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[StarDust Bum]

Sunday’s games
National League

Nationals @ Cubs
Fedde allowed seven runs in four IP (87 PT) in his first MLB start— Nationals’ first 5-inning record with him: 0-1

Lester is 3-0, 2.77 in his last four starts (under 3-1). Cubs are 8-5 in his home starts— their first 5-inning record with him: 14-9

Nationals are 3-5 in last eight games; under is 8-3 in their last 11 road games. Cubs are 7-4 in last 11 games; under is 6-3 in their last nine games.

Cardinals @ Reds
Wainwright is 2-0, 2.70 in his last three starts; under is 4-1-1 in his last six. St Louis is 5-4 in his road starts— their first 5-inning record with him: 10-6-4

Bailey is 1-3, 7.36 in his last four starts (over 3-1); Reds are 0-3 in his home starts— their first 5-inning record with him: 3-5

Cardinals lost four of last seven road games; under is 6-1 in their last seven road games. Cincinnati won four of last six games; under is 6-1 in their last seven home games.

Padres @ Pirates
Richard is 0-4, 9.26 in his last four starts; over is 5-2 in his last seven starts. San Diego is 3-7 in his road starts— their first 5-inning record with him: 7-15

Taillon is 1-3, 12.46 in his last four starts; under is 6-2 in his last eight. Pirates are 3-5 in his home starts— their first 5-inning record with him: 7-8

Padres won six of last eight games; over is 6-3 in their last nine road games. Pittsburgh lost seven of last nine games; under is 19-4 in their last 23 home games.

Dodgers @ Mets
Ryu is 0-0, 2.38 in his last four starts; over is 6-3 in his last nine. Dodgers are 1-6 in his road starts— their first 5-inning record with him: 7-8

Matz is 0-3, 11.57 in his last five starts; over is 3-1 in his last four. New York is 1-2 in his home starts— their first 5-inning record with him: 3-7

Dodgers won 12 of last 13 games; under is 5-2 in their last seven. Mets lost eight of last ten games; under is 3-2 in their last five games.

Marlins @ Braves
Urena is 2-1, 3.32 in his last three starts; under is 6-2-1 in his last nine. Miami is 7-1 in his road starts— their first 5-inning record with him: 11-6

Sims allowed three runs in six IP (92 PT) in his MLB debut, against the Dodgers. Atlanta’s first 5-inning record with him: 0-1

Marlins won six of last ten games; over is 7-5 in their last 12. Atlanta lost seven of last ten games; under is 7-2 in their last nine home games.

Phillies @ Rockies
Nola is 5-2, 1.66 in his last eight starts; under is 5-1 in his last six. Philly is 3-6 in his road starts— their first 5-inning record with him: 8-9

Hoffman is 0-2, 11.08 in his last three starts; over is 3-1 in his last four starts. Colorado is 3-4 in his home starts— their first 5-inning record with him: 7-6

Phillies lost their last four games; under is 6-4 in their last ten road games. Colorado won nine of last 11 home games; over is 7-3 in their last ten.

Diamondbacks @ Giants
Corbin is 2-1, 5.49 in his last three starts; over is 5-1-1 in his last seven. Arizona is 3-8 in his road starts— their first 5-inning record with him: 10-12

Samardzija is 2-0, 3.00 in his last two starts; over is 3-1-1 in his last five. Giants are 4-6 in his home starts— their first 5-inning record with him: 4-12-6

Arizona is 5-4 in its last nine games; under is 4-3-1 in their last eight. Giants lost five of last eight games; over is 5-1 in their last six.

——————————–

American League
Tigers @ Orioles
Sanchez is 3-1, 5.14 in his last five starts (over 4-4). Detroit is 2-2 in his road starts— their first 5-inning record with him: 5-2-1

Jimenez is 0-3, 6.14 in his last four starts; under is 5-2 in his last seven. Orioles are 5-3 in his home starts— their first 5-inning record with him: 6-9-2

Tigers are 6-2 in last eight games; over is 10-7-1 in their last 18 road games. Baltimore is 12-7 in last 19 games; under is 6-2 in their last eight games.

New York @ Cleveland
Severino is 3-0, 1.36 in his last four starts; over is 11-6 in his last 17 starts. New York is 5-6 in his road starts— their first 5-inning record with him: 11-7-3

Carrasco is 0-1, 6.10 in his last four starts; over is 4-1 in his last five. Indians are 7-2 in his home starts— their first 5-inning record with him: 14-6-1

New York lost four of its last five games- eight of their last nine games stayed under. Cleveland won 11 of its last 15 games; under is 5-1 in their last six.

White Sox @ Red Sox
Pelfrey is 0-5, 6.95 in his last seven starts; under is 3-1 in his last four. Chicago is 3-5 in his road starts— their first 5-inning record with him: 7-8-2

Fister is 1-3, 6.75 in five starts this season (under 3-2). Boston is 1-2 in his home starts— their first 5-inning record with him: 1-4

White Sox are 3-18 since All-Star break; over is 5-4 in their last nine games. Boston won five of last seven games; under is 16-5-1 in last 22 games at Fenway Park.

Mariners @ Royals
Ramirez allowed three runs in 3.1 IP (58 PT) in his first start for Seattle. Mariners’ first 5-inning record with him: 1-0……..Gonzales is making his first start for Seattle; he allowed five runs in 3.1 IP in his only ’17 start, for St Louis and was 8-4, 3.20 in 13 AAA starts this year.

Kennedy is 1-1, 5.40 in his last five starts; over is 11-4-1 in his last 16 starts. Royals are 4-5 in his home starts— their first 5-inning record with him: 6-11-3……..Duffy is 2-0, 2.95 in his last three starts; under is 4-1 in his last five. Royals are 4-3 in his home starts— their first 5-inning record with him: 6-7-4

Mariners won nine of last 12 road games; under is 9-4 in their last 13 road games. Royals lost five of last seven games; five of their last six games stayed under.

Blue Jays @ Astros
Stroman is 2-0, 2.27 in his last five starts; under is 7-3-1 in his last 11. Toronto is 7-4 in his road starts— their first 5-inning record with him: 12-9-1

Fiers is 0-2, 7.84 in his last two starts; over is 5-2 in his last seven. Houston is 5-5 in his home starts— their first 5-inning record with him: 9-9-3

Toronto won four of last six games; over is 5-2 in their last seven. Houston lost seven of last ten games; over is 10-5 in their last 15 games.

Rangers @ Twins
Martinez is 3-1, 5.56 in his last four starts (under 7-5). Texas is 3-3 in his road starts— their first 5-inning record with him: 4-7-1

Berrios is 1-3, 6.05 in his last four starts; his last three starts stayed under. Minnesota is 5-1 inches home starts— their first 5-inning record with him: 8-5-2

Rangers lost five of last eight games; under is 6-3 in their last nine games. Minnesota lost nine of last 12 games; under is 6-3 in their last nine home games.

A’s @ Angels
Manaea is 0-1, 7.47 in his last three starts; his last five starts went over. Oakland is 4-6 in his road starts— their first 5-inning record with him: 8-6-6

Nolasco is 1-1, 2.84 in his last two starts; under is 4-2-1 in his last seven. Angels are 4-7 in his home starts— their first 5-inning record with him: 7-11-4

A’s lost four of last six games; over is 5-2 in their last seven games. Angels won six of their last seven home games; four of their last six games overall went over.

__________________________

Interleague

Brewers @ Rays
Nelson is 4-1, 3.30 in his last seven starts; under is 7-2 in his last nine. Milwaukee is 5-5 in his road starts— their first 5-inning record with him: 12-10

Archer is 1-1, 4.55 in his last five starts; over is 12-8-1 in his last 21. Rays are 7-3 in his home starts— their first 5-inning record with him: 14-4-6

Brewers are 5-3 in last eight games; under is 7-1 in their last eight games. Rays got shut out the last two nights; under is 15-6-1 in their last 22 games.

______________________________

Record with this pitcher starting:
National League
Wsh-Chi: Fedde 0-0; Lester 14-9
StL-Cin: Wainwright 12-8; Bailey 3-5
SD-Pitt: Richard 7-15; Taillon 7-8
LA-NY: Ryu 7-8; Matz 3-7
Mia-Atl: Urena 11-6; Sims 0-1
Phil-Colo: Nola 8-9; Hoffman 7-6
Az-SF: Corbin 10-12; Samardzija 9-13

American League
Det-Balt: Sanchez 5-3; Jimenez 9-8
Chi-Bos: Pelfrey 6-12; Fister 2-3
NY-Clev: Severino 12-9; Carrasco 15-6
Tor-Hst: Stroman 14-8; Fiers 12-9
Tex-Minn: Martinez 7-5; Berrios 9-6
Sea-KC: Ramirez 1-0 (6-2) Gonzales 0-0 (0-1); Kennedy 10-10 Duffy 8-9
A’s-LA: Manaea 9-11; Nolasco 6-16

Interleague
Mil-TB: Nelson 12-10; Archer 12-11

Pitchers allowing a run in first inning:
National League
Wsh-Chi: Fedde 0-0; Lester 9-23
StL-Cin: Wainwright 4-20; Bailey 6-8
SD-Pitt: Richard 7-22; Taillon 3-15
LA-NY: Ryu 7-15; Matz 4-10
Mia-Atl: Urena 3-17; Sims 0-1
Phil-Colo: Nola 3-17; Hoffman 5-13
Az-SF: Corbin 12-22; Samardzija 9-22

American League
Det-Balt: Sanchez 4-8; Jimenez 6-17
Chi-Bos: Pelfrey 5-18; Fister 2-5
NY-Clev: Severino 4-21; Carrasco 4-21
Tor-Hst: Stroman 4-22; Fiers 7-21
Tex-Minn: Martinez 3-12; Berrios 3-15
Sea-KC: Ramirez 6-9 Gonzales 0-1; Kennedy 4-20 Duffy 3-17
A’s-LA: Manaea 6-20; Nolasco 9-22

Interleague
Mil-TB: Nelson 3-22; Archer 5-23

_________________________

Umpires
National League
Wsh-Chi: Under is 5-2 in last seven Carapazza games.
StL-Cin: Home team won both Additon games this year.
SD-Pitt: Five of last seven HGibson games went over.
LA-NY: Last four Timmons games stayed under the total.
Mia-Atl: Under is 4-0-1 in last five Miller games.
Phil-Colo: Last three Torres games stayed under.
Az-SF: Under is 9-3 in last dozen O’Nora games.

American League
Det-Balt: Last four Ortiz games stayed under the total.
Chi-Bos: Under is 11-2 in last thirteen Bellino games.
NY-Clev: Road team won four of last five Tumpane games.
Tor-Hst: Five of last seven Drake games stayed under.
Tex-Minn: Under is 9-4 in last thirteen Foster games.
Sea-KC: Underdogs are 11-8 in last 19 Diaz games.
A’s-LA: Under is 6-1-1 in last eight Kulpa games.

Interleague
Mil-TB: Over is 10-6-1 in last 17 Johnson games.

