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

[StarDust Bum]

MLB
Dunkel

Friday, October 4


Tampa Bay @ Houston

Game 925-926
October 4, 2019 @ 2:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Tampa Bay
(Glasnow) 15.414
Houston
(Verlander) 17.843
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Houston
by 2 1/2
6
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Houston
-220
7 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Houston
(-220); Under

St. Louis @ Atlanta

Game 919-920
October 4, 2019 @ 4:37 pm

Dunkel Rating:
St. Louis
(Flaherty) 16.888
Atlanta
(Fltynwcz) 15.623
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
St. Louis
by 1
7
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
St. Louis
-125
8
Dunkel Pick:
St. Louis
(-125); Under

Minnesota @ NY Yankees

Game 923-924
October 4, 2019 @ 7:07 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Minnesota
(Berrios) 14.818
NY Yankees
(Paxton) 16.345
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
NY Yankees
by 1 1/2
8
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
NY Yankees
-185
8 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
NY Yankees
(-185); Under

Washington @ LA Dodgers

Game 921-922
October 4, 2019 @ 9:37 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Washington
(Strasburg) 16.653
LA Dodgers
(Kershaw) 19.051
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
LA Dodgers
by 2 1/2
7
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
LA Dodgers
-145
7 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
LA Dodgers
(-145); Under

[StarDust Bum]

MLB
Long Sheet

Friday, October 4

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ST LOUIS (92 - 71) at ATLANTA (97 - 66) - 4:37 PM
JACK FLAHERTY (R) vs. MIKE FOLTYNEWICZ (R)
Top Trends for this game.
FLAHERTY is 28-33 (-15.8 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
FLAHERTY is 14-18 (-12.0 Units) against the money line after a win over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
ATLANTA is 97-66 (+16.0 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
ATLANTA is 18-7 (+10.7 Units) against the money line when playing on Friday this season.
ATLANTA is 74-52 (+11.9 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
ATLANTA is 17-8 (+11.4 Units) against the money line after 3 or more consecutive losses over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 45-34 (+10.2 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
ST LOUIS is 92-71 (+5.6 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
ST LOUIS is 28-21 (+8.5 Units) against the money line on the road when the money line is +125 to -125 this season.
ST LOUIS is 86-75 (+10.3 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
ST LOUIS is 36-21 (+12.2 Units) against the money line in day games this season.
ST LOUIS is 73-55 (+5.5 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
ST LOUIS is 25-19 (+10.9 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 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 46-60 (-31.6 Units) against the money line in October games since 1997.
ATLANTA is 31-45 (-26.8 Units) against the money line in playoff games since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
ATLANTA is 4-3 (+1.3 Units) against ST LOUIS this season
3 of 6 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=-0.3 Units, Under=-0.4 Units)

JACK FLAHERTY vs. ATLANTA since 1997
FLAHERTY is 1-1 when starting against ATLANTA with an ERA of 4.32 and a WHIP of 1.080.
His team's record is 1-2 (-1.7 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-2. (-1.2 units)

MIKE FOLTYNEWICZ vs. ST LOUIS since 1997
FOLTYNEWICZ is 3-4 when starting against ST LOUIS with an ERA of 7.63 and a WHIP of 1.757.
His team's record is 3-4 (-0.2 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-6. (-5.7 units)

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WASHINGTON (94 - 70) at LA DODGERS (107 - 56) - 9:37 PM
STEPHEN STRASBURG (R) vs. CLAYTON KERSHAW (L)
Top Trends for this game.
WASHINGTON is 176-150 (-20.6 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 20-28 (-17.6 Units) against the money line when playing on Friday over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 107-95 (-13.5 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 42-45 (-17.8 Units) against the money line against left-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
LA DODGERS are 28-11 (+11.5 Units) against the money line as a home favorite of -125 to -175 this season.
LA DODGERS are 60-22 (+18.8 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
LA DODGERS are 76-34 (+23.4 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
LA DODGERS are 146-105 (-19.5 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
LA DODGERS are 38-33 (-18.7 Units) against the money line after 3 or more consecutive wins over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
LA DODGERS is 5-3 (+1.2 Units) against WASHINGTON this season
5 of 7 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+2.9 Units)

STEPHEN STRASBURG vs. LA DODGERS since 1997
STRASBURG is 3-5 when starting against LA DODGERS with an ERA of 2.66 and a WHIP of 0.930.
His team's record is 3-8 (-7.5 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 5-5. (-1.0 units)

CLAYTON KERSHAW vs. WASHINGTON since 1997
KERSHAW is 13-3 when starting against WASHINGTON with an ERA of 2.65 and a WHIP of 0.986.
His team's record is 15-3 (+9.9 units) in these starts. The OVER is 9-9. (+0.1 units)

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MINNESOTA (101 - 61) at NY YANKEES (103 - 59) - 7:07 PM
JOSE BERRIOS (R) vs. JAMES PAXTON (L)
Top Trends for this game.
NY YANKEES are 40-12 (+16.8 Units) against the money line in home games against right-handed starters this season.
NY YANKEES are 21-3 (+14.5 Units) against the money line in home games after a loss this season.
NY YANKEES are 45-27 (+17.5 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
MINNESOTA is 101-61 (+22.5 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
MINNESOTA is 55-26 (+28.5 Units) against the money line in road games this season.
MINNESOTA is 24-13 (+13.8 Units) against the money line in road games when playing on Friday over the last 3 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 67-37 (+19.4 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
MINNESOTA is 44-18 (+22.7 Units) against the money line after a loss this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
NY YANKEES is 4-2 (+1.7 Units) against MINNESOTA this season
5 of 6 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+3.9 Units)

JOSE BERRIOS vs. NY YANKEES since 1997
BERRIOS is 1-2 when starting against NY YANKEES with an ERA of 5.79 and a WHIP of 1.786.
His team's record is 1-2 (-1.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 2-1. (+1.0 units)

JAMES PAXTON vs. MINNESOTA since 1997
PAXTON is 3-1 when starting against MINNESOTA with an ERA of 2.27 and a WHIP of 1.074.
His team's record is 4-2 (+1.4 units) in these starts. The OVER is 4-2. (+2.0 units)

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TAMPA BAY (97 - 66) at HOUSTON (107 - 55) - 2:05 PM
TYLER GLASNOW (R) vs. JUSTIN VERLANDER (R)
Top Trends for this game.
TAMPA BAY is 187-138 (+24.9 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 88-75 (+7.6 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 116-69 (+29.8 Units) against the money line after a win over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 77-70 (+20.6 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 39-23 (+24.9 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 69-44 (-7.8 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
HOUSTON is 37-35 (-22.1 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 18-20 (-19.3 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
VERLANDER is 21-17 (-21.4 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
TAMPA BAY is 4-3 (+2.3 Units) against HOUSTON this season
4 of 7 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+0.9 Units)

TYLER GLASNOW vs. HOUSTON since 1997
GLASNOW is 1-0 when starting against HOUSTON with an ERA of 1.80 and a WHIP of 1.400.
His team's record is 1-0 (+1.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-1. (-1.3 units)

JUSTIN VERLANDER vs. TAMPA BAY since 1997
VERLANDER is 10-4 when starting against TAMPA BAY with an ERA of 3.17 and a WHIP of 1.118.
His team's record is 14-6 (+5.4 units) in these starts. The OVER is 5-13. (-9.1 units)

[StarDust Bum]

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 4
GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

TB at HOU 02:05 PM
TB +224
O 7.5

STL at ATL 04:37 PM
U 8.5

MIN at NYY 07:07 PM
MIN +169
O 9.0

WAS at LAD 09:37 PM
O 7.5

[Udog]

By: Rohit Ponnaiya



POSTSEASON STARTER STAT OF THE DAY

Justin Verlander, Houston Astros (21-6, 2.58 ERA, $-84): Verlander had another Cy Young caliber year with a WHIP of 0.80, and a batting average allowed of .172, while fanning 300 batters in 223 innings of work. Verlander and the Astros are -230 faves at home against the Tampa Bay Rays this afternoon.

