Cnotes MLB 2019 Thru the World Series News, Notes, Trends Best Bets and Opinions !

[StarDust Bum]

MLB

Tuesday, April 2

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

Detroit @ NY Yankees
Detroit
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Detroit's last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Detroit's last 5 games on the road
NY Yankees
The total has gone OVER in 11 of NY Yankees's last 15 games
The total has gone OVER in 8 of NY Yankees's last 11 games when playing Detroit

Milwaukee @ Cincinnati
Milwaukee
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Milwaukee's last 5 games when playing Cincinnati
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Milwaukee's last 7 games on the road
Cincinnati
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Cincinnati's last 5 games when playing Milwaukee
Cincinnati is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Milwaukee

Philadelphia @ Washington
Philadelphia
Philadelphia is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games
Philadelphia is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
Washington
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Washington's last 7 games at home
Washington is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing Philadelphia

Baltimore @ Toronto
Baltimore
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Baltimore's last 6 games on the road
Baltimore is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
Toronto
Toronto is 10-1 SU in its last 11 games when playing at home against Baltimore
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Toronto's last 10 games at home

Colorado @ Tampa Bay
Colorado
The total has gone UNDER in 16 of Colorado's last 23 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Colorado's last 9 games
Tampa Bay
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Tampa Bay's last 5 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Tampa Bay's last 5 games

NY Mets @ Miami
NY Mets
NY Mets is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
NY Mets is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing Miami
Miami
Miami is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games when playing NY Mets
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Miami's last 6 games when playing NY Mets

Houston @ Texas
Houston
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Houston's last 5 games on the road
Houston is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Texas
Texas
Texas is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Houston
Texas is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Houston

Minnesota @ Kansas City
Minnesota
Minnesota is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
Minnesota is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games
Kansas City
Kansas City is 8-1 ATS in its last 9 games when playing at home against Minnesota
Kansas City is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games when playing at home against Minnesota

Boston @ Oakland
Boston
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Boston's last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Boston's last 5 games
Oakland
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Oakland's last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Oakland's last 5 games at home

San Francisco @ LA Dodgers
San Francisco
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of San Francisco's last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of San Francisco's last 5 games
LA Dodgers
The total has gone UNDER in 14 of LA Dodgers's last 16 games when playing at home against San Francisco
The total has gone OVER in 4 of LA Dodgers's last 5 games

Arizona @ San Diego
Arizona
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Arizona's last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Arizona's last 5 games on the road
San Diego
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of San Diego's last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of San Diego's last 6 games at home

LA Angels @ Seattle
LA Angels
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of LA Angels's last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of LA Angels's last 5 games on the road
Seattle
Seattle is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games at home
Seattle is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games

[StarDust Bum]

MLB
Weather Report

Tuesday, April 2

[StarDust Bum]

Diamond Trends - Tuesday
April 2, 2019
By Vince Akins

SU Play ON Trend of the Day:

-- The Rays are 19-0 SU in the second game of a series as a home 135+ favorite off a home game in which they used 5+ pitchers and it is before the All-Star break.

SU Play AGAINST Trend of the Day:

-- The Tigers are 0-16 SU as a 140+ dog after a game as a road dog in which their bullpen did not allow a run and it is before the All-Star break.

Hitter-Based Trend of the Day:

-- The Nationals are 9-0 OU (7.56 ppg) at home after Juan Soto was hitless in at least three at bats. The

Starter-Based Trend of the Day:

-- The Yankees are 15-0 SU in franchise history when Masahiro Tanaka starts at home and their starters went fewer than six innings in each of their last two games.

[StarDust Bum]

Blue Jays trade veteran OF Pillar to Giants
April 2, 2019
By The Associated Press

TORONTO (AP) Toronto has traded outfielder Kevin Pillar to the San Francisco Giants, the second veteran the rebuilding Blue Jays have traded in the past week.

Toronto receives infielder Alen Hanson, right-hander Derek Law and minor league pitcher Juan De Paula.

Pillar is a career .260 hitter with 55 home runs and 231 RBI in 695 games. He's known for his highlight reel catches in center. Now in his seventh season, Pillar was Toronto's longest-tenured player.

Hanson is a career .238 hitter with 12 home runs and 51 RBIs in 243 games for Pittsburgh, the White Sox and San Francisco. Law is 9-3 with five saves and a 3.83 ERA in 109 games over three seasons with the Giants. De Paula struck out 55 batters in 52 1/3 innings in Class-A last season.

The Giants designated outfielder Michael Reed for assignment to make room for Pillar on the roster. Toronto sent designated hitter Kendrys Morales to Oakland last Wednesday.

