Thursday Trends and Indexes 04/19

[pm530]

Trends and Indexes
Thursday, April 19

Good Luck on day #109 of 2007!

NOTE:
As information becomes available, we will attempt to post the trends and indexes as soon as possible.
Information is posted from what we believe are reliable sources.

[pm530]

Thursday's List of 13: Random thoughts on a great night

13) Couple of great games on west coast, where Albert Pujols tried straight steal of home in 12th inning of tie game against rookie lefty Jonathan Sanchez of the Giants. It didn't work, as Rich Aurilia got game-winning hit in bottom of 12th for SF.

12) Padres played second extra-inning game in row, falling to Arizona 5-2 in 12 innings, as Padres walked Stephen Drew to get to Eric Byrnes, who then burned them with game-winning hit. Teams play day game tomorrow; Padres will be tired, after two long games and travel in between.

11) Byrnes is my favorite player to watch; he plays a lot like Pete Rose used to.

10) If there is any justice, Raptors will knock Vince Carter out of NBA playoffs in first round. Carter had gall to admit he did not always give his top effort as a Raptor, trying to get traded out of Canada. Hopefully, Toronto will win this series.

9) Matsuzaka's pitch counts for his first three American starts were: 108-103-105. In Japan, pitchers throw 90 pitches the day before they start. Wonder what he thinks of this setup?

8) Fantasy baseball tip: Tim Lincecum, pitcher, Giants. In his first three AAA starts this season, he has allowed nine hits, zero runs in 18.1 IP, with 28 strikeouts. Get him while you can.

7) Mets' black hats with blue brims are worst hats in baseball.

6) Sad that Super Sonics are probably leaving Seattle after the '07-'08 season; they've been there for forty years, fans there are good fans, but big business dictates that they run off to a new city that is offering more inducements. Oklahoma City is likely going to be their new home.

5) #125 on PGA Tour money list is currently Jesper Parnevik, the guy who introduced Eldrick Woods to his wife (she was Parnevik's kids' nanny); he has earned $177,987 in 10 events. So far, 22 golfers have already earned $1M+ this season.

4) Scary stat I heard on radio yesterday: Last year, there were over 6,000,000 Botox treatments in this country. No wonder people in other countries think we're a bunch of jackasses.

3) Mark Buehrle faced minimum 27 hitters in his no-hitter vs Rangers, whose 3-4 hitters, Young/Teixeira are both slumping early this season. Anibal Sanchez of Marlins has 2006's lone no-hitter.

2) Charlie Manuel's Phillies lost in extra innings Wednesday, in part because Manuel botched a pitching change, failing to wait unitl a pinch-hitter was announced, thereby letting the Nationals pull the pinch-hitter back. As luck would have it, it was that pinch-hitter who later got the key hit in 13th inning.

Jimy Williams will be managing the Phillies by June 1.

1) Think about this: When Jackie Robinson came into the big leagues in 1947, there were 16 teams in major leagues, three in New York, two each in Boston, Philly, Chicago and St Louis, so until 1954, only 10 American cities had big league baseball

[pm530]

Baseball – Write up

MLB
Write-up


Thursday, April 19

Hot Pitchers
-- Phillies are 6-2 in Moyer's last eight starts.
-- Cook has 2.40 RA in his last two starts, but Rockies are 0-3 in his '07 starts, with bullpen losing all three games.
-- Lowe is 2-0, 1.20 in his last two starts.
-- LHernandez is 1-0, 2.25 in his first three '07 starts. Peavy is 2-0, 0.81 in three starts this season.
-- Wells is 1-1, 1.93 in his last two starts.
-- OHernandez is 1-0, 1.38 in two road starts this season.
-- Rich Hill is 2-0, 0.64 in his first two '07 starts.

-- Halladay is 2-0, 2.74 in three starts this season; he won his last start in 10 innings, tossing complete game.
-- Vazquez is 2-0, 1.50 in his first two '07 starts.
-- JSantana is 2-1, 3.60 in three starts this season. Seattle is 5-1 in Washburn's last six home starts.

Cold Pitchers
-- Patterson is 0-2, 7.07 in three starts for the Nationals.
-- Duke is 1-1, 7.20 in his first three '07 starts. Suppan is 1-2, 4.19 in his first three starts for Milwaukee.
-- Lowry is 0-2, 4.15 in two starts; Giants scored one run in the two games.
-- Van den Hurk allowed one run in 4.2 rainy innings in his first big league start, a game Marlins later lost in extra innings.
-- Arroyo is 0-2, 5.89 in his first three '07 starts. Williams is 0-1, 5.91 in his first two starts for the Astros.
-- Redman is 0-2, 12.96 in his first two '07 starts.

-- Carmona has lost his last eleven decisions. Rasner is 0-1, 7.45 in two starts this season.
-- Tavarez allowed four runs in four IP in his only '07 start, a 8-4 loss at Texas 12 days ago.
-- Padilla is 0-3, 7.64 in three starts this season.

Totals
-- Under is 5-2-1 in last eight Washington games.
-- Under is 8-3-2 in Pittsburgh games this season.
-- Under is 8-3-1 in last twelve Colorado games.
-- Under is 8-4-2 in last fourteen Arizona games.
-- Under is 5-2 in Cardinal road games this season.
-- Mets are 5-0 when game goes over total, 4-4 if it doesn't.
-- Under is 9-4-2 in Cincinnati games this season.
-- Under is 10-2 in Cardinal games this season.

