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  • Armadillo: Wednesday's six-pack

    — To football/TV guys: Please show number of plays run instead of time of possession– that is the better stat.

    — NFL reduced Chicago LB Danny Trevathan’s suspension from 2 games to 1, for his hit on a Packers’ WR last Thursday.

    — Indy QB Andrew Luck is back at practice with the Colts this week; not full-tilt, but his return to game action might not be too far away.

    — Big 14 hasn’t won a national title in basketball since Michigan State in 2000.

    — Buffalo Sabres signed star Jack Eichel to an 8-year, $80M contract extension.

    — NBA All-Star Game this winter will have teams chosen by the two players who get the most votes. NFL tried that with the Pro Bowl; it didn’t go well.


    **********

    Armadillo: Wednesday's List of 13: Mid-week musings……

    13) I’ll apologize up front if the first part of today’s Den is preachy or overly political, but I’m pretty sad about all the shootings in our country recently. This shouldn’t be happening.

    The 2nd Amendment was written in 1791, 226 years ago. Bicycles hadn’t been invented yet, so some of the laws passed then are obsolete now.

    Our gun laws are outdated; we need to ban automatic weapons and assault rifles and any guns that are only useful in wars. 58 people died for no reason Sunday night; little kids died a few years ago in a school shooting. This isn’t acceptable.

    If you’re a hunter, you’re not killing a deer or a rabbit with a freakin’ assault rifle- they are used by people who are involved in a war. They should be illegal in our country.

    12) The National Rifle Association (NRA) is really powerful; they’ve got lot of politicians in their pockets, which is why our gun laws are stupid.

    At some point when the mourning is over in Las Vegas, our politicians have to do their jobs and put a lid on the horrible weapons that are killing our own citizens. Please?!?!?!?

    11) It takes onions to be a policeman or a fireman, seriously. You have to have a lot of guts to to walk into the line of fire when everyone else is running away from it, so credit to the police in Las Vegas who saved a lot of people Sunday night.

    No one is perfect; not all cops are perfect, but dammit, they do a hell of a job protecting us and deserve our thanks. So….thank you!!!

    10) Something I learned this week; When you donate blood, it expires after 42 days. So many people donated blood in Las Vegas this week, but six weeks from now, they’re going to need more. Giving blood doesn’t cost us anything and it is badly needed, so we should do that.

    On to some of the fun things in life…….
    9) Los Angeles Rams are first NFL team since the 1954 Giants to lead the NFL in scoring thru four games, when they finished last in scoring the year before.

    8) JD Martinez is the first big leaguer since Johnny Bench in 1970 to hit 45+ homers in a season and not get hit by a pitch that season.

    7) Detroit Lions are +9 in turnovers already, with 11 takeaways in four games; thats a lot.

    6) San Antonio Spurs star Kawhi Leonard will sit out the whole preseason as he recovers from a quad injury. Regular season starts in two weeks.

    5) NFL stashes a lot of its less attractive games in Weeks 5-7, during the baseball playoffs. Wth 256 games in an NFL season, they’re all not great games. How they make the schedule is a very interesting subject- their marquee games are in primetime or later on in the season.

    4) Kermit Davis is the basketball coach at Middle Tennessee State, a very good mid-major team but not like they’re Gonzaga or VCU. Coach Davis makes $750,000 a year— that surprised me. MTSU must have some very well-heeled boosters who love basketball.

    3) I enjoyed watching the Miami Marlins this season; with Stanton-Ozuna-Urena on my fantasy team, I watched just about all their games. Not the best team, but they seemed like a bunch of good guys who genuinely like each other and enjoyed playing ball together. Was fun to see.

    2) One thing about baseball on TV; if you want to learn about your team, watch the first game of a series, with the OTHER TEAM’s ANNOUNCERS. TV/radio people talk before each series, to clue each other in on their teams, so all the broadcasts are more informed.

    If Team B’s announcers say something that is critical of a player on Team A, chances are 95% it came from one of Team A’s announcers. Team B’s TV guys are slow to criticize the home team, but not so much when it comes to criticizing Team A and as a viewer, you can learn that way.

    1) Russell Westbrook and Stephen Curry both signed 5-year, $205M contracts; with an 82-game regular season, that means those two are both making $500,000 a game!!!!
    Remember the 3 G's Gambling, Golf, Girls not in any particular order.....

    Comment


    • National League Wild Card playoff preview and odds: Rockies at Diamondbacks

      National League MVP candidates Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado will go toe-to-toe in the 2017 NL Wild Card Game.

      Colorado Rockies at Arizona Diamondbacks (A: +155, H: -170, Total: 8.5)

      Two teams make their long-awaited return to the postseason when the Colorado Rockies visit the Arizona Diamondbacks for a battle of National League West rivals in the NL Wild Card Game on Wednesday night. The Diamondbacks are back in the playoffs for the first time since 2011 and had an 11-8 record this year against the Rockies, who make their first postseason appearance since 2009.

      Arizona went 52-29 at Chase Field this year and boast a powerful middle of the lineup as J.D. Martinez launched 29 homers in 62 games after being acquired from Detroit while Paul Goldschmidt knocked in 120 runs, but the first baseman finished the regular season by going 0-for-17. “I want these guys to understand that something special is happening here,” Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo told reporters. “I’ll tell them to embrace this. … This is the greatest time of year.” Colorado had to battle its way into the playoffs, edging Milwaukee by one game for the final spot, but led the NL in runs (824) while featuring the NL batting champ Charlie Blackmon (.331), the major league runner up in RBIs Nolan Arenado (130) and a red-hot Carlos Gonzalez, who was 9-for-15 in his last four games with five extra-base hits. Arizona’s starting pitcher Zack Greinke has given up five home runs in 42 at-bats to Gonzalez in his career but is 13-1 with a 2.87 ERA at home in 2017, while the Rockies will go with fellow hard-throwing righty Jon Gray, who finished the season with four straight wins - one of them against the Diamondbacks.

      TV:
      8 p.m. ET, TBS

      INJURY REPORT:

      Rockies - RP J. Diaz (Out For Season, Elbow)..

      Diamondbacks - RF D. Peralta (Probable, Neck), RP J. Sherfy (Questionable, Tricep), SS K. Marte (Questionable, Hamstring), SS N. Ahmed (Out For Season, Hand), SS C. Owings (Doubtful, Hand), RP S. Hathaway (Out For Season, Shoulder), RP R. Delgado (Out For Season, Elbow), RF Y. Tomas (Out For Season, Abdominal), SP S. Miller (Out For Season, Elbow).

      PITCHING MATCHUP:
      Rockies RH Jon Gray (10-4, 3.67 ERA) vs. Diamondbacks RH Zack Greinke (17-7, 3.20)

      Gray became a key part of the rotation after the All-Star break while going 8-4 with a 3.65 ERA over 15 starts, and allowed seven runs across 30 innings in his last five outings. The 25-year-old Oklahoma native also struck out 10 to win at Arizona on June 30 and is 2-2 with a 4.75 ERA lifetime versus the Diamondbacks. Martinez is 2-for-6 with a pair of homers and David Peralta 6-for-13 with a triple against Gray, who has 112 strikeouts in 110 1/3 innings in 2017.

      Greinke reached 17 victories for the third time in four seasons, but struggled in his last home start against Miami on Sept. 22 when he permitted eight runs over four innings. The 33-year-old Orlando native, who ended the regular season by limiting Kansas City to two runs over four innings Friday, is 9-5 lifetime against Colorado after going 2-1 with a 3.41 ERA in five outings this season. Mark Reynolds and Trevor Story have homered four times apiece against Greinke.

      TRENDS:


      * Rockies are 1-7 in their last 8 playoff games.
      * Rockies are 4-0 in Grays last 4 road starts.
      * Diamondbacks are 11-2 in their last 13 vs. a team with a winning record.
      * Diamondbacks are 20-6 in Greinkes last 26 home starts.
      * Under is 6-1 in Rockies last 7 road games.
      * Under is 5-1-2 in the last 8 meetings in Arizona.

      CONSENSUS:
      The public is siding with the home chalk D-Backs at a rate of 67 percent and the Over is picking up 51 percent of the totals action.
      Remember the 3 G's Gambling, Golf, Girls not in any particular order.....

      Comment


      • MLB
        Dunkel

        Wednesday, October 4


        Colorado @ Arizona

        Game 933-934
        October 4, 2017 @ 8:05 pm

        Dunkel Rating:
        Colorado
        (Gray) 17.281
        Arizona
        (Greinke) 14.194
        Dunkel Team:
        Dunkel Line:
        Dunkel Total:
        Colorado
        by 3
        9
        Vegas Team:
        Vegas Line:
        Vegas Total:
        Arizona
        -170
        8 1/2
        Dunkel Pick:
        Colorado
        (+150); Over





        MLB
        Long Sheet

        Wednesday, October 4


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

        COLORADO (87 - 75) at ARIZONA (93 - 69) - 8:05 PM
        JON GRAY (R) vs. ZACK GREINKE (R)
        Top Trends for this game.
        COLORADO is 247-441 (-83.1 Units) against the money line as a road underdog of +125 to +175 since 1997.
        COLORADO is 447-708 (-138.1 Units) against the money line in road games in night games since 1997.
        ARIZONA is 93-69 (+16.8 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
        ARIZONA is 52-29 (+15.7 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
        ARIZONA is 45-31 (+11.5 Units) against the money line against division opponents this season.
        ARIZONA is 65-48 (+9.2 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
        ARIZONA is 68-52 (+9.2 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
        ARIZONA is 56-36 (+15.7 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
        ARIZONA is 35-29 (+8.4 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
        GREINKE is 38-20 (+13.9 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
        GREINKE is 53-21 (+20.9 Units) against the money line as a home favorite of -125 to -175 since 1997. (Team's Record)
        GREINKE is 15-3 (+11.2 Units) against the money line in home games this season. (Team's Record)
        GREINKE is 100-49 (+37.4 Units) against the money line in home games in night games since 1997. (Team's Record)
        GREINKE is 69-27 (+34.8 Units) against the money line in home games after a win since 1997. (Team's Record)
        COLORADO is 87-75 (+12.0 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
        COLORADO is 41-40 (+10.5 Units) against the money line in road games this season.
        COLORADO is 42-34 (+11.8 Units) against the money line against division opponents this season.
        COLORADO is 34-29 (+14.3 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
        GRAY is 5-0 (+7.6 Units) against the money line in road games against division opponents this season. (Team's Record)
        ARIZONA is 237-235 (-57.2 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 8 to 8.5 since 1997.

