Thursday Trends and Indexes 06/28

[pm530]

Trends and Indexes
Thursday, June 28

Good Luck on day #179 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 Thursday

-- Dodgers stranded 13 runners as Webb outdueled Lowe in Arizona's 2-0 win that put Snakes atop the NL West.

-- Giants have now lost Cain's last eight starts, giving him a total of fifteen runs. Cain is 0-6, only 3.91 in those starts.

-- Matsuzaka now has 1.59 RA in his last five starts, but the Red Sox scored only five runs in those five games.

-- Phillies led 3-0 after six, but their bullpen faced 18 batters, six of whom scored, as Reds pulled away late for 9-6 win.

-- Cubs have now won six in row, Rockies lost six in row, as Chicago swept Colorado. Rookie 2B Fontenot is 8-9 in his last two games, and batted second in order yesterday.

-- Brewers won Thursday when Damian Miller hit walk-off tater in 11th, his first home run of season. When stuff like that happens, you know it just might be your year.

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Thursday's List of 13: Nobody asked me, but......

13) Ryan Howard reached 100 home runs in less games than anybody in baseball history, sixty games faster than Ralph Kiner, who is second on that list.

12) In 78 games this season, Reds have been outscored by a 68-40 margin in the first inning. They play in a small ballpark, but four of their five starting pitchers are fly ball pitchers. It will be interesting to see if Homer Bailey can develop into a pitcher who can help reverse the Cincinnati fortunes.

11) Pirates' Ian Snell missed a start last week after he burned a finger on his pitching hand while cooking chicken. Seriously.

10) Minor leaguers who have major league service time earn a minimum salary of $60,000 a year.

9) Jose Reyes and Carl Crawford both have eight triples this season; the White Sox' entire team has four.

8) Kenny Lofton has played for eleven teams, but Houston drafted him out of college; his career batting average against the Astros is .373, the highest of any player vs the Astros.

7) With Miguel Tejada going on the DL, Juan Pierre (351) has the longest consecutive games played streak.

6) A blind guy called WFAN last week to issue a convincing criticism of the Bronx Bombers' radio crew, who quite simply, are so bad it is hard to describe. The color analyst never does play-by-play, and the play-by-play guy makes lot of mistakes. When a blind guy rips you, and he is an avid Bronx fan, it is time for the team to find some new announcers.

5) Denver Nuggets were once called the Rockets; Houston's Rockets were originally in San Diego, which also had Clippers of the NBA, and Conquistadors, Sails in the ABA. San Diego is too nice a place for people to go inside to support teams.

4) Would be very difficult to hold my tongue if I owned NBA team and my "star" player, who earned $15-20 million a year, demanded a trade unless the team got better. For $15-20M a season, some support shouldn't be too much to ask for, even if it includes biting your tongue when you want to speak.

3) Oden or Durant? That is the first big question of the NBA Draft, then what happens with the #3 pick will send the draft on its eventual course. Remember, every team will be thrilled with their picks, most of whom will have tremendous upside.

2) Prime nitwit Stephen A. Smith mentioned that Suns would be favorite to win NBA if they acquire Kevin Garnett; does he really think Garnett is better than Amare Stoudemire? And if I am a Minnesota fan, I want more than two rookies for Garnett.

1) Since 1985, 38 pro wrestlers have died before the age of 40. Would expect the whole steroids issue to get bigger as 2007 goes on. Reading things written by people who follow WWE, and you get idea the Benoit murder/suicide is not going to go away soon, and will be tough for industry to recover from.

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[pm530]

Canadian Football League – Write up

CFL
Write-up


Thursday, June 28

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CFL regular season starts June 28. We'll start weekly writeups with Week 2 games.

Week 1 CFL Games

British Columbia Lions 3, 47.5
Toronto Argonauts

Winnipeg Blue Bombers
Edmonton Eskimos 1.5, 46.5

Saskatchewan Roughriders
Montreal Alouettes 3, 50.5

Hamilton TigerCats
Calgary Stampeders 10, 52

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[pm530]

Canadian Football League – Long Sheet

CFL
Long Sheet

Thursday, June 28

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BRITISH COLUMBIA (15 - 5) at TORONTO (11 - 9) - 6/28/2007, 6:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
BRITISH COLUMBIA is 8-1 ATS (+6.9 Units) in road games in non-conference games over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
BRITISH COLUMBIA is 3-1 against the spread versus TORONTO over the last 3 seasons
BRITISH COLUMBIA is 4-0 straight up against TORONTO over the last 3 seasons
3 of 3 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons


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WINNIPEG (9 - 10) at EDMONTON (7 - 11) - 6/28/2007, 9:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
WINNIPEG is 8-1 ATS (+6.9 Units) in games where the line is +3 to -3 over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
WINNIPEG is 3-1 against the spread versus EDMONTON over the last 3 seasons
EDMONTON is 2-2 straight up against WINNIPEG over the last 3 seasons
3 of 4 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons


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[pm530]

Canadian Football League - Gameday

CFL
Gameday


Thursday, June 28

CFL Gameday: Opening Night

The new CFL season kicks off on Thursday night with a pair of games. The Grey Cup champion B.C. Lions head to Toronto to face the Argonauts, while the Winnipeg Blue Bombers start their season in Edmonton versus the Eskimos.