-- Under is 9-3-1 in Boston's games this season.
-- Over is 5-1-1 in games in the Bronx this season.
-- Under is 8-4-1 in last thirteen Minnesota games.
-- Under is 9-1-1 in White Sox' last eleven games.

Hot Teams
-- Nationals won three of their last four games.
-- Mets are 9-4 so far this season, 6-2 on road.
-- Astros won six of their last seven games.
-- Braves won six of their last eight home games.
-- Dodgers won ten of last thirteen games. Rockies won four of their last five home games.
-- Diamondbacks won their last five road games. Padres are 4-2 in last six home games, but they're playing day game after a pair of extra-inning games, with travel mixed in. Fatigue is an option. .

-- Bronx scored 19 runs in first two games of series vs Indians. .
-- Red Sox won six of their last eight games.
-- Minnesotaa llowed seven runs in its first four road games.

Cold Teams
-- Marlins lost six of their last seven games.
-- Reds lost three of last four home games.
-- Phillies lost ten of their first thirteen games.
-- Cubs lost seven of their last nine games.
-- Brewers allowed 30 runs in their last four games. Pirates lost seven of their last ten games.
-- Giants lost eight of their last 13 games. Cardinals lost four of last five games.

-- Cleveland starting P's lasted 1.2/2.2 IP in first two gaames of series in Bronx.
-- Toronto scored less than three runs in four of last five games.
-- White Sox lost three of last four games, scoring eight runs. Rangers are 2-6 on road this season; they had zero hits last nite.

[pm530]

Hockey – Write up

NHL
Write-up


Thursday, April 19

Calgary got back in series with 3-2 win in Game 3, making home side 7-0 in season series this year; Red Wings are 0-3 in this arena, losing in Calgary by 4-1/2-1/3-2 scores. Shots were 30-28 Detroit in Game 3, after being 97-35 in first two games. There is no doubt rabid Calgary fans are inspiring the Flames.

All three Vancouver series wins are by single goal; they own a 6-3 series edge in goals after second period. Teams are 3-46 on power play in series. Dallas is 1-3 in this building this season, and they'll have to win here twice to have shot at comeback in series. Under is 7-1 in season series.

Senators won twice in Pittsburgh, can eliminate Penguins with win here; Pittsburgh was 0-9 on power play at home, after being 4-13 in Ottawa. Funny thing is, Pittsburgh is 3-1 in this building this season, winning both regular season games, and Game 2 of this series, losing only 6-2 in series opener.

Minnesota scored three third period goals to snap a 1-1 tie, and end skid of three one-goal losses to Anaheim, which is 4-0 vs Wild this season in Pond. Wild averaged 25.7 shots per game in first three losses, then threw 40 pucks on net in Game 4, so expect solid effort early from Minnesota, as they try to re-enter a series Anaheim probably already thinks it has won.

[pm530]

Baseball - Tips & Trends

MLB
Tips and Trends


Thursday, April 19

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Boston Red Sox at Toronto Blue Jays (12:37 PM ET)
Boston starter Julian Tavarez has started just one game this season, allowing four runs and six hits over four innings of work. He hasn't thrown a pitch since April 7th due to all the delays around the Majors the past couple weeks. EDGE: BLUE JAYS

Toronto starter Roy Halladay is one of the best pitchers in the Majors, but has struggled against the Red Sox going 8-7 with a 4.60 ERA in 27 appearances. EDGE: RED SOX
The Blue Jays are 6-1 in Halladay's last seven starts versus the Red Sox.
The UNDER is 7-1 in the last eight meetings.


St. Louis Cardinals at San Francisco Giants (3:35 PM ET)
St. Louis starter Kip Wells is 1-2 with a 2.25 ERA this season and has a great shot of picking up his third victory this afternoon. Wells is 3-2 with a solid 2.87 ERA against them in five starts. EDGE: CARDINALS
San Francisco starter Noah Lowry is 0-2 with a 4.85 ERA in two career starts against St. Louis. He's allowed nine runs and 18 hits in 13 innings of work. EDGE: CARDINALS
The Giants are 0-7 in Lowry's last seven starts.
The Cardinals are 4-1 in their last five road games versus a left-handed starter.


Arizona Diamondbacks at San Diego Padres (3:35 PM ET)
Arizona starter Livan Hernandez has been terrific on the road this season, posting a 1-0 record with a 1.29 ERA. Hernandez has been quite successful against the Padres in his career - going 9-2 with a 3.38 ERA. BIG EDGE: D-BACKS
San Diego starter Jake Peavy is 7-8 with a 5.49 ERA in 17 career starts against Arizona. EDGE: D-BACKS
The Padres have won all three games that Peavy has been on the mound this year, as he's allowed just two runs and 11 hits over 20 innings of work. EDGE: PADRES & UNDER
The Padres are 4-1 in Peavy's last five home starts versus the Diamondbacks.