        Head-to-Head Series History
        ARIZONA is 11-8 (+1.6 Units) against COLORADO this season
        12 of 17 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+6.8 Units)

        JON GRAY vs. ARIZONA since 1997
        GRAY is 2-2 when starting against ARIZONA with an ERA of 4.75 and a WHIP of 1.418.
        His team's record is 3-2 (+0.5 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-2. (-0.3 units)

        ZACK GREINKE vs. COLORADO since 1997
        GREINKE is 9-5 when starting against COLORADO with an ERA of 3.97 and a WHIP of 1.290.
        His team's record is 14-10 (-2.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 10-13. (-4.5 units)

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




        MLB
        Armadillo's Write-Up

        Wednesday, October 4


        Colorado @ Arizona
        Arizona is 11-8 against the Rockies this season; teams split 10 games played here.

        Gray is 4-0, 2.10 in his last five starts; he is 2-1, 3.50 vs Arizona this season. His last four starts stayed under the total. Colorado is 7-5 in his road starts.

        Greinke makes $30M+ a year; he is expected to win this game. He was 1-1, 3.90 in five September starts, and is 2-1, 3.41 in five starts vs Colorado this season. Under is 8-2 in his last ten starts.

        Rockies are in playoffs for 4th time ever, first time since 2009; Arizona is in playoffs for first time since 2011- they last made the NLCS in 2007.




        MLB

        Wednesday, October 4


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

        8:08 PM
        COLORADO vs. ARIZONA
        Colorado is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Arizona
        The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Colorado's last 6 games when playing Arizona
        The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Arizona's last 6 games when playing Colorado
        Arizona is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games at home
        Remember the 3 G's Gambling, Golf, Girls not in any particular order.....

        Comment


        • GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS
          COL at ARI 08:00 PM
          ARI -161
          U 8.5
          Remember the 3 G's Gambling, Golf, Girls not in any particular order.....

          Comment


          • NL Wild Card Best Bet
            October 3, 2017


            NL Wild Card Betting Preview (TBS, 8:05 p.m. ET)
            Colorado Rockies vs. Arizona Diamondbacks
            Wednesday, Oct. 4 from Chase Field

            For the second time in three years we get two division rivals meeting up in the NL Wild Card game as the Chicago Cubs beat Pittsburgh 4-0 back in 2015. That was the second of three straight shutout wins in the NL Wild Card game, but with this year's contest played at hitter-friendly Chase Field, chances are both teams cross the plate multiple times here.

            Given that these two teams finished their 19-game regular season series with an 11-8 SU record in favor of Arizona, there will be minimal surprises and the team that executes the best for one night will move on to continue their World Series dreams.

            2017 Head-to-Head Matchups (Arizona 11-8, Under 12-5-2)

            Arizona vs. Colorado (Chase Field)
            Apr. 28 - Rockies 3 D-backs 1 (Under 9)
            Apr. 29 - Rockies 7 D-backs 6 (Over 8.5)
            Apr. 30 - D-backs 2 Rockies 0 (Under 10.5)

            June 30 - Rockies 6 D-backs 3 (Push 9)
            July 1 - D-backs 6 Rockies 2 (Under 8.5)
            July 2 - D-backs 4 Rockies 3 (Under 9.5)

            Sept. 11 - Rockies 5 D-Backs 4 (Push 9)
            Sept. 12 - Rockies 4 D-backs 2 (Under 9 )
            Sept. 13 - D-backs 8 Rockies 2 (Over 9.5)
            Sept. 14 - D-backs 7 Rockies 0 (Under 9.5)

            Colorado vs. Arizona (Coors Field)
            May 5 - D-backs 6 Rockies 3 (Under 11)
            May 6 - Rockies 9 D-backs 1 (Under 11.5)
            May 7 - Rockies 5 D-backs 2 (Under 11.5)

            June 20 - Rockies 4 D-backs 3 (Under 11)
            June 21 - D-backs 16 Rockies 5 (Over 12)
            June 22 - D-backs 10 Rockies 3 (Over 12)

            Sept. 1 - D-backs 9 Rockies 5 (Over 12)
            Sept. 2 - D-backs 6 Rockies 2 (Under 11.5)
            Sept. 3 - D-backs 5 Rockies 1 (Under 10.5)

            HeritageSports.eu Odds: Colorado (+158), Arizona (-168); Total set at 8.5

            Right off the bat there are a few things to keep in mind about this game when trying to find out where to put your money. For one, only one NL Wild Card since it's inception (2012) has seen 9+ runs scored and that was the Cardinals win in the first one back in 2012. Since then, the four games have all finished with 8 total runs or less, and the last three have all been shutout victories.

            The past two seasons haven't had more than four runs scored, so while there is the storyline of this year's game being played in a hitters haven, I wouldn't be so quick to jump on the 'over.' NL games are a different breed with all the pitching changes, pinch-hitters etc, and when a team is constantly changing pitchers to get the optimal matchup in a crucial spot, more often than not it's better to side with the pitcher in that battle.

            On paper, the better starting pitcher is in an Arizona uniform for this winner-take-all game as the Diamondbacks are sending Zack Greinke to the hill to oppose Colorado's Jon Gray. Greinke is by far the bigger name here, and this will be his 6th start against the Rockies this season. Arizona is 2-3 SU (1-2 SU in Arizona) in the previous five outings, although Greinke pitched into the 7th inning in all but one of those starts and had trouble getting enough run support behind him.

            What may be most concerning from the standpoint of Greinke being on the hill is the fact that he allowed at least one HR to Colorado in five of those six outings as well, and in a Game 7-like scenario, giving up a longball at a bad time could kill the Diamondbacks season with one swing.

            Conversely, Jon Gray faced Arizona only three times this year (twice in September), and Colorado went 2-1 SU in those games. He did giv up a HR in each start as well, but he and his teammates were a perfect 2-0 SU when Gray started on the road, and in both of those Colorado road games, the Diamondbacks never put up more than three runs. Gray also struck out 10 batters in each of those two road tilts, and this game is as good a time as any to bring out that swing and miss stuff once again.

            So with this Greinke/Gray matchup, the Diamondbacks being at home, and the so-called “experts” at ESPN picking Arizona to win at a 5-1 clip (25 votes vs 5 votes), everything seems to be favoring Arizona and the majority of support should come their way. However, I am one who prefers to be in the minority in high-profile games like this, and the fact that Rockies were 2-0 in this yard with Gray on the hill this year is very encouraging given the odds we've got on the game.

            Colorado's offense can easily put even more pressure on Arizona to perform should the Rockies jump out to an early lead, and although Colorado does hit better at home, they've got five guys they can put in their lineup who've all got double-digit hits against Greinke in their careers. Road teams in the NL Wildcard game are 4-1 SU since its 2012 inception, and at this inflated underdog price, I like Colorado's chances of adding to that mark here.

            Best Bet: Colorado (+158)

            MLB Wild Card History (2012-2016)

            Betting Trends:

            Road Teams have gone 7-3
            Favorites have gone 7-3
            The 'under' has gone 6-4

            2016 WILD CARD RESULTS
            Game Matchup Score Favorite-Underdog Over-Under
            AL Baltimore at Toronto (-165) 5-2 (11 innings) Favorite Under (8.5)
            NL San Francisco (-120) at N.Y. Mets 4-0 Favorite Under (6)

            2015 WILD CARD RESULTS
            Game Matchup Score Favorite-Underdog Over-Under
            AL Houston (-110) at N.Y. Yankees 3-0 Favorite Under (7)
            NL Chicago (-125) at Pittsburgh 4-0 Favorite Under (5.5)

            2014 WILD CARD RESULTS
            Game Matchup Score Favorite-Underdog Over-Under
            AL Oakland at Kansas City (+100) 9-8 (12) Underdog Over (6.5)
            NL San Francisco (-110) at Pittsburgh 8-0 Favorite Over (6.5)

            2013 WILD CARD RESULTS
            Game Matchup Score Favorite-Underdog Over-Under
            AL Tampa Bay (-110) at Cleveland 6-2 Favorite Over (6.5)
            NL Cincinnati at Pittsburgh (-145) 4-0 Favorite Under (7)

            2012 WILD CARD RESULTS
            Game Matchup Score Favorite-Underdog Over-Under
            AL Baltimore (+210) at Texas 5-2 Underdog Under 9
            NL St. Louis (+155) at Atlanta 6-3 Underdog Over 6.5
            Remember the 3 G's Gambling, Golf, Girls not in any particular order.....

            Comment


            • ALDS Cheat Sheet
              October 4, 2017

              2017 Head-to-Head Matchups (Houston 4-3, Under 4-2)

              Houston vs. Boston (Minute Maid Park)
              June 16 - Red Sox 2 Astros 1 (Under 9)
              June 17 - Astros 7 Red Sox 1 (Under 9)
              June 18 - Red Sox 6 Astros 5 (Over 9)

              Boston vs. Houston (Fenway Park)
              Sept. 28 - Astros 12 Red Sox 2 (Over 9)
              Sept. 29 - Astros 3 Red Sox 2 (Under 10)
              Sept. 30 - Red Sox 6 Astros 3 (Over 8.5)
              Oct. 1 - Astros 4 Red Sox 3 (Under 9)

              The Red Sox and Astros are meeting in the postseason for the first time ever in the American League Divisional Series. Boston (93-69) is back in the playoffs for the second straight season as the Sox tries to erase last year’s memory of getting swept by Cleveland in the opening round. Following the retirement of future of Hall of Famer David Ortiz, the Red Sox started 2017 with a subpar 21-21 record. However, Boston turned things around to close the first half at 50-39, while going 8-1 in the final nine games away from Fenway Park.

              Chris Sale (17-8, 2.90 ERA) is one of the AL’s top contenders to capture the Cy Young award in his first season with Boston. The slender southpaw led the AL in strikeouts (308) and innings pitched (214.1), while finishing second in ERA and WHIP as will get the ball in the series opener. Sale’s numbers on the road compared to home were similar, even though he made 19 starts away from Fenway and only 13 home starts. The former Chicago fireballer won 10 decisions on the highway, while Boston riding an 11-4 run in his past 15 road starts. Sale didn’t face the Astros this season, but beat Houston twice last season as a member of the White Sox.

              Fellow southpaw Drew Pomeranz (17-6, 3.32 ERA) is slated to start Game 2 in Houston as he set a career-high in victories with 17. Pomeranz has jumped last season’s Cy Young winner Rick Porcello and David Price for the number two spot in the Boston rotation as the Sox posted a solid 22-10 mark in his 32 starts. Boston compiled an impressive 7-1 record in Pomeranz's eight starts as a road underdog, including a 2-1 victory at Minute Maid Park as a +115 ‘dog in mid-June.

              Houston (101-61) broke the 100-win barrier for only the second time in franchise history (1998) as the Astros stormed out to a 60-29 record by the All-Star break. Although Houston struggled in August and was displaced temporarily due to Hurricane Harvey, the Astros turned it on late by winning 21 of their final 29 games, including taking three of four from the Red Sox at Fenway Park in the last series of the season.