[StarDust Bum]

Ballpark Figures - Week 2

Tuesday, April 2

Max Scherzer takes the ball for the Nats, and he'll be facing a Phillies team which plucked his former teammate, Bryce Harper, off of the waiver wire. Scherzer is 5-1 with a 2.85 ERA, 96 strikeouts and a .207 opponent batting average over 72 2/3 innings in 11 starts against the Phillies since the start of the 2016, so we'll see if Harper can help tip the scales against him. Also, watch the weather in this one, as Zach Eflin and Scherzer could have rain interrupt their evenings. Odubel Herrera has been a thorn in Scherzer's side, too, hitting .341 (14-for-41) with three doubles, a triple and to home runs with a 1.035 OPS in his career. J.T. Realmuto is the complete opposite, going 3-for-36 (.083) with one double, a solo homer, one RBI and 11 strikeouts vs. Scherzer.

Jose Berrios looked good in the Opening Day start against Cleveland at Target Field, but can he carry the momentum into Kansas City? The Twins are just 5-21 across his past 26 road starts, and 2-15 in his past 17 road outings against a team with a winning record. Meanwhile, the Royals are 5-0 in Brad Keller's past five home starts, and 5-1 in his past six assignments against AL Central foes. The Twins are also 0-5 in Berrios' past five road starts in K.C., and 2-7 in his past nine overall against the Royals.

Justin Verlander will take on the Rangers, and he went 2-0 with a 2.25 ERA, 14 strikeouts and a .209 opponent batting average in two starts at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington last season. He was 2-2 with a 2.03 ERA in five starts overal against the Rangers, and Texas batters hit just .196 against him with 39 strikeouts over 31 innings.

Weather Report

The forecast calls for a 45 percent chance of rain during the Phillies-Nationals game, lightening up around 11pm ET. This game could be interrupted or even start with the tarpaulin, so the listed pitchers could either start late or have their starts cut short. In Texas the weather will be blowing in from right-center field into the face of the batters at a 14 mph clip, which should keep scores down. In Oakland it's the exact opposite, with winds blowing 10-13 mph to the right-center field power alley for Red Sox-A's. The same holds true for the Giants-Dodgers game in L.A., blowing out to right at 10-13 mph.

[StarDust Bum]

LEADING OFF: Harper returns to DC, Lindor sees specialist
April 1, 2019
By The Associated Press

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

BRYCE IS BACK

From the moment Bryce Harper signed his $330 million, 13-year deal with the Phillies, this game is the one everyone has been thinking about: Tuesday night marks Harper's initial visit to Nationals Park to face his former team. What will the crowd's reaction be the first time he steps to that plate in a uniform other than Washington's? What sort of tribute will there be from the Nationals? What sort of gesture will the outfielder himself make? And how will Harper, who loves the spotlight, fare in the reunion - especially against Max Scherzer? Philadelphia enters as baseball's only undefeated team, 3-0 after pummeling the Braves at home - an effort helped by two long home runs from Harper.

ANOTHER LOOK

The Indians have sent All-Star shortstop Francisco Lindor for a second opinion on a left ankle injury that could be more serious than first believed. Lindor was in Green Bay, Wisconsin, on Monday, visiting foot and ankle specialist Dr. Robert Anderson. Lindor injured his ankle while playing in a minor league game last week. The Indians initially diagnosed the injury as an ''acute sprain'' but sent Lindor to Anderson for a second look. Cleveland sure could use him in the lineup. The team has scored 10 runs through four games this season, batting .164 with a .485 OPS.

BEAT UP IN THE BRONX

With Giancarlo Stanton and Miguel Andujar hitting the injured list Monday, nearly half of New York's starting lineup is on the sidelines four games into the season. Stanton strained his left biceps taking a swing Sunday, and Andujar suffered a small labrum tear in his right shoulder diving into third base on a pickoff attempt. Stanton will rest for 10 days and be re-evaluated, but could miss most of April. Andujar will get treatment for a couple weeks, but there's a chance he'll need season-ending surgery.

START OVER

Red Sox lefty Chris Sale makes his second start after getting thumped by Seattle in Boston's opener. Sale allowed seven runs and three homers over three innings, looking rusty after getting a lighter workload in spring training. The Red Sox hoped that limiting their starters early might make them more effective late in the year, but Sale, Nathan Eovaldi, Eduardo Rodriguez and Rick Porcello all got hit hard the first time through the rotation. Sale will face Oakland's Mike Fiers (1-1, 5.00), already making his third start this season, including during a two-game series in Tokyo.

[StarDust Bum]

Diamond Trends - Tuesday
April 2, 2019
By Vince Akins

SU Play ON Trend of the Day:

-- The Rays are 19-0 SU in the second game of a series as a home 135+ favorite off a home game in which they used 5+ pitchers and it is before the All-Star break.

SU Play AGAINST Trend of the Day:

-- The Tigers are 0-16 SU as a 140+ dog after a game as a road dog in which their bullpen did not allow a run and it is before the All-Star break.