Houston Astros at Cincinnati Reds (7:10 PM ET)
Cincinnati won four of the last five season series in 2006 between the two teams. EDGE: REDS
Houston outfielder Lance Berkman's 12 homers at Great American Ball Park ties him with Chicago third baseman Aramis Ramirez for the most by any Reds opponent. EDGE: ASTROS
Reds starter Bronson Arroyo is 6-3 with a 2.74 ERA in 18 career starts at Great American Ball Park. EDGE: REDS
Astros starter Woody Williams posted an 8-3 record in 14 games on the road last season. EDGE: ASTROS

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[pm530]

Hockey – Tips & Trends

NHL
Tips and trends


Thursday, April 19

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Pittsburgh Penguins at Ottawa Senators (7 PM ET)
The Senators quieted NHL scoring champion Sidney Crosby in Game 3, failing to score for the first time in the series despite playing a strong game. Pittsburgh was 0-for-5 on the power play and 0-for-9 in their last two home games. EDGE: SENATORS
Pittsburgh has come back from 3-1 deficits before, most recently in 1995 against Washington, but the Senators are 3-0 after they go up 3-1. SLIGHT EDGE: PENGUINS
The Penguins have been outscored 14-3 in their last four playoff home games. EDGE: SENATORS
The OVER is 5-1-3 in the last nine meetings in Ottawa.


Minnesota Wild at Anaheim Ducks (10:30 PM ET)
Minnesota was held to just four goals in the first three games of the Western Conference series, finally produced some offense with four goals in a 4-1 victory in Minnesota. Wild coach Jacques Lemaire put his top three scorers on one line to produce the spark. SLIGHT EDGE: WILD & OVER
The Ducks may start Jean-Sebastien Giguere in goal for the first time in the series. Giguere shut out the Wild three times in the last playoff series between the teams, a sweep by the Ducks in the 2003 Western Conference Finals. EDGE: DUCKS
The home team is 15-2-1 in the last 18 meetings.

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[pm530]

MLB
Hot Lines


Thursday, April 19

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Chicago at Atlanta: Pick Cubs -117

Baseball probably won’t be the only thing on the mind of Atlanta Braves star center fielder Andruw Jones today. Jones is mourning the death of John Rocker’s father Jake. Jones lived with the Rockers for seven months when he played with John in 1995.

“It’s tough, man,” Jones told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “He was always there. We ate together as a family. It was almost like a dad.”

If the Braves cleanup hitter can’t focus, it could be bad news for Atlanta backers. Jones is a power threat in the middle of the Braves batting order and a perennial Gold Glove winner.


Texas at Chicago: Pick White Sox -135

Anybody catch the highlights from Tuesday night’s action in the majors? If you did you would have seen Sammy Sosa jumping around like he had just won the Texas Rangers a World Series instead of smacking a meaningless home run.

Sosa clubbed a three-run dinger in the eighth inning to put the Rangers up 8-1 over the Chicago White Sox. Chicago manager Ozzie Guillen elected to walk Texas first baseman Mark Teixeira and pitch to Sosa instead.

“I will walk Teixeira and pitch to Sammy Sosa every day of the year,” Guillen told the Chicago Sun-Times. “Teixeira isn’t going to beat me. Sammy, be ready because you have to hit.”

The Rangers are in trouble if they have to depend on Sosa to deliver again for them in this series. As ESPN’s Gene Wojciechowski pointed out on Wednesday’s edition of Cold Pizza, Sosa appears to be strictly a guess-fastball-hitter now.


Houston at Cincinnati: Pick Reds -138

Looks like the Cincinnati Reds might reward outfielder Josh Hamilton for his strong start with the every day spot in the lineup. Ryan Freel gladly moved from centerfield to third base on Tuesday to make from for Hamilton.

“I don’t care what you say, (Hamilton) can flat-out play and he needs to be in the lineup every day,” Freel told the Cincinnati Post.

Hamilton’s production has helped offset Edwin Encarnacion’s slow start. If Freel, Encarnacion and Hamilton can somehow fit into the lineup every day, the Reds’ batter order could be intimidating.

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[pm530]

Baseball – Injury Report

MLB
Injury Report


Thursday, April 19

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MLB Infirmary Report

The cold weather in April has led to a number of early injuries around the majors, especially to players' hamstrings and shoulders. The injury list grew longer last week, as a number of stars were added while very few returned to action.


Arizona:

Randy Johnson – back – The Diamondbacks decided to give Johnson one more rehab start in the minors before bringing him back to Arizona. The Big Unit has looked pretty good against the minor leaguers, but he has lost some velocity on his once-lethal fastball. Johnson’s numbers may have taken quite a hit in the Bronx last season, but he still won 17 games. He could still put up similar win totals this season if his back holds up.


Chicago Cubs:

Alfonso Soriano – hamstring – Just when it looked like the Cubs' expensive offseason acquisition was ready to break out of his early-season slump, Soriano injured his hamstring in center field last week. The Cubs held off putting Soriano on the 15-day DL, but he is expected to miss at least 7-10 days to heal. Soriano’s power numbers are expected to come around eventually, but this injury could cut into his base-stealing numbers.


Houston:

Jason Jennings – elbow – The Astros’ answer to losing Roger Clemens and Andy Pettitte in the offseason didn’t work out as planned. Jennings will be sidelined indefinitely with right elbow flexor tendonitis. Sounds like fun.


Los Angeles Angels:

Kelvim Escobar – shoulder – Escobar could be back on the mound for the Angels on April 25 as long as he’s over his shoulder problem by then. Right now things look good for Escobar to make that start, but watch how he holds up when he returns.

Chone Figgins – finger – Figgins had a splint removed from his hand last week and took batting practice over the weekend without any complications. Figgins was expected to start throwing this week, but has at least a week or two of rehabbing left before he’ll crack the Angels’ starting lineup again.

Bartolo Colon – shoulder – Colon has looked really good in his minor-league rehab starts and is scheduled to make his debut for the Angels this weekend. Colon has regained most of the velocity that he lost after having offseason shoulder surgery, but he may have to go through some growing pains while re-adapting to major league hitters.