              The Astros made one of the biggest splashes late in the season by acquiring former MVP and Cy Young winner Justin Verlander from the Tigers. Verlander (15-8, 3.36 ERA) has been perfect on the mound since moving to Houston in September by going 5-0 in five starts, while allowing only four earned runs in 34 innings of work. Verlander picked up a pair of no-decisions against the Red Sox this season as a member of the Tigers, but scattered three hits and allowed one run in seven innings of a 2-1 win at Comerica Park in April opposite Sale.

              Dallas Keuchel (14-5, 2.90 ERA) missed nearly two months with a neck injury, as the 2015 Cy Young winner had his ups and downs in the second half of the season. Keuchel was unbeaten in his first 12 starts of the season, but the Astros put together a 3-4 record in his final seven outings. The left-hander posted three consecutive quality starts to finish the campaign, while allowing a total of four earned runs in that stretch. Keuchel won both his playoff starts in 2015, including as a -170 home favorite over the Royals in the ALDS, 4-2.

              2017 Head-to-Head Matchups (Cleveland 5-2, Over 3-3-1)

              Cleveland vs. New York (Progressive Field)
              Aug. 3 - Indians 5 Yankees 1 (Under 8)
              Aug. 4 - Indians 7 Yankees 2 (Push 9)
              Aug. 5 - Yankees 2 Indians 1 (Under 8.5)
              Aug. 6 - Yankees 8 Indians 1 (Over 7.5)

              New York vs. Cleveland (Yankee Stadium)
              Aug. 28 - Indians 6 Yankees 2 (Over 6.5)
              Aug. 30 - Indians 2 Yankees 1 (Under 8.5)
              Aug. 30 - Indians 9 Yankees 4 (Over 9)

              The Yankees and Indians haven’t hooked up in the playoffs since 2007 as New York looks to eliminate the defending AL Champions. The Bronx Bombers dug themselves a 3-0 hole against the Twins in Tuesday’s Wild Card matchup, but the Yankees stormed back by knocking out Minnesota, 8-4 as -255 favorites.

              New York (91-71) hung with Boston all season long inside the AL East, while winning 16 of their final 22 regular season contests. The Yankees never showcased a true ace of their pitching staff, but turned to right-hander Luis Severino in the winner-take-all Wild Card game. Severino (14-6, 2.98 ERA) recorded only one out and allowed three earned runs, but was bailed out when the Yankees tied the game in the bottom of the first. Severino will look to regroup when he takes the mound in this series, as the right-hander split a pair of starts against Cleveland, including dominating the Indians in an 8-1 rout at Progressive Field in August by scattering two hits in 6.2 innings, while striking out nine.

              Mid-season pickup Sonny Gray (10-12, 3.54 ERA) hasn’t had much luck in pinstripes by going 4-7 with New York, including a 2-4 mark at home. Gray faced the Indians in his Yankees’ debut on August 3 as he lost, 5-1 as a +170 underdog, giving up four runs (two earned) in six innings of work. Masahiro Tanaka (13-12, 4.74 ERA) was knocked around in his first two starts of the season, but rebounded with five straight wins, while concluding the regular season with a 15-strikeout performance in seven scoreless innings of a 4-0 triumph over the Blue Jays.

              Cleveland (102-60) tries to defend its pennant and win the franchise’s first World Series title since 1948. The Indians began the season at 31-31, but ran off six consecutive wins to start the momentum going in the right direction. The Tribe led the Twins by 2 ½ games in the AL Central at the All-Star break, but went backwards by dropping five of six contests at Oakland and San Francisco to start the second half. Terry Francona’s squad won nine straight games to regain control of the division, while breaking the AL record by putting together a 22-game winning streak from late August through mid-September.

              Staff ace Corey Kluber (18-4, 2.25 ERA) is the AL front-runner to capture his second Cy Young award in four seasons, but won’t take the mound until Game 2 of the series. Kluber closed the season by allowing two earned runs or less in 11 of his last 12 starts, while the Indians won 12 of his final 14 outings. The right-hander dominated the Yankees twice by yielding three earned runs in 17 innings of work, while striking out 18 batters in two victories. In last season’s playoffs, Kluber put together a 4-1 mark in six starts, while not allowing a run in three outings as a home favorite.

              Trevor Bauer (17-9, 4.19 ERA) established a career-high in victories for Cleveland, as he will take the ball in the series opener. Bauer’s wake-up call came in a 7-3 defeat at Oakland on July 16 in which he recorded two outs and gave up four earned runs. Since that loss, the Indians own a 10-3 record in his last 13 starts, including two wins over the Yankees. Bauer made four postseason starts for Cleveland last season, but failed to pitch past the fifth inning each time, while each appearance came as an underdog.
              Remember the 3 G's Gambling, Golf, Girls not in any particular order.....

              Comment


              • Rockies fall short in wild-card loss to Diamondbacks
                October 5, 2017

                PHOENIX (AP) The Colorado Rockies had been resilient all season, scraping their way into the postseason after the best start in franchise history fizzled.

                The Rockies were able to summon some of that resolve again the NL wild card, but never could fully dig their way out of an early hole in a wild, 11-8 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks on Wednesday night.

                The Rockies had an up-and-down regular season and their first playoff appearance since 2009 followed suit.

                Colorado fell behind 6-0, roughed up one of baseball's best pitchers and rallied to pull within one twice. The Diamondbacks had to dig deep down in their bag of scoring tricks to beat the Rockies, needing two homers, 17 hits, an RBI bunt single by a catcher and the first run-scoring triple by a relief pitcher in big league history.

                The Diamondbacks' scoring cornucopia sends them to the NL Division Series against the Dodgers, starting Friday in Los Angeles, and Colorado back to Denver.

                The Rockies opened the season 44-26, but had to play some tense games down the stretch after faltering the second half of the season. They made it, finishing 87-75 and a game ahead of Milwaukee for the final NL wild-card spot to earn their first postseason game in eight years.

                For the playoff game between NL West rivals, Colorado had hot right-hander Jon Gray on the mound with a lineup that included a pair of NL MVP contenders, Nolan Arenado and NL batting champion Charlie Blackmon. Carlos Gonzalez also had rounded into form after struggling much of the season, finding his stroke just before the playoffs in what could be his final season in the Mile High City.

                Their hopes of advancing appeared to end quickly as Gray struggled locating pitches in the shortest postseason start in franchise history. Paul Goldschmidt ended his 0-for-11 career streak against him with a three-run homer in the first inning and Daniel Descalso added a two-run shot off Tyler Anderson, putting Arizona up 6-0 before the Rockies could record nine outs.

                But Colorado has 10 players with postseason experience and found ways to fight back all year.

                After struggling against Arizona ace Zack Greinke early, the Rockies chased him with a four-run fourth inning and cut the lead to 6-5 on a groundout in the seventh.

                Colorado found itself in a hole again in the bottom half, when reliever Archie Bradley, a career .098 hitter, became the first reliever to hit a postseason triple, driving in two runs to put the Diamondbacks up 8-5.

                Again, the Rockies tried to answer and, no surprise, it was Arenado that started it.

                Colorado's third baseman had an MVP-type season, hitting .309 with 37 homers and 130 RBIs to become the eighth player in major league history with at least three straight seasons with 35 homers and 130 RBIs. He hit .377 in September and in the wild-card game hit a ball deep to center for a solo homer in the seventh inning off Bradley.

                Trevor Story followed with a homer in the next at-bat, pulling the Rockies within 8-7.

                But that was it. A.J. Pollock hit a two-run triple and catcher Jeff Mathis dropped a bunt single to put Arizona up four runs.

                Blackmon went 0 for 4 to close out a spectacular season that had him in the MVP conversation as well.

                He was the NL batting champion at .331 and had a majors-high 213 hits. Blackmon set major league records as a leadoff man with 103 RBIs and 383 total bases, while his 37 homers and 86 extra-base were third-most from the leadoff spot.

                Gonzalez finished the regular season hitting .262 with 14 homers in 57 RBIs, well off his numbers in previous seasons. He's at the end of a seven-year, $80 million contract extension, but the Rockies have a plethora of outfield options and have seemed to be in no rush to offer a new contract to their longtime star.
                Remember the 3 G's Gambling, Golf, Girls not in any particular order.....

                Comment


                • Scherzer to face Cubs but start uncertain
                  October 4, 2017

                  WASHINGTON (AP) Max Scherzer did not throw the bullpen session that he was expected to on Wednesday to test his bothersome right hamstring, and Washington Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo said the team hasn't determined when the two-time Cy Young Award winner will start against the Chicago Cubs in the playoffs.

                  After Rizzo spoke with reporters during Washington's second NL Division Series workout at Nationals Park, Scherzer headed out to right field and threw on flat ground in the grass for nearly 15 minutes. Then the right-hander stopped and had a lengthy chat with team trainer Paul Lessard.

                  Neither Scherzer, who tweaked his leg during his last regular-season start, nor manager Dusty Baker was available to the media Wednesday.

                  Game 1 of the NLDS against the reigning World Series champions is at Washington on Friday, with Game 2 on Saturday. Rizzo would not say whether Scherzer is likeliest to appear in one of those - or even in Game 3 at Wrigley Field on Monday.

                  ''We haven't made the decision of when we're going to pencil him in yet, as far as where he's going to pitch in the rotation here in the playoffs. Suffice it to say he's going to pitch in the playoffs here against the Cubs,'' Rizzo said. ''It just depends on how he feels.''

                  Scherzer won last year's NL Cy Young Award for Washington and the 2013 AL honor for the Detroit Tigers.

                  This season, he at least will get some consideration for yet another award after topping the NL in strikeouts with 268 and finishing second with a 2.51 ERA, while leading the Nationals in wins at 16-6.

                  ''The reason for holding him back would be the concern on the hamstring,'' Rizzo said. ''We want him to be as close to 100 percent as we can get for him to pitch.''

                  Stephen Strasburg threw a bullpen session off a mound on Tuesday.

                  Asked whether it's safe to assume that Strasburg - 15-4 with a 2.52 ERA and 204 strikeouts in 2017 - will pitch in Game 1 against the Cubs, Rizzo said that is not set in stone.

                  ''We haven't confirmed that yet. But he's certainly a capable No. 1 starter in the playoffs,'' the GM said about the No. 1 overall pick in baseball's 2009 amateur draft. ''We feel good about running him out there if he were the guy. And who better? We have two aces, and one of them will pitch Game 1.''

                  While Washington keeps waiting to announce its playoff rotation, the Cubs made their starting staff known Wednesday: Kyle Hendricks in Game 1, Jon Lester in Game 2, Jose Quintana in Game 3, and Jake Arrieta in Game 4, if necessary.

