons.
ST LOUIS is 26-31 (-18.9 Units) against the money line in home games in night games over the last 2 seasons.
ST LOUIS is 32-32 (-14.2 Units) against the money line in home games against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.

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

IVAN NOVA vs. ST LOUIS since 1997
No recent starts.

LANCE LYNN vs. PITTSBURGH since 1997
LYNN is 5-6 when starting against PITTSBURGH with an ERA of 5.06 and a WHIP of 1.531.
His team's record is 10-8 (+1.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 7-11. (-5.4 units)

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SAN DIEGO (5 - 8) at ATLANTA (5 - 6) - 7:35 PM
JERED WEAVER (R) vs. JAIME GARCIA (L)
Top Trends for this game.
SAN DIEGO is 10-31 (-18.7 Units) against the money line in road games when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 40-31 (+23.3 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 22-15 (+12.4 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 13-6 (+12.9 Units) against the money line after 3 or more consecutive wins over the last 2 seasons.
SAN DIEGO is 56-63 (+15.2 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
SAN DIEGO is 48-53 (+14.8 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 2 seasons.
SAN DIEGO is 16-12 (+11.8 Units) against the money line after 3 or more consecutive losses over the last 2 seasons.
WEAVER is 195-133 (+33.5 Units) against the money line in all games since 1997. (Team's Record)
ATLANTA is 21-40 (-17.2 Units) against the money line in home games in night games over the last 2 seasons.
GARCIA is 36-43 (-26.7 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record since 1997. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
ATLANTA is 3-0 (+3.0 Units) against SAN DIEGO this season
2 of 3 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+1.0 Units)

JERED WEAVER vs. ATLANTA since 1997
No recent starts.

JAIME GARCIA vs. SAN DIEGO since 1997
GARCIA is 2-1 when starting against SAN DIEGO with an ERA of 2.52 and a WHIP of 1.262.
His team's record is 4-2 (+1.4 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 4-2. (+1.8 units)

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MILWAUKEE (7 - 6) at CHICAGO CUBS (6 - 6) - 8:05 PM
CHASE ANDERSON (R) vs. JOHN LACKEY (R)
Top Trends for this game.
CHICAGO CUBS are 1605-1692 (-257.8 Units) against the money line in all games since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 858-791 (-154.7 Units) against the money line in home games since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 400-368 (-86.1 Units) against the money line in home games against division opponents since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 1180-1257 (-197.8 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
CHICAGO CUBS is 2-1 (+0.4 Units) against MILWAUKEE this season
2 of 3 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+1.0 Units)

CHASE ANDERSON vs. CHICAGO CUBS since 1997
ANDERSON is 1-0 when starting against CHICAGO CUBS with an ERA of 2.35 and a WHIP of 0.782.
His team's record is 1-2 (-0.3 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-2. (-2.4 units)

JOHN LACKEY vs. MILWAUKEE since 1997
LACKEY is 5-2 when starting against MILWAUKEE with an ERA of 3.28 and a WHIP of 1.162.
His team's record is 7-4 (+1.3 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 4-6. (-3.0 units)

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ARIZONA (8 - 5) at LA DODGERS (7 - 6) - 10:10 PM
ROBBIE RAY (L) vs. BRANDON MCCARTHY (R)
Top Trends for this game.
RAY is 21-36 (-16.9 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
LA DODGERS are 103-83 (-10.2 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
LA DODGERS are 71-62 (-15.6 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
LA DODGERS are 24-31 (-15.5 Units) against the money line against left-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
LA DODGERS is 2-1 (+0.0 Units) against ARIZONA this season
2 of 3 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+0.9 Units)

ROBBIE RAY vs. LA DODGERS since 1997
RAY is 3-3 when starting against LA DODGERS with an ERA of 2.96 and a WHIP of 1.130.
His team's record is 4-4 (+0.9 units) in these starts. The OVER is 4-4. (+0.1 units)

BRANDON MCCARTHY vs. ARIZONA since 1997
MCCARTHY is 0-0 when starting against ARIZONA with an ERA of 0.00 and a WHIP of 0.500.
His team's record is 0-1 (-1.6 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-0. (+1.0 units)

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TAMPA BAY (6 - 7) at BOSTON (7 - 5) - 11:05 AM
BLAKE SNELL (L) vs. STEVEN WRIGHT (R)
Top Trends for this game.
TAMPA BAY is 74-101 (-31.3 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 55-71 (-20.0 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 39-61 (-23.4 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 36-62 (-26.0 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 656-591 (-80.7 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 since 1997.
BOSTON is 352-281 (-48.1 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 9 to 9.5 since 1997.
BOSTON is 379-330 (-86.5 Units) against the money line in home games against division opponents since 1997.
BOSTON is 540-409 (-57.6 Units) against the money line in home games after a win since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
BOSTON is 2-1 (+0.8 Units) against TAMPA BAY this season
2 of 3 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+0.9 Units)

BLAKE SNELL vs. BOSTON since 1997
SNELL is 1-1 when starting against BOSTON with an ERA of 6.00 and a WHIP of 2.333.
His team's record is 1-1 (+0.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-0. (+2.0 units)

STEVEN WRIGHT vs. TAMPA BAY since 1997
WRIGHT is 0-0 when starting against TAMPA BAY with an ERA of 9.00 and a WHIP of 2.500.
His team's record is 1-0 (+1.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-0. (+1.0 units)

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CHI WHITE SOX (6 - 5) at NY YANKEES (8 - 4) - 7:05 PM
DEREK HOLLAND (L) vs. JORDAN MONTGOMERY (L)
Top Trends for this game.
NY YANKEES are 54-33 (+17.6 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons.
NY YANKEES are 35-17 (+15.6 Units) against the money line in home games in night games over the last 2 seasons.
CHI WHITE SOX are 23-13 (+13.5 Units) against the money line in April games over the last 2 seasons.
CHI WHITE SOX are 398-397 (+39.8 Units) against the money line in road games after a win since 1997.
HOLLAND is 55-35 (+24.1 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record since 1997. (Team's Record)

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

DEREK HOLLAND vs. NY YANKEES since 1997
HOLLAND is 1-6 when starting against NY YANKEES with an ERA of 6.42 and a WHIP of 1.536.
His team's record is 3-6 (-3.7 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 3-5. (-2.8 units)

JORDAN MONTGOMERY vs. CHI WHITE SOX since 1997
No recent starts.