Vladimir Guerrero – wrist – Guerrero took a pitch off his wrist on Monday, but thankfully for the Angels X-rays were negative. Guerrero sat out on Tuesday and he could be sidelined until Friday while waiting for the bruise to heal and give him back full mobility.


Los Angeles Dodgers:

Jason Schmidt – shoulder – Schmidt was placed on the 15-day DL on Tuesday due to shoulder inflammation. Schmidt was hammered by the Padres in his last start and his velocity has continued to drop, which is not a good sign for the former power pitcher.


Minnesota:

Torii Hunter – shoulder – Hunter bruised his left shoulder while trying to make a shoestring catch on Tuesday night. Hunter is listed as day-to-day and may miss a couple games, but don’t expect him to land on the DL.


New York Yankees:

Mike Mussina – hamstring – Mussina was placed on the 15-day DL on Sunday with a strained left hamstring. Reports say that Mussina tried throwing off the mound on Sunday, but gave up after only seven pitches. Not a good sign for a depleted Yankees’ rotation.

Carl Pavano – forearm - Given his history, it's not much of a surprise that Pavano has landed on the DL again. Pavano has been feeling tightness in his forearm and the Yankees have decided to shut him down for at least 15 days. Don’t be surprised if Pavano is out longer.

Hideki Matsui – hamstring - Matsui will become eligible to come off the 15-day DL next week, but it’s hard to tell if he’ll actually be ready to return. Matsui has started some light jogging and hit off a tee last week. Keep an eye out for updates this week to see how he is progressing.

Chien-Ming Wang – hamstring – Wang made his first minor-league rehab start on Saturday and looked good while throwing five shutout innings in which he did not allow a hit. Wang has another rehab start on Thursday and should head back to the Bronx if that goes well.


Oakland:

Rich Harden – shoulder – Harden left his last start with tightness in his shoulder, which isn’t a good sign with his injury history. Harden had an MRI earlier his week which came back normal so hopefully for the A’s sake he’ll avoid the DL this time.


Toronto:

Troy Glaus – heel – Glaus was placed on the 15-day DL due to a bone spur in his left heel that has been giving him problems all season. Glaus is out until the end of April if not longer, according to reports from Toronto.

B.J. Ryan – elbow – Ryan has been hammered twice already this season and the problem may have been a wonky elbow. Ryan is expected to miss at least 4-6 weeks after an MRI showed no significant damage, which rules out season-ending surgery for now.

Reed Johnson – back – A herniated disk in Johnson’s back will require surgery and sideline him until sometime in July.

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[pm530]

NHL
Long Sheet


Thursday, April 19

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DETROIT (52-20-0-13, 117 pts.) at CALGARY (44-31-0-10, 98 pts.) - 4/19/2007, 9:30 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
DETROIT is 6-5 (+0.1 Units) against the spread versus CALGARY over the last 3 seasons
DETROIT is 6-5-0 straight up against CALGARY over the last 3 seasons
5 of 7 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+3.1 Units)


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DALLAS (51-26-0-9, 111 pts.) at VANCOUVER (52-27-0-7, 111 pts.) - 4/19/2007, 10:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
VANCOUVER is 6-6 (+0.4 Units) against the spread versus DALLAS over the last 3 seasons
VANCOUVER is 6-6-0 straight up against DALLAS over the last 3 seasons
9 of 11 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+6.6 Units)


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PITTSBURGH (48-28-0-10, 106 pts.) at OTTAWA (51-26-0-9, 111 pts.) - 4/19/2007, 7:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
OTTAWA is 8-4 (+0.9 Units) against the spread versus PITTSBURGH over the last 3 seasons
OTTAWA is 8-4-0 straight up against PITTSBURGH over the last 3 seasons
6 of 9 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+2.6 Units)


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MINNESOTA (49-29-0-8, 106 pts.) at ANAHEIM (51-21-0-14, 116 pts.) - 4/19/2007, 10:35 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
ANAHEIM is 6-6-0 straight up against MINNESOTA over the last 3 seasons
7 of 10 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+3.5 Units)


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[Udog]

NHL
Dunkel


Minnesota at Anaheim
Stymied the whole series, the Minnesota offense finally exploded for four goals in Game Four to stay alive. Anaheim goalie Ilya Bryzgalov, who had been solid up to that point, gave up three goals in six shots in the third period and may sit behind Jean-Sebastian Giguere tonight. The Wild have been close in each game and the break through should give them some momentum even on the road, making Minnesota a decent underdog pick according to Dunkel, which has the Wild favored straight up by 1/2 a goal. Dunkel Pick: Minnesota (+1 1/2). Here are all of today's games.