In two starts against the Rays this year, Verlander went 2-0, 0.73 ERA and a BAA of .159. However, as awesome as Verlander is, he isn't perfect. His one Achilles' Heel is his propensity for giving up dingers; his 36 home runs allowed during the regular season was the third-highest mark in the majors.

That said, don't expect Tampa Bay batters to be able to take advantage of that weakness. The Rays ranked just 21st in the majors in home runs and were just 27th in fly ball percentage.


THREE STRIKES

THEY CALLED ME MR. GLASNOW

The other starter in that Astros-Rays matchup is Tampa Bay right-hander Tyler Glasnow. The 26-year-old was having a breakthrough campaign in 2019 before missing almost four months due to a forearm injury. He still finished the year with a 6-1 record, a 1.78 ERA and a WHIP of 0.89.

Since returning to the Rays lineup on September 8, Glasnow has slowly increased his workload pitching 12 1-3 innings over four starts. He seems to be getting back to his pre-injury form however, not allowing a single run and giving up just 4 hits through 10 1-3 innings over his last three outings.

With the O/U set at 7.5 for this contest the Under might be a good bet.


HE MIGHT BE HUMAN AFTER ALL

After a 6-0 blanking of the Nationals in Game 1 of their series, the Dodgers head into Game 2 as -150 favorites. Clayton Kershaw toes the rubber for the Dodgers and L.A. is 46-12 in Kershaw's last 58 home starts and 7-1 in Kershaw's previous eight home starts against the Nats.

That said, there's reason to believe that the Klaw might not dominate the opposition today. The Nationals hit .283 against southpaws during the regular season and are an impressive 13-3 over their last 16 games against a left-handed starter.

Also, playoff Kershaw simply isn't as incredible as regular season Kershaw. From 2016-2018, Kershaw went 39-13 with a 2.26 ERA and 0.91 WHIP during the regular season. But over that same time span he had a 7-4 record with a 4.12 ERA in 17 postseason games.


NO REST FOR THE WICKED GOOD

Stephen Strasburg gets the start for the Nationals, just three days after pitching three innings in relief of Max Scherzer during the NL Wild Card game. Strasburg had a terrific regular season going 18-6 with a 3.32 ERA and a 1.04 WHIP but it will be interesting to see what kind of a workload the Nationals will give him.

Strasburg pitched two games against L.A. this season, giving up just three runs over 13 innings while holding Dodgers hitters to a batting average of .140. The Nats will probably be far more confident with him on the mound than their relievers considering that their bullpen ranked dead-last in the majors in ERA. For what it's worth, Strasburg excelled with minimal rest during the regular season. He had 17 starts on four days of rest and went 9-3 in those games with an ERA of 2.59 and a BAA of .193.

[StarDust Bum]

Verlander sharp, Astros beat Rays in G1
October 4, 2019
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HOUSTON (AP) Asked what went wrong for his Tampa Bay Rays, manager Kevin Cash invented a word.

''We got Verlandered,'' Cash said.

Justin Verlander looked every bit the October ace, Jose Altuve polished his postseason resume and the Houston Astros kept rolling, beating the Rays 6-2 Friday to open their AL Division Series.

The Astros, who won a franchise-record 107 games for the best record in the majors, began their quest for a second World Series title in three years against a Rays team that downed Oakland 5-1 in the wild-card game this week.

Verlander kept up his dominant run this year when he posted an MLB-most 21 wins and fanned 300, allowing just a soft single in seven shutout innings. He struck out eight and improved to 8-0 in 12 career ALDS appearances - he's 14-7 overall in postseason play.

He cracked up when told Cash used his performance to turn his name into a verb.

''It's a pretty great compliment,'' Verlander said. ''I don't know what else to say, other than that.''

Tampa Bay got its only hit off Verlander when Brandon Lowe singled to start the fifth. Verlander ended his day by striking out the side in the seventh, pounding his fist into his glove as he walked off the mound after fanning Lowe.

Manager AJ Hinch was asked about Verlander's knack for getting stronger late in games.

''He's got an incredible instinct for the moment,'' he said. ''He leaves some gas in his gas tank at the end of his outings ... like a good sprinter, like at the finish line, he's going to win. He's going to win the race at the end of his outings.''

Rays starter Tyler Glasnow had given up just three singles when he walked Josh Reddick on four pitches to begin the fifth. He struck out George Springer, but Altuve then tagged him for a two-run homer, lining a fastball into the left field seats.

''I just left that pitch up and it was a two-run home run,'' Glasnow said. ''Hindsight, I would go back and change some things, but can't do anything about it now.''

The sellout crowd of 43,360, which included Astros Hall of Famers Nolan Ryan and Craig Biggio, erupted into deafening cheers and fans twirled bright orange towels as Altuve trotted around the bases, a huge grin plastered on his face.

Altuve has homered in Game 1 of the ALDS for three straight years - including three against Boston in the 2017 opener - and the small-but-powerful second baseman now has nine home runs in 33 career postseason games.

''Just breaking through with the big swing for Jose doesn't surprise me,'' Hinch said. ''It's like clockwork, every ALDS it seems like he busts out with a really good game.''

Game 2 is Saturday when Gerrit Cole, who has won 16 straight decisions and led the majors in strikeouts, starts against Tampa Bay's Blake Snell.

Altuve's homer touched off a four-run inning. Brendan McKay took over for Glasnow and allowed a single to Michael Brantley before Alex Bregman knocked one off the wall in left for a double.

Chaz Roe relieved with two outs and Yuli Gurriel hit a high popup to shallow right field that Lowe chased from second base as right fielder Austin Meadows also dashed in. Lowe looked to have it, so Meadows pulled up - but the ball glanced off Lowe's glove for an error that allowed two runs to score to push the lead to 4-0.

''I have to catch it plain and simple,'' Lowe said. ''I called it and I dropped it. Next time I just have to keep going for it and make a play on it.''

The Astros added two more runs in the seventh after Bregman walked and stole second base. AL Rookie of the Year candidate Yordan Alvarez and Gurriel followed with RBI doubles to make it 6-0.

