MLB 2018 Season Long Thread Thru the World Series / Picks,Trends,News Etc. !!

[StarDust Bum]

MLB

Wednesday, July 4


STREAKING AND SLUMPING STARTING PITCHERS

Streaking: Aaron Nola, Philadelphia Phillies (10-2, 2.48 ERA, $705)

They don't come much hotter than Nola, who has seen his Phillies go a sizzling 11-2 in his previous 13 starts. And with three of those previous five victories coming with Philadelphia as an underdog, it's easy to see why Nola is one of the top value plays in baseball at the moment, and that certainly won't change Wednesday.

Nola should dominate a weak Baltimore lineup, making Philadelphia a nice option either straight up or on the runline.

Slumping: Eduardo Rodriguez, Boston Red Sox (9-3, 4.11 ERA, $860)

E-Rod has been one of the best bets of any starter in 2018, but the shine is coming off his star. Rodriguez has dropped two starts in a row – one as a -173 fave – while allowing 10 runs, nine earned, over 10 innings in that stretch. Those struggles have lifted his ERA to an unsightly 4.13 for the season, suggesting that he has been a bit fortunate to reach the nine-win plateau.

The Washington offense hasn't exactly been the second coming of the 1927 Yankees, but there's little value in snagging E-Rod at -130 on the road. Stay away from the Red Sox left-hander Wednesday.

[StarDust Bum]

Pro Baseball Trend Report

PITTSBURGH (40 - 45) at LA DODGERS (46 - 39) - 8:10 PM

CLAY HOLMES (R) vs. RICH HILL (L)

Top Trends for this game.
PITTSBURGH is 15-38 (-21.4 Units) against the money line on the road when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 2 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 70-92 (-25.2 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 134-277 (-75.6 Units) against the money line in road games when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season since 1997.
LA DODGERS are 23-3 (+16.4 Units) against the money line in July games over the last 2 seasons.
LA DODGERS are 46-39 (-17.3 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
LA DODGERS are 25-23 (-17.5 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
LA DODGERS are 163-187 (-69.5 Units) against the money line when playing on Wednesday since 1997.
LA DODGERS are 28-27 (-15.8 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
LA DODGERS are 20-19 (-14.7 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
LA DODGERS is 4-1 (+3.1 Units) against PITTSBURGH this season
4 of 5 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+3.0 Units)

CLAY HOLMES vs. LA DODGERS since 1997
No recent starts.

RICH HILL vs. PITTSBURGH since 1997
HILL is 3-2 when starting against PITTSBURGH with an ERA of 3.25 and a WHIP of 1.030.
His team's record is 5-4 (-0.7 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 6-3. (+2.7 units)

SAN FRANCISCO (45 - 42) at COLORADO (43 - 43) - 8:10 PM

ANDREW SUAREZ (L) vs. TYLER ANDERSON (L)

Top Trends for this game.
SAN FRANCISCO is 20-34 (-13.8 Units) against the money line on the road when the money line is +125 to -125 over the last 2 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 45-83 (-28.8 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 18-42 (-19.8 Units) against the money line in road games against division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 31-58 (-21.4 Units) against the money line in road games in night games over the last 2 seasons.
COLORADO is 33-23 (+10.2 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
COLORADO is 51-46 (+15.2 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 45-42 (+9.3 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
COLORADO is 17-22 (-13.4 Units) against the money line in home games this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
COLORADO is 7-5 (+1.5 Units) against SAN FRANCISCO this season
6 of 11 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+0.6 Units)

ANDREW SUAREZ vs. COLORADO since 1997
SUAREZ is 0-0 when starting against COLORADO with an ERA of 5.40 and a WHIP of 1.200.
His team's record is 0-1 (-1.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-1. (-1.0 units)

TYLER ANDERSON vs. SAN FRANCISCO since 1997
ANDERSON is 0-2 when starting against SAN FRANCISCO with an ERA of 5.56 and a WHIP of 1.147.
His team's record is 0-4 (-4.7 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 2-2. (-0.6 units)

ST LOUIS (43 - 41) at ARIZONA (48 - 38) - 10:10 PM

MILES MIKOLAS (R) vs. PAT CORBIN (L)

Top Trends for this game.
ST LOUIS is 126-120 (-17.4 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
ST LOUIS is 23-26 (-10.3 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
ARIZONA is 48-38 (+8.5 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
ARIZONA is 35-23 (+11.0 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
ARIZONA is 84-57 (+23.2 Units) against the money line after a win over the last 2 seasons.
ST LOUIS is 455-411 (+53.0 Units) against the money line in road games after a loss since 1997.
ARIZONA is 248-247 (-62.1 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 8 to 8.5 since 1997.
ARIZONA is 626-575 (-80.3 Units) against the money line in home games against right-handed starters since 1997.
ARIZONA is 10-21 (-12.4 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
ARIZONA is 3-2 (+1.0 Units) against ST LOUIS this season
3 of 5 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+0.7 Units)

MILES MIKOLAS vs. ARIZONA since 1997
No recent starts.

PAT CORBIN vs. ST LOUIS since 1997
CORBIN is 1-1 when starting against ST LOUIS with an ERA of 4.50 and a WHIP of 1.333.
His team's record is 1-3 (-2.3 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-3. (-2.2 units)

LA ANGELS (43 - 43) at SEATTLE (55 - 31) - 4:10 PM

JAIME BARRIA (R) vs. MIKE LEAKE (R)

Top Trends for this game.
LA ANGELS are 43-43 (-7.9 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
LA ANGELS are 14-23 (-13.9 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 this season.
LA ANGELS are 13-28 (-14.7 Units) against the money line on the road when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 2 seasons.
LA ANGELS are 18-24 (-10.7 Units) against the money line after a loss this season.
LA ANGELS are 8-21 (-12.5 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
SEATTLE is 55-31 (+22.2 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
SEATTLE is 27-17 (+7.8 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 this season.
SEATTLE is 17-6 (+11.5 Units) against the money line at home when the money line is +125 to -125 this season.
SEATTLE is 29-14 (+12.5 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
SEATTLE is 39-19 (+21.8 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
SEATTLE is 34-21 (+10.8 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
LEAKE is 13-4 (+11.8 Units) against the money line in all games this season. (Team's Record)
LEAKE is 8-2 (+7.0 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 this season. (Team's Record)
LA ANGELS are 568-543 (+43.3 Units) against the money line in road games since 1997.
LA ANGELS are 196-165 (+42.2 Units) against the money line in road games in day games since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
SEATTLE is 5-2 (+3.1 Units) against LA ANGELS this season
4 of 6 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+1.8 Units)

JAIME BARRIA vs. SEATTLE since 1997
BARRIA is 0-1 when starting against SEATTLE with an ERA of 3.60 and a WHIP of 1.600.
His team's record is 0-1 (-1.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 0-1. (-1.1 units)

MIKE LEAKE vs. LA ANGELS since 1997
LEAKE is 3-1 when starting against LA ANGELS with an ERA of 2.49 and a WHIP of 1.224.
His team's record is 3-1 (+2.1 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-2. (+0.0 units)

HOUSTON (56 - 31) at TEXAS (38 - 48) - 7:05 PM

GERRIT COLE (R) vs. MIKE MINOR (L)

Top Trends for this game.
HOUSTON is 44-42 (-20.9 Units) against the money line against left-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
TEXAS is 211-202 (+23.4 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 3 seasons.
TEXAS is 157-138 (+32.0 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 3 seasons.
TEXAS is 89-89 (+25.0 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.
HOUSTON is 41-18 (+14.1 Units) against the money line as a road favorite of -125 to -175 over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 87-48 (+24.8 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 45-20 (+21.7 Units) against the money line when playing on Wednesday over the last 3 seasons.
HOUSTON is 19-3 (+14.9 Units) against the money line in road games against division opponents this season.
HOUSTON is 60-33 (+18.9 Units) against the money line in road games in night games over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 56-29 (+20.5 Units) against the money line in road games after a win over the last 2 seasons.
COLE is 23-6 (+14.4 Units) against the money line as a road favorite of -125 to -175 since 1997. (Team's Record)
TEXAS is 39-49 (-19.1 Units) against the money line in home games against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
HOUSTON is 11-4 (+1.1 Units) against TEXAS this season
10 of 15 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+4.4 Units)