THURSDAY, APRIL 19

Game 9-10: Detroit at Calgary
Dunkel Ratings: Detroit 13.468; Calgary 12.401
Dunkel Line & Total: Detroit by 1; 4 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: Detroit by 1 1/2; 5
Dunkel Pick: Calgary (+1 1/2); Under

Game 11-12: Dallas at Vancouver
Dunkel Ratings: Dallas 12.584; Vancouver 13.505
Dunkel Line & Total: Vancouver by 1; 4 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: Vancouver by 1 1/2; 5
Dunkel Pick: Dallas (+1 1/2); Under

Game 13-14: Pittsburgh at Ottawa
Dunkel Ratings: Pittsburgh 12.169; Ottawa 13.733
Dunkel Line & Total: Ottawa by 1 1/2; 7 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: Ottawa by 1 1/2; 6 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Neutral; Over

Game 15-16: Minnesota at Anaheim
Dunkel Ratings: Minnesota 13.325; Anaheim 13.196
Dunkel Line & Total: Minnesota by 1/2; 4
Vegas Line & Total: Anaheim by 1 1/2; 5
Dunkel Pick: Minnesota (+1 1/2); Under

[Udog]

MLB
Dunkel


Pittsburgh at Milwaukee
Even with yesterday's loss, Pittsburgh has been a much better team on the road (6-3) than at home (0-4) in the early going. Pirates' starter Zach Duke looks to rebound from a bad outing and has enjoyed success against the Brewers (3-1, 3.63 in 7 starts) in his young career. Milwaukee starter Jeff Suppan has pitched well (3.72 ERA), but has suffered some hard luck in dropping two of his first three decisions. The Pirates look like a decent underdog pick (+150) in this one according to Dunkel, which has Pittsburgh favored straight up by 1. Dunkel Pick: Pittsburgh (+150). Here are all of today's games.

THURSDAY, APRIL 19

Game 901-902: Philadelphia at Washington
Dunkel Ratings: Philadelphia (Moyer) 14.836; Washington (Patterson) 13.793
Dunkel Line: Philadelphia by 1; 7 1/2
Vegas Line: Philadelphia (-140); 9
Dunkel Pick: Philadelphia (-140); Under

Game 903-904: Pittsburgh at Milwaukee
Dunkel Ratings: Pittsburgh (Duke) 15.976; Milwaukee (Suppan) 15.214
Dunkel Line: Pittsburgh by 1; 9 1/2
Vegas Line: Milwaukee (-140); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Pittsburgh (+140); Over

Game 905-906: LA Dodgers at Colorado
Dunkel Ratings: LA Dodgers (Hendrickson) 17.536; Colorado (Cook) 15.937
Dunkel Line: LA Dodgers by 1 1/2; 9 1/2
Vegas Line: No Line
Dunkel Pick: N/A

Game 907-908: Arizona at San Diego
Dunkel Ratings: Arizona (Hernandez) 17.265; San Diego (Peavy) 17.530
Dunkel Line: San Diego by 1/2; 6
Vegas Line: San Diego (-175); 7
Dunkel Pick: San Diego (-175); Under

Game 909-910: St. Louis at San Francisco
Dunkel Ratings: St. Louis (Wells) 15.148; San Francisco (Lowry) 14.188
Dunkel Line: St. Louis by 1; 7
Vegas Line: St. Louis (-120); 8
Dunkel Pick: St. Louis (-120); Under

Game 911-912: NY Mets at Florida
Dunkel Ratings: NY Mets (Hernandez) 16.663; Florida (Vanden Hurk) 15.344
Dunkel Line: NY Mets by 1; 8
Vegas Line: NY Mets (-155); 9
Dunkel Pick: NY Mets (-155); Under

Game 913-914: Houston at Cincinnati
Dunkel Ratings: Houston (Williams) 14.985; Cincinnati (Arroyo) 13.610
Dunkel Line: Houston by 1 1/2; 10
Vegas Line: Cincinnati (-150); 9
Dunkel Pick: Houston (+150); Over

Game 915-916: Chicago Cubs at Atlanta
Dunkel Ratings: Chicago Cubs (Hill) 17.647; Atlanta (Redman) 14.245
Dunkel Line: Chicago Cubs by 3 1/2; 10
Vegas Line: Chicago Cubs (-130); 9
Dunkel Pick: Chicago Cubs (-130); Over

Game 917-918: Boston at Toronto
Dunkel Ratings: Boston (Tavarez) 16.149; Toronto (Halladay) 18.228
Dunkel Line: Toronto by 2; 7
Vegas Line: Toronto (-210); 9
Dunkel Pick: Toronto (-210); Under

Game 919-920: Cleveland at NY Yankees
Dunkel Ratings: Cleveland (Carmona) 15.193; NY Yankees (Carmona) 15.797
Dunkel Line: NY Yankees by 1/2; 11
Vegas Line: NY Yankees (-170); 11 1/2
Dunkel Pick: NY Yankees (-170); Under

Game 921-922: Minnesota at Seattle
Dunkel Ratings: Minnesota (Santana) 17.620; Seattle (Washburn) 15.043
Dunkel Line: Minnesota by 2 1/2; 8
Vegas Line: Minnesota (-170); 7
Dunkel Pick: Minnesota (-170); Over

Game 923-924: Texas at Chicago White Sox
Dunkel Ratings: Texas (Padilla) 12.318; Chicago White Sox (Vazquez) 17.760
Dunkel Line: Chicago White Sox by 5 1/2; 8
Vegas Line: Chicago White Sox (-150); 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Chicago White Sox (-150); Under

[Udog]

MLB
Streaking Pitchers


Thursday, April 19


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Hot pitchers

Rich Hill (Chicago Cubs) - Hill was lights-out in the second half of last season and he's carried over his success to the start of 2007. The Cubbies lefty is 2-0 in through two starts this season, posting a stellar 0.64 ERA in the process while allowing only four hits in 14 innings pitched. Books have set the Cubs as -113 road favorites for tonight's game against the Atlanta Braves.

Livan Hernandez (Arizona Diamondbacks) - There's a ton of value in the Diamondbacks today because of the recent play of the 1997 World Series MVP. Hernandez has kicked off 2007 in fine style, posting a 1.80 ERA while going 1-0 in three starts. In 20 innings of work, the veteran right-hander has allowed only 14 hits without surrendering a big fly. The D-Backs are listed as +163 underdogs for their game against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park.

