Wednesday Trends and Indexes 06/06

[pm530]

Trends and Indexes
Wednesday, June 6

Good Luck on day #157 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]

Six-pack for Wednesday

-- Diamondbacks are now 10-1 in last 11 games, as Johnson had fourth straight effective start, fanning eight in six IP.

-- Trent Green finally got traded to the Dolphins, and now the Chiefs' starting QB is Brodie Croyle. I'm glad Herman Edwards isn't coaching my favorite NFL team.

-- How would you like to be holding a runner on first base with David Ortiz up? That has to be a scary moment.

-- Chicago Cubs are 2-12 in one-run games.

-- Twins lost last four games, and have scored total of nine runs in first five contests on this road trip. They'll be glad to get Joe Mauer back from the DL this weekend.

-- Kevin Youkilis thinks he is Ted Williams; if he takes the pitch, it couldn't possibly be a strike. What a whiner.

[pm530]

Wednesday's List of 13: Its great to be Young.........

13) Chris B. Young (OF, Arizona) hit long walk-off homer in ninth inning, giving Arizona their tenth win in last 11 games, as 5-4 verdict over the Giants.

12) Chris R. Young (P, San Diego) shut Los Angeles out for seven innings, as Padres started homestand with a 1-0 win.

11) And what about Curt Young, A's pitching coach, who is an obscure, but highly successful coach? All the guy does is produce effective hurlers. Lenny DiNardo shut Red Sox out for six innings Tuesday; Chad Gaudin is near top of leaders in ERA-- he once got cut by Tampa Bay. Young is doing a hell of a job keeping the A's close to contention.

10) Huge night for Lenny DiNardo Tuesday, as he shut out his old team for six innings, beating the $103M man, Matsuzaka, 2-0. A's turned five double plays; when was last time pitcher won a game when he walked six, struck out none? Not only did he win, he didn't allow a run. Good job by him.

9) Before Mark Ellis hit for cycle Monday, last guy to do it against Red Sox was Andre Thornton, back in April of '78.

8) Then there are the Devil Rays, who led 11-6 in 9th inning at Toronto, and lost 12-11, getting one out from four relievers in final frame. Closer Al Reyes was unavailable because he was used last two days (he has had two Tommy John surgeries, so they are careful with him). The guy is 37; he can't throw an inning three days in a row? What are they saving him for?

7) Rays clobbered Roy Halladay, leading 8-1 in fourth inning, but after Glover shut down Jays in 8th, for some reason, they didn't let him start the ninth. Rays would have been 6-3 in last nine games with the win Tuesday, but now, they cope with yet another meltdown. This one could have been avoided.

6) Giants-Bronx series in two weeks is sold out, unless you want to buy tickets to five other Giants' games, then you can buy six tickets (one for Bronx game) for mere $120. Its funny, I always thought that was called extortion, not good business.

5) World Series of Poker update: John Juanda leads Event 7, a star-studded Omaha tournament, with 305,000 chips after Day 1; this will be one of the tournaments ESPN features later this summer. Event 4 was a Hold 'Em event won by a guy named Mike Spegal, who won the tournament on his ninth wedding anniversary. Pretty good six-figure anniversary present.

4) One of the best parts of Extra Innings baseball package is watching Giant games on Fox Bay Area; they spent an inning in between pitches showing a guy eating a caramel apple that was covered with M&M's; its like watching a game with your buddies. Highly entertaining stuff, but the game is still main thing, just sprinkled in with fun things in the stands.

3) Golfer Ryan Moore was sixth alternate to get into Memorial tournament last weekend; not only did he get in, but he shot 66 Sunday and finished second. Thats making the most of an opportunity. It is amazing how many great golfers there are.

2) Take John Riegger, who in seven years on pro tour, hasn't finished in top 125 once; he won his first tournament in 291 tries on PGA or Nationwide tours recently. Riegger is the guy who challenged Annika Sorenstam to a $1M match, after she said she could finish in top 100 on Tour's money list. Funny, Riegger never got an answer to his challenge.

