Thursday Trends and Indexes 07/05

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Trends and Indexes
Thursday, July 05

Good Luck on day #186 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.

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Six-pack for Thursday

-- Colorado swept teams from Bronx and Queens in last two home series, first team to ever do that in same season, but in between, went on a hideous 1-9 road trip. Go figure.

-- Tyler Yates of Atlanta is 29th major leaguer to come from the Hawai'ian Islands.

-- Underrated fact: On Sept 24 and 30, 1988, Dave Stieb of Toronto lost no-hitters, both with two outs in last inning, so he actually came close to tying Van de Meer's record of two consecutive no-hitters.

-- David Ortiz hasn't hit a home run against a lefty in 2007.

-- Since 1998, Mark Kotsay leads major league outfielders, with 108 outfield assists.

-- Red Sox (52-31), Mets (46-37) lead two eastern divisions; if you add up the other eight eastern teams, you come up with a woeful 309-360 mark, a dismal .462 win percentage.

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Thursday's List of 13: Thirteen players I like to watch.......

None of these players are on the A's or my fantasy team, but these are thirteen guys I enjoy watching on Extra Innings on my digital cable package..........

13) Omar Vizquel, Giants-- Not spectacular, but what a fielder he is; so smooth. Will be interesting down the road to see if he gets any support for the Hall of Fame.

12) Paul LoDuca, Mets-- The guy went to the All-Star Game last year, so he could be batting practice pitcher in Home Run Contest for David Wright. The consummate teammate, and a very tough guy.

11) Miguel Tejada, Orioles-- One of two ex-A's on the list, but what a player this guy is. Still mystified how A's gave Chavez $11M a year and never tried to signed Tejada. Very strange.

10) Carlos Lee, Astros-- There are group of guys who stand out in left-center field at Minute Maid Park with sombreros on and toy horses, and every time Lee (El Caballero) comes up, they jump around and root for their guy. I'm not describing it well enough, but it is kind of cool to see.

9) Ivan Rodriguez, Tigers-- Look at Tigers' pitching stats with Pudge, and then look at what they were before he got there. Plus, he's a pretty good hitter. Has won World Series in two different cities.

8) Brad Hawpe, Rockies-- Tremendous throwing arm as right fielders should, plus, he is a decent hitter. Not sure he would be as good a hitter away from Denver, but the guy has to hit about .600 when I am watching him.

7) Manny Ramirez, Red Sox-- Media gives this guy a bad rap; totally underrated as an outfielder, and look at his career stats as hitter sometime-- wow!!!! So what he has to have a day off every now and then? His teammates all seem to like him.

6) Centerfielders, in general-- Andruw Jones, Torii Hunter are probably the best defensively, but Cameron, Kotsay, Rowand and Vernon Wells (I traded him for Matsuzaka last week) are also terrific and lot of fun to watch.

5) Jimmy Rollins, Phillies-- Maybe because he plays in a small park, but I like watching Rollins hit; think he is an underrated player. If the Phillies had better pitching and made playoffs, people would appreciate both him and...........

4) Chase Utley, Phillies-- I tried to trade for him in fantasy this spring and got laughed at. As second basemen go, superior numbers. These two are going to be like Trammell/Whitaker were in Detroit, but will they win a title together?

3) Ichiro Suzuki, Mariners-- Best fundamental outfielder ever, in my opinion (at least that I've seen). Charges the ball great, and American baserunners learned quickly not to challenge his throwing arm. And obviously, he is a great hitter.

2) Vladimir Guerrero, Angels-- Not sure why anyone throws this guy a strike, ever; he swings at anything, can look awful on one at-bat, then hit four ropes in row rest of game. Great throwing arm in rightfield, too.

1) Eric Byrnes, Arizona-- The guy plays like a linebacker and has become a pretty good hitter, too. The first night after he got traded from Oakland, Fox Bay Area did a video tribute for him-- had never seen that before. Extremely popular player.