Tampa Bay hit four home runs in its wild-card win Wednesday at Oakland, but did nothing until Verlander left. Pinch-hitter Eric Sogard had an RBI single of Ryan Pressly with two outs in the eighth and scored on a double by Meadows to cut the lead to 6-2.

Glasnow, who came to the Rays in last year's trade for Chris Archer that also netted Meadows, looked strong early and Houston's powerful offense had trouble stringing anything together off him until Altuve's shot. The Astros loaded the bases with two outs in the third, but the big right-hander struck out Alvarez to end the threat.

The 26-year-old Glasnow, who was making his playoff debut had missed almost four months with a strained right forearm before his return on Sept. 8, seemed to run out of gas in the fifth. He allowed four hits and two runs with five strikeouts in 4 1/3 innings.

Yandy Diaz, who starred with two homers and three hits in the wild-card game, was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

THEY SAID IT

Bregman on the crowd chanting MVP each time he stepped to the plate: ''I get the chills a little bit. It's been a fun year, and I just want to continue to win games and be able to help this team any way I can.''

UP NEXT

Cole is a Cy Young award contender after setting a team record by winning his last 16 decisions and topping the AL with a career-best 2.50 ERA. His career-high 326 strikeouts were the most in the majors and set a franchise record that had stood since 1979 when J.R. Richard fanned 313.

Snell, who won the Cy Young in 2018, is happy to be healthy for the postseason after sitting out from July 22-Sept. 17 after arthroscopic surgery to remove bone chips in his left elbow. Snell didn't get out of the third inning in any of his three September starts, but believes he'll be able to go quite a bit longer on Saturday.

''I feel very good,'' he said. ''I feel like I'll be able to go five strong innings, if I'm in the zone and attacking like I should be.''

[StarDust Bum]

Foltynewicz, Duvall lead Braves to 3-0 win over Cardinals
October 4, 2019
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ATLANTA (AP) When Mike Foltynewicz was summering in the minor leagues, it was hard to envision an October like this.

Yet there he was Friday, coming through when Atlanta needed it most.

Foltynewicz threw seven dominating innings, Adam Duvall hit a pinch-hit homer and the Braves evened the NL Division Series with a 3-0 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals in Game 2.

After spending a good chunk of his summer at Triple-A Gwinnett, Foltynewicz has been a different pitcher since returning from the minors. He went 6-1 with a 2.65 ERA over his last 10 starts - a brilliant run that carried right into the postseason.

''Pretty special,'' Foltynewicz said. ''I really made sure to slow things down, to stay in my mechanics and make sure all my pitches were working like they were tonight. It was smooth sailing, so it was a lot of fun.''

The best-of-five series now shifts to St. Louis, where Mike Soroka goes for the Braves in Game 3 on Sunday against Adam Wainwright.

Facing St. Louis ace Jack Flaherty, who had one of the great second halves in baseball history, Foltynewicz allowed three hits, struck out seven and walked none during an 83-pitch outing that kept the Cardinals from mounting any semblance of offense.

He only allowed one runner as far as second base - and that wasn't even his fault. In the second, Yadier Molina singled and Braves second baseman Ozzie Albies extended the inning by misplaying Paul DeJong's grounder for an error.

No problem. Foltynewicz fanned Harrison Bader to end the threat.

After Kolten Wong hit into a double play to wrap up the seventh, Duvall emerged from the dugout to hit for Foltynewicz in the bottom half.

Duvall was greeted by a smattering of boos from the SunTrust Park crowd that clearly wanted Foltynewicz to go at least one more inning - especially after the Braves bullpen imploded the night before in a Game 1 loss.

The heckles turned to cheers when Duvall drove a 3-2 pitch from Flaherty into the center-field seats for a two-run homer, giving the Braves a bit of breathing room.

''I heard 50,000 people let me know that they wanted Folty to stay in the game,'' Duvall quipped. ''I wanted to put together a good at-bat.''

Josh Donaldson drove in Atlanta's other run with a two-out single in the first.

''I don't look at what that other guy is doing,'' Flaherty said. ''It came down to really two pitches.''

An All-Star in 2018 who started two games for the Braves in last year's playoffs, Foltynewicz was demoted to the minors in late June with a record of 2-5 and 6.37 ERA. He didn't return until early August.

''It's pretty cool to see for a guy that went through what he went through this year and where he's come back from,'' Braves manager Brian Snitker said.

Duvall spent nearly the entire season at Triple-A, so it wouldn't be a stretch to say this was as much a victory for the Gwinnett Stripers as the Braves.

Max Fried, normally a starter and pitching on back-to-back days for the first time all season, breezed through the eighth before turning it over to Mark Melancon, who gave up four runs in the ninth inning of the series opener, sending the Braves to a 7-6 loss.

Melancon surrendered a pair of one-out singles, drawing groans from the crowd, but he struck out Molina and Wong to earn the second postseason save of his career.

Yet this one will be remembered for Foltynewicz outdueling Flaherty, who had surrendered three runs only one time in 15 second-half starts.

The 23-year-old right-hander went 7-2 with an 0.91 ERA after the All-Star break, a minuscule figure surpassed only by Jake Arrieta (0.75) for the 2015 Chicago Cubs and Greg Maddux (0.87) for the 1994 Braves.

Flaherty was the NL pitcher of the month for both August and September.

Foltynewicz has the upper hand in October.

GOOD COMPANY

Foltynewicz joins Hall of Famers Maddux (Game 2 of the 1996 World Series) and Tom Glavine (Game 7 of the 1996 NL Championship Series) as the only Braves pitchers since 1958 to go at least seven innings in a postseason game without giving up a run or a walk.

RUNNING HARD

After being criticized for hog-dogging in Game 1, there were no issues with Ronald Acuna Jr. going full speed every chance he got. The young Atlanta star sprinted down the line on a groundout in the first, and hustled for a double in the seventh on a chopper down the third-base line.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Braves: RHP Chris Martin was replaced on the 25-man roster by Julio Teheran. Martin strained his left oblique on his very first warmup pitch while preparing to pitch in Game 1. He'll miss the rest of this series, as well as the NL Championship Series should the Braves advance.

UP NEXT

The Braves haven't led in a postseason series since they were up 2-1 in the 2002 NLDS against San Francisco. Atlanta wound up losing the final two games to the Giants - part of a streak of nine straight playoff series losses that is only one away from the Chicago Cubs' record for postseason futility.

Soroka (13-4, 2.68 ERA) has been especially tough on the road (7-1, 1.55 ERA), which is why the Braves held him back until Game 3. This battle of the ages pits the 22-year-old right-hander against the 38-year-old Wainwright (14-10, 4.29 ERA), who began his career in the Braves organization before a trade to the Cardinals in 2003.

[StarDust Bum]

LeMahieu, Yankees torment Twins again, 10-4 in ALDS opener
October 4, 2019
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NEW YORK (AP) New postseason, same old story for the New York Yankees and Minnesota Twins.

DJ LeMahieu homered and drove in four runs, Gleyber Torres broke a tie with a two-run double and the Yankees extended their October mastery of Minnesota with a 10-4 victory Friday night in the AL Division Series opener.