B.C. Lions at Toronto Argonauts – 6:30 pm EDT

The Lions start their Grey Cup defense in Toronto on Thursday night when they open the season against the Argonauts. B.C. finished a league-best 13-5 last season and won their fifth Grey Cup in franchise history behind one of the league’s top offenses and a solid defense.

Quarterback Dave Dickenson returns under center again and he’s surrounded by a number of potent weapons. Last season Dickenson was sidelined a few times by concussion problems and other various ailments, so don’t be surprised if he ends up on the shelf at least once this season. Even if Dickenson gets hurt again, the Lions have the best backup QB in the league in Buck Pierce. The Lions can also boast perhaps the best receiver in the CFL in Geroy Simon. Simon broke his own franchise record for receiving yards with 1674 yards and also hauled in 15 touchdowns last season, while being named the CFL’s Most Outstanding Player. On defense the Lions led the league in interceptions last season and have a standout player in all three areas with defensive end Brent Johnson up front, defensive halfback Mark Washington in the middle, and safety Barron Miles patrolling the secondary.

The Argonauts are coming off a 10-8 season that saw them bow out in the second round of the playoffs, but things could look a lot different in Toronto this season. Quarterback Damon Allen will be 43 years old heading into the season and may need to be perfect to hold on to the starting job. Allen waned down the stretch and in the postseason last year, and it was Michael Bishop who ended up bailing out the Argos. Bishop is back again this season and he’ll have some recognizable company vying for the backup and possibly the starting job, with Mike McMahon and Eric Crouch both on the Argos' roster. Former Cleveland Brown Jamel White gets the start at running back ahead of incumbent John Avery, who shared the rushing duties last season with suspended NFLer Ricky Williams. The Toronto defense was exploited heavily at times last season and will need to improve to make up for what could be an inconsistent offense.

The Lions and Argos met up twice last season with B.C. taking both contests. The Lions defeated the Argos 26-17 as a 7-point favorite early in the season, and shelled Toronto 28-8 as a 7.5-point road favorite a month later. The Lions are a road favorite again in the season opener, coming in as a 3.5-point favorite.


Winnipeg Blue Bombers at Edmonton Eskimos – 9:30 pm EDT

Big things are expected out of the Blue Bombers this season, while nobody expects much of anything from Edmonton after their mess of a season last year.

Winnipeg is considered to be the favorite in the Eastern Division this season, after posting a 9-9 record in 2006. The Blue Bombers' ability to take control of the East will likely depend on quarterback Kevin Glenn. Glenn steadily improved last season despite some tough games and an ACL injury that kept him out for a few weeks. If Glenn can continue to improve, the Blue Bombers' offense could be lethal with Milt Stegall catching passes and Charles Roberts handling the rushing duties. Stegall, who is one of the best receivers the league has ever seen, needs only two more touchdown catches to set the all-time record. Roberts was a monster out of the backfield last season and led the CFL in rushing yards. On defense, linebacker Barrin Simpson led the league in tackles last season, but Winnipeg still needs to improve against the pass.

The Eskimos are coming off what could be considered their worst season in three decades. Last season marked the first time the Eskimos have missed the playoffs in 35 years. The fact that it came a year after winning the Grey Cup made things even worse. Quarterback Ricky Ray struggled to find the end zone all year, despite having a number of solid receivers including Jason Tucker and Pat Woodcock. The receiving corps got a little thinner in the offseason after Ed Hervey retired and Derrell Mitchell was released. Running back Troy Davis was also handed his walking papers, so Josh Ranek and Ron McClendon will battle for the starting job, with the hard-running Ranek the favorite to start the season opener. The Eskimos also overhauled their defense, and it was desperately needed after they were better only than league-worst Hamilton on D last season.

The Blue Bombers clashed with Edmonton twice last year and won both matchups as the underdog. Winnipeg blasted Edmonton 46-10 as a 2.5-point home underdog in June last season, and upset the Eskimos 25-22 as a 5.5-point road dog three weeks later. The Blue Bombers are dogs again this time around, after the Eskimos opened as a slim 1.5-point home favorite in their opener.

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[pm530]

Pro Basketball (Women’s) – Long Sheet

WNBA
Long Sheet


Thursday, June 28

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SEATTLE (7 - 6) at HOUSTON (3 - 11) - 6/28/2007, 8:30 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
HOUSTON is 7-4 against the spread versus SEATTLE over the last 3 seasons
HOUSTON is 7-5 straight up against SEATTLE over the last 3 seasons
7 of 12 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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[pm530]

Pro Basketball (women) – Hot Lines

WNBA
Hot Lines


Thursday, June 28

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Lady luck: Thursday’s best WNBA bet


Seattle Storm at Houston Comets (+ 1 1/2, 158)

The Storm live and die with their top gun Lauren Jackson. The club is 4-0 both straight up (SU) and against the spread (ATS) when the forward scores over 30 points. She's tallied 68 points in her last two games and, after Tuesday’s 94-76 win over the Chicago Sky, the opposition had nothing but praise for Jackson.

“She’s probably the best post player in the world,” Chicago’s Candice Dupree said after Jackson dropped 33. “The best that we could’ve done is try and double team as much as possible, be physical with her and try to frustrate her. She still had 30-plus.”

The Comets are 4-0 ATS in their last four and they’ve won three out of four SU. They won’t be as successful tonight if Tina Thompson has to guard Jackson for any period of time.