GERRIT COLE vs. TEXAS since 1997
COLE is 3-0 when starting against TEXAS with an ERA of 1.33 and a WHIP of 0.741.
His team's record is 4-0 (+4.6 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-3. (-2.4 units)

MIKE MINOR vs. HOUSTON since 1997
MINOR is 0-2 when starting against HOUSTON with an ERA of 5.35 and a WHIP of 1.158.
His team's record is 2-4 (-1.2 units) in these starts. The OVER is 4-2. (+1.8 units)

CLEVELAND (47 - 37) at KANSAS CITY (25 - 60) - 8:15 PM

TREVOR BAUER (R) vs. TREVOR OAKS (R)

Top Trends for this game.
CLEVELAND is 47-37 (-6.9 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
CLEVELAND is 19-23 (-11.9 Units) against the money line in road games this season.
CLEVELAND is 25-24 (-9.5 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
CLEVELAND is 31-29 (-12.6 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
CLEVELAND is 71-29 (+32.8 Units) against the money line after 3 or more consecutive wins over the last 3 seasons.
KANSAS CITY is 25-60 (-24.7 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
KANSAS CITY is 9-29 (-19.4 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 this season.
KANSAS CITY is 11-31 (-20.2 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
KANSAS CITY is 8-24 (-16.0 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 9 to 9.5 this season.
KANSAS CITY is 13-37 (-18.3 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
KANSAS CITY is 12-44 (-28.5 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
KANSAS CITY is 8-23 (-14.5 Units) against the money line in home games after a loss this season.
KANSAS CITY is 2-14 (-12.0 Units) against the money line in home games after 3 or more consecutive losses this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
CLEVELAND is 6-2 (+1.3 Units) against KANSAS CITY this season
4 of 8 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=-0.3 Units, Under=-0.3 Units)

TREVOR BAUER vs. KANSAS CITY since 1997
BAUER is 2-4 when starting against KANSAS CITY with an ERA of 3.39 and a WHIP of 1.435.
His team's record is 6-6 (-3.8 units) in these starts. The OVER is 3-7. (-5.0 units)

TREVOR OAKS vs. CLEVELAND since 1997
No recent starts.

BOSTON (58 - 29) at WASHINGTON (42 - 42) - 11:05 AM

EDUARDO RODRIGUEZ (L) vs. ERICK FEDDE (R)

Top Trends for this game.
BOSTON is 58-29 (+16.4 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
BOSTON is 30-17 (+11.9 Units) against the money line in road games this season.
BOSTON is 22-5 (+15.0 Units) against the money line in an inter-league game over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 46-19 (+17.2 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
WASHINGTON is 42-42 (-16.5 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
WASHINGTON is 39-46 (-21.3 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 19-22 (-16.0 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
WASHINGTON is 15-17 (-11.6 Units) against the money line in day games this season.
WASHINGTON is 8-17 (-15.9 Units) against the money line against left-handed starters this season.
WASHINGTON is 19-22 (-10.4 Units) against the money line after a loss this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
BOSTON is 2-0 (+2.7 Units) against WASHINGTON this season
1 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=-0.2 Units, Under=-0.2 Units)

EDUARDO RODRIGUEZ vs. WASHINGTON since 1997
No recent starts.

ERICK FEDDE vs. BOSTON since 1997
No recent starts.

ATLANTA (49 - 35) at NY YANKEES (55 - 28) - 1:05 PM

JULIO TEHERAN (R) vs. C.C. SABATHIA (L)

Top Trends for this game.
NY YANKEES are 29-12 (+13.6 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
SABATHIA is 17-6 (+12.6 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
ATLANTA is 49-34 (+18.2 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
ATLANTA is 24-21 (+14.3 Units) against the money line as a road underdog of +125 to +175 over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 26-18 (+13.8 Units) against the money line in road games this season.
ATLANTA is 7-1 (+7.3 Units) against the money line on the road when the total is 9 to 9.5 this season.
ATLANTA is 17-12 (+13.8 Units) against the money line in road games in an inter-league game over the last 3 seasons.
ATLANTA is 19-9 (+12.9 Units) against the money line in day games this season.
ATLANTA is 18-13 (+12.3 Units) against the money line in road games against left-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 24-10 (+15.4 Units) against the money line after a loss this season.
ATLANTA is 28-14 (+20.3 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
ATLANTA is 23-25 (+16.8 Units) against the money line in road games when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season over the last 3 seasons.
TEHERAN is 16-8 (+12.3 Units) against the money line in day games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
TEHERAN is 12-7 (+9.3 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
SABATHIA is 18-25 (-19.2 Units) against the money line in home games in July games since 1997. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
ATLANTA is 1-1 (+0.8 Units) against NY YANKEES this season
1 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+0.0 Units)

JULIO TEHERAN vs. NY YANKEES since 1997
TEHERAN is 0-1 when starting against NY YANKEES with an ERA of 16.63 and a WHIP of 2.771.
His team's record is 0-1 (-1.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 0-1. (-1.2 units)

C.C. SABATHIA vs. ATLANTA since 1997
SABATHIA is 3-1 when starting against ATLANTA with an ERA of 3.31 and a WHIP of 1.225.
His team's record is 3-1 (+0.7 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-2. (-1.1 units)

TAMPA BAY (43 - 42) at MIAMI (35 - 52) - 1:10 PM
MATT ANDRIESE (R) vs. JOSE URENA (R)
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
MIAMI is 1-1 (+0.1 Units) against TAMPA BAY this season
1 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=-0.1 Units, Under=-0.1 Units)

MATT ANDRIESE vs. MIAMI since 1997
ANDRIESE is 1-0 when starting against MIAMI with an ERA of 2.08 and a WHIP of 1.308.
His team's record is 1-1 (-1.3 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-2. (-2.2 units)

JOSE URENA vs. TAMPA BAY since 1997
No recent starts.

DETROIT (38 - 49) at CHICAGO CUBS (48 - 35) - 2:20 PM

FRANCISCO LIRIANO (L) vs. JOSE QUINTANA (L)

Top Trends for this game.
DETROIT is 58-185 (-68.3 Units) against the money line as a road underdog of +175 to +250 since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 23-5 (+14.3 Units) against the money line in home games against left-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
DETROIT is 24-21 (+9.5 Units) against the money line in day games this season.
DETROIT is 13-9 (+9.4 Units) against the money line against left-handed starters this season.
CHICAGO CUBS are 1743-1797 (-268.1 Units) against the money line in all games since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 931-837 (-157.7 Units) against the money line in home games since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 63-53 (-19.5 Units) against the money line in day games over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO CUBS are 78-66 (-17.9 Units) against the money line after a win over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO CUBS are 124-110 (-35.5 Units) against the money line in home games after 3 or more consecutive wins since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 848-787 (-157.1 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
CHICAGO CUBS is 1-0 (+1.0 Units) against DETROIT this season
1 of 1 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+1.0 Units)

FRANCISCO LIRIANO vs. CHICAGO CUBS since 1997
LIRIANO is 5-4 when starting against CHICAGO CUBS with an ERA of 3.27 and a WHIP of 1.185.
His team's record is 8-6 (+0.7 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 8-6. (+1.0 units)

JOSE QUINTANA vs. DETROIT since 1997
QUINTANA is 5-5 when starting against DETROIT with an ERA of 4.37 and a WHIP of 1.401.
His team's record is 9-9 (+2.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 9-7. (+1.4 units)

BALTIMORE (24 - 60) at PHILADELPHIA (46 - 37) - 4:05 PM

YEFREY RAMIREZ (R) vs. AARON NOLA (R)
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
PHILADELPHIA is 2-0 (+2.0 Units) against BALTIMORE this season
2 of 2 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+2.0 Units)

YEFREY RAMIREZ vs. PHILADELPHIA since 1997
No recent starts.

AARON NOLA vs. BALTIMORE since 1997
No recent starts.

SAN DIEGO (37 - 50) at OAKLAND (47 - 39) - 4:05 PM

LUIS PERDOMO (R) vs. SEAN MANAEA (L)

Top Trends for this game.
OAKLAND is 47-39 (+8.8 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
OAKLAND is 69-56 (+13.8 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons.
OAKLAND is 56-41 (+16.7 Units) against the money line in day games over the last 2 seasons.
OAKLAND is 33-23 (+9.9 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
OAKLAND is 27-11 (+13.7 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
MANAEA is 13-4 (+8.5 Units) against the money line in day games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
SAN DIEGO is 108-126 (+18.4 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
OAKLAND is 3-0 (+3.3 Units) against SAN DIEGO this season
1 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=-0.1 Units, Under=-0.2 Units)

LUIS PERDOMO vs. OAKLAND since 1997
No recent starts.

