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[StarDust Bum]

Thursday's Best Bet
August 10, 2017

Thursday MLB Betting Preview
L.A Dodgers vs. Arizona Diamondbacks

These two NL West rivals have split the first two games of this three-game set as both sides will be looking for the series victory tonight. At 80-33 SU, the loss in the series opener was a rarity for L.A, who now turn to their prized deadline acquisition in Yu Darvish tonight.

Darvish was brilliant in his Dodgers debut last week as he had 10 K's and only gave up three hits in seven innings of work. L.A won that game 6-0 over the Mets and as heavy favorites tonight, they'd love a similar result.

BetDSI.euOdds: L.A (-182) vs. Arizona (+163); Total set at 9

L.A was able to rally late last night to get the 3-2 win to even up this series, continuing to find different ways to avoid losing streaks.

It was the first time the road team has won a game between these two in five meetings, and with Darvish on the hill tonight and the Dodgers upward of -180 favorites, there are plenty of bettors out there who believe L.A will make it two in a row.

According to VegasInsider.com, just under 70% of the ML wagers have come on the Dodgers tonight and all that action has pushed their number up from it opening in the -160 range.

But while the support continues to find it's way to the Dodgers tonight, I'm looking at tonight's total in this series finale and find it a much more attractive betting option.

The first two games of this series cashed 'under' tickets, and with a strong likelihood of these two NL West rivals meeting in the playoffs (should Arizona win the Wildcard game), chances are we see a more playoff-type feel to Dodgers/Diamondbacks games the rest of the year.

However, Arizona is one of the best hitter parks in all of baseball, and to see those same betting percentage numbers at VegasInsider.com show more than 90% on an 'under' for a Diamondbacks home game against one of the best offenses in all of baseball is really surprising.

Now, obviously having Darvish on the hill for L.A plays into that overwhelming support for the 'under,' but I don't believe Darvish will come close to duplicating the success he had in his first start with L.A, especially against an offense like the D-Backs have.

Arizona puts up 5.71 runs per home game this year and they know they'll likely need all of that average to beat the Dodgers. With Arizona's starter Anthony Banda making his third career MLB start tonight, his D-Backs teammates know they'll need to give him all the help they can if they want a chance to win.

L.A's own offense should make things difficult for the lefty Banda as L.A is on a 10-1 SU run on the road against southpaws, scoring 5.49 runs per road game the entire year against lefties. The high-powered offense the Dodgers have can't be overly thrilled with the fact that they've only scored three times in each of the first two games, and tonight's contest gives them an opportunity to get the bats sizzling hot again as they return home.

So with the ball-park being very hitter friendly and the majority of bettors backing a third straight 'under' in this series because Darvish is back on the hill, I've got no quarrels about going against the grain here and taking the high side of this total.

Arizona is on a 4-0-1 O/U run after scoring two runs or less in their last outing, they are 3-0-1 O/U during their last four Game 3's of a series, and we've got a HP ump in Hunter Wendelstedt who's seen five of his last six games behind the dish finish at or above the total (4-1-1 O/U).

L.A's offense can explode at any moment, and with it being very tough for Darvish to top his debut performance last week, I think we see one of those shootout-type games in Arizona this evening.

Odds per - BetDSI.eu

Best Bet: Over 9 runs

[StarDust Bum]

Evening Plays:


NYM at PHI 07:05 PM

U 8.0

MIA at WAS 07:05 PM

MIA +130

O 9.5

NYY at TOR 07:07 PM

TOR +120

O 8.5

CLE at TB 07:10 PM

TB +125

O 8.0

KC at STL 07:15 PM

KC +130

O 8.5

MIN at MIL 08:10 PM

MIN +135

O 9.5

HOU at CHW 08:10 PM

CHW +175

LAD at ARI 09:40 PM

O 9.0

BAL at OAK 10:05 PM

O 9.5

LAA at SEA 10:10 PM

O 7.5

[StarDust Bum]

Baseball Capsules
August 10, 2017

PHOENIX (AP) National League batting average leader Justin Turner and Kike Hernandez drove in a combined five runs, helping Yu Darvish pick up his second win in as many starts for the Los Angeles Dodgers in their 8-6 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Thursday night.

The Dodgers, with two wins in the three-game series with Arizona, have won or tied 18 straight series, not having lost one since June 5-7 against Washington. They have won 15 of their last 17 games.

The Diamondbacks have lost four of five.

The Dodgers staked Darvish to a three-run lead before he even took the mound. Two singles and a two-out walk to Logan Forsythe brought up Hernandez, who with two strikes pulled a bases-clearing double into the left-field corner.

Darvish got out of the first two innings with six three-ball counts, and Arizona rallied as his pitch count climbed.

RAYS 4, INDIANS 1

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) - Corey Dickerson's three-run homer in the eighth inning carried the Tampa Bay over Cleveland.

Dickerson's two-out blast off Nick Goody (1-2), his 22nd, came after Adeiny Hechavarria singled and Jesus Sucre was hit by a pitch.

Tommy Hunter (2-2) worked 1 2/3 scoreless innings in relief of Blake Snell to get the win. Alex Colome pitched the ninth for his 34th save in 39 opportunities.

Francisco Lindor opened the game with a double and scored on Jose Ramirez's single. It was the only run for the AL Central-leading Indians off Snell, who gave up four hits and two walks in 6 1/3 innings.

Snell (0-6, 4.69 ERA) made his 15th start, the most of any winless pitcher in the majors this season.

Logan Morrison drove in Tampa Bay's first run with a single in the fifth.

BLUE JAYS 4, YANKEES 0

TORONTO (AP) - Marco Estrada and two relievers combined on a six-hitter, Jose Bautista hit a solo home run and Toronto beat New York.

Estrada (5-7) pitched seven innings to win for the first time in 13 starts. The right-hander came in 0-5 with a 7.39 ERA since beating Texas on May 27.

Ryan Tepera worked the eighth and Roberto Osuna finished.

Bautista hit a two-out drive off Chasen Shreve in the seventh. It was his 36th career homer against New York, breaking a tie with Tampa Bay's Evan Longoria for the most by an active player.

Making his second start for the Yankees, Sonny Gray (6-7) allowed three runs, two of them earned, in six innings. He walked four and struck out six. Acquired from Oakland at the trade deadline, Gray lost at Cleveland in his Yankees debut.

NATIONALS 3, MARLINS 2

WASHINGTON (AP) - Brian Goodwin had two hits, including a home run leading off the eighth inning, and Washington rallied past Miami.

Goodwin broke a 2-2 tie when he connected on a 1-0 fastball from Junichi Tazawa (1-2) for his 13th homer of the season and second RBI of the night.

Ryan Madson (2-0) pitched a scoreless eighth inning and Sean Doolittle worked around a one-out double by Miguel Rojas in the ninth for his seventh save since coming to Washington.

Andrew Stevenson made a diving catch along the left field foul line with a runner on third to save a hit for the game's final out.

Giancarlo Stanton hit his major league-leading 39th home run of the season for the Marlins.

METS 10, PHILLIES 0

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Jacob deGrom pitched brilliantly until leaving in the seventh inning due to a contusion on his right triceps after being hit on a line drive by Nick Williams, and New York homered four times in a rout of Philadelphia.

DeGrom (13-5) gave up four hits in 6 2/3 innings with nine strikeouts and no walks. He improved to 9-2 with a 1.82 ERA in his last 11 starts while upping his career mark against Philadelphia to 6-0 with a 2.10 ERA in 10 starts.

The 29-year-old right-hander initially smiled when manager Terry Collins came out to check on his star pitcher after Williams' hard shot drilled deGrom on the back of his right arm just above the elbow. But deGrom never threw a warmup pitch nor appeared to protest Collins' decision to take him out. The Mets got good news when X-rays were negative.

Wilmer Flores hit a three-run homer off Vince Velasquez (2-7) and finished a triple shy of the cycle. Neil Walker had four hits with a homer and Michael Conforto and Curtis Granderson also went deep as the Mets continued their power surge at Citizens Bank Park, where they have launched 51 long balls in their last 23 games.

PIRATES 7, TIGERS 5

DETROIT (AP) - Rookie Josh Bell hit his 20th home run and drove in three runs, leading Pittsburgh past Detroit.

Gerrit Cole (10-8) allowed six hits and three earned runs in eight innings, his longest outing of the season. He improved to 3-1 since the All-Star break and is 6-3 in his last 10 starts. Felipe Rivero closed for his 11th save. Drew VerHagen (0-2) took the loss.

Sean Rodriguez of the Pirates had a run-scoring single in the second to make it 2-2. Rodriguez hit a solo homer in the eighth for his fourth of the season.

A run-scoring double by Victor Martinez and an RBI groundout by James McCann produced two runs in the ninth for Detroit.

REDS 10, PADRES 3

CINCINNATI (AP) - Scooter Gennett hit a grand slam in the seventh inning, ending left-hander Brad Hand's long scoreless streak and rallying Cincinnati over San Diego.