Interleague play
NL @ AL– 57-44 AL, favorites -$753
AL @ NL– 58-51 NL, favorites -$401
Total: 108-102 AL, favorites -$1,154

Totals in interleague games
NL @ AL: Over 52-49-2
AL @ NL: Over 61-45-4
Total: Over 113-94-6

Teams’ records in first five innings:
Team (road-home-total)- thru 8/5/17
Ariz 21-21-15……30-15–9……….51-36
Atl 21-26-8……19-27-7………..40-53
Cubs 25-26-4……24-21-9………..49-47
Reds 18-32-5……..20-30–5……….38-62
Colo 29-21-6…….31-21-2………..60-42
LA 25-18-7…….38-16-6……….63-34
Miami 22-25-6…….27-21-7……..49-46
Milw 28-18-8…….29-21-8………56-39
Mets 24-26-3……..23-28-4………47-54
Philly 13-33-11……20-24-7……….33-57
Pitt 26-25-4…….20-26-9………46-51
St. Louis 20-25-8……31-17-9…………51-42
SD 16-31-6……..27-23–6……….43-54
SF 12-37-8……..20-27-8……….35-64
Wash 35-17-5……23-21-7………….58-38

Orioles 19-29-4……..25-27-5………44-56
Boston 21-27-7………26-27-2…….47-54
White Sox 19-31-8……..18-29–3……..37-59
Cleveland 27-20-6……..26-20-7……..52-40
Detroit 22-26-9…….25-22-5……..47-48
Astros 27-18-8……..35-19-4……..62-37
KC 18-26-8………22-21-12…….40-47
Angels 20-27-8………24-21-11………44-48
Twins 29-16-8………23-28-6……..52-43
NYY 22-30-5……….29-20-3…..…51-50
A’s 21-27-7……..23-24-10……..44-51
Seattle 18-27-8……..30-19-9……..48-46
TB 28-20-10……..32-14-7……..60-34
Texas 27-19-10……..24-22-8………51-41
Toronto 23-31-3……..18-26-8……..41-57

%age of times teams score in first inning (road/home/total- 8/5/17)
Ariz 16-55……..21-54………..36
Atl 12-55……..15-53………..27
Cubs 14-55……..20-54……….34
Reds 21-55……..21-54……….42
Colo 14-56……..19-55..……..33
LA 15-50……..22-59..……..37
Miami 23-53……..18-55………41
Milw 20-54……23-58…..…..43
Mets 23-53……..18-55……….41
Philly 16-57……..14-52……….30
Pitt 16-55……..18-55……….34
StL 12-53……..18-56………..30
SD 20-53……..17-56…………37
SF 14-57……..16-55…………30
Wash 24-57……..22-51……….46

Orioles 7-53……..18-58……….25
Boston 17-56……..12-55………29
White Sox 16-58……12-50……….28
Clev 10-53……..18-55………28
Detroit 14-57…….20-53………34
Astros 17-53……..24-57……….41
KC 11-53……..10-55………..21
Angels 21-56…….13-55………..34
Twins 12-51……..13-56……….25
NYY 13-57……..15-52………28
A’s 13-54……..19-57………32
Seattle 18-52…….20-59………38
TB 18-58……..20-54……..38
Texas 20-56……..25-53………45
Toronto 19-57……..12-54………31

[StarDust Bum]

August Best Bets Based on 5 Units Per Play

Best Bets

Date.........................Ats.................. ..........Totals................ Units Record

08/05/2017................5 - 5........+ 1.40...............10 - 2 - 1...................+ 7.80
08/04/2017................4 - 3........+ 1.70.................5 - 5 - 0....................- 0.50
08/03/2017................4 - 4........+ 1.10.................4 - 2 - 1....................+1.80
08/02/2017................2 - 0........+ 2.90.................5 - 6 - 1......................-1.60
08/01/2017................0 - 1.........- 1.00.................1 - 7 - 1......................-6.60

Totals:.....................15 - 13........+ 6.10..............25 - 22 - 4...................+ 1.90

[StarDust Bum]

MLB
Dunkel

Sunday, August 6


Milwaukee @ Tampa Bay

Game 929-930
August 6, 2017 @ 1:10 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Milwaukee
(Nelson) 13.662
Tampa Bay
(Archer) 16.479
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Tampa Bay
by 3
7
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Tampa Bay
-135
7 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Tampa Bay
(-135); Under

Oakland @ LA Angels

Game 927-928
August 6, 2017 @ 3:35 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Oakland
(Manaea) 16.680
LA Angels
(Nolasco) 13.213
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Oakland
by 3 1/2
11
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
LA Angels
-135
9
Dunkel Pick:
Oakland
(+115); Over

Seattle @ Kansas City

Game 925-926
August 6, 2017 @ 2:15 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Seattle
(Gnzales) 15.922
Kansas City
(Duff) 14.531
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Seattle
by 1 1/2
9
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Kansas City
-130
9 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Seattle
(+110); Under

Texas @ Minnesota

Game 923-924
August 6, 2017 @ 2:10 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Texas
(Mrtinez) 12.279
Minnesota
(Berrios) 15.689
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Minnesota
by 3 1/2
11
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Minnesota
-140
9 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Minnesota
(-140); Over

Toronto @ Houston

Game 921-922
August 6, 2017 @ 2:10 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Toronto
(Stroman) 14.144
Houston
(Fiers) 15.603
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Houston
by 1 1/2
7
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Houston
-115
9
Dunkel Pick:
Houston
(-115); Under

Chicago White Sox @ Boston

Game 919-920
August 6, 2017 @ 1:35 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Chicago White Sox
(Pelfrey) 13.586
Boston
(Fister) 16.353
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Boston
by 3
9
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Boston
-220
10 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Boston
(-220); Under

Detroit @ Baltimore

Game 917-918
August 6, 2017 @ 1:35 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Detroit
(Sanchez) 15.260
Baltimore
(Jimenez) 16.413
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Baltimore
by 2
12
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Baltimore
-130
11
Dunkel Pick:
Baltimore
(-130); Over

NY Yankees @ Cleveland

Game 915-916
August 6, 2017 @ 1:10 pm

Dunkel Rating:
NY Yankees
(Severino) 15.083
Cleveland
(Carrasco) 15.913
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Cleveland
by 1
7
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Cleveland
-120
8
Dunkel Pick:
Cleveland
(-120); Under

Arizona @ San Francisco

Game 913-914
August 6, 2017 @ 4:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Arizona
(Corbin) 14.392
San Francisco
(Smrdzja) 17.517
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
San Francisco
by 3
9
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
San Francisco
-120
8
Dunkel Pick:
San Francisco
(-120); Over

Philadelphia @ Colorado

Game 911-912
August 6, 2017 @ 3:10 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Philadelphia
(Nola) 16.699
Colorado
(Hoffman) 13.512
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Philadelphia
by 3
9
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Colorado
-115
11
Dunkel Pick:
Philadelphia
(-105); Under

Washington @ Chicago Cubs

Game 909-910
August 6, 2017 @ 2:20 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Washington
(Fedde) 17.145
Chicago Cubs
(Lester) 14.078
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Washington
by 3
10
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Chicago Cubs
-200
No Total
Dunkel Pick:
Washington
(+170); N/A

Miami @ Atlanta

Game 907-908
August 6, 2017 @ 1:35 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Miami
(Urena) 15.108
Atlanta
(Sims) 16.184
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Atlanta
by 1
9
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Atlanta
-120
9 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Atlanta
(-120); Under

San Diego @ Pittsburgh

Game 905-906
August 6, 2017 @ 1:35 pm

Dunkel Rating:
San Diego
(Richard) 15.001
Pittsburgh
13.914
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
San Diego
by 1
9
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Pittsburgh
-175
8 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
San Diego
(+155); Over

LA Dodgers @ NY Mets

Game 903-904
August 6, 2017 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
LA Dodgers
(Ryu) 16.603
NY Mets
(Matz) 14.240
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
LA Dodgers
by 2 1/2
8
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
LA Dodgers
-175
9 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
LA Dodgers
(-175); Under

St. Louis @ Cincinnati

Game 901-902
August 6, 2017 @ 1:10 pm

Dunkel Rating:
St. Louis
(Wnwrght) 15.563
Cincinnati
(Bailey) 14.147
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
St. Louis
by 1 1/2
11
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
St. Louis
-130
9 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
St. Louis
(-130); Over

[StarDust Bum]

MLB
Long Sheet

Sunday, August 6

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

ST LOUIS (54 - 56) at CINCINNATI (45 - 65) - 1:10 PM
ADAM WAINWRIGHT (R) vs. HOMER BAILEY (R)
Top Trends for this game.
ST LOUIS is 54-56 (-9.6 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
ST LOUIS is 19-28 (-14.7 Units) against the money line against division opponents this season.
ST LOUIS is 40-45 (-12.0 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
ST LOUIS is 67-71 (-20.2 Units) against the money line after a win over the last 2 seasons.
CINCINNATI is 55-62 (+9.4 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
WAINWRIGHT is 181-105 (+39.9 Units) against the money line in all games since 1997. (Team's Record)
WAINWRIGHT is 47-27 (+20.2 Units) against the money line on the road when the money line is +125 to -125 since 1997. (Team's Record)
WAINWRIGHT is 87-54 (+25.7 Units) against the money line in road games since 1997. (Team's Record)
WAINWRIGHT is 45-21 (+20.2 Units) against the money line in road games against division opponents since 1997. (Team's Record)
CINCINNATI is 120-146 (-48.0 Units) against the money line in home games when playing on Sunday since 1997.
CINCINNATI is 397-364 (-84.7 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a losing record since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
CINCINNATI is 8-4 (+6.1 Units) against ST LOUIS this season
6 of 11 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+0.5 Units)

ADAM WAINWRIGHT vs. CINCINNATI since 1997
WAINWRIGHT is 9-11 when starting against CINCINNATI with an ERA of 5.12 and a WHIP of 1.352.
His team's record is 11-12 (-5.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 9-12. (-4.6 units)

HOMER BAILEY vs. ST LOUIS since 1997
BAILEY is 6-11 when starting against ST LOUIS with an ERA of 5.13 and a WHIP of 1.544.
His team's record is 6-15 (-9.8 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 10-10. (-1.6 units)

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LA DODGERS (78 - 32) at NY METS (49 - 59) - 8:00 PM
HYUN-JIN RYU (L) vs. STEVEN MATZ (L)
Top Trends for this game.
LA DODGERS are 110-110 (-34.6 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 3 seasons.
LA DODGERS are 72-80 (-34.8 Units) against the money line in road games in night games over the last 3 seasons.
LA DODGERS are 78-32 (+29.7 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
LA DODGERS are 55-22 (+21.8 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
LA DODGERS are 30-9 (+15.3 Units) against the money line after 3 or more consecutive wins this season.
LA DODGERS are 40-12 (+19.7 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
RYU is 27-8 (+16.4 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record since 1997. (Team's Record)
NY METS are 49-59 (-17.9 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
NY METS are 25-30 (-14.2 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
NY METS are 25-34 (-12.4 Units) against the money line after a loss this season.
NY METS are 10-27 (-18.1 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
NY METS are 197-241 (-62.0 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
LA DODGERS is 6-0 (+6.0 Units) against NY METS this season
5 of 6 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+4.0 Units)

HYUN-JIN RYU vs. NY METS since 1997
RYU is 2-0 when starting against NY METS with an ERA of 2.16 and a WHIP of 1.160.
His team's record is 4-0 (+4.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-1. (+0.0 units)

STEVEN MATZ vs. LA DODGERS since 1997
MATZ is 2-1 when starting against LA DODGERS with an ERA of 3.13 and a WHIP of 1.174.
His team's record is 2-2 (+0.4 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-2. (-0.1 units)