SEAN MANAEA vs. SAN DIEGO since 1997
No recent starts.

MINNESOTA (35 - 47) at MILWAUKEE (50 - 35) - 4:10 PM

JOSE BERRIOS (R) vs. CHASE ANDERSON (R)

Top Trends for this game.
MINNESOTA is 35-47 (-13.2 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
MILWAUKEE is 50-35 (+13.8 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
MILWAUKEE is 52-43 (+12.4 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 2 seasons.
MILWAUKEE is 35-25 (+12.5 Units) against the money line when playing on Wednesday over the last 3 seasons.
MILWAUKEE is 42-26 (+16.6 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
MINNESOTA is 47-42 (+13.3 Units) against the money line in road games against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
MILWAUKEE is 4-1 (+3.4 Units) against MINNESOTA this season
3 of 5 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+0.8 Units)

JOSE BERRIOS vs. MILWAUKEE since 1997
No recent starts.

CHASE ANDERSON vs. MINNESOTA since 1997
ANDERSON is 0-1 when starting against MINNESOTA with an ERA of 7.20 and a WHIP of 2.200.
His team's record is 0-1 (-1.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 0-1. (-1.1 units)

NY METS (33 - 49) at TORONTO (40 - 45) - 7:05 PM

COREY OSWALT (R) vs. MARCUS STROMAN (R)

Top Trends for this game.
NY METS are 32-49 (-19.1 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
NY METS are 0-17 (-17.0 Units) against the money line as a road underdog of +175 to +250 over the last 3 seasons.
NY METS are 22-33 (-12.0 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
NY METS are 23-35 (-13.4 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
NY METS are 17-30 (-14.2 Units) against the money line after a loss this season.
TORONTO is 19-26 (-11.1 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 this season.
TORONTO is 67-83 (-22.6 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
TORONTO is 48-67 (-24.0 Units) against the money line after a win over the last 2 seasons.
STROMAN is 11-16 (-14.2 Units) against the money line in home games in night games over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
TORONTO is 2-1 (+1.0 Units) against NY METS this season
3 of 3 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+3.1 Units)

COREY OSWALT vs. TORONTO since 1997
No recent starts.

MARCUS STROMAN vs. NY METS since 1997
No recent starts.

CHI WHITE SOX (30 - 55) at CINCINNATI (37 - 49) - 7:10 PM

DYLAN COVEY (R) vs. SAL ROMANO (R)

Top Trends for this game.
CHI WHITE SOX are 412-426 (+30.2 Units) against the money line in road games after a win since 1997.
CINCINNATI is 5-16 (-12.4 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 10 to 10.5 over the last 3 seasons.
CINCINNATI is 410-374 (-84.3 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a losing record since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
CHI WHITE SOX is 1-1 (+1.1 Units) against CINCINNATI this season
1 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+0.0 Units)

DYLAN COVEY vs. CINCINNATI since 1997
No recent starts.

SAL ROMANO vs. CHI WHITE SOX since 1997
No recent starts.

[StarDust Bum]

WEDNESDAY, JULY 4

GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

BOS at WAS 11:05 AM

BOS -130

O 9.0

[StarDust Bum]

ATL at NYY 01:05 PM
NYY -209
U 9.5

TB at MIA 01:10 PM
TB -109
O 7.5

DET at CHC 02:20 PM
DET +210
U 9.0

BAL at PHI 04:05 PM
PHI -215
U 8.5

SD at OAK 04:05 PM
OAK -158
O 8.5

MIN at MIL 04:10 PM
MIL -102
O 8.5

LAA at SEA 04:10 PM
SEA -107
O 8.5

HOU at TEX 07:05 PM
HOU -173
O 9.5

NYM at TOR 07:07 PM
NYM +149
O 9.0

CHW at CIN 07:10 PM
CHW +158
O 10.0

SF at COL 08:10 PM
SF +103
O 10.5

PIT at LAD 08:10 PM
LAD -190
O 8.0

CLE at KC 08:15 PM
KC +210
O 9.5

STL at ARI 10:10 PM
STL +131
U 8.0

[StarDust Bum]

BoSox sweep slumping Nats with 3-0 win
July 4, 2018

WASHINGTON (AP) Jackie Bradley Jr. drove in two runs, Eduardo Rodriguez struck out six in six innings and the Boston Red Sox beat the Washington Nationals 3-0 on Wednesday to complete a three-game sweep.

Rodriguez (10-3) allowed three hits and walked one. Craig Kimbrel worked the ninth for his 26th save in 28 chances, finishing a six-hitter.

The Nationals (42-43) have lost five in a row to fall below .500 this late in the season for the first time since being 60-61 on Aug. 21, 2015. The preseason NL East favorites held a players-only meeting after the game.

A throwing error by Adam Eaton on Bradley's sacrifice fly and a wild pitch by Ryan Madson (2-4) in the seventh inning contributed to Washington's 17th loss in 22 games.

Nationals starter Erick Fedde left one batter into the second inning with right shoulder stiffness. Manager Davey Martinez said Fedde was scheduled to have an MRI.

YANKEES 6, BRAVES 2

NEW YORK (AP) - Giancarlo Stanton hit a three-run homer and CC Sabathia pitched six effective innings, leading the Yankees to the victory.

Yankees rookie second baseman Gleyber Torres left in the fifth inning because of tightness in his right hip and was placed on the 10-day disabled list with a right hip strain.

Aaron Judge and Kyle Higashioka also homered for New York. Higashioka became the ninth player since 1920 whose first three hits were home runs.

Sabathia (6-3) yielded two runs and five hits.

Atlanta starter Julio Teheran (6-6) lasted just five innings, allowing five runs and five hits. He struck out 10 and walked four.

ASTROS 5, RANGERS 4, 10 INNINGS

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) - Evan Gattis drove in Jose Altuve with a sacrifice fly in the 10th inning, sending AL West-leading Houston to the road win.

Altuve stopped a 0-for-13 slide with a one-out single in the 10th. Chris Martin (1-2) then hit Yuli Gurriel with a pitch before an errant pickoff throw allowed both runners to move up. Gattis followed with a fly ball to right-center.

Gurriel homered, doubled and scored twice as the Astros overcame an early four-run deficit. Collin McHugh (4-0) pitched three scoreless innings, and Ken Giles got three outs for his 12th save.

Texas' Shin-Soo Choo homered and singled to extend his on-base streak to 44 games, the longest in his career and in the majors this season.

DODGERS 6, PIRATES 4

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Rich Hill earned his first win in three months, Yasmani Grandal and Chris Taylor drove in three runs apiece, and the Dodgers swept the Pirates for the second straight year.

The Dodgers outscored the Pirates 31-8 in the three-game series while winning their fourth in a row overall.

Hill (2-3) allowed two runs in five innings for his first victory since April 1. Kenley Jansen earned a five-out save, his 23rd of the season.

Gregory Polanco hit a two-run homer for Pittsburgh. Clay Holmes (0-1) was charged with four runs in 2 1/3 innings in his first major league start.

CUBS 5, TIGERS 2

CHICAGO (AP) - Javier Baez stole home, Willson Contreras hit a tiebreaking homer and the Cubs earned their sixth straight victory.

Conditions at Wrigley Field favored the long ball, with a game-time temperature of 92 degrees, a heat index of 102 and the wind blowing out.

David Bote also connected for Chicago. Jose Quintana (7-6) pitched six effective innings in his first win since May 31, and Brandon Morrow got three outs for his 19th save.

Nicholas Castellanos and John Hicks went deep for Detroit, which has dropped 13 of 15. Francisco Liriano (3-5) permitted three runs in six innings.

ATHLETICS 4, PADRES 2

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) - Stephen Piscotty doubled three times and drove in three runs, powering Oakland to the win.

Khris Davis added an RBI single for the A's, who have won 14 of 17 to move a season-high nine games over .500.

Lou Trivino (7-1) retired two batters for the win. Blake Treinen pitched the ninth for his 22nd save.

Christian Villanueva hit his 17th home run for San Diego. Jose Castillo (1-2) got the loss.

PHILLIES 4, ORIOLES 1

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Aaron Nola stuck out nine in seven innings, Nick Williams hit a two-run homer and the Phillies beat the Orioles to sweep a two-game interleague series.