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[pm530]

Baseball – Write up

MLB
Write-up


Thursday, July 5

Hot Pitchers
-- Sheets is 6-0, 2.45 in his last seven starts. Gorzelanny is 2-0 in his last three starts, with a 3.10 RA.
-- Florida is 3-0 in Kim's road starts (1-0, 2.08). Padres are 13-4 in Peavy starts, 8-2 at home.
-- Cubs won five of Marshall's last six starts.
-- Cardinals are 9-2 with Wainwright if they score 3+ runs.
-- Maine is 3-0, 2.01 in his last three starts.
-- Hudson is 2-1, 2.02 in his last four starts. Penny is 5-0, 1.45 in his last eight starts.

-- Verlander is 4-1, 2.65 in his last five starts, but is 0-2, 7.36 vs Indians this season. Indians are 15-3 in Sabathia starts this year; he is 3-0, 5.31 vs Detroit this season- Indians scored 27 runs in those games.
-- Twins are 5-1 in Slowey starts (3-0, 5.94) scoring 41 runs.
-- Burres is 3-0, 3.28 in his last six starts.
-- Oakland won six of Gaudin's eight home starts. Batista is 1-0, 2.19 in his last couple starts.

Cold Pitchers
-- Bergmann is 0-2, 7.88 since coming off the DL.
-- Arroyo is 0-7, 7.02 in his last ten starts. Morris is 0-1, 8.10 in his last three starts.
-- Davis is 1-3, 7.92 in his last five starts.
-- Jennings is 1-2, 5.32 in his last four starts.

-- Igawa is 2-2, 8.33 in seven starts this season.
-- Beckett is 0-2, 8.27 in his last three home starts. Devil Rays are 0-5 in last five Howell starts (0-2, 6.75).
-- Danks is 1-2, 5.55 in his last seven starts.
-- Escobar is 1-1, 6.75 in his last three road starts. Tejeda is 1-4 in his last eight starts, with an 11.06 RA.


Totals
-- Under is 8-2-2 in last dozen Gorzelanny starts.
-- Kim's last four starts all went over the total.
-- Seven of last nine Cub road games stayed under the total.
-- Over is 5-2 in Arroyo's last seven home starts.
-- Over is 13-4-2 in last nineteen Diamondback games.
-- Over is 14-2-1 in Houston's last seventeen home games.
-- Six of last seven Atlanta games went over the total.

-- Under is 9-3 in last twelve Cleveland road games.
-- Last five Slowey starts all went over the total.
-- Under is 9-4 in last thirteen Tampa Bay games.
-- Nine of last eleven Baltimore road games went over the total, but under is 11-3-1 in last fifteen White Sox games.
-- Last three Escobar starts all went over the total.
-- Under is 16-6 in last twenty-two Oakland home games.


Hot Teams
-- Cubs won ten of their last twelve games.
-- Pirates won six of their last nine games.
-- Giants won three of their last four games.
-- Astros won nine of their last ten home games.
-- Padres won six of their last eight games.
-- Dodgers won three of their last four games.

-- Indians won eight of their last ten games.
-- Red Sox won last three games, scoring 22 runs.
-- Rangers won four of their last five games.
-- White Sox won seven of their last ten games. Orioles are 6-3 in their last nine road games.
-- Oakland is 9-5 in its last fourteen home games. Mariners won nine of their last eleven games.

Cold Teams
-- Brewers lost three of their last four games.
-- Marlins lost eight of their last eleven games.
-- Nationals lost six of their last eight games.
-- Cincinnati lost seven of its last ten games.
-- Arizona lost eight of its last ten games. Cardinals are 3-9 in the game after their last dozen wins.
-- Mets lost last four games, by combined 39-15 margin.
-- Braves lost three of their last four games.

-- Detroit lost seven of its last ten home games.
-- Bronx lost ten of its last fourteen games. Twins lost three of their last four games.
-- Devil Rays are 0-10 on this road trip, outscored 55-26.
-- Angels lost six of their last eight games.