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SAN DIEGO (49 - 60) at PITTSBURGH (53 - 57) - 1:35 PM
CLAYTON RICHARD (L) vs. JAMESON TAILLON (R)
Top Trends for this game.
SAN DIEGO is 46-86 (-31.7 Units) against the money line in day games over the last 3 seasons.
TAILLON is 14-3 (+10.6 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
SAN DIEGO is 49-60 (+2.5 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
SAN DIEGO is 30-24 (+11.2 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
PITTSBURGH is 67-68 (-18.0 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 25-32 (-9.7 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
SAN DIEGO is 3-2 (+1.8 Units) against PITTSBURGH this season
4 of 5 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+3.0 Units)

CLAYTON RICHARD vs. PITTSBURGH since 1997
RICHARD is 1-2 when starting against PITTSBURGH with an ERA of 1.96 and a WHIP of 1.304.
His team's record is 2-2 (-0.2 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-3. (-2.1 units)

JAMESON TAILLON vs. SAN DIEGO since 1997
TAILLON is 1-0 when starting against SAN DIEGO with an ERA of 0.00 and a WHIP of 0.625.
His team's record is 1-0 (+1.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-1. (-1.3 units)

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MIAMI (51 - 57) at ATLANTA (51 - 58) - 1:35 PM
JOSE URENA (R) vs. LUCAS SIMS (R)
Top Trends for this game.
MIAMI is 49-101 (-41.1 Units) against the money line in road games in day games since 1997.
ATLANTA is 51-58 (+4.3 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
ATLANTA is 28-20 (+12.6 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 this season.
ATLANTA is 19-12 (+8.8 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 9 to 9.5 this season.
ATLANTA is 94-110 (+13.3 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 57-61 (+12.6 Units) against the money line after a win over the last 2 seasons.
MIAMI is 25-17 (+10.0 Units) against the money line when playing on Sunday over the last 2 seasons.
URENA is 7-1 (+8.6 Units) against the money line in road games this season. (Team's Record)
URENA is 6-1 (+7.6 Units) against the money line in road games after a loss this season. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
ATLANTA is 7-3 (+4.3 Units) against MIAMI this season
5 of 9 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+0.5 Units)

JOSE URENA vs. ATLANTA since 1997
URENA is 0-2 when starting against ATLANTA with an ERA of 7.41 and a WHIP of 1.529.
His team's record is 0-4 (-4.7 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-2. (-1.4 units)

LUCAS SIMS vs. MIAMI since 1997
No recent starts.

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WASHINGTON (64 - 44) at CHICAGO CUBS (58 - 51) - 2:20 PM
ERICK FEDDE (R) vs. JON LESTER (L)
Top Trends for this game.
WASHINGTON is 20-23 (-15.1 Units) against the money line in day games this season.
WASHINGTON is 42-58 (-26.8 Units) against the money line in road games after a loss over the last 3 seasons.
CHICAGO CUBS are 58-51 (-16.1 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
CHICAGO CUBS are 29-25 (-12.5 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
CHICAGO CUBS are 262-314 (-66.2 Units) against the money line in August games since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 25-26 (-15.1 Units) against the money line in day games this season.
CHICAGO CUBS are 40-44 (-25.7 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
CHICAGO CUBS are 29-28 (-11.4 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
CHICAGO CUBS are 20-25 (-12.1 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
LESTER is 4-9 (-9.5 Units) against the money line when playing on Sunday over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
CHICAGO CUBS is 3-3 (-0.3 Units) against WASHINGTON this season
4 of 5 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+2.9 Units)

ERICK FEDDE vs. CHICAGO CUBS since 1997
No recent starts.

JON LESTER vs. WASHINGTON since 1997
LESTER is 2-1 when starting against WASHINGTON with an ERA of 2.53 and a WHIP of 1.125.
His team's record is 3-2 (+0.4 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-3. (-1.3 units)

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PHILADELPHIA (39 - 69) at COLORADO (64 - 47) - 3:10 PM
AARON NOLA (R) vs. JEFF HOFFMAN (R)
Top Trends for this game.
PHILADELPHIA is 39-69 (-21.7 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 16-41 (-17.2 Units) against the money line in road games this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 27-53 (-21.6 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 20-49 (-23.4 Units) against the money line after a loss this season.
COLORADO is 64-47 (+17.8 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
COLORADO is 18-8 (+10.4 Units) against the money line at home when the money line is +125 to -125 this season.
COLORADO is 35-20 (+12.0 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
COLORADO is 38-29 (+14.0 Units) against the money line when playing on Sunday over the last 3 seasons.
COLORADO is 28-13 (+15.4 Units) against the money line in day games this season.
COLORADO is 44-35 (+6.3 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
COLORADO is 36-27 (+9.4 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 392-349 (+49.6 Units) against the money line on the road when the money line is +125 to -125 since 1997.
PHILADELPHIA is 387-435 (+49.1 Units) against the money line in road games when playing against a team with a winning record since 1997.
PHILADELPHIA is 429-430 (+43.2 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
COLORADO is 5-1 (+4.0 Units) against PHILADELPHIA this season
3 of 5 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+0.8 Units)

AARON NOLA vs. COLORADO since 1997
No recent starts.

JEFF HOFFMAN vs. PHILADELPHIA since 1997
HOFFMAN is 1-0 when starting against PHILADELPHIA with an ERA of 1.29 and a WHIP of 0.429.
His team's record is 1-0 (+1.1 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-0. (+1.0 units)

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ARIZONA (63 - 47) at SAN FRANCISCO (43 - 69) - 4:05 PM
PAT CORBIN (L) vs. JEFF SAMARDZIJA (R)
Top Trends for this game.
SAN FRANCISCO is 276-183 (+55.2 Units) against the money line in home games against left-handed starters since 1997.
ARIZONA is 63-47 (+14.4 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
ARIZONA is 51-34 (+14.3 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
ARIZONA is 126-87 (+30.3 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 3 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 43-69 (-30.3 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 44-53 (-19.6 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 2 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 24-31 (-11.8 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 5-13 (-10.3 Units) against the money line when playing on Sunday this season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 18-31 (-16.1 Units) against the money line against division opponents this season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 14-26 (-14.6 Units) against the money line in day games this season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 14-28 (-16.6 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
SAMARDZIJA is 24-31 (-14.6 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
SAMARDZIJA is 12-31 (-21.0 Units) against the money line at home when the money line is +125 to -125 since 1997. (Team's Record)
SAMARDZIJA is 17-23 (-14.1 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
SAMARDZIJA is 10-21 (-12.8 Units) against the money line in August games since 1997. (Team's Record)
SAMARDZIJA is 29-47 (-21.5 Units) against the money line in day games since 1997. (Team's Record)
SAMARDZIJA is 32-45 (-20.9 Units) against the money line after a win since 1997. (Team's Record)
SAMARDZIJA is 7-17 (-11.1 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
ARIZONA is 5-4 (+1.5 Units) against SAN FRANCISCO this season
5 of 9 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+0.7 Units)

PAT CORBIN vs. SAN FRANCISCO since 1997
CORBIN is 4-6 when starting against SAN FRANCISCO with an ERA of 3.64 and a WHIP of 1.236.
His team's record is 7-8 (-2.1 units) in these starts. The OVER is 8-7. (+0.5 units)

JEFF SAMARDZIJA vs. ARIZONA since 1997
SAMARDZIJA is 2-3 when starting against ARIZONA with an ERA of 4.50 and a WHIP of 1.431.
His team's record is 3-6 (-3.7 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 3-6. (-3.6 units)

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NY YANKEES (58 - 51) at CLEVELAND (59 - 49) - 1:10 PM
LUIS SEVERINO (R) vs. CARLOS CARRASCO (R)
Top Trends for this game.
NY YANKEES are 14-24 (-10.9 Units) against the money line on the road when the money line is +125 to -125 this season.
NY YANKEES are 8-18 (-11.7 Units) against the money line on the road when the total is 8 to 8.5 this season.
NY YANKEES are 9-17 (-9.2 Units) against the money line in road games after a win this season.
SEVERINO is 4-10 (-8.9 Units) against the money line after a win over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
CLEVELAND is 81-44 (+18.7 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 2 seasons.
NY YANKEES are 77-66 (+13.9 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
CLEVELAND is 59-49 (-19.6 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
CLEVELAND is 30-25 (-15.3 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
CLEVELAND is 24-23 (-12.5 Units) against the money line after a loss this season.
CARRASCO is 4-16 (-13.5 Units) against the money line at home when the money line is +125 to -125 since 1997. (Team's Record)
CARRASCO is 29-36 (-20.8 Units) against the money line in home games since 1997. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
CLEVELAND is 2-1 (+0.7 Units) against NY YANKEES this season
2 of 2 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+2.0 Units)

LUIS SEVERINO vs. CLEVELAND since 1997
SEVERINO is 1-0 when starting against CLEVELAND with an ERA of 2.25 and a WHIP of 1.250.
His team's record is 1-1 (+0.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-0. (+2.1 units)

CARLOS CARRASCO vs. NY YANKEES since 1997
CARRASCO is 3-4 when starting against NY YANKEES with an ERA of 4.00 and a WHIP of 1.244.
His team's record is 4-4 (+0.6 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 3-5. (-3.0 units)

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DETROIT (51 - 58) at BALTIMORE (54 - 56) - 1:35 PM
ANIBAL SANCHEZ (R) vs. UBALDO JIMENEZ (R)
Top Trends for this game.
DETROIT is 330-418 (-92.4 Units) against the money line on the road when the money line is +125 to -125 since 1997.
BALTIMORE is 142-130 (+11.7 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 34-23 (+9.3 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
BALTIMORE is 63-36 (+21.8 Units) against the money line in home games against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 30-23 (+7.5 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
BALTIMORE is 60-30 (+20.3 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 3 seasons.
JIMENEZ is 25-9 (+15.4 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
JIMENEZ is 23-10 (+14.6 Units) against the money line after a win over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
DETROIT is 25-16 (+14.2 Units) against the money line in road games in day games over the last 2 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 114-155 (-66.3 Units) against the money line in home games when playing on Sunday since 1997.
JIMENEZ is 42-58 (-25.5 Units) against the money line in day games since 1997. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
DETROIT is 4-2 (+2.6 Units) against BALTIMORE this season
3 of 6 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=-0.3 Units, Under=-0.2 Units)

ANIBAL SANCHEZ vs. BALTIMORE since 1997
SANCHEZ is 2-2 when starting against BALTIMORE with an ERA of 5.28 and a WHIP of 1.345.
His team's record is 3-2 (+1.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 4-0. (+4.0 units)

UBALDO JIMENEZ vs. DETROIT since 1997
JIMENEZ is 6-12 when starting against DETROIT with an ERA of 5.85 and a WHIP of 1.553.
His team's record is 9-13 (-3.1 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 11-10. (+0.1 units)

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CHI WHITE SOX (41 - 67) at BOSTON (62 - 49) - 1:35 PM
MIKE PELFREY (R) vs. DOUG FISTER (R)
Top Trends for this game.
BOSTON is 29-31 (-11.4 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
FISTER is 12-22 (-13.5 Units) against the money line after 3 or more consecutive wins since 1997. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
BOSTON is 5-1 (+3.4 Units) against CHI WHITE SOX this season
4 of 6 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+1.7 Units)