Pick: Storm

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[pm530]

Baseball – Write up

MLB
Write-up


Thursday, June 28

Hot Pitchers
-- Olsen is 1-0, 1.38 in his last two home starts.
-- Arizona won last five Johnson starts (4-0, 1.52) but he's been on DL with herniated disk in his back.
-- Hernandez is 1-0, 0.67 in his last four home starts. Wainwright is 2-1, 3.00 in his last three starts.

-- Blanton is 3-1, 1.14 in his last five starts.
-- Rogers blanked Atlanta for six innings in his first '07 start.
-- Silva is 2-1, 2.05 in his last three starts.
-- Wang is 4-0, 2.70 in his last five starts.
-- Devil Rays won last four Kazmir starts, scoring 28 runs.

Cold Pitchers
-- Pirates lost five of Duke's last six road starts.
-- Wolf is 1-3, 6.35 in his last four starts.
-- Cincinnati lost eight of last ten Belisle starts (2-4, 6.10). Eaton is 0-1, 6.94 in his last two starts.
-- Cook is 0-4, 7.39 in his last five starts. Astros lost six of last eight Oswalt starts (1-3, 4.24).

-- Byrd is 0-2, 8.79 in his last four starts.
-- Texas is 1-6 with Millwood if they score less than eight runs.
-- Burnett is 0-3, 4.33 in his last four starts; he comes off DL to start here, after missing time with shoulder issues.
-- Cabrera is 2-3, 8.59 in his last five home starts.
-- White Sox lost nine of last ten Vazquez starts.


Totals
-- Over is 4-1-1 in last six Olson starts.
-- Seven of last nine Arizona home games went over the total.
-- Six of last seven Philly home games went over the total.
-- Eight of last eleven Hernandez starts stayed under the total.
-- Eleven of last fifteen Houston games went over the total.

-- Over is 15-4-1 in last twenty games at Comerica Park.
-- Over is 6-3-1 in last ten Minnesota games.
-- Over is 10-3-1 in last fourteen Baltimore games.
-- Nine of last twelve White Sox games stayed under the total.


Hot Teams
-- Pirates won first two games of Florida series, 3-2/7-5.
-- Arizona is 7-3 in last ten home series finales.
-- Mets won five of their last six games, outscoring foes 27-8.

-- Indians won five of their last seven home games.
-- Rangers won nine of their last twelve games.
-- Toronto is 9-4 in its last thirteen games. Minnesota won last six home series finales.
-- Orioles won first two games of Bronx series, allowing two runs after they had lost previous eight home contests.
-- White Sox won first three games of Tampa series, 5-4/6-/5-3.

Cold Teams
-- Marlins lost eleven of their last fourteen home games.
-- Dodgers lost six of last eight road series finales.
-- Reds lost nine of their last thirteen road games. Phillies are 4-6 in third game of series, if they split the first two.
-- Cardinals lost three of their last four games.
-- Astros lost six of their last seven games. Rockies lost last six games, twice blowing last inning leads.

-- A's lost five of their last six games.
-- Detroit lost first two games of Texas series, 8-3/9-6.
-- Bronx lost seven of its last eight games.
-- Devil Rays lost nine of last thirteen games.

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[pm530]

Baseball - Tips & Trends

MLB
Tips and Trends


Thursday, June 28

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Oakland Athletics at Cleveland Indians (12:05 PM ET)
Oakland’s Joe Blanton pitched seven strong innings in his last start against Cleveland, allowing just two runs and five hits while walking none and fanning five. The Athletics picked up an 8-2 victory in that contest. EDGE: ATHLETICS
Blanton has been dynamite in four of his last five starts, allowing just two runs over 32 1/3 innings over those outings. BIG EDGE: UNDER
Indians right-hander Paul Byrd is 2-4 with a 5.40 ERA in nine career starts against the Athletics. He’s allowed 63 hits in just 48 1/3 innings against them. EDGE: ATHLETICS
Byrd has a solid 4-2 record at Jacobs Field this season, but carries an inflated 5.93 ERA in seven starts. SLIGHT EDGE: INDIANS & OVER


Toronto Blue Jays at Minnesota Twins (1:10 PM ET)
Toronto starter A.J. Burnett is an even 1-1 with a 2.40 ERA in two career starts against Minnesota, as he’s given up just nine hits in 15 innings against them while fanning 18. EDGE: BLUE JAYS & UNDER
Burnett is returning for his first start since landing on the disabled list with shoulder pain on June 13. He’s struggled during the daytime this season, going 0-3 with a 5.70 ERA in five starts. EDGE: TWINS
Twins right-hander Carlos Silva picked up a victory in his last start against the Blue Jays, but he is only 1-2 with a 5.59 ERA in three career starts against them. SLIGHT EDGE: BLUE JAYS
Silva has fallen into a pattern in his last four starts, throwing a great game followed by a terrible outing. Unfortunately for the Twins, he’s coming off a one run performance against Florida. SLIGHT EDGE: BLUE JAYS


Los Angeles Dodgers at Arizona Diamondbacks (6:40 PM ET)
Los Angeles starter Randy Wolf has enjoyed career success against Arizona, going 4-2 with a 4.07 ERA. He did get roughed up in his last outing against them, allowing six runs and 10 hits in just 5 2/3 innings. SLIGHT EDGE: DODGERS
Wolf has been knocked around in June, surrendering 20 runs and 41 hits in 27 2/3 innings. EDGE: D-BACKS & OVER
Diamondbacks left-hander Randy Johnson is 7-5 with a 2.71 ERA in 21 career starts against the Dodgers. He’s fanned 175 batters and walked just 40 in 153 innings. EDGE: D-BACKS
Arizona has won five straight games with Johnson on the hill, allowing two earned runs or less in each start. EDGE: D-BACKS & UNDER