Hitter-Based Trend of the Day:

-- The Nationals are 9-0 OU (7.56 ppg) at home after Juan Soto was hitless in at least three at bats. The

Starter-Based Trend of the Day:

-- The Yankees are 15-0 SU in franchise history when Masahiro Tanaka starts at home and their starters went fewer than six innings in each of their last two games.

[Udog]

STREAKING AND SLUMPING STARTERS
Andrew Caley

STREAKING

Kyle Freeland, Colorado Rockies: (1-0, 1.29 ERA, $100): Freeland picked up right where he left off in 2018, holding the Marlins to one run on two hits over seven innings in the Rockies Opener. It was Freeland’s 12th consecutive quality start (including the postseason) for the Rockies.

Freeland and the Rockies will be in tough today when they visit the Rays as defending Cy Young award winner Blake Snell takes the bump. Colorado is a +145 road dog with a total of 7.

SLUMPING

Chris Sale, Boston Red Sox (0-1, 21.00 ERA, $-203): The defending World Series champion Red Sox didn’t get much of a ceremony on Opening Day. Sale was roughed up for six hits (including three dingers!) for seven earned runs in just 3 innings pitched.

In fact, over Sale’s last eight starts (including he postseason) he has pitched to a pedestrian (by his standards) 4.26 ERA and a 1.22 WHIP. What is a little more concerning is the drop in velocity in the Opener. Now, that is something that is not unusual when it comes to Sale in April, but this year is different after spending two different stints on the IL for shoulder issues.

Sale and the Red Sox are big -172 road favorites with a total of 7.5 for their game in Oakland.

A RUDE HOMECOMING

Well that didn’t take long. Bryce Harper makes his return to Washington tonight as the Phillies face the Nationals. The Harper era in Philly has gotten off to a great start, sweeping the Braves with a +12 run differential. But things get a little tougher tonight. Harper will face a hostile crowd and maybe an even more hostile Max Scherzer. We said there aren’t many people more competitive than Bumgarner, but Scherzer is one of them. He’s going to want to hand Harper and all the Phillies a golden sombrero in this one. Scherzer and the Nats are big -180 favorites with a total of 7.

OVERREACTING

People are jumping on the Padres bandwagon faster than people are snapping up Avengers Endgame tickets. But only one of those statements is a little bewildering. The Padres got off to a decent 3-1 start, but that was against what could be a pitiful Giants offense. They promptly got thumped by the Diamondbacks 10-3 last night.

Oddsmakers seem to be overreacting a bit as well. Making the D-backs +104 dogs in tonight’s matchup despite the fact Zack Greinke is starting. Greinke did get roughed up in his first outing by a hot Dodgers team, but he’s better than this line. The veteran right-hander owns an 11-2 record with a 2.20 ERA and a 0.94 WHIP in 22 career starts against the Padres. Arizona has a lot of value here.

[StarDust Bum]

TUESDAY, APRIL 2
GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

DET at NYY 06:35 PM
NYY -225
O 7.5

MIL at CIN 06:40 PM
MIL -115
U 8.5

PHI at WAS 07:05 PM
O 7.0

BAL at TOR 07:07 PM
BAL +167
U 8.5

NYM at MIA 07:10 PM
MIA +126
U 8.0

COL at TB 07:10 PM
COL +150
U 7.0

HOU at TEX 08:05 PM
O 9.0

MIN at KC 08:15 PM
O 7.5

BOS at OAK 10:07 PM
U 8.0

LAA at SEA 10:10 PM
SEA -118
O 8.5

ARI at SD 10:10 PM
SD -115
O 7.5

SF at LAD 10:10 PM
SF +145
U 7.0

[StarDust Bum]

Harper homers in DC return, Phils beat Nats 8-2
April 3, 2019
By The Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) Bryce Harper crushed a long home run for his third hit while performing to jeers in his return to Washington, and the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Nationals 8-2 Tuesday night for the franchise's best start in over a century.

Maikel Franco also homered for the Phillies, baseball's only undefeated team at 4-0. They had only done that in 1915 and 1897.

Harper left Washington after playing 927 games over seven years, participating in six All-Star Games and winning the 2015 NL MVP Award. He listened to what the Nationals had to offer, then signed a $330 million, 13-year contract with the rival Phillies in February.

Harper hasn't wasted any time providing returns for the investment. He has three homers and five RBIs in four games, along with a .429 batting average. He drove in three Tuesday.

Booed during every at-bat, Harper thumped a ''take that,'' 458-foot shot in the eighth inning off Jeremy Hellickson. As the ball soared toward the second deck in right field, Harper flipped his bat and circled the bases with delight before celebrating with his new teammates in the visiting dugout.

Zach Eflin (1-0) struck out nine and allowed three hits over five scoreless innings. He outdid Max Scherzer (0-2), who allowed one earned run in five innings and struck out nine.