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CLEVELAND (5 - 7) at MINNESOTA (7 - 5) - 8:10 PM
DANNY SALAZAR (R) vs. KYLE GIBSON (R)
Top Trends for this game.
CLEVELAND is 22-32 (-20.1 Units) against the money line in April games over the last 3 seasons.
GIBSON is 23-11 (+15.3 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record since 1997. (Team's Record)
CLEVELAND is 59-28 (+22.9 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 2 seasons.
CLEVELAND is 29-16 (+12.9 Units) against the money line on the road when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 2 seasons.
CLEVELAND is 102-75 (+42.8 Units) against the money line in road games when playing on Monday since 1997.
MINNESOTA is 66-108 (-29.0 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 34-53 (-20.5 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 31-57 (-19.0 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 41-82 (-36.2 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 36-71 (-28.4 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 2 seasons.

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

DANNY SALAZAR vs. MINNESOTA since 1997
SALAZAR is 3-3 when starting against MINNESOTA with an ERA of 4.80 and a WHIP of 1.401.
His team's record is 6-4 (+0.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 5-5. (-0.8 units)

KYLE GIBSON vs. CLEVELAND since 1997
GIBSON is 2-3 when starting against CLEVELAND with an ERA of 6.40 and a WHIP of 1.667.
His team's record is 4-5 (+1.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 2-7. (-6.2 units)

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LA ANGELS (6 - 7) at HOUSTON (8 - 4) - 8:10 PM
JESSE CHAVEZ (R) vs. CHARLIE MORTON (R)
Top Trends for this game.
CHAVEZ is 9-19 (-12.0 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
CHAVEZ is 5-15 (-12.3 Units) against the money line after a loss since 1997. (Team's Record)
HOUSTON is 120-132 (-43.4 Units) against the money line in home games in April games since 1997.

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

JESSE CHAVEZ vs. HOUSTON since 1997
CHAVEZ is 3-1 when starting against HOUSTON with an ERA of 4.34 and a WHIP of 1.414.
His team's record is 4-1 (+2.3 units) in these starts. The OVER is 3-2. (+0.9 units)

CHARLIE MORTON vs. LA ANGELS since 1997
MORTON is 1-0 when starting against LA ANGELS with an ERA of 4.63 and a WHIP of 1.285.
His team's record is 2-0 (+3.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-0. (+2.2 units)

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TEXAS (4 - 8) at OAKLAND (5 - 7) - 10:05 PM
A.J. GRIFFIN (R) vs. JHAREL COTTON (R)
Top Trends for this game.
TEXAS is 99-78 (+21.8 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
TEXAS is 66-51 (+24.7 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 3 seasons.
TEXAS is 91-81 (+35.2 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 3 seasons.
TEXAS is 41-33 (+18.8 Units) against the money line on the road when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 3 seasons.
TEXAS is 51-34 (+18.5 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
TEXAS is 73-52 (+23.0 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
TEXAS is 76-56 (+19.7 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
GRIFFIN is 18-7 (+13.6 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
GRIFFIN is 15-3 (+15.5 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
GRIFFIN is 10-3 (+8.5 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
OAKLAND is 142-194 (-45.9 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 3 seasons.
OAKLAND is 70-98 (-38.8 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 3 seasons.
OAKLAND is 2-11 (-11.0 Units) against the money line in home games when playing with a day off over the last 3 seasons.
OAKLAND is 15-28 (-14.3 Units) against the money line in home games against division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
OAKLAND is 46-65 (-26.6 Units) against the money line in home games against right-handed starters over the last 3 seasons.
OAKLAND is 37-62 (-20.0 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 2 seasons.
OAKLAND is 55-78 (-24.7 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
TEXAS is 2-1 (+0.5 Units) against OAKLAND this season
2 of 3 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+1.1 Units)

A.J. GRIFFIN vs. OAKLAND since 1997
GRIFFIN is 0-0 when starting against OAKLAND with an ERA of 10.81 and a WHIP of 1.802.
His team's record is 1-0 (+1.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-0. (+1.0 units)

JHAREL COTTON vs. TEXAS since 1997
COTTON is 1-0 when starting against TEXAS with an ERA of 1.29 and a WHIP of 0.429.
His team's record is 1-0 (+1.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-0. (+0.0 units)

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

MIAMI (7 - 5) at SEATTLE (5 - 8) - 10:10 PM
TOM KOEHLER (R) vs. ARIEL MIRANDA (L)
Top Trends for this game.
MIAMI is 13-7 (+9.7 Units) against the money line in road games in April games over the last 2 seasons.
MIAMI is 23-13 (+14.4 Units) against the money line against left-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
SEATTLE is 32-44 (-17.0 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 2 seasons.
SEATTLE is 18-24 (-12.1 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 2 seasons.
SEATTLE is 598-554 (-98.6 Units) against the money line in home games in night games since 1997.
SEATTLE is 75-90 (-29.6 Units) against the money line 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.

TOM KOEHLER vs. SEATTLE since 1997
No recent starts.

ARIEL MIRANDA vs. MIAMI since 1997
No recent starts.

[StarDust Bum]

MLB
Armadillo's Write-Up

Monday, April 17

National League
Pirates @ Cardinals
Nova is 1-1, 3.75 in his first two starts (over 2-0).

Lynn is 0-2, 6.97 in his two starts (over 2-0).