MIKE PELFREY vs. BOSTON since 1997
PELFREY is 1-1 when starting against BOSTON with an ERA of 2.61 and a WHIP of 1.065.
His team's record is 3-2 (+3.3 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-4. (-3.2 units)

DOUG FISTER vs. CHI WHITE SOX since 1997
FISTER is 3-5 when starting against CHI WHITE SOX with an ERA of 4.18 and a WHIP of 1.500.
His team's record is 4-7 (-3.5 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 5-5. (-0.5 units)

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TORONTO (52 - 58) at HOUSTON (70 - 40) - 2:10 PM
MARCUS STROMAN (R) vs. MICHAEL FIERS (R)
Top Trends for this game.
TORONTO is 52-58 (-16.1 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
TORONTO is 20-25 (-10.0 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 this season.
TORONTO is 21-31 (-15.7 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
HOUSTON is 70-40 (+15.6 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
HOUSTON is 55-25 (+22.3 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
HOUSTON is 27-11 (+11.4 Units) against the money line after a loss this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
TORONTO is 3-3 (+0.9 Units) against HOUSTON this season
4 of 5 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+2.8 Units)

MARCUS STROMAN vs. HOUSTON since 1997
STROMAN is 2-1 when starting against HOUSTON with an ERA of 3.09 and a WHIP of 1.114.
His team's record is 2-2 (-0.7 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-2. (-1.2 units)

MICHAEL FIERS vs. TORONTO since 1997
FIERS is 1-3 when starting against TORONTO with an ERA of 4.18 and a WHIP of 1.098.
His team's record is 1-3 (-2.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 2-1. (+1.0 units)

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TEXAS (53 - 57) at MINNESOTA (52 - 56) - 2:10 PM
NICK MARTINEZ (R) vs. JOSE BERRIOS (R)
Top Trends for this game.
TEXAS is 7-18 (-11.2 Units) against the money line in road games when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
TEXAS is 148-127 (+24.1 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
TEXAS is 46-46 (+21.8 Units) against the money line as a road underdog of +125 to +175 over the last 3 seasons.
TEXAS is 67-71 (+11.2 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
TEXAS is 39-22 (+16.8 Units) against the money line in August games over the last 3 seasons.
TEXAS is 113-95 (+19.4 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
TEXAS is 83-64 (+18.5 Units) against the money line after a win over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 111-159 (-31.3 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 24-33 (-12.5 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
MINNESOTA is 7-17 (-11.3 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 10 to 10.5 over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 123-145 (-42.6 Units) against the money line in home games in August games since 1997.
MINNESOTA is 8-18 (-11.6 Units) against the money line in home games in day games this season.
MINNESOTA is 16-25 (-12.3 Units) against the money line in home games against right-handed starters this season.
MINNESOTA is 62-97 (-26.3 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
MINNESOTA is 3-3 (-0.0 Units) against TEXAS this season
4 of 6 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+1.7 Units)

NICK MARTINEZ vs. MINNESOTA since 1997
MARTINEZ is 0-1 when starting against MINNESOTA with an ERA of 6.06 and a WHIP of 1.958.
His team's record is 1-2 (-1.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-2. (-1.1 units)

JOSE BERRIOS vs. TEXAS since 1997
No recent starts.

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SEATTLE (56 - 55) at KANSAS CITY (56 - 52) - 2:15 PM
MARCO GONZALES (L) vs. DANNY DUFFY (L)
Top Trends for this game.
KANSAS CITY is 56-52 (+10.9 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
KANSAS CITY is 78-52 (+25.3 Units) against the money line at home when the money line is +125 to -125 over the last 3 seasons.
KANSAS CITY is 31-24 (+8.1 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
KANSAS CITY is 21-12 (+11.1 Units) against the money line in August games over the last 2 seasons.
KANSAS CITY is 42-30 (+14.5 Units) against the money line when playing on Sunday over the last 3 seasons.
KANSAS CITY is 74-54 (+26.0 Units) against the money line in day games over the last 3 seasons.
KANSAS CITY is 29-21 (+13.5 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
KANSAS CITY is 275-392 (-108.5 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 9 to 9.5 since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
KANSAS CITY is 4-1 (+3.7 Units) against SEATTLE this season
3 of 5 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+1.0 Units)

MARCO GONZALES vs. KANSAS CITY since 1997
No recent starts.

DANNY DUFFY vs. SEATTLE since 1997
DUFFY is 1-1 when starting against SEATTLE with an ERA of 2.39 and a WHIP of 1.405.
His team's record is 4-1 (+3.2 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-3. (-1.4 units)

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OAKLAND (49 - 62) at LA ANGELS (55 - 56) - 3:35 PM
SEAN MANAEA (L) vs. RICKY NOLASCO (R)
Top Trends for this game.
OAKLAND is 186-249 (-53.7 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 3 seasons.
OAKLAND is 9-20 (-11.0 Units) against the money line on the road when the money line is +125 to -125 this season.
OAKLAND is 18-37 (-14.9 Units) against the money line in road games this season.
OAKLAND is 45-75 (-23.0 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
OAKLAND is 52-71 (-20.3 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
MANAEA is 0-10 (-10.7 Units) against the money line in road games when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
LA ANGELS are 55-56 (+5.7 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
LA ANGELS are 55-24 (+21.3 Units) against the money line as a home favorite of -125 to -175 over the last 3 seasons.
LA ANGELS are 31-24 (+13.5 Units) against the money line after a loss this season.
LA ANGELS are 22-10 (+13.8 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.

Head-to-Head Series History
LA ANGELS is 7-5 (+1.3 Units) against OAKLAND this season
8 of 12 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+3.6 Units)

SEAN MANAEA vs. LA ANGELS since 1997
MANAEA is 0-2 when starting against LA ANGELS with an ERA of 5.22 and a WHIP of 1.209.
His team's record is 0-4 (-4.2 units) in these starts. The OVER is 3-1. (+2.0 units)

RICKY NOLASCO vs. OAKLAND since 1997
NOLASCO is 4-3 when starting against OAKLAND with an ERA of 3.26 and a WHIP of 0.980.
His team's record is 5-5 (-0.4 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 6-4. (+1.4 units)

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MILWAUKEE (59 - 53) at TAMPA BAY (57 - 55) - 1:10 PM
JIMMY NELSON (R) vs. CHRIS ARCHER (R)
Top Trends for this game.
MILWAUKEE is 98-172 (-53.3 Units) against the money line in road games when playing on Sunday since 1997.
TAMPA BAY is 23-18 (+8.3 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
MILWAUKEE is 59-53 (+15.1 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
MILWAUKEE is 14-11 (+9.6 Units) against the money line as a road underdog of +125 to +175 this season.
MILWAUKEE is 28-26 (+11.1 Units) against the money line in road games this season.
MILWAUKEE is 11-4 (+11.0 Units) against the money line in an inter-league game this season.
MILWAUKEE is 46-43 (+9.0 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
MILWAUKEE is 28-30 (+13.4 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 125-148 (-28.6 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 20-27 (-18.1 Units) against the money line as a home favorite of -125 to -175 over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 65-69 (-16.4 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons.
ARCHER is 23-33 (-15.4 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
ARCHER is 3-9 (-10.1 Units) against the money line as a home favorite of -125 to -175 over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
ARCHER is 10-19 (-12.6 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
ARCHER is 7-20 (-15.4 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
MILWAUKEE is 2-0 (+2.8 Units) against TAMPA BAY this season
2 of 2 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+2.1 Units)

JIMMY NELSON vs. TAMPA BAY since 1997
No recent starts.

CHRIS ARCHER vs. MILWAUKEE since 1997
No recent starts.

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SEATTLE (56 - 55) at KANSAS CITY (56 - 52) - 5:45 PM
ERASMO RAMIREZ (R) vs. JAKE JUNIS (R)
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
KANSAS CITY is 4-1 (+3.7 Units) against SEATTLE this season
3 of 5 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+1.0 Units)

ERASMO RAMIREZ vs. KANSAS CITY since 1997
RAMIREZ is 0-1 when starting against KANSAS CITY with an ERA of 4.22 and a WHIP of 1.782.
His team's record is 0-2 (-2.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-2. (-2.1 units)

JAKE JUNIS vs. SEATTLE since 1997
No recent starts.

[StarDust Bum]

MLB

Sunday, August 6

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

1:10 PM
ST. LOUIS vs. CINCINNATI
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of St. Louis's last 7 games when playing on the road against Cincinnati
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of St. Louis's last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Cincinnati's last 5 games
Cincinnati is 3-10 SU in its last 13 games at home

1:10 PM
MILWAUKEE vs. TAMPA BAY
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Milwaukee's last 8 games
Milwaukee is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Tampa Bay's last 5 games when playing Milwaukee
Tampa Bay is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games at home

1:10 PM
NY YANKEES vs. CLEVELAND
NY Yankees are 1-4 SU in their last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of NY Yankees's last 13 games on the road
Cleveland is 11-4 SU in its last 15 games
Cleveland is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games

1:35 PM
CHI WHITE SOX vs. BOSTON
Chi White Sox are 0-5 SU in their last 5 games
Chi White Sox are 1-4 SU in their last 5 games when playing on the road against Boston
The total has gone UNDER in 11 of Boston's last 15 games at home
Boston is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home

1:35 PM
DETROIT vs. BALTIMORE
Detroit is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Baltimore
Detroit is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Baltimore's last 6 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Baltimore's last 6 games

1:35 PM
MIAMI vs. ATLANTA
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Miami's last 7 games when playing Atlanta
Miami is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Atlanta
Atlanta is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Miami
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Atlanta's last 7 games when playing Miami

1:35 PM
SAN DIEGO vs. PITTSBURGH
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of San Diego's last 7 games when playing Pittsburgh
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of San Diego's last 7 games
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Pittsburgh's last 7 games when playing San Diego
Pittsburgh is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games when playing at home against San Diego

2:10 PM
TORONTO vs. HOUSTON
Toronto is 11-5 SU in its last 16 games when playing Houston
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Toronto's last 7 games when playing on the road against Houston
Houston is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games at home
Houston is 5-11 SU in its last 16 games when playing Toronto

2:10 PM
TEXAS vs. MINNESOTA
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Texas's last 6 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Texas's last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Minnesota's last 6 games when playing Texas
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Minnesota's last 9 games at home

2:20 PM
WASHINGTON vs. CHI CUBS
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Washington's last 9 games when playing on the road against Chi Cubs
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Washington's last 10 games when playing Chi Cubs
Chi Cubs are 10-5 SU in their last 15 games when playing Washington
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Chi Cubs's last 10 games when playing Washington

3:10 PM
PHILADELPHIA vs. COLORADO
Philadelphia is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Colorado
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Philadelphia's last 9 games when playing Colorado
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Colorado's last 9 games when playing Philadelphia
Colorado is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games at home

3:37 PM
OAKLAND vs. LA ANGELS
Oakland is 1-7 SU in their last 8 games when playing on the road against LA Angels
Oakland is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games on the road
LA Angels are 6-1 SU in their last 7 games at home
LA Angels are 4-1 SU in their last 5 games

4:05 PM
ARIZONA vs. SAN FRANCISCO
Arizona is 7-17 SU in its last 24 games when playing San Francisco
Arizona is 3-7 SU in its last 10 games when playing on the road against San Francisco
San Francisco is 17-7 SU in its last 24 games when playing Arizona
San Francisco is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games at home

5:45 PM
SEATTLE vs. KANSAS CITY
Seattle is 1-4-1 SU in its last 6 games ,when playing Kansas City
Seattle9-3-1 SU in its last 13 games on the road
Kansas City is 2-3-1 SU in its last 6 games ,when playing at home against Seattle
Kansas City6-1-1 SU in its last 8 games at home

8:08 PM
LA DODGERS vs. NY METS
LA Dodgers are 12-1 SU in their last 13 games
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of LA Dodgers's last 9 games on the road
NY Mets are 1-5 SU in their last 6 games when playing at home against LA Dodgers
The total has gone OVER in 5 of NY Mets's last 6 games when playing LA Dodgers

[StarDust Bum]

Diamond Trends - Sunday
August 6, 2017


TOP SU TREND:

-- The Phillies are 0-12 since Jul 15, 2016 as a dog after a game as a road dog in which they had 12+ hits.