Nola (11-2) gave up one run and seven hits to win his fifth straight decision. Victor Arano tossed two innings for his first career save.

Philadelphia pulled within 1 1/2 games of NL East-leading Atlanta and improved 10 games over .500 for the first time since finishing the 2011 season with a franchise-record 102 wins.

Orioles right-hander Yefry Ramirez (0-2) gave up two runs - one earned - and one hit in five innings.

METS 6, BLUE JAYS 2

TORONTO (AP) - Todd Frazier hit a two-run homer for the Mets, and Brandon Nimmo reached base three times.

Frazier gave the Mets the lead with a drive to center field off Marcus Stroman (1-6) in a five-run fifth inning.

Seth Lugo (3-3) pitched three innings for the win. Jeurys Familia earned his 16th save in 20 opportunities.

Wilmer Flores had two hits for the Mets, who had lost 11 of 13.

Kendrys Morales homered for Toronto. Stroman was tagged for six runs and six hits in 4 2/3 innings.

BREWERS 3, TWINS 2

MILWAUKEE (AP) - Nate Orf hit a solo homer in Milwaukee's two-run seventh after going hitless in his first seven major league at-bats.

Brad Miller homered to right-center off Jose Berrios (8-7) to lead off the bottom of the seventh for the Brewers. Two batters later, Orf sent a 2-2 curveball down the left-field line for a two-run lead.

Jeremy Jeffress (6-1) picked up the win despite allowing inherited runner Brian Dozier to score from third on Jorge Polanco's bloop single to left for a 1-all tie in the top of the seventh.

Corey Knebel worked a rocky ninth for his 10th save. Eduardo Escobar hit his 13th homer and Jorge Polanco singled with two out, but Max Kepler flied to left to end the game.

Knebel was helped by a sparkling defensive play from Keon Broxton. The center fielder ran full speed back to the wall and jumped with an outstretched glove to rob Dozier of a homer for the second out.

ANGELS 7, MARINERS 4

SEATTLE (AP) - Kole Calhoun hit a two-run homer, helping the Angels snap the Mariners' eight-game winning streak.

Calhoun had three hits and three RBIs. Garrett Richards (5-4) got the win in his return from the disabled list, allowing three runs in 5 1/3 innings.

Kyle Seager and Ryon Healy homered for Seattle. Mike Leake (8-5) surrendered four runs and nine hits in four-plus innings.

Blake Parker pitched out of trouble in the ninth for his 10th save.

ROCKIES 1, GIANTS 0

DENVER (AP) - Chris Iannetta homered in the seventh, Tyler Anderson pitched eight stellar innings and the Rockies beat the Giants for the three-game series sweep.

It was the first 1-0 game at Coors Field since June 12, 2010.

Anderson (6-3) tied a season high with nine strikeouts. Wade Davis worked a shaky ninth for his 25th save.

Andrew Suarez (3-5) pitched seven crisp innings, but San Francisco managed just three hits.

The game lasted just 2 hours, 15 minutes - the shortest at Coors this season.

INDIANS 3, ROYALS 2

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - Trevor Bauer pitched effectively into the eighth inning, and Cleveland finished a three-game sweep.

Michael Brantley had an early RBI double and the Indians scored all their runs in the first three innings on only one hit. Bauer (8-6) struck out eight in 7 2/3 innings.

The plummeting Royals have lost six straight and 18 of 21. Trevor Oaks (0-2), recalled from Triple-A Omaha to take Ian Kennedy's spot in the rotation, allowed three runs in four innings.

Cody Allen worked the ninth for his 18th save in 19 chances.

REDS 7, WHITE SOX 4

CINCINNATI (AP) - Starting pitcher Sal Romano dropped down a suicide squeeze during Cincinnati's six-run fourth inning.

Jesse Winker and Jose Peraza each had a two-run single during the big rally, and Scooter Gennett also singled in a run. The Reds overcame Daniel Palka's third home run in two games to win the three-game series and complete a 4-3 homestand.

Yoan Moncada added a two-run homer for the White Sox, who have dropped five of seven. Dylan Covey (3-4) lasted just 3 2/3 innings.

Romano (5-8) was charged with four runs in five innings. Jared Hughes got five outs for his sixth save.

MARLINS 3, RAYS 0

MIAMI (AP) - Jose Urena and three relievers combined on a four-hitter, and Miami shook off the hangover from a 16-inning loss.

J.T. Riddle singled, tripled and homered.

The teams took the field barely 12 hours after the Rays won a 5 1/2-hour marathon.

Urena struck out six in five innings. Drew Rucinski (4-1) pitched two innings for his second win in the series. Brad Ziegler pitched around a walk in the ninth to earn his 10th save.

After using nine pitchers Tuesday, the Rays called up right-handers Andrew Kittredge and Ryan Weber from Triple-A Durham as reinforcements. Weber (0-1) allowed two runs in five innings and was optioned after the game back to Durham.

[StarDust Bum]

SCHEDULE FOR THURSDAY JULY 5, 2018
Time (ET) Away Home Site
7:05 PM Miami Marlins Washington Nationals Nationals Park
7:10 PM Texas Rangers Detroit Tigers Comerica Park
8:10 PM Atlanta Braves Milwaukee Brewers Miller Park
8:10 PM Baltimore Orioles Minnesota Twins Target Field
8:10 PM Chicago White Sox Houston Astros Minute Maid Park
9:40 PM San Diego Padres Arizona Diamondbacks Chase Field
10:10 PM Los Angeles Angels Seattle Mariners Safeco Field
10:15 PM St. Louis Cardinals San Francisco Giants AT&T Park


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MLB JUNE'S OVERALL PICKS.

Date w-l-t % units record ( overall picks )

TOTALS..........362 -323.....52.84%.....+86.10

June's mlb best bets ( dogs and totals only )

TOTALS................55 - 95.............- 76.50...............182 - 147........+81.00..............+4.50


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JULY'S MLB OVERALL PICKS:

DATE W-L-T % UNITS RECORD

07/04/2018 15-14-1 51.72% +4.20
07/03/2018 14-13-1 51.85% +4.80
07/02/2018 11-7-0 61.11% +25.35
07/01/2018 3-7-0 30.00% -23.50

TOTALS............43 - 41......51.19%......+10.85


DATE............................ATS............... ...UNITS.....................O/U......................UNITS.............TOTAL

07/04/2018...................2 - 4.................-6.00.....................6 - 9.....................-19.50.............-25.50
07/03/2018...................2 - 5.................-36.20...................6 - 7......................-8.50..............-44.70
07/02/2018...................3 - 1................+18.75...................5 - 4.....................+3.00.............+21.75
07/01/2018...................3 - 6.................-17.00...................6 - 9......................-19.50............-31.65

TOTALS.......................10 - 14...............-40.45...................23-29....................-44.50.............-80.10

[StarDust Bum]

LEADING OFF: Nationals, Verlander look to end skids
July 5, 2018

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

MIDSUMMER SKID

The Nationals open a series against Miami hoping to end a five-game skid and get back to .500. Washington fell to 42-43 with a loss to Boston on Wednesday, the first time the preseason NL East favorites have been under .500 this late in the year since being 60-61 on Aug. 21, 2015. The Nationals held a players' only meeting after a 3-0 loss to the Red Sox highlighted by Adam Eaton's throwing error and a wild pitch from Ryan Madson. Jeremy Hellickson (2-1, 2.63) makes his second start since returning from the DL, while Marlins righty Pablo Lopez (1-0, 3.00) makes his second MLB start.

NOT VERY VERLANDER

Justin Verlander (9-4, 2.12) tries to stop a personal slide when the Astros open a series against the White Sox. Verlander has allowed nine runs in 11 2/3 innings over his past two starts, taking losses to Toronto (four runs) and Tampa Bay (five runs). Verlander hasn't allowed four or more earned runs in three straight starts since June 2014 while with Detroit. Carlos Rodon (1-3, 4.55) is up for Chicago.

CUETO'S BACK

Johnny Cueto is expected to be reinstated from the disabled list and pitch when the Giants open a four-game series against the Cardinals. Cueto was placed on the disabled list May 1 with inflammation in his right elbow. A few days later, he visited Dr. James Andrews, who diagnosed him with a strained elbow. Cueto is 3-0 with a 0.84 ERA in five starts this season. The Giants are 41-21 in his starts since he joined the team in 2016.