1) My theory on Billy Donovan thing is that Orlando has its concerns that if the Knicks ever come to their senses and can Isiah Thomas, then they would go after Donovan, who is a Long Island native, and briefly played for the Knicks. I think it would be fair resolution for Donovan to agree to not coach in the NBA for five seasons, letting the Magic save face.

[pm530]

Baseball - Tips & Trends

MLB
Tips and Trends


Wednesday, June 6

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Florida Marlins at Atlanta Braves (1:05 PM ET)
Florida starter Scott Olsen is 1-3 with an 8.51 ERA in six career outings against Atlanta. He's also lost his last two starts, allowing 10 earned runs over 10 2/3 innings. BIG EDGE: BRAVES
Olsen struck out a season-high 10 batters in his last start against the Braves, as the Marlins picked up a 4-3 home victory on April 25. EDGE: MARLINS
Braves right-hander Kyle Davies is a horrible 0-3 with a 9.68 ERA in six career games against the Marlins. He was touched up for five runs and six hits in just four innings of work against them on April 23. BIG EDGE: MARLINS
Davies has fallen into a pattern of following a quality start with a bad one. MLB experts expect te right-hander to struggle this afternoon, after allowing just one run in his last start. SLIGHT EDGE: MARLINS
The OVER is 10-1 in Davies' last 11 starts as a favorite.



Chicago Cubs at Milwaukee Brewers (2:05 PM ET)
Chicago's Carlos Zambrano is 8-7 with a 4.13 ERA in 18 career outings against Milwaukee. The Venezuelan right-hander is 1-0 with a 3.65 ERA against them in 2007. SLIGHT EDGE: CUBS
Life on the road has been great for the embattled Zambrano, as he has poste a 4-1 record and 3.76 ERA in six starts away from home. EDGE: CUBS
Brewers right-hander Jeff Suppan is 5-4 with a 2.93 ERA in 14 career starts against the Cubs. He threw eight shutout innings in a 4-1 victory over the Cubs on April 24, scattering eight hits while striking out three. EDGE: BREWERS
Suppan is 4-1 with a 3.12 ERA in five home starts this season. After completing four straight starts on the road, Suppan picked up his seventh win of the season at Miller Park last time out. BIG EDGE: BREWERS
The OVER is 10-1 in Zambrano's last 11 starts versus the National League Central.



Baltimore Orioles at Seattle Mariners (4:35 PM ET)
Baltimore right-hander Daniel Cabrera is a perfect 4-0 with a 2.62 ERA in five career starts against Seattle. BIG EDGE: ORIOLES & UNDER
Cabrera is an unlucky 0-4 on the road this season despite having a respectable 4.05 ERA in four starts. SLIGHT EDGE: MARINERS
Mariners left-hander Jarrod Washburn is a solid 6-2 with a 3.79 ERA in 10 career appearances against the Orioles. EDGE: MARINERS
Washburn enters today's contest off his shortest outing of the season, as the Rangers blasted him for five runs and nine hits in just 3 2/3 innings of work in a 9-8 loss. EDGE: ORIOLES & OVER
The Orioles are 3-14 in Cabrera's last 17 starts as a road underdog.



Philadelphia Phillies at New York Mets (7:10 PM ET)
Philadelphia starter Adam Eaton is a perfect 4-0 with a 1.65 ERA in four career starts against New York. BIG EDGE: PHILLIES
Eaton is 3-1 with a 5.52 ERA in five road starts this season. He's a perfect 3-0 with a 1.69 ERA in three career starts at Shea Stadium. EDGE: PHILLIES
Mets right-hander Orlando Hernandez is 0-1 with an 11.08 ERA in three career starts against the Phillies. EDGE: PHILLIES & OVER
New York has won four straight games with Hernandez on the mound, outscoring opponents 23-8 in the process. BIG EDGE: METS
The UNDER is 10-1 in Hernandez's last 11 home starts.