San Diego took a 3-2 lead into the seventh, leaving Dinelson Lamet in line for a fourth straight victory. The Padres' best reliever of late let it get away.

The Reds loaded the bases against Kirby Yates (2-3) and Hand, who had a streak of 24 scoreless innings. Gennett's third career grand slam made it 6-3, the first runs allowed by Hand since June 10.

Eugenio Suarez homered two pitches later. Zack Cozart and Joey Votto added homers in the eighth, with Votto's solo shot extending his hitting streak to a season-high 15 games.

Drew Storen (3-2) escaped a two-on threat in the seventh.

WHITE SOX 3, ASTROS 2

CHICAGO (AP) - Rookie Yoan Moncada tied the game with a home run in the ninth inning and then drove home the winning run in the 11th to lift Chicago past Houston, as the American League's worst team swept a three-game series from its best.

Leury Garcia led off the 11th by hitting a single past a diving second baseman Jose Altuve, and then advanced to second after right fielder Josh Reddick bobbled the ball. Then, on the second pitch from reliever Francis Martes, Moncada knocked a single past a diving Altuve again for the game-winner.

Earlier, Moncada, the top White Sox top prospect, connected against Astros closer Ken Giles for his second career home run. It was the third blown save of the season for Giles, who has converted 22.

Martes (4-2) struck out all three batters he faced in the 10th inning, but allowed the pair of hits in the 11th.

David Holmberg (2-3) got the last out of the 11th to earn the win. Carlos Rodon threw his third straight quality start without earning a win.

CARDINALS 8, ROYALS 6

ST. LOUIS (AP) - Dexter Fowler hit a grand slam and drove in a career-high five runs to lead St. Louis over Kansas City.

The Cardinals tied a season high with their sixth straight win and climbed within one game of the first-place Chicago Cubs in the NL Central.

Kansas City has lost four in a row and six of seven.

Fowler broke a 3-3 tie in the seventh inning with his 15th homer of the season. He ripped the first pitch from Neftali Feliz 404 feet for his third career slam.

Tyler Lyons (1-0) picked up the win in relief of Lance Lynn, who gave up two earned runs in six innings.

Mike Minor (5-4) took the loss.

TWINS 7, BREWERS 2

MILWAUKEE (AP) - Byron Buxton and Joe Mauer each had three singles and Minnesota beat Milwaukee for the fourth consecutive game.

The Twins, who have won five straight and are 7-3 in August, had 12 hits - 11 singles and a double - to sweep a home-and-home, four-game set with Milwaukee. The Brewers are 7-17 since July 16 and fell into third place in the NL Central with the loss.

Rookie Alan Busenitz (1-0) pitched 2 2/3 innings of relief for his first major league win.

Milwaukee starter Zach Davies (13-6) allowed seven runs, six earned, a career-high 11 hits and two walks while striking out three in 5 2/3 innings. The right-hander struggled after allowing just three earned runs and 19 hits over 28 2/3 innings his past four starts.

Mauer came into the game in a 1-for-20 slump. He went 3 for 5 with singles in the third, fourth and sixth innings.

ANGELS 6, MARINERS 3

SEATTLE (AP) - Mike Trout looped a three-run double just inside the left-field line with two outs in the ninth inning, and Los Angeles cooled off Seattle.

Trout's bases-clearing hit off Seattle closer Edwin Diaz (2-5) came after the Mariners staged a three-run rally of their own in the eighth inning to tie the game at 3-all. Diaz had major control problems in the ninth, walking three batters, including Cameron Maybin on a 3-2 pitch to bring Trout to the plate. The reigning MVP pulled a 1-1 breaking ball and just kept it fair.

The surging Mariners were coming off a 6-3 road trip to move into the second wild-card spot in the American League. Along with the ninth-inning problems, the Mariners saw ace James Paxton leave in the seventh inning with a strained left pectoral muscle.

ORIOLES 7, ATHLETICS 2

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) - Trey Mancini had three hits, including two home runs, Wade Miley pitched seven innings of three-hit ball and Baltimore slugged four home runs in a victory over Oakland.

Adam Jones and Mark Trumbo each added solo blasts.

The Orioles have won four of their last six games and nine of their last 13.

Miley (6-9) struck out seven, walked three and allowed one unearned run.

A's starter Chris Smith (0-2) went six innings, giving up five runs on seven hits including all four home runs.

The 36-year-old, who last month became the oldest player in franchise history to make his first career start, has given up at least one home run in six outings including five starts.

[StarDust Bum]

Friday’s six-pack

American League Wild Card standings:

1) New York 60-53

2) Seattle 59-56

3) Tampa Bay 0.5 games behind

4) Kansas City 1 GB

5) Minnesota 1.5 GB

6) LA Angels 2 GB

7) Baltimore 2.5 GB

8) Texas 4 GB

9) Toronto 4.5 GB

*********************

Friday’s List of 13: Random stuff with the weekend here…….

13) Damned if you do, damned if you don’t: I know people who stopped watching the NFL last year because of the Colin Kaepernick/kneeling thing. Granted, these people aren’t avid fans, but they did stop watching games.

Now there is a petition with 130,000 names on it claiming THEY will boycott games if some NFL team doesn’t sign Kaepernick. The fact that he may have turned down Seattle’s offer to be a backup doesn’t seem to matter to these humans— maybe they want him to take Tom Brady’s place.

I don’t know, but if I never hear the word “politics” again, it’ll be too damn soon.

12) Mets saved $4M by trading Jay Bruce to the Indians. Its always good when the Wilpons can bank an extra $4M, seeing as how they’re friends with Bernie Madoff and all— a little extra change never hurt anyone.

Bronx Bombers offered $1M and two prospects for Bruce; the two prospects mustn’t be very good, or else the Mets just preferred cash.

11) 44-year old pitcher Bartolo Colon was in the big leagues before 17 of the current 30 major league stadiums were opened.

10) Houston Texans have five Clemson guys on their squad, a good college team to pick from. Never hurts to have players who are used to winning.

9) Scary story about Oakland University hoop coach Greg Kampe, who almost died this summer when six kidney stones that were lodged in his kidney became infected. He wound up in intensive care for five days— he is OK now, but in his early 60’s, sepsis is a very dangerous thing to have in your system. He was smart to go to the ER to get treatment.

Kampe is 583-424 in his head coaching career, all of which has been spent at Oakland.

8) If you care about such things, ESPN will have 28 consecutive hours of fantasy football coverage on its airwaves, starting Monday night at 7pm.

7) Mike Krzyzewski is having knee replacement surgery this week, so Duke’s basketball team has cancelled its summer trip to the Dominican Republic. Teams can only take one of those trips every four years; they’ll probably go next year now.

6) Odd Fact of the Day: A 91-year old woman in Thailand earned a college degree after spending more than 10 years studying for it— she got her diploma from the country’s king. Good for her.

5) With Padres leading 3-2 at Cincinnati Thursday with one out and tying run on second with one out in the bottom of the 7th inning, manager Andy Green changed pitchers, replacing righty Kirby Yates with lefty Brad Hand with a 2-2 count on Joey Votto.

Not sure how many times I’ve seen this before, but it is very few. Hand is San Diego’s closer, but to close this win, he had to get eight outs!!! Unusual strategy.

Votto walked, Adam Duvall struck out, then Scooter Gennett hit a grand slam, making Green’s strategy a complete disaster. Have no idea what he was thinking; the San Diego TV guys said this: “…..some interesting decisions by Andy Green”

4) UAB has brought back its football team this year, after it was gone for a couple years; the mayor of Birmingham says the team’s return will have a $50M positive impact on the city’s economy.

Maybe he thinks the Crimson Tide are moving from Tuscaloosa to Birmingham.

3) Mets had a deal to send Neal Walker to the Bronx at the trade deadline, but when Bronx acquired Sonny Gray, they scuttled the Walker deal, using Walker’s medical records as the excuse why. Mets’ brass wasn’t amused, which may be why Jay Bruce is in Cleveland now.

That and the thing about Bronx not wanting to absorb Bruce’s contract, which the Indians did.

2) Quarterbacks are valuable; there are reports that the Bengals turned down a 2nd-round pick for backup QB AJ McCarron. That is surprising.

1) Atlanta Falcons had six games LY where they had a +3 or better turnover ratio; thats going to be really difficult to replicate this season. Numbers people think Atlanta will regress some this season, and thats before factoring in the fact that they have two new coordinators this year.

[StarDust Bum]

Friday’s games
National League

Giants @ Nationals
Stratton is 0-1, 6.17 in two starts this year (over 1-1). Giants’ first 5-inning record with him: 0-2

Jackson is 2-2, 5.11 in four starts this year (under 3-1). Washington split his two home starts— their first 5-inning record with him: 1-2-1

Giants won four of last five games; over is 5-2-1 in their last eight road tilts. SF is 8-10 in road series openers. Washington won five of its last seven games; over is 4-2 in their last six games. Nationals are 11-8 in home series openers.