Aaron Judge made two diving catches in right field to help the AL East champions hand Minnesota its major league-record 14th consecutive playoff defeat - 11 of them to the Yankees since 2004. The second grab thwarted a potential rally and left grateful reliever Zack Britton with both hands on his head to end the top of the seventh, when the Twins were still within striking distance.

''That was huge,'' Judge said. ''This is the postseason - you've got to make those plays.''

Brett Gardner also went deep for the Bronx Bombers in a playoff matchup between teams that finished neck-and-neck for the most home runs in baseball history. Minnesota's Bomba Squad socked 307, one more than New York as both clubs blew away the previous mark of 267 set by the Yankees last year.

But in the 14th postseason meeting of 100-win teams, it was more of the same Yankees dominance against the Twins - even though many of Minnesota's players and coaches weren't around for most of it.

''We're not out of it by any stretch of the imagination, but we need to show up tomorrow and hopefully turn those solo homers into maybe three-run homers and we'd be in this,'' first baseman C.J. Cron said. ''It's going to be a tough series. We knew that coming in.''

Jorge Polanco, Nelson Cruz and Miguel Sano homered for the Twins, who were hurt by eight walks.

Minnesota, the AL Central champion, hasn't won a playoff game since Johan Santana beat Hall of Famer Mike Mussina 2-0 in the 2004 Division Series opener at Yankee Stadium. Boston also lost 13 straight postseason games, from 1986-95.

''We had some good swings. We had our moments. Just by chance, there was no one on base when we popped a few balls over the fence,'' manager Rocco Baldelli said after his first playoff game as bench boss.

Rookie reliever Zack Littell, a former Yankees farmhand who was traded to the Twins, took the loss after a brief and messy outing. With the score tied in the fifth, he walked Judge, threw a wild pitch and plunked Gardner.

Giancarlo Stanton drew the second of his three critical walks to load the bases, bringing up the 22-year-old Torres. He fought back from 0-2 to a full count against Tyler Duffey and pulled a sharp one-hopper that deflected off the glove of a diving Sano behind third base, giving New York a 5-3 lead.

''Big time at-bat against a guy that was really tough on righties,'' Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. ''That hit I think really, really got us rolling.''

Sano sliced a solo homer in the sixth off winner Tommy Kahnle, who retired cleanup batter Eddie Rosario with two on to end the fifth.

LeMahieu launched his first postseason home run in the sixth, and Gardner also hit a solo drive off rookie Cody Stashak.

LeMahieu, who dropped an easy popup at first base early in the game, made it 10-4 in the seventh when the leadoff man laced a three-run double off Kyle Gibson for his third hit. Fans in the sellout crowd of 49,233 chanted ''MVP! MVP!'' for the three-time All-Star and 2016 NL batting champ, who left Colorado to sign a $24 million, two-year contract with the Yankees last offseason.

''It's like my worst nightmare, dropping a popup like that,'' LeMahieu said. ''I think in the playoffs, you've just got to kind of turn the page real quick, and the next big play is coming up.''

New York was down 2-0 before scoring three runs in the third against starter Jose Berrios. Edwin Encarnacion knocked in one with his second double of the night, and two more scored when the Twins were unable to turn a potential inning-ending double play on Torres with the bases loaded.

With the 6-foot-6, 245-pound Stanton bearing down on him with a hard, clean slide directly into the bag, rookie second baseman Luis Arraez relayed low and wide to first. Cron reached for the throw and could have caught it, but the ball got past him and he was charged with an error that allowed two runs to score.

Polanco hit a tying single with two outs in the fifth to chase Yankees starter James Paxton from his postseason debut.

It took all of two batters and nine pitches for someone to hit a home run, when Polanco took Paxton deep. Cruz cleared the short right field porch with his 17th postseason homer in the third to make it 2-0.

''A lot of guys were on this 2017 team when we went down three to Minnesota (in the wild-card game),'' Judge said. ''Past experience like that you can feed off.''

TRAINER'S ROOM

Twins: The 22-year-old Arraez returned to the lineup after spraining his right ankle last weekend. He had a tough night on defense and at the plate.

Yankees: Back from a strained left oblique, Encarnacion batted cleanup and lined a double on the first competitive pitch he saw since Sept. 12.

UP NEXT

Twins: In an unexpected move, Baldelli announced after the game that undrafted rookie RHP Randy Dobnak (2-1, 1.59 ERA) will start Game 2, with RHP Jake Odorizzi (15-7, 3.51) tabbed for Game 3.

Yankees: RHP Masahiro Tanaka (11-9, 4.45 ERA) makes his sixth postseason start Saturday, looking to improve a 3-2 record and impressive 1.50 ERA. He is 5-0 with a 2.27 ERA in five career outings against Minnesota.

[StarDust Bum]

Strasburg, Scherzer pitch Nats past Dodgers to even NLDS
October 4, 2019
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LOS ANGELES (AP) Stephen Strasburg turned in another dominant playoff outing, Max Scherzer overpowered Los Angeles for an inning out of the bullpen and the Washington Nationals held off the Dodgers 4-2 Friday night to even their NL Division Series at a game apiece.

Scherzer struck out the side in the eighth, but Washington's shaky bullpen still ran into trouble. Daniel Hudson labored through the ninth, loading the bases with two outs before striking out Corey Seager for the save. The tense final inning also included a twisting, falling grab by third baseman Anthony Rendon on Cody Bellinger's pop fly in shallow left field, as well as a gutsy intentional walk by manager Dave Martinez that brought the winning run to bat.

Game 3 is back in Washington on Sunday night, where Scherzer was expected to face major league ERA leader Hyun-Jin Ryu.

''I'm going to see how he feels tomorrow,'' said Martinez, adding Anibal Sanchez would start Sunday if Scherzer doesn't.

Pitching on the shortest rest of his career, Strasburg took a perfect game into the fifth inning while outdueling Clayton Kershaw. Strasburg pitched one-run ball for six innings and struck out 10, lowering his career postseason ERA to 0.64 - the best in history for players with at least four starts. He edged out Dodgers great Sandy Koufax (0.95 ERA), who watched from the front row.

Rookie Will Smith broke up Strasburg's perfect bid with a two-out single. The three-time All-Star allowed his first earned run in 23 consecutive postseason innings dating to the 2014 NLDS against San Francisco and limited Los Angeles to three hits and no walks.

Scherzer came on for the eighth and punched out Gavin Lux, Chris Taylor and Joc Pederson on 14 pitches. The 35-year-old right-hander threw 77 pitches in the NL wild-card game Tuesday, yet he topped out at 99 mph in his fourth career playoff relief appearance.

''We weren't expecting that,'' Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said.

Justin Turner led off the ninth with a ground-rule double off Hudson, spurring hope from a chanting, clapping sellout crowd of 53,086. A.J. Pollock struck out, and then Bellinger popped up to shallow left. Rendon misjudged the ball but recovered and made the catch while he tumbled over. The goateed All-Star smiled wide as he stood.