Nationals shortstop Trea Turner was hit by a pitch and broke his right index finger while trying to bunt. He's out indefinitely.

DIAMONDBACKS 8, PADRES 5

SAN DIEGO (AP) - Zack Greinke hit a career-best two homers and struck out 10 in six innings to rebound from a rocky opening day, and Arizona beat San Diego in a wild game that included an unusual batter's interference call on Manny Machado.

Greinke (1-1) allowed two homers to Hunter Renfroe but was otherwise stellar. He was backed by homers from John Ryan Murphy, Ketel Marte and Christian Walker. Wil Myers also went deep for San Diego.

Machado was called out in the sixth inning after dropping his bat near Murphy while the Diamondbacks catcher tried to catch a popup, a disputed decision that led to Padres manager Andy Green's ejection.

Eric Lauer (1-1) allowed the first of Greinke's homers. Greg Holland pitched the ninth for his second save.

ATHLETICS 1, RED SOX 0

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) - Mike Fiers gave Oakland another stellar start, center fielder Ramon Laureano threw out a baserunner for a second straight game and the Athletics made Matt Chapman's homer stand in a win over Chris Sale and Boston.

Fiers (2-1) pitched six innings of five-hit ball. Oakland starters have allowed just one run over 36 innings in the last six games since the team returned from an 0-2 trip to Tokyo. The A's have won four straight and five of six.

The World Series champion Red Sox dropped their fourth straight and fell to 1-5. Laureano threw out Xander Bogaerts at third trying to stretch a double off the wall with one out in the ninth off closer Blake Treinen. Bogaerts had fouled a pitch off his ankle earlier in the at-bat.

Chapman's third homer and second in two days came on a 3-2 pitch from Sale (0-2), an 89 mph fastball he left up in the zone.

DODGERS 6, GIANTS 5

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Cody Bellinger hit a grand slam off Madison Bumgarner (0-2) in the third inning, the sixth consecutive game Los Angeles has homered in to start the season.

The Dodgers have slugged 17 homers so far, tied with the Seattle Mariners for most in the majors. They matched the franchise record for homers in six straight games to start a season, set by the 1954 Brooklyn Dodgers.

Hyun-Jin Ryu (2-0) allowed two runs and six hits in seven innings. He struck out five and walked none. He was the fifth left-hander in six games that the Giants have faced.

The Dodgers survived a messy ninth by closer Kenley Jansen, who eked out his second save.

MARINERS 2, ANGELS 1

SEATTLE (AP) - Marco Gonzales pitched into the ninth inning after Dan Vogelbach hit a tiebreaking homer in the eighth, lifting Seattle over Los Angeles to move to 7-1 for the first time in franchise history.

Gonzales (3-0) was hoping to pitch the first complete game in baseball this season, but a one-out walk to Mike Trout and a single to center by Andrelton Simmons ended his night.

Anthony Swarzak, who came off the injured list Tuesday, earned the save in his first appearance of the season by striking out Albert Pujols and getting Jonathan Lucroy to ground out to second.

Luis Garcia (0-1) allowed Vogelbach's homer.

TIGERS 3, YANKEES 1

NEW YORK (AP) - Dustin Peterson laced a tiebreaking double off Aroldis Chapman in the ninth inning for his first major league hit, and Detroit beat New York.

Joe Jimenez (1-0) worked a hitless eighth and ended the inning with an unassisted double play after snagging Gleyber Torres' line drive and jogging to first base himself.

Shane Greene tossed a 1-2-3 ninth for his third save.

Chapman (0-1) walked pinch-hitter Niko Goodrum with one out in the ninth and he scored easily from first when Peterson doubled over the head of left fielder Mike Tauchman.

BREWERS 4, REDS 3

CINCINNATI (AP) - Orlando Arcia ended his season-opening slump with a three-run homer and Milwaukee extended its domination of Cincinnati.

Milwaukee has won the first two games of the series and 15 of 21 against Cincinnati over the last two seasons. The defending NL Central champions are off to a 5-1 start, one game better than a year ago when they tied the club record with 96 wins.

Arcia was 0 for 16 when he connected off Michael Lorenzen , who was brought in to face the shortstop with two outs in the sixth inning after left-hander Zach Duke (1-1) gave up a walk and a single. Arcia's opposite-field homer barely cleared the wall in right field and snapped a 1-1 tie.

Jhoulys Chacin (2-0) gave up three hits and a pair of runs in 5 1/3 innings, including Eugenio Suarez's RBI double . Suarez added a solo homer off Junior Guerra in the eighth. Josh Hader got his fourth save.

ORIOLES 2, BLUE JAYS 1

TORONTO (AP) - Andrew Cashner pitched six shutout innings, and Baltimore extended its a road winning streak to four for the first time since 2016 before another small crowd at Rogers Centre.