PITCHING IN

Angels rookie Jaime Barria will start against AL West-leading Seattle in place of Tyler Skaggs a day after the left-hander went on the DL with a thigh strain. Barria is making his 12th start of the season and has given up two earned runs or fewer in four of his last five starts. Lefty Marco Gonzales (8-5, 3.77) makes his first start since pitching the first complete game of his career in a 4-1 win over Kansas City.

DOUBLE TROUBLE

Joe Mauer needs one double to give him 415 in his career, which would break a tie with Hall of Famer Kirby Puckett for the Twins' franchise record. Minnesota has lost six straight and returns home from a 1-8 trip to play Baltimore, which has the worst record in the majors at 24-61. More good news for the scuffling Twins: Two-time All-Star Ervin Santana (right middle finger surgery) is scheduled to make his next rehab appearance for Class A Fort Myers.

[StarDust Bum]

Thursday’s 6-pack

— Texas OF Shin-Soo Choo has now reached base in 44 straight games; the record is 84.

— Astros 5, Rangers 4— Houston beats Texas for the 8th time in a row.

— Rockies 1, Giants 0— Chris Iannetta’s homer was the only run in this game.

— Brewers 3, Twins 2— Nate Orf’s first major league hit was a homer.

— Reds 7, White Sox 4— Cincinnati won 16 of its last 22 games.

— Mets are 13-23 (.361) this season when their pitcher has a quality start, which would be worst record by any such team since 1916.

Tweet of the Day
“I would rather not win than be on a super team. It doesn’t matter what option you are. Sports are about competition. It’s about competition. Like, I admire Patrick Ewing for trying to bring a championship to New York. I admire Reggie Miller for trying to bring a championship. I admire Michael Jordan for not leaving when they got beat by the Pistons every year. He didn’t pack up and say, ‘Let me play with Magic [Johnson] or [Larry] Bird.’
Charles Barkley

Thursday’s quiz
What two teams did Cleveland Indians play last two times they were in the World Series?

Wednesday’s quiz
New York Mets have used Polo Grounds, Shea Stadium and Citi Field as a home field.

Tuesday’s quiz
Mark Jackson was coach of the Warriors before Steve Kerr.

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Thursday’s List of 13: Doing some thinking out loud……

13) Bad news on the rumor mill for the NBA’s Minnesota Timberwolves; star Jimmy Butler apparently has no intention of signing an extension with Minnesota- he is not very happy with “…..the nonchalant attitude of his younger teammates.” Uh-oh.

12) Tuesday night, Rays beat Miami 9-6 in 16 innings. Tampa Bay TV guy Dewayne Staats called it the strangest baseball game he’d ever seen. Here are some highlights:

— As they often do, Tampa Bay started a relief pitcher; he threw three innings, then eight other relievers plus their backup catcher pitched in the game.
— Leading 9-3 in the 16th, Rays put backup catcher Jesus Sucre in to pitch; he faced four batters, got one of them out, before Alvarado came in and got his third save when things almost dicey.
— Rays’ reliever Vidal Nuno had two hits and also got the win, but he pulled a hamstring in the 16th inning and went on the DL, which is why Sucre was put in to pitch. The two hits were his first since 2015.
— Wilson Ramos caught all 16 innings for Tampa Bay; he didn’t play in Wednesday’s game.
— Tampa Bay had 20 hits but hit into four double plays.
— Total of 510 pitches were thrown; game took 5:31 to play in front of an announced crowd of 6,259.

11) No idea how this was established, but the Phoenix Suns are 8-1 favorites to win the Las Vegas Summer League, which starts Friday at UNLV. Charlotte/Sacramento are both 10-1. Denver and Minnesota are the longshots, at 50-1.

10) Guy named Richard Henry Lee was the original draftee of the Declaration of Independence, but when his wife got sick, he stopped writing it and Thomas Jefferson took over.

Jefferson and John Adams both passed away on July 4, 1826, fifty years to the day after the Declaration was signed.

9) Houston Astros are little thin behind plate right now; Brian McCann is done for a while after he had knee surgery. Backup Max Stassi got hit on the wrist by a pitch, was out Wednesday but is expected back Thursday.

Astros brought Tim Federowicz up from AAA to catch; in a pinch, Evan Gattis could also catch- he’s appeared behind the plate in two games this season.

8) Some genius climbed onto the Statue of Liberty Wednesday; seven other protestors were arrested on Liberty Island. Not only could the person get killed/maimed, now they’re going to spend some time in jail. Go have some hot dogs and a few drinks. Whats the point?

7) Georgia Bulldogs’ QB Jake Fromm broke his left (non-throwing) hand in a lake accident, but is expected to be fine for the start of the Dawgs’ season.

6) Michigan QB Shea Patterson, who played the last couple years at Ole Miss, signed a 2019 contract to play baseball in the Texas Rangers organization after he exhausts his football eligibility at Michigan.

If Patterson plays real well for Michigan this fall, he’d have a shot at an NFL roster, which makes the baseball thing a curious decision, seeing how Texas drafted him in the 39th round.

5) Bronx Bombers put 2B Gleyber Torres (hip) on the DL.

4) Pretty big rule change in college football this fall: Players will be able to fair catch a kickoff inside the 25-yard line and have it result in a touchback, with the ball placed on the 25-yard line.

Last year, 47.2% of kickoffs weren’t returnable, meaning they were touchbacks, kicks out of bounds or onside kicks. Rules makers are trying to greatly reduce the number of kickoffs without totally taking it out of the game.

3) Last two years, Ivy League experimented with kicking off at the 40-yard line instead of the 35: in 2016, 44.1% of kickoffs were touchbacks, and in 2017, 36.1%. In 2015, before the rule was put in, only 12.4% of Ivy kickoffs were touchbacks.

2) Oakland A’s are the only team in major leagues that has not had a single international free agent signed and developed by that team appear in a major league game this season. They only had one (Renato Nunez) last year.

1) Joey Chestnut ate 74 hot dogs (and rolls) to win the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest on Coney Island in Brooklyn. 74 hot dogs in 10 minutes; I had three the other night and that was more than enough for a while, but I also had macaroni salad with it.

Hot dog contest was more fun when Kobiyashi was involved; he gave Joey Chestnut a run for his money. Competition makes all sports better, even competitive eating.

[StarDust Bum]

Thursday’s games

National League

Marlins (36-52) @ Nationals (42-43)
Lopez allowed two runs in six IP (97 PT) in his first MLB start. Team in his starts: 1-0 (under 1-0)
5-inning record: 0-1. Allowed run in 1st inning: 1-1

Hellickson is 1-1, 3.54 in his last five starts (under 8-2). Team in his starts: 6-4.
5-inning record: 5-3-2. Allowed run in 1st inning: 3-10

Marlins won four of their last six games; they’re 8-1 in last nine series openers. Over is 6-1 in their last seven road games. Washington lost eight of its last nine games; they’re 7-7 in home series openers. Under is 6-2 in their last eight games.

Braves (49-36) @ Brewers (51-35)
Fried is 1-0, 1.54 in his two starts (over 1-1). Team in his starts: 2-0.
5-inning record: 1-1. Allowed run in 1st inning: 1-2

Chacin is 0-2, 5.74 in his last three starts; under is 10-5 in his last 15. Team in his starts: 12-6.
5-inning record: 8-6-4. Allowed run in 1st inning: 3-18

Braves won four of its last six games; they’re 9-7 in road series openers. Over is 9-4-1 in their last 14 road games. Milwaukee won five of its last seven games; they’re 6-2 in last eight home series openers. Over is 6-2 in their last eight games.

Padres (37-51) @ Diamondbacks (48-39)
Lauer is 3.97 in his last four starts; under is 4-1 in his last five. Team in his starts: 3-10
5-inning record: 4-6-2. Allowed run in 1st inning: 4-13

Miller ais 0-2, 11.42 in two starts this year (under 2-0). Team in his starts: 0-2
5-inning record: 0-2. Allowed run in 1st inning: 1-2

Padres are 3-12 in their last 15 games, 1-19 in last 20 series openers. Under is 7-2-1 in their last 10 road games. Arizona lost five of its last six games; they’re 8-6 in home series openers. Under is 8-3-1 in their last dozen games.