St. Louis Cardinals at New York Mets (7:10 PM ET)
St. Louis right-hander Adam Wainwright has pitched in just two appearances against New York, allowing four runs and three hits in two innings of work. SLIGHT EDGE: METS & OVER
Wainwright is enjoying his best month of the 2007 season, posting an even 2-2 record and 2.91 ERA. EDGE: CARDINALS
New York’s Orlando Hernandez grabbed a victory in his only career start against St. Louis, throwing seven innings of one run ball and allowing just five hits. SLIGHT EDGE: METS
Hernandez bounced back nicely after two rough starts, as he tosses seven shutout innings against Oakland in a no-decision effort that the Mets eventually won 1-0. SLIGHT EDGE: METS


New York Yankees at Baltimore Orioles (7:10 PM ET)
New York’s Chien-Ming Wang is 2-1 with a 4.19 ERA in six career appearances against Baltimore. He’s walked just four batters in 34 1/3 innings against them. EDGE: YANKEES & UNDER
The Yankees have picked up victories in four of Wang’s last five starts, outscoring opponents 31-15 over that span. EDGE: YANKEES
Orioles’ right-hander Daniel Cabrera is 2-3 with a 3.94 ERA in eight career starts against the Yankees. He’s issued 29 walks in 45 2/3 innings against them. SLIGHT EDGE: OVER
Cabrera is 3-0 during daytime starts this season, but he is 3-8 with a 5.20 ERA under the lights. EDGE: YANKEES


Chicago White Sox at Tampa Bay Devil Rays (7:10 PM ET)
White Sox starter Javier Vazquez was knocked around for five runs and eight hits over 6 2/3 innings in his last start against Tampa Bay, which eventually turned out to be a 11-5 loss on May 27. EDGE: D-RAYS
Chicago has lost nine of Vazquez’s last 10 starts, including four straight. BIG EDGE: D-RAYS
Tampa Bay’s Scott Kazmir is a perfect 2-0 with a 3.21 ERA in two career starts against them. EDGE: D-RAYS
Kazmir is looking for his first home victory of the season, as the powerful left-hander is 0-2 with a 3.83 ERA in nine starts. SLIGHT EDGE: WHITE SOX


Colorado Rockies at Houston Astros (8:05 PM ET)
Colorado’s Aaron Cook is a perfect 2-0 with a 2.12 ERA in three career starts against Houston. He’s allowed just four earned runs in 17 innings against them. EDGE: ROCKIES
Cook has been blasted for six earned runs in each of his last two starts, allowing 19 runs over 11 1/3 innings. EDGE: OVER
Astros’ ace Roy Oswalt is a dynamite 5-1 with a 2.27 ERA in seven career starts against the Rockies. He’s walked just nine batters in 47 2/3 innings against them. BIG EDGE: ASTROS
Oswalt is 5-1 with a 2.20 ERA at Minute Maid Park in 10 starts, as he’s allowed three home runs in 69 2/3 innings. EDGE: ASTROS

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[pm530]

Baseball - Betting Notes

MLB
Betting Notes


Thursday, June 28

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Thursday’s MLB betting notes


Morneau’s lung improves, pride still hurting

Reigning American League MVP Justin Morneau looks set to return from a contusion in his right lung, possibly on Thursday against the Toronto Blue Jays.

The Minnesota Twins first baseman spent three nights in a Miami hospital after a collision with Marlins catcher Miguel Olivo on Friday night. He returned to the Twins bench on Tuesday and doctors are monitoring his progress day to day.

While the injury could have been worse, Morneau is also suffering from a hit to his pride.

"It was a little embarrassing," Morneau told reporters at a press conference on Tuesday. "When you run into a catcher, he's supposed to fall over, not you."

The Twins close out a three-game series against the Jays on Thursday, and are +106 underdogs with Carlos Silva set to take the mound.

Randy’s back

When Randy Johnson went on the disabled list due to a herniated disc in his back, the general school of thought was that he'd be out for at least a month. Now, less than two weeks later, he's set to make his ninth start of the season for the Arizona Diamondbacks. He's scheduled to play Thursday in the series finale against the Dodgers.

Johnson received the all-clear after he threw 41 pitches in a simulated game on Monday, but he’s still concerned about how his back will react against L.A.

"I don't know how much longer I can pitch with it," Johnson told MLB.com. "So I'm going to go into it with a positive frame of mind. I'll go as hard as I can as long as I can."

Johnson is 4-2 with a 3.52 ERA in his nine starts this season. The Dodgers counter with Randy Wolf (8-6, 4.32) and are +122 underdogs to take the game with the total set at 8½.

Patience not one of Abreu’s virtues

Yankees outfielder Bobby Abreu’s recent struggles have led to manager Joe Torre relegating him from third to eighth in the lineup.

Abreu is 4 for 28 through the first seven games of the Yanks' current road trip and is batting just .257 with four home runs and 35 RBI for the season.

"Same type of thing -– lack of patience, pretty much on his heels," Torre told MLB.com in an effort to explain the slump. "It looks like, ‘I don’t want the pitcher to get ahead of me.’ That may not be what he thinks, but that’s how it looks."