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

                  Cubs' Hendricks to start Game 1 of NLDS
                  October 4, 2017

                  CHICAGO (AP) Kyle Hendricks tops out at about 88 mph. He looks and talks more like a college professor than a professional baseball player. He is among the most anonymous players on the star-studded Chicago Cubs.

                  He also is the Game 1 starter for the defending World Series champions.

                  Hendricks gets the ball Friday night when Chicago visits the Washington Nationals for the opener of their NL Division Series. He also started its previous postseason game, helping the Cubs win in Cleveland in Game 7 for their first championship since 1908.

                  ''Excited to get out there,'' Hendricks said Wednesday. ''You're going to have a little bit of butterflies for sure, but I think it's just that excited feeling. This is what you live for. This is the time of year that you want to be playing and we're ready for it.''

                  Manager Joe Maddon also announced Jon Lester will start Game 2 on Saturday in Washington, followed by Jose Quintana in Game 3 at Wrigley Field and Jake Arrieta in Game 4, if necessary. Lester started the opener in each of Chicago's three playoff series last year, but he missed part of August with tightness in his left lat and general shoulder fatigue and struggled down the stretch before finishing strong.

                  The Nationals haven't announced their rotation, but Stephen Strasburg seems like the most likely option for Game 1. Reigning NL Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer tweaked his right hamstring in his final regular-season start, and it's unclear when he might be able to pitch in the series.

                  ''We're a unit as a group out there, as our starting staff,'' said Lester, who is 9-7 with a 2.63 ERA in 22 career playoff games. ''I'm not by any means mad. I'm not upset. Wasn't going to be a Game 1 starter, opening-day starter for the rest of my career, so I mean at some point somebody's got to take it over.

                  ''I'm really, really happy for (Hendricks). I think he was a guy that probably threw the ball the best on our staff as far as start to finish last year, including the playoffs, and nobody even talks about him.''

                  Arrieta, who strained his right hamstring on Sept. 4 and missed his final regular-season start to rest up for the playoffs, threw a bullpen session Wednesday, and president of baseball operations Theo Epstein said it went well. Game 4 would be Tuesday, exactly two weeks after Arrieta last appeared in a major league game.

                  ''Had Jake been well the whole time, this order would have been different, no question,'' Maddon said. ''But we just feel it's wise to give him the most time to rest his leg before we have to pitch him.''

                  Hendricks was acquired by Chicago in the 2012 deadline trade that sent Ryan Dempster to the Rangers - an under-the-radar move that helped fuel the Cubs' run to three straight playoff appearances.

                  The 27-year-old right-hander, who has a degree in economics from Dartmouth, broke out in a big way last season. He went 16-8 with a major league-low 2.13 ERA and then posted a 1-1 record with a 2.38 ERA in seven playoff starts, beating Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw in Chicago's clinching win in the NLCS.

                  He doesn't have a big arm like most playoff pitchers, but he doesn't make many mistakes, either.

                  ''He's one of those guys that you just have to really stay in your zone and hunt a pitch in your zone because if you don't, he does such a good job of throwing marginal balls and marginal strikes that look good, and if you swing at those, you're going to be out,'' Washington second baseman Daniel Murphy said.

                  Hendricks missed part of June and July with pain in the middle finger of his right hand, but he had a 2.19 ERA in his final 13 starts after the All-Star break. He is 2-2 with a 2.67 ERA in five career starts against Washington.

                  ''He's not that guy that lights up the gun. He knows how to pitch,'' Maddon said. ''You talk to a lot of different pitching coaches, a lot of different managers, even some GMs that I've spoken with, he's their favorite, I think probably because of the style of his pitching.''

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

                  Indians set to meet Judge-led Yanks
                  October 4, 2017

                  CLEVELAND (AP) They ran away with their division again, and streaked to history, 102 wins and home-field advantage throughout the AL playoffs. The Cleveland Indians have had a special season.

                  A new one, the only one, is about to begin.

                  Heartbroken after coming up a little short last year against the Chicago Cubs, Cleveland figured to make it to October for another swing at ending a World Series drought stretching back to 1948.

                  The Indians are back, but there's now a 6-foot-7, 280-pound baseball-bashing behemoth standing in their way.

                  Behold Aaron Judge.

                  On the same field where their magical 2016 postseason ended on Nov. 2 in a light rain and extra innings, the Indians will open the Division Series on Thursday night against Judge and the New York Yankees, who rallied to beat the Minnesota Twins in the AL wild-card game.

                  Unaffected by a larger stage, Judge hit a two-run homer in his playoff debut as the Yankees overcame a 3-0 deficit in the first inning and won their first postseason game in five years to earn a best-of-five matchup against the defending AL champions - and the team favored to win it all.

                  ''We're not done yet,'' Judge said after the 8-4 win at Yankee Stadium. ''We've just got to keep it rolling in Cleveland.''

                  Judge and his teammates capped a travel day with a workout at Progressive Field, where both he and Todd Frazier hit tape-measure shots into the vacant left-field bleachers during batting practice.

                  And while fans across the country are excited about watching the colossal Judge, who blasted 52 homers as a rookie and seems to hit the ball hard every time he's up, face Indians ace Corey Kluber and baseball's deepest pitching staff, Cleveland manager Terry Francona isn't as thrilled.

                  ''He's good for Major League Baseball,'' Francona said of Judge. ''He's bad for the teams you're playing against. He's really good. From all accounts, he's a really special young man. I didn't get a chance to meet him at the All-Star Game because I wasn't there, but everybody came back raving about him as a person.

                  ''I know, if you throw in the wrong place, he's going to hit it a long way.''

                  Francona is taking a gamble in the opener and starting Trevor Bauer, a 17-game winner during the regular season, in Game 1 instead of Kluber, who will start Game 2. Francona reasoned that in doing so he will have Kluber on regular rest again for Game 5 - if the series goes that far and if Mother Nature doesn't bring rain.

                  It makes sense. Then again, it seems risky.

                  Yankees manager Joe Girardi expected to see Kluber in Game 1.

                  ''It's interesting,'' he said.

                  New York will counter with Sonny Gray, acquired at the July 31 trade deadline to help get New York into October. He went 1-2 with a 4.86 ERA in three starts against Cleveland.

                  ''Right now we're playing as good as we've played, at least since I've been here,'' said Gray, who will be followed by CC Sabathia in Game 2 and Masahiro Tanaka in Game 3. ''We feel really good about ourselves, and I think we showed last night that we're very, very resilient and ready for any type of challenge.''

                  Bauer is well aware of the damage Judge can do, but is just as focused on the rest of New York's lineup.

                  ''You've got some youth in there with big power,'' Bauer said. ''You've got some veteran guys in there, too, that balance everything out. They can do a lot of different things offensively.''

                  So can the Indians, who don't have a hole in their lineup and finished strong, stringing together 22 straight wins from Aug. 24 to Sept. 14 and winning 33 of their last 37.

                  Cleveland also went 5-2 against New York.

                  None of that means anything now.

                  ''Everybody's even,'' Francona said. ''What's going to matter is who plays the best. It doesn't matter who thinks somebody should win unless it's the umpires. It's going to be who plays the best.''

                  Here are some other things to keep an eye on as the Indians and Yankees meet in the postseason for the fourth time:

                  PEN PALS: Cleveland and New York boast two of baseball's best bullpens, stacked with hard-throwers, specialists and elite closers.

                  Girardi showcased his stellar relief corps Monday night after starter Luis Severino was chased in the first. Chad Green, David Robertson, Tommy Kahnle and Aroldis Chapman combined for 8 2/3 innings of one-run relief, striking out 13.

                  The Indians have plenty of arms, too, including Andrew Miller, virtually unhittable last October.

                  ''These are two teams that can shorten the game real quick with the bullpens that we have,'' Indians center fielder Jason Kipnis said. ''It's not just versus the Yankees, it's in any game that we'd like to score early and often and keep pressing. It's just even more so the case with how good they have those guys back there.''

                  BRANTLEY'S BACK: Michael Brantley watched last year's postseason ride. This year he's on it.

                  The All-Star outfielder has recovered enough from an ankle ligament injury to make Cleveland's postseason roster. He'll be used initially as a pinch-hitter, but it's possible he could play in the field.

                  ''I tested it pretty hard the past couple days and everything has responded well and I'm very excited about that,'' he said. ''We'll see how it goes from there.''

                  GROUNDED: Bauer's run-in with the propeller on one of his hobby drones nearly derailed the Indians' postseason run last year. He's being much more careful this October.

                  Bauer recently lost one of his drones when he crashed it in a local park. He suspects it was stolen.

                  ''Still missing,'' he said. ''I've pretty much given up on it. So I started the process of building a new one. I took the props off this year, though, so we should be good.''
                  Remember the 3 G's Gambling, Golf, Girls not in any particular order.....

                  Comment


                  • A capsule look at the Cubs-Nationals playoff series
                    October 4, 2017

                    A look at the best-of-five National League Division Series between the Chicago Cubs and Washington Nationals:

                    ---

                    Schedule: (All times EDT) Game 1, Friday, at Washington, 7:31 p.m.; Game 2, Saturday, at Washington, 5:38 p.m.; Game 3, Monday, Oct. 9, at Chicago, TBA; x-Game 4, Tuesday, Oct. 10, at Chicago, TBA; x-Game 5, Thursday, Oct. 12, at Washington. (All games on TBS).

                    x-if necessary.

                    ---

                    Season Series: Nationals won 4-3.

                    ---

                    Projected Lineups:

                    Cubs: CF Ian Happ (.253, 24 HRs, 68 RBIs) or Jon Jay (.296, 2, 34, .374 OBP) or 2B-OF Ben Zobrist (.232, 12, 50), 3B Kris Bryant (.295, 29, 73, .409 OBP), 1B Anthony Rizzo (.273, 32, 109, .392 OBP), C Willson Contreras (.276, 21, 74), LF Kyle Schwarber (.211, 30, 59, 150 Ks), SS Addison Russell (.239, 12, 43), RF Jason Heyward (.259, 11, 59), 2B Javier Baez (.273, 23, 75).

                    Nationals: SS Trea Turner (.284, 11, 45, 46 SBs), RF Bryce Harper (.319, 29, 87), 3B Anthony Rendon (.301, 25, 100, 41 doubles, 84 walks, 82 Ks), 2B Daniel Murphy (.322, 23, 93, NL-best 43 doubles), 1B Ryan Zimmerman (.303, 36, 108, 33 doubles, career-high .573 slugging percentage), LF Jayson Werth (.226, 10, 29 in 70 games) or Howie Kendrick (.315, 9, 41 in 91 games with Phillies and Nationals), C Matt Wieters (.225, 10, 52), CF Michael A. Taylor (.271, 19, 53).