Pittsburgh won its last three games; under is 5-1 in their road games. St Louis is off to a 3-9 start; three of their last four games stayed under.

Padres @ Braves
Weaver is 0-1, 4.91 in his first two starts (over 1-1).

Garcia is 0-1, 6.35 in his first two starts (over 2-0).

Atlanta won its last four games; seven of their last nine games went over the total. Padres are 3-7 in first ten road games, with seven of last nine staying under.

Brewers @ Cubs
Anderson is 1-0, 0.69 in his first two starts (under 2-0).

Lackey is 1-1, 3.75 in his first two starts (over 1-1).

Brewers won five of their first five road games; under is 7-4 in their last 11 games. Cubs lost their last three games; under is 5-1 in their home games.

Diamondbacks @ Dodgers
Ray is 2-0, 2.19 in his first two starts (over 1-1).

McCarthy is 2-0, 1.50 in his first two starts (over 1-1).

Arizona lost four of its last six games; over is 8-4-1 in its games. Dodgers are 5-2 at home; three of their last four home games went over.

——————————–

American League
Rays @ Red Sox
Snell is 0-1, 5.56 in his two starts (over 1-1).

Wright is 0-1, 13.50 in two starts this month (over 2-0).

Tampa Bay lost five of its last six games; five of their last seven games went over. Boston won three of its last four games; under is 7-5 in all their games this season.

Chicago-New York
Holland 1-1, 2.25 in his first two starts (under 2-0).

Montgomery allowed three runs in 4.2 IP in his first MLB start, an 8-4 win over the Rays.

White Sox won four of their last five games; under is 8-1 in their last nine games. Bronx won its last seven games; they’re 6-0 at home. Three of their last four games stayed under.

Indians @ Twins
Salazar is 0-1, 5.40 in his first two starts (over 1-1).

Gibson is 1-1, 8.00 in his first two starts (under 2-0).

Cleveland lost four of its last five games; over is 4-2 in their road games. Minnesota lost four of its last six games; their last four home tilts stayed under total.

Angels @ Astros
Chavez is 1-1, 5.40 in his first two starts (over 1-1).

Morton is 0-1, 4.09 in his first two starts (under 2-0).

Angels lost their last five games; under is 6-1 in their road games. Astros won five of last six games; six of their last seven games went over.

Rangers @ A’s
Griffin 1-0, 6.75 in his first two starts (over 2-0); Texas scored 18 runs in the two games.

Cotton is 1-1, 3.97 in his first two starts (under 2-0).

Texas lost its last three games; their bullpen is already 1-5. Over is 4-2 in their road games. Oakland lost its last three games; three of its last four games went over.

__________________________

Interleague
Marlins @ Mariners
Koehler is 0-0, 3.27 in his first two starts (over 1-1).

Miranda is 0-1, 5.06 in his first two starts (over 1-1).

Marlins won their last three games; their bullpen to decision in their last four games. Over is 6-2-1 in their last nine games. Seattle won its last three games; over is 5-3 in their last eight games.

______________________________

Record with this pitcher starting:
National League
Pitt-StL: Nova 1-1; Lynn 0-2
SD-Atl: Weaver 0-2; Garcia 1-1
Mil-Chi: Anderson 1-1; Lackey 1-1
Az-LA: Ray 2-0; McCarthy 2-0

American League
TB-Bos: Snell 0-2; Wright 0-2
Chi-NY: Holland 1-1; Montgomery 1-0
Clev-Min: Salazar 1-1; Gibson 1-1
LA-Hst: Chavez 1-1; Morton 1-1
Tex-A’s: Griffin 2-0; Cotton 1-1

Interleague
Mia-Sea: Koehler 1-1; Miranda 1-1

Pitchers allowing a run in first inning:
National League
Pitt-StL: Nova 0-2; Lynn 0-2
SD-Atl: Weaver 0-2; Garcia 0-2
Mil-Chi: Anderson 0-2; Lackey 2-2
Az-LA: Ray 0-2; McCarthy 0-2

American League
TB-Bos: Snell 0-2; Wright 2-2
Chi-NY: Holland 0-2; Montgomery 1-1
Clev-Min: Salazar 1-2; Gibson 0-2
LA-Hst: Chavez 0-2; Morton 0-2
Tex-A’s: Griffin 0-2; Cotton 0-2

Interleague
Mia-Sea: Koehler 1-2; Miranda 2-2

_________________________

Umpires
National League
.

American League

Interleague

Teams’ records in first five innings:
Team (road-home-total)- thru 4/16/17

Ariz 2-4………….2-2-3…….4-6-3
Atl 1-6-1………..2-0-1…….3-6-1
Cubs 4-2………….4-1-1……..8-3-1
Reds 5-1-1……….1-3-1……..6-4-2
Colo 5-3…………1-3-2……..6-6-2
LA 3-3-1………..4-2………7-5-1
Miami 3-3-1………..5-0………8-3
Milw 4-1-1………..2-5………6-6-1
Mets 2-4…………3-3-2……..5-7-2
Philly 2-1-2………..4-3………6-4-2
Pitt 1-3-2………..2-4………3-7-2
St. Louis 1-5…………3-2-1……..4-7-1
SD 3-5-2…………2-1……..5-6-2
SF 4-2-2…………2-4……..6-6-2
Wash 1-2…………..5-4………..6-6

Orioles 4-1-1……….3-2……..…7-3-1
Boston 1-3…………2-4-2………3-7-2
White Sox 2-2-2………2-2-1………4-4-3
Cleveland 1-4-1………1-4-1………2-8-2
Detroit 3-2…………..5-2………….8-4
Astros 0-4-1………3-3-1………3-7-2
KC 2-3-1………..3-2-1……..5-5-2
Angels 2-3-2………..2-4………..4-7-2
Twins 2-3-1………4-0-2……….6-3-3
NYY 3-3…………..5-1………….8-4
A’s 2-3-1………2-2-2………4-5-3
Seattle 2-4-1………..4-1-1……..6-5-2
TB 4-1-1………..5-2……….9-3-1
Texas 4-1-1………..4-2………..8-3-1
Toronto 1-5…………..0-5-1…….1-10-1