Jonathan Villar had two hits and scored once for the Orioles, who improved to 4-1. Coming off a 115-loss season, the Orioles opened by winning two of three at the New York Yankees. They strung together four road wins for the first time since July 5-16, 2016, at the Los Angeles Dodgers and Tampa Bay.

Boosted by a $1 hot dog promotion, the game drew 12,110, up from 10,460 in Monday's series opener, Toronto's smallest crowd since 2010. Baltimore had lost 10 straight at Toronto coming into the series.

Cashner (1-1) allowed four hits, all singles, struck out three and walked three. He stranded the bases loaded in his final inning when Rowdy Tellez flied out on his first pitch. Miguel Castro got his first save despite allowing Tellez's second homer this season.

Marcus Stroman (0-1) allowed two runs and nine hits in 5 2/3 innings

RAYS 4, ROCKIES 0

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) - Blake Snell matched a career high with 13 strikeouts, pitching seven innings of two-hit ball to lift Tampa Bay over Colorado for its fifth straight win.

The AL Cy Young Award winner struck out six straight during one stretch, helping Tampa Bay improve to a franchise-best 5-1. Snell (1-1) rebounded splendidly after allowing five runs in an opening day loss to Houston.

Trevor Story had singles in the fifth and seventh innings for Colorado's only hits. The Rockies have lost four straight and scored only one run in their last 30 innings. They never got a runner as far as second base against Snell and reliever Wilmer Font, who closed with two hitless innings.

Tampa Bay scored three runs in the first inning against Kyle Freeland (1-1), an effort aided by catcher Chris Iannetta's error.

METS 6, MARLINS 5

MIAMI (AP) - Amed Rosario hit a two-run double in New York's five-run first inning against Jose Urena (0-2) and started a game-ending double play.

Wilson Ramos and Dominic Smith each had two hits and an RBI for the Mets, who improved to 4-1 for the second straight year. Jason Vargas (1-0) allowed two runs in five innings in his season debut. The Marlins went 1 for 10 with runners in scoring position against him.

The Marlins had 16 hits but left 14 runners on base. Jorge Alfaro went 0 for 4 and stranded seven, including the potential tying run at third when he struck out against Justin Wilson to end the eighth inning. Wilson hit a batter and allowed a single in the ninth but earned his first save since 2017 when Rosario caught Miguel Rojas' line drive and doubled off Lewis Brinson at second base.

RANGERS 6, ASTROS 4

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) - Joey Gallo grounded a hard single to right field between two diving infielders to drive in two runs and put Texas ahead to stay.

The Rangers (3-2) are over .500 for the second time this season in manager Chris Woodward's managerial debut. They never had a winning record at any point last year.

Rougned Odor started the seventh inning in a 4-4 game with a bunt single that was beyond the reach of lefty Framber Valdez (0-1) coming off the mound. Elvis Andrus had a double before Gallo pulled a hard one-out grounder that split between second baseman Jose Altuve and first baseman Yuli Gurriel.

Shawn Kelly (2-0) threw 1 1/3 innings in his third appearance for the Rangers. Jose Leclerc worked a perfect ninth for his second save. Asdrubal Cabrera homered for the third time.

TWINS 5, ROYALS 4, 10 INNINGS

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - Nelson Cruz got a second chance and delivered a go-ahead single with two outs in the 10th inning, giving Minnesota a victory before Kansas City's smallest announced home crowd in eight years.

Cruz appeared to ground out against reliever Brad Boxberger (0-1) with runners on first and second when third base umpire James Hoye signaled his chopper fair. But plate umpire Mark Ripperger came in and signaled it was foul, and after the two umps visited it was Ripperger's call that stood. Cruz followed a couple pitches later with his third RBI of the game.

Trevor Hildenberger (1-0) got the final out of the ninth inning for Minnesota, and Blake Parker worked around a two-out walk in the 10th to earn his first save.

Kansas City announced attendance as 10,024, the lowest at Kauffman Stadium since 9,279 against Cleveland on April 21, 2011.

[StarDust Bum]

Standings

AMERICAN - EAST
Team Win Loss Percent GB Home Away Last 10 Streak
Tampa Bay Rays 5 1 .833 0 5-1 0-0 5-1 W-5
Baltimore Orioles 4 1 .800 0 0-0 4-1 4-1 W-4
New York Yankees 2 3 .400 2 2-3 0-0 2-3 L-1
Toronto Blue Jays 2 4 .333 3 2-4 0-0 2-4 L-3
Boston Red Sox 1 5 .167 4 0-0 1-5 1-5 L-4

