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

[StarDust Bum]

LEADING OFF: Keuchel tries to stop Yanks again; NLCS Game 4
October 17, 2017

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

HISTORY ON HIS SIDE

With the AL Championship Series tied at two games apiece, Dallas Keuchel pitches for the Houston Astros against Masahiro Tanaka and the New York Yankees (5:08 p.m. EDT). Keuchel is 6-2 with a 1.09 ERA in eight career starts vs. the Yankees, including a pair of scoreless playoff outings. The 2015 AL Cy Young Award winner tossed seven shutout innings and struck out 10 to beat Tanaka 2-1 in Game 1 at Houston. The left-hander has never given up a home run in 57 2/3 innings against the Yankees. ''Hopefully, seeing him twice in one series, our guys are able to adjust a little quicker,'' New York manager Joe Girardi said.

FRESH ARMS

Dodgers left-hander Alex Wood and Cubs righty Jake Arrieta square off in Game 4 of the NL Championship Series in a matchup of well-rested pitchers. Wood, who had a career-high 16 wins this season, will make his first appearance since Sept. 26. He was lined up for Game 4 of the Division Series, but the Dodgers swept the Diamondbacks in three games.

''It has its pluses and negatives,'' Wood said of the layoff. ''I've stayed on a semi-regular schedule. I've had two (simulated) games in between against a lot of our regular guys in our lineup.''

Arrieta has pitched just 14 1/3 innings since Aug. 30, including four innings of two-hit ball against Washington in Game 4 of the NLDS. The 2015 NL Cy Young Award winner was hampered by a right hamstring injury at the end of the season.

''I think the leg issue is pretty much behind us,'' Arrieta said.

HOME SWEET HOME

Aaron Judge and the wild-card Yankees are 5-0 at home this postseason heading into Game 5 of the ALCS against the Astros. The winner heads to Houston needing one win to reach the World Series, so Yankee Stadium figures to be rocking again. ''Every home game has been special,'' manager Joe Girardi said. ''I just feel like the fans are back. And I see things that I haven't in a while, and it reminds me a lot of when I was playing here.'' Girardi said Gary Sanchez will be back behind the plate to catch Masahiro Tanaka after backup Austin Romine caught Sonny Gray in Game 4 on Tuesday. Sanchez was the designated hitter and had three RBIs, including a two-run double that snapped an eighth-inning tie as the Yankees rallied from four runs down for a 6-4 victory. New York has won 18 of its last 21 home games.

[StarDust Bum]

MLB Playoff Record:.........

DATE W-L-T % UNITS RECORD ( Best Bets & Opinions )

10/17/2017 2-2-0 50.00% -1.30
10/16/2017 2-0-0 100.00% +10.00
10/15/2017 1-1-0 50.00% +0.00
10/14/2017 0-3-1 0.00% -15.50
10/13/2017 1-1-0 50.00%.....+0.00
10/12/2017 1-1-0 50.00% -0.50
10/11/2017 3-1-0 75.00% +15.50
10/09/2017 2-5-0 28.57% -16.75
10/08/2017 2-2-0 50.00% -2.30
10/07/2017 1-3-0 25.00% -10.50
10/06/2017.......5-2-0......71.43%.....+16.25
10/05/2017 ......1-3-0 .....25.00%..... -10.50
10/04/2017 ......1-1-0..... 50.00%....... -0.50

Total:...............21 -24......46.66%.......-15.60

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Best Bets:......................ATS.................... ...TOTAL.....................TOTAL O/U

10/17/2017.................0 - 0.......................+0.00..................... .....1 - 1.......-1.00
10/16/2017.................0 - 0.......................+0.00..................... ....1 - 0........+5.00
10/15/2017.................0 - 1........................-5.00.........................1 - 0........+5.00
10/14/2017.................0 - 2......................-10.00..........................0-0-1......+0.00
10/13/2017.................0 - 1.......................-5.00...........................1 - 0.......+5.00
10/12/2017.................0 - 0........................0.00..................... ......0 - 1........-5.50
10/11/2017.................2 - 0.......................+15.00.................... ...0 - 1........-5.50
10/09/2017.................0 - 1.......................- 5.00..........................1 - 3........-11.50
10/08/2017.................0 - 0........................00.00.................... .....2 - 0.......+10.00
10/07/2017.................0 - 2.......................-10.00.........................1-0-1.......+5.00
10/06/2017.................1 - 1.......................-1.00...........................3 - 1........+9.50
10/05/2017.................0 - 2.......................-10.00.........................1 - 1........-1.00
10/04/2017.................1 - 0.......................+ 5.00.........................0 - 1.......- 5.50


TOTAL:........................4 - 10....................- 26.00.......................12-10-2.......+9.50

[StarDust Bum]

Wednesday’s six-pack

More NBA over/under win totals for the coming season:

Minnesota Timberwolves 48.5

Miami Heat 43.5

Philadelphia 76ers 42.5

New York Knicks 30.5

Brooklyn Nets 28.5

Atlanta Hawks 25.5

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Wednesday’s List of 13: Mid-week musings……..

13) 5:15 into the Boston Celtics’ season, Gordon Hayward severely injured his leg/ankle when he came down on an attempted alley-oop. It was a gruesome injury, reminiscent of Jason Kendall or Joe Theismann’s grotesque leg injuries.