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[pm530]

Baseball - Tips & Trends

MLB

Thursday, July 5

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Tips and Trends
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Milwaukee Brewers at Pittsburgh Pirates (12:35 PM ET)

Milwaukee starter Ben Sheets is 6-7 with a 2.90 ERA in 19 career starts against Pittsburgh. The right-hander allowed two runs and six hits in 6 1/3 innings of work against them last time out. SLIGHT EDGE: BREWERS & UNDER
Sheets has picked up a victory in six straight decisions, allowing just 10 earned runs over that span. EDGE: BREWERS & UNDER
Pittsburgh’s Tom Gorzelanny has tallied one victory in two career starts against Milwaukee, giving up three earned runs and 13 hits in 14 2/3 innings of work. EDGE: PIRATES
Gorzelanny has pitched relatively well during five daytime starts, posting a 2-1 record and 3.34 ERA. EDGE: PIRATES



Cleveland Indians at Detroit Tigers (1:05 PM ET)

Cleveland’s C.C. Sabathia is a perfect 2-0 against Detroit this season, even though he’s posted an inflated 5.02 ERA in the process. EDGE: INDIANS & OVER
Sabathia has been dynamite in five daytime starts in 2007, going a perfect 4-0 with a 2.43 ERA. He’s struck out 33 batters and walked just seven in 37 innings. BIG EDGE: INDIANS
The Indians are one of just two teams that Tigers second-year starter Justin Verlander has a losing record against, with a 2-3 record and 5.97 ERA in six starts. EDGE: INDIANS
Verlander was absolutely dominating in the month of June, going 4-1 with a 2.65 ERA. The hard-throwing right-hander fanned 40 batters in 34 innings of work. BIG EDGE: TIGERS



Florida Marlins at San Diego Padres (3:35 PM ET)

Florida right-hander Byung-Hyun Kim is 3-2 with a 3.55 ERA in 26 career games against San Diego, but he’s started just one game against them. SLIGHT EDGE: MARLINS
The Marlins have lost four straight games with Kim on the hill, but the right-hander allowed just one run in his last start over 6 1/3 innings to Atlanta. SLIGHT EDGE: PADRES
San Diego’s Jake Peavy is one of the more dominant pitchers in Major League Baseball, but he’s an even 3-3 with a 3.03 ERA in six career starts against Florida. He’s struck out 53 Marlins in 38 2/3 innings of work. SLIGHT EDGE: PADRES
Peavy has enjoyed the friendly confines of Petco Park this season, posting a solid 5-2 record and 2.95 ERA. The right-hander has allowed just one long ball in 64 home innings. EDGE: PADRES & UNDER



New York Mets at Houston Astros (8:05 PM ET)

New York starter John Maine has picked up three straight wins after struggling through the early part of June. He’s allowed just four earned runs and 13 hits in his last 22 1/3 innings of work. EDGE: METS
Maine notched a 6-1 victory in his only career start against Colorado, allowing just one run and seven hits over 7 2/3 innings of work. SLIGHT EDGE: METS
Houston’s Jason Jennings is 4-2 with a 3.73 ERA in six career starts against New York. He picked up a loss in his only start against them last season, allowing two runs and four hits over six solid innings. SLIGHT EDGE: ROCKIES
Jennings hasn’t garnered a victory in six starts at Minute Maid Park in 2007, going 0-2 despite having a respectable 3.71 ERA. SLIGHT EDGE: METS



Los Angeles Angels at Texas Rangers (8:35 PM ET)

Angels right-hander Kelvim Escobar brings in a dismal 3-8 career record against the Rangers into tonight’s start, even though he’s allowed just 82 hits in 95 innings against them. SLIGHT EDGE: RANGERS
Escobar has been touched up for 13 runs in his last 17 1/3 innings away from Los Angeles, as the right-hander has a 5.77 ERA in six road starts. EDGE: OVER
Texas starter Robinson Tejada is an even 1-1 with a 3.18 ERA in three career starts against Los Angeles. He’s allowed just one home run in 17 innings against them. SLIGHT EDGE: RANGERS & UNDER
Tejada has struggled mightily with his control in his last two outings, issuing 10 free passes in 7 2/3 innings. He’s walked at least three batters in 10 consecutive starts. EDGE: ANGELS & OVER



Seattle Mariners at Oakland Athletics (10:05 PM ET)