New York Yankees at Chicago White Sox (8:11 PM ET)
Yankees starter Chien-Ming Wang is 1-0 with a 3.75 ERA in two career starts against the White Sox. The right-hander is 2-1 with a 3.79 ERA in three road starts this season. EDGE: YANKEES
Wang hasn't allowed a home run in five straight games, which has lasted over 33 innings of work. EDGE: UNDER
Chicago right-hander Javier Vazquez is 1-2 with a 5.00 ERA in three career outings against New York. SLIGHT EDGE: YANKEES
Vazquez is coming off his best start of the season, throwing eight shutout innings in a 3-0 road victory over Toronto. EDGE: WHITE SOX
The Yankees are 7-1 in Wang's last eight road starts as a road favorite.



Detroit Tigers at Texas Rangers (8:35 PM ET)
Detroit's Justin Verlander is a solid 2-1 with a 3.03 ERA in five road starts this season. He suffered his first road loss last time out against Cleveland, allowing a season-high seven runs in five innings. SLIGHT EDGE: TIGERS
Verlander is an even 1-1 with a 4.76 ERA in two career starts against Texas. EDGE: OVER
Rangers right-hander Kevin Milwood is 3-2 with a 3.15 ERA in seven career starts against the Tigers. EDGE: RANGERS & UNDER
Milwood has been rocked for 12 runs and 21 hits in just 13 2/3 innings at home this season. He's allowed at least four earned runs in his last three starts at the Ball Park at Arlington. EDGE: TIGERS & OVER
The Rangers are 0-8 in their last eight games versus a right-handed starter.



San Francisco Giants at Arizona Diamondbacks (9:40 PM ET)
Giants right-hander Matt Morris has been impressive on the road, posting a 4-1 record and 3.10 ERA in six starts. EDGE: GIANTS
Morris threw six shutout innings in his last start against the Phillies in a 13-0 win, but the Giants haven't won back-to-back starts with him on the mound since April 24. SLIGHT EDGE: D-BACKS
Arizona's ace Brandon Webb is 1-2 with a 4.89 ERA in five home starts this season. The Diamondbacks have picked up two straight one-run victories with Webb on the mound in his last two outings at Chase Field. SLIGHT EDGE: D-BACKS
Webb is 7-5 with a 3.32 ERA in 16 career starts against San Francisco. EDGE: D-BACKS
The Diamondbacks are 9-3 in Webb's last 12 home starts.



Los Angeles Dodgers at San Diego Padres (10:05 PM ET)
Los Angeles starter Randy Wolf is 5-2 in eight career starts against San Diego despite having a lofty 5.63 ERA. EDGE: DODGERS & OVER
The Dodgers have won five straight games with Wolf on the hill, with all five victories being by two-runs or less. SLIGHT EDGE: DODGERS
Padres right-hander Greg Maddux is 14-7 with a 2.75 ERA in 32 career starts against the Dodgers. He picked up a 3-2 victory over Los Angeles on April 28, allowing just two runs and five hits over seven innings. BIG EDGE: PADRES
The Padres are 9-1 in their last 10 home games versus a left-handed starter.

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[pm530]

NHL Hockey Sports News

NHL
NHL Sports News


Wednesday, June 6

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Ducks on brink of Cup

The Anaheim Ducks played without star defenseman Chris Pronger on Monday night, but they still managed to get past the Ottawa Senators by a final score of 3-2. So now the Ducks are just one win away from claiming a Stanley Cup championship for SoCal.

Pronger received a one-game ban for whacking Senators forward Dean McAmmond on the head with his forearm back in Game 3 on Saturday night. McAmmond missed Game 4 on Monday night with the head injury, and is questionable to play in Game 5 as well. Pronger, meanwhile, will be back in action Wednesday as his team looks for win No. 4.

Monday's outing saw the Senators pepper Ducks goaltender Jean-Sebastien Giguere with 13 shots in the first period, while holding Anaheim to just two shots of their own. Ottawa, however, didn't manage to score a goal until Daniel Alfredsson got one past Giguere with one second left in the frame. Peter Schaefer and Mike Fisher drew assists.

With the crowd behind them the Sens began the second period looking to pad that lead, but the Ducks turned the tables. Andy McDonald scored twice in a one-minute span midway through the frame to give Anaheim a 2-1 lead. The Ducks outshot the Senators 13-4 in the second, but Ottawa did manage to tie the score at the 18:00 mark with a goal by Dany Heatley. For the slumping Heatley it was his seventh tally of the playoffs.