Tuesday was the first night of the lineup change but it did little to ease Abreu’s, or the Yankees', struggles. New York went down 3-2 to the Orioles, with a two-run shot by the injury-riddled Johnny Damon their only piece of offense on the night.

For Thursday's series finale, the Yankees send Chien-Ming Wang (7-4, 3.51 ERA) to the mound to face Baltimore's Daniel Cabrera (6-8, 4.98 ERA). New York is –177 favorites with the total set at 9.

Cards catcher returns

St Louis Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina could be ready to return to join the lineup Thursday after spending June on the disabled list with a fractured left wrist.

Molina got through batting practice for the second consecutive day on Tuesday and has so far reported no problems. "It feels normal," Molina told reporters this week.

"I can do whatever I want. It doesn't bother me. I feel pretty good hitting, so hopefully, I'll come back pretty soon."

The catcher had a batting average of .273 with one home run before suffering the injury on May 30. His return is likely to come in the Cards' series finale against the New York Mets on Thursday.

St Louis is a +173 underdog to take that game with Adam Wainwright (6-6, 4.58 ERA) scheduled to start.

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[pm530]

Baseball – Long Sheet

MLB
Long Sheet


Thursday, June 28

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PITTSBURGH (32 - 44) at FLORIDA (36 - 41) - 12:05 PM
ZACH DUKE (L) vs. SCOTT OLSEN (L)
Top Trends for this game.
PITTSBURGH is 14-38 (-18.5 Units) against the money line on the road when the total is 9 to 9.5 over the last 2 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 26-54 (-22.8 Units) against the money line in day games over the last 2 seasons.
DUKE is 4-21 (-15.9 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
DUKE is 4-21 (-15.9 Units) against the money line in road games in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
FLORIDA is 28-20 (+14.7 Units) against the money line in June games over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
PITTSBURGH is 3-2 (+1.3 Units) against FLORIDA this season
3 of 4 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+1.9 Units)

ZACH DUKE vs. FLORIDA since 1997
DUKE is 0-1 when starting against FLORIDA with an ERA of 3.60 and a WHIP of 1.467.
His team's record is 0-3 (-3.9 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 3-0. (+3.0 units)

SCOTT OLSEN vs. PITTSBURGH since 1997
OLSEN is 2-0 when starting against PITTSBURGH with an ERA of 2.84 and a WHIP of 1.211.
His team's record is 3-0 (+3.5 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-3. (-3.4 units)


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LA DODGERS (44 - 33) at ARIZONA (44 - 34) - 6:40 PM
RANDY WOLF (L) vs. RANDY JOHNSON (L)
Top Trends for this game.
ARIZONA is 44-34 (+9.3 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
ARIZONA is 44-34 (+9.3 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
LA DODGERS are 44-33 (+7.9 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
ARIZONA is 418-367 (-64.9 Units) against the money line in home games since 1997.
ARIZONA is 82-81 (-29.9 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 8 to 8.5 since 1997.
ARIZONA is 9-21 (-15.1 Units) against the money line in home games in June games over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
LA DODGERS is 6-1 (+5.2 Units) against ARIZONA this season
4 of 7 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+0.6 Units)

RANDY WOLF vs. ARIZONA since 1997
WOLF is 4-2 when starting against ARIZONA with an ERA of 4.07 and a WHIP of 1.441.
His team's record is 6-3 (+4.6 units) in these starts. The OVER is 4-5. (-1.8 units)

RANDY JOHNSON vs. LA DODGERS since 1997
JOHNSON is 7-5 when starting against LA DODGERS with an ERA of 2.71 and a WHIP of 1.059.
His team's record is 11-10 (-6.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 11-10. (+0.3 units)


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CINCINNATI (29 - 48) at PHILADELPHIA (40 - 36) - 7:05 PM
MATT BELISLE (R) vs. ADAM EATON (R)
Top Trends for this game.
CINCINNATI is 29-48 (-19.6 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
CINCINNATI is 29-48 (-19.6 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
CINCINNATI is 19-36 (-18.2 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
EATON is 32-18 (+13.5 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
EATON is 31-17 (+13.7 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
CINCINNATI is 400-450 (+56.2 Units) against the money line in road games since 1997.
CINCINNATI is 300-338 (+41.7 Units) against the money line in road games against right-handed starters since 1997.
PHILADELPHIA is 48-58 (-27.6 Units) against the money line in home games when playing on Thursday since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
PHILADELPHIA is 3-1 (+2.0 Units) against CINCINNATI this season
2 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=-0.1 Units, Under=-0.2 Units)

MATT BELISLE vs. PHILADELPHIA since 1997
BELISLE is 0-1 when starting against PHILADELPHIA with an ERA of 7.20 and a WHIP of 1.800.
His team's record is 0-1 (-1.1 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 0-1. (-1.1 units)

ADAM EATON vs. CINCINNATI since 1997
EATON is 2-0 when starting against CINCINNATI with an ERA of 3.60 and a WHIP of 1.560.
His team's record is 4-0 (+4.4 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-2. (-0.4 units)


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ST LOUIS (34 - 40) at NY METS (42 - 33) - 7:10 PM
ADAM WAINWRIGHT (R) vs. ORLANDO HERNANDEZ (R)
Top Trends for this game.
ST LOUIS is 128-123 (-19.0 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
ST LOUIS is 128-123 (-19.0 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
ST LOUIS is 74-91 (-33.6 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
ST LOUIS is 17-35 (-16.5 Units) against the money line in road games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
NY METS are 145-102 (+17.2 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
NY METS are 20-6 (+12.0 Units) against the money line in home games when playing with a day off over the last 3 seasons.
NY METS are 143-101 (+16.2 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
NY METS are 106-70 (+19.2 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
NY METS are 8-15 (-10.7 Units) against the money line in June games this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
NY METS is 4-1 (+2.2 Units) against ST LOUIS this season
4 of 5 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+3.0 Units)

ADAM WAINWRIGHT vs. NY METS since 1997
No recent starts.