Javier Vazquez (Chicago White Sox) - Bettors should be aware the normally inconsistent Vasquez is pitching as well as he ever has at the moment. The hard-throwing righty is 2-0 on the season with a 1.50 ERA and he's the main reason behind a -135 favorite tag for the White Sox tonight against the Texas Rangers.

Cold pitchers

Zach Duke (Pittsburgh Pirates) - Pirates backers were hoping the highly-touted lefty would come into his own in 2007. Not so much. To be fair to Duke, he's only had three starts, but they have been shaky. Duke is sporting a 1-1 record with a steep 7.20 ERA with only five strikeouts in 15 innings. Add to that his 1.60 WHIP and it's no wonder the Pirates are +117 underdogs for today's contest against the Milwaukee Brewers.

John Patterson (Washington Nationals) - Patterson was supposed to be the ace in an otherwise below-average staff in Washington. Looks like he's fitting right in with the others in the Nats rotation. Patterson has kicked off his 2007 campaign by going 0-2 in his first three starts with an atrocious 7.07 ERA. It doesn't help bettors that Patterson has given up 10 free passes in only 14 innings while allowing batters to reach base at a .371 clip. Oddsmakers have the Nationals as +120 home underdogs for their game this afternoon against the Philadelphia Phillies.

Vicente Padilla (Texas Rangers) - The Rangers are +127 road underdogs tonight against the Chicago White Sox in large part because of Padilla's record so far in April. Padilla is 0-3 with a 6.62 ERA after surrendering four dingers and 13 earned runs in 17 innings. Adding to the misfortune of Texas backers is Padilla's 8.44 ERA and 1.97 WHIP on the road.

[Udog]

MLB
Long Sheet


Thursday, April 19


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PHILADELPHIA (3 - 10) at WASHINGTON (5 - 10) - 1:05 PM
JAMIE MOYER (L) vs. JOHN PATTERSON (R)
Top Trends for this game.
PHILADELPHIA is 3-12 (-10.1 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 3-12 (-10.1 Units) against the money line in April games this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 3-12 (-10.1 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 40-48 (-16.5 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
WASHINGTON is 1-0 (+1.4 Units) against PHILADELPHIA this season
0 of 0 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+0.0 Units)

JAMIE MOYER vs. WASHINGTON since 1997
MOYER is 1-0 when starting against WASHINGTON with an ERA of 0.69 and a WHIP of 1.077.
His team's record is 1-1 (+0.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-2. (-2.4 units)

JOHN PATTERSON vs. PHILADELPHIA since 1997
PATTERSON is 1-2 when starting against PHILADELPHIA with an ERA of 4.06 and a WHIP of 1.193.
His team's record is 2-3 (-1.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 2-3. (-1.2 units)




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PITTSBURGH (6 - 7) at MILWAUKEE (8 - 6) - 1:05 PM
ZACH DUKE (L) vs. JEFF SUPPAN (R)
Top Trends for this game.
PITTSBURGH is 5-17 (-11.2 Units) against the money line as a road underdog of +100 to +125 over the last 2 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 19-42 (-19.3 Units) against the money line in day games over the last 2 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 17-42 (-18.7 Units) against the money line in road games after a loss over the last 2 seasons.
DUKE is 3-16 (-12.1 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
DUKE is 3-16 (-12.1 Units) against the money line in road games in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
SUPPAN is 30-14 (+14.1 Units) against the money line at home with a money line of -100 to -125 since 1997. (Team's Record)
MILWAUKEE is 30-51 (-28.3 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
MILWAUKEE is 1-0 (+1.0 Units) against PITTSBURGH this season
1 of 1 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+1.0 Units)

ZACH DUKE vs. MILWAUKEE since 1997
DUKE is 3-1 when starting against MILWAUKEE with an ERA of 3.63 and a WHIP of 1.321.
His team's record is 3-4 (-1.2 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 4-2. (+2.0 units)

JEFF SUPPAN vs. PITTSBURGH since 1997
SUPPAN is 7-3 when starting against PITTSBURGH with an ERA of 4.02 and a WHIP of 1.082.
His team's record is 9-5 (+3.7 units) in these starts. The OVER is 6-8. (-1.9 units)




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LA DODGERS (10 - 5) at COLORADO (7 - 8) - 3:05 PM
MARK HENDRICKSON (L) vs. AARON COOK (R)
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
COLORADO is 2-2 (+0.3 Units) against LA DODGERS this season
3 of 4 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+1.8 Units)

MARK HENDRICKSON vs. COLORADO since 1997
No recent starts.

AARON COOK vs. LA DODGERS since 1997
COOK is 3-4 when starting against LA DODGERS with an ERA of 4.63 and a WHIP of 1.580.
His team's record is 3-6 (-2.1 units) in these starts. The OVER is 4-4. (-0.5 units)




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ARIZONA (10 - 6) at SAN DIEGO (8 - 7) - 3:35 PM
LIVAN HERNANDEZ (R) vs. JAKE PEAVY (R)
Top Trends for this game.
ARIZONA is 83-84 (+16.6 Units) against the money line in road games in games played on a grass field over the last 3 seasons.
ARIZONA is 66-63 (+17.0 Units) against the money line in road games against right-handed starters over the last 3 seasons.