                    ---

                    Starting Pitchers:

                    Cubs: RH Kyle Hendricks (7-5, 3.03 ERA; 2.19 in 13 starts after All-Star break), LH Jon Lester (13-8, 4.33, 180 Ks in 180 2/3 IP), LH Jose Quintana (11-11, 4.15 with White Sox and Cubs), RH Jake Arrieta (14-10, 3.53).

                    Nationals: RH Stephen Strasburg (15-4, 2.52, 204 Ks in 175 1/3 IP), RH Max Scherzer (16-6, 2.51, NL-high 268 Ks in 200 2/3 IP, 6th straight season with 200 Ks), LH Gio Gonzalez (15-9, 2.96, 79 BBs and 188 Ks in 201 IP), RH Tanner Roark (13-11, 4.67).

                    ---

                    Relievers:

                    Cubs: RH Wade Davis (4-2, 2.30, 32/33 saves), LH Brian Duensing (1-1, 2.74), RH Pedro Strop (5-4, 2.83), RH Carl Edwards Jr. (5-4, 2.98), LH Mike Montgomery (7-8, 3.38, 44 games, 14 starts, 3 saves), RH Hector Rondon (4-1, 4.24), RH John Lackey (12-12, 4.59, 31 games, 30 starts), LH Justin Wilson (4-4, 3.41, 13 saves with Tigers and Cubs; 5.09 in 23 appearances for Cubs), RH Justin Grimm (1-2, 5.53).

                    Nationals: LH Sean Doolittle (2-0, 2.81, career-high 24/26 saves for Athletics and Nationals), RH Ryan Madson (5-4, 1.83, 2 saves for Athletics and Nationals), RH Brandon Kintzler (4-3, 3.03, career-high 29/35 saves for Twins and Nationals), RH Matt Albers (7-2, 1.62, 63 appearances), LH Oliver Perez (0-0, 4.64, 50 appearances).

                    ---

                    Matchups:

                    Nationals manager Dusty Baker faces one of his former teams; he managed Cubs from 2003-06, with one playoff appearance during that span. That came in 2003, which featured the ''Steve Bartman'' game at Wrigley Field and a heartbreaking loss to Marlins in NLCS. ... Nationals outscored Cubs 39-28 in head-to-head meetings this season. ... ERA for Cubs starters jumped by more than a run from major league-best 2.96 last year to 4.05 this season, which ranked seventh. ... Lester looked sharp while winning final two starts, allowing one run over 11 innings. He posted 8.22 ERA in previous five outings. ... Arrieta skipped regular-season finale against Cincinnati to rest strained right hamstring. He was hurt Sept. 4, did not pitch again until Sept. 21 and went three innings vs. St. Louis in second-shortest outing of season. Arrieta was 6-1 with 1.59 ERA in first nine starts following All-Star break. ... Davis set franchise record by converting first 32 save chances before giving up winning 10th-inning homer to Milwaukee's Travis Shaw on Sept. 23. ... Rizzo tied for eighth in majors in RBIs. ... Bryant hit .325 with .421 OBP after All-Star break. Finished season ranked seventh in majors with .409 OBP. ... Zobrist, a three-time All-Star and the 2016 World Series MVP, posted his lowest batting average since .238 for Tampa Bay in 2010. ... Nationals hit a franchise-record 215 homers - 10 players had at least 10 - and scored a club-record 819 runs. Cubs exceeded both those totals with 223 homers and 822 runs. ... Zimmerman enjoyed a real renaissance this year, leading Washington in homers and RBIs after having only 15 HRs and 46 RBIs during injury-plagued 2016. ... Harper loves the spotlight, as his career playoff power numbers attest: 4 HRs, 7 RBIs, .509 slugging percentage in 14 games. ... Strasburg has pitched only five postseason innings in his career, with lone appearance coming in 2014. He was shut down in 2012, then injured last year. He enters these playoffs on quite a streak: 5-1 with 0.84 ERA over last eight regular-season starts.

                    ---

                    Big Picture:

                    Cubs: Chicago (92-70) has been there, done that, and comes into postseason without burden of longest championship drought in North American sports. That ended with last year's captivating run to first World Series title since 1908. Now, after reaching playoffs for third straight year under manager Joe Maddon, Cubs eyeing their first championship repeat since 1907-08. ... Cubs went from 103 wins last year to 92 this season and from running away with NL Central to pulling it out in second half of season. Chicago was 43-45 at All-Star break and trailed Milwaukee by 5 1/2 games, then went 49-25 rest of the way to finish six games ahead of Brewers. ... Cubs are trying to become first team to repeat as World Series champion since New York Yankees won three straight from 1998-2000. ... Chicago is first defending World Series winner to win division since Philadelphia took NL East in 2009. ... Cubs won 15 of 18 before closing regular season with loss to Reds.

                    Nationals: NL East champions for the fourth time in six years, Nationals (97-65) are still searching for their first playoff series victory since moving to Washington from Montreal before the 2005 season. ... Never faded despite dealing with all sorts of injuries: Four lineup regulars and three starting pitchers spent time on DL. ... Took over first place outright in April, never led by fewer than 10 games from mid-July on, and clinched their weak division by 20 games. So there wasn't any pressure - or much to play for - over the last few months of the regular season. ... Baker has taken Washington to postseason during both his years in charge, but is not under contract beyond 2017. He says the team told him his status will be determined after this season ends. ... Washington's NLDS eliminations in 2012 (against Cardinals), 2014 (Giants) and 2016 (Dodgers) were marked by some so-so hitting and, most infamously the first two times, bad relief pitching. After heading into this season with a muddled situation at back of bullpen, GM Mike Rizzo rebuilt that part of team via July trades, acquiring Doolittle (who has taken over closer's role), Madson (usually used in eighth inning) and Kintzler (usually pitches seventh). ... Nats had better record on road (NL-leading 50-31) than at home (47-34).

                    ---

                    Watch For:

                    - Schwarber's Time. Sent to the minors after a rough start, Schwarber finished the regular season on a strong note. He hit .311 with six homers in his final 16 games and could once again be a big factor in October. Schwarber has a .364 batting average with five home runs and 10 RBIs in 14 postseason games. He set a franchise record with five homers in the 2015 playoffs.

                    - Scherzer's Hammy. The two-time Cy Young Award winner left his last regular-season start in the fourth inning after tweaking his right hamstring. While Scherzer insists he will pitch in the NLDS, it's unclear exactly when and how hurt he might be.

                    - Harper's Health. The 2015 NL MVP can change a game all by himself with his batting, baserunning or powerful outfield arm. But he missed about a quarter of the season after hyperextending his left knee in August and only returned for five games in the final week, going 3 for 18 without an extra-base hit.
                    Remember the 3 G's Gambling, Golf, Girls not in any particular order.....

                    Comment


                    • LEADING OFF: Sale vs Verlander; Judge, Yanks' power vs Bauer
                      October 4, 2017

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

                      ---

                      MARQUEE MATCHUP

                      Red Sox lefty Chris Sale makes his first postseason appearance when he starts against Astros righty Justin Verlander in Game 1 of the AL Division Series at Minute Maid Park. Sale led the majors with 308 strikeouts while going 17-8 with a 2.90 ERA for Boston. Verlander excelled after being traded from Detroit to Houston, winning all five starts for his new team with a 1.06 ERA.

                      The aces spent several years together in the AL Central - Sale with the White Sox, Verlander with the Tigers - and started against each other five times. In those matchups dating to 2012, Verlander was 2-0 with a 1.46 ERA; Sale was 0-2 with a 2.78 ERA. Detroit won all five of those games.

                      POWER VS. BAUER

                      The Yankees led the majors in home runs this season, and Aaron Judge, Didi Gregorius and Brett Gardner connected to lead New York over Minnesota in the AL wild-card game and into a matchup with the Indians in the ALDS.

                      Manager Terry Francona has opted to start Trevor Bauer in Game 1 at Cleveland, rather than dominant Corey Kluber. Francona said part of his decision is so he can use his best pitcher - Kluber - in a potential Game 5. Bauer shook off a slow start and went 17-9 with a 4.19 ERA in 31 starts this year. Since he began throwing a slider, he's 10-1 with 2.60 ERA in 14 games. Sonny Gray will start the opener for New York.

                      WASHINGTON WAITS

                      The Nationals still aren't saying who will start Game 1 of the NLDS vs. the visiting Cubs on Friday. Max Scherzer is recovering from a hamstring he hurt last weekend, and general manager Mike Rizzo said the team hasn't determined when the two-time Cy Young Award winner will face Chicago. Stephen Strasburg (15-4, 2.52 ERA) remains a top candidate to start the playoff opener for the Nats.

                      Kyle Hendricks will pitch Game 1 for the Cubs. The righty led the majors in ERA last year, missed time this season because of pain in the middle finger of his pitching hand, and had a 2.19 ERA in his final 13 starts after the All-Star break.

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

                      Playoff vet Verlander faces 1st-timer Sale
                      October 4, 2017

                      HOUSTON (AP) Houston manager A.J. Hinch loves that Justin Verlander, his starter for Game 1 of the American League Division Series against the Boston Red Sox on Thursday, has a ton of postseason experience.

                      Hinch, however, is still plenty concerned about Red Sox starter Chris Sale despite this being his playoff debut.

                      ''I don't think Sale is going to back down,'' Hinch said. ''I don't think he'll be spooked by not having experience.''

                      After eight years in the majors, Sale said that finally getting a chance to pitch in the postseason is ''pretty fulfilling.'' But he's trying to control his emotions about the opportunity.

                      ''It's going to be hard not to, but try not to put too much emphasis on it,'' he said. ''Just try to treat this just like another game. You get a little amped up sometimes and that can kind of go crazy.''

                      The AL East champion Red Sox are in the playoffs for the second straight year. The West champion Astros return to the postseason for the second time in three years after breaking a 10-year playoff drought with their trip in 2015.

                      Verlander is a six-time All Star who has appeared in the playoffs five times. He is 7-5 with a 3.39 ERA and 112 strikeouts in 16 career postseason starts, but hasn't been there since 2014. He believes there is an advantage to having playoff experience, but no matter how many times he's done it, he still deals with jitters when he takes the mound in a game that means so much.

                      ''I definitely think there is some value in it ... just more along the lines of knowing what to expect,'' he said. ''I don't think it's going to help calming my nerves or give me an edge in that way, but knowing what I'm going to deal with, going into the start, how I'm going to feel during the start, how much more emphasis and stress is put on every single pitch, knowing those things I think helps prepare me better.''