''The ball kept going and I kept thinking, `Where the hell is our left fielder at?''' Rendon said. ''He didn't call it so I knew I had to catch it.''

Martinez intentionally walked Max Muncy, who hit a solo shot off Sean Doolittle in the seventh, before Hudson walked Will Smith to load the bases. Seager fouled off four fastballs before Hudson got him to swing over a slider.

Los Angeles struck out 17 times.

Strasburg was making the first start of his 10-year career on three days' rest. The right-hander tossed three shutout innings with two hits Tuesday night in a dramatic wild-card victory over Milwaukee, the first relief appearance of his career.

The Nationals took a 4-2 lead in the top of the eighth on Asdrubal Cabrera's pinch-hit RBI single.

Los Angeles finally scored in the sixth on Turner's sacrifice fly after Matt Beaty's pinch-hit single and Pederson's double. With the tying run at the plate, Pollock lined out to Strasburg to end the inning.

Until Smith broke through, the Dodgers' closest attempt at a hit came in the third when Kershaw's sinking line drive was grabbed by diving left fielder Juan Soto.

Kershaw ran into immediate trouble, with Trea Turner doubling on his first pitch of the game. After Adam Eaton popped out to third, Kershaw walked Rendon and hit Soto to load the bases. Howie Kendrick, who had two errors in a Game 1 defeat, followed with a run-scoring single.

The Nationals tacked on a pair of two-out runs in the second for a 3-0 lead. Kershaw hit Victor Robles leading off, and Robles got sacrificed to second by Strasburg. Eaton singled in Robles and Rendon followed with a double off the wall in center.

After the early damage, Kershaw settled down and gave up two hits over his final four innings.

The three-time NL Cy Young Award winner allowed three runs and six hits in six innings. He struck out four and walked one.

DUMPSTER DIVING

Lux's pinch-hit homer in Game 1 ended up in a right field trash can in the eighth inning.

The man who retrieved the ball told Lux how his first postseason homer bounced into the garbage.

''I'm like, `You went dumpster diving for it? I guess I appreciate you doing that,''' Lux said. ''Twenty years from now I can tell my kids, `Hey, this ball was in the trash can.'''

UP NEXT

Scherzer has now pitched in consecutive playoff wins after his teams endured seven straight postseason losses with him on the mound. The three-time Cy Young Award winner was slowed by a back injury this season but brought a live arm Friday. He is 4-5 with a 3.83 ERA in 14 postseason starts and 17 appearances.

Ryu led the majors with a 2.32 ERA, earning his first All-Star nod. He was the NL starter in the game. The South Korean is 2-2 with a 4.11 ERA in seven career postseason starts. Los Angeles elected to start him on the road (4-4, 2.72 ERA in 15 starts) even though he was much better at home (10-1, 1.93 ERA).

[StarDust Bum]

SCHEDULE FOR SATURDAY OCTOBER 5, 2019
Time (ET) Away Home Site
5:07 PM Minnesota Twins New York Yankees Yankee Stadium
9:07 PM Tampa Bay Rays Houston Astros Minute Maid Park

SCHEDULE FOR SUNDAY OCTOBER 6, 2019
Time (ET) Away Home Site
4:10 PM Atlanta Braves St. Louis Cardinals Busch Stadium
7:45 PM Los Angeles Dodgers Washington Nationals Nationals Park


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


MLB PLAYOFF'S OPINIONS AND BEST BETS: ALL BASED ON 5 UNITS

DATE W-L-T % UNITS RECORD.

10/04/2019.......3-3-0.........50.00%........-0.50
10/03/2019.......1-3-0.........25.00%........-9.65
10/02/2019.......1-1-0.........50.00%........-1.35
10/01/2019...... 0-2-0........ 0.00%....... -10.50


Totals...............5-9-0........ 35.71%...... -21.50


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


BEST BETS:

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


10/04/2019.............2 - 1.............+3.45..............3 - 1.............+9.50..............+12.95
10/03/2019.............1 - 1.............+1.35..............0 - 2.............-11.00..............-9.65
10/02/2019.............0 - 1..............-6.35..............1 - 0.............+5.00...............-1.35
10/01/2019.............0 - 1..............-5.00..............0 - 1..............-5.50...............-10.50


Totals.....................3 - 4..............-6.55..............4 - 4..............-2.00...............-8.55

[StarDust Bum]

Saturday’s 6-pack

Odds to win the Stanley Cup next spring:

6-1— Tampa Bay, Toronto

7-1— Colorado, Vegas

10-1— Chicago, Dallas

12-1— Boston, St Louis

15-1— Nashville, Pittsburgh

18-1— San Jose


Quote of the Day
“I love doing what I’m doing at UT, but I love more being with my family and my grandchildren. I’m still the assistant to the assistant pee-wee baseball coach and I’m the flag football coach. You can’t do those things and ever coach. We got a really, really good coach and we need to make sure we appreciate that.”
Tennessee AD Philip Fulmer, the former football coach

Saturday’s quiz
Who is the only pro golfer ever to win $1M+ on the PGA Tour 20 years in a row?

Friday’s quiz
In all of MINOR league baseball this season, 31 no-hitters were thrown.

Thursday’s quiz
Lions and Cowboys always host NFL games on Thanksgiving Day.

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

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

13) Greetings from Las Vegas, America’s favorite city; had a long flight in Friday, complete with 20+ fired-up college students sitting behind me, drinking their way across America. It was a very loud five hours.

12) College football teams with best record vs spread:
5-0: UL-Lafayette, SMU, Auburn, Oklahoma State
11) College football teams with worst record vs spread:
0-5: Akron
0-4: FIU, Georgia Tech, Vanderbilt, Virginia Tech

10) Weird NFL schedule this Sunday; 10 games at 1PM ET, only two at 4:00 or 4:25, with Packers-Cowboys the feature game.

There used to be a rule that the Jets/Giants couldn’t play at the same time unless they were playing each other, to maximize ratings in NY/NJ, but that has gone by the boards.

9) Good program on HBO; 24/7: College Football, which features a different team each week, with Hard Knocks-type access to the head coach and players.

This week’s show featured an hour on the Florida Gators; next three weeks are Penn State, Arizona State and then Washington State.

8) Speaking of Washington State, they found a scapegoat for consecutive losses when defensive coordinator Tracy Claeys “resigned” (got fired) Friday.

Two weeks ago, Wazzu was unbeaten and Leach was playing up his quirky Pirate image with the media; then they blew a 49-17 lead at home to UCLA, got whacked at Utah LW and now fingers are being pointed. We live in a fickle society.

7) Mets fired manager Mickey Callaway, who went 163-161 in his two years in Flushing. There are now seven managerial openings in the major leagues.

6) NFL stuff:
— Colt McCoy will start at QB for the Redskins Sunday.
— Saquon Barkley, Sam Darnold are both out this week.
— Rams’ LB Clay Matthews broke his jaw Thursday, is out for a month.

5) Braves’ OF Ronald Acuna had 33 singles this year that went 300+ feet, a testament to both his power and his tendency not to hustle out of the batters’ box.