Mets @ Phillies
Lugo is 1-1, 5.02 in his last four starts; over is 7-1-1 in his last nine. Mets are 4-2 in his road starts— their first 5-inning record with him: 5-3-2

Pivetta is 1-2, 8.59 in his last three starts; over is 4-1 in his last five. Phillies are 2-4 in his home starts— their first 5-inning record with him: 6-8-2

Mets lost five of last seven games (under 4-2-1). Phillies won three of their last four games; under is 8-4 in their last 12.

Rockies @ Marlins
Gray is 2-1, 3.60 in his last four starts; under is 5-3-1 in his last nine. Colorado is 3-2 in his road starts— their first 5-inning record with him: 5-4-1

Urena is 3-1, 2.88 in his last four starts; under is 4-1 in his last five. Miami is 4-5 in his home starts— their first 5-inning record with him: 10-5-3

Colorado is 7-4 in its last 11 games; under is 7-2 in their last nine games. Rockies are 3-8 in last 11 road series openers. Miami lost five of last seven games; they’re 7-4 in last 11 home series openers. Under is 6-2 in their last eight games.

Reds @ Brewers
Bailey is 1-3, 8.44 in his last four starts; over is 4-1 in his last five. Reds are 3-2 in his road starts— their first 5-inning record with him: 2-6-1

Nelson is 1-0, 2.14 in his last three starts; under is 8-2 in his last ten. Brewers are 5-0 in his last five home starts— their first 5-inning record with him: 10-11-2

Reds won three of last four games; their last five games went over total. Cincy is 7-13 in road series openers. Milwaukee lost its last five games; under is 9-2-2 in their last 13 games. Brewers are 11-8 in home series openers.

Braves @ Cardinals
Foltynewicz is 3-1, 4.30 in his last four starts; over is 4-1 in his last five. Braves are 5-6 in his road starts— their first 5-inning record with him: 8-7-6

Wainwright is 4-0, 4.46 in his last six starts; under is 4-2-1 in his last six. St Louis is 7-3 in his home starts— their first 5-inning record with him: 11-7-4

Braves are 3-10 in last 13 games; under is 9-2 in their last 11 games. Atlanta is 11-8 in road series openers. St Louis won its last six games, scoring 54 runs; their last four games went over total. Cardinals are 10-10 in home series openers.

Cubs @ Diamondbacks
Lackey is 4-0, 3.43 in his last four starts; under is 7-4-1 in his last 12. Chicago is 6-5 in his road starts— their first 5-inning record with him: 6-13-2

Walker is 0-3, 4.71 in his last five starts; under is 4-2 in his last six. Arizona is 5-2 in his home starts— their first 5-inning record with him: 8-6-4

Cubs lost six of last eight games; over is 3-1-1 in their last five. Chicago is 10-9 in road series openers. Arizona lost four of last five games; over is 4-1-1 in their last six home games. Snakes are 13-5 in home series openers.

Padres @ Dodgers
Richard is 0-4, 8.59 in his last five starts; over is 5-2-1 in his last eight. San Diego is 3-8 in his road starts— their first 5-inning record with him: 10-12-1

Hill is 4-0, 2.00 in his last six starts, 2-0, 0.75 vs San Diego this year. Under is 4-2-1 in his last seven starts. LA is 6-3 in his home starts— their first 5-inning record with him: 7-6-3

San Diego lost four of last five games; their last four games went over. Padres are 5-13 in road series openers. Dodgers are 46-8 in their last 54 games; under is 7-3-1 in their last 11. LA is 14-5 in home series openers.

——————————–

American League
Boston @ New York
Rodriguez is 0-2, 6.75 in his last five starts; under is 3-1 in his last four. Boston is 4-4 in his road starts— their first 5-inning record with him: 7-7

Garcia allowed six runs in 4.2 IP (87) in his first start for New York— their first 5-inning record with him: 0-1. Garcia is pitching for his third team in last three weeks.

Red Sox won its last eight games; under is 4-1 in their last five. Red Sox are 7-3 in last ten road series openers. New York is 4-5 in its last nine games; under is 7-2 in those nine games. NY is 11-6 in home series openers.

Twins @ Tigers
Gibson is 1-3, 6.75 in his last four starts; under is 6-2 in his last eight starts. Minnesota is 5-3 in his road starts— their first 5-inning record with him: 7-11-1

Sanchez is 1-2, 9.45 in his last three starts (over 5-4). Detroit is 3-1 in his home starts— their first 5-inning record with him: 5-3-1

Minnesota won its last five games; under is 3-0-1 in their last four road games. Twins are 11-7 in road series openers. Detroit lost five of last six games; over is 5-1 in their last six home games. Tigers are 11-7 in home series openers.

Indians @ Rays
Carrasco is 0-2, 6.58 in his last five starts; over is 5-1 in his last six. Cleveland is 8-4 in his road starts but lost the last three— their first 5-inning record with him: 15-6-1

Faria is 1-2, 4.43 in his last four starts; under is 4-1-1 in his last six. Rays are 3-2 in his home starts— their first 5-inning record with him: 7-2-2

Indians lost four of last five games; under is 8-2 in their last ten games. Tampa Bay lost four of last six games, scoring total of eight runs; under is 9-2-1 in their last 12 home games.

Astros @ Rangers
Morton is 2-0, 2.25 in his last three starts; under is 3-1 in his last four. Astros are 3-2 in his road starts— their first 5-inning record with him: 10-4-2

Hamels is 2-0, 3.86 in his last three starts; over is 5-3-1 in his last nine. Texas is 4-2 in his home starts— their first 5-inning record with him: 11-0-2

Astros lost last five road games; under is 5-3 in their last eight games overall. Houston is 14-4 in road series openers. Texas lost four of last five home games; under is 8-4-1 in their last thirteen home games. Rangers are 9-9 in home series openers.

Royals @ White Sox
Duffy is 2-2, 3.90 in his last five starts; under is 4-2 in his last six. Royals are 4-6 in his road starts— their first 5-inning record with him: 6-8-4

Lopez is making his first ’17 start; he was 5-3, 4.91 in 11 games with Washington (6 starts) LY. He is 6-7, 3.79 in 22 AAA starts this season.

Royals lost six of last seven games; their last six games went over. KC is 8-10 in road series openers. Chicago won their last three games after a 3-20 skid; over is 7-5 in their last 12 home games. White Sox are 7-11 in home series openers.

Orioles @ A’s
Jimenez is 1-1, 1.93 in his last three starts; under is 5-3 in his last eight. Orioles are 4-5 in his road starts— their first 5-inning record with him: 7-9-2

Blackburn is 2-0, 2.25 in his last three starts (over 3-3-1). A’s are 2-1 in his home starts— their first 5-inning record with him: 4-1-2

Baltimore won nine of last 13 games; under is 8-2 in their last ten. Oakland lost nine of last 12 home games (under 8-2-1).

Angels @ Mariners
Nolasco is 1-2, 6.43 in his last four starts (over 3-1). Angels are 2-9 in his road starts— their first 5-inning record with him: 8-11-4

Gonzales allowed five runs in four IP (76 PT) in his first ’17 start, an 8-7 win at KC. Seattle’s first 5-inning record with him: 1-0

Angels are 7-3 in last ten games; under is 4-1 in their last five games. Mariners won eight of last 11 games; over is 4-2 in their last six.

__________________________

Interleague

Pirates @ Blue Jays
Taillon is 0-2, 13.85 in his last three starts (over 2-0-1). Pirates are 4-3 in his road starts— their first 5-inning record with him: 7-6-3

Stroman is 2-0, 3.40 in his last six starts; his last three starts went over. Toronto is 7-4 in his home starts— their first 5-inning record with him: 12-10-1

Pittsburgh won six of last eight games; under is 4-2 in their last five road games. Pirates are 7-12 in road series openers. Blue Jays are 5-3 in last eight games; under is 6-4 in their last ten home games. Toronto is 7-11 in home series openers.