12) Damn, this is Lebron James’ 15th year in the NBA? Time flies. I remember sitting in a bar having dinner, watching his high school game that ESPN showed. Think Bill Walton was the TV analyst that night; people were excited that Lebron scored 31 points.

Hell, I thought, if he’s going to be in the NBA next year, he SHOULD score 31 points in a high school game, shouldn’t he?

Obviously, Lebron has outperformed those huge expectations; good for him.

11) By the way, sounds like pretty soon, kids will able to go straight from high school to the NBA once again, which helps everyone, except veterans trying to hang on in the G-League.

10) Indianapolis Colts in the fourth quarter this season: they’ve been outscored 85-22, allowing 1,034 yards on 139 plays, an average of 7.4 yards per play.

Colts are 2-4, but they haven’t trailed at halftime since Week 1 against the Rams.

9) Tennessee Titans have 7 takeaways in six games, but they’re the only team in NFL that hasn’t scored a touchdown after one of their takeaways.

Titans-Colts game Monday night had no punts in the first half, the first game in NFL this season without a first half punt.

8) Injured Vikings’ QB Teddy Bridgewater is practicing this week, as he comes back from his severe knee injury; Minnesota has three weeks to decide whether to activate Bridgewater or IR him for the rest of the season. Bridgewater and Sam Bradford are both in the last year of their contracts; Vikings have some interesting decisions ahead of them.

7) Chicago Bulls Bobby Portis and Nikola Mirotic got into a fight today at practice and Mirotic wound up with broken bones in his face; he’s going to be out for a few weeks, at least.

Curious how the analytics geniuses take this into account when they measure Portis, Mirotic as players. There is a human element to sports that can never be quantified— these guys live and travel together for months at a time. Part of being a good teammate is staying out of fights that send yourself or teammates to the hospital.

6) Best red zone offenses in NFL:
Packers 5.68 pts/possession, Eagles 5.56, Cowboys 5.33, Texans 5.25— Aaron Rodgers is gone for the year, so going forward, Green Bay’s numbers figure to drop dramatically.

5) Best offenses on drives starting 75+ yards from end zone:
Saints 2.47, Chiefs 2.46, Titans 2.37, Patriots 2.16

Worst offenses on drives starting 75+ yards from end zone (includes points lost on TD”s scored by the opposing defense):
Colts 0.42, Bengals 0.51, Buccaneers 0.91, Lions 0.97

4) Most plays of 20+ yards this season:
Rams 31, Vikings 30, Patriots/Cardinals 29, Chiefs 27

3) Most TD’s on plays of 20+ yards:
Raiders 8 (out of 13 total TD’s), Chiefs 7 (18 total TD’s), Titans 7 (13 total TD’s), Jets 6 (11 total TD’s), Lions 6 (14 total TD’s)

2) Baseball update:
AL: New York 6, Houston 4— Astros’ bullpen imploded; series is tied 2-2.
NL: Dodgers 6, Cubs 1– Chicago is going down meekly.

1) One of the best days of the year for me is when the Blue Ribbon Yearbook arrives at my door every October; the bible of college basketball, Blue Ribbon has a ton of useful information in it, and it got here Monday. If you like college basketball, it is well worth your time.

[StarDust Bum]

MLB
Armadillo's Write-Up

Wednesday, October 18

Houston @ New York
Astros are 7-4 against New York this season, splitting six games in the Bronx. Houston scored total of nine runs in first four games in this series, all won by the home team.

Keuchel is 4-1, 1.76 in his last five starts; over is 4-2 in his last six starts. Astros are 10-2 in his road starts. He is 1-0, 0.69 in two starts vs NY this season and is 4-0, 1.69 in five career playoff games (4 starts).

Tanaka is 2-1, 0.90 in his last three starts, all of which stayed under. New York won his last five home starts. He is 0-2, 11.74 in two starts vs Houston this year and is 1-2, 3.33 in three career playoff starts.

Dodgers @ Cubs
Dodgers are 7-2 vs Chicago this season, 3-0 in this series; they shut Cubs out in 3 of the 7 wins. Home team won seven of nine series games (under 7-2).

Wood is making his first postseason appearance this year; he is 2-0, 2.00 in his last three starts. Dodgers are 8-5 in his road starts this year. Wood is 0-0 in four relief stints in playoffs, giving up 8 runs in 7.1 IP— this is his first playoff start. He is 0-0, 1.85 in two starts (8.2 IP) against the Cubs this season.

Arrieta is 0-3, 6.28 in his last four starts; under is 8-6-2 in his last 16 starts. Cubs are 6-5 in his home starts. Arrieta allowed four runs in six IP in his only start against the Dodgers this year; he is 4-3, 3.33 in eight career playoff starts.




MLB

Wednesday, October 18

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Trend Report
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HOUSTON @ NY YANKEES
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Houston's last 5 games when playing on the road against NY Yankees
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Houston's last 9 games when playing NY Yankees
NY Yankees is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games
NY Yankees is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games at home

LA DODGERS @ CHI CUBS
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of LA Dodgers's last 5 games on the road
LA Dodgers is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Chi Cubs's last 5 games when playing at home against LA Dodgers
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Chi Cubs's last 5 games at home

[StarDust Bum]

Wednesday's MLB League Championship Series Betting Preview and Odds

The baseball day starts off with a critical Game 5 of the ALCS in The Bronx between the Astros and Yankees, and wraps up with the defending World Series champion Cubs trying to stave off a sweep at the hands of the Dodgers at Wrigley Field.