TOP OU TREND:

-- The Mets are 11-0-1 OU (4.00 ppg) since Apr 15, 2016 as a dog coming off a home game in which they held a multiple-run lead.

TOP STARTER TREND:

-- The Rangers are 0-11 since Jun 09, 2014 when Nick Martinez starts coming off an outing where they lost and he had more walks allowed than strikeouts.

TOP CHOICE TREND:

-- The Yankees are 0-11 OU (-3.09 ppg) as a road dog off a road game in which they had 6 or fewer hits since May 30, 2016.

[StarDust Bum]

SUNDAY, AUGUST 6

GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

NYY at CLE 01:10 PM

O 8.0

MIL at TB 01:10 PM

MIL +140

U 8.0

STL at CIN 01:10 PM

CIN +100

U 9.0

CHW at BOS 01:35 PM

CHW +185

U 10.5

SD at PIT 01:35 PM

SD +165

U 9.0

DET at BAL 01:35 PM

DET +130

O 10.5

MIA at ATL 01:35 PM

MIA +115

TOR at HOU 02:10 PM

O 9.0

TEX at MIN 02:10 PM

TEX +120

WAS at CHC 02:20 PM

WAS +170

O 10.5

PHI at COL 03:10 PM

O 10.5

OAK at LAA 03:37 PM

OAK +100

U 9.0

ARI at SF 04:05 PM

O 8.0

LAD at NYM 08:00 PM

NYM +150

U 9.0

[StarDust Bum]

Baseball Capsules
August 6, 2017

CHICAGO (AP) Matt Wieters hit a tiebreaking grand slam off Carl Edwards Jr. in Washington's five-run eighth inning, helping the Nationals beat the Chicago Cubs 9-4 on Sunday.

Bryce Harper started the winning rally with a one-out infield single against Mike Montgomery. Ryan Zimmerman doubled against Edwards and Daniel Murphy was walked intentionally to load the bases.

Washington then grabbed control in a span of two pitches. Edwards (3-3) hit Anthony Rendon, tying it at 4, and Wieters followed with a drive over the wall in center for his third career grand slam.

Wieters drove in five runs and Brian Goodwin homered for the NL East-leading Nationals, who had dropped three of four.

Willson Contreras homered twice for NL Central-leading Chicago.

Brandon Kintzler (3-2) pitched a scoreless inning for his first win since he was acquired in a trade with Minnesota.

YANKEES 8, INDIANS 1

CLEVELAND (AP) - Luis Severino overpowered Cleveland's lineup into the seventh inning, Jacoby Ellsbury hit a three-run triple and rookie Aaron Judge hammered a three-run homer, sending the Yankees to a win over the Indians.

Severino (9-4) gave up Michael Brantley's homer in the first and then toyed with the Indians, striking out nine and allowing just three runners to reach. He didn't give up his second hit until there were two outs in the seventh and was pulled by manager Joe Girardi before getting a roaring ovation from several thousand New York fans.

The All-Star right-hander is 4-0 with a 0.71 ERA in his last four starts.

Ellsbury's triple came in New York's five-run sixth off Carlos Carrasco (10-5), and Judge connected in the seventh for his 35th homer - only No. 5 since the All-Star break - to give New York an 8-1 lead.

ASTROS 7, BLUE JAYS 6

HOUSTON (AP) - Juan Centeno hit an RBI single with two outs that capped a four-run rally in the ninth inning, lifting the Astros over the Blue Jays.

Jose Altuve singled off All-Star closer Roberto Osuna (3-3) to begin the Houston ninth and one-out singles by Yuli Gurriel and Marwin Gonzalez loaded the bases. Carlos Beltran grounded into a forceout that scored a run, and Alex Bregman hit a tying, two-run triple.

Centeno followed with a liner over the head of leaping first baseman Justin Smoak and into shallow right field to win it for the AL West leaders.

Nori Aoki had a two-run homer, his first hit since being traded from Houston to Toronto last Monday, during a four-run seventh that gave the Blue Jays a 6-3 lead.

Francis Martes (4-1) pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings for the win. Osuna allowed five hits and four runs while getting only two outs for his seventh blown save this season.

CARDINALS 13, REDS 4

CINCINNATI (AP) - Jose Martinez hit his first grand slam during the Cardinals' nine-run fourth inning, and St. Louis overcame Adam Wainwright's rough return from the disabled list, beating the Reds.

The Cardinals took two of three in the series. They're 5-8 against Cincinnati this season.

St. Louis sent 13 batters to the plate for nine runs in the fourth, matching its biggest inning of the season. Martinez connected off Homer Bailey (3-6), who gave up a career-high 10 runs in only 3 1/3 innings. Bailey has been hit hard in his return from surgery to remove bone spurs from his pitching elbow last February.

The Cardinals overcame a rugged first inning by Wainwright, who had spent the last 12 days on the DL with a stiff back. Joey Votto hit a three-run homer, and Wainwright threw 39 pitches before retiring a batter. Wainwright left after three innings and 88 pitches.

Brett Cecil (2-4) allowed three hits in three innings for the win.

RAYS 2, BREWERS 1

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) - Steven Souza Jr. homered off Milwaukee reliever Jacob Barnes leading off the ninth inning Sunday to lift the Rays to a win over the Brewers.

Souza's 24th home run helped the Rays salvage a win in a three-game series in which they scored only two runs. It was Souza's first walkoff homer with the Rays.

Most of the game was a pitchers' duel between the Rays' Chris Archer and the Brewers' Jimmy Nelson.

Tommy Hunter (1-2) got the win after tossing 1 1/3 innings of relief.

Barnes (3-3) threw only two pitches in relief of Nelson, who gave up one run on six hits while striking out nine in eight innings.

MARLINS 4, BRAVES 1

ATLANTA (AP) - Jose Urena pitched six strong innings, Marcell Ozuna hit a three-run homer and the Marlins avoided a three-game sweep with a victory over the Braves.

Urena (10-5) won for the third time in four starts, allowing one run and three hits, walking one and striking out three.

Lucas Sims (0-2), making his second career start, gave allowed four runs in six innings. The Braves' 2012 first-round draft pick trailed 4-0 in the first after hitting Giancarlo Stanton with a pitch, walking Christian Yelich and giving up consecutive homers to Ozuna, his 26th, and J.T. Realmuto, his 13th .

PIRATES 5, PADRES 4, 12 innings

PITTSBURGH (AP) - Sean Rodriquez homered in the 12th inning to give the Pirates a win over the Padres.

Rodriguez, acquired from Atlanta a day earlier, lifted a 1-1 pitch off Padres reliever Buddy Baumann (0-1) over the left-field wall.

Rookie reliever Dovydas Neverauskas (1-0) pitched two scoreless innings to get his first career win.

The Pirates took two of three from the Padres after losing their past four series. Entering this series, Pittsburgh had lost eight of 11 since a six-game winning streak from July 16-21.

Pirates closer Felipe Rivero gave up two walks and a single to load the bases loaded with two outs in the ninth inning before Manuel Margot's two-run single tied the score 4-4.

PHILLIES 3, ROCKIES 2

DENVER (AP) - Cameron Rupp hit a two-run double in the ninth inning, and the Phillies rallied to beat the Rockies.

Rupp, who had been thrown out at home an inning earlier, drove the first pitch he saw from closer Greg Holland (2-2) into the gap in left-center field, scoring Maikel Franco and Hyun Soo Kim. It was the second blown save in 36 chances for Holland.

Rupp finished with three hits and Franco homered for Philadelphia, which snapped a five-game losing streak.

Edubray Ramos (1-7) pitched the eighth inning and Hector Neris got the last three outs for his 11th save.

The Rockies took a 2-1 lead in the seventh off starter Aaron Nola. The game was tied with two outs in the seventh when pinch-hitter Raimel Tapia worked a walk off Nola. He stole second and scored on Charlie Blackmon's third double of the game.

GIANTS 6, DIAMONDBACKS 3

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Jeff Samardzija pitched into the seventh inning to win his third consecutive start and the Giants beat the Diamondbacks.

The Giants entered the day with the second-worst record in the NL, but jumped on Diamondbacks starter Patrick Corbin early and held on to win the series. Arizona still has a hold on the second NL wild-card spot despite dropping four of its last seven.

Samardzija (7-11) allowed three runs on five hits before leaving after giving up a one-out single to Katel Marte then walking Chris Hermann in the seventh. Albert Suarez retired seven batters for his first career save.

RED SOX 6, WHITE SOX 3

BOSTON (AP) - Chris Young hit two homers, including a tiebreaking three-run shot after the batter in front was walked intentionally, to lift the Red Sox to a win over the White Sox.

Young added an RBI double and had a solo homer to help the AL East-leading Red Sox complete a four-game sweep of the White Sox.

Chicago lost its sixth consecutive game, and 23rd in its last 27. The White Sox were swept in a four-game series in Fenway Park for the first time since July of 1988.

Doug Fister (2-5) allowed three runs and eight hits over 6 1/3 innings, striking out a season-high seven for his second straight win. Craig Kimbrel, the third reliever, pitched the ninth for his 27th save.

Mike Pelfrey (3-10) gave up six runs and eight hits in 5 2/3 innings. He's 0-5 with a 7.78 ERA in his last eight starts.

ORIOLES 12, TIGERS 3

BALTIMORE (AP) - Jonathan Schoop, Chris Davis and Trey Mancini homered in succession during a four-run first inning that sent the Orioles past the Tigers.

Joey Rickard and Manny Machado also connected for the Orioles, who led 8-0 after four innings and cruised to their seventh win in nine games.

All five home runs were hit off Anibal Sanchez (3-2), who yielded a career-high tying eight runs and 10 hits in three-plus innings.

Machado went 4 for 5 with five RBIs, and Rickard had a career-best four hits and scored three runs.

Backed by all that firepower, Ubaldo Jimenez (5-7) earned his first win in five starts since July 9. The right-hander pitched 5 2/3 innings, giving up one run and nine hits.

Nicholas Castellanos homered for the Tigers, who had to settle for a split of the four-game series after winning the first two.

TWINS 6, RANGERS 5

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - Max Kepler, Brian Dozier and Eddie Rosario homered to help the Minnesota Twins dig out of a five-run hole and beat the Rangers.

Jose Berrios (10-5) gave up five runs on six hits and struck out six in five innings, Trevor Hildenberger threw two innings of scoreless relief and Robbie Grossman drove in the go-ahead run for the Twins, who were missing slugger Miguel Sano for the second straight game because of a sore left hand.