______________________________

Record with this pitcher starting:
National League
SF-Wsh: Stratton 1-1; Jackson 2-2
NY-Phil: Lugo 7-7; Pivetta 5-11
Colo-Mia: Gray 7-3; Urena 12-6
Cin-Mil: Bailey 3-6; Nelson 12-11
Atl-StL: Foltynewicz 13-8; Wainwright 13-8
Chi-Az: Lackey 12-9 (5-0 last 5); Walker 10-8 (0-5 last 5)
SD-LA; Richard 7-16 (0-5 last 5); Hill 11-5 (6-0 last 6)

American League
Bos-NY; Rodriguez 9-5; Garcia 0-1 (9-9)
Min-Det: Gibson 9-10; Sanchez 5-4
Clev-TB: Carrasco 15-7; Faria 8-3
Hst-Tex: Morton 10-6; Hamels 7-6
KC-Chi: Duffy 8-10; Lopez 0-0
Balt-A’s: Jimenez 10-8; Blackburn 4-3
LA-Sea: Nolasco 6-17; Gonzales 1-0

Interleague
Pitt-Tor: Taillon 8-8; Stroman 14-9

Pitchers allowing a run in first inning:
National League
SF-Wsh: Stratton 1-2; Jackson 2-4
NY-Phil: Lugo 8-14; Pivetta 6-16
Colo-Mia: Gray 2-10; Urena 3-18
Cin-Mil: Bailey 6-9; Nelson 3-23
Atl-StL: Foltynewicz 4-21; Wainwright 5-21
Chi-Az: Lackey 11-21; Walker 6-18
SD-LA; Richard 7-23; Hill 4-16

American League
Bos-NY; Rodriguez 4-14; Garcia 4-19
Min-Det: Gibson 5-19; Sanchez 1-9
Clev-TB: Carrasco 4-22; Faria 2-11
Hst-Tex: Morton 3-16; Hamels 5-13
KC-Chi: Duffy 4-18; Lopez 0-0
Balt-A’s: Jimenez 6-18; Blackburn 1-7
LA-Sea: Nolasco 9-23; Gonzales 0-1

Interleague
Pitt-Tor: Taillon 4-16; Stroman 5-23

_________________________

Umpires
National League

American League

Interleague

Interleague play
NL @ AL– 62-48 AL, favorites -$119
AL @ NL– 61-56 NL, favorites -$537
Total: 117-107 AL, favorites -$656

Totals in interleague games
NL @ AL: Over 57-52-3
AL @ NL: Over 63-48-7
Total: Over 120-100-10

Teams’ records in first five innings:
Team (road-home-total)- thru 8/10/17
Ariz 21-22-15……30-18–10……..51-40
Atl 21-26-8……19-30-7………..40-56
Cubs 26-27-5……25-21-9………..51-48
Reds 18-32-5……..22-33–5……….40-66
Colo 30-22-6…….31-21-3………..61-43
LA 28-18-8…….38-16-6……….66-34
Miami 25-27-6…….27-21-7………52-48
Milw 29-20-8…….29-23-8………57-43
Mets 25-26-3……..24-30-4……..49-56
Philly 15-33-12……20-25-7……….35-58
Pitt 27-26-4…….23-26-9………50-52
St. Louis 23-25-8……31-19-9…………54-44
SD 18-34-6……..27-23–6……….45-57
SF 12-37-8……..22-28-9……….37-65
Wash 35-18-5……25-23-7………….60-42

Orioles 21-30-5……..26-27-5………47-57
Boston 23-27-7………27-27-2……..50-54
White Sox 19-32-8………20-30–3……..39-61
Cleveland 27-20-7……..28-21-7……..54-41
Detroit 22-29-9…….26-23-5……..48-52
Astros 28-20-8……..36-19-4……..64-39
KC 20-26-8………23-24-12…….43-50
Angels 21-27-8………26-22-12……..47-49
Twins 31-16-8………25-29-6……..56-44
NYY 23-33-5……….29-20-3…..…52-53
A’s 21-28-7……..24-26-10……..45-54
Seattle 20-29-8……..30-20-9……..50-49
TB 28-20-10……..33-15-8……..61-35
Texas 28-21-10……..24-22-8………52-43
Toronto 23-32-3……..20-27-8……..43-59

%age of times teams score in first inning (road/home/total- 8/10/17)
Ariz 17-56……..21-57………..37
Atl 12-55……..16-56………..28
Cubs 14-58……..20-55……….34
Reds 21-55……..24-59……….44
Colo 15-58……..20-56..…….35
LA 17-54……..22-59..……..39
Miami 24-58……..18-55………42
Milw 20-57……23-60…..…..43
Mets 24-54……..19-58……….43
Philly 16-60……..14-53……….30
Pitt 17-57……..18-58……….35
StL 12-56……..18-58………..30
SD 22-58……..17-56…………39
SF 14-57……..17-59…………31
Wash 24-58……..22-55……….46

Orioles 8-57……..19-59……….27
Boston 17-58……..13-56………30
White Sox 16-59……12-53……….28
Clev 11-54……..19-58………30
Detroit 14-60…….22-55………36
Astros 17-56……..24-58……….41
KC 12-55……..10-59………..21
Angels 21-57…….15-60………..35
Twins 12-53……..13-59……….25
NYY 13-61……..15-52………28
A’s 13-56……..22-60………35
Seattle 19-56…….20-60………39
TB 18-58……..20-58……..38
Texas 22-59……..25-53………47
Toronto 19-58……..13-57………32

[StarDust Bum]

MLB notebook: Cardinals looking for lucky cat
August 10, 2017

The St. Louis Cardinals received an unexpected assist from a stray cat en route to winning their fifth straight game on Wednesday.

On Thursday, the Cardinals attempted to return the favor by issuing a statement asking for anyone to contact the team should they find the mysterious -- and now missing -- feline.

The cat made his presence felt by running onto the field and interrupting play in the sixth inning of St. Louis' game against the Kansas City Royals.

Grounds crew member Lucas Hackmann retrieved the kitten and Yadier Molina promptly blasted the next pitch out of the park for a grand slam to highlight the Cardinals' 8-5 victory.

"At that point, as our ushers tried to contain the cat, a fan grabbed it and claimed it was hers," the Cardinals said in a statement. "As she left the ballpark, our security team caught up with her and asked her some questions. She then abruptly left with the cat.

"We understand from media accounts that the woman intended to take it home and care for it, but lost track of it in City Garden. We are hopeful someone will find the cat and contact us so we can properly care for it. Our grounds crew is working on developing a stray animal protocol to ensure the safety of both crew and animal should this happen again.

"In the meantime, the Cardinals are looking to scratch and claw their way back to the top of the division standings."

--The New York Yankees activated Aaron Hicks from the disabled list on Thursday and placed fellow outfielder Clint Frazier on the 10-day DL.

Hicks has been sidelined since June 25 with a ribcage injury. The 27-year-old was hitting .290 with 10 homers and 37 RBIs in 60 games this season with the Yankees.

Frazier was a late scratch from Wednesday's game against the Toronto Blue Jays after experiencing tightness in his oblique during batting practice.

--Toronto Blue Jays right-hander Taylor Cole was put on the 10-day disabled list after suffering a broken right toe when he was hit by a comebacker during his major-league debut against the New York Yankees on Wednesday night.

The Blue Jays recalled right-hander Chris Smith from Triple-A Buffalo to take his place.

Also, Blue Jays designated hitter Kendrys Morales was a late scratch from Thursday's game against the Yankees because of illness.

--Kansas City Royals right-hander Trevor Cahill was placed on the 10-disabled list due to a shoulder impingement, the club announced.

Cahill struggled while pitching 2 1/3 innings on Wednesday in the team's loss to the St. Louis Cardinals. He gave up three runs, four hits and five walks.

Right-handed reliever Kevin McCarthy was recalled from Triple-A Omaha to fill the roster opening. McCarthy is 1-0 with a 2.14 in 21 innings over two previous stints with the Royals this season.

[StarDust Bum]

LEADING OFF: Garcia joins Yankees-Red Sox rivalry, Votto run
August 10, 2017

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

RIVALRY ROOKIE

Left-hander Jaime Garcia gets his first close-up look at the Yankees-Red Sox craziness when he takes on Boston in the Bronx. The Red Sox have won eight in a row and are guaranteed of leaving Yankee Stadium with the AL East lead, no matter what happens in the three-game set. Garcia makes his second start since being traded from Minnesota to New York - he was roughed up by Cleveland in his debut.

START HIM UP

Jay Bruce is expected to make his first start for Cleveland when the AL Central leaders play at Tampa Bay. The Indians acquired Bruce from the New York Mets on Wednesday night for a minor league pitcher, and he made his Cleveland debut as a pinch-hitter Thursday night. Bruce had 29 home runs and 75 RBIs for the Mets this year. The Indians need outfield help, with Michael Brantley and Lonnie Chisenhall both on the disabled list.

NOTHING LACKING

Cubs righty John Lackey is 4-0 with a 3.00 ERA in four starts since the All-Star break. The 38-year-old has helped keep the World Series champs on top of the NL Central, and he'll try to improve his 9-9 record when he pitches at Arizona.

HOT VOTTO

Joey Votto takes a 15-game hitting streak - the longest active run in the majors - into Cincinnati's series opener at Milwaukee. The first baseman is batting .478 with five homers during the string, which is two games shy of his career high. Votto has homered four times in his last six games and has 31 this year. His highest total was 37 during his 2010 National League MVP season.

[StarDust Bum]

Friday's Diamond Notes
August 10, 2017

Hottest team: Red Sox (8-0 last eight) vs. Yankees

Boston is finally starting to distance itself from New York in the AL East by opening up a 4 ½-game advantage following three consecutive sweeps. Granted, two of those sweeps came in two-game sets against the Indians and Rays, but the Red Sox also took all four contests against the White Sox at Fenway Park last weekend. Boston’s pitching has stepped up recently by allowing only eight runs in the last five victories, while winning three straight on the road.