AMERICAN - CENTRAL
Team Win Loss Percent GB Home Away Last 10 Streak
Minnesota Twins 3 1 .750 0 2-1 1-0 3-1 W-2
Cleveland Indians 2 2 .500 1 1-0 1-2 2-2 W-1
Detroit Tigers 3 3 .500 1 0-0 3-3 3-3 W-1
Kansas City Royals 2 2 .500 1 2-2 0-0 2-2 L-2
Chicago White Sox 1 3 .250 2 0-0 1-3 1-3 L-1

AMERICAN - WEST
Team Win Loss Percent GB Home Away Last 10 Streak
Seattle Mariners 7 1 .875 0 5-1 2-0 7-1 W-4
Oakland Athletics 5 3 .625 2 5-3 0-0 5-3 W-4
Texas Rangers 3 2 .600 2 3-2 0-0 3-2 W-1
Houston Astros 2 4 .333 4 0-0 2-4 2-4 L-1
Los Angeles Angels 1 5 .167 5 0-0 1-5 1-5 L-4

NATIONAL - EAST
Team Win Loss Percent GB Home Away Last 10 Streak
Philadelphia Phillies 4 0 1.000 0 3-0 1-0 4-0 W-4
New York Mets 4 1 .800 0 0-0 4-1 4-1 W-2
Miami Marlins 2 4 .333 3 2-4 0-0 2-4 L-2
Atlanta Braves 1 3 .250 3 1-0 0-3 1-3 W-1
Washington Nationals 1 3 .250 3 1-3 0-0 1-3 L-1

NATIONAL - CENTRAL
Team Win Loss Percent GB Home Away Last 10 Streak
Milwaukee Brewers 5 1 .833 0 3-1 2-0 5-1 W-4
St. Louis Cardinals 2 3 .400 2 0-0 2-3 2-3 W-1
Pittsburgh Pirates 1 2 .333 2 0-1 1-1 1-2 L-1
Chicago Cubs 1 3 .250 3 0-0 1-3 1-3 L-3
Cincinnati Reds 1 3 .250 3 1-3 0-0 1-3 L-3

NATIONAL - WEST
Team Win Loss Percent GB Home Away Last 10 Streak
Los Angeles Dodgers 4 2 .667 0 4-2 0-0 4-2 W-1
Arizona Diamondbacks 3 3 .500 1 0-0 3-3 3-3 W-2
San Diego Padres 3 3 .500 1 3-3 0-0 3-3 L-2
Colorado Rockies 2 4 .333 2 0-0 2-4 2-4 L-4
San Francisco Giants 2 4 .333 2 0-0 2-4 2-4 L-1

Updated Wed Apr 3 2:04 AM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

MLB MARCH/APRIL OPINIONS AND BEST BETS:


DATE W-L-T % UNITS RECORD

04/02/2019 11-9-0 55.00% +4.35
04/01/2019 8-7-2 53.33% +10.50
03/31/2019 12-12-0 50.00% +0.60
03/30/2019 14-10-0 58.33% +24.90
03/29/2019 8-6-1 57.14% +4.05
03/28/2019 11-16-0 40.74% -33.45

Totals..............64-60-0 51.61% +10.95


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

BEST BETS:

DATE........................ATS................... ..UNITS..................O/U..................UNITS.............TOTALS

04/02/2019.............1 - 2......................-1.65...................8 - 4...............+18.00...............+16.35
04/01/2019.............4 - 2......................+11.00................4 - 5................-7.50.................+3.50
03/31/2019.............5 - 7......................-6.90...................7 - 5................+7.50................+0.60
03/30/2019.............4 - 1.....................+29.90.................7 - 6................+2.00................+31.90
03/29/2019.............0 - 2.....................-10.00..................6 - 1................+24.50..............+14.50
03/28/2019.............1 - 4.....................-13.40..................4 - 8.................-24.00...............-37.40


Totals....................15 - 18...................+8.95.................36 - 29..............+20.50..............+29.45

[StarDust Bum]

Wednesday’s 6-pack

Some very early NFL over/under win totals:

— Arizona 5, under -$130

— Atlanta 8.5, over -$125

— Baltimore 8.5

— Buffalo 6, under -$120

— Carolina 8, under -$120

— Chicago 9.5

Quote of the Day
“Everybody wanted to play out the season and everybody is disappointed. Everyone was led to believe that the Alliance was well-funded and we could play three years without making any money and this, that and the other. Obviously, everything that was said was not very truthful.” Steve Spurrier, talking about the AAF
Wednesday’s quiz
Which major league baseball team used to play its home games in Jarry Park?

Tuesday’s quiz
Excalibur is the Las Vegas casino that looks like a big white castle.

Monday’s quiz
Last time only one #1-seed got to the Final Four was three years ago, when #1-seed North Carolina lost to Villanova in the national title game.


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


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

13) After eight weeks of games, the AAF has suspended operations, which is sad for the people who worked there. Players only got paid for the first seven weeks of the season.