So the two teams entered the third period all square, but Ducks forward Dustin Penner potted the eventual game winner at 4:07 after a bad change by the Senators. For Penner it was just his third goal of the postseason, and McDonald and Teemu Selanne drew assists on the play. First Star McDonald ended up with three points in the victory.

Giguere allowed two goals on 23 shots in nets for the Ducks, while Emery made 18 saves for the Sens. McDonald was the only player on either team with multiple points.

The absence of Pronger gave increased minutes to the Ducks' supporting defensemen on Monday - Francois Beauchemin played 31:40, and Sean O'Donnell played 23:54. Scott Niedermayer played almost 30 minutes for Anaheim, and got hit with a controversial (and bizarre) slapshot by Alfredsson as time expired in the second period.

However, Pronger will return to the ice and pick up those minutes again when the series heads back west for Anaheim for Game 5 on Wednesday night. Ducks forward Chris Kunitz missed Monday's game with a bruised abdomen, and he's listed as questionable again for Wednesday night's contest. McAmmond's spot in Ottawa's lineup has been taken by Patrick Eaves; he set up Heatley for the Senators' second goal Monday night.

Should Ottawa be able to pull out a victory in Game 5 the series will shift back to Ottawa for Game 6 on Saturday. A deciding Game 7 would be played in Anaheim on Monday. Check your favorite books for the latest lines and game totals for the Stanley Cup final. At press time the Ducks had been pegged at -185 to -200 favorites to win the Stanley Cup this year (after opening at -130), while the Senators had fallen to +160 underdogs.

And if the Ducks can finish off the series on Wednesday the Conn Smythe Trophy will also be presented to the playoffs' top performer. Ryan Getzlaf is Anaheim's top scorer in the playoffs, with seven goals and nine assists, while McDonald leads the team with nine markers, and the twice-suspended Pronger has still managed to pick up 14 points.

However, Giguere is the current Conn Smythe frontrunner. The Ducks' netminder has a 12-4 record in the playoffs, a 1.97 goals-against average, and a .925 save percentage. Plus, his first-period performance from Monday night will still be fresh in the voters' minds. Giguere won the Conn Smythe for the Ducks back in 2003 when they lost to the New Jersey Devils in the final; getting that trophy and the Cup too would be even nicer.

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[pm530]

Pro Basketball (women) – Hot Lines

WNBA
Hot Lines


Wednesday, June 6

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Lady luck: Wednesday’s best WNBA bet


Houston Comets at Indiana Fever (-11, 156)

The season hasn’t been too kind to the Comets. The team is still searching for its first win and they will have to do so without one of their long-time stars.

Sheryl Swoopes is expected to miss at least the next two weeks because of a back injury. The six-time All-Star was playing well below her capabilities averaging less than half as many points (7.7) as she did last season (15.5). The Comets hope the back injury explains the drop in production, rather than old age catching up with the 36-year-old.

Houston collected its first cover and could have easily won their last game had their offense not stalled in the fourth quarter. An 18-3 closing run secured the 77-71 win for the defending champion Detroit Shock.

“In situations like that, we definitely have to play to win instead of playing not to lose,” Comets leading scorer Tina Thompson told the Houston Chronicle. “That was one of those situations in the last couple of minutes.”

Or maybe Houston is just an old team that tires in the second half? The Comets have been outscored 198-148 in second halves this season.

Pick: Fever

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[Udog]

NHL
Hot Lines


Wednesday, June 6


Ottawa Senators at Anaheim Ducks (-160, 5 goals)

If you haven’t realized by now that Anaheim’s the better team in the Stanley Cup finals, it’s time to call your cable company to get that reception problem fixed before the Cup comes out of its case.

The Ducks managed to weather a bunch of needless first period penalties again to regroup and dominate Ottawa for the remaining two periods to notch a 3-2 win in Game 4. All with Chris Pronger watching on his TV while he served his one-game suspension.

Now a loss away from elimination, everything suddenly gets even worse for the Sens. They now need to take two of three from the Ducks with a pair of those games in Anaheim where Randy Carlyle can work his matchup magic again. Plus, Chris Pronger’s coming back.