                      Verlander got used to being in the playoffs after reaching the World Series in his first full major league season in 2006 and advancing to the postseason each year from 2011-14 with Detroit. He has a different feeling entering the playoffs this year after a trade just before the deadline for players to be eligible for the postseason brought him to Houston for another shot at a ring at age 34.

                      ''To have the opportunity to once again be in the playoffs I could say I don't take it for granted anymore,'' he said. ''It seemed easy for a while with the Tigers organization, especially going my first year to the World Series, so I appreciate every step of the way now even more, I think.''

                      The Astros are looking for him to build on the work he's done since arriving in Houston just more than a month ago. The right-hander is 5-0 with a 1.06 ERA in five starts since the deal and 15-8 with a 3.36 ERA in 33 starts overall this season.

                      ''There's a professional excellence to him in every facet that you would ask out of a teammate, out of a guy in the clubhouse, and then ultimately performance on the field, which is why we acquired him,'' Hinch said. ''So what he's done in his short time here is establish himself as very much a part of what we're doing but not entirely what we're doing ... I think our guys feel like we're going to win when he pitches.''

                      Sale gets the nod in Game 1 after going 17-8 with a 2.90 ERA and topping the AL with 214 1/3 innings. The left-hander led the majors with 308 strikeouts and was the first pitcher in the AL to fan 300 batters since Pedro Martinez in 1999.

                      Red Sox manager John Farrell has no doubt that Sale will handle the pressure of the playoffs well. He noted the seamless way he transitioned from the White Sox after a December trade as evidence that he's fully capable of handling big situations well.

                      ''I think the beauty inside of Chris Sale is that he focuses solely on the things that he can control ... he's done such an excellent job of that coming in with all the expectations and the highlight from the trade,'' Farrell said. ''He's handled it beautifully and I would suspect at this stage, this next set of games in which he's going to experience for the first time will be handled the same way.''

                      After Verlander and Sale meet in Game 1, it will be Houston lefty Dallas Keuchel, the 2015 AL Cy Young Award winner, meeting Boston's Drew Pomeranz on Friday. Neither team has announced their rotation past that.

                      Sale, who enters this game on extra rest after last pitching on Sept. 26, was asked about the possibility of pitching on three days' rest.

                      ''I'm in,'' he said with a smile. ''This is what I live for. I'm throwing until my arm falls off.''
                      Remember the 3 G's Gambling, Golf, Girls not in any particular order.....

                      Comment


                      • Gray to start Game 1 for NY, CC to go 2nd
                        October 4, 2017

                        CLEVELAND (AP) Sonny Gray will make his postseason debut for the New York Yankees in Game 1 of the AL Division Series against the Indians.

                        Gray, who was acquired in a deadline trade in July from Oakland to help the Yankees' playoff push, will face Cleveland's Trevor Bauer in the opener. Bauer was a surprise choice to pitch by manager Terry Francona, who elected to use the right-hander ahead of ace Corey Kluber.

                        Gray went 1-2 with a 4.86 ERA in three starts against the Indians this season. He went 4-7 with a 3.72 ERA in 11 outings for New York.

                        The Yankees will start CC Sabathia in Game 2 against Kluber. Sabathia spent eight seasons with Cleveland and twice pitched in the postseason for the Indians.

                        The 37-year-old Sabathia went 14-5 with a 3.69 ERA this season. He has a 9-5 record in 18 career postseason starts.

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


                        A capsule look at the Yankees-Indians playoff series
                        October 4, 2017

                        A look at the best-of-five American League Division Series between the New York Yankees and Cleveland Indians:

                        ---

                        Schedule: (All times EDT) Game 1, Thursday, at Cleveland, 7:38 p.m. (FS1); Game 2, Friday, at Cleveland, 5:08 p.m. (MLB); Game 3, Sunday, at New York, 7:38 p.m. (FS1); x-Game 4, Monday, Oct. 9, at New York, TBA (FS1); x-Game 5, Wednesday, Oct. 11, at Cleveland, TBA (FS1).

                        x-if necessary.

                        ---

                        Season Series: Indians won 5-2.

                        ---

                        Projected Lineups:

                        Yankees: LF Brett Gardner (.264, 21 HRs, 63 RBIs, 96 runs, 23 SBs), RF Aaron Judge (.284, AL-leading 52, 114), C Gary Sanchez (.278, 33, 90 in 122 games), SS Didi Gregorius (.287, 25, 87), 2B Starlin Castro (.300, 16, 63 in 112 games), DH Chase Headley (.273, 12, 61) or Matt Holliday (.231, 19, 64 in 105 games), 1B Greg Bird (.190, 9, 28 in 48 games), CF Aaron Hicks (.266, 15, 52 in 88 games) or Jacoby Ellsbury (.264, 7, 39, 22 SBs in 112 games), 3B Todd Frazier (.213, 27, 76 with White Sox and Yankees).

                        Indians: SS Francisco Lindor (.273, 33, 89, 44 doubles, 15 SBs), CF Jason Kipnis (.232, 12, 35, only 90 games due to injury), 2B Jose Ramirez (.318, 29, 83, MLB-best 59 doubles, 91 extra-base hits), DH Edwin Encarnacion (.258, 38, 107, 104 BBs, 133 Ks), RF Jay Bruce (.254, 36, 101 with Mets and Indians), 1B Carlos Santana (.259, 23, 79, 88 BBs), 3B Giovanny Urshela (.224, 1, 15 in 67 games), LF Austin Jackson (.318, 7, 35 in 85 games), C Roberto Perez (.207, 8, 38 in 78 games) or Yan Gomes (.232, 14, 56 in 105 games).

                        ---

                        Starting Pitchers:

                        Yankees: RH Sonny Gray (10-12, 3.55 ERA with Athletics and Yankees), LH CC Sabathia (14-5, 3.69), RH Masahiro Tanaka (13-12, 4.74, 194 Ks), RH Luis Severino (14-8, 2.98, 230 Ks in 193 1/3 IP).

                        Indians: RH Trevor Bauer (17-9, 4.19; 10-1, 2.60 since July 21), RH Corey Kluber (18-4, 2.25, 265 Ks, 5 CGs), RH Carlos Carrasco (18-6, 3.29, 226 Ks), RH Josh Tomlin (10-9, 4.98).

                        ---

                        Relievers:

                        Yankees: LH Aroldis Chapman (4-3, 3.22, 22/27 saves in 52 games, 69 Ks in 50 1/3 IP), RH Dellin Betances (3-6, 2.87, 10/13 saves in 66 games, 100 Ks in 50 2/3 IP), RH David Robertson (9-2, 1.48, 14/16 saves in 61 games with Yankees and White Sox), RH Chad Green (5-0, 1.83, 103 Ks in 69 IP), RH Tommy Kahnle (2-4, 2.59, 96 Ks in 62 2/3 IP with Yankees and White Sox), RH Adam Warren (3-2, 2.35 in 44 games), LH Chasen Shreve (4-1, 3.77 in 44 games), LH Jordan Montgomery (9-7, 3.88 in 29 starts) or LH Jaime Garcia (5-10, 4.41 in 27 starts for Braves, Twins and Yankees).

                        Indians: RH Cody Allen (3-7, 2.94, 30/34 saves), RH Bryan Shaw (4-6, 3.52 in 79 games), LH Andrew Miller (4-3, 1.44, 95 Ks in 62 2/3 IP), RH Joe Smith (3-0, 3.33 in 59 games), LH Tyler Olson (1-0, 0.00 in 30 games), RH Mike Clevinger (12-6, 3.11 in 21 starts).

                        ---

                        Matchups:

                        Rivals in the 1940s and 50s, the Yankees and Indians meet for the fourth time in the postseason and first since 2007 when Cleveland won a best-of-five Division Series in four games. Cleveland also beat New York in a 1997 Division Series. New York won the 1998 AL Championship Series. ... The teams split four games at Progressive Field this season and the Indians swept a three-game set in the Bronx in August - wins 5-7 on their 22-game winning streak. ... Indians manager Terry Francona is very familiar with the Yankees after spending so much time with the rival Boston Red Sox. ... Series matches two of baseball's deepest, most versatile bullpens. ... Dating back to 2014, the Indians have won nine of 13 at Yankee Stadium. ... Against New York this season, Bauer went 2-0 with a 1.38 ERA and Kluber was 2-0 with a 1.59 ERA. Kluber is 5-1 with a 1.80 ERA in seven career starts against Yankees. ... Indians hit 10 homers against Yankees, with Lindor, Ramirez and Santana belting two apiece. ... All-Star OF Michael Brantley, who made Cleveland's postseason roster despite missing 50 games after Aug. 8 with an ankle ligament injury, batted .357 (5 for 14) with a homer and two RBIs against New York this season. ... Lindor batted .259 and struck out nine times. ... Miller was on the disabled list and did not pitch against the Yankees this season. Cleveland acquired him at the 2016 trade deadline from the Yankees for four players, including outfielder Clint Frazier. ... New York went 51-30 at home, best in the AL, while the Indians were 49-32 at home and 53-28 on road.

                        ---

                        Big Picture:

                        Yankees: One year into a youth movement, the Baby Bombers blossomed fast under 10th-year manager Joe Girardi and returned New York to the postseason perhaps ahead of schedule. Not often are the Yankees a surprise winner, but this group already has exceeded early expectations. Led by Judge, Sanchez, Severino and a cast of productive veterans, New York (91-71) improved by seven wins over last season and finished with its best record since 2012. ... Severino got only one out in the wild-card game against Minnesota and left trailing 3-0. But the bullpen saved the Yankees, with four relievers combining for a record 13 strikeouts in 8 2/3 innings. Gregorius tied it with a 3-run homer in the bottom of the first, Judge homered in his playoff debut and Gardner also went deep as New York rallied for an 8-4 victory, its first postseason win since 2012. ... Once the Yankees jumped out to a strong start and showed they were legitimate contenders, general manager Brian Cashman got aggressive and dipped into a deep farm system for July trades that netted Gray, Robertson, Kahnle and Todd Frazier. The imposing bullpen is loaded with power arms that can shorten a game, and the bench is a real strength if needed. ... New York was unable to catch rival Boston for the AL East crown, but the team played some of its best baseball down the stretch and went 20-8 in September to secure the franchise's 53rd postseason appearance. Dodgers are second with 31. ... Yankees scored 858 runs, an increase of 178 from last year and second in the majors behind Houston (896). New York also topped the big leagues with 241 homers. Judge and Sanchez combined for 85, most by a pair of teammates 25 or younger and one more than Milwaukee's Prince Fielder and Ryan Braun in 2007. ... Judge hit .329 with 30 home runs and 75 RBIs before winning the All-Star Home Run Derby, then slumped to a .179 batting average with seven homers, 16 RBIs and 67 strikeouts in 151 at-bats through Aug. 31. He hit .311 with 15 homers and 32 RBIs in September, putting himself right back in the MVP conversation.