Seattle right-hander Miguel Batista has limited numbers in two career appearances against Kansas City, tossing 3 1/3 scoreless innings and allowing just one hit. SLIGHT EDGE: MARINERS
Batista picked up back-to-back victories to end the month of June, allowing just three runs and 10 hits in 12 1/3 innings to Cincinnati and Toronto. EDGE: MARINERS
Oakland’s Chad Gaudin has appeared in nine games against Toronto, surrendering two runs and five hits in 8 2/3 innings. SLIGHT EDGE: A’S
Gaudin is coming off one of his best starts of his young career, shutting out the Yankees for seven innings on the road. The right-hander is 4-2 with a 3.30 ERA in eight road starts this season. EDGE: A’S



Atlanta Braves at Los Angeles Dodgers (10:10 PM ET)

Atlanta’s Tim Hudson suffered his first career defeat against Los Angeles in his last start against them, but is still a remarkable 5-1 with 3.27 ERA versus the Dodgers. EDGE: BRAVES
Hudson has been dynamite on the road, going 4-1 with a 2.25 ERA in eight starts away from Turner Field. He’s allowed just three earned runs in his last 21 1/3 innings away from Atlanta. EDGE: BRAVES
Los Angeles right-hander Brad Penny is a perfect 4-0 with a 1.37 ERA in nine home starts this season. Opponents have yet to homer against him at Dodger Stadium in 59 1/3 innings. BIG EDGE: DODGERS & UNDER

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[pm530]

Baseball – Betting Notes

MLB


Thursday, July 5

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MLB Betting Notes
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Thursday’s MLB betting notes

Jeter switch continues

After losing two of three to Oakland, New York Yankees manager Joe Torre decided to change his lineup for Monday’s opener against Minnesota. He moved Derek Jeter into the No. 3 spot, a move that proved so successful it looks set to continue.

Jeter was batting 11-for-24 in that spot through the first two games of the series. The move also allowed the Yankees to put hot-hitting Melky Cabrera higher in the order.

"I think Jeter is pretty much oblivious to where he hits," Torre told MLB.com. "He plays the same no matter what position he bats in."

The Yankees send Kei Igawa (2-2, 6.91 ERA) to the mound to face the Twins’ Kevin Slowey (3-0, 5.13 ERA) in the series finale on Thursday. New York is a –155 favorite with the total set at 10 ½.

Relief for Detroit pen

The Detroit Tigers' bullpen, which has been hit hard with injuries this season, is finally starting to see light at the end of the tunnel with news that Fernando Rodney is close to a return.

The right-handed reliever is eligible to come off the DL on Thursday after struggling through June with tendonitis in his forearm. According to MLB.com, he’s expected to begin throwing next week.

In a further boost to the Tigers bullpen, Joel Zumaya will also soon start throwing again after finger surgery that was expected to keep him out for up to three months.

Meanwhile, the healthy players on the Tigers roster close out a three-game series against the Cleveland Indians on Thursday. In a mouthwatering pitching matchup, Justin Verlander (9-3, 3.18 ERA) takes on C.C. Sabathia (12-2, 3.20 ERA), with the Indians +107 underdogs.

Second chance for Owens

Outfielder Jerry Owens played 15 games with the Chicago White Sox in June, but was sent back down to the minor leagues after batting just .170. But an injury to Scott Podsednik this week has led to a recall for Owens, giving the 26-year-old an unexpected second chance.

"I definitely feel different. I'm more comfortable," Owens told MLB.com. "I was able to see what it was like. Last time I was here, I let some things get into my mind that didn't need to be there."

Owens went straight into the lineup on Tuesday and will be batting first in the order, probably until after the All-Star break. Podsednik is on the 15-day DL with a strained left ribcage.

The White Sox close out a four-game series against Baltimore on Thursday with John Danks (4-6, 4.43 ERA) testing his stuff against Brian Burres (4-2, 3.38 ERA). Chicago is a –106 favorite.

Aurilia to come back swinging?

San Francisco Giants infielder Rich Aurilia is finally close to returning to the lineup after spending the past three weeks out with a neck injury. Aurilia was activated from the DL on Tuesday and will start sometime this week, according to MLB.com .

The first baseman was batting just .236 with 19 RBIs and just 2 homers before going on the DL, but is hopeful that the break will actually help his swing. "You slow yourself down a little bit instead of being all geared up," he told MLB.com.

Aurilia will likely be in the lineup on Thursday as the Giants wrap up a three-game series at Cincinnati. Matt Morris (7-4, 3.25 ERA) and Bronson Arroyo (2-9, 4.89 ERA) are the starters and oddsmakers have the Giants as +132 underdogs.