The Sox head to the Bronx to face the rival Yankees for a crucial weekend series after splitting a four-game set with New York in mid-July. Eduardo Rodriguez is winless in his last five starts since the beginning of June, but Boston won each of his past two starts by one run each at home against the Royals and White Sox.

Coldest team: Brewers (0-5 last five) vs. Reds

Milwaukee closed the first half of the season leading the NL Central, but the Brewers are in danger of not even making the playoffs. The Brew Crew is coming off a devastating series sweep at the hands of the Twins by losing all four games, including a pair of defeats at Miller Park. Milwaukee’s offense has scored four runs or less in 13 consecutive games, while going 7-0-1 to the UNDER in the past eight home contests.

The Brewers have a chance to rebound by hosting the last-place Reds this weekend, as Milwaukee swept Cincinnati at Miller Park in late April. Jimmy Nelson has been the most consistent home pitcher for the Brewers this season as Milwaukee owns a 5-0 record in his past five at Miller Park. Nelson has defeated the Reds twice this season, while the Brewers are 5-1 in his previous six starts against Cincinnati since 2016.

Hottest pitcher: Adam Wainwright, Cardinals (11-5, 5.00 ERA)

Although Wainwright lasted only three innings in a victory over Cincinnati his last time out, the Cardinals have compiled a 5-1 record in his past six starts. The Redbirds have won six of Wainwright’s last seven outings at Busch Stadium, while allowing two earned runs or less six times in this span. The Cardinals welcome in the Braves after sweeping Atlanta at SunTrust Park in early May. The Georgia native split a pair of starts against the Braves in 2016, as he lost at home, 6-3 last August after giving up six runs in the first two innings.

Coldest pitcher: Carlos Carrasco, Indians (10-5, 4.06 ERA)

Cleveland has dropped four of Carrasco’s last five starts, while yielding five earned runs three times in this stretch. The last two outings have been forgettable for the Indians’ right-hander, who allowed 10 earned runs in less than eight innings of work, as he squandered a 5-0 lead in a 12-10 defeat at Boston on August 1. Carrasco faces the Rays for the second time this season as he was knocked around for five runs in an 8-7 home victory on May 15 at Progressive Field.

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

Kansas City’s pitching has been knocked around the last few games, including against its cross-state rivals. The Cardinals scored eight runs or more in all four contests against the Royals, while posting at least four runs in each game off Kansas City’s bullpen. The Royals will look to snap a five-game road losing streak when they head to the South Side of Chicago to face the White Sox, as Kansas City has drilled the UNDER in six of the past seven road series openers.

Biggest UNDER run: Rockies (5-1 last six)

This is a rare situation where Colorado is on a solid UNDER run. The Rockies scored a total of two runs in the first 17 innings at Cleveland prior to scoring the tying run in the ninth inning on Wednesday, followed by the go-ahead run in the 12th inning of a 3-2 victory. Since the start of August, Colorado has yielded four runs or less in six of eight games, while the bullpen coughed up two ninth-inning leads at Philadelphia and Cleveland after allowing a total of one run in the first eight innings of each loss.

Matchup to watch: Cubs vs. Diamondbacks

Chicago and Arizona are hooking up for their second series this month as the D-backs grabbed two of three at Wrigley Field in early August. After getting embarrassed 16-4 in the opener, Arizona rebounded for a pair of victories, including an exciting 10-8 win in the finale thanks to three home runs off the bat of Paul Goldschmidt. Both these teams have their eyes on the postseason, but the defending champions still have work to do.

The Cubs dropped the final two games at San Francisco as their advantage in the NL Central over the Cardinals is down to just one game. John Lackey takes the mound for Chicago as he has won four straight starts, while the Cubs are 5-0 in his past five trips to the hill. Lackey has allowed two earned runs or less in four straight outings, while beating the D-backs twice last season.

Taijuan Walker counters for Arizona, who has lost four of its past five contests. Walker is winless in five consecutive outings, including losses as a -150 home favorite to the Braves and Reds. Arizona has stepped up in home openers recently by winning five of its past six Game 1’s at Chase Field.

Betcha didn’t know: Cole Hamels has yet to face the Astros this season, but the Rangers’ ace owned Houston in 2016. The Texas southpaw allowed five runs in three starts last season as the Rangers won all three games, including a pair of one-run victories at Globe Life Park. The Rangers were swept by the Astros in Arlington the last time Houston visited in early June, while scoring 20 runs in that series.

Biggest public favorite: Dodgers (-345) vs. Padres

Biggest public underdog: Red Sox (+110) at Yankees

[StarDust Bum]

August Best Bets Based on 5 Units Per Play

Best Bets

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

08/10/2017................4 - 2........+ 3.53.................4 - 7 - 0....................- 3.70
08/09/2017................5 - 5........+ 3.10.................2 - 2 - 0....................- 0.20
08/08/2017................4 - 4........+ 1.30.................6 - 7 - 2....................- 1.70
08/07/2017................1 - 3.........- 1.95.................3 - 1 - 2...................+ 1.90
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:.....................32 - 34........+ 8.93..............44 - 42 - 8...................- 1.10

[StarDust Bum]

MLB

Friday, August 11

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

7:05 PM
BOSTON vs. NY YANKEES
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Boston's last 6 games on the road
Boston is 1-6 SU in their last 7 games when playing on the road against NY Yankees
NY Yankees are 6-1 SU in their last 7 games when playing at home against Boston
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of NY Yankees's last 10 games when playing at home against Boston

7:05 PM
SAN FRANCISCO vs. WASHINGTON
San Francisco is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games on the road
San Francisco is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing Washington
Washington is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing San Francisco
Washington is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games at home

7:05 PM
NY METS vs. PHILADELPHIA
NY Mets are 10-4 SU in its last 14 games when playing Philadelphia
NY Mets are 2-4 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Philadelphia is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games when playing at home against NY Mets
Philadelphia is 3-6 SU in its last 9 games

7:07 PM
PITTSBURGH vs. TORONTO
Pittsburgh is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
Pittsburgh is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing Toronto
Toronto is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Pittsburgh
Toronto is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing Pittsburgh

7:10 PM
MINNESOTA vs. DETROIT
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Minnesota's last 10 games when playing on the road against Detroit
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Minnesota's last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Detroit's last 7 games when playing Minnesota
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Detroit's last 6 games at home

7:10 PM
COLORADO vs. MIAMI
Colorado is 5-15-1 SU in its last 21 games ,on the road
Colorado is 2-7 SU in its last 9 games when playing on the road against Miami
Miami is 7-2 SU in its last 9 games when playing at home against Colorado
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Miami's last 8 games when playing at home against Colorado

7:10 PM
CLEVELAND vs. TAMPA BAY
Cleveland is 11-4 SU in its last 15 games when playing Tampa Bay
Cleveland is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
Tampa Bay is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Tampa Bay's last 8 games

8:05 PM
HOUSTON vs. TEXAS
Houston is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
Houston is 5-15 SU in its last 20 games when playing on the road against Texas
Texas is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Houston
Texas is 15-5 SU in its last 20 games when playing at home against Houston

8:10 PM
CINCINNATI vs. MILWAUKEE
Cincinnati is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games when playing Milwaukee
Cincinnati is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Milwaukee
Milwaukee is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Cincinnati
The total has gone OVER in 11 of Milwaukee's last 14 games when playing at home against Cincinnati

8:10 PM
KANSAS CITY vs. CHI WHITE SOX
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Kansas City's last 8 games when playing Chi White Sox
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Kansas City's last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Chi White Sox's last 6 games
Chi White Sox are 4-2 SU in their last 6 games when playing at home against Kansas City

8:15 PM
ATLANTA vs. ST. LOUIS
The total has gone OVER in 11 of Atlanta's last 14 games on the road
Atlanta is 3-10 SU in its last 13 games
St. Louis is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
St. Louis is 9-2 SU in its last 11 games at home

9:40 PM
CHI CUBS vs. ARIZONA
Chi Cubs are 12-3 SU in their last 15 games on the road
Chi Cubs are 4-2 SU in their last 6 games when playing on the road against Arizona
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Arizona's last 6 games at home
Arizona is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games

10:05 PM
BALTIMORE vs. OAKLAND
Baltimore is 9-4 SU in its last 13 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Baltimore's last 5 games when playing on the road against Oakland
Oakland is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Oakland's last 6 games at home

10:10 PM
LA ANGELS vs. SEATTLE
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of LA Angels's last 6 games
LA Angels are 2-4 SU in their last 6 games when playing Seattle
Seattle is 4-2 SU in their last 6 games when playing LA Angels
Seattle is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games

10:10 PM
SAN DIEGO vs. LA DODGERS
The total has gone OVER in 5 of San Diego's last 5 games on the road
San Diego is 1-6 SU in their last 7 games when playing LA Dodgers
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of LA Dodgers's last 11 games
LA Dodgers are 15-2 SU in their last 17 games

[StarDust Bum]

MLB
Dunkel

Friday, August 11


Pittsburgh @ Toronto

Game 979-980
August 11, 2017 @ 7:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Pittsburgh
(Taillon) 16.328
Toronto
(Stroman) 12.969
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Pittsburgh
by 3 1/2
11
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Toronto
-150
9
Dunkel Pick:
Pittsburgh
(+130); Over