4) Sports Illustrated laid off half of its writing staff this week; TheMaven, which is now running SI, is expected to hire contract workers to fill out the writing staff after the layoffs.

3) College football stuff:
— Oklahoma suspended K Calum Sutherland, after an alleged incident with his girlfriend.
— Tennessee will start true freshman QB Brian Maurer against Georgia today.

2) Apparently when the Washington Redskins drafted QB Dwayne Haskins last April, coach Jay Gruden didn’t want the kid, which must make things awkward now, since by the time Haskins is deemed ready to start for Washington, Gruden is likely to have a different job.

1) Golden State Warriors’ star Draymond Green made only 29% of his jump shots LY, the worst %age in the NBA.

[StarDust Bum]

LEADING OFF: Cole vs Snell, Tanaka hopes for good split
October 4, 2019
By The Associated Press

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

COLE'S ROLL

Gerrit Cole led the big leagues with 326 strikeouts, topped the AL with a 2.50 ERA and went 20-5, one win behind Astros teammate Justin Verlander for most in the majors. He also was 16-0 in his final 22 starts.

Cole starts Game 2 of the AL Division Series, a day after Verlander pitched seven shutout innings of one-hit ball in a 6-2 win over Tampa Bay in the opener. Cole's strikeouts set a franchise record, topping the 313 fanned by J.R. Richard in 1979.

Blake Snell (6-8, 4.29 ERA) pitches for the Rays. A year after going 21-5 with a 1.89 ERA and winning the AL Cy Young Award, the lefty missed two months late in the season because of arthroscopic surgery to remove bone chips in his elbow. Snell didn't get out of the third inning in any of his three September starts, but believes he'll be able to go quite a bit longer in this playoff outing.

''I feel very good,'' he said. ''I feel like I'll be able to go five strong innings, if I'm in the zone and attacking like I should be.''

NOW HITCHED, WILL PITCH

A week removed from the biggest day of his life, Twins rookie right-hander Randy Dobnak (2-1, 1.59) will start Game 2 of the AL Division Series at Yankee Stadium. It will be his first appearance since getting married last Saturday - the couple set a date more than two years ago, back when the length of the major league season wasn't a factor.

Dobnak was undrafted out of Division II Alderson-Broaddus College in 2016, yet he's been sensational since making his MLB debut in August. Minnesota manager Rocco Baldelli announced the unexpected move after a 10-4 loss to the Yankees on Friday night, pushing veteran RHP Jake Odorizzi to Game 3.

The Yankees will give the ball to October standout Masahiro Tanaka. The Japanese right-hander is 3-2 with a 1.50 ERA in five postseason starts. He also finished strong after an uneven season tied to struggles with his trademark split-finger fastball. Following a lot of trial and error, Tanaka believes he has his best splitter again.

''It was a struggle, but at the end of the day, you keep trying,'' Tanaka said Friday via translator. ''You work on your mechanics, on your grip, and you just keep on trying and trying, and I feel like towards the end of the season, I was able to really find that good splitter and get that back.''

DAY OF REST

Both NL Division Series are off to travel, meaning Braves closer Mark Melancon gets a day to recover after arduous outings in Games 1 and 2. Melancon blew a save and gave up four runs in the series opener, a 7-6 loss to St. Louis, then allowed two baserunners in the ninth before closing out a 3-0 win in Game 2. A three-time All-Star, Melancon rediscovered his best form after being acquired from San Francisco midseason. Atlanta could use him at the top of his game with the bullpen short-handed following an injury to right-hander Chris Martin.

CATCHING UP

Former Cubs catchers David Ross and Joe Girardi will talk to the team next week about becoming the new manager. Joe Maddon was let go after Chicago missed the playoffs for the first time since 2014.

Ross works in the Cubs' front office. The club interviewed bench coach Mark Loretta this week and will speak to first base coach Will Venable next week.

[StarDust Bum]

[StarDust Bum]

MLB
Dunkel

Saturday, October 5


Minnesota @ NY Yankees

Game 951-952
October 5, 2019 @ 5:07 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Minnesota
(Dobnak) 14.401
NY Yankees
(Tanaka) 16.762
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
NY Yankees
by 2 1/2
9
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
NY Yankees
-180
9 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
NY Yankees
(-180); Under

Tampa Bay @ Houston

Game 953-954
October 5, 2019 @ 9:07 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Tampa Bay
(Snell) 15.337
Houston
(Cole) 18.120
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Houston
by 3
9
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Houston
-300
7 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Houston
(-300); Over




MLB
Armadillo's Write-Up

Friday, October 4

American League
Rays @ Astros (1-0)
Snell is 0-1, 4.50 in three opens since coming off the IL (6 IP); he is 2-2, 4.73 in six starts vs Houston- this is his first playoff start.

Cole was 5-0, 1.29 in six September starts; he is 15-0 in his last 19 starts, and is 0-2, 3.51 in four starts vs Tampa Bay, and 2-3, 3.72 in five playoff starts.

Rays won the Wild Card game Wednesday; they’re in playoffs for first time since 2013. Tampa Bay is 1-3 in the ALCS, winning their first one in 2008, losing the last three.

Houston is in playoffs for 4th time in five years; they won 2017 World Series, lost ALCS LY. Astros are 4-4 vs Tampa Bay this year; home side won six of the eight games.

Twins @ New York (1-0)
Dobnak is 2-1, 1.59 in nine MLB games (5 starts); he finished the four games he didn’t start. His first MLB start was September 3.

Tanaka is 1-1, 5.21 in his last four starts; he is 5-0, 2.27 in five starts vs Minnesota, and is 3-2, 1.50 in five playoff starts.

Twins lost their last 11 playoff games with NYY. Minnesota lost Wild Card game here in 2017, their only playoff appearance since 2010; they’re 2-5 vs NYY this year, with road team winning four of the seven games. Average total in the seven games is 13.6.

New York is in playoffs for 4th time in last seven years, after making it 17 of 18 years before that; they won three of last five trips to the ALDS.




MLB

Friday, October 4

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

New York Yankees
NY Yankees is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
NY Yankees is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games at home
NY Yankees is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of NY Yankees's last 13 games at home
NY Yankees is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Minnesota
NY Yankees is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Minnesota
The total has gone OVER in 6 of NY Yankees's last 7 games when playing Minnesota
NY Yankees is 9-2 ATS in its last 11 games when playing at home against Minnesota
NY Yankees is 11-1 SU in its last 12 games when playing at home against Minnesota
The total has gone OVER in 8 of NY Yankees's last 10 games when playing at home against Minnesota
Minnesota Twins
Minnesota is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Minnesota's last 7 games
Minnesota is 18-7 ATS in its last 25 games on the road
Minnesota is 19-5 SU in its last 24 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Minnesota's last 7 games on the road
Minnesota is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing NY Yankees
Minnesota is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing NY Yankees
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Minnesota's last 7 games when playing NY Yankees
Minnesota is 2-9 ATS in its last 11 games when playing on the road against NY Yankees
Minnesota is 1-11 SU in its last 12 games when playing on the road against NY Yankees
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Minnesota's last 10 games when playing on the road against NY Yankees