%age of times teams score in first inning (road/home/total-4/16/17)
Ariz 1-6……..1-7…………2
Atl 1-8……..1-3…………2
Cubs 1-6……..2-6…………3
Reds 1-6……..1-6…………2
Colo 1-7……..2-6…………3
LA 2-6……..2-7…………4
Miami 2-6……..4-6…………6
Milw 2-6……..1-7…………3
Mets 3-7……..2-6………….5
Philly 3-6……..2-6………….5
Pitt 1-6……..0-6…………1
StL 3-6……..2-6…………5
SD 4-9……..2-3…………6
SF 1-7……..2-7…………3
Wash 1-3……..3-9…………4

Orioles 1-5……..1-5…………2
Boston 0-4……..0-7…………0
White Sox 1-5…….3-5…………4
Clev 2-6……..3-5…………5
Detroit 0-4……..3-7…………3
Astros 2-5……..3-7…………5
KC 0-6……..3-4…………3
Angels 2-6……..1-6…………3
Twins 1-6……..1-5…………2
NYY 1-6……..3-5…………4
A’s 0-6……..1-6…………1
Seattle 2-7……..1-5…………3
TB 1-5………3-7…………4
Texas 2-5……..2-6…………4
Toronto 2-6……..1-5………….3

Interleague play
NL @ AL– 4-2 AL, favorites +$15
AL @ NL– 3-0 NL, favorites -$208
Total: 5-4 NL, favorites -$193
Totals in interleague games
NL @ AL– Over 0-6
AL @ NL– Over 2-1
Total– Over 2-7

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MLB

Monday, April 17

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trend Report
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11:05 AM
TAMPA BAY vs. BOSTON
Tampa Bay is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Tampa Bay's last 6 games on the road
Boston is 7-2 SU in its last 9 games when playing at home against Tampa Bay
Boston is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games

7:05 PM
CHI WHITE SOX vs. NY YANKEES
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Chi White Sox's last 7 games on the road
Chi White Sox are 4-1 SU in their last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 6 of NY Yankees's last 9 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of NY Yankees's last 6 games when playing Chi White Sox

7:15 PM
PITTSBURGH vs. ST. LOUIS
Pittsburgh is 7-13-1 SU in its last 21 games ,
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Pittsburgh's last 7 games when playing on the road against St. Louis
St. Louis is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games at home
St. Louis is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Pittsburgh

7:35 PM
SAN DIEGO vs. ATLANTA
San Diego is 3-13 SU in its last 16 games on the road
San Diego is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Atlanta
Atlanta is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing San Diego
Atlanta is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games

8:05 PM
MILWAUKEE vs. CHI CUBS
Milwaukee is 4-12 SU in their last 16 games when playing on the road against Chi Cubs
Milwaukee is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games on the road
Chi Cubs are 3-6 SU in their last 9 games when playing Milwaukee
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Chi Cubs's last 6 games

8:10 PM
LA ANGELS vs. HOUSTON
LA Angels are 1-4 SU in their last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of LA Angels's last 5 games on the road
Houston is 2-5 SU in their last 7 games when playing LA Angels
Houston is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games

8:10 PM
CLEVELAND vs. MINNESOTA
Cleveland is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
Cleveland is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing Minnesota
Minnesota is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games when playing Cleveland
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Minnesota's last 6 games when playing Cleveland

10:05 PM
TEXAS vs. OAKLAND
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Texas's last 5 games when playing on the road against Oakland
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Texas's last 7 games when playing Oakland
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Oakland's last 5 games when playing at home against Texas
Oakland is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games at home

10:10 PM
ARIZONA vs. LA DODGERS
Arizona is 11-5 SU in its last 16 games
Arizona is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of LA Dodgers's last 6 games
LA Dodgers are 6-1 SU in their last 7 games when playing at home against Arizona

10:10 PM
MIAMI vs. SEATTLE
Miami is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Seattle
Miami is 7-3 SU in its last 10 games
Seattle is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Seattle's last 6 games when playing Miami

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MLB

Monday, April 17


Weather for morning game in Boston for Marathon Day looks good. Sun, low-70's. *Alert 15-20 mph wind blowing OUT to right. TB@BOS Total: 10

[StarDust Bum]

Ball that stuck to Molina sold for $2,000 in online auction
April 17, 2017

NEW YORK (AP) Talk about some serious sticker shock!

The baseball that curiously stuck to Yadier Molina's chest protector during a game this month was sold for $2,015 in a St. Louis Cardinals online auction. There were 58 bids for the ball, and the winner was declared when the auction closed Sunday night.

By now, most fans are familiar with the bizarre play: Cardinals reliever Brett Cecil struck out pinch-hitter Matt Szczur of the Chicago Cubs on a pitch in the dirt April 6. The ball bounced up and somehow stuck to Molina's chest protector as the Gold Glove catcher looked around trying to find it. By the time he did, Szczur was safe at first base.

Major League Baseball looked into the play and determined there was no rules violation. Molina said he had no idea how Cecil's pitch clung to his equipment. He was asked after the game if he put something sticky there and dismissed it as a "dumb question."

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

Cards off to worst start in 3 decades
April 17, 2017

NEW YORK (AP) Yadier Molina reached for a ball in the dirt the other day at Yankee Stadium, the sort of pitch he usually smothers with ease using his chest protector and a square set of shoulders.

This time, though, he tried to make a backhand stab with his mitt as the ball skipped by.

Poor technique, to be frank, from an eight-time Gold Glove winner widely considered one of the greatest defensive catchers in baseball history. Molina knew it, too, and slammed his mask to the ground as he chased toward the backstop.