Good luck.

Ottawa has managed to get some shots through on Jean-Sebastien Giguere at times this series, but still can’t maintain any kind of offensive zone pressure at even strength. What’s worse is that this isn’t because the Sens aren’t working hard enough or don’t have proper strategies in place. It sounds simple, but they just aren’t as good as Anaheim from top to bottom and don’t match up well with this kind of team. It's been a recurring theme all series.

Ottawa’s top line can be killer on the power play but doesn’t have the spunk to match up with Anaheim’s checking unit at even strength. That’s an issue because they probably won’t have more than a handful of shifts away from Travis Moen, Rob Niedermayer and Samuel Pahlsson. There’s just no better shut-down line around right now.

Ray Emery can give the Senators a shot if he’s basically perfect, but he was out of position and kicking rebounds around in Game 4. Emery also got help from at least a couple goalposts to keep the game close. It isn’t his fault that the Sens are in this hole, but he’s the only guy on their roster that has a chance to bring them out of it.

Having said that, Anaheim can be its own worst enemy on any given night. The Ducks’ undisciplined penalties throughout the series have given the Senators at least a puncher’s chance against a much stronger opponent.

But Anaheim is getting under Ottawa’s skin. Daniel Alfredsson got on the score sheet again in Game 4, but also completely embarrassed himself by rifling a neutral-zone slapper at Scott Niedermayer as the last seconds of the second period ticked down. That’s a classless act by a captain who normally keeps his cool, and one that can end up turning the ice red. Especially when Anaheim’s captain is on the other end of the cheap shot.

But instead of looking for blood like the most penalized team in the regular and postseason normally would, the Ducks let it slide for the greater good.

That’s what Stanley Cup winning teams do.

Pick: Ducks -160

[Udog]

Hockey Today - June 6

SCOREBOARD

Wednesday, June 6

Ottawa at Anaheim (8 p.m. EDT). The Ducks can win their first Stanley Cup.

JUST DUCKY

All Anaheim needs to win its first Stanley Cup is a victory on home ice. The Ducks are 5-0 in the Stanley Cup finals at home and 7-0 when they have a chance to finish off any playoff series.

HE'S BACK

Anaheim defenseman Chris Pronger was suspended for Game 4 by the NHL, but will return to action Wednesday night. Senators center Dean McAmmond missed Game 4 because of what team officials labeled a concussion resulting from an elbow by Pronger.

ICE COLD

The Stanley Cup finals have brought record low ratings to NBC for a prime-time program, sports or otherwise. Ottawa's 5-3 victory over Anaheim in Game 3 Saturday night received a 1.1 national rating and a 2 share, the network said Tuesday. That matched a rerun of ''The West Wing'' on July 23, 2005, which also drew a 1.1 rating. Saturday's rating was down 31 percent from last year's Game 3 between Edmonton and Carolina, which had a 1.6/3.

SPEAKING

''The first thing is you've got to believe. If you don't, there's no point in showing up. It's a great chance we have here - we're still alive. A lot of players don't ever get this far.'' - - Ottawa forward Antoine Vermette, on the Senators' chances down 3-1 to Anaheim in the Stanley Cup finals.

[Udog]

Baseball Today - June 6

SCOREBOARD

Wednesday, June 6

Detroit at Texas (8:35 p.m. EDT). In search of his sixth win of the season, Justin Verlander faces off against Kevin Millwood.

STARS Tuesday

-C.C. Sabathia, Indians, threw a complete-game shutout, giving up five hits and striking out eight in Cleveland's 1-0 victory over Kansas City.

-Chase Utley, Phillies, homered in the 11th inning and drove in three runs to lift Philadelphia over the New York Mets 4-2.

-Alex Rodriguez, Yankees, hit his major league-best 21st home run and had three RBIs to help the New York Yankees beat the Chicago White Sox 7-3.

-Kelvim Escobar, Angels, pitched a three-hitter for his second complete game of the season to help the Los Angeles Angels defeat Minnesota 5-1.