One Eck of an injury

St. Louis Cardinals shortstop David Eckstein will not be returning to the lineup before the All-Star break. The Cards were hopeful that Eckstein would return this week, but manager Tony La Russa ruled that out.

"We're looking for sure at after the break," La Russa told reporters after Tuesday’s 7-1 loss to Arizona. "No reason to rush him back."

Eckstein went on the disabled list due to back problems in mid-June and according to La Russa, needed a further three injections in his back on Monday. The shortstop was batting .312 with 12 RBIs and two homers before the injury.

Meanwhile, St. Louis send Adam Wainwright (6-7, 4.81 ERA) to the mound for Thursday’s series finale with the Diamondbacks. Arizona counters with Doug Davis (5-9, 4.29 ERA) and is a +117 underdog with the total set at 9.

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[pm530]

Baseball – Hot & Cold Teams

MLB


Thursday, July 5

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Hot/Cold Teams
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MLB hot and cold: Streaks and slumps


HOT

Chicago Cubs (42-20)

Lou Pinella begged everybody to have patience with his rag-tag Chicago Cubs for most of the first half of the season. Turns out he might have been on to something.

Heading into Wednesday afternoon's action, Chicago was within just 5 ½ games of catching the fast-starting Milwaukee Brewers at the top of the NL Central after the Cubbies reeled off 10 wins in 11 games. It’s probably no coincidence that Chicago has lost just twice since they got rid of some clubhouse baggage by shipping catcher Michael Barrett to San Diego.

The Cubs spend the weekend in Pittsburgh for three dates against the Pirates before the All-Star break. Tough to lay off on Pinella’s boys now that everybody’s happy.

Cleveland Indians (51-32)

Cleveland’s bats usually get all the attention and rightfully so since they rank among the league’s top five offenses in runs, homers, OPS, and team batting average. Now the arms are getting in the act, too. The starting rotation is working on a 3.74 ERA over the last 10 games and the bullpen is closing it out with a 3.49 ERA over the same span to help the Indians to their current 8-2 run.

Be careful betting the Tribe before the Midseason Classic, though. As Jason Logan reports, they’ve built the bulk of the streak at home with a favorable schedule. Cleveland’s also been a tough runline bet all year, down more than four units to date.

Kansas City Royals (36-48)

The Royals? Yes, the Royals. They’re on a 7-3 run after taking the first two games of a three-game set against Seattle. Not surprisingly, five of those wins came as underdogs, which pushed Royals backers to over three units profit.

They may just keep this going, too. They close out the first half at home against the lowly Devil Rays, who head into Wednesday’s action at just 14-25 on the road. It only gets worse from there for Tampa Bay – see below.


COLD

Tampa Bay Devil Rays (33-49)

Not much good to report from the Devil Rays. They’ve lost nine straight heading into Wednesday’s action and visit a suddenly hot Royals club to close out the first half.

Pitching is the most pressing issue with both starting rotation and bullpen posting ERAs well over five runs, but the bats have produced more than four runs just once during their current slump. In short, the D-Rays just aren’t any good if you haven’t noticed already.

Washington Nationals (33-50)

Dmitri Young gave the Nats a breath of fresh air with a towering grand slam to open up the flood gates in the fifth inning against the Cubs on Wednesday. The first baseman’s hitting .337 with eight homers and 41 RBIs and is one of the only significant threats in the Nats lineup.

The problem for the Nats is that they only have one Dmitri Young and they’re on a 5-13 skid. The Nats finish off the first half of the year hosting the Milwaukee Brewers for three games.

Florida Marlins (39-45)

Any of a number of teams could have taken this last dubious spot, but Florida gets on the list with just three wins in its last 10 games and a runline record that has team bettors down more than 10 units.

It doesn’t get any easier before the All-Star break either when the Fish head to L.A. for a three-game set with the Dodgers.