ORLANDO HERNANDEZ vs. ST LOUIS since 1997
HERNANDEZ is 1-0 when starting against ST LOUIS with an ERA of 1.29 and a WHIP of 1.000.
His team's record is 1-0 (+1.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-1. (-1.0 units)


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COLORADO (38 - 39) at HOUSTON (32 - 45) - 8:05 PM
AARON COOK (R) vs. ROY OSWALT (R)
Top Trends for this game.
COOK is 16-32 (-16.8 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
COOK is 16-31 (-15.6 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
COLORADO is 38-36 (+7.3 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
COLORADO is 31-26 (+11.1 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
HOUSTON is 32-45 (-16.9 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
HOUSTON is 46-50 (-14.4 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 32-45 (-16.9 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
HOUSTON is 23-35 (-14.2 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
HOUSTON is 15-25 (-12.6 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
COLORADO is 2-1 (+1.2 Units) against HOUSTON this season
2 of 3 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+0.9 Units)

AARON COOK vs. HOUSTON since 1997
COOK is 3-0 when starting against HOUSTON with an ERA of 3.86 and a WHIP of 1.451.
His team's record is 4-1 (+4.4 units) in these starts. The OVER is 3-2. (+0.9 units)

ROY OSWALT vs. COLORADO since 1997
OSWALT is 5-1 when starting against COLORADO with an ERA of 2.27 and a WHIP of 1.133.
His team's record is 5-2 (+1.7 units) in these starts. The OVER is 3-3. (-0.5 units)


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OAKLAND (39 - 37) at CLEVELAND (45 - 31) - 12:05 PM
JOE BLANTON (R) vs. PAUL BYRD (R)
Top Trends for this game.
BYRD is 27-10 (+14.4 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
BYRD is 27-10 (+14.4 Units) against the money line in home games in games played on a grass field over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
OAKLAND is 135-110 (+16.8 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
OAKLAND is 64-58 (+14.6 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
OAKLAND is 50-27 (+25.3 Units) against the money line in June games over the last 3 seasons.
OAKLAND is 23-9 (+14.6 Units) against the money line when playing with a day off over the last 2 seasons.
OAKLAND is 57-35 (+21.9 Units) against the money line in day games over the last 2 seasons.
OAKLAND is 125-100 (+16.1 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
OAKLAND is 47-39 (+14.7 Units) against the money line in road games against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
OAKLAND is 60-51 (+17.7 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
CLEVELAND is 7-17 (-12.5 Units) against the money line at home with a money line of -100 to -125 over the last 2 seasons.
CLEVELAND is 21-29 (-16.5 Units) against the money line in June games over the last 2 seasons.
CLEVELAND is 49-56 (-28.5 Units) against the money line in home games when playing on Thursday since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
CLEVELAND is 3-2 (+0.6 Units) against OAKLAND this season
3 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+2.1 Units)

JOE BLANTON vs. CLEVELAND since 1997
BLANTON is 1-2 when starting against CLEVELAND with an ERA of 4.26 and a WHIP of 1.316.
His team's record is 1-2 (-1.1 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-2. (-1.4 units)

PAUL BYRD vs. OAKLAND since 1997
BYRD is 2-4 when starting against OAKLAND with an ERA of 5.40 and a WHIP of 1.469.
His team's record is 3-6 (-2.9 units) in these starts. The OVER is 5-3. (+1.9 units)


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TEXAS (32 - 45) at DETROIT (45 - 31) - 1:05 PM
JAMEY WRIGHT (R) vs. JUSTIN VERLANDER (R)
Top Trends for this game.
DETROIT is 149-103 (+25.6 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
DETROIT is 28-12 (+14.4 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 this season.
DETROIT is 35-15 (+16.4 Units) against the money line in June games over the last 2 seasons.
DETROIT is 136-89 (+26.6 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
DETROIT is 76-35 (+25.3 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
VERLANDER is 19-3 (+16.6 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
TEXAS is 32-29 (+12.8 Units) against the money line in road games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
TEXAS is 3-2 (+3.2 Units) against DETROIT this season
3 of 3 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+3.0 Units)

JAMEY WRIGHT vs. DETROIT since 1997
WRIGHT is 3-0 when starting against DETROIT with an ERA of 0.84 and a WHIP of 1.219.
His team's record is 3-0 (+3.6 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-2. (-1.3 units)

JUSTIN VERLANDER vs. TEXAS since 1997
VERLANDER is 2-1 when starting against TEXAS with an ERA of 2.95 and a WHIP of 1.200.
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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TORONTO (38 - 38) at MINNESOTA (39 - 36) - 1:10 PM
A.J. BURNETT (R) vs. CARLOS SILVA (R)
Top Trends for this game.
BURNETT is 32-57 (-26.1 Units) against the money line in road games since 1997. (Team's Record)
BURNETT is 0-5 (-7.5 Units) against the money line in day games this season. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
MINNESOTA is 3-2 (+1.0 Units) against TORONTO this season
3 of 5 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+0.8 Units)