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

LIVAN HERNANDEZ vs. SAN DIEGO since 1997
HERNANDEZ is 9-2 when starting against SAN DIEGO with an ERA of 3.37 and a WHIP of 1.308.
His team's record is 10-7 (+1.5 units) in these starts. The OVER is 8-8. (-0.7 units)

JAKE PEAVY vs. ARIZONA since 1997
PEAVY is 7-8 when starting against ARIZONA with an ERA of 5.49 and a WHIP of 1.373.
His team's record is 8-9 (-1.7 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 6-10. (-5.4 units)




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ST LOUIS (6 - 8) at SAN FRANCISCO (5 - 8) - 3:35 PM
KIP WELLS (R) vs. NOAH LOWRY (L)
Top Trends for this game.
ST LOUIS is 100-91 (-15.7 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
ST LOUIS is 100-91 (-15.7 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
ST LOUIS is 30-38 (-21.1 Units) against the money line against left-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
ST LOUIS is 44-21 (+15.7 Units) against the money line in day games over the last 2 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 59-71 (-22.0 Units) against the money line in home games against right-handed starters over the last 3 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 32-47 (-21.9 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
LOWRY is 1-13 (-14.7 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
SAN FRANCISCO is 1-0 (+1.0 Units) against ST LOUIS this season
1 of 1 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+1.0 Units)

KIP WELLS vs. SAN FRANCISCO since 1997
WELLS is 3-2 when starting against SAN FRANCISCO with an ERA of 2.87 and a WHIP of 1.436.
His team's record is 3-2 (+2.9 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-3. (-1.4 units)

NOAH LOWRY vs. ST LOUIS since 1997
LOWRY is 0-2 when starting against ST LOUIS with an ERA of 4.85 and a WHIP of 1.769.
His team's record is 0-2 (-2.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-1. (-0.2 units)




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NY METS (9 - 4) at FLORIDA (6 - 8) - 7:05 PM
ORLANDO HERNANDEZ (R) vs. RICK VANDEN HURK (R)
Top Trends for this game.
FLORIDA is 379-422 (+26.7 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record since 1997.
NY METS are 114-73 (+23.3 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
NY METS are 58-32 (+16.5 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 over the last 2 seasons.
NY METS are 55-38 (+13.8 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
NY METS are 23-10 (+13.3 Units) against the money line on the road when the total is 9 to 9.5 over the last 2 seasons.
NY METS are 60-44 (+21.7 Units) against the money line in road games when playing on Thursday since 1997.
NY METS are 45-33 (+14.8 Units) against the money line in road games against division opponents over the last 3 seasons.
NY METS are 112-72 (+22.3 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
NY METS are 10-1 (+9.0 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
NY METS are 85-52 (+20.9 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
NY METS is 1-0 (+1.1 Units) against FLORIDA this season
1 of 1 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+1.0 Units)

ORLANDO HERNANDEZ vs. FLORIDA since 1997
HERNANDEZ is 2-1 when starting against FLORIDA with an ERA of 5.19 and a WHIP of 1.558.
His team's record is 2-1 (-0.3 units) in these starts. The OVER is 3-0. (+3.2 units)

RICK VANDEN HURK vs. NY METS since 1997
No recent starts.




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HOUSTON (7 - 6) at CINCINNATI (8 - 7) - 7:10 PM
WOODY WILLIAMS (R) vs. BRONSON ARROYO (R)
Top Trends for this game.
HOUSTON is 252-245 (-55.8 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 since 1997.
CINCINNATI is 27-16 (+15.0 Units) against the money line in April games over the last 2 seasons.
WILLIAMS is 120-78 (+42.4 Units) against the money line in night games since 1997. (Team's Record)
WILLIAMS is 78-67 (+21.0 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record since 1997. (Team's Record)
WILLIAMS is 18-10 (+9.3 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
WILLIAMS is 18-10 (+9.3 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
HOUSTON is 1-0 (+1.3 Units) against CINCINNATI this season
0 of 0 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+0.0 Units)

WOODY WILLIAMS vs. CINCINNATI since 1997
WILLIAMS is 8-5 when starting against CINCINNATI with an ERA of 5.34 and a WHIP of 1.378.
His team's record is 12-7 (+0.9 units) in these starts. The OVER is 9-10. (-1.6 units)

BRONSON ARROYO vs. HOUSTON since 1997
ARROYO is 2-2 when starting against HOUSTON with an ERA of 6.00 and a WHIP of 1.538.
His team's record is 4-3 (+2.4 units) in these starts. The OVER is 5-2. (+2.8 units)




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CHICAGO CUBS (5 - 9) at ATLANTA (10 - 4) - 7:35 PM
RICH HILL (L) vs. MARK REDMAN (L)
Top Trends for this game.
CHICAGO CUBS are 5-11 (-9.7 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
CHICAGO CUBS are 215-268 (-83.5 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 113-167 (-53.1 Units) against the money line on the road when the total is 9 to 9.5 since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 5-11 (-9.7 Units) against the money line in April games this season.
CHICAGO CUBS are 11-23 (-16.9 Units) against the money line when playing on Thursday over the last 3 seasons.
CHICAGO CUBS are 5-11 (-9.7 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
ATLANTA is 89-89 (-15.3 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 39-49 (-18.9 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 46-46 (-14.6 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 20-27 (-14.1 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 9 to 9.5 over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 87-88 (-16.5 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 59-65 (-19.5 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
ATLANTA is 1-0 (+1.1 Units) against CHICAGO CUBS this season
1 of 1 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+1.0 Units)