Houston Astros at New York Yankees (HOU -115, NYY +105, Total: 7.5)

Series tied 2-2

The New York Yankees will take another crack at Houston Astros ace Dallas Keuchel when the teams tangle in a critical Game 5 of their American League Championship Series at Yankee Stadium on Wednesday. A two-run seventh inning and four-run eighth propelled New York to a stirring 6-4 comeback victory in Game 4 on Tuesday, knotting the best-of-seven matchup at two wins apiece.

Slugger Aaron Judge, limited to one single in seven at-bats in back-to-back losses at Houston, is 3-for-6 with five RBIs in the two games in the Bronx after beginning the comeback with a solo homer and delivering the game-tying RBI double in the eighth. Judge had that one single at Minute Maid Park against Keuchel, but that was one of just four hits the left-hander allowed in seven scoreless frames of the Game 1 victory. Keuchel is 6-2 with a 1.09 ERA in eight career starts against New York in the regular season and playoffs combined and won his only prior postseason turn at Yankee Stadium with six scoreless innings in the 2015 AL wild-card game. The Yankees will counter with Masahiro Tanaka, who allowed a pair of runs opposite Keuchel in the series opener.

TV: 5 p.m. ET, FS1

PITCHING MATCHUP: Astros LH Dallas Keuchel (2-0, 0.71 ERA) vs. Yankees RH Masahiro Tanaka (1-1, 1.38)

Keuchel is 4-0 with a 1.69 ERA in five career postseason games (four starts) and struck out 10 Yankees in the series-opening win. Both of this year's playoff outings have taken place at home, but the 2015 AL Cy Young Award winner was much more human on the road during the regular season - going 5-5 with a 4.24 ERA and allowing opponents to produce a .720 OPS, compared to .513 at home. Keuchel's last appearance away from home in the playoffs was in relief in Game 5 of the ALDS in 2015, when he was tagged for three runs in one inning.

Like Keuchel, Tanaka has had better fortune at home, and he finished the regular season by going 5-1 with a 1.29 ERA over a six-start stretch at Yankee Stadium. The 28-year-old has given up two runs and seven hits - no home runs - over 13 innings this postseason. Carlos Correa and Yuli Gurriel recorded RBI singles in Game 1 against Tanaka, who has received a total of one run of support in his three career playoff starts.

TRENDS:

* Astros are 1-5 in their last 6 playoff road games.
* Astros are 11-2 in Keuchel's last 13 road starts.
* Yankees are 5-0 in their last 5 playoff home games.
* Yankees are 39-16 in Tanaka's last 55 home starts.
* Over is 5-1 in Astros' last 6 playoff road games.
* Over is 6-1 in Yankees' last 7 League Championship home games.
* Astros are 6-1 in Keuchel's last 7 starts vs. Yankees.
* Yankees are 0-5 in Tanaka's last 5 starts vs. Astros.

CONSENSUS: The public is leaning toward the road chalk Astros with 63 percent of the picks. Over is picking up 51 percent of the totals wagers.



Los Angeles Dodgers at Chicago Cubs (LAD +101, CHC -109, Total: 9.5)

Dodgers lead series 3-0

The Los Angeles Dodgers are one win away from ending the Chicago Cubs’ reign and getting to the World Series for the first time since 1988. The visiting Dodgers turn to Alex Wood on Wednesday as they look to continue the dominant pitching that has led them to a 3-0 lead in the National League Championship Series and complete a sweep over the Cubs.

The Cubs have scored first in every game of the series, but they haven’t crossed the plate again in any of them. Kyle Schwarber staked Chicago to a 1-0 lead in Game 3 with a first-inning home run, and it seemed the team's bats might be poised to break out of their slump, but Yu Darvish settled in after a rocky opening frame and the Dodgers’ bullpen continued its domination in the series. Los Angeles relievers have not allowed a run in their last 16 2/3 innings and have given up only two hits in the matchup. The Dodgers also remained hot at the plate, as Chris Taylor and Andre Ethier homered in their 6-1 win on Tuesday, giving the club eight blasts in the series and 11 in its six postseason games - all victories.

TV: 9 p.m. ET, TBS

PITCHING MATCHUP: Dodgers LH Alex Wood (2017: 16-3, 2.72 ERA) vs. Cubs RH Jake Arrieta (0-1, 0.00)

Wood will be making his first postseason start after four less-than-stellar relief outings. The 26-year-old allowed eight runs - four earned - in 5 1/3 innings over his first three postseason appearances before working two scoreless frames out of the bullpen against the Cubs in last year’s NLCS. Wood is 2-2 with a 2.93 ERA in eight career regular-season games (five starts) versus Chicago.

Arrieta is 4-3 with a 3.33 ERA in eight postseason starts over the last three seasons. The 31-year-old lost his only start in the NL Division Series against Washington despite allowing only one unearned run and two hits over four innings, and the Dodgers beat him in last year’s NLCS by tagging him for four runs over five frames. Arrieta is 1-3 with a 3.77 ERA in five career regular-season starts against Los Angeles.