A.J. BURNETT vs. MINNESOTA since 1997
BURNETT is 1-1 when starting against MINNESOTA with an ERA of 2.40 and a WHIP of 0.933.
His team's record is 1-1 (-0.3 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-2. (-2.2 units)

CARLOS SILVA vs. TORONTO since 1997
SILVA is 1-2 when starting against TORONTO with an ERA of 5.59 and a WHIP of 1.190.
His team's record is 1-2 (-1.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 2-0. (+2.0 units)


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NY YANKEES (36 - 38) at BALTIMORE (33 - 43) - 7:05 PM
CHIEN-MING WANG (R) vs. DANIEL CABRERA (R)
Top Trends for this game.
NY YANKEES are 36-38 (-21.7 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
NY YANKEES are 13-18 (-12.8 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 this season.
NY YANKEES are 120-85 (-58.5 Units) against the money line as a road favorite of -175 or more since 1997.
NY YANKEES are 16-24 (-15.9 Units) against the money line in road games this season.
NY YANKEES are 5-11 (-9.5 Units) against the money line on the road when the total is 9 to 9.5 this season.
NY YANKEES are 12-16 (-15.1 Units) against the money line when playing on Thursday over the last 2 seasons.
NY YANKEES are 8-16 (-16.9 Units) against the money line against division opponents this season.
NY YANKEES are 33-33 (-17.2 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
NY YANKEES are 95-76 (-24.5 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
WANG is 0-5 (-10.2 Units) against the money line when playing on Thursday over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
BALTIMORE is 94-106 (-29.1 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 3 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 6-16 (-13.3 Units) against the money line in June games this season.
BALTIMORE is 142-192 (-65.5 Units) against the money line in home games against division opponents since 1997.
BALTIMORE is 94-106 (-29.1 Units) against the money line in home games in games played on a grass field over the last 3 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 60-70 (-22.2 Units) against the money line in home games in night games over the last 3 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 61-73 (-22.0 Units) against the money line in home games against right-handed starters over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
BALTIMORE is 3-1 (+3.9 Units) against NY YANKEES this season
2 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+0.0 Units)

CHIEN-MING WANG vs. BALTIMORE since 1997
WANG is 2-1 when starting against BALTIMORE with an ERA of 4.28 and a WHIP of 1.307.
His team's record is 3-2 (+0.2 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 3-2. (+0.7 units)

DANIEL CABRERA vs. NY YANKEES since 1997
CABRERA is 2-3 when starting against NY YANKEES with an ERA of 3.94 and a WHIP of 1.489.
His team's record is 2-6 (-3.3 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-5. (-3.3 units)


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CHI WHITE SOX (31 - 42) at TAMPA BAY (33 - 42) - 7:10 PM
JAVIER VAZQUEZ (R) vs. SCOTT KAZMIR (L)
Top Trends for this game.
CHI WHITE SOX are 31-42 (-12.0 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
CHI WHITE SOX are 7-17 (-11.9 Units) against the money line in June games this season.
CHI WHITE SOX are 36-48 (-23.2 Units) against the money line against left-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
VAZQUEZ is 18-28 (-19.7 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
VAZQUEZ is 8-16 (-10.7 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
VAZQUEZ is 10-16 (-14.4 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
CHI WHITE SOX are 73-42 (+21.1 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 3 seasons.
CHI WHITE SOX are 39-27 (+16.6 Units) against the money line as a road underdog of +100 to +125 over the last 3 seasons.
CHI WHITE SOX are 115-89 (+23.8 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 3 seasons.
CHI WHITE SOX are 44-23 (+20.4 Units) against the money line on the road when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 3 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 11-22 (-11.4 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
CHI WHITE SOX is 3-1 (+2.1 Units) against TAMPA BAY this season
2 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=-0.2 Units, Under=-0.2 Units)

JAVIER VAZQUEZ vs. TAMPA BAY since 1997
VAZQUEZ is 3-2 when starting against TAMPA BAY with an ERA of 5.14 and a WHIP of 1.469.
His team's record is 3-5 (-4.9 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 6-2. (+3.7 units)

SCOTT KAZMIR vs. CHI WHITE SOX since 1997
KAZMIR is 2-0 when starting against CHI WHITE SOX with an ERA of 3.21 and a WHIP of 1.286.
His team's record is 2-0 (+2.3 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-0. (+2.0 units)

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[Udog]

Baseball Today


SCOREBOARD Thursday, June 28

L.A. Dodgers at Arizona (6:40 p.m. EDT). Randy Johnson returns from the DL for the Diamondbacks, squaring off against Randy Wolf.

STARS Wednesday

-Damian Miller, Brewers, hit a game-ending three-run homer in the 11th inning to lift Milwaukee over Houston 6-3.

-Jose Lopez, Mariners, drove in the winning run in the 11th inning to help Seattle edge Boston 2-1.

-Xavier Nady and Ryan Doumit, Pirates, hit back-to-back home runs in the 10th inning to push Pittsburgh past Florida 7-5.

-Jack Cust, Athletics, had a career-high five RBIs in Oakland's 13-7 win over Cleveland.

-Erik Bedard, Orioles, struck out eight and gave up two hits in seven innings to lead Baltimore past the New York Yankees 4-0.