RICH HILL vs. ATLANTA since 1997
HILL is 1-0 when starting against ATLANTA with an ERA of 1.59 and a WHIP of 1.411.
His team's record is 1-0 (+1.9 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-0. (+1.0 units)

MARK REDMAN vs. CHICAGO CUBS since 1997
REDMAN is 2-2 when starting against CHICAGO CUBS with an ERA of 3.56 and a WHIP of 1.209.
His team's record is 4-3 (+3.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-4. (-2.1 units)




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BOSTON (8 - 5) at TORONTO (8 - 6) - 12:35 PM
JULIAN TAVAREZ (R) vs. ROY HALLADAY (R)
Top Trends for this game.
BOSTON is 7-18 (-15.6 Units) against the money line in games played on artificial turf over the last 2 seasons.
TORONTO is 54-30 (+20.2 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 9 to 9.5 over the last 3 seasons.
TORONTO is 52-28 (+21.1 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 2 seasons.
HALLADAY is 22-5 (+13.8 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
HALLADAY is 77-36 (+24.9 Units) against the money line in games played on artificial turf since 1997. (Team's Record)
HALLADAY is 25-5 (+16.7 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
HALLADAY is 40-14 (+16.1 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
TAVAREZ is 9-2 (+9.7 Units) against the money line in games played on artificial turf since 1997. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
TORONTO is 1-1 (+0.4 Units) against BOSTON this season
2 of 2 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+2.0 Units)

JULIAN TAVAREZ vs. TORONTO since 1997
TAVAREZ is 1-0 when starting against TORONTO with an ERA of 3.00 and a WHIP of 1.333.
His team's record is 2-0 (+3.5 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-1. (-0.1 units)

ROY HALLADAY vs. BOSTON since 1997
HALLADAY is 8-6 when starting against BOSTON with an ERA of 4.14 and a WHIP of 1.288.
His team's record is 11-13 (-3.5 units) in these starts. The OVER is 11-12. (-2.1 units)




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CLEVELAND (6 - 5) at NY YANKEES (7 - 6) - 1:05 PM
FAUSTO CARMONA (R) vs. DARRELL RASNER (R)
Top Trends for this game.
CLEVELAND is 84-91 (-16.4 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
CLEVELAND is 78-82 (-13.9 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
CLEVELAND is 67-45 (+27.4 Units) against the money line in road games against right-handed starters over the last 3 seasons.
NY YANKEES are 30-32 (-20.5 Units) against the money line in April games over the last 3 seasons.
NY YANKEES are 7-12 (-12.7 Units) against the money line when playing on Thursday over the last 2 seasons.
NY YANKEES are 58-47 (-20.2 Units) against the money line after a win over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
NY YANKEES is 2-0 (+2.0 Units) against CLEVELAND this season
2 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+2.0 Units)

FAUSTO CARMONA vs. NY YANKEES since 1997
No recent starts.

DARRELL RASNER vs. CLEVELAND since 1997
No recent starts.




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MINNESOTA (9 - 5) at SEATTLE (5 - 5) - 6:35 PM
JOHAN SANTANA (L) vs. JARROD WASHBURN (L)
Top Trends for this game.
SANTANA is 62-20 (+30.9 Units) against the money line after a win since 1997. (Team's Record)
SANTANA is 105-42 (+43.1 Units) against the money line in all games since 1997. (Team's Record)
WASHBURN is 4-13 (-11.7 Units) against the money line in day games over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
MINNESOTA is 2-0 (+3.0 Units) against SEATTLE this season
2 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+2.0 Units)

JOHAN SANTANA vs. SEATTLE since 1997
SANTANA is 6-0 when starting against SEATTLE with an ERA of 2.20 and a WHIP of 1.156.
His team's record is 7-0 (+7.3 units) in these starts. The OVER is 3-4. (-1.4 units)

JARROD WASHBURN vs. MINNESOTA since 1997
WASHBURN is 5-3 when starting against MINNESOTA with an ERA of 3.32 and a WHIP of 1.042.
His team's record is 9-3 (+5.4 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 9-3. (+5.5 units)




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TEXAS (6 - 8) at CHI WHITE SOX (6 - 7) - 8:10 PM
VICENTE PADILLA (R) vs. JAVIER VAZQUEZ (R)
Top Trends for this game.
CHI WHITE SOX are 209-142 (+32.7 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 3 seasons.
CHI WHITE SOX are 42-21 (+17.9 Units) against the money line in April games over the last 3 seasons.
CHI WHITE SOX are 151-85 (+46.7 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 3 seasons.
CHI WHITE SOX are 132-77 (+36.0 Units) against the money line after a win over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
TEXAS is 1-1 (+0.3 Units) against CHI WHITE SOX this season
1 of 1 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+1.0 Units)

VICENTE PADILLA vs. CHI WHITE SOX since 1997
PADILLA is 1-2 when starting against CHI WHITE SOX with an ERA of 3.86 and a WHIP of 1.130.
His team's record is 2-2 (+0.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 3-1. (+1.8 units)

JAVIER VAZQUEZ vs. TEXAS since 1997
VAZQUEZ is 2-1 when starting against TEXAS with an ERA of 6.87 and a WHIP of 1.691.
His team's record is 2-1 (+1.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-1. (+0.0 units)




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[Kaptain]

Thanks fellows---it's appreciated

[Spearit]

Nothing better than starting the day with a cup of coffee and getting a feel for what the day may bring by reading this thread. Thanx for all the time and work on this!