-Chris Young, Diamondbacks, hit a game-ending homer in the 10th inning to lift Arizona over San Francisco 4-3.

PITCHING DUELS

Jorge De La Rosa was the hard-luck loser in Kansas City's 1-0 loss to Cleveland on Tuesday. De La Rosa struck out a career-high seven and gave up one run in 7 1-3 innings, but was outdueled by C.C. Sabathia, who pitched a complete game to improve to 9-1 on the season. ... Jason Schmidt returned from the DL for Los Angeles and tossed six shutout innings, retiring 13 of the last 14 batters he faced, but the Dodgers lost 1-0 to San Diego. Padres starter Chris Young gave up three hits in seven scoreless innings. Neither starter figured in the decision.

HIT THE SHOWERS

Detroit starter Nate Robertson did not record an out in the Tigers' 6-4 loss to Texas on Tuesday. He threw 30 pitches and gave up six runs on four hits and two walks. The big blow was a Victor Diaz grand slam, which Marlon Byrd followed with a triple. Byrd scored on a sacrifice fly by Ian Kinsler. Sammy Sosa drove in the other run with a single. Robertson dropped to 4-6 on the season with the loss.

STUNG

Matt Stairs scored the winning run on a bases-loaded walk and the Toronto Blue Jays put up six runs in the ninth to beat Tampa Bay 12-11 on Tuesday night. The Devil Rays lost despite collecting a season-high 17 hits.

STREAKS

The Los Angeles Angels defeated Minnesota 5-1 on Tuesday for their fifth straight victory. ... Casey Blake extended his hitting streak to 14 games in Cleveland's 1-0 win over Kansas City. ... Matt Holliday and Willie Taveras extended their hitting streaks to 13 and 10 games, respectively, in Colorado's 4-1 victory over Houston.

SPEAKING

''I just bought a bottle of champagne two months ago for him. Now it's frozen. I'm going to drink it tonight.'' - Chicago White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen, on starter Mark Buehrle failing in his seventh attempt for his 100th career victory. Buehrle gave up five runs in a 7-3 loss to the New York Yankees on Tuesday.

SEASONS June 6

1918 - Casey Stengel, after being traded by Brooklyn in the offseason, made his return to Ebbets Field a memorable one. In his first at-bat, Stengel called time, stepped out of the batter's box and doffed his cap. A bird flew out and the fans broke into laughter.

1934 - Myril Hoag hit a major league record six singles in the New York Yankees' 15-3 rout of the Boston Red Sox.

1939 - The New York Giants hit five home runs in the fourth inning of a 17-3 win over the Cincinnati Reds at the Polo Grounds. With two out, Harry Danning, Al Demaree, Burgess Whitehead, Manny Salvo and Joe Moore connected as the Giants scored eight runs in the inning.

1965 - Tom Tresh of the New York Yankees connected for three consecutive home runs in a 12-0 rout of the Chicago White Sox. Tresh hit his first homer right-handed off Juan Pizzaro in the first inning, then went to the other side of the plate and hit two against Bruce Howard in the third and fifth innings.

1986 - San Diego Padres manager Steve Boros was ejected before the first pitch of the game with the Atlanta Braves when he tried to give umpire Charlie Williams a videotape of a disputed play in the previous night's 4-2 loss to Atlanta.

1992 - Eddie Murray drove in two runs at Pittsburgh to pass Mickey Mantle (1,509) as the career RBI leader among switch-hitters.

1995 - J.D. Drew of Florida State hit a record-setting three homers in his final three at-bats in a 16-11 loss to Southern California in the College World Series. Drew finished 3-for-5 with five RBIs and 12 total bases, also a series record.

1996 - For the second time in major league history and first in the AL, a cycle and a triple play took place in the same game. Boston's John Valentin hit for the cycle, while Chicago turned a triple play in the Red Sox's 7-4 victory. In 1931, Philadelphia's Chuck Klein hit for the cycle in the same game that the Phillies turned a triple play against the Chicago Cubs.

1998 - Jason Lane's grand slam capped a five-run ninth inning as Southern California won its first NCAA title in 20 years, beating Pac-10 rival Arizona State 21-14 in the College World Series.