Cardinals (44-41) @ Giants (45-43)
Weaver is 1-2, 7.84 in his last four starts; over is 4-1 in his last five. Team in his starts: 8-9
5-inning record: 8-8-1. Allowed run in 1st inning: 5-17

Cueto is making his first start since April 28; he is 3-0, 0.84 in five starts this year (under 3-2). Team in his starts: 4-1
5-inning record: 3-0-2. Allowed run in 1st inning: 1-5

Cardinals lost five of their last seven games; they’re 6-7 in road series openers. Four of their last five games went over. Giants lost their last three games; under is 8-2 in their last ten games. SF is 9-4 in home series openers.

American League

Rangers (38-49) @ Tigers (38-50)
Gallardo is 2-0, 6.11 in three starts (over 3-0). Team in his starts: 3-0
5-inning record: 2-1. Allowed run in 1st inning: 2-3

Boyd is 0-2, 8.00 in his last four starts; under is 8-4 in his last 12. Team in his starts: 8-8.
5-inning record: 4-9-3. Allowed run in 1st inning: 5-16

Rangers lost its last three games; they’re 4-9 in road series openers. Under is 9-3 in their last dozen road games. Detroit lost 13 of its last 15 games; they’re 8-6 in home series openers. Under is 8-2 in their last ten games.

White Sox (30-56) @ Astros (57-31)
Rodon is 1-2, 5.03 in his last three starts (over 2-2-1). Team in his starts: 1-4
5-inning record: 1-3-1. Allowed run in 1st inning: 2-5

Verlander is 0-2, 4.91 in his last three starts; over is 4-2 in his last six. Team in his starts: 10-8
5-inning record: 11-3-4. Allowed run in 1st inning: 4-18

White Sox lost five of their last seven games; they’re 3-12 in road series openers. Over is 6-1 in their last seven road games. Houston won four of its last five home games; they’re 7-7 in home series openers. Last six Astro games stayed under.

Orioles (24-61) @ Twins (35-48)
Cashner is 0-0, 2.25 in his last three starts; his last nine starts stayed under. Team in his starts: 4-12
5-inning record: 5-9-2. Allowed run in 1st inning: 4-16

Slegers is making his first ’18 start; he is 0-1, 5.66 in five MLB games (3 starts). He is 5-6, 3.55 in 14 AAA starts this season. Team in his starts: 13-4.
5-inning record: 8-4-5. Allowed run in 1st inning: 2-17

Orioles lost nine of their last ten games; they’re 5-9 in road series openers. Five of their last six games stayed under. Minnesota is 2-11 in its last 13 games, 6-8 in home series openers. Four of their last six games went over.

Angels (44-43) @ Mariners (55-32)
Skaggs is 3-1, 1.69 in his last five starts (under 4-1). Team in his starts: 9-7
5-inning record: 8-6-2. Allowed run in 1st inning: 4-16

Gonzales is 1-2, 5.06 in his last three starts; under is 8-1-1 in his last ten. Team in his starts: 11-6.
5-inning record: 10-6-1. Allowed run in 1st inning: 2-17

Angels lost eight of their last 11 games; under is 4-2 in their last six games. Seattle won eight of its last nine games; under is 7-3 in their last ten games.

______________________________

Teams’ records in first five innings:
Team (road-home-total)- thru 7/4
Ariz 22-15-5……20-16-8……..42-31
Atl 21-17-7…..18-14-8………39-31
Cubs 16-19-9……20-13-7…….36-32
Reds 11-25-4……18-24-4….…29-49
Colo 25-13-11……22-14-4……47-28
LA 16-16-5…….25-17-9……41-33
Miami 16-23-4…..17-19-…….33-42
Milw 18-16-8…..23-17-4…….41-33
Mets 19-23-2……16-16-9…..35-37
Philly 15-15-8…..24-14-7……39-29
Pitt 18-20-6……15-15-11……..33-35
StL 20-16-4……19-22-4………39-38
SD 15-22-9……16-21-4…….31-42
SF 21-19-10…..14-17-7………35-36
Wash 19-15-9..…17-19-6………36-34

Orioles 12-23-9…….13-24-5……25-47
Boston 24-16-9……21-13-5……..45-29
White Sox 13-27-4….12-24-7….25-51
Indians 20-17-8……27-9-5……47-26
Detroit 16-20-8……18-19-10.……34-39
Astros 22-14-11……20-13-9…….42-26
KC 12-23-8…….15-23-6…..27-46
Angels 23-18-5……16-17-8……39-35
Twins 16-21-8……16-19-6…..32-40
NYY 19-13-6……27-13-7…….46-25
A’s 15-19-8……14-21-10……29-40
Seattle 25-15-6……21-14-9……46-29
TB 19-17-10……20-14-6……39-30
Texas 15-20-5…..14-27-6…….29-47
Toronto 11-21-8……15-21-11……26-42

%age of times teams score in first inning (road/home/total- 7/4)
Ariz 17-41…….15-43…..….32
Atl 13-44……15-41………28
Cubs 8-44……..17-42………25
Reds 9-39……..11-45………20
Colo 17-47…….19-40..…….36
LA 13-37……..19-48..…..32
Miami 11-43……..12-46…….23
Milw 14-43…..…14-43……..28
Mets 17-42……..12-39…….29
Philly 9-39……..15-46…..…24
Pitt 11-44……..11-42……..22
StL 14-39……..11-44…….25
SD 10-46……..8-42………18
SF 10-46………16-40…..26
Wash 17-45……..11-42……..28

Orioles 14-45……..14-42………28
Boston 13-49……16-40………28
White Sox 13-44……12-43…….25
Clev 13-47…….14-40….…27
Detroit 14-43……..14-46….…28
Astros 13-45…..…10-41………23
KC 11-43..…….12-43……..23
Angels 13-45…..….10-40…….23
Twins 12-45………9-46……..21
NYY 7-37……..18-46……….25
A’s 8-43…..…..11-44………19
Seattle 15-44………14-44……..29
TB 15-46..……13-40……..28
Texas 6-40…….…10-46……16
Toronto 8-42………11-46….…19

Interleague play- 2018
NL @ AL– 41-40 NL, favorites +$485
AL @ NL– 44-35 NL, favorites -$864
Total: 85-75 NL, favorites -$381

[StarDust Bum]

AMERICAN - EAST
Team Win Loss Percent GB Home Away Last 10 Streak
Boston Red Sox 59 29 .670 0 28-12 31-17 8-2 W-3
New York Yankees 56 28 .667 1 33-13 23-15 6-4 W-2
Tampa Bay Rays 43 43 .500 15 23-17 20-26 7-3 L-1
Toronto Blue Jays 40 46 .465 18 23-23 17-23 5-5 L-1
Baltimore Orioles 24 61 .282 33 12-29 12-32 1-9 L-2

AMERICAN - CENTRAL
Team Win Loss Percent GB Home Away Last 10 Streak
Cleveland Indians 48 37 .565 0 27-13 21-24 6-4 W-4
Detroit Tigers 38 50 .432 11 23-21 15-29 2-8 L-2
Minnesota Twins 35 48 .422 12 20-20 15-28 2-8 L-6
Chicago White Sox 30 56 .349 18 16-27 14-29 5-5 L-1
Kansas City Royals 25 61 .291 23 11-32 14-29 2-8 L-6

AMERICAN - WEST
Team Win Loss Percent GB Home Away Last 10 Streak
Houston Astros 57 31 .648 0 25-17 32-14 6-4 W-2
Seattle Mariners 55 32 .632 1 29-15 26-17 8-2 L-1
Oakland Athletics 48 39 .552 8 24-21 24-18 8-2 W-2
Los Angeles Angels 44 43 .506 12 20-21 24-22 3-7 W-1
Texas Rangers 38 49 .437 18 19-28 19-21 5-5 L-3

NATIONAL - EAST
Team Win Loss Percent GB Home Away Last 10 Streak
Atlanta Braves 49 36 .576 0 23-17 26-19 6-4 L-2
Philadelphia Phillies 47 37 .560 1 30-16 17-21 6-4 W-4
Washington Nationals 42 43 .494 7 19-23 23-20 2-8 L-5
New York Mets 34 49 .410 14 14-26 20-23 3-7 W-1
Miami Marlins 36 52 .409 14 19-26 17-26 5-5 W-1

NATIONAL - CENTRAL
Team Win Loss Percent GB Home Away Last 10 Streak
Milwaukee Brewers 51 35 .593 0 27-17 24-18 6-4 W-3
Chicago Cubs 49 35 .583 1 26-14 23-21 7-3 W-6
St. Louis Cardinals 43 41 .512 7 23-22 20-19 5-5 L-1
Pittsburgh Pirates 40 46 .465 11 21-21 19-25 4-6 L-3
Cincinnati Reds 38 49 .437 13 21-26 17-23 6-4 W-1

NATIONAL - WEST
Team Win Loss Percent GB Home Away Last 10 Streak
Arizona Diamondbacks 48 38 .558 0 24-20 24-18 5-5 W-1
Los Angeles Dodgers 47 39 .547 1 26-23 21-16 6-4 W-4
San Francisco Giants 45 43 .511 4 26-14 19-29 6-4 L-3
Colorado Rockies 44 43 .506 4 18-22 26-21 6-4 W-3
San Diego Padres 37 51 .420 12 19-25 18-26 2-8 L-3

[StarDust Bum]

House edge? WNBA coming up Aces with team in Las Vegas
July 5, 2018

Gamble in any casino in Las Vegas and the house always has an edge. So why should the new WNBA team in Sin City be any different?