It's just two weeks into the season, but something seems off about the St. Louis Cardinals.

Molina is only one example. Long known for winning The Cardinal Way, St. Louis entered Monday with the worst record (3-9) in the National League and its poorest start since 1988 courtesy of shoddy play all over the diamond.

''I think it's magnified when it happens this early,'' manager Mike Matheny said. ''Rightfully so.''

For an organization that takes immense pride in attention to detail and executing properly, all the ugly miscues have been startling.

St. Louis had committed 10 errors, plunked seven batters and thrown five wild pitches through Sunday. Not to mention the 44 walks issued by a pitching staff sporting an NL-high 4.98 ERA.

The 34-year-old Molina, recently signed to a $60 million contract covering 2018-20, has permitted a passed ball in each of the past two games.

And the bullpen thus far? Yikes.

''The answer is work right now,'' Matheny said. ''We've got to work hard but work smart, making sure that we're attacking the little things that we're seeing that are keeping us from the results that we're looking for.''

The hitters have hardly been immune.

The Cardinals were batting .212 with just 42 total runs, next-to-last in both categories among NL teams. Their slugging percentage of .332 was by far the lowest in the league.

''We all know that we're going to bounce out of this funk sooner than later,'' said Matt Adams, batting .174. ''But it's believing in ourselves and believing in this team. We know that we're a good team.''

Even in mid-April with 150 games to go, it's strange to see St. Louis at the bottom of the standings. After all, this is a club that made 12 playoff appearances in 16 seasons from 2000-15 - five straight before falling one game short last year at 86-76.

But this season, a walk-off win on opening night against the World Series champion Chicago Cubs has been about the only major highlight.

Swept this past weekend by the New York Yankees, the Cardinals hoped to find their footing back home. They took an overnight flight to St. Louis to begin a three-game series Monday evening against Pittsburgh.

''The thing that I like when you have a good start is it's something that you just, you go back to. You go back to, hey, remember, this is what we do,'' Matheny said. ''We haven't seen it yet, and that's concerning. We will see it, and I think we'll see it for long periods of time. But at the beginning, especially when you have younger players, and we have some guys who haven't been around that long, they need to sense that winning expectation. ... It's amazing how powerful that is.''

A closer look at what's gone wrong:

THE FORMER ACE

Adam Wainwright is 0-3 with a 7.24 ERA and appears to be fading fast. The 35-year-old righty, losing zip on his fastball, has allowed 21 hits in 8 2/3 innings over his past two outings. He's yet to last longer than five innings in any of his three starts. ''The stuff is good. I've gotten through lineups all the way and pitched nine innings with way worse stuff than I have right now,'' Wainwright said. ''I really can't understand it. I can't explain it. I just have to keep going. I just have to know that this isn't how it's going to be.''

THE NEW GUYS

After finishing 17 + games behind the rival Cubs last year, St. Louis attempted to close the gap by signing center fielder Dexter Fowler away from Chicago for $82.5 million over five years. The leadoff man had struck out in nearly one-third of his at-bats and was hitting .143 with one extra-base hit through Sunday. Looking to boost the bullpen, the Cardinals gave free-agent lefty Brett Cecil a $30.5 million, four-year contract last November. He entered Monday with a 9.00 ERA in seven outings. ''Like they say: It's not how you start, it's how you finish,'' Fowler said.

MISSING YOU

Without much speed to speak of, the Cardinals relied on the long ball last year. They hit 225 homers, most in the NL. But then they let three players go who combined for 60 of those home runs: Brandon Moss, Matt Holliday and Jeremy Hazelbaker. Without them, St. Louis has struggled to find production at the plate. Jhonny Peralta was batting .120, Kolten Wong .148 and Randal Grichuk .182. ''We'll get it figured out,'' Matheny said.

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

With pressure on in 2017, Tigers off to another solid start
April 17, 2017

The Detroit Tigers have had their ups and downs in three-plus seasons under Brad Ausmus, but the first couple weeks of April have never been much of a problem.

The Tigers improved to 8-4 with a win at Cleveland on Sunday and took two of three in that series with the Indians. It's Detroit's fourth straight strong start to the season since Ausmus took over as manager.

In 2014, his first season at the helm, the Tigers raced out to a 27-12 mark en route to an AL Central title. The following year, they started 11-2, although that season eventually fell apart and Detroit finished last.

In 2016, the Tigers started 7-3 and were in contention for a postseason spot until the very end. They ultimately fell short of a wild card.

Ausmus recently downplayed the trend.

''I don't really care how we start, to be honest with you,'' he said. ''I just care what our record is when we're finished.''

The Tigers still have their issues. The bullpen has already been a problem, and their run differential is at minus-9. But Detroit can't worry too much about how its victories are coming. Even at this early stage, these wins are important, considering how uncertain the future is for this roster.

Detroit has made it clear it will need to cut payroll soon. J.D. Martinez and Francisco Rodriguez can become free agents after this season, and the Tigers have a team option on Ian Kinsler. If this team had started poorly, there might already be speculation about key players being traded at the deadline.

Instead, Detroit is in first place, and as long as that's the case, the Tigers can remain in win-now mode. The most encouraging sign for Detroit has been the performance of young left-handers Daniel Norris and Matthew Boyd, who have combined to go 3-1 with a 3.04 ERA in five starts.

Here are a few other developments from around baseball:

DIGGING A HOLE

While Detroit's postseason hopes are rising a bit, the Toronto Blue Jays have baseball's worst record at 2-10. It's still far too early for any panic in Toronto, but there were some similarities between the Blue Jays and Tigers coming into the season. The core of Toronto's lineup includes 34-year-old Russell Martin, 32-year-old Troy Tulowitzki and 36-year-old Jose Bautista, so time may be running out for this group, especially if things don't go well this year.