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[pm530]

Canadian Football League – Long Sheet

CFL
Long Sheet

Thursday, July 5

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MONTREAL (0 - 1) at WINNIPEG (0 - 0 - 1) - 7/5/2007, 8:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
MONTREAL is 4-2 against the spread versus WINNIPEG over the last 3 seasons
MONTREAL is 4-2 straight up against WINNIPEG over the last 3 seasons
3 of 6 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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[pm530]

Canadian Football League – Write up

CFL
Write-up


Thursday, July 5

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Montreal (0-1) @ Winnipeg (0-0-1) -- Bombers gained 543 total yards last week and didn't win, wo Montreal will have chances to move ball and light up scoreboard. Edmonton was 33-43 for 394 yards passing and averaged 8.3 yards/rush, in wild opener that may have taken lot out of both sides. Alouettes lost 16-7 at home (-3) to Saskatchewan, throwing three interceptions, and letting Calvillo get sacked eight times.

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[pm530]

Pro Basketball (Women’s) – Long Sheet

WNBA
Long Sheet


Thursday, July 5

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INDIANA (11 - 4) at LOS ANGELES (7 - 9) - 7/5/2007, 10:30 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
LOS ANGELES is 4-1 against the spread versus INDIANA over the last 3 seasons
LOS ANGELES is 4-1 straight up against INDIANA over the last 3 seasons
3 of 5 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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[pm530]

Baseball Today - July 5

SCOREBOARD Thursday, July 5

Atlanta at L.A. Dodgers (10:10 p.m. EDT).
Tim Hudson faces off against Brad Penny.

STARS
Wednesday

-Todd Helton and Garrett Atkins, Rockies. Both drove in a season-high five runs and Colorado routed the Mets 17-7.

-Matt Chico, Nationals, pitched seven innings of four-hit ball to lead Washington past the Chicago Cubs 6-0.

-Dustin McGowan, Blue Jays, allowed four hits in seven scoreless innings and Toronto beat Oakland 10-3.

-Jarrod Washburn, Mariners, threw eight innings in Seattle's 4-0 win at Kansas City.

-Cole Hamels, Phillies, struck out eight in seven innings and Philadelphia beat Houston 8-3.

ROOKIE RECORD

Giants' rookie Fred Lewis hit his second grand slam of the season in San Francisco's 9-5 win over Cincinnati on Wednesday to become the first rookie in San Francisco history to hit two in a season. Lewis was in the lineup so Barry Bonds could rest following a night game.

ROCKED

Colorado pounded out 20 in a 17-7 victory over the Mets on Wednesday, becoming the first team in more than half a century to sweep two New York clubs in the same year. The Rockies' three-game sweeps of the Yankees and Mets at Coors Field were oddly sandwiched around a 1-9 trip, the worst three-city swing in franchise history. The last team to sweep series from two New York clubs during the regular season, according to the Elias Sports Bureau, was the Milwaukee Braves, who whitewashed the Brooklyn Dodgers and the New York Giants in 1956. After moving to Los Angeles, the Dodgers swept the Yankees in the 1963 World Series after sweeping the Mets four times during the season.

SLUMPING

The White Sox have lost 14 of their last 19 home games after a 9-6 defeat to Baltimore on Wednesday. ... The Los Angeles Angels have lost six of eight overall following a 4-2 loss at Texas.

STREAKS

Boston beat Tampa Bay 7-5 on Wednesday, handing the Devil Rays their 10th straight loss. Tim Wakefield got the win for the Red Sox to improve to 9-8 and has a decision in all 17 of his starts this season. ... Johan Santana pitched seven strong innings to get the win in Minnesota's 6-2 victory over the New York Yankees and has now pitched at least five innings in 109 consecutive starts dating to May 2004. ... Texas has won 10 of its last 14 after a 4-2 win at home against the Angels.

SIDELINED

Florida starter Josh Johnson left Wednesday's 1-0 loss to San Diego after five innings due to a stiff forearm, then was placed on the 15-day disabled list. Johnson was making just his fourth start this season after missing the first 2 1/2 months while recovering from an irritated ulnar nerve in his right elbow. ... Mike Sweeney, who had hoped to get back in the Kansas City Royals' lineup this week, will have arthroscopic surgery on his right knee on Thursday. Sweeney, hitting .245 with seven home runs and 31 RBIs, has been dogged by injury since signing a $55 million contract five years ago. He went on the disabled list June 19 with right knee inflammation.