TRENDS:

* Dodgers are 6-0 in their last 6 playoff games.
* Dodgers are 18-4 in Wood's last 22 starts.
* Cubs are 1-7 in their last 8 games vs. a left-handed starter.
* Under is 7-0-1 in Dodgers' last 8 vs. National League Central.
* Under is 7-1 in Cubs' last 8 games following a loss.
* Dodgers are 6-0 in the last 6 meetings.
* Under is 13-3 in the last 16 meetings in Chicago.

[StarDust Bum]

MLB
Dunkel

Wednesday, October 18

LA Dodgers @ Chicago Cubs

Game 967-968
October 18, 2017 @ 9:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
LA Dodgers
(Wood) 15/434
Chicago Cubs
(Arrieta) 16.685
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Chicago Cubs
by 1
9
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Chicago Cubs
-110
9 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Chicago Cubs
(-110); Under

Houston @ NY Yankees

Game 969-970
October 18, 2017 @ 5:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Houston
(Keuchel) 17.000
NY Yankees
(Tanaka) 18.814
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
NY Yankees
by 2
6
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Houston
-125
8
Dunkel Pick:
NY Yankees
(+105); Under




MLB
Long Sheet

Wednesday, October 18

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LA DODGERS (110 - 58) at CHICAGO CUBS (95 - 75) - 9:05 PM
ALEX WOOD (L) vs. JAKE ARRIETA (R)
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
LA DODGERS is 7-2 (+5.3 Units) against CHICAGO CUBS this season
7 of 8 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+6.1 Units)

ALEX WOOD vs. CHICAGO CUBS since 1997
WOOD is 1-2 when starting against CHICAGO CUBS with an ERA of 3.24 and a WHIP of 1.560.
His team's record is 1-4 (-3.1 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 4-1. (+2.8 units)

JAKE ARRIETA vs. LA DODGERS since 1997
ARRIETA is 1-4 when starting against LA DODGERS with an ERA of 4.25 and a WHIP of 1.028.
His team's record is 1-5 (-5.4 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 4-2. (+1.6 units)

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HOUSTON (106 - 64) at NY YANKEES (97 - 75) - 5:05 PM
DALLAS KEUCHEL (L) vs. MASAHIRO TANAKA (R)
Top Trends for this game.
NY YANKEES are 52-33 (+16.2 Units) against the money line at home when the money line is +125 to -125 over the last 3 seasons.
NY YANKEES are 104-63 (+17.7 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons.
NY YANKEES are 69-34 (+22.0 Units) against the money line in home games in night games over the last 2 seasons.
NY YANKEES are 52-35 (+15.4 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
TANAKA is 24-7 (+13.7 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
HOUSTON is 106-64 (+13.7 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
HOUSTON is 27-17 (+8.8 Units) against the money line on the road when the money line is +125 to -125 this season.
HOUSTON is 54-31 (+14.0 Units) against the money line in road games this season.
HOUSTON is 38-21 (+11.2 Units) against the money line in road games in night games this season.
HOUSTON is 83-39 (+26.2 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
HOUSTON is 41-21 (+9.2 Units) against the money line after a loss this season.
HOUSTON is 21-11 (+9.9 Units) against the money line in road games when playing against a team with a winning record this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
HOUSTON is 7-4 (+2.6 Units) against NY YANKEES this season
7 of 11 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+2.7 Units)

DALLAS KEUCHEL vs. NY YANKEES since 1997
KEUCHEL is 6-2 when starting against NY YANKEES with an ERA of 1.09 and a WHIP of 0.780.
His team's record is 6-2 (+3.7 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-6. (-4.4 units)

MASAHIRO TANAKA vs. HOUSTON since 1997
TANAKA is 0-4 when starting against HOUSTON with an ERA of 7.62 and a WHIP of 1.517.
His team's record is 1-5 (-4.3 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 3-3. (-0.3 units)

[StarDust Bum]

MLB Playoff Record:.........

DATE W-L-T % UNITS RECORD ( Best Bets & Opinions )

10/17/2017 2-2-0 50.00% -1.30
10/16/2017 2-0-0 100.00% +10.00
10/15/2017 1-1-0 50.00% +0.00
10/14/2017 0-3-1 0.00% -15.50
10/13/2017 1-1-0 50.00%.....+0.00
10/12/2017 1-1-0 50.00% -0.50
10/11/2017 3-1-0 75.00% +15.50
10/09/2017 2-5-0 28.57% -16.75
10/08/2017 2-2-0 50.00% -2.30
10/07/2017 1-3-0 25.00% -10.50
10/06/2017.......5-2-0......71.43%.....+16.25
10/05/2017 ......1-3-0 .....25.00%..... -10.50
10/04/2017 ......1-1-0..... 50.00%....... -0.50

Total:...............21 -24......46.66%.......-15.60

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Best Bets:......................ATS.................... ...TOTAL.....................TOTAL O/U