2003 - The New York Mets ended Seattle's 13-game road winning streak with a 3-2 win in the first meeting between the teams. It was the longest streak in the majors since Detroit's 17 straight road wins in 1984.

2006 - Baltimore's Corey Patterson had his run of successive games with a stolen base stopped at nine in a 6-4 loss to Toronto. It was the longest run in the majors since Rickey Henderson had an identical stretch in 1986.

Today's birthdays: Matt Belisle, 27; Jeremy Affeldt, 28; Mark Ellis, 30; Tony Graffanino, 35.

[Udog]

MLB
Dunkel


Chicago Cubs at Milwaukee
Carlos Zambrano's troubles at home reached the boiling point last week and for good reason given his 1-4 record and 7.91 ERA at Wrigley Field. But on the road, Zambrano has more resembled the pitcher that many expected to win the Cy Young Award this season. The Cubs' ace has a 4-1 record away from Wrigley with a much better 3.76 ERA while allowing opponents to hit only .265 compared to .316 at home. Today he'll face Jeff Suppan, who has lost three of his last five decisions after a hot April start (4-2; 2.55). The Cubs look like a good underdog pick (+125) in this one according to Dunkel, which has Chicago favored straight up by 1/2 a run. Dunkel Pick: Chicago Cubs (+125). Here are all of today's games.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 6

Game 901-902: Florida at Atlanta
Dunkel Ratings: Florida (Olsen) 15.609; Atlanta (Davies) 14.974
Dunkel Line: Florida by 1/2; 8 1/2
Vegas Line: Atlanta (-128); 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Florida (+128); Under

Game 903-904: Chicago Cubs at Milwaukee
Dunkel Ratings: Chicago Cubs (Zambrano) 15.463; Milwaukee (Suppan) 15.259
Dunkel Line: Chicago Cubs by 1/2; 7 1/2
Vegas Line: Milwaukee (-125); 9
Dunkel Pick: Chicago Cubs (+125); Under

Game 905-906: Pittsburgh at Washington
Dunkel Ratings: Pittsburgh (Duke) 15.638; Washington (Bowie) 15.271
Dunkel Line: Pittsburgh by 1/2; 10
Vegas Line: Washington (-120); 9
Dunkel Pick: Pittsburgh (+120); Over

Game 907-908: Philadelphia at NY Mets
Dunkel Ratings: Philadelphia (Eaton) 16.521; NY Mets (Hernandez) 16.250
Dunkel Line: Philadelphia by 1/2; 8 1/2
Vegas Line: NY Mets (-175); 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Philadelphia (+175); Under

Game 909-910: Cincinnati at St. Louis
Dunkel Ratings: Cincinnati (Arroyo) 14.226; St. Louis (Thompson) 16.263
Dunkel Line: St. Louis by 2; 9 1/2
Vegas Line: St. Louis (-114); 9
Dunkel Pick: St. Louis (-114); Over

Game 911-912: Houston at Colorado
Dunkel Ratings: Houston (Williams) 15.420; Colorado (Cook) 14.955
Dunkel Line: Houston by 1/2; 9
Vegas Line: Colorado (-150); 10
Dunkel Pick: Houston (+150); Under

Game 913-914: San Francisco at Arizona
Dunkel Ratings: San Francisco (Morris) 16.210; Arizona (Webb) 17.698
Dunkel Line: Arizona by 1 1/2; 8 1/2
Vegas Line: Arizona (-150); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Arizona (-150); Over

Game 915-916: LA Dodgers at San Diego
Dunkel Ratings: LA Dodgers (Wolf) 16.450; San Diego (Maddux) 17.852
Dunkel Line: San Diego by 1 1/2; 6 1/2
Vegas Line: LA Dodgers (-115); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: San Diego (+115); Under

Game 917-918: Minnesota at LA Angels
Dunkel Ratings: Minnesota (Slowey) 15.804; LA Angels (Lackey) 17.788
Dunkel Line: LA Angels by 2; 8 1/2
Vegas Line: LA Angels (-175); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: LA Angels (-175); Over