No, we're not talking about the so-called ''Vegas Flu'' that afflicted some hockey teams that came to play the Golden Knights during the just-completed NHL season.

The Aces have the advantage of a scheduling anomaly this season that gives them six home games when their opponent is finishing off a back-to-back. That's over a third of Las Vegas' home contests this year. The next closest team is Washington with three such games. Five teams don't even have one home game like that.

The WNBA downplayed the oddity.

''The determination of the regular-season schedule is complex, involving many factors, including scheduling requirements, arena availability, broadcast windows, production assets, competitive balance, travel and rest and recuperation for our teams and players,'' the league said through a spokesman.

The scheduling advantage hasn't really paid off so far for the team that moved to Nevada from San Antonio this past winter, as the Aces are 1-2 in such games so far. Aces players weren't aware of the specific scheduling quirk, but noted that they try to take advantage of teams that are playing back-to-backs games.

''I do think it's something you're conscious of,'' guard Kelsey Plum said. ''I think it is an emphasis to run, but we try to run in general. We try to play with the fastest pace in the league.''

Despite a 6-12 record, the Aces have been leaving a solid impression on their fans and opponents this year as owner MGM has gone all-in with the team.

From signage all around Las Vegas featuring the team, a giant Aces jersey on the Statue of Liberty in front of the New York, New York casino, and top-of-the-line accommodations for the players, Las Vegas is making the WNBA feel very welcome. MGM spent over $10 million on the Mandalay Bay Arena to make it WNBA-ready, adding a state-of-the-art video board and making sure nearly every seat has a great view of the court.

''We're going to do it right. With a WNBA team, it's not about core economics for us, it's about visitation,'' President of MGM Resorts International Bill Hornbuckle told The Associated Press. ''It's about getting the community behind us and showing once again that Las Vegas will support sports teams.''

Hornbuckle said the WNBA has been a great partner. Whether this new relationship will lead to an NBA team joining Las Vegas soon, Hornbuckle said that it's not immediately in the cards, but MGM has a ''tight relationship'' with WNBA President Lisa Borders and NBA Commissioner Adam Silver.

''Only time will tell where that goes,'' Hornbuckle said. ''We're not in a hurry to get an NBA team. We thought it was important to show that when we get into something we go all in.''

The new franchise has been getting rave reviews from the league and its players.

''Everything they've done so far has been incredible,'' Borders told the AP. ''It's been first class all the way.''

MGM has made home games an experience. Boys II Men sang the national anthem before the first game, and the halftime show was a performance by Jabbawockeez. Even before fans got into the Mandalay Bay Arena, performers from Michael Jackson One by Cirque du Soleil were outside putting on a show. Other MGM acts have also performed at games.

''It's about the whole experience and making sure the fans are entertained,'' coach Bill Laimbeer said.

The veteran coach, who is also running the team as its president, hopes that Las Vegas will become a top free agent destination over the next few years.

''We're in this for the long haul and we hope to be the destination for free agents,'' he said.

Besides the top-notch facility and apartments, players also can take in the hottest new restaurants or clubs in Vegas. Getting reservations or tickets is just a quick phone call away.

''We want it to be fun for (the players),'' Hornbuckle said. ''We want to get the reputation that I want to play for Vegas. We all love to win. One day at a time, one year at a time.''

Center Carolyn Swords, who has played in a few WNBA cities over her career, has been impressed so far.

''They are definitely treating us very well,'' she said.

So have the Aces' opponents.

''The trip from the airport was all Aces, so they're doing a good job advertising everywhere in the hotels,'' Sparks forward Candace Parker said. ''It was a fun experience obviously, being one of the first two professional teams to play in Vegas, so I think that's huge. They're doing a good job. They got a good fan base going.''

The Aces are averaging roughly 5,600 fans.

''Our fans, in general, have been amazing. If you look, it's been pretty packed for all of our home games, whether we're playing on ESPN, or whether it's just a game like (Friday),'' guard Kayla McBride said. ''Whoever's coming in, we're having a lot of our fans out. It's cool to see Floyd (Mayweather) out here supporting us, to have him set aside time to come see us is really, really cool. I think we're trying to change everything and we want to give them a show.''

[StarDust Bum]

Armadillo: Thursday's six-pack

— Texas OF Shin-Soo Choo has now reached base in 44 straight games; the record is 84.

— Astros 5, Rangers 4— Houston beats Texas for the 8th time in a row.

— Rockies 1, Giants 0— Chris Iannetta’s homer was the only run in this game.

— Brewers 3, Twins 2— Nate Orf’s first major league hit was a homer.

— Reds 7, White Sox 4— Cincinnati won 16 of its last 22 games.

— Mets are 13-23 (.361) this season when their pitcher has a quality start, which would be worst record by any such team since 1916.

**********

Armadillo: Thursday's List of 13: Doing some thinking out loud……

13) Bad news on the rumor mill for the NBA’s Minnesota Timberwolves; star Jimmy Butler apparently has no intention of signing an extension with Minnesota- he is not very happy with “…..the nonchalant attitude of his younger teammates.” Uh-oh.

12) Tuesday night, Rays beat Miami 9-6 in 16 innings. Tampa Bay TV guy Dewayne Staats called it the strangest baseball game he’d ever seen. Here are some highlights:

— As they often do, Tampa Bay started a relief pitcher; he threw three innings, then eight other relievers plus their backup catcher pitched in the game.
— Leading 9-3 in the 16th, Rays put backup catcher Jesus Sucre in to pitch; he faced four batters, got one of them out, before Alvarado came in and got his third save when things almost dicey.
— Rays’ reliever Vidal Nuno had two hits and also got the win, but he pulled a hamstring in the 16th inning and went on the DL, which is why Sucre was put in to pitch. The two hits were his first since 2015.
— Wilson Ramos caught all 16 innings for Tampa Bay; he didn’t play in Wednesday’s game.
— Tampa Bay had 20 hits but hit into four double plays.
— Total of 510 pitches were thrown; game took 5:31 to play in front of an announced crowd of 6,259.

11) No idea how this was established, but the Phoenix Suns are 8-1 favorites to win the Las Vegas Summer League, which starts Friday at UNLV. Charlotte/Sacramento are both 10-1. Denver and Minnesota are the longshots, at 50-1.

10) Guy named Richard Henry Lee was the original draftee of the Declaration of Independence, but when his wife got sick, he stopped writing it and Thomas Jefferson took over.

Jefferson and John Adams both passed away on July 4, 1826, fifty years to the day after the Declaration was signed.

9) Houston Astros are little thin behind plate right now; Brian McCann is done for a while after he had knee surgery. Backup Max Stassi got hit on the wrist by a pitch, was out Wednesday but is expected back Thursday.

Astros brought Tim Federowicz up from AAA to catch; in a pinch, Evan Gattis could also catch- he’s appeared behind the plate in two games this season.

8) Some genius climbed onto the Statue of Liberty Wednesday; seven other protestors were arrested on Liberty Island. Not only could the person get killed/maimed, now they’re going to spend some time in jail. Go have some hot dogs and a few drinks. Whats the point?

7) Georgia Bulldogs’ QB Jake Fromm broke his left (non-throwing) hand in a lake accident, but is expected to be fine for the start of the Dawgs’ season.

6) Michigan QB Shea Patterson, who played the last couple years at Ole Miss, signed a 2019 contract to play baseball in the Texas Rangers organization after he exhausts his football eligibility at Michigan.