Adrian Beltre hit his 455th career homer and Joey Gallo also went deep for the Rangers, who were shut out after a five-run first inning. Nick Martinez gave up five runs on five hits with five strikeouts and two walks in a game that was delayed 32 minutes by rain in the second inning.

ATHLETICS 11, ANGELS 10

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) - Bruce Maxwell's two-run single completed a dramatic five-run, two-out comeback in the eighth inning, and the Athletics stunned the Angels.

The Angels led 10-5 after the sixth but couldn't hold on against an A's team that hammered them with 18 hits, including three home runs and seven doubles.

Down 10-6 in the eighth, Khris Davis hit a three-run homer off reliever Blake Parker to ignite the Oakland comeback. Parker had not allowed a run in 27 consecutive appearances at home.

After Ryon Healy doubled, the Angels went to Bud Norris (1-5), but the closer gave up a run-scoring single to Chad Pinder, a double to Matt Chapman and then the two-run single to Maxwell.

Josh Smith (2-0) picked up the win in relief. Blake Treinen, Oakland's seventh reliever, earned his fifth overall save and second with the A's.

MARINERS 8, ROYALS 7, 1st Game

ROYALS 9, MARINERS 1, 2nd Game

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - Rookie Jakob Junis pitched eight sharp innings and the Kansas City Royals beat the Seattle Mariners 9-1 to split their doubleheader Sunday.

Nelson Cruz homered twice and drove in four runs as the Mariners held off the Royals 8-7 in the first game.

Whit Merrifield homered in both games for the Royals.

Junis (4-2), who was added to Kansas City's roster as the extra 26th man for the twinbill, allowed one run. He retired his final 19 batters after giving up an RBI double to Danny Espinosa in the second inning.

Junis walked none and struck out a career-high seven.

Melky Cabrera hit a three-run homer off Erasmo Ramirez (4-4) during a four-run third inning. It was Cabrera's first home run since the Royals acquired him in a July 30 trade with the Chicago White Sox. Cabrera also had an RBI double.

Eric Hosmer homered and drove in three runs for the Royals.

[StarDust Bum]

MLB notebook: Mariners acquire Alonso from A's
August 6, 2017

The Seattle Mariners acquired All-Star first baseman Yonder Alonso from the Oakland Athletics on Sunday in exchange for minor league outfielder Boog Powell.

Alonso, 30, was hitting .266 with 22 home runs, 49 RBIs, a .369 on-base percentage, .527 slugging mark and a .896 OPS in 100 games with Oakland this season.

The 2017 American League All-Star has set career highs in home runs, on-base percentage, slugging and OPS

Powell, 24, hit .194 (7-for-36) with two RBIs in 23 games over three stints with Seattle this season as he made his major league debut. He spent the majority of the season with Triple-A Tacoma, batting .340 with six home runs and 33 RBIs in 58 games.

The Mariners also acquired right-handed pitcher Ryan Garton and catcher Mike Marjama from the Tampa Bay Rays in exchange for left-hander Anthony Misiewicz, infielder Luis Rengifo and a player to be named later.

--The Kansas City Royals placed All-Star catcher Salvador Perez on the 10-day disabled list with a strained intercostal muscle on the right side of his chest.

An MRI exam revealed the injury after Perez left Friday night's game against the Seattle Mariners after six innings. The move was retroactive to Saturday.

Royals manager Ned Yost told reporters the "worst-case scenario was four weeks" for Perez being out but hopes it will be more like 10 to 14 days.

--The New York Yankees placed designated hitter Matt Holliday on the 10-day disabled list with a left lumbar strain.

It is the second time this season the 37-year-old Holliday has been put on the DL. The move is retroactive to Saturday.

Holliday was first sidelined on June 28 with a viral infection. Since his return after the All-Star break, he is just 11-for-81 (.136) with one home run and two doubles.

--Yankees manager Joe Girardi would not describe it as a benching, but he sat catcher Gary Sanchez for Sunday's game against the Cleveland Indians while criticizing the All-Star's defense.

Girardi started backup catcher Austin Romine for the second straight game against the Indians at Progressive Field.

"The start is not the message," Girardi told reporters prior to the game. "The message came from us verbally that, 'Your defense needs to improve. That you need to get better. You need to work at it.' We have stressed how important it is."

--The St. Louis Cardinals activated right-hander Adam Wainwright from the 10-day disabled list prior to his start in Sunday's game against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ballpark.

In addition, the club placed left-hander Kevin Siegrist on the 10-day disabled list with left forearm tendinitis.

Wainwright gave up three runs in three innings and did not get a decision in the Cardinals' victory.

--Minnesota Twins second baseman Brian Dozier left Sunday's game against the Texas Rangers with an illness.

Dozier was 1-for-3 and hit his 20th homer of the season on Sunday before being replaced by Ehire Adrianza to start the sixth inning with Minnesota leading by one in the finale of the four-game series.

[StarDust Bum]

LEADING OFF: Scherzer back from neck trouble, Mizzou matchup
August 6, 2017

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

MAX EFFORT

Nationals ace Max Scherzer pitches for the first time since leaving his previous start because of neck spasms. Scherzer (12-5, 2.21 ERA) was pushed back to give him extra time to get ready going into this game at Miami. The right-hander leads the NL with 201 strikeouts.

SHOW ME SHOWDOWN

Ian Kennedy (4-7) and the Kansas City Royals host Carlos Martinez (7-9) and the St. Louis Cardinals in the opener of a four-game matchup - the Missouri postseason contenders play twice at Kauffman Stadium, then two more at Busch Stadium.

BIRD BAT

A lot of fans wondered why Baltimore even bothered to acquire infielder Tim Beckham from Tampa Bay right before the trade deadline. Since the swap, Beckman is hitting .583 (14 for 24) with six RBIs in six games. The Orioles have perked up lately, winning seven of nine and getting back into contention for a playoff spot going into this series in Anaheim vs. the Angels.

LOOKING GOOD

Cubs righty Jake Arrieta (10-8, 3.88 ERA) is 3-2 with a 2.08 ERA over his last six starts, showing flashes of the form that helped him win the NL Cy Young Award in 2015. He'll pitch when Chicago opens a series at San Francisco.

[StarDust Bum]

Former All-Star catcher Darren Daulton dies at 55
August 6, 2017

PHILADELPHIA (AP) Darren Daulton, the All-Star catcher who was the leader of the Philadelphia Phillies' NL championship team in 1993, has died. He was 55.

Daulton had battled brain cancer since 2013. He had two tumors removed during brain surgery on July 1, 2013, but nine days later was diagnosed with glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer that also took the lives of his former teammate Tug McGraw and former coach John Vukovich.

''Darren was a true leader of men,'' Phillies chairman emeritus Bill Giles said. ''In addition to being an outstanding clubhouse leader, he was also a fighter. He battled through five knee operations to become an All-Star. I really enjoyed watching him for 14 years in uniform. Darren was a super human being. His teammates loved him, I loved him like he was one of my own.''

Daulton played 14 1/2 of his 15 major league seasons with Philadelphia and finished his career with the 1997 World Series champion Florida Marlins, batting .389 (7 for 18) with two doubles and one homer in a seven-game series against Cleveland.

The left-handed hitting Daulton batted .245 with 137 homers and 588 RBIs in 1,161 games. He went to three All-Star games and led the NL with 109 RBIs in 1992.

The long-haired Daulton, nicknamed ''Dutch,'' was beloved by Phillies fans and respected by teammates. He policed a wild clubhouse in '93 that included Lenny Dykstra, John Kruk, Dave Hollins, Pete Incaviglia, Mitch Williams and Curt Schilling.

''From the day that we drafted him until today, he constantly earned our respect and admiration as both a player and person,'' said Phillies chairman David Montgomery. ''Darren was the face of our franchise in the early 1990's.''

Daulton is survived by his parents, Carol and Dave; brother, Dave Jr.; wife, Amanda; and his four children: Zachary, Summer, Savannah and Darren Jr.

[StarDust Bum]

August Best Bets Based on 5 Units Per Play

Best Bets

Date.........................Ats.................. ..........Totals................ Units Record

08/06/2017................3 - 7.........- 3.15.................4 - 3 - 1...................+ 0.70
08/05/2017................5 - 5........+ 1.40...............10 - 2 - 1...................+ 7.80
08/04/2017................4 - 3........+ 1.70.................5 - 5 - 0....................- 0.50
08/03/2017................4 - 4........+ 1.10.................4 - 2 - 1....................+1.80
08/02/2017................2 - 0........+ 2.90.................5 - 6 - 1......................-1.60
08/01/2017................0 - 1.........- 1.00.................1 - 7 - 1......................-6.60

Totals:.....................18 - 20........+ 2.95..............29 - 25 - 4...................+ 2.60

[StarDust Bum]

SEC East Predictions
August 4, 2017

1-Florida Gators:
Best Players: OT Martez Ivey, WR Antonio Callaway, CB Duke Dawson, DE CeCe Jefferson, CB Chauncey Gardner & PK Eddy Pineiro.
Toughest Games: vs. Michigan (Arlington, TX.), vs. LSU, vs. Georgia (Jacksonville) and vs. FSU.
Danger Spots: at Missouri on Nov. 4 & at South Carolina on Nov. 11.

UF will be looking for its third consecutive trip to Atlanta on Jim McElwain’s watch. McElwain is the first coach in SEC history to win division titles in the first two seasons of his tenure at a school. The Gators probably won’t be quite as salty on defense in 2017, especially after last season’s leading tackler, senior safety Marcell Harris, went down with a torn Achilles in late July. However, the Gators finally appear poised to field an offense that can score.

In McElwain’s first two seasons, UF averaged 23.2 and 23.9 points per game. But the offensive woes at Florida date all the way back to Tim Tebow’s exit in 2009. Since then, the Gators have averaged more than 30.0 PPG just once (30.3 PPG in 2015). Furthermore, every QB that has made a start was either a player that eventually transferred out or transferred in. Those QBs include Jeff Driskel, Jacoby Brissett, Tyler Murphy, Skyler Mornhinweg, Treon Harris and Will Grier. Two others – Luke Del Rio and Austin Appleby – came to UF from other schools, and now Notre Dame grad transfer Malik Zaire is wearing orange and blue.

The reason for optimism on offense extends well beyond the QB position, but even the most talented unit can’t function well without adequate QB play. The thinking in Gainesville is that the arrival of Notre Dame grad transfer Malik Zaire and the presence of four-star redshirt freshman Feleipe Franks will cure an illness that’s engulfed the program for seven seasons. Whoever earns the starting job will have weapons galore at his disposal. Callaway, the true junior WR and special-teams ace, is the only player in school history to score five different ways – passing, rushing, receiving, kick return and punt return. He had 54 receptions for 721 yards and three touchdowns in 2016, but his status for the opener against Michigan was in question after his arrest in June for misdemeanor possession of marijuana. Now it seems he’ll play, however, after McElwain addressed the media on Aug. 2. When asked if there will be in any Week 1 suspensions, he said “not at this time as long as some obligations are met.” Senior WR Brandon Powell is a three-year starter who’s joined by Tyrie Cleveland, the true sophomore who has NFL size and speed and made the huge play (a 99-yard TD reception) to trigger last year’s division-clinching victory at LSU.