Houston Astros
Houston is 7-1 ATS in its last 8 games
Houston is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games
Houston is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games at home
Houston is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Houston's last 5 games at home
Houston is 5-13 ATS in its last 18 games when playing Tampa Bay
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Houston's last 5 games when playing Tampa Bay
Houston is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Tampa Bay
Houston is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Tampa Bay
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Houston's last 5 games when playing at home against Tampa Bay
Tampa Bay Rays
Tampa Bay is 8-4 SU in its last 12 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Tampa Bay's last 7 games
Tampa Bay is 13-5 ATS in its last 18 games when playing Houston
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Tampa Bay's last 5 games when playing Houston
Tampa Bay is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Houston
Tampa Bay is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Houston
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Tampa Bay's last 5 games when playing on the road against Houston


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


MLB
Long Sheet

Saturday, October 5

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

MINNESOTA (101 - 62) at NY YANKEES (104 - 59) - 5:07 PM
JAKE ODORIZZI (R) vs. MASAHIRO TANAKA (R)
Top Trends for this game.
NY YANKEES are 104-59 (+14.8 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
NY YANKEES are 24-6 (+14.7 Units) against the money line as a home favorite of -125 to -175 this season.
NY YANKEES are 58-24 (+14.1 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
NY YANKEES are 41-12 (+17.8 Units) against the money line in home games against right-handed starters this season.
NY YANKEES are 46-27 (+18.5 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
MINNESOTA is 101-62 (+21.5 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
MINNESOTA is 55-27 (+27.5 Units) against the money line in road games this season.
MINNESOTA is 23-12 (+10.1 Units) against the money line on the road when the total is 9 to 9.5 this season.
MINNESOTA is 23-7 (+12.1 Units) against the money line when playing on Saturday this season.
MINNESOTA is 67-38 (+18.4 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
MINNESOTA is 79-44 (+21.4 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
MINNESOTA is 44-19 (+21.7 Units) against the money line after a loss this season.
ODORIZZI is 21-9 (+10.4 Units) against the money line in all games this season. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
NY YANKEES is 5-2 (+2.7 Units) against MINNESOTA this season
6 of 7 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+4.9 Units)

JAKE ODORIZZI vs. NY YANKEES since 1997
ODORIZZI is 7-9 when starting against NY YANKEES with an ERA of 4.95 and a WHIP of 1.204.
His team's record is 7-10 (-2.2 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 7-9. (-3.6 units)

MASAHIRO TANAKA vs. MINNESOTA since 1997
TANAKA is 5-0 when starting against MINNESOTA with an ERA of 2.27 and a WHIP of 1.009.
His team's record is 5-0 (+5.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 4-1. (+3.0 units)

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

TAMPA BAY (97 - 67) at HOUSTON (108 - 55) - 9:07 PM
BLAKE SNELL (L) vs. GERRIT COLE (R)
Top Trends for this game.
TAMPA BAY is 187-139 (+23.9 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 80-66 (+16.7 Units) against the money line in road games in night games over the last 3 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 77-71 (+19.6 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 39-24 (+23.9 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
SNELL is 20-9 (+13.0 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
HOUSTON is 296-320 (-63.6 Units) against the money line when playing on Saturday since 1997.
HOUSTON is 75-47 (-22.1 Units) against the money line in home games in night games over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 44-37 (-28.7 Units) against the money line in home games against left-handed starters over the last 3 seasons.
HOUSTON is 38-35 (-21.1 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 19-20 (-18.3 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
TAMPA BAY is 4-4 (+1.3 Units) against HOUSTON this season
4 of 8 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=-0.8 Units, Under=-0.3 Units)

BLAKE SNELL vs. HOUSTON since 1997
SNELL is 2-2 when starting against HOUSTON with an ERA of 4.73 and a WHIP of 1.485.
His team's record is 4-2 (+3.8 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-4. (-2.3 units)

GERRIT COLE vs. TAMPA BAY since 1997
COLE is 0-2 when starting against TAMPA BAY with an ERA of 3.51 and a WHIP of 1.091.
His team's record is 2-2 (-1.2 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 2-2. (-0.2 units)


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


951MINNESOTA -952 NY YANKEES
NY YANKEES are 18-5 SU (15.3 Units) vs. teams outscoring opp by 1 or more runs/game on the season in the current season.

953TAMPA BAY -954 HOUSTON
TAMPA BAY is 8-21 SU (-17 Units) vs. teams outscoring opp by 1 or more runs/game on the season in the current season.

[StarDust Bum]

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 5
GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

MIN at NYY 05:07 PM
O 9.0

TB at HOU 09:07 PM
TB +267
U 7.5

[StarDust Bum]

Cole fans 15, Bregman homers as Astros top Rays 3-1
October 5, 2019
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HOUSTON (AP) Gerrit Cole carried his splendid September into an outstanding October and Alex Bregman handed fans chanting MVP the mighty swing they craved and the Houston Astros survived a wild ninth inning to beat the Tampa Bay Rays 3-1 on Saturday night for a 2-0 lead in their AL Division Series.

Cole, 5-0 with a 1.07 ERA in six starts last month, set an Astros postseason record with 15 strikeouts in 7 2/3 scoreless innings to win his franchise-record 17th straight decision. The 15 strikeouts tied for third-most in a postseason game, the highest total since Roger Clemens had 15 in the 2000 AL Championship Series for the New York Yankees against Seattle.

Cole (1-0), who led the majors with 326 strikeouts in the regular season, extended his major league record with his 10th straight game with at least 10 Ks. The Rays were unable to string anything together off of him on a night he induced 33 swings and misses - the most since MLB started tracking the stat in 2008 - and threw a career-high 118 pitches.

Kevin Kiemaier doubled with two outs in the eighth and Cole was lifted after putting on Willy Adames with Cole's first walk. The right-hander received a standing ovation as he walked off the mound and waved to the crowd just before he reached the dugout. Roberto Osuna took over and struck out Yandy Diaz to end the inning before running into trouble in the ninth.

Austin Meadows and Tommy Pham hit consecutive singles and Ji-Man Choi walked to load the bases. The Rays cut the lead to 3-1 when Avisail Garcia grounded into a forceout that scored Meadows. Osuna walked Brandon Lowe, reloading the bases, and Astros manager AJ Hinch brought in Will Harris.

Travis d'Arnaud worked the count full, then struck out on a high cutter, and Kiermaier grounded to first baseman Yuli Gurriel, who flipped to Harris, who stepped on first for the save.

Cole's performance came after fellow ace and Cy Young Award contender Justin Verlander pitched seven scoreless innings to lead the Astros to a 6-2 win in the opener on Friday.

Game 3 of the best-of five series is Monday in Florida.

There were no outs in the fourth when Bregman, who hit a career-best 41 home runs in the regular season, homered off Blake Snell (0-10. All seven of Bregman's homers have come off All-Stars, including two against Chris Sale and one each vs. Trevor Bauer, Clayton Kershaw, Corey Kluber and Kenley Jansen.