With slugger Josh Donaldson and right-hander Aaron Sanchez on the disabled list, the Blue Jays could be in trouble if this slide lasts much longer.

NAME GAME

Abbott & Costello could have had some fun with the Chicago White Sox on Friday night.

The White Sox fielded a lineup of Avisail Garcia in right field, Leury Garcia in center field and Willy Garcia in left field for their game against Minnesota. It was the first time in major league history that a team started three outfielders with the same last name.

The Garcias, who are not related, went 4 for 10 with two doubles and a walk.

HIGHLIGHT

Arizona center fielder A.J. Pollock raced back to the warning track to take an extra-base hit away from Corey Seager on Sunday, then smacked into the wall at Dodger Stadium and fell onto his back, holding onto the ball the whole time. The padded wall was actually shaking a bit after the impact.

LINE OF THE WEEK

Yoenis Cespedes, Mets, hit three home runs in the first five innings of New York's 14-4 win over Philadelphia on Tuesday night. Cespedes later added a double for good measure.

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Overall Picks of the Day:
Date W-L-T % Units Record

04/16/2017 8-12-0 40.00% -1400
04/15/2017 12-10-0 54.55% +1700
04/14/2017 9-14-0 39.13% -2375
04/13/2017 9-7-0 56.25% +1125
04/12/2017 11-8-1 57.89% +2450
04/11/2017 3-10-1 23.08% -3525
04/07/2017 19-11-0 63.33% +3610
04/06/2017 8-7-0 53.33% +300
04/05/2017 3-11-0 21.43% -3975
04/04/2017 5-8-0 38.46% -1350
04/03/2017 6-7-1 46.15% -700
04/02/2017 3-1-1 75.00% +1175


Best Bets Daily: ( DOGS AND TOTALS ONLY )
Sides / Totals

04/16/2017............4 - 2+5.20...............1 - 4 -3.40
04/15/2017............4 - 6 -0.30...............2 - 2 -0.20
04/14/2017 ...........2 - 4 -0.95...............2 - 4 - 2.00
04/13/2017............1 - 3 -0.35...............7 - 4 + 3.00
04/12/2017............4 - 1 +550...............4 - 6 - 2.00
04/11/2017............1 - 3 -1.35...............1 - 4 - 1 - 3.00
04/07/2017............5 - 1 +5.45..............6 - 0 +6.00
04/06/2017............1 - 3 - 2.00..............3 - 2 +1.00
04/05/2017............2 - 2 +0.95..............0 - 5 - 5.00
04/04/2017 ...........1 - 3 - 1.20............. 2 - 3 - 1.00
04/03/2017............0 - 3 - 3.00..............5 - 1 + 4.00
04/02/2017........... 2 - 0 + 2.15 ............1 - 2 - 1.00

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MLB
Short Sheet

Monday, April 17

Pittsburgh at St louis 7:05 PM ET
Nova: Pittsburgh is 108-73 off a win
Lynn: St Louis is 2-9 after back to back road games

San Diego at Atlanta, 7:35 PM ET
Weaver: San Diego is 7-30 on the road off 4 or more road games
Garcia: Atlanta is 20-12 after back to back wins

Milwaukee at Chicago Cubs, 8:05 PM ET
Anderson: Milwaukee is 40-31 off a win by 2 runs or less
Lackey: Chicago Cubs are 5-10 off a loss to division rival as a home favorite

Arizona at LA Dodgers, 10:10 PM ET
Ray: Arizona is 13-6 in road games after a combined score of 4 runs or less
McCarthy: 26-38 TRS when money line is -100 to -150

Tampa Bay at Boston, 11:05 AM ET
Snell: Tampa Bay is 39-61 off a loss
Wright: Boston is 46-22 after back to back games committing no errors

Chicago White Sox at NY Yankees, 7:05 PM ET
Holland: White Sox are 23-13 after a combined score of 4 or less runs
Montgomery: Yankees are 30-40 after 5 or more home games

Cleveland at Minnesota, 8:10 PM ET
Salazar: Cleveland is 12-2 on the road after back to back home games
Gibson: Minnesota is 36-71 when coming off a loss

LA Angels at Houston, 8:10 PM ET
Chavez: Angels are 20-5 UNDER after back to back games with no home runs
Morton: Houston is 49-32 Under in home games

Texas at Oakland, 10:05 PM ET
Griffin: 11-5 TRS as an underdog
Cotton: Oakland is 28-43 when playing as a favorite of -150 or less

Miami at Seattle, 10:10 PM ET
Koehler: Miami is 9-1 OVER on the road in inter-league games
Miranda: Seattle is 15-5 OVER in inter-league games

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

The A's will send electric rookie Jharel Cotton to the mound Monday night after getting bumped from Sunday due to a rain out vs. Houston.

The baseball schedule can be tough to navigate for even a seasoned baseball bettor. We break down all the betting angles for you including picks, trends, weather and analysis to help you handicap the MLB like a pro.

Double-Play Picks

Texas Rangers at Oakland Athletics (-130, 8)

The A's will send electric rookie Jharel Cotton to the mound Monday night after getting bumped from Sunday due to a rain out vs. Houston. The Rangers will counter with former A's starter A.J. Griffin.

You should expect Cotton to have a decent evening against a Rangers offense that is sputtering early in the season, hitting only .227 with 105 strikouts. Cotton is coming off a two-hit, seven-inning performance in his last outing against the Kansas City Royals.

On the other side, Griffin may not throw 98 miles per hour (far from it) but he certainly has a knack for getting hitters out. His craft approach will neutralize the power bats in the Oakland lineup, keeping them to ground balls and weak fly balls.

Pick: A's -130

Miami Marlins at Seattle Mariners (-135, 8)

The Seattle Mariners will host the Miami Marlins on Monday night for the opening game of a three-day set at Safeco Field.

The M's will send lefty Ariel Miranda (0-1) to the mound while the Marlins will counter with Tom Koehler (0-0).