LA Angels @ Seattle

Game 977-978
August 11, 2017 @ 7:10 pm

Dunkel Rating:
LA Angels
(Ramirez) 14.224
Seattle
(Miranda) 16.683
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Seattle
by 2 1/2
10
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Seattle
-115
9
Dunkel Pick:
Seattle
(-115); Over

Baltimore @ Oakland

Game 975-976
August 11, 2017 @ 10:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Baltimore
(Jimenez) 14.536
Oakland
(Blackburn) 15.717
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Oakland
by 1
11
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Oakland
-110
9 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Oakland
(-110); Over

Kansas City @ Chicago White Sox

Game 973-974
August 11, 2017 @ 8:10 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Kansas City
(Duffy) 16.471
Chicago White Sox
(Lopez) 12.895
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Kansas City
by 3 1/2
11
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Kansas City
-150
9 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Kansas City
(-150); Over

Houston @ Texas

Game 971-972
August 11, 2017 @ 8:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Houston
(Morton) 15.505
Texas
(Hamels) 12.311
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Houston
by 3
11
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Houston
-120
9 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Houston
(-120); Over

Cleveland @ Tampa Bay

Game 969-970
August 11, 2017 @ 7:10 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Cleveland
(Carrasco) 14.380
Tampa Bay
(Faria) 15.730
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Tampa Bay
by 1 1/2
9
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Cleveland
-130
8
Dunkel Pick:
Tampa Bay
(+110); Over

Minnesota @ Detroit

Game 967-968
August 11, 2017 @ 7:10 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Minnesota
(Gibson) 13.922
Detroit
(Sanchez) 17.107
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Detroit
by 3
9
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Detroit
-120
10 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Detroit
(-120); Under

Boston @ NY Yankees

Game 965-966
August 11, 2017 @ 7:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Boston
(Rdriguez) 14.899
NY Yankees
(Garcia) 17.429
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
NY Yankees
by 2 1/2
10
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
NY Yankees
-120
9 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
NY Yankees
(-120); Over

San Diego @ LA Dodgers

Game 963-964
August 11, 2017 @ 10:10 pm

Dunkel Rating:
San Diego
(Richard) 12.396
LA Dodgers
(Hill) 16.919
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
LA Dodgers
by 4 1/2
8
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
San Diego
-350
8 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
LA Dodgers
(-350); Under

Chicago Cubs @ Arizona

Game 961-962
August 11, 2017 @ 9:40 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Chicago Cubs
(Lackey) 17.022
Arizona
(Walker) 14.185
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Chicago Cubs
by 3
9
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Arizona
-120
10
Dunkel Pick:
Chicago Cubs
(+100); Over

Atlanta @ St. Louis

Game 959-960
August 11, 2017 @ 8:15 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Atlanta
(Fltynwcz) 16.884
St. Louis
(Wnwrght) 15.466
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Atlanta
by 1 1/2
7
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
St. Louis
-150
9
Dunkel Pick:
Atlanta
(+130); Under

Cincinnati @ Milwaukee

Game 957-958
August 11, 2017 @ 8:10 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Cincinnati
(Bailey) 12.754
Milwaukee
(Nelson) 15.350
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Milwaukee
by 2 1/2
8
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Milwaukee
-180
9
Dunkel Pick:
Milwaukee
(-180); Under

Colorado @ Miami

Game 955-956
August 11, 2017 @ 7:10 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Colorado
(Gray) 13.956
Miami
(Urena) 15.306
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Miami
by 1 1/2
11
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Colorado
-120
8 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Miami
(+100); Over

NY Mets @ Philadelphia

Game 953-954
August 11, 2017 @ 7:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
NY Mets
(Lugo) 13.412
Philadelphia
(Pivetta) 15.581
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Philadelphia
by 2
8
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
NY Mets
-115
9 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Philadelphia
(-105); Under

San Francisco @ Washington

Game 951-952
August 11, 2017 @ 7:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
San Francisco
(Stratton) 15.071
Washington
(Jackson) 16.616
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Washington
by 1 1/2
11
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Washington
-170
10
Dunkel Pick:
Washington
(-170); Over

[StarDust Bum]

Pro Baseball Trend Report

SAN FRANCISCO (46 - 70) at WASHINGTON (68 - 45) - 7:05 PM
CHRIS STRATTON (R) vs. EDWIN JACKSON (R)
Top Trends for this game.
SAN FRANCISCO is 46-70 (-27.5 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 10-29 (-15.2 Units) against the money line as a road underdog of +125 to +175 over the last 2 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 19-38 (-18.5 Units) against the money line in road games this season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 30-44 (-14.9 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 30-48 (-23.1 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 16-29 (-15.6 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 18-42 (-20.4 Units) against the money line in road games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 10-32 (-20.7 Units) against the money line in road games when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season over the last 3 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 46-22 (+16.6 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
WASHINGTON is 178-157 (-51.3 Units) against the money line as a home favorite of -125 to -175 since 1997.
WASHINGTON is 14-17 (-13.1 Units) against the money line in home games after a win this season.
JACKSON is 2-13 (-11.7 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 10 to 10.5 since 1997. (Team's Record)
JACKSON is 54-74 (-27.8 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record since 1997. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
WASHINGTON is 3-0 (+3.1 Units) against SAN FRANCISCO this season
2 of 3 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+1.0 Units)
CHRIS STRATTON vs. WASHINGTON since 1997
No recent starts.
EDWIN JACKSON vs. SAN FRANCISCO since 1997
JACKSON is 4-4 when starting against SAN FRANCISCO with an ERA of 4.74 and a WHIP of 1.439.
His team's record is 5-5 (+2.7 units) in these starts. The OVER is 5-5. (-0.1 units)

NY METS (51 - 61) at PHILADELPHIA (42 - 70) - 7:05 PM
SETH LUGO (R) vs. NICK PIVETTA (R)
Top Trends for this game.
NY METS are 51-61 (-18.1 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
NY METS are 39-47 (-16.8 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 23-20 (+8.4 Units) against the money line against division opponents this season.
NY METS are 20-12 (+8.6 Units) against the money line in road games when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
NY METS are 217-167 (+39.4 Units) against the money line in road games when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season since 1997.
LUGO is 13-5 (+9.3 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
LUGO is 9-1 (+9.1 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
LUGO is 9-0 (+9.6 Units) against the money line after a win over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
LUGO is 9-1 (+8.8 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
PHILADELPHIA is 42-70 (-18.8 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 13-29 (-14.4 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 21-49 (-23.2 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 29-54 (-20.1 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 21-49 (-22.4 Units) against the money line after a loss this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
NY METS is 7-3 (+2.0 Units) against PHILADELPHIA this season
7 of 10 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+3.8 Units)
SETH LUGO vs. PHILADELPHIA since 1997
LUGO is 0-0 when starting against PHILADELPHIA with an ERA of 5.40 and a WHIP of 1.200.
His team's record is 1-0 (+1.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 0-1. (-1.3 units)
NICK PIVETTA vs. NY METS since 1997
PIVETTA is 1-0 when starting against NY METS with an ERA of 1.29 and a WHIP of 0.714.
His team's record is 1-0 (+1.3 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-1. (-1.0 units)

COLORADO (65 - 49) at MIAMI (53 - 60) - 7:10 PM
JON GRAY (R) vs. JOSE URENA (R)
Top Trends for this game.
COLORADO is 312-426 (-103.1 Units) against the money line on the road when the money line is +125 to -125 since 1997.
COLORADO is 440-699 (-140.3 Units) against the money line in road games in night games since 1997.
COLORADO is 5-17 (-13.4 Units) against the money line in road games when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
GRAY is 1-9 (-8.8 Units) against the money line on the road when the money line is +125 to -125 over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
GRAY is 1-13 (-12.7 Units) against the money line in road games after a win over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
URENA is 12-6 (+8.4 Units) against the money line in all games this season. (Team's Record)
COLORADO is 65-49 (+17.4 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
COLORADO is 15-8 (+10.3 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 this season.
COLORADO is 30-28 (+6.5 Units) against the money line in road games this season.
COLORADO is 45-37 (+6.0 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
COLORADO is 36-28 (+8.3 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
MIAMI is 44-52 (-17.5 Units) against the money line in home games in night games over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.
JON GRAY vs. MIAMI since 1997
GRAY is 0-2 when starting against MIAMI with an ERA of 9.31 and a WHIP of 1.965.
His team's record is 0-2 (-2.4 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-1. (-0.2 units)
JOSE URENA vs. COLORADO since 1997
URENA is 1-0 when starting against COLORADO with an ERA of 1.42 and a WHIP of 0.868.
His team's record is 2-0 (+2.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-2. (-2.4 units)

CHICAGO CUBS (59 - 54) at ARIZONA (64 - 50) - 9:40 PM
JOHN LACKEY (R) vs. TAIJUAN WALKER (R)
Top Trends for this game.
CHICAGO CUBS are 59-54 (-19.9 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
CHICAGO CUBS are 263-317 (-70.0 Units) against the money line in August games since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 6-12 (-9.9 Units) against the money line when playing on Friday this season.
CHICAGO CUBS are 40-45 (-27.7 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
CHICAGO CUBS are 20-26 (-14.0 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
LACKEY is 69-89 (-27.5 Units) against the money line in road games in night games since 1997. (Team's Record)
ARIZONA is 64-50 (+12.4 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
ARIZONA is 14-6 (+8.3 Units) against the money line at home when the money line is +125 to -125 this season.
ARIZONA is 37-20 (+13.6 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
ARIZONA is 46-33 (+10.6 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
ARIZONA is 52-36 (+13.3 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
ARIZONA is 2-1 (+1.8 Units) against CHICAGO CUBS this season
2 of 3 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+0.9 Units)
JOHN LACKEY vs. ARIZONA since 1997
LACKEY is 4-0 when starting against ARIZONA with an ERA of 2.75 and a WHIP of 1.286.
His team's record is 5-0 (+5.1 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-3. (-1.2 units)
TAIJUAN WALKER vs. CHICAGO CUBS since 1997
No recent starts.