10/17/2017.................0 - 0.......................+0.00..................... .....1 - 1.......-1.00
10/16/2017.................0 - 0.......................+0.00..................... ....1 - 0........+5.00
10/15/2017.................0 - 1........................-5.00.........................1 - 0........+5.00
10/14/2017.................0 - 2......................-10.00..........................0-0-1......+0.00
10/13/2017.................0 - 1.......................-5.00...........................1 - 0.......+5.00
10/12/2017.................0 - 0........................0.00..................... ......0 - 1........-5.50
10/11/2017.................2 - 0.......................+15.00.................... ...0 - 1........-5.50
10/09/2017.................0 - 1.......................- 5.00..........................1 - 3........-11.50
10/08/2017.................0 - 0........................00.00.................... .....2 - 0.......+10.00
10/07/2017.................0 - 2.......................-10.00.........................1-0-1.......+5.00
10/06/2017.................1 - 1.......................-1.00...........................3 - 1........+9.50
10/05/2017.................0 - 2.......................-10.00.........................1 - 1........-1.00
10/04/2017.................1 - 0.......................+ 5.00.........................0 - 1.......- 5.50


TOTAL:........................4 - 10....................- 26.00.......................12-10-2.......+9.50


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

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 18

GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

HOU at NYY 05:00 PM

HOU -111

O 7.5 *****

LAD at CHC 09:00 PM

LAD -111

U 9.5 *****

[StarDust Bum]

ALCS turnaround shows Yankees' depth
October 18, 2017

NEW YORK -- The New York Yankees didn't just send the Houston Astros home on the brink of elimination Wednesday night. They filled the air at Yankee Stadium with an almost palpable feeling of inevitability that the World Series is coming back to the Bronx.

New York's 5-0 win behind seven scoreless innings by Masahiro Tanaka in Game 5 of the American League Championship Series completed a three-day dismantling of Houston.

During that span, the high-powered offense that carried the Astros to 101 wins this season was absent, their relief pitching was exposed to be a weakness and their Yankee-killer, ace Dallas Keuchel, was finally laid low.

Yes, when the series returns to Houston on Friday, the Astros will have Justin Verlander pitching as a bulwark against this rising Yankees tide. But right now the Yankees simply look like the better team. You see it in the long, grinding at-bats and the way the lineup feels as long as an assembly line. And you see it in how effective every pitcher has been.

Even with Verlander pitching in Game 6, trying to equal his complete-game effort against the Yanks in Game 2, it's hard to image Houston ultimately won't be hurt by the issues New York exposed this week.

"(In) the playoffs ... if they get you to crack a little bit on your game plan, then they've got you," Houston manager A.J. Hinch said. "We haven't stayed in our game plan quite well enough (or) made adjustments."

Houston averaged a whopping 5.5 runs per game this season, but the offense has been whisper quiet in the ALCS. The Astros have nine runs in the five games with a .147 team batting average.

"Coming in, their bullpen was so much more heralded than the starting rotation, and the starters have really stepped up against us," Hinch said. "We've lost a little bit of our offensive adjustments and a little bit of our offensive mojo. And some of that is the anxiety that gets created around at-bats."

There is good reason for the anxiety. The Astros haven't gone through an offensive drought like this. Only once in the regular season did they fail to score more than two runs in three straight games. That has now happened in four out of five.

The series turned in New York's 6-4 win on Tuesday in Game 4, when the Astros blew a 4-0 lead in the seventh inning. Aaron Judge finally broke through against Lance McCullers Jr. with a home run, and then Hinch couldn't find a reliever in his bullpen who could turn off the assembly line. The Yankees hit all of the most-trusted relievers: Chris Devenski, Joe Musgrove and closer Ken Giles.

The catalyst to the Yanks' offense was the re-emergence of Judge, Gary Sanchez and Greg Bird. All three struggled as New York lost the first two games of the series by 2-1 scores. They are all hitting now. Judge is batting .455 in the series with six RBIs. Sanchez drove in a total of five runs the past two games. Bird is hitting .308 in the series.

"They got hot again and away we go," Yankees third baseman Todd Frazier said. "The way we're playing right now is beautiful. I think we're going to be electric in two days. We've got Verlander, and we want a piece of him. We know what he did to us last time. We want to keep doing what we're doing and get him out of the game early."

Judge said, "We never lost our confidence. Our confidence is high. We're looking forward to the challenge of the next game. We feel like we have momentum. We fight to the last out."

The Yankees have Luis Severino for Game 6 and CC Sabathia lined up if there is a Game 7. Houston has managed only one run in 10 innings against that duo so far.

"I give our guys a lot of credit for how resilient they are," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said, "how they continue to fight and never give up and understand (to) take it one game at a time and don't panic."

That's exactly what Houston must try to do now against a club that is starting to look like the team of destiny. And the Astros may be feeling it like a python around the chest.

Speaking of Keuchel, Hinch said, "Once you get behind in the playoffs, you have to be pretty perfect -- or at least it feels that way."

And of the Yankees adding on runs in the fifth and seventh innings, he said, "You can feel the game shortening."

Looking to Friday, Hinch said, "The message to this team is going to be keep fighting the fight. This series isn't over."

He could be right, but after three days in New York, it sort of feels as if it is.

[StarDust Bum]

Wood gives up 3 homers as Dodgers lose 3-2 to Cubs in NLCS
October 19, 2017

CHICAGO (AP) Alex Wood finally returned to the mound Wednesday night. A familiar problem followed him all the way to Game 4 of the NL Championship Series.