The reasoning around this play is simple - when Tom Koehler starts for the Marlins, they usually lose. In fact, dating back to last season the Marlins have lost 9 of his last 10 outings. It's not that he is a bad pitcher, but he'll do his usual and give up 3 or 4 runs over 5 innings and the pen will give up 1 or 2. The next thing you know the game will be over and the Marlins will have lost another Koehler start.

Pick: Mariners -135

Record to date: 3-3


Streaking and Slumping Pitchers

Streaking: Chase Anderson, Milwaukee Brewers (1-0, 0.69 ERA, $95)

Although he draws a tough assignment today vs. the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field, Chase Anderson has been, arguably, the best pitcher in baseball through the opening two weeks of the season.

He has a pair of tremendous starts under his belt thus far in 2017 including a very impressive seven inning, three hit performance at Toronto vs. Marcus Stroman and the Blue Jays in his last outing - a 2-0 Brewers victory.

Anderson and the Brewers are big +170 dogs today at John Lackey and the Cubbies.

Slumping: Jered Weaver, San Diego Padres (0-2, 4.91 ERA, $-200)

Jered Weaver has been slumping since 2014. Why he hasn't hung up the spikes yet is baffling - but it's always nice to have a few pitchers sprinkled around the league that you can use as automatic fades.

Although he is throwing more ground balls than he has over the last couple of seasons, signing in San Diego is a strange move for a veteran pitcher just playing out the string of a mostly successful career.

Weaver and the Padres are +150 underdogs today at Atlanta.

Monday’s Top Trends

* The Atlanta Braves are 10-1 in their last 11 home games. -160 today vs Padres.
* The St. Louis Cardinals are 1-5 in Lance Lynn's last 6 home starts and 1-6 in their last 7 overall. -130 today vs. Pittsburgh.
* Under is 12-3-1 in the Minnesota Twins' last 16 games vs. a right-handed starter. Total today vs. Cleveland is 8.5.
* The Arizona Diamondbacks are 1-8 in Robbie Ray's last 9 road starts vs. a team with a winning record. +135 today @ Dodgers.

Weather To Keep An Eye On

The only real notable weather for Monday is at Yankee Stadium in The Bronx where there will be a 10-15 mile per hour wind blowing OUT to right field for the Yanks' game against the Chicago White Sox. We all know that this young Yankees' lineup can rake and a little breeze blowing OUT in the extremely hitter-friendly Yankee Stadium could have a significant impact. The total for this evening's game is set at 8.5 vs. Derek Holland and the Chicago White Sox.

UMP Of The Day

Lazaro Diaz: Laz is a interesting case when looking at umpire total results over the past several seasons. From the start of 2012 until the end of the 2015 MLB season Diaz had 122 home plate assignments. During those 122 games he racked up a very lofty 76-46 O/U record (63 percent). With pace of play being such a "hot button" issue with baseball ownership, it's pretty obvious that he was asked to expand his strike zone slightly - which resulted in an increase in Under results. Last season Diaz had a home plate Over/Under record of 12-14 and thus far in 2017 he sits at 1-2 O/U. Laz Diaz will be calling balls and strikes tonight in Los Angeles where the Arizona Diamondbacks will be in town to take on the Dodgers. The total is currently set at 7.

[StarDust Bum]

MONDAY, APRIL 17

GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

PIT at STL 07:05 PM

PIT +100

U 8.0

CHW at NYY 07:05 PM

CHW +150

O 8.5

SD at ATL 07:35 PM

SD +135

U 8.5

MIL at CHC 08:05 PM

O 7.0

CLE at MIN 08:10 PM

MIN +130

U 8.5

LAA at HOU 08:10 PM

U 8.5

TEX at OAK 10:05 PM

U 8.0

ARI at LAD 10:10 PM

ARI +135

O 7.5

MIA at SEA 10:10 PM

MIA +130

U 8.5

[StarDust Bum]

MLB roundup: Yankees win eighth straight
April 17, 2017

NEW YORK -- Jordan Montgomery took a shutout into the seventh inning, and Matt Holliday and Aaron Judge hit long home runs as the New York Yankees ran their winning streak to eight games with a 7-4 victory over Chicago White Sox on Monday night.

Montgomery (1-0) allowed a three-run home run to Yolmer Sanchez in the seventh among seven hits in six-plus innings. The left-hander threw 88 pitches and helped the Yankees win eight straight for the first time since June 8-18, 2012.

Holliday hit a 459-foot home run in a five-run third off Derek Holland (1-2), and Judge knocked the left-hander out with a 385-foot home run in the fifth. The Yankees (9-4) have their best 13-game start since 2010, and they improved to 7-0 at home for the first time since 1998.

Red Sox 4, Rays 3

BOSTON -- Steven Wright threw six innings of three-run ball, and Boston scored three runs in the second to beat Tampa Bay. Wright (1-1) allowed just one earned run, nine hits and a walk with four strikeouts.

Andrew Benintendi was 3-for-4 with two RBIs, and both Hanley Ramirez and Mookie Betts drove in runs for the Red Sox. Craig Kimbrel got his sixth save, running his streak to 25 consecutive save chances converted.

Steven Souza Jr. (2-for-4) drove in two runs and Brad Miller (1-for-4) added an RBI for the Rays, who have lost seven of their past eight against Boston and six of their past seven games overall.

Cardinal 2, Pirates 1

ST. LOUIS -- Lance Lynn outdueled Ivan Nova, and Kolten Wong hit his first homer of the season to help St. Louis end its three-game losing streak. The Pirates lost for the first time in four games.

Lynn (1-1) gave up just three hits, struck out five, walked one and hit two batters over seven innings.

Trevor Rosenthal worked a perfect eighth inning before Seung Hwan Oh pitched the ninth, earning the Cardinals' first save of the season despite allowing an RBI single by pinch hitter Gregory Polanco that pulled the Pirates within 2-1.