Takes lots of money to fund a start-up league like this; there are rumors that the guy from the NHL’s Carolina Hurricanes who invested in the AAF only wanted access to the technology for the league’s betting app, and once he had that, he pulled the plug on spending more money. Supposedly, he dropped $70M on this fiasco. Must be a good betting app.

Not sure what this means, if anything, for the XFL, which starts up next spring.

12) So it is April 2 and here in upstate New York, spring is slowly emerging. It was 46 degrees when I left my house today; in the bank, a guy in line behind me was wearing shorts. Oy.

11) Ronald Acuña signed a $100M extension with the Braves that keeps his contract under team control until 2028. Team-friendly deal.

10) Seattle TV analyst Mike Blowers told an interesting story Monday night:

Blowers was playing for the Mariners in the mid-90’s; Lou Piniella (a noted hothead) was the manager. Blowers made two errors in the 9th inning that cost Seattle the last game of a road trip. Blowers: “Lou was sitting towards the front of the plane; he wasn’t real happy with me.”

Next game for Seattle is a home game; Blowers comes to the plate for the first time, and is booed when his name is announced. He hits a grand slam.

Second time up, Blowers is still booed a little; he hits a 3-run homer.

Third time up, Blowers gets a standing ovation.

Lessons: Baseball is a tough game; people are fickle.

9) Washington Wizards fired team president Ernie Grunfeld after 16 seasons; Wizards are having their first losing season in six years. Washington hasn’t been to a conference final since 1979, so the franchise’s issues go way back before Grunfeld was around.

8) Last Thursday, Michael Reed started in RF on Opening Day for the Giants; he went 0-8 with six strikeouts in four games and Tuesday, he was designated for assignment. Produce or else.

7) Nationals’ SS Trea Turner tried to bunt last night; the ball hit his finger and he left the game, with what looked a lot like a broken finger.

6) Former tennis star Billie Jean King is a minority owner of the LA Dodgers.

5) Few years ago, I’m driving thru New Jersey and stop for gas. I get out of the car and start pumping the gas, and this little Asian guy comes running out of the store, yelling at me, waving his arms. Apparently it is illegal in New Jersey to pump your own gas. Who knew?

Funny thing, they pump it for you but the gas is still cheaper than it is in New York.

4) From Christopher Kamka: Last time Cubs, White Sox, Bulls, Blackhawks all won on the same day was April 21, 2012, the day Philip Humber threw a perfect game for the White Sox.

3) Puerto Rico has a larger population than 21 of the 50 states.

2) Lipscomb 71, Wichita State 64— Shockers led by 11 in second half, but veteran Lipscomb team rallied back, scored last 14 points of the game and will play for the NIT title Thursday night.

1) Texas 58, TCU 44— If you had Texas-Lipscomb in your NIT brackets, you’re about to get paid. TCU beat the Longhorns twice during the regular season, but came up empty here.

[StarDust Bum]

LEADING OFF: Awaiting word on Turner, Lindor; Pillar in SF
April 2, 2019
By The Associated Press

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

FINGERS CROSSED

Nationals shortstop Trea Turner will be out indefinitely after breaking his right index finger while trying to bunt. Standing at the plate in the first inning Tuesday night against Philadelphia, Turner squared to bunt versus Zach Elfin. The fastball hit the finger on his right hand, which was wrapped around the bat. Wilmer Difo replaced Turner and will assume the role of starter for the time being.

Meanwhile, Bryce Harper and the Phillies are 4-0 for the first time since 1915, when they opened 8-0 en route to an NL pennant. Harper has been a driving force after signing a $330 million, 13-year deal, crushing his third homer in his first game at Washington since ending his seven-year tenure with the Nationals. He was booed heartily throughout the game - ''That's sports,'' he said - but serenaded by ''MVP!'' chants after the game by the hundreds of Philly fans.

UPDATE COMING

The Indians may provide a more definitive timetable for Francisco Lindor's return from a sprained left ankle. Lindor visited a specialist Monday, and Cleveland said Tuesday that Lindor would miss more time, but the injury only appears to be a minor setback for the star shortstop. Lindor will meet Wednesday with manager Terry Francona and Chris Antonetti, the club's president of baseball operations, and the Indians might have more info on Lindor's prognosis after that.

DOMINANT DEGROM

NL Cy Young Award winner Jacob deGrom makes his second start this season for the Mets, this time facing the Marlins. DeGrom is seeking his 31st consecutive start allowing three runs or fewer, already a major league record, after striking out 10 in a thrilling matchup against Washington's Max Scherzer on opening day. DeGrom is 4-6 against the Marlins, who have beaten him more than any other team.

BUILDING AROUND PILLAR

Kevin Pillar is expected to make his first start with the Giants after being acquired Tuesday from the Toronto Blue Jays. Pillar has been one of the AL's best defensive center fielders, a highlight machine nicknamed Superman for his high-flying catches. But he's expected to play more right field for San Francisco in deference to youngster Steven Duggar. Pillar batted .252 with 15 homers last season. The seven-year veteran also has a strong clubhouse reputation.