Game 919-920: Baltimore at Seattle
Dunkel Ratings: Baltimore (Cabrera) 16.675; Seattle (Washburn) 16.515
Dunkel Line: Baltimore by 1/2; 10
Vegas Line: Seattle (-141); 9
Dunkel Pick: Baltimore (+141); Over

Game 921-922: Kansas City at Cleveland
Dunkel Ratings: Kansas City (Bannister) 14.536; Cleveland (Byrd) 17.937
Dunkel Line: Cleveland by 3 1/2; 9
Vegas Line: Cleveland (-240); 10
Dunkel Pick: Cleveland (-240); Under

Game 923-924: Tampa Bay at Toronto
Dunkel Ratings: Tampa Bay (Kazmir) 14.874; Toronto (Ohka) 15.888
Dunkel Line: Toronto by 1; 10
Vegas Line: Tampa Bay (-120); 9
Dunkel Pick: Toronto (+120); Over

Game 925-926: NY Yankees at Chicago White Sox
Dunkel Ratings: NY Yankees (Wang) 16.388; White Sox (Vazquez) 14.553
Dunkel Line: NY Yankees by 2; 10 1/2
Vegas Line: NY Yankees (-140); 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: NY Yankees (-140); Over

Game 927-928: Detroit at Texas
Dunkel Ratings: Detroit (Verlander) 17.608; Texas (Millwood) 15.138
Dunkel Line: Detroit by 2 1/2; 11
Vegas Line: Detroit (-140); 10
Dunkel Pick: Detroit (-140); Over

Game 929-930: Boston at Oakland
Dunkel Ratings: Boston (Wakefield) 16.521; Oakland (Kennedy) 16.796
Dunkel Line: Oakland by 1/2; 8
Vegas Line: Boston (-120); 9
Dunkel Pick: Oakland (+120); Under

[Udog]

NHL
Dunkel

Ottawa at Anaheim
Even with Chris Pronger sidelined with a suspension, the Senators could not take advantage of the shorthanded Ducks and dropped Game Four (3-2). Now Anaheim returns home with a chance to close out the series and capture its first Stanley Cup. Pronger's return should give the Ducks a lift as has the play of Andy McDonald, who has frustrated the Senators in Game Four with his speed and has been hot (4 goals, 1 assist) all series. All three of Ottawa's losses have come by just a goal in this series and the trend looks to continue tonight according to Dunkel, which has Anaheim favored straight up by 1. Here are all of today's games.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 6

Game 9-10: Ottawa at Anaheim
Dunkel Ratings: Ottawa 13.170; Anaheim 14.274
Dunkel Line & Total: Anaheim by 1; 4
Vegas Line & Total: Anaheim by 1 1/2; 5
Dunkel Pick: Ottawa (+1 1/2); Under

[Dennis14072]

Thanks Guys, Good Luck today!

[Udog]

Good morning, Dennis!
Good luck right back at you, buddy!
Man, I stunk yesterday! Today has to be better! LOL!!

[Udog]

NHL
Long Sheet


Wednesday, June 6


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OTTAWA (61-30-0-10, 132 pts.) at ANAHEIM (63-24-0-15, 141 pts.) - 6/6/2007, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
OTTAWA is 118-75 ATS (-35.6 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
OTTAWA is 118-75 ATS (-35.6 Units) as an underdog or pick on the puck line over the last 2 seasons.
OTTAWA is 118-75 ATS (-35.6 Units) as a favorite or even on the puck line over the last 2 seasons.
OTTAWA is 70-47 ATS (-31.3 Units) second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
OTTAWA is 5-9 ATS (-9.1 Units) in non-conference games this season.
ANAHEIM is 38-20 ATS (+8.4 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
ANAHEIM is 45-33 ATS (+9.3 Units) 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
ANAHEIM is 4-1 (+5.7 Units) against the spread versus OTTAWA over the last 3 seasons
ANAHEIM is 4-1-0 straight up against OTTAWA over the last 3 seasons
2 of 3 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+0.7 Units)




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[Dennis14072]

Didn't have time to look at much yesterday, mostly on plane, good thing. Right now debating sleep or the tables...