Braves 5, Padres 4

ATLANTA -- Dansby Swanson looped a bases-loaded, two-out single to left in the ninth inning to drive in the winning run for Atlanta, which swept the four-game series and has won five straight overall. Swanson delivered the game-winning hit against reliever Brandon Maurer.

The Padres grabbed a 4-3 lead in the eighth inning when Austin Hedges hit a two-run opposite-field homer, his second, to right against reliever Arodys Vizcaino.

But Atlanta evened the score at 4-4 in the bottom half of the eighth on Freddie Freeman's solo homer off reliever Ryan Buchter. Freeman went 4-for-4 with two homers, two doubles and three RBIs.

Astros 3, Angels 0

HOUSTON -- Houston extended its winning streak to five games with the help of Alex Bregman, who was filling in at shortstop for Carlos Correa and finished 2-for-3 with an RBI. Charlie Morton (1-1) recorded his first victory with the Astros.

Jose Altuve added a sacrifice fly in the third inning and an RBI double in the eighth.

The Angels dropped their sixth consecutive game and second in succession via shutout. They wasted a strong start from right-hander Jesse Chavez (1-2), who allowed two runs, seven hits and two walks with five strikeouts in seven innings.

Indians 3, Twins 1

MINNEAPOLIS -- Michael Brantley hit a solo home run and drove in two runs in support of Cleveland starter Danny Salazar, who gave up seven hits and walked two batters in six innings but allowed only one run.

Jose Ramirez added two hits for Cleveland, and Francisco Lindor ran his hitting streak to 11 games. Cody Allen gave up two hits in the ninth and walked Miguel Sano to load the bases, but he got Joe Mauer to fly out to record his third save in as many chances.

Kyle Gibson (0-2) pitched 5 1/3 innings for Minnesota, giving up three runs on eight hits.

Brewers 6, Cubs 3

CHICAGO -- Milwaukee homered for the ninth consecutive game, as three Brewers went deep in the victory at frigid Wrigley Field. The loss was the fourth straight for Chicago, while the Brewers won their second straight and sixth in seven games.

Behind blasts from Ryan Braun (who went 3-for-4), Jett Bandy and Eric Thames, the Brewers increased their major-league-leading total to 25 home runs in 14 games. Thames leads the majors with seven homers.

Cubs starter John Lackey (1-2) gave up all three homers.

[StarDust Bum]

Tuesday’s six-pack

Six batters who have come to bat with most men on base this season, and %age of those runners they knocked in:

6) Christian Yelich 41 (14.6%)

T4) Carlos Santana 42 (19.0%)

T4) Kris Bryant 42 (11.9%)

3) Carlos Correa 43 (4.7%)

2) Robinson Cano 44 (15.9%)

1) Pablo Sandoval 46 (13.0%)

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Tuesday’s List of 13: Nobody asked me, but…….

13) They ran the Boston Marathon Monday; I’m thinking it isn’t healthy to run 26 miles.

A marathon is an event that was established “…….in commemoration of the fabled run of the Greek soldier Pheidippides, a messenger from the Battle of Marathon to Athens, who reported the victory.”

Unfortunately for Pheidippides, as soon as he reported the victory, he collapsed and dropped dead. Like I said, running 26 miles at once might not be good for you.

12) That said, it does take serious onions to run that far; it is demanding, both physically, mentally. Monday, a retired Marine who lost the lower part of his left leg by stepping on an IED in Afghanistan in 2011. ran on his prosthetic leg while carrying a large American flag for the entire 26.2-mile race, finishing in 5:46:13.

That is one tough human.

11) I’m probably not the best person to discuss running; if I drive 26 miles, I’m looking for the drive-thru window at Wendy’s or McDonald’s.

10) Rough start to the year for my A’s; their two best pitchers (Gray/Graveman) are both hurt already, now SS Semien has a broken wrist and is done for couple months. Not like he is Ozzie Smith or anything, but unless they bring highly touted prospect Franklin Barreto up from AAA, best they can do is move Lowrie back to SS and bring a 2B up from Nashville. Oy.

9) Toronto 4, Washington 3 OT— All three series games have gone OT, second time in Washington’s franchise history that has happened. Caps are 1-5 in those six games.

8) Cole Hamels has started three games for Texas this month; Rangers led all three games after the fifth inning. Texas bullpen, however, has allowed 14 runs in 9.2 innings in those games and Texas lost all three.

7) A 17-year old basketball prospect named Kevin Knox was offered $1.4M to play basketball for a Chinese pro team next year, but declined the offer. He’ll announce his college choice next week; most of top programs are involved.

6) Angel Hernandez is a bad umpire; he just is. You watch him work the plate and there is always a lot of crabbing by players during his games there.

5) Carlos Martínez pitched for the Cardinals in the Bronx Saturday; he lost 3-2. Martinez faced 30 batters; 19 of them either walked (8) or struck out (11).

Martinez threw 118 pitches, 25 were called strikes, 19 were swinging strikes, 16 were fouled off, 47 were balls and 11 were put in play. Of the 11 balls put in play, four were hits. Very odd line for him.

4) Brewers 6, Cubs 3— World Champs have lost four in row, are 6-7 overall, 2-5 at home.

3) Cavaliers 117, Pacers 111— Indiana was down 18 after three quarters, but covered thru the backdoor. Kevin Love was +!7; Cavaliers were -11 with him off the floor.

As I type this, Spurs are up 56-30 over Memphis. Not a lot of competition there.

2) NFL schedule gets released Thursday night, the draft is next week. It is freakin’ April, but the NFL has an amazing ability to stay in the news.

1— Utah Jazz have a problem, with Rudy Gobert out for Game 2 with the Clippers, but this year, Jazz are +102 with Derrick Favors on the floor, if they didn’t play the night before. When they played the night before, Favors was -45. No back/backs in the playoffs, good for Utah.