                        Indians: It's championship or bust. After getting tantalizingly close in 2016, Cleveland will attempt to end a 68-year World Series title drought, the longest active dry spell in baseball. ... Indians pushed Chicago to 10 innings in Game 7 of the World Series last year before losing to the Cubs, who ended their 108-year wait. ... Following a sluggish start, Indians (102-60) grabbed control of the AL Central on June 26, went 55-20 after the All-Star break and ran away to a second straight division title. They were unstoppable down the stretch, reeling off an AL-record 22 consecutive wins, baseball's longest streak in 101 years. ... Francona preached to his players to ''win today'' and the Indians did just that, winning 33 of their last 37 regular-season games to finish with AL's best record and second-most wins in franchise history. ... Kluber has anchored the league's deepest pitching staff, which led the majors with a 3.30 ERA. ... Kluber, a favorite to win his second Cy Young Award in four years, won't start the ALDS opener as Francona wants him available to pitch a potential Game 5 on four days' rest. ... Kluber, Carrasco and Bauer combined for 53 wins and 687 strikeouts. ... Ramirez has become one of baseball's best all-around players in virtually no time. He led the majors with 56 doubles and tied Miami's Giancarlo Stanton for the lead in extra-base hits with 91. ... In just his second full season, Lindor is on the verge of superstardom. His 33 homers were the most by a middle infielder in club history and his enthusiasm is infectious. ... The addition of Encarnacion gave the Indians' lineup more pop and a bona fide run producer. The former Toronto slugger has driven in at least 100 runs in five of the past six seasons. ... With Brantley slowed by an ankle injury, Bruce was acquired in August and brought more power and a veteran presence on and off the field. ... Brantley is on ALDS roster primarily as a pinch-hitter.

                        ---

                        Watch For:

                        - Setup Scenario. A four-time All-Star, Betances struggled with his mechanics and control down the stretch, leading Girardi to have a quick hook in the late innings. The 6-foot-8 righty walked seven over his final 9 2/3 innings and finished with 44 walks, up from 28 last year. He didn't pitch in the wild-card win, but the Yankees probably will need Betances to deliver at some point against Cleveland.

                        - Center Stage. Kipnis came up as an outfielder before becoming a two-time All-Star second baseman. When rookie Bradley Zimmer broke his hand, and with Brantley and Brandon Guyer slowed by injuries, Francona gave Kipnis a chance in the outfield and he has held his own in center. Runners will test his right arm (he started the year on the DL with a shoulder issue), but Kipnis tracks the ball well and is athletic enough to make plays in the gaps. Still, everything hit toward him will leave Cleveland fans holding their breath.

                        - Extra Bases. Sanchez had 16 passed balls, tied for the big league lead with Yasmani Grandal of the Dodgers. New York threw 53 wild pitches when Sanchez was behind the plate, second-most among major league catchers behind Jonathan Lucroy (58 with Texas and Colorado).

                        - Big Weapon. The 6-foot-7 Miller was magnificent in last year's postseason, striking out 30 over 19 1/3 innings and winning ALCS MVP award. The left-hander made only 11 appearances after Aug. 2 because of right knee issues that twice forced him to the disabled list. Francona hopes he doesn't have to rely on Miller as much as he did in 2016. Francona has another option against lefties in Tyler Olson, who did not allow a run in 20 innings over 30 appearances.

                        - Special Season. These Indians have the look and feel of a destined team. They have undeniable chemistry, confidence, All-Stars galore and in Francona, a manager who knows how to win in October. The goal from Day One wasn't to win the AL Central or have a record winning streak, but to get back to the World Series and finish the job.
                        Remember the 3 G's Gambling, Golf, Girls not in any particular order.....

                        Comment


                        • Armadillo:Thursday's six-pack

                          — Titans’ QB Marcus Mariota is day-to-day with a hamstring injury.

                          — Minnesota’s Taj Gibson will be the first NBA player EVER to wear uniform #67.

                          — UTEP football coach Sean Kugler resigned this week, replaced by former Washington State coach Mike Price, who was also UTEP’s coach from 2004-12.

                          — Atlanta’s Ersan Ilyasova led the NBA in charges drawn last year, with 36.

                          — Texas Rangers fired their bullpen coach; obviously this season was all his fault.

                          — Arizona 11, Colorado 8— Diamondbacks move on to face the Dodgers in next round.


                          **********

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

                          13) With Giants playing the Chargers this weekend, Eli Manning faces the team that drafted him; Manning then forced a trade to the Giants by saying he didn’t want to play in San Diego.

                          Ben Roethlisberger was also drafted in the first round that year: career playoff records of the three QB’s who are linked together in history:

                          Roethlisberger (last of the 3 taken) 13-7, Manning 8-4, Rivers 4-5.

                          Some NFL notes looking at how teams do on the first drive of each half:
                          12) Jaguars/Packers are the only NFL teams who scored on the first drive of all their games; three FG’s and a TD for both teams.

                          11) Bills-Bears-Colts are the three teams who haven’t scored on the first drive of a half; Falcons-Broncos-Giants are the three teams that haven’t allowed a point on the first drive of a half.

                          10) On the first drive of their 8 halves this season, Detroit Lions have run 41 plays for 109 yards, 3 points; they’ve been outgained 298-109, outscored 17-3 by their opponents on 1st drives.

                          9) NFL defines “explosive plays” as running plays longer than 11 yards, passing plays longer than 15 yards. Teams with the most this year: Patriots 48, Rams 43, Cardinals 39, Falcons 38

                          Teams with fewest explosive plays: Dolphins 13 (in 3 games), Ravens 17, Bengals 23.

                          8) From Gil Brandt: Since 1990, 28 of 196 NFL teams that started season 1-3 made the playoffs, with 2001 Patriots the only one of those 28 teams to win the Super Bowl.

                          Elsewhere…….
                          7) Toronto declined Jose Bautista’s option; he will be 37 in a couple weeks- he hit .203 this year. Will be interesting to see what kind of a contract he gets for next year.

                          6) According to ***********, under has hit 55.1% of October NHL games the last four years.

                          5) 8 guys from last year’s NBA All-Star Game changed teams in the off-season; that seems like a lot.

                          4) Nevada Wolf Pack has 11 transfers on its roster; five are sitting out this season, six will be playing. Eric Musselman hasn’t recruited many freshmen in his tenure at Reno.

                          3) Former Purdue hooper Robbie Hummel retired from playing, will be an analyst for the Big Ten Network and ESPN.

                          2) Willie Reed signed a 3-year, $15M contract with the Miami Heat that was voided because he was represented by an agent who wasn’t certified by the NBA. Now he is on the Clippers, with a one-year deal for the minimum salary. Lot of leeches in the world, when there is money involved.

                          1) If you had the Chiefs as the last unbeaten team in the NFL, you’re a hell of a lot smarter than I am.
                          Remember the 3 G's Gambling, Golf, Girls not in any particular order.....

                          Comment


                          • Thursday's MLB Division Series Betting Preview and Odds

                            The division series round opens with a tremendous pitching matchup when Boston's Chris Sale goes toe-to-toe with Astros'

                            Boston Red Sox at Houston Astros (-130, 7)

                            Series tied 0-0

                            The Houston Astros battled all the way into the final weekend in the race for the best record in the American League and fell just short, leaving them to host the third-seeded AL East champion Boston Red Sox in Game 1 of the AL Division Series on Thursday. The second-seeded Astros made the biggest move of the waiver deadline period by bringing in Justin Verlander from the Detroit Tigers and will send him to the mound in Game 1.

                            Verlander brings a 7-5 record and a 3.39 ERA in 16 career postseason starts to a Houston squad that led the AL in team batting average at .282 and features probable MVP and batting champion Jose Altuve. "I think that's the main goal, just be able to keep your feel, be able to come into the start, and be consistent," Verlander told reporters of his approach to the game. "As a starting pitcher, that's what it's about. I'm going to do whatever I can to help maintain my mechanics and the feel on the mound." The Red Sox will counter with Cy Young candidate Chris Sale, who struggled in September but had the luxury of taking the final day of the regular season off after Boston beat the Astros on Saturday to clinch the AL East. The Astros took three of four in that series and four of seven from the Red Sox during the regular season and went 48-33 at Minute Maid Park.

                            TV:
                            4 p.m. ET, MLB Network

                            PITCHING MATCHUP:
                            Red Sox LH Chris Sale (17-8, 2.90 ERA) vs. Astros RH Justin Verlander (15-8, 3.36)

                            Sale went 3-4 with a 4.30 ERA over his final eight starts and struggled to keep the ball in the park at times, including his final start against Toronto on Sept. 26 in which he served up four home runs. The Florida native will be making his first career postseason start and is 5-1 with a 1.31 ERA in six career starts against Houston. "I'm 28 years old, so I've been waiting for this about 23 years," Sale told reporters. "This has been a long time coming. A lot of hard work went into this. It's a long season. We had a lot of guys put everything they had on the field the entire season. To have this opportunity right here, it's the best."

                            Verlander earned his spot at the top of the Astros postseason rotation by going 5-0 with a 1.06 ERA in five starts since joining the team. The former MVP allowed four runs (three earned) in 12 innings over two starts against Boston earlier this season, though he did not factor in either decision. "You can't get prepared for it," Verlander told reporters of starting in the postseason. "You have to experience it by being out there and feeling the adrenaline, and experiencing it for yourself."

                            TRENDS:


                            * Red Sox are 1-5 in their last 6 Divisional Playoff road games.
                            * Astros are 11-2 in their last 13 home games.
                            * Astros are 5-0 in Verlander's 5 starts since joining the team.
                            * Over is 5-0 in Sale's last 5 starts overall.
                            * Over is 10-2 in Astros' last 12 Divisional Playoff games.
                            * Over is 9-4 in the last 13 meetings.

                            CONSENSUS:
                            The public is leaning toward the home favorite Astros with 60 percent of the picks and Over is grabbing a surprising 58 percent of the totals wagers.

                            New York Yankees at Cleveland Indians (-135, 8.5)

                            Series tied 0-0

                            Terry Francona made liberal use of his bullpen weapons while guiding the Cleveland Indians to the World Series last season, and Joe Girardi took that philosophy a step further while guiding the New York Yankees to the American League Division Series with a win in the wild-card game Tuesday. Girardi will try to find a way to beat Francona and the best team in the AL when the Yankees visit the top-seeded Indians in Game 1 of the AL Division Series on Thursday.