The defense returns just four starters, but that’s a misleading number. When LBs Jarrad Davis and Alex Anzalone went down with injuries at Arkansas in ’16, true freshmen David Reese and Kylan Johnson were inserted into the starting lineup. Both played well, earned starting experience and will be better for it as full-time starters this year. Also, Jefferson and Jordan Sherit weren’t considered starters, but both took snaps galore and made many big plays in ’15 and ’16. The Harris injury is costly, especially with less depth in the secondary this year. With that said, though, CBs Gardner (MVP of Outback Bowl) and Dawson are All-SEC candidates.

Gambling Numbers: 8/1 odds to win the SEC, 50/1 odds to win nat’l title & a season win total of 8.5 (‘over’ -115).

Prediction: With every prediction I make in August, you go by the presumption that most key players stay healthy. The reality of college football (or pigskin at any level) is that teams will indeed lose key players to injuries or even suspensions in some case. So with that said pertaining to this prediction and the rest of them below, I’m confident in seven wins for UF and then there are five crucial swing games – vs. Michigan, vs. LSU, vs UGA, at South Carolina and vs. FSU. You notice how only one of those five are on the road? (Thanks, Joe Alleva!) In fact, the Gators play only three true road games all year and are likely to be favored in each – at Kentucky, at Missouri and at USC. If things fall into place, this could be a monster season for UF. Then again, the depth on defense isn’t what it has been and if injuries are anywhere near the level of last season (UF won at LSU with seven defensive starters back in Gainesville), things could go south in a hurry. And, as always, until a Florida QB has a big year, that position remains a question mark. Regardless though, I think the Gators are a given to win eight games. I feel it’s more likely they go 9-3 or 10-2. I’ll call for UF to win the SEC East but lose again to Alabama in Atlanta.

Bets: Florida pick ‘em vs. Georgia in Games of the Year (three units). Why? UF’s defensive line eats UGA’s o-line for breakfast, lunch and dinner annually.

2-Georgia Bulldogs:
Best Players: RB Nick Chubb, QB Jacob Eason, RB Sony Michel, DT Trenton Thompson & LB Roquan Smith.
Toughest Games: at Notre Dame, at Tennessee, vs. UF, at Auburn & at Ga. Tech.
Danger Spots: vs. Appalachian St. in Week 1 & at Vanderbilt on Oct. 7.

Georgia went 8-5 straight up and 6-7 against the spread in the first season of the Kirby Smart Era. In fairness, the Bulldogs lost three games by five combined points and one of those defeats came on a Hail Mary on the game’s final play. But they also stole one at Missouri on a fourth-and-10 TD pass in the final minute of a 28-27 triumph. Also, UGA’s 13-7 win over Auburn came when Gus Malzahn’s team had its two best offensive players (QB Sean White and RB Kamryn Pettway) injured, and a victory at South Carolina came before Jake Bentley was inserted into USC’s starting lineup.

Smart’s second squad has seven starters back on offense and 10 on defense. Eason was predictably inconsistent as a true freshman, displaying his NFL arm on plays like the game-winning pass at Missouri and especially on his ridiculous go-ahead TD throw against Tennessee with 10 ticks left. He completed only 55.1 percent of his passes, throwing 16 TD passes compared to eight interceptions. Five of his top six pass catchers return, but his top target Isaiah McKenzie has departed. Chubb and Michel provide UGA with the best 1-2 punch of RBs in the country, but will the offensive line show improvement? This unit, which is ranked just 46th nationally by Phil Steele in his preseason magazine, was dominated by the defensive fronts for Missouri (2.7 yards per carry), Vanderbilt (2.1 YPC), Florida (1.1 YPC) and Auburn (3.1 YPC).

Fourteen of UGA’s top 15 tacklers are back from a defense that gave up 24.0 PPG. This unit is filled with veterans. In fact, only juniors and seniors were listed as starters coming out of spring practice. Thompson, Smith, FS Dominick Sanders and Lorenzo Carter are the leaders on this side of the ball. Smart, who cut his teeth as an excellent defensive coordinator for nearly a decade at Alabama under Nick Saban, should have this side of the ball playing at a elite level in 2017.

Gambling Numbers: UGA has 6/1 odds to win the SEC and 25/1 odds to win the College Football Playoff at Sportsbook.ag. Depending on if you like the ‘over’ or ‘under,’ you probably need to shop around. I’ve seen the Bulldogs’ win total at 8.5 with the juice as high as -135 (Sportsbook.ag as of 8/2), but they can also be found at nine with a price in the -140 neighborhood.

Prediction: The first two games are crucial and it would be ignorant for anyone to think Appalachian St. doesn’t have a chance between the hedges. UGA is currently favored by 14 over the Mountaineers, while most shops with Games of the Year have it installed as a short underdog (I’ve seen it from +1 to +3) for the trip to South Bend to face the Fighting Irish. If Smart’s club wins at UT on Sept. 30, that will make the ensuing trip to Nashville even more challenging. I see Georgia finishing second in the East. I have the Dawgs going 8-4 or 9-3, depending on how their trip to The Flats for the regular-season finale works out.

Bets: I have nothing here.

3-Tennessee Volunteers:
Best Players: WR Jauan Jennings, SS Todd Kelly, LB Darrin Kirkland, KR Evan Berry & TE Ethan Wolf.
Toughest Games: vs. Ga Tech in Atlanta (Mercedes-Benz Dome, not Bobby Dodd Stadium), at Florida, vs. Georgia, at Alabama & vs. LSU.
Danger Spots: at Kentucky on Oct. 28 & at Missouri (11/11).

Tennessee finished 9-4 SU and 5-7-1 ATS in 2016. The Volunteers went 2-2 in four one-possession games, beating Appalachian St. in overtime and winning at Georgia on a Hail Mary pass on the game’s final play. They lost in double overtime at Texas A&M and dropped a 24-21 decision at South Carolina.

Jones enters his fifth season with a 30-21 record at UT, guiding his team to a 3-0 record in bowl games since limping to a 5-7 record in his first season in Knoxville. He is only 2-2 against Vanderbilt and remains winless against Will Muschamp’s teams in three head-to-head meetings. Many in the media seem to think Jones is on steady footing in terms of job security, but those members of the press have absolutely zero clue.

Jones is a relentless excuse maker who constantly ruffles the feathers of his fan base with asinine remarks like last year’s senior class being “champions of life” (rather than SEC East champs in a division UT was favored to win and was in the driver’s seat of after rallying from 21 points down to beat Florida and stealing its game in Athens). Jones lacked the stones to own his kindergarten-level mistake of note going for two at UF two years ago after his team took a 12-point lead midway through the fourth quarter. In short, he’s a clown who is on the hot seat and will remain there until he takes this program back to Atlanta (in early December).

Gambling Numbers: UT has 20/1 odds to win the SEC and 85/1 odds to win the CFP. The Vols have a win total of 7.5 with the juice toward the ‘over’ in the -130 range. They are +7 at UF, pick ‘em vs. UGA, +24.5 at ‘Bama, -1 at UK, +7.5 vs. LSU & -8.5 vs. Vandy.

Prediction: UT has seven starters back on each side of the ball, but offensive playmakers like Josh Dobbs, Alvin Kamara and Josh Malone are gone. On the flip side, the Vols have their top five and eight of their top nine tacklers returning. With that said, Derek Barnett and key secondary players like Cam Sutton and Malik Foreman have moved on. The QB position is a question mark, making it difficult for pundits to peg this squad in August. I look at the schedule and see a likely 5-2 record with five games I’m uncertain about. Those contests are vs. Ga. Tech, vs. UGA, vs. South Carolina, at Missouri and vs. LSU. The Vols have two weeks to prep for the Gamecocks and will be in revenge mode, but arch-rival Alabama will be on deck to potentially provide a look-ahead scenario. If UT gets quality QB play, I think it can finish 8-4. If the QB play is poor, 6-6 is a possibility. I’ll hedge and say 7-5.

Bets: I want to say fade UT as a seven-point ‘dog at The Swamp. However, I’d like to see who gets both starting jobs at QB (and then see how they play in Weeks 1 and 2) for those division rivals before committing to that wager. I’ll pass on the win total.

4-South Carolina
Best Players: TE Hayden Hurst, WR Deebo Samuel, LB Skai Moore, LB Bryson Allen-Williams & QB Jake Bentley.
Toughest Games: vs. N.C. St. in Charlotte, at UT, at UGA, vs. UF & vs. Clemson.
Danger Spots: vs. La. Tech on Sept. 23 & vs. Arkansas on Oct. 7.

I went in-depth on my take on the ’17 Gamecocks and why I love their win total ‘over’ 5.5 victories. They have 85/1 odds to win the SEC.

5-Vanderbilt Commodores: Best Players: RB Ralph Webb, LB Oren Burks, NG Nifae Lealao, SS Ryan White & WR Trent Sherfield.
Toughest Games: vs. Kansas St., vs. Alabama, at UT, vs. UGA, at South Carolina & at Tennessee.
Danger Spots: at Middle Tennessee in Week 1 & vs. Western Ky. on Nov. 4.

Derek Mason’s fourth team should be his best but, according to Phil Steele, it has the fourth-toughest schedule in the SEC and the 15th-toughest in the nation. After 2.5 years of inept QB play on Mason’s watch, Kyle Shurmur caught fire in November and led the Commodores to consecutive home wins over Ole Miss (38-17 as 9.5-point ‘dogs) and Tennessee (45-34 as 7.5-point ‘dogs) to close the regular season and become bowl eligible. Vandy also won at Georgia and at Western Ky., which won Conference USA and finished with an 11-3 record, in addition to a 47-24 blowout victory over Middle Tennessee when Brent Stockstill was healthy. The Commodores, who finished 6-7 SU and 7-6 ATS in ’16, return nine starters on offense and seven on defense. Ralph Webb is already the school’s all-time leading rusher and appears poised for a banner senior campaign. The Gainesville, Fla., product ran for 1,283 yards and 13 TDs while averaging 5.1 YPC last year. Khari Blasingame had a strong ’16 as well in a reserve role, rushing for 449 yards and 10 TDs with a 4.6 YPC average. The top eight pass catchers are back, including Sherfield and C.J. Duncan.

After struggling on defense in Mason’s first season (33.3 PPG), he fired his defensive coordinator to take over that position himself. The results have been great and can’t even really be told in the stats. Vandy gave up just 21.0 PPG in ’15, but that was with an abysmal offense that averaged only 15.2 PPG. Then last season, the Commodores allowed 24.0 PPG while slightly improving on offense with a 23.0 PPG average.

Thirteen of 22 starters, including eight on defense, will be seniors for Vandy. The ‘Dores only lost 19 lettermen, but they lost their best player in LB Zach Cunningham, who went pro a year early after recording 125 tackles, 16.5 tackles for loss, three passes broken up, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, one QB Hurry and one blocked field goal. He should’ve had another forced fumble and fumble recovery at Auburn, but his strip and recovery of the ball on Kamryn Pettway early in third quarter was inexplicably reversed on replay (that clearly didn’t have any evidence to overturn the call on the field).

Gambling Numbers: Vandy has 225/1 odds to win the SEC. The win total varies from six (‘under’ -170 at Sportsbook) to five (‘over’ -135 at South Point).