Wood surrendered three solo homers in his first start in three weeks, and the Los Angeles Dodgers lost for the first time in this year's playoffs, falling 3-2 to Jake Arrieta and the Chicago Cubs.

The 26-year-old Wood, who had a career-high 16 wins this season, was lined up for Game 4 of the NLDS, but Los Angeles swept Arizona in three games. The Dodgers then took the first three against the Cubs, giving the left-hander a chance to pitch the franchise into its first World Series since it won the championship in 1988.

He retired the side in order in the first inning, but he made a couple of costly mistakes in the second.

After Anthony Rizzo struck out swinging, Willson Contreras drove Wood's next pitch off the scoreboard in left field for his second homer of the playoffs. Javier Baez connected with two out, sending another drive deep to left.

Wood then retired eight in a row before Baez got him again in the fifth, going down to pull a low 1-1 pitch over the wall in left for a 3-1 lead. He departed after Arrieta's two-out single, and Ross Stripling retired Albert Almora Jr. to end the inning.

Wood broke out in a big way this season, helping Los Angeles to a major league-best 104 wins. He also had a career-low 2.72 ERA over 27 games, 25 starts.

But the long ball was a frequent issue in the last part of the season. He allowed two homers in 80 2/3 innings before the All-Star break and 13 in his final 71 2/3 innings.

Wood allowed four hits, struck out seven and walked none in his first career playoff start. He also pitched in Game 4 of last year's NLCS against Chicago, tossing two scoreless innings.

Game 5 is Thursday night at Wrigley Field. Ace left-hander Clayton Kershaw pitches for Los Angeles, and Jose Quintana gets the ball for Chicago.

While Wood faltered, the NL West champions struggled against Arrieta in what might have been in his last start with the Cubs. The right-hander, who is eligible for free agency after the season, struck out nine while pitching 6 2/3 innings of one-run ball.

Los Angeles pulled within one on Justin Turner's homer off Wade Davis in the eighth, but that was it for the Dodgers. Chase Utley struck out swinging with two on to end the inning, and Davis got Cody Bellinger to ground into a game-ending double play for the save.

[StarDust Bum]

Bashed in the Bronx, Astros head home
October 18, 2017

NEW YORK (AP) Dallas Keuchel walked from the mound to the dugout during the top of the fifth inning, a blank look on his face, his glove resting on a hip.

Jose Altuve flung his bat.

Josh Reddick slammed his helmet.

Feeling a bit spaced out, the Houston Astros will be happy to get home after a three-day bashing in the Bronx.

''This is a wild place to play, to say the least,'' George Springer said after a 5-0 loss Wednesday night gave the New York Yankees a 3-2 lead in the AL Championship Series. ''The fans are into the game and they expect their team to win, and they act as if they'd won 27 world championships.''

Houston hit .120 in the three-game wipeout, was outscored 19-5 and outhit 25-12. Just one of the Astros' last 15 batters reached base in Game 5. The series resumes Friday at Minute Maid Park.

''Every home team has won this series,'' Astros manager A.J. Hinch pointed out. ''So if that trend continues, we'll be in pretty good shape.''

Houston's pair of 2-1 wins at the Juice Box last weekend were distant memories after three days unsuccessfully fending off New York's noisy bats and fans. The Astros' Big Apple experience was about the same as the tourist couple in ''The Out of Towners.''

''New York is no joke,'' Keuchel said. ''Yankee Stadium is a tough place to play and it was rockin' these three games. But it's going to be rockin' on Friday for us.''

Keuchel had pitched 13 scoreless innings against the Yankees in postseason play, including seven to win the opener. The bushy bearded ace was 6-2 against New York, never allowing more than three runs.

But those precise pitches were a smidgeon off as Greg Bird, Aaron Judge, Gary Sanchez and Didi Gregorius had run-scoring hits to chase him after 4 2/3 innings. It was Keuchel's shortest outing since finding his groove in August after struggling in his return from a neck injury.

Alex Bregman's glove was about an inch short of snagging Judge's 94 mph smash down the third-base line , a double that put the Yankees ahead 2-0 in the third.

Sanchez had been 0 for 8 against the lefty with six strikeouts before lining a single to left in the fifth.Gregorius followed with a grounder up the middle that hit the bottom of the glove of a diving Altuve at second and bounced into center.

Houston led the major leagues with a .282 average and 896 runs during the regular season. But the Astros have just nine runs in the ALCS and are batting .147. Houston is hitting .077 (3 for 39) the first time through the batting order and .148 (4 for 27) with runners in scoring position after going 0 for 8 RISP in Game 5.

Fish rot at the head and it has been no different at the top of the Astros' batting order. Springer is 2 for 18 as the leadoff man and Reddick is 0 for 17 in the No. 2 hole.

Altuve and Carlos Correa have combined for 10 hits. The rest of the Astros are hitting .106 (12 for 113).

Justin Verlander, 8-0 with the Astros after his five-hitter won Game 2, takes the mound Friday night hoping to save the Astros' season. The 101 regular-season wins and five in the playoffs don't matter now. If the Astros are to win their first title or even reach the World Series for the first time since 2005, they'll have to do their work at home.