SNAPPED

Detroit ended Cleveland's six-game winning streak with a 6-4 win Wednesday.

SPEAKING

''We tried to get the two guys up, and no phone. With all the good things the Red Sox do, they failed to pay their phone bill, I guess. I hated to stop the game there, but I had to.'' - Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon, on the bullpen phone going out and having to send a Red Sox bat boy out to relay a message. Boston beat Tampa Bay 7-5 on Wednesday to win their third straight game.

July 5

1904 - The Philadelphia Phillies snapped the New York Giants' 18-game winning streak with a 6-5 10-inning victory.

1935 - Tony Cuccinello of the Dodgers and his brother Al - for the Giants - each hit home runs in the same game to mark the first time in major league history that brothers on opposing teams homered. Brooklyn beat New York 14-4.

1937 - Hal Trosky hit three home runs to lead the Cleveland Indians to a 14-4 victory over the St. Louis Browns in the opener of a doubleheader.

1937 - Frank DeMaree of Chicago went 6-for-7 in the first game of a doubleheader, and the Cubs beat the St. Louis Cardinals 13-12 in 14 innings. DeMaree had three doubles and three singles. The Cubs won the second game 9-7 and DeMaree had two more singles.

1947 - Larry Doby became the first black to play in the American League. He struck out as a pinch-hitter as Cleveland lost 6-5 to the White Sox.

1961 - Bill White hit three home runs and a double to power the St. Louis Cardinals to a 9-1 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers.

1987 - Mark McGwire became the first rookie to hit 30 homers before the All-Star break and Jose Canseco homered twice, leading the Oakland Athletics to a 6-3 victory over the Boston Red Sox.

1991 - The Colorado Rockies and the Florida Marlins were given final approval to join the NL in 1993 by baseball owners with a unanimous vote.

1993 - Rickey Henderson of the Oakland Athletics opened both games of a doubleheader with a homer to become the second player to accomplish the feat. Harry Hooper of the Boston Red Sox homered to start both games against Washington on May 30, 1913.

1998 - Roger Clemens became the 11th pitcher in baseball history to reach 3,000 strikeouts. Clemens needed five to reach the mark before Toronto's game against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. He struck out Quinton McCracken and Wade Boggs in the first inning and then got Mike DiFelice, Miguel Cairo and Randy Winn in the third to reach the milestone.

1998 - Juan Gonzalez became the second player to top 100 RBIs before the All-Star break, homering in the first and seventh innings off Seattle's Randy Johnson to improve his major league-leading total to 101. Gonzalez ended with the second-most RBIs before the All-Star break in major league history. Hank Greenberg of the Detroit Tigers had 103 in 1935 en route to 170.

2000 - Luis Gonzalez became the first player in franchise history to hit for the cycle as Arizona beat Houston 12-9.

2004 - Eric Gagne's streak of 84 consecutive saves ended when he blew a two-run lead for the Los Angeles Dodgers, who came back to beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 6-5 in 10 innings. Gagne relieved with a 5-3 lead at the start of the ninth but allowed pinch-hitter Luis Gonzalez's RBI double and Chad Tracy's run-scoring single on an 0-2 pitch. Gagne had not blown a save chance since Aug. 26, 2002.

2005 - Boston's Manny Ramirez hit his 20th grand slam in a 7-4 win over Texas, passing Eddie Murray for sole possession of second place on the career list. Lou Gehrig hit 23.

Today's birthday:
Jesse Crain, 26.

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[Udog]

MLB
70% Situation


MLB (Thursday): Play On MLB favorites with a money line of -125 to -175 with a bullpen whose ERA is 3.33 or better this season and starting a pitcher who gave up <=1 earned runs in his last 2 starts.
(16-4 this season) (80%) PLAY: Los Angeles Dodgers -140

[Udog]

MLB
Dunkel


Milwaukee at Pittsburgh
The Brewers have dropped two straight in Pittsburgh and are now just 19-39 against the Pirates at PNC Park since it opened in 2001, including losing 11 of their last 15. Milwaukee will look to turn it around behind starter Ben Sheets, who has won six straight decisions for the first time since his rookie season. But as good as Sheets has been, he'll face a tough matchup against Tom Gorzelanny, who is 2-0 with a 3.10 ERA in his last three starts and handcuffed the Brew Crew in a 4-2 win back on May 3. Pittsburgh looks like a decent home underdog (+140) in this one according to Dunkel, which has the Pirates favored straight up by 1/2 a run. Dunkel Pick: Pittsburgh (+140). Here are all of today's games.