Prediction: The only victory that’s a given is a Week 2 home game vs. Alabama A&M and the only guaranteed defeat is a Week 4 home game vs. the Crimson Tide. Every other game on the schedule can be won or lost. Vandy lost four of six one-possession games last season. If the veteran-laden ‘Dores can flip that stat, they’ll be bowling again for a second straight year. I’m taking the optimistic view on this team that I thought really turned the corner in November of last year. With 18 career starts now under his belt, I think Shurmur will look closer to the signal caller we saw in November rather than the first two months of ’16. If that’s the case, I see five wins (at Middle Tennessee and at home vs. Alabama A&M, Western Ky., UK and Missouri) and three losses (vs. ‘Bama, at UF & at UT). That leaves four swing games vs. Kansas St., vs. UGA, at Ole Miss and at South Carolina. I’m thinking Vandy goes 2-2 or 1-3 in those four contests, leaving it with a 6-6 or 7-5 mark.

Bets: I lean slightly to the ‘over,’ but I’d keep it at just one unit and wouldn’t play ‘over’ five wins if the price is north of -135.

6-Kentucky Wildcats
Best Players: RB Benny Snell, LB Jordan Jones, SS Mike Edwards, WR Garrett Johnson, DE Denzil Ware & PK Austin MacGinnis.
Toughest Games: at USC, vs. UF, vs. UT, at UGA & vs. Louisville.
Danger Spots: at Southern Miss in Week 1 & at Vandy on Nov. 11.

Mark Stoops was on the hot seat early in his fourth year at the helm, especially after blowing a 25-point lead at home in the opener vs. So. Miss before getting blasted at UF the following week by a 45-7 count. From there, however, the ‘Cats won five of their next six games with the only loss coming at Alabama. They would finish 7-6 both SU and ATS, losing 33-18 to Ga. Tech in the TaxSlayer Bowl. But UK went to the postseason for the first time since 2010 and broke a series-high five-game losing streak to its bitter in-state rival Louisville.

Kentucky returns eight starters on offense and nine on defense. The leading rusher (‘Boom’ Williams) and leader in receiving yards (Jeff Badet, grad transfer to Oklahoma) are gone, but the best players on defense are back. Junior LB Jordan Jones is an All-American candidate who had 109 tackles, four sacks, 11.5 TFL’s, four PBU and nine QB hurries in ’16.

Gambling Numbers: UK has 120/1 odds to win the SEC and 1,000/1 odds to win the CFP. The Wildcats’ win tally is 6.5 (-110 either way at South Point).

Prediction: Stephen Johnson did an adequate job at QB (13/6 TD-INT) after Drew Barker was injured in September. This duo will battle throughout August for the starting gig. The offense averaged 30.0 PPG with a pair of 1,000-yard rushers. Williams is gone, but Freshman All-American Snell is back for his sophomore campaign. Snell rushed for 1,091 yards and 13 TDs while averaging 5.9 YPC as a freshman. I initially marked UK with a 4-6 record with two swing games: vs. Ole Miss and vs. Louisville. I now think the ‘Cats will beat the Rebels, but I’m undecided on the U of L game in Lexington. I think it’s 5-7 or 6-6 for UK depending on the regular-season finale.

-I’ll pass.

7-Missouri TigersBest Players- QB Drew Lock, DT Terry Beckner, WR J’Mon Moore, RB Damarea Crockett & DE Marcell Frazier.Toughest Games- vs. Auburn, at UGA, vs. UF, vs. UT & at Arkansas.Danger Spots- vs. South Carolina & at Vandy-

Missouri limped to a 4-8 SU record and a 5-7 ATS mark in Barry Odom’s first season as head coach. The offense was vastly improved, going from an anemic 13.6 PPG average in ’15 to scoring at a 31.4 PPG clip last year. The opposite was true on the other side of the ball. The Tigers had one of the nation’s top defenses in ’15, allowing only 16.2 PPG despite having one of the worst offenses in the country. But in ’16, this unit lost Beckner to a season-ending injury last summer and gave up 31.5 PPG.

The offense improved because Lock settled in as a true sophomore, throwing for 3,399 yards with a 23/10 touchdown-to-interception ratio. Moore enjoyed a breakout campaign, catching 62 balls for 1,012 yards and eight TDs. Lock has his top four pass catchers back in the mix and a pair of excellent RBs in Crockett and Ish Witter (750 yards LY).

The offense returns 10 starters, while five starters are back on defense (really six, though, with Beckner’s return). The non-conference games should be a breeze and Missouri could steal a couple of home games out of four vs USC, Auburn, UF and UT.

Gambling Numbers: Missouri has 225/1 odds to win the SEC and its win total is 6.5 (‘under’ -145) at Sportsbook. Some spots in Vegas have the number at six with similarly expensive odds for the ‘over.’

Prediction: I have the Tigers going 5-7 or 6-6, so I have no bets on the win total. Many of their games could go either way, especially the ones at home vs. USC and UT, in addition to a road game at Vandy.

[StarDust Bum]

College football notebook: Iowa loaded at running back
August 6, 2017

Only one college football team in the country has two running backs who each ran for 1,000 yards last season. That would be Iowa.

The Hawkeyes bring back senior Akrum Wadley (1,081 yards and 10 touchdowns) and added Nevada graduate transfer James Butler (1,336 yards, 12 touchdowns) over the summer. Butler ran for 3,313 yards, averaging 5.5 per carry, while playing in the Wolf Pack's run-tilted Pistol offense.

With new Nevada coach Jay Norvell installing the Air Raid offense, Butler looked for other options after spring ball, landing at Iowa, known for its physical, ground-based attack.

"Everything about it since we got the release has been very impressive," coach Kirk Ferentz said of Butler at the team's media day Saturday.

"He did a tremendous job academically at Nevada. His statistics in football are impressive. But certainly to have him here on campus and have an opportunity to work with him, I think all of us are enjoying that, really pleased. Anytime you can add a good player, a good person, a high-caliber guy to your roster, that's a positive."

Butler is the 1,000-yard replacement for graduated Leshun Daniels Jr., who ran for 1,058 yards and 10 scores last season for the Hawkeyes, who went 8-5. Wadley, at 5-foot-11, 195 pounds, isn't built like a workhorse, so there will be ample opportunities for him and Butler, running behind a typically stout Iowa offensive line and helping ease the transition to a new starting quarterback.

"Akrum is one of our best football players. We've seen him, we've witnessed him ... boy, he's right on task right now," Ferentz said. "But like last year, we were better when we had two guys that could help us there. If we have three, that would be great too."

--Oregon State quarterback Marcus McMaryion, who lost out on the team's starting quarterback job last week, will transfer and be immediately eligible as a graduate, the school announced Sunday. McMaryion has two seasons of eligibility remaining.

Coach Gary Andersen picked junior college transfer Jake Luton as his starter early in camp over McMaryion and Darell Garretson. McMaryion started six games last season as an injury replacement, completing 101 of 170 passes for 1,286 yards, with 10 touchdowns and five interceptions.

--Offensive lineman Khaliel Rodgers, who joined North Carolina this summer as a graduate transfer from USC, announced on social media that he is retiring from football. Rodgers started nine career games on the offensive line for the Trojans, but none last season, when he played sparingly after being moved to the defensive line. The Tar Heels were trying to use him at offensive guard.

[StarDust Bum]

Armadillo: Monday's six-pack

— Astros 7, Blue Jays 6— Houston scored four runs in bottom of the 9th.

— Rays 2, Brewers 1— Tampa Bay scored 2 runs all weekend, salvaged this game.

— Cal Poly basketball coach Joe Callero has 15 siblings; fifteen!!!!

— A’s OF Matt Joyce loses two days’ pay (roughly $61K) for using a gay slur towards a fan who was heckling him. Seems a bit excessive, but that is today’s world.

— RIP Darren Daulton 55, former Phillies’ catcher who passed away Sunday from cancer. Once saw him break his bat and hit an opposite field HR in the Eastern League, in a steady downpour. Strong guy. Good catcher. RIP.

— If baseball playoffs started today (they do not), they would be:
NL: Washington-Chicago-Los Angeles. Wild Cards: Colo-Ariz
AL: Boston-Cleveland-Houston Wild Cards; NY/KC


**********

Armadillo: Monday's List of 13: Random post-vacation thoughts

13) Saw an underrated athletic feat this weekend; for some reason, the Saints had a portable basketball goal on the line in the back of the end zone. Drew Brees stood on the 10-yard line, 20 yards away, and swished three footballs in a row into the basket from the 10-yard line.

20 yards is 60 feet; half court on a regulation court is 47 feet, so basically Brees made three shots in a row from the backcourt, using a football. Not bad.

12) Rental car return at the Cleveland airport was ridiculously busy Sunday morning, even at 6am. Quick turnaround last night; speeches ended just before midnight, then I’m out of the hotel and off to the airport by 4:45 Sunday morning. Not great planning on my part.

11) A college teammate of LaDanian Tomlinson said on Twitter this weekend that LT was so intense, he wore a mouthpiece while lifting weights. Never heard of that before.

10) Terrell Davis played two years at Long Beach State, including a red-shirt year under the great coach George Allen, but a year after Allen passed away, Long Beach State dropped football and Davis transferred to Georgia, luckily for him.

9) Dodgers are 44-7 in their last 51 games, the best 51-game stretch for any big league team since 1912.

8) Unusual that Morten Andersen is the all-time leading scorer for both the Falcons/Saints, who have the most underrated rivalry in the NFL, having come into the league a year apart in the 60’s. Anderson’s speech Saturday night was full of good humor— former Michigan State football teammate, baseball star Kirk Gibson was in Canton to support him.

No, I didn’t make an effort to meet Gibson, whose home run ruined the 1988 World Series for me.

7) The fewest interceptions by any cornerback in the Hall of Fame? 40. Darrelle Revis only has 29 in his career, so he’ll have to buck a trend to make the Hall, either that or pick off a lot more passes the rest of his career.

6) A’s traded 1B Yonder Alonso to Seattle for journeyman Boog Powell; Alonso played very well for the A’s for two years, but he is a free agent-to-be, which in Oakland means……..good-bye.

5) Mitchell Robinson, one of the best incoming freshman basketball players this fall, got his release from Western Kentucky and will go to LSU, which also got the kid from Southern Utah who wants to be a graduate transfer. LSU should be pretty good this winter.

Western Kentucky had hired Robinson’s godfather as an assistant coach, but he left earlier this summer and now the kid is gone too. Maybe WKU is better off.

4) Listened to Alex Rodriguez for a while on TV this weekend, broadcasting on FOX; he does a good job analyzing baseball. I mean, the guy doesn’t need the money, so he must enjoy the work.

3) Jay Cutler officially signed a 1-year deal with the Dolphins, delaying his broadcast career. I feel bad for Miami backup QB Matt Moore, who is a capable player, because Cutler didn’t sign up to sit on the bench. Moore could start for a few NFL teams.

Cutler gets $10M for this season, by the way. Not bad.

2) Justin Turner’s baseball career:
2009-13, Orioles/Mets: 8 home runs/926 plate appearances, .322 OB%
2014-17: Dodgers: 63 home runs in 1,737 plate appearances, .379 OB%

1) Some writers were complaining Saturday night about the length of the Hall of Fame speeches; Kurt Warner’s speech didn’t start until after 11pm. Only suggestion I can think of is players-only give speeches. I don’t need to hear that Jerry Jones was hung over when he decided to buy the Cowboys, and I don’t need to hear him to thank Rupert Murdoch, either.

All seven speeches lasted at least 19:30; Jones had the longest speech, at 36:46.