                            Girardi got 26 outs from his bullpen after yanking starter Luis Severino with one out and three runs in in the first inning Tuesday against the Minnesota Twins, and Chad Green, David Robertson, Tommy Kahnle and Aroldis Chapman proved to be up to the task as the Yankees pulled out an 8-4 victory. "If you're playing four games in five nights, it's really difficult to do," Girardi told reporters of leaning heavily on the relievers. "You can do it probably two of the games of the four, but you can't do it back to back. And a lot of times you can -- if you were to do it on Game 2, you probably can't even do it on Game 3, even with the off-day in between." Francona rode left-hander Andrew Miller hard in the 2016 postseason and won't be afraid to do so again, though the Indians might have an even better team in 2017 after finishing the regular season with 33 wins in their last 37 games. Cleveland surprised some by choosing Trevor Bauer to start Game 1 over ace Corey Kluber, while New York is expected to counter with Sonny Gray.

                            TV:
                            7:30 p.m. ET, Fox Sports 1

                            PITCHING MATCHUP:
                            Yankees RH Sonny Gray (10-12, 3.55 ERA) vs. Indians RH Trevor Bauer (17-9, 4.19)

                            Gray went 4-7 with a 3.72 ERA in 11 starts after being acquired from the Oakland Athletics prior to the trade deadline but struggled some in September, surrendering nine home runs in 35 1/3 innings. The Vanderbilt product, who lost at Cleveland in his New York debut on Aug. 3, was ripped for six runs on six hits - two homers - over 4 2/3 innings in his final regular-season outing on Saturday. Gray is 0-1 in two career postseason starts despite a 2.08 ERA.

                            Bauer aided the Indians' sprint to the finish by going 9-1 with a 2.42 ERA over his last 13 games (12 starts) and allowed two runs in 13 innings over his final two starts. Two of those 13 outings came against New York on Aug. 4 and Aug. 30, and the UCLA product breezed to wins in both by scattering two runs over 13 frames and striking out 11. Bauer, who gets the start over Cy Young candidate Kluber so that Kluber can come back on regular rest in a potential Game 5 or Game 1 of the ALCS, went 0-2 with a 5.27 ERA in five games (four starts) during the 2016 postseason.

                            TRENDS:


                            * Yankees are 6-0 in their last 6 vs. a team with a winning record.
                            * Yankees are 2-6 in their last 8 playoff road games.
                            * Indians are 42-9 in their last 51 overall.
                            * Indians are 6-0 in Bauer's last 6 starts vs. American League East.
                            * Under is 5-1 in Bauer's last 6 starts overall.
                            * Over is 9-3-2 in the last 14 meetings in Cleveland.

                            CONSENSUS:
                            The public is leaning toward the home favorite Indians with 77 percent of the picks and Over is grabbing a 62 percent of the totals wagers.
                            Remember the 3 G's Gambling, Golf, Girls not in any particular order.....

                            Comment


                            • MLB
                              Dunkel

                              Thursday, October 5


                              Boston @ Houston

                              Game 935-936
                              October 5, 2017 @ 4:05 pm

                              Dunkel Rating:
                              Boston
                              (Sale) 16.883
                              Houston
                              (Verlnder) 17.936
                              Dunkel Team:
                              Dunkel Line:
                              Dunkel Total:
                              Houston
                              by 1
                              9
                              Vegas Team:
                              Vegas Line:
                              Vegas Total:
                              Houston
                              -125
                              7
                              Dunkel Pick:
                              Houston
                              (-125); Over

                              NY Yankees @ Cleveland


                              Game 937-938
                              October 5, 2017 @ 7:35 pm

                              Dunkel Rating:
                              NY Yankees
                              (Gray) 16.486
                              Cleveland
                              (Bauer) 17.694
                              Dunkel Team:
                              Dunkel Line:
                              Dunkel Total:
                              Cleveland
                              by 1
                              9
                              Vegas Team:
                              Vegas Line:
                              Vegas Total:
                              Cleveland
                              -135
                              8 1/2
                              Dunkel Pick:
                              Cleveland
                              (-135); Over





                              MLB
                              Long Sheet

                              Thursday, October 5


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

                              BOSTON (93 - 69) at HOUSTON (101 - 61) - 4:05 PM
                              CHRIS SALE (L) vs. JUSTIN VERLANDER (R)
                              Top Trends for this game.
                              BOSTON is 0-10 (-10.8 Units) against the money line in October games over the last 3 seasons.
                              BOSTON is 7-11 (-8.2 Units) against the money line when playing on Thursday this season.
                              SALE is 3-9 (-11.5 Units) against the money line when playing on Thursday over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
                              SALE is 22-32 (-16.8 Units) against the money line in road games after a loss since 1997. (Team's Record)
                              HOUSTON is 101-61 (+11.9 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
                              BOSTON is 44-25 (+13.0 Units) against the money line after a loss this season.
                              HOUSTON is 12-22 (-17.7 Units) against the money line when playing on Thursday over the last 2 seasons.
                              HOUSTON is 21-24 (-13.6 Units) against the money line against left-handed starters this season.
                              HOUSTON is 48-43 (-16.6 Units) against the money line in home games after a win over the last 2 seasons.
                              HOUSTON is 32-39 (-19.0 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
                              HOUSTON is 15-23 (-14.9 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.

                              Head-to-Head Series History
                              HOUSTON is 4-3 (+0.4 Units) against BOSTON this season
                              4 of 6 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+1.7 Units)

                              CHRIS SALE vs. HOUSTON since 1997
                              SALE is 5-1 when starting against HOUSTON with an ERA of 1.31 and a WHIP of 0.708.
                              His team's record is 5-1 (+3.2 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-4. (-2.3 units)

                              JUSTIN VERLANDER vs. BOSTON since 1997
                              VERLANDER is 5-6 when starting against BOSTON with an ERA of 2.77 and a WHIP of 1.105.
                              His team's record is 8-10 (-3.6 units) in these starts. The OVER is 5-10. (-5.6 units)

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

                              NY YANKEES (92 - 71) at CLEVELAND (102 - 60) - 7:35 PM
                              SONNY GRAY (R) vs. TREVOR BAUER (R)
                              Top Trends for this game.
                              NY YANKEES are 19-30 (-11.3 Units) against the money line on the road when the money line is +125 to -125 this season.
                              NY YANKEES are 11-22 (-13.0 Units) against the money line on the road when the total is 8 to 8.5 this season.
                              NY YANKEES are 14-20 (-13.5 Units) against the money line when playing with a day off over the last 2 seasons.
                              NY YANKEES are 48-43 (-7.8 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
                              GRAY is 19-30 (-17.1 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
                              GRAY is 6-17 (-11.6 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
                              GRAY is 4-11 (-10.0 Units) against the money line in night games this season. (Team's Record)
                              GRAY is 20-27 (-18.5 Units) against the money line after a win since 1997. (Team's Record)
                              CLEVELAND is 206-132 (+22.1 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
                              CLEVELAND is 95-47 (+28.2 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 2 seasons.
                              CLEVELAND is 13-3 (+12.8 Units) against the money line in October games over the last 2 seasons.
                              CLEVELAND is 27-7 (+19.1 Units) against the money line when playing on Thursday over the last 2 seasons.
                              CLEVELAND is 98-66 (+18.7 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
                              CLEVELAND is 24-10 (+11.1 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season this season.
                              NY YANKEES are 47-31 (+13.6 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
                              CLEVELAND is 29-24 (-14.8 Units) against the money line in home games in night games this season.

                              Head-to-Head Series History
                              CLEVELAND is 5-2 (+3.2 Units) against NY YANKEES this season
                              3 of 6 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=-0.2 Units, Under=-0.4 Units)

                              SONNY GRAY vs. CLEVELAND since 1997
                              GRAY is 3-3 when starting against CLEVELAND with an ERA of 3.38 and a WHIP of 1.146.
                              His team's record is 4-4 (+0.1 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 5-2. (+2.8 units)

                              TREVOR BAUER vs. NY YANKEES since 1997
                              BAUER is 3-4 when starting against NY YANKEES with an ERA of 4.60 and a WHIP of 1.511.
                              His team's record is 4-4 (+0.4 units) in these starts. The OVER is 3-3. (-0.2 units)

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




                              MLB
                              Armadillo's Write-Up

                              Thursday, October 5


                              Boston @ Houston
                              Astros are 4-3 vs Boston this season; road team won five of the seven games. Astros were just in Beantown last weekend, taking 3 of 4 mostly meaningless games.

                              Sale is 2-1, 3.38 in his last four starts; his last five starts went over. This is his first playoff game. He is 5-1, 1.31 in six career starts vs Houston, but none were this year.

                              Verlander is 5-0, 1.06 in five starts since coming to Houston (under 4-1). He is 4-2, 1.76 in his last 8 playoff starts.

                              Red Sox are in playoffs for 3rd time in last five years; they got swept 3-0 by Cleveland in this round last year. Houston is in playoffs for second time in three years; they’ve never won the World Series, losing 4-0 to the White Sox in 2005.

                              New York @ Cleveland
                              New York is 2-5 vs Cleveland this season; road teams won five of the seven games. Losing team scored 1 or 2 runs in six of the seven games.

                              Gray is 1-3, 5.56 in his last four starts; under is 6-3-2 in his starts for New York. He is 1-2, 5.94 vs Cleveland this season. New York is 2-4 in his road starts.

                              Bauer is 3-1, 2.90 in his last five starts; under is 5-1 in his last six starts. He is 2-0, 1.38 vs New York this season. Cleveland is 6-2 in his last eight home starts.

                              New York is in the playoffs for second time in the last five years; they last made the ALCS in 2012- they beat Twins 7-4 in Wild Card game Tuesday, with bullpen getting 26 of the 27 outs.

                              Indians lost Game 7 of the World Series last year; they haven’t won a World Series since 1948. They’re in playoffs for 3rd time in last five years.




                              MLB

                              Thursday, October 5


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

                              4:08 PM
                              BOSTON vs. HOUSTON
                              Boston is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games on the road
                              Boston is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games
                              Houston is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Boston
                              The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Houston's last 7 games at home

                              7:38 PM
                              NY YANKEES vs. CLEVELAND
                              NY Yankees are 2-5 SU in their last 7 games when playing Cleveland
                              The total has gone UNDER in 4 of NY Yankees's last 6 games on the road
                              Cleveland is 2-4 SU in their last 6 games when playing at home against NY Yankees
                              The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Cleveland's last 5 games at home
                              Remember the 3 G's Gambling, Golf, Girls not in any particular order.....

                              Comment


                              • THURSDAY, OCTOBER 5

                                GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

                                BOS at HOU 04:00 PM

                                BOS +115 *****

                                O 7.0 *****

                                NYY at CLE 07:30 PM

                                NYY +120 *****

                                O 8.5
                                Remember the 3 G's Gambling, Golf, Girls not in any particular order.....

                                Comment

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