SAN DIEGO (50 - 64) at LA DODGERS (81 - 33) - 10:10 PM
CLAYTON RICHARD (L) vs. RICH HILL (L)
Top Trends for this game.
LA DODGERS are 81-33 (+31.5 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
LA DODGERS are 47-13 (+23.7 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
LA DODGERS are 34-7 (+23.1 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 2 seasons.
LA DODGERS are 58-25 (+19.9 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
LA DODGERS are 57-23 (+22.6 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
LA DODGERS are 41-12 (+20.7 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
HILL is 23-6 (+14.1 Units) against the money line in home games against division opponents since 1997. (Team's Record)
SAN DIEGO is 25-19 (+15.5 Units) against the money line when playing on Friday over the last 2 seasons.
SAN DIEGO is 36-40 (+4.9 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
SAN DIEGO is 77-74 (+20.7 Units) against the money line in road games after allowing 10 runs or more since 1997.
SAN DIEGO is 71-86 (+9.2 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
LA DODGERS is 7-2 (+2.8 Units) against SAN DIEGO this season
5 of 8 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+2.0 Units)
CLAYTON RICHARD vs. LA DODGERS since 1997
RICHARD is 7-5 when starting against LA DODGERS with an ERA of 4.00 and a WHIP of 1.458.
His team's record is 12-8 (+7.4 units) in these starts. The OVER is 11-9. (+1.5 units)
RICH HILL vs. SAN DIEGO since 1997
HILL is 3-3 when starting against SAN DIEGO with an ERA of 3.90 and a WHIP of 1.114.
His team's record is 3-3 (-0.5 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-4. (-3.2 units)

HOUSTON (71 - 43) at TEXAS (54 - 59) - 8:05 PM
CHARLIE MORTON (R) vs. COLE HAMELS (L)
Top Trends for this game.
HOUSTON is 2-7 (-10.0 Units) against the money line in August games this season.
HOUSTON is 42-43 (-16.4 Units) against the money line against left-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
TEXAS is 149-129 (+23.2 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
TEXAS is 69-46 (+26.9 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 over the last 2 seasons.
TEXAS is 39-27 (+12.6 Units) against the money line at home when the money line is +125 to -125 over the last 2 seasons.
TEXAS is 25-9 (+15.6 Units) against the money line in home games in August games over the last 3 seasons.
TEXAS is 42-30 (+16.6 Units) against the money line when playing on Friday over the last 3 seasons.
TEXAS is 65-51 (+14.7 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
TEXAS is 108-91 (+19.0 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
TEXAS is 114-97 (+18.4 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
TEXAS is 83-65 (+17.5 Units) against the money line after a win over the last 2 seasons.
TEXAS is 60-47 (+23.9 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
TEXAS is 48-39 (+16.1 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season over the last 3 seasons.
HAMELS is 31-15 (+14.6 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
HAMELS is 25-10 (+14.0 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
HAMELS is 17-6 (+10.5 Units) against the money line after a win over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
HOUSTON is 71-43 (+10.5 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
HOUSTON is 21-9 (+11.5 Units) against the money line on the road when the money line is +125 to -125 this season.
HOUSTON is 38-18 (+14.9 Units) against the money line in road games this season.
HOUSTON is 31-14 (+10.9 Units) against the money line against division opponents this season.
HOUSTON is 28-13 (+10.2 Units) against the money line in road games in night games this season.
HOUSTON is 16-4 (+11.4 Units) against the money line after 3 or more consecutive losses over the last 2 seasons.
MORTON is 24-9 (+13.0 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
HOUSTON is 7-3 (+2.6 Units) against TEXAS this season
5 of 9 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+0.6 Units)
CHARLIE MORTON vs. TEXAS since 1997
MORTON is 1-0 when starting against TEXAS with an ERA of 3.27 and a WHIP of 1.455.
His team's record is 1-1 (+0.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-1. (-0.1 units)
COLE HAMELS vs. HOUSTON since 1997
HAMELS is 6-3 when starting against HOUSTON with an ERA of 4.06 and a WHIP of 1.193.
His team's record is 10-4 (+0.5 units) in these starts. The OVER is 6-6. (-0.4 units)

KANSAS CITY (57 - 57) at CHI WHITE SOX (44 - 68) - 8:10 PM
DANNY DUFFY (L) vs. REYNALDO LOPEZ (R)
Top Trends for this game.
CHI WHITE SOX are 29-23 (+11.5 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 9 to 9.5 over the last 2 seasons.
KANSAS CITY is 57-57 (+6.5 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
KANSAS CITY is 41-26 (+14.7 Units) against the money line in August games over the last 3 seasons.
KANSAS CITY is 67-53 (+17.1 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
KANSAS CITY is 43-38 (+9.8 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
CHI WHITE SOX is 5-5 (+0.6 Units) against KANSAS CITY this season
6 of 10 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+1.9 Units)
DANNY DUFFY vs. CHI WHITE SOX since 1997
DUFFY is 6-4 when starting against CHI WHITE SOX with an ERA of 4.15 and a WHIP of 1.281.
His team's record is 11-5 (+6.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 8-8. (+0.1 units)
REYNALDO LOPEZ vs. KANSAS CITY since 1997
No recent starts.

BALTIMORE (57 - 58) at OAKLAND (50 - 65) - 10:05 PM
UBALDO JIMENEZ (R) vs. PAUL BLACKBURN (R)
Top Trends for this game.
BALTIMORE is 56-80 (-24.4 Units) against the money line on the road when the money line is +125 to -125 over the last 3 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 145-132 (+12.5 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 103-92 (+9.9 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 32-24 (+8.7 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
JIMENEZ is 19-11 (+10.0 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
JIMENEZ is 24-10 (+15.6 Units) against the money line after a win over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
OAKLAND is 119-158 (-26.2 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
OAKLAND is 16-30 (-11.7 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 this season.
OAKLAND is 99-122 (-34.4 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 3 seasons.
OAKLAND is 23-46 (-23.2 Units) against the money line when playing on Friday over the last 3 seasons.
OAKLAND is 28-43 (-10.4 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
OAKLAND is 66-82 (-25.2 Units) against the money line in home games against right-handed starters over the last 3 seasons.
OAKLAND is 25-40 (-14.4 Units) against the money line after a loss this season.
OAKLAND is 53-72 (-20.1 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
BALTIMORE is 1-0 (+1.0 Units) against OAKLAND this season
1 of 1 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+1.0 Units)
UBALDO JIMENEZ vs. OAKLAND since 1997
JIMENEZ is 4-1 when starting against OAKLAND with an ERA of 4.65 and a WHIP of 1.552.
His team's record is 6-1 (+5.4 units) in these starts. The OVER is 3-3. (-0.2 units)
PAUL BLACKBURN vs. BALTIMORE since 1997
No recent starts.

[StarDust Bum]

FRIDAY, AUGUST 11

GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

SF at WAS 07:05 PM

SF +150

O 10.0

NYM at PHI 07:05 PM

U 9.5

BOS at NYY 07:05 PM

BOS +120

U 9.5

PIT at TOR 07:07 PM

PIT +120

O 8.5

MIN at DET 07:10 PM

MIN +110

U 10.5

CLE at TB 07:10 PM

TB +120

O 8.0

COL at MIA 07:10 PM

MIA +100

HOU at TEX 08:05 PM

O 10.0

CIN at MIL 08:10 PM

CIN +170

O 9.0

KC at CHW 08:10 PM

CHW +120

U 9.5

ATL at STL 08:15 PM

ATL +125

U 9.0

CHC at ARI 09:40 PM

O 10.0

BAL at OAK 10:05 PM

O 9.5

LAA at SEA 10:10 PM

O 8.5

SD at LAD 10:10 PM

SD +250

[StarDust Bum]

Weekend Outlook
August 11, 2017

Chicago Cubs (59-54) at Arizona (64-50)
Scheduled rotation: Lackey (9-9) vs. Walker (6-5), Lester (8-6) vs. Corbin (8-11), Arrieta (11-8) vs. Godley (5-4)
Series price: Cubs -125, Diamondbacks -105

The Cubs have lost their past three series after it appeared they were on the right track to winning the NL Central. The Cubs had won 14 of their first 17 games since the break, but the Diamondbacks fought back at Wrigley Field to win the final two of a three game set. The the Nationals took two of three and then they lost two of three to start a road trip in San Francisco. Still, the Cubs have won 12 of their last 15 on the road. The Diamondbacks come off two losses to the Dodgers, which was kind of surprising since Arizona is 41-20 in their last 61 at Chase Field. The Cubs have won nine of the past 13 meetings.