His shot gave the Astros a home run in 27 straight games, extending a franchise record.

After Lowe's error at second gifted Houston two runs in the opener, another error on helped in the seventh. Adames bobbled Gurriel's leadoff grounder to shortstop, then bounced the thorw to first. Carlos Correa doubled and Martin Maldonado blooped a run-scoring single to left.

Correa added a two-out RBI single off Nick Anderson in the eighth for a 3-0 lead.

Snell, the 2018 AL Cy Young Award winner, sat out from July 22-Sept. 17 after arthroscopic surgery to remove bone chips in his left elbow. He didn't get out of the third inning in any of his three September starts, but said he hoped to give the Rays five innings on Saturday. Instead he was lifted one batter after Bregman's homer, finishing with four hits and a strikeout in 3 1/3 innings.

Correa helped Cole out with a fantastic defensive play to start the game. Diaz led off with a grounder toward Correa, who grabbed the ball backhanded while on the run and spun around for the throw to Gurriel that just beat a sliding Diaz.

UP NEXT

Former Astro Charlie Morton, who got the win in the Rays wild-card victory, will start against Zack Greinke. Morton pitched for the Astros from 2017-18 and played a big role in their 2017 World Series title. He won Game 7 of AL Championship Series against the Yankees and Game 7 of the World Series at Dodger Stadium to give Houston its first championship.

Morton had a tough time in his last start against Houston when he gave up a season-high six runs in four innings, which tied his shortest start of season, in a 15-1 win by Astros on Aug. 27. Greinke, acquired from Arizona at the trade deadline, went 8-1 with a 3.02 ERA in 10 starts after the trade capped by a gem in his last start when he came two outs shy of his first no-hitter on Sept. 25 against Seattle.


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


Yanks stagger Twins again, lead ALDS 2-0
October 5, 2019
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NEW YORK (AP) The 103-win New York Yankees ran out identical, relentless lineups in consecutive games for the first time all year, and manager Aaron Boone believes he knows what's next for the A-team Bombers.

''Throttle down,'' he said.

Didi Gregorius hooked a slump-busting grand slam during a seven-run third inning and the Yankees pummeled the Minnesota Twins again, cruising to an 8-2 victory Saturday for a 2-0 lead in their AL Division Series.

Uber driver-turned-rookie big leaguer Randy Dobnak struggled in an unexpected start, and the Twins lost their record 15th consecutive postseason game, including 12 straight against the Yankees. The latter is the longest postseason skid for one club against another in major league history, topping Boston's dominance over the Angels from 1986-2008. Minnesota hasn't won a playoff game since Johan Santana bested the Yankees in their 2004 Division Series opener - exactly 15 years earlier.

''Our guys know that we can turn it around,'' Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said.

Coaches and players on both sides have downplayed that history, most of which predates current rosters. It's all too familiar for fans in Minnesota, where the teams will play Monday's Game 3 in the best-of-five series.

''We'll have all kinds of fire power ready to go Monday,'' Boone said.

Gregorius' shot blew Game 2 wide open while New York batted around. The switch-hitter staggered after connecting for the first time since Sept. 10, looping his bat from one hand to another and mashing on bubble gum while he watched the ball fly. Gregorius, set to become a free agent after the season, batted .194 during September and was 0 for 3 in Game 1.

''I expect this from Didi,'' Boone said. ''Just when you think you've got him down, he's got a big swing in him.''

Boone had predicted that if Gregorius could just find a hole, big hits might follow. Sure enough, Gregorius squibbed an infield single in his first at-bat before lifting his homer into the second deck in right field.

Gregorius said he was processing the at-bat during his unusual reaction to the slam. Relief pitcher Tyler Duffey struck out Gregorius on a high fastball Friday, a similar pitch to the one Gregorius crushed.

''I was ready for it this time,'' he said.

Finally featuring nearly all its stars after placing 30 players on the injured list during the regular season, New York has grinded away at Twins pitching. The Yankees worked eight walks for the second straight game, and Aaron Judge led the way with two hits and two free passes.

''They were really good, especially on breaking balls,'' Duffey said. ''If you weren't close to the plate, it didn't even seem like they wanted to even think about swinging.''

Yankees right-hander Masahiro Tanaka pitched one-run ball for five innings for the win, striking out seven and handing off to New York's fearsome bullpen after 83 pitches. Tanaka's career postseason ERA climbed to 1.54, still second lowest by a New York starter with a minimum of four starts behind Monte Pearson's 1.01.

''I actually don't get too caught up on being good in the postseason and all that,'' Tanaka said through a translator. ''Come to think about it, I think it's still a small sample. My thing is just go out there and be the best that you can be, compete.''

Dobnak faltered in just his 10th big league appearance, taking the loss a week after his wedding in Maryland. The undrafted right-hander allowed Edwin Encarnacion's RBI single in the first inning, stranded two in the second and loaded the bases with no outs in the third before being pulled.

A night after giving up Gleyber Torres' tiebreaking double, Duffey scuffled again. The right-hander followed Dobnak and allowed a sacrifice fly to Giancarlo Stanton, an RBI hit to Torres and plunked Gary Sanchez before Gregorius' drive.

''We're going to go to Duffey in those types of spots consistently,'' Baldelli said.

New York scored four runs off relievers a night after piling up seven in a 10-4 victory. The Yankees are 15-2 against the Twins in the playoffs, and these two games were the most lopsided during Minnesota's losing streak. The teams played for 3 hours, 34 minutes, a night after dragging on for 4:15.

Yankee Stadium rocked early after Friday's blowout. Fans in left field shouted ''Uber!'' at Dobnak while he warmed up, and Judge encouraged more noise from the bleachers before first pitch.

Gregorius took a curtain call while fans chanted his name after the slam, the 12th in New York's postseason history. The Bronx Bombers connected for only one homer Saturday after driving 306 of them during the regular season, one behind the Bomba Squad Twins for the major league record.

Tanaka left with a seven-run lead, but Boone ran out top middlemen Tommy Kahnle and Adam Ottavino to guide the game into the late innings. Tyler Lyons and Jonathan Loaisiga closed up with an inning each. Yankees pitchers gave up six hits, one walk and struck out 13, leaving the Twins with a .197 batting average in the two games.

''We won a hundred games a lot of different ways,'' catcher Mitch Garver said. ''And it seems like we're not doing that right now.''

TRAINER'S ROOM

Twins: Baldelli had no concerns about Arraez after the second baseman sprained his right ankle last weekend and had a busy night Friday. Arraez doubled twice.

Yankees: Boone confirmed several players will be keeping ready at the team's complex in Tampa, Florida, through the postseason, including OF Clint Frazier, 1B Mike Ford and LHP Jordan Montgomery.

UP NEXT

Yankees RHP Luis Severino (1-1, 1.50) makes his seventh postseason start and his fourth appearance of an injury-marred season. Severino was sharp in three September regular-season starts after missing nearly the entire season with shoulder and lat issues.

All-Star Jake Odorizzi (15-7, 3.51) will start for Minnesota after being passed over in Game 2. He said he wasn't bothered by the decision.