FLYING HIGH

The Orioles have won four straight, already matching their longest winning streak during a 115-loss 2018 season. They'll try to make it five against Toronto. All the victories have come on the road, Baltimore's first four-game streak away from home since 2016. Nate Karns will take his second turn as an opener - he pitched two scoreless innings against the Yankees on Saturday. Blue Jays righty Matt Shoemaker looks for a second straight strong outing to open the season after shutting down the Tigers last week.

[StarDust Bum]

MLB
Dunkel

Wednesday, April 3


Milwaukee @ Cincinnati

Game 901-902
April 3, 2019 @ 12:35 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Milwaukee
(Peralta) 16.487
Cincinnati
(Castillo) 13.802
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Milwaukee
by 2 1/2
8
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Cincinnati
-120
8 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Milwaukee
(+100); Under

Philadelphia @ Washington

Game 903-904
April 3, 2019 @ 1:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Philadelphia
(Nola) 16.044
Washington
(Sanchez) 14.579
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Philadelphia
by 1 1/2
9
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Philadelphia
-135
7 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Philadelphia
(-135); Over

Colorado @ Tampa Bay

Game 927-928
April 3, 2019 @ 1:10 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Colorado
(Marquez) 14.863
Tampa Bay
(Morton) 16.832
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Tampa Bay
by 2
6
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Tampa Bay
-130
7
Dunkel Pick:
Tampa Bay
(-130); Under

Chicago White Sox @ Cleveland

Game 915-916
April 3, 2019 @ 1:10 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Chicago White Sox
(Rodon) 15.541
Cleveland
(Kluber) 13.929
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Chicago White Sox
by 1 1/2
9
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Cleveland
-200
7
Dunkel Pick:
Chicago White Sox
(+170); Over

Minnesota @ Kansas City

Game 917-918
April 3, 2019 @ 1:15 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Minnesota
(Gibson) 16.526
Kansas City
(Bailey) 14.488
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Minnesota
by 2
10
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Minnesota
-145
8 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Minnesota
(-145); Over

Arizona @ San Diego

Game 905-906
April 3, 2019 @ 3:40 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Arizona
(Ray) 15.783
San Diego
(Lucchesi) 13.660
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Arizona
by 2
12
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
San Diego
-135
7 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Arizona
(+115)l; Over

Detroit @ NY Yankees

Game 919-920
April 3, 2019 @ 4:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Detroit
(Boyd) 15.177
NY Yankees
(Loaisiga) 13.908
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Detroit
by 1
7
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
NY Yankees
-190
9 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Detroit
(+165)l; Under

Baltimore @ Toronto

Game 921-922
April 3, 2019 @ 4:07 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Baltimore
(Karns) 15.268
Toronto
(Shmaker) 14.208
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Baltimore
by 1
7
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Toronto
-160
8 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Baltimore
(+140); Under

NY Mets @ Miami

Game 907-908
April 3, 2019 @ 6:10 pm

Dunkel Rating:
NY Mets
(deGrom) 16.388
Miami
(Richards) 15.122
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
NY Mets
by 1
5
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
NY Mets
-210
7
Dunkel Pick:
NY Mets
(-210); Under

St. Louis @ Pittsburgh

Game 909-910
April 3, 2019 @ 7:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
St. Louis
(Mikolas) 16.136
Pittsburgh
(Taillon) 14.643
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
St. Louis
by 1 1/2
7
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Pittsburgh
-120
7 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
St. Louis
(+100); Under

Chicago Cubs @ Atlanta

Game 911-912
April 3, 2019 @ 7:20 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Chicago Cubs
(Lester) 14.146
Atlanta
(Teheran) 15.765
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Atlanta
by 1 1/2
11
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Atlanta
-115
8 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Atlanta
(-115); Over

Houston @ Texas

Game 923-924
April 3, 2019 @ 8:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Houston
(Cole) 16.187
Texas
(Minor) 14.602
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Houston
by 1 1/2
11
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Houston
-170
9
Dunkel Pick:
Houston
(-170); Over

Boston @ Oakland

Game 925-926
April 3, 2019 @ 10:07 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Boston
(Eovaldii) 15.044
Oakland
(Estrada) 16.571
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Oakland
by 1 1/2
11
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Boston
-150
8 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Oakland
(+130); Over

San Francisco @ LA Dodgers

Game 913-914
April 3, 2019 @ 10:10 pm

Dunkel Rating:
San Francisco
(Holland) 14.359
LA Dodgers
(Strpling) 16.839
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
LA Dodgers
by 2 1/2
6
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
LA Dodgers
-210
7 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
LA Dodgers
(-210); Under