At 40 the senior member of the roster, Carlos Beltran addressed teammates after the game.

''We cannot feel sorry for ourselves,'' he recalled saying.

Houston will be playing its first elimination game this year.

''We got to go out there,'' Correa said, ''and focus and play the game we can play and obviously show off why we're one of the best teams in the league.''

McCann also spoke to the team before the Astros headed home.

''Everything is OK. ... We have the home-field advantage,'' Altuve said. ''They did what they have to do, win their home games. Now it's our turn.''

[StarDust Bum]

Yanks on verge of historic second comeback
October 18, 2017

NEW YORK -- The New York Yankees, the most accomplished franchise in American sports, are on the verge of an unprecedented baseball feat. The Houston Astros, meanwhile, are trending toward sadly familiar territory.

The Yankees moved to the edge of the World Series with a 5-0 victory over the Astros on Wednesday night in Game 5 of the American League Championship Series at Yankee Stadium. New York leads the series three games to two and will try to win the pennant in Game 6, scheduled for Friday night in Houston.

The 41st trip to the World Series in team history would be different than any other for the Yankees -- or anyone else in baseball history, for that matter.

The Yankees, who dropped the first two games of the ALCS after storming back from an 0-2 deficit to knock off the Cleveland Indians in the best-of-five AL Division Series, are trying to become the second team to reach the World Series by overcoming a pair of two-game deficits and the first to do it after twice trailing two games to none. The 2012 San Francisco Giants trailed 2-0 and 3-1 in the National League Division Series and NL Championship Series, respectively, before winning the World Series.

One could argue the Yankees, if they win Game 6 or 7, would have mounted three enormous postseason comebacks to advance to the World Series. They trailed the Minnesota Twins 3-0 in the AL wild-card game before earning an 8-4 win. It was the second-biggest deficit overcome in the six-year history of the wild-card games.

"It's just crazy to think how far our backs were against the wall -- even in the wild-card game," Yankees third baseman Todd Frazier said. "To think what we've done, it's been pretty special."

The youngster-infused comebacks -- six members of New York's lineup Wednesday are younger than 30 years old -- have infused the corporation-like Yankees with an underdog mentality they haven't been associated with since 1996. That year, a New York squad that featured the 20-something "Core Four" overcame an 0-2 deficit in the World Series to knock off the Atlanta Braves and win the franchise's first title since 1978.

"Watching our fans brings back a lot of special memories for me as a player," said Yankees manager Joe Girardi, who was the starting catcher on the 1996 team.

The memories that are bubbling to the surface for the Astros and their fans are decidedly less pleasant. If Houston can't win the next two games, the 2017 ALCS will rank with the playoff heartbreaks the franchise endured in the 1980s and again in 2004 and 2015.

In 1980, the Astros blew multi-run, late-inning leads in Games 4 and 5 against the Philadelphia Phillies in the NLCS. The 1986 squad frittered away a four-run lead in Game 3 of the NLCS and a three-run lead in Game 6 against the New York Mets.

In 2004, the Astros came back from an 0-2 deficit to win three straight games against the St. Louis Cardinals in the NLCS before falling in extra innings in Game 6 and dropping a 5-2 decision in Game 7. Two years ago, Houston was six outs away from eliminating the top-seeded Kansas City Royals in Game 4 of the ALDS before the Royals scored seven unanswered runs that sparked their run to the franchise's second championship.

In Houston's only World Series appearance, the Chicago White Sox swept the Astros in 2005.

On Tuesday, the Astros were up 4-0 in the seventh and nine outs away from a three games to one series lead with Dallas Keuchel and Justin Verlander ready to start Games 5 and 6.

"I don't think we're carrying the weight of the past," said Astros pitcher Collin McHugh, one of 11 players remaining from the 2015 team. "It'd be great (to win) for the city, it'd be great for this franchise and organization."

McHugh's words sound good, but the burden the Astros are beginning to carry was obvious to designated hitter Carlos Beltran, who felt compelled to speak to the team after seeing too many downcast faces following the Game 5 loss.

"Sometimes you see people acting different than the way they acted in the regular season," Beltran said. "I just don't want people to feel down, and I don't want people to feel sorry about themselves. We all want to go out there and make it happen."

No one more so than the 40-year-old Beltran, who hit a record-tying eight homers for the Astros during the near-miss 2004 postseason.

"You know what, yeah, you get back here, you think about it," Beltran said. "We were able to play Game 7, we lost against the Cardinals. But now we get the opportunity to make it happen here. That's the goal."

If they can't make it happen? Then the Yankees will make history, and the Astros will repeat it.

[StarDust Bum]

Thursday’s six-pack

NFL trends with Week 7 upon us……..

— Chiefs covered 7 of last 9 games as a favorite.

— Colts covered 12 of last 14 tries as a home underdog.

— Cleveland is 3-13 vs spread in its last 16 games.

— Panthers are 1-6-1 in last 8 tries as a road favorite.

— Dallas is 9-3 vs spread in its last 12 post-bye games.

— Atlanta is 8-1 in its last 9 games as a road underdog.

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

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

13) Philadelphia Eagle fans are not happy with NFL referee Pete Morelli; the last four times Morelli worked an Eagle game, his crew called a total of 40 penalties for 396 yards on the Iggles, only 8 penalties for 74 yards on their opponents. Its enough to make a guy paranoid.