If Patterson plays real well for Michigan this fall, he’d have a shot at an NFL roster, which makes the baseball thing a curious decision, seeing how Texas drafted him in the 39th round.

5) Bronx Bombers put 2B Gleyber Torres (hip) on the DL.

4) Pretty big rule change in college football this fall: Players will be able to fair catch a kickoff inside the 25-yard line and have it result in a touchback, with the ball placed on the 25-yard line.

Last year, 47.2% of kickoffs weren’t returnable, meaning they were touchbacks, kicks out of bounds or onside kicks. Rules makers are trying to greatly reduce the number of kickoffs without totally taking it out of the game.

3) Last two years, Ivy League experimented with kicking off at the 40-yard line instead of the 35: in 2016, 44.1% of kickoffs were touchbacks, and in 2017, 36.1%. In 2015, before the rule was put in, only 12.4% of Ivy kickoffs were touchbacks.

2) Oakland A’s are the only team in major leagues that has not had a single international free agent signed and developed by that team appear in a major league game this season. They only had one (Renato Nunez) last year.

1) Joey Chestnut ate 74 hot dogs (and rolls) to win the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest on Coney Island in Brooklyn. 74 hot dogs in 10 minutes; I had three the other night and that was more than enough for a while, but I also had macaroni salad with it.

Hot dog contest was more fun when Kobiyashi was involved; he gave Joey Chestnut a run for his money. Competition makes all sports better, even competitive eating.

[StarDust Bum]

Mystics look to rebound vs. Liberty

WASHINGTON -- The New York Liberty visit the Washington Mystics for the second time in eight days when the teams meet Thursday night at Capital One Arena.

The Mystics (10-6) are in first place in the East and boast the conference's reigning player of the week and month in Elena Delle Donne.

The 2015 WNBA MVP ranked first among Eastern Conference players in scoring (22.5 points per game), second in blocked shots (1.88) and sixth in rebounding (6.8) during June. She also made 43 of 44 free throws for a WNBA-best 97.7 percent.

Delle Donne and the Mystics saw their four-game winning streak snapped by the Phoenix Mercury 84-74 on Saturday night.

A 10-3 Washington run made it 77-74 with under a minute remaining before Yvonne Turner's 3-pointer pushed the margin back to six, and the Western Conference co-leaders sank late free throws to seal the win.

"I thought we had some chances," Mystics coach Mike Thibault said. "We had it cut to four and we ended up fouling. They made one, then it's a five-point game; and then we came down and missed two possessions in a row and now you're out of time."

Delle Donne had 27 points and 13 rebounds for the Mystics.

"I think it was more miscues offensively. Just trying to attack and make reads that maybe we weren't all on the same page about," Delle Donne said of the loss. "They're big and you have to kind of space them out and unfortunately we just weren't able to make a bunch of good plays in a row."

The Liberty (5-12) held a 26-23 lead over visiting Seattle with five minutes left in the second quarter Tuesday night, but the Storm went on a 16-2 run to end the half and ultimately defeated the Liberty 77-62.

Coming off back-to-back games with over 95 points, the Liberty offense couldn't get much going against the Storm. Their 62-point output was their second-lowest of the season.

"They got a lot of easy buckets. If you are not scoring, you can't let the other team score," New York coach Katie Smith said. "At times, we couldn't get a shot off or run through our offense. Sometimes you aren't going to hit shots, but you can't allow them to get easy baskets like that."

After a scoreless first half, Bria Hartley exploded for 14 points in the third quarter, notching the 1,000th point of her career. The fifth-year player finished with a team-high 16 points.

Amanda Zahui B added 13 points for the Liberty and has scored in double figures in five of her last seven appearances but Tina Charles was held to eight on 3 of 14 shooting.

The loss was the New York's sixth in its past seven games.

One of those losses was an 80-77 decision at Washington on June 28. Delle Donne led Washington with 22 points. The Liberty got 21 from Epiphanny Prince and 18 from Charles.

[StarDust Bum]

Fever try to keep it going against Wings

While the Dallas Wings know their answer to success is feeding stars Liz Cambage and Skylar Diggins-Smith the ball, the Indiana Fever have found a solution to their struggles.

Indiana, with the worst WNBA record at 2-16, is coming off its first road win of the season, over the defending champion Minnesota Lynx no less, when it travels to Dallas (8-8) on Thursday night.

One significant reason for Indiana's upset over Minnesota: the free agent acquisition Sunday of 13-year veteran guard Cappie Pondexter, who played in 13 games with the Lox Angeles Sparks this season before her release.

In her first game with Indiana -- and 400th in her career -- in the 71-59 win at Minnesota on Tuesday, Pondexter had 12 points and five rebounds off the bench. She made a big 3-pointer with 1:49 left that gave Indiana its biggest lead at the time, icing the game.

"(Pondexter) has ice water in her veins when it comes to big moments," Indiana coach Pokey Chatman said. "She's a professional. She and Candice (Dupree) can start providing some comfort for our babies."

Chatman was referring to the youthful Indiana roster, which has only four players with more than four years of experience.

Cambage and Diggins-Smith are coming off a combined 57 points in the Wings' 108-85 victory over the visiting Chicago Sky on Tuesday.

Cambage, a 6-foot-8 center who played despite suffering from concussion-like symptoms in the previous game, scored 21 points by halftime against Chicago. She finished with a career-high 37 points with 10 rebounds.

"When she's playing like that, she's the best player in the league," said Diggins-Smith, who had five of Dallas' season-high 26 assists. "I'm grateful to play with somebody like that."

Diggins-Smith went scoreless in the first half but finished with 20 points, 18 of which came in the third quarter, the highest-scoring quarter of her career. She made 8 of 12 shots from the field, including 3 of 4 from 3-point range.

Dallas coach Fred Williams intentionally did not start Diggins-Smith and kept her from playing in the first quarter in attempt to keep her fresh for the second half.

"I'm probably going to do that the rest of the season," Williams said.

Dallas and Indiana are meeting for the second time this season. In the first matchup on June 8, the Wings won in Indianapolis 89-83 behind 35 points, 12 rebounds, six assists and two steals from Diggins-Smith.

[StarDust Bum]

Lynx seek to bounce back against Sparks

The Minnesota Lynx are going to need a quick fix.

Just 48 hours after suffering a stunning home loss to the WNBA's worst team, the Lynx will host one of the best in the Los Angeles Sparks on Thursday at Target Center in Minneapolis.

Minnesota (10-7) had its worst offensive showing in almost five years and saw its seven-game win streak come to an end on Tuesday in a 71-59 defeat against the Indiana Fever, which improved to 2-16 on the season.

The Lynx, who averaged 87.6 points during the winning streak, scored their lowest point total since a 58-55 win over Seattle in the 2013 playoffs.

Minnesota was out of sync from the start -- especially its stars.

Maya Moore, who scored at least 20 points in each of the past six games, made just one basket in the first quarter en route to nine points on 3-for-15 shooting.

Sylvia Fowles made just 4 of 12 shots, was blocked three times and didn't go to the free-throw line.

"There's no question there's more talent in the Lynx locker room," Minnesota coach Cheryl Reeve said, according to the (St. Paul, Minn.) Pioneer Press, "but there's no question the Indiana Fever played much harder in every facet of the game.

Maybe the Lynx were looking ahead to the latest rematch of the two teams who have met in the WNBA Finals the past two years.

"If you can't get up for L.A. then we got a problem," Fowles said.

The teams are meeting for the third of four times this season. Los Angeles won the first two games.

The Sparks (12-6) have stumbled a bit of late, losing three of four.

It was Los Angeles star Nneka Ogwumike's sister who did in the Sparks on Tuesday.

Chiney Ogwumike scored 21 points, including the game-winning layup with 18.5 seconds left, to lift the Connecticut Sun to a 73-72 win over the Sparks in Los Angeles.

Earlier, the Sparks had erased a 20-point second quarter deficit and led 72-71 with 27.9 seconds to go as the Ogwumike sisters traded late baskets.

"We played much better in the second half," Los Angeles coach Brian Agler said, according to The (New London, Conn.) Day. "But the tale of the game is how poorly we played in the first half. We just didn't play at our standard. We had mistakes at both ends and just enough for them to regain the lead (late)."

The Sparks shot just 4-for-18 to open the game.

Los Angeles is one game back of both Seattle and Phoenix in the Western Conference. Minnesota is another game and a half back of the Sparks in fourth place.