San Diego (50-64) at L.A. Dodgers (81-33)
Scheduled rotation: Richard (5-12) vs. Hill (8-4), Chacin (11-8) vs. Ryu (4-6), Perdomo (6-6) vs. Maeda (10-4)
Series price: Dodgers -700, Padres +500

These Dodgers are amazing and they deserve to be a massive -700 favorite to win this series at Station Casinos sports books. They're 46-8 over their past 54 games. They have the best record in baseball, most money won (+31.3 units), best starting pitching and best relievers. The Dodgers +1.8 margin of victory is also the best in baseball. They've also won 51 of the past 74 meetings against the Padres who come in losing six of their last eight.. The Dodgers have won seven of nine against them this season.

San Francisco (46-70) at Washington (68-45)
Scheduled rotation: Stratton (0-2) vs. Jackson (2-2), Samardzija (7-11) vs. Scherzer (12-5), Moore (3-12) vs. Strasburg (10-3)
Series price: Nationals -400, Giants +300

Both teams come in winning four of their last five and both teams come in having won two of three from the Cubs in the last week. The Nationals get some good news that Stephen Strasburg is back, but it will still be interesting to see how he fares on Sunday. They can't win it all without him. Washington swept the Giants at AT&T Park in May. They won all three by at least two runs and two of the games stayed Under the total which has been a common theme between these two. The Under is 16-4-1 in the past 21 meetings. Something to think about for Friday's Game 1 is that the Giants are 13-23 in the first game of a series this season and the Nationals are 23-14.

Colorado (65-49) at Miami (53-60)
Scheduled rotation: Gray (4-2) vs. Urena (10-5), Hoffman (6-3) vs. Nicolino (0-1), Marquez (9-4) vs. Worley (2-2)
Series price: Rockies -125, Marlins -105

The Rockies come out firing in the first game of a series this season by going 24-12. It's the main reason why the Rockies are +18.1 units on the season. Their pitching has been quite good with the bullpen actually shutting things down at Coors Field like never seen before. Greg Holland has made the biggest difference. They get high totals because of the altitude in Denver, but the number has been too big all season. Colorado is 60-48-6 to the Under this season, including their last three games. This will be the first meeting this season. Miami comes off losing three of four at Washington. The Rockies are currently on a 6-18 run in their last 24 road games.

Boston at N.Y. Yankees (60-53)
Scheduled rotation: Rodriguez (4-3) vs. Garcia (5-8), Pomeranz (11-4) vs. Severino (9-4), Sale (14-4) vs. TBA
Series price: Yankees -115, Red Sox -115

Boston is smoking hot now riding an eight game win streak, but they've only won three in the past 12 meetings with the Yankees. Boston has a 4.5-game lead in the AL East over the Yankees. The Yankees had spent 62 days in first this season, but the last time was July 31. Since then it's been all Red Sox and Aaron Judge has dropped off his first-half pace considerably. The league is catching up with him. Once a triple-crown leader, he's now batting .294 and struck out 149 times in 476 at-bats. Starlin Castro and Matt Holliday are both on the 10-day disabled list. Eight of the past 11 meetings have stayed Under.

Minnesota (57-56) at Detroit (52-62)
Scheduled rotation: Gibson (6-9) vs. Sanchez (3-2), Berrios (10-5) vs. Zimmermann (7-9), Santana (12-7) vs. Boyd (5-6)
Series price: Tigers -125, Twins +105

The Twins got themselves four games under .500 thanks to a lousy 3-9 run shortly after the All-Star break. They traded their closer and and signed Bartolo Colon for some reason. But just when we thought they were finally dead after thrilling us all summer as the underdog that could, there is still a heart beating. They've won five straight and Brian Dozier's bat has heated up just like it did in the second-half last season. They're now one game over .500 and face the Tigers who gave up long ago. The road is where most their success has been, going 30-23. However, history hasn't been kind to Minnesota in this battle. Detroit is 21-7 in the past 28 meetings.

Houston (71-43) at Texas (54-59)
Scheduled rotation: Morton (9-4) vs. Hamels (6-1), Fiers (7-6) vs. TBA, Keuchel (9-2) vs. Cashner (7-8)
Series price: Astros -145, Rangers +115

The Astros have been stumbling since the All-Star break going 11-14. Their latest series was the worst product Houston has displayed all season as they got swept on the south side by the White Sox. Is this the end of the Astros? Dallas Keuchel just lost to the White Sox. I expect them to rebound at some point, but you knew it would happen. They're bored right now witha 13 game lead in the AL West. Houston has taken seven of 10 from Texas this season improving their 35-75 record in the past 110 meetings. The Astros have been at their best on the road averaging seven runs a game. They've gone 38-17 in their last 55 road games and have gone 34-16-5 to the Over. That's a nice combo to play on this weekend. If one thing happens the other is more likely.

[StarDust Bum]

MLB notebook: Jeter-led group reportedly buys Marlins
August 11, 2017

Miami Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria reached an agreement to sell the team to a group headed by former New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter for $1.2 billion, multiple outlets reported on Friday.

The club has not confirmed the reports, although ESPN -- citing an undisclosed source -- said the deal is likely to be announced "in the coming days."

Financier Bruce Sherman will hold the controlling interest and plans for Jeter to be the team's chief executive officer, the Miami Herald reported. Jeter reportedly is investing approximately $25 million of his own money.

The $1.2 billion price tag of the sale is the second-highest in a history for a Major League Baseball team, behind only the Los Angeles Dodgers' $2 billion sale in 2012.

--Chicago Cubs catcher Willson Contreras is expected to be sidelined a minimum of four weeks with a hamstring injury, the team announced.

Contreras sustained the injury during Wednesday's game against the San Francisco Giants. The Cubs are calling the injury a "moderate" strain for Contreras, who was placed on the 10-day disabled list and will be re-evaluated in approximately two weeks.

The 25-year-old Contreras pulled up lame just a few feet from first base after hitting a grounder in the eighth inning of the Cubs' 3-1 loss. He remained on the ground for a few minutes before being helped off the field.

Contreras is hitting .274 with 21 homers and 70 RBIs in 102 games this season. He was batting .311 with 10 homers and 29 RBIs since the All-Star break.

--The New York Yankees placed left-handed starting pitcher CC Sabathia on the 10-day disabled list with right knee inflammation.

Sabathia, 37, underwent an MRI exam on his knee Wednesday in New York, but the test revealed no new damage. The former Cy Young Award winner will miss Sunday's scheduled start against the Boston Red Sox.

"When you have a guy that has a banged-up knee, you worry that there's more damage," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said.

In a corresponding move, the Yankees recalled left-handed pitcher Jordan Montgomery from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to start Sunday opposite Boston's Chris Sale.

--The Oakland Athletics recalled recently acquired outfielder Boog Powell from Triple-A Nashville.

The Athletics also recalled right-hander Michael Brady from Nashville while optioning outfielders Jaycob Brugman and Mark Canha to the same club.

Powell was acquired on Sunday in the deal that sent All-Star first baseman Yonder Alonso to the Seattle Mariners. The 24-year-old had a major league stint with the Mariners earlier this season but batted just .194 in 23 games.

Powell hit .340 in 58 games at Triple-A Tacoma prior to the trade. The left-handed hitter was 4-for-16 in three games for Nashville.

--The Chicago White Sox acquired minor league right-handed pitcher Ryan Burr in a trade with the Arizona Diamondbacks in exchange for international signing bonus pool money.

Chicago also recalled right-hander Reynaldo Lopez from Triple-A Charlotte to start Friday's game against the Kansas City Royals. The White Sox also outrighted left-hander David Holmberg to Charlotte.

Burr, 23, went 2-2 with a 1.89 ERA and 75 strikeouts in 39 minor league appearances between Single-A Kane County and Single-A Visalia this season. He was Arizona's fifth-round pick in the 2015 amateur draft.

Lopez, 23, is 6-7 with a 3.79 ERA and 131 strikeouts in 22 starts with Charlotte this season and will wear No. 40 with the White Sox. The 26-year-old Holmberg went 2-3 with a 3.55 ERA and 28 strikeouts in 33 games (six starts) with Chicago in 2017.