A petition was circulated; last I heard, over 60,000 people had signed it, requesting that Morelli not work any more Eagle games. Alrighty then.

12) Andrew Luck had a setback with his injured shoulder, and now there is talk he won’t play at all this season, which is bad news for everyone in Indianapolis except Jacoby Brissett.

11) 2018 NFL Draft will be at Jerry World in Dallas, the first time the draft will be in an actual NFL stadium.

10) General Electric shelled out a lot of money to put their patch on the Boston Celtics’ uniforms this season; less than six minutes into the Celtics’ season, newly-acquired star Gordon Hayward breaks his ankle, is lost for the season. So much for seeing those patches in June.

9) Celtics were the #1 seed in the Eastern Conference last year, but they’ve got 11 new players on their team this season. Am I the only person who finds this unusual?

8) Jacksonville told its kicker Jason Myers to take a hike, signed former Chargers’ kicker Josh Lambo, who in a perfect world, would kick for the Packers (Lambeau Field…..get it??)

7) BYU’s football team is 1-6, with only win 20-6 against I-AA Portland State; they’re off to their worst start since 1969. Cougars need to join a league- -maybe when the new dome gets built in Las Vegas, UNLV/BYU can join the Big X as a western tandem.

6) When I was a kid, I loved game shows, totally enjoyed them. One of the games was Jokers’ Wild, hosted by Jack Barry, where contestants played with a simulated slot machine to try and win their money/prizes. It wasn’t the best show, but it had an odd appeal.

Now it is coming back on WTBS and it is being hosted by Snoop Dawg. I have no opinion on this, other than I’ve got to watch it at least once. In the commercials I saw, Snoop Dawg appears to be wearing a velour smoking jacket. If gameshows make a comeback, that would be good.

5) Yu Darvish walked with the bases loaded Monday night; he is the first pitcher in 40 years to walk with the bases loaded in a playoff game. Larry Christensen of the Phillies was the last pitcher to draw a bases loaded walk in a playoff game, in 1977.

4) Nick Young scored 23 points for the Warriors Tuesday night, but Golden State was also -10 in the 29:00 he was on the floor in their 122-121 loss to Houston. Warriors were +9 in the 19:00 he was on the bench, -10 when he was on the floor. Thats more important than his point total.

3) There are rumors that the Big 14 is considering moving to 20 conference games next season, with the eventual goal of juicing up their teams’ power ratings so mid-majors get blocked out of at-large bids for the NCAA tournament. That would be sad, if that is the reason.

2) Baseball playoffs:
New York 5, Houston 0— Astros have scored 9 runs in five series games.

1) When you watch NBA/college games this season, consider this:

Several years ago, I was sitting at an AAU tournament talking to a college basketball coach who is very good at his job. I was asking him lot of questions, trying to pick his brain as far as what he looked for at these tournaments with mostly glorified pickup games being played.

“I look at what their college skill is” the coach said. “Some guys shoot it well, others pass it well, some rebound well. I’ll tell you this, getting loose balls is a skill, too”

So when there is a loose ball in an NBA game and the same couple guys are getting most of them, know that their toughness/quickness is what helped get them to the NBA in the first place. Its not an accident.

[StarDust Bum]

???

[StarDust Bum]

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[StarDust Bum]

MLB
Armadillo's Write-Up

Thursday, October 19

Dodgers @ Cubs
Dodgers are 7-3 vs Chicago this season, 3-1 in this series; they shut Cubs out in 3 of the 7 wins. Home team won eight of ten series games (under 8-2).

Kershaw is 2-0, 3.86 in his last four starts; under is 4-1 in his last five outings. Dodgers are 11-2 in his last 13 road starts. He is 0-0, 5.79 in two starts against the Cubs this season, is 5-7, 4.17 in 20 career playoff games (16 starts).

Quintana is 0-0, 4.11 in his last three starts; under is 4-1 in his last five starts. Cubs are 7-0 in his last seven home starts. He is 0-0, 1.59 in three career playoff games (2 starts), he allowed two runs in five IP in his only ’17 start against the Dodgers.




MLB

Thursday, October 19

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Trend Report
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LA DODGERS @ CHI CUBS
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of LA Dodgers's last 5 games when playing on the road against Chi Cubs
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of LA Dodgers's last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Chi Cubs's last 5 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Chi Cubs's last 5 games when playing at home against LA Dodgers


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MLB (PROFESSIONAL)

DUNKEL'S HIGHLIGHTED GAME

LA Dodgers at Chicago Cubs - Thursday October 19, 2017
The Dodgers look to bounce back from last night’s 3-2 loss as they face a Cubs team that is 0-4 in its last 4 games following a victory. LA is the pick (-155) according to Dunkel, which has the Dodgers favored by 2. Dunkel Pick: LA Dodgers (-155).


THURSDAY OCTOBER 19,

LA Dodgers
@
Chicago Cubs
Game 911-912
October 19, 2017 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating: LA Dodgers
(Kershaw) 16.934
Chicago Cubs
(Quntana) 15.184
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total: LA Dodgers
by 2
6
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total: LA Dodgers
-155
7
Dunkel Pick: LA Dodgers
(-155); Under