-Brandon Webb, Diamondbacks, pitched seven innings in Arizona's 2-0 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers.

100 FOR HOWARD

Phillies slugger Ryan Howard hit his 100th career homer in his 325th game, a 9-6 loss to Cincinnati on Wednesday, becoming the fastest player to reach that total in major league history, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. The 505-foot drive off Reds starter Aaron Harang was the longest in the four-year history of Philadelphia's Citizens Bank Park.

ROAD TO 300

Tom Glavine earned his 297th career win, pitching one-hit ball for six innings in a rain-shortened shutout to lead the New York Mets past St. Louis 2-0 on Wednesday.

HOT ROYALS

Kansas City defeated the Los Angeles Angels 1-0 on Wednesday and has now won four straight for the first time since July 4-7 last year. With a record of 14-11 so far in June the Royals are assured of a winning month for the first time since July 2003.

STREAKS

The Chicago Cubs beat Colorado 6-4 on Wednesday to extend their longest winning streak in two years to six games. ... Delmon Young extended his hitting streak to 12 games, matching a career-high, in Tampa Bay's 5-3 loss to the Chicago White Sox.

SNAPPED

Roger Clemens' run of 200 consecutive starts with at least one strikeout ended when he failed to strike out a batter in the New York Yankees' 4-0 loss to Baltimore on Wednesday. ... Kansas City completed a sweep of the Los Angeles Angels with a 1-0 win, snapping a string of a franchise record-tying nine consecutive series wins for the Angels. ... So Taguchi had his career-best 18-game hitting streak snapped in St. Louis' 2-0 loss to the New York Mets.

SPEAKING

''I guess the question would be, 'How 'bout those bats?' If a team was ever due to break out, it was our team.'' - Atlanta manager Bobby Cox, on his team's season-high 22 hits in a 13-0 pounding of Washington on Wednesday. The Braves managed just one run during five straight home losses to Detroit and Boston last week.

SEASONS June 28

1907 - Twelve Washington baserunners stole against catcher Branch Rickey as the Senators defeated the New York Yankees 16-5.

1910 - Joe Tinker of the Chicago Cubs became the first major leaguer to steal home twice in the same game, an 11-1 win over Cincinnati.

1919 - Carl Mays of Boston pitched two complete games against the New York Yankees. The Red Sox won the first game 2-0 and lost the nightcap 4-1.

1949 - Joe DiMaggio played his first series of the year after a bone spur operation and hit .455, with four home runs and nine RBIs, as the New York Yankees swept Boston at Fenway Park.

1970 - Pittsburgh swept the Chicago Cubs 3-2 and 4-1 in the Pirates' final games at Forbes Field.

1984 - Dwight Evans of the Boston Red Sox completed the cycle with a three-run 11th-inning homer to beat the Seattle Mariners 9-6.

1986 - Phil Niekro of the Cleveland Indians and Don Sutton of the California Angels became the first 300-game winners to start against each other in this century. Neither Niekro nor Sutton got a decision as the Angels scored six runs in the bottom of the eighth to win 9-3.

1987 - Mark McGwire homered twice to tie a major league record with five homers over two games, and Steve Ontiveros pitched a two-hitter as the Oakland Athletics beat the Cleveland Indians 10-0.

1994 - Matt Williams tied Willie Stargell's 1971 NL record for home runs before July with his 28th in San Francisco's 7-4 loss to Los Angeles.

2004 - David Bell became the first Philadelphia Phillies player in almost nine years to hit for the cycle as the Phillies beat Montreal 14-6.

Today's birthdays: Brand Phillips, 26; Chris Spurling, 30; Corey Koskie, 34; Ron Mahay, 36.

[Udog]

MLB
Streaking Pitchers


Thursday, June 28


HOT

Joe Blanton (Oakland Athletics) – Blanton is 4-1 with a 1.49 ERA in his last five and has lasted at least seven innings in each of those outings. Blanton’s only loss came in a tough 1-0 decision against the Boston Red Sox when he pitched eight innings allowing just one earned run on seven hits. The A’s face the Indians today as +105 underdogs and the total set at 9 ½. The under is 4-1 in Blanton’s last five starts.

Chien-Ming Wang (New York Yankees) – Aside from Wang’s most recent start, he’s been lights out over the past month. He is 4-0 in his last five trips to the mound including a one-hitter and a 10-strikeout performance. He was touched for four earned runs on six hits in 6 1/3 innings in his last outing, but came away with a no-decision. The Yankees have lost seven of their last eight games and will face the Baltimore Orioles today as –173 favorites. The total is set at nine runs.

COLD

Paul Byrd (Cleveland Indians) – Byrd was the Indians' model of consistency to begin the year but now batters are pounding him all over the field. He’s allowed 10 or more hits in three of his last four games and has given up at least three earned runs each of those four outings. Byrd takes on the A’s today as –113 favorites but he’s just 2-4 with a 4.26 ERA in his career versus Oakland.

Aaron Cook (Colorado Rockies) – The Rockies' right-hander is 0-4 in his last five games including back-to-back losses in which he’s giving up six earned runs in each. Tonight Cook will go up against the Houston Astros and their ace Roy Oswalt. That might be the only upside for backers, as Cook is unbeaten versus the Astros in three career appearances against them. Colorado is a +154 road underdog for tonight’s contest.

[Kaptain]

Thanks once again fellows