THURSDAY, JULY 5

Game 951-952: Milwaukee at Pittsburgh
Dunkel Ratings: Milwaukee (Sheets) 15.828; Pittsburgh (Gorzelanny) 16.119
Dunkel Line: Pittsburgh by 1/2; 9
Vegas Line: Milwaukee (-140); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Pittsburgh (+140); Over

Game 953-954: Florida at San Diego
Dunkel Ratings: Florida (Kim) 14.294; San Diego (Peavy) 17.617
Dunkel Line: San Diego by 3 1/2; 6
Vegas Line: San Diego (-260); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: San Diego (-260); Under

Game 955-956: Chicago Cubs at Washington
Dunkel Ratings: Cubs (Marshall) 15.665; Washington (Bergmann) 16.154
Dunkel Line: Washington by 1/2; 7
Vegas Line: Chicago Cubs (-150); 8
Dunkel Pick: Washington (+150); Under

Game 957-958: San Francisco at Cincinnati
Dunkel Ratings: San Francisco (Morris) 16.346; Cincinnati (Arroyo) 14.357
Dunkel Line: San Francisco by 2; 11
Vegas Line: Cincinnati (-150); 10
Dunkel Pick: San Francisco (+150); Over

Game 959-960: Arizona at St. Louis
Dunkel Ratings: Arizona (Davis) 16.317; St. Louis (Wainwright) 15.474
Dunkel Line: Arizona by 1; 10
Vegas Line: St. Louis (-120); 9
Dunkel Pick: Arizona (+120); Over

Game 961-962: NY Mets at Houston
Dunkel Ratings: NY Mets (Maine) 16.609; Houston (Jennings) 14.663
Dunkel Line: NY Mets by 2; 10
Vegas Line: NY Mets (-120); 9
Dunkel Pick: NY Mets (-120); Over

Game 963-964: Atlanta at LA Dodgers
Dunkel Ratings: Atlanta (Hudson) 15.887; LA Dodgers (Penny) 17.778
Dunkel Line: LA Dodgers by 2; 8
Vegas Line: LA Dodgers (-140); 7
Dunkel Pick: LA Dodgers (-140); Over

Game 965-966: Cleveland at Detroit
Dunkel Ratings: Cleveland (Sabathia) 16.723; Detroit (Verlander) 15.933
Dunkel Line: Cleveland by 1; 7
Vegas Line: Detroit (-125); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Cleveland (+125); Under

Game 967-968: Minnesota at NY Yankees
Dunkel Ratings: Minnesota (Slowey) 17.063; NY Yankees (Igawa) 15.987
Dunkel Line: Minnesota by 1; 9 1/2
Vegas Line: NY Yankees (-155); 10 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Minnesota (+155); Under

Game 969-970: Tampa Bay at Boston
Dunkel Ratings: Tampa Bay (Howell) 13.817; Boston (Beckett) 18.024
Dunkel Line: Boston by 4; 8 1/2
Vegas Line: Boston (-265); 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Boston (-265); Under

Game 971-972: Baltimore at Chicago White Sox
Dunkel Ratings: Baltimore (Burres) 16.882; White Sox (Danks) 16.171
Dunkel Line: Baltimore by 1/2; 10
Vegas Line: Chicago White Sox (-115); 9
Dunkel Pick: Baltimore (+115); Over

Game 973-974: LA Angels at Texas
Dunkel Ratings: LA Angels (Escobar) 16.503; Texas (Tejeda) 16.141
Dunkel Line: LA Angels by 1/2; 9 1/2
Vegas Line: LA Angels (-180); 10 1/2
Dunkel Pick: LA Angels (-180); Under

Game 975-976: Seattle at Oakland
Dunkel Ratings: Seattle (Batista) 17.373; Oakland (Gaudin) 15.403
Dunkel Line: Seattle by 2; 10
Vegas Line: Oakland (-150); 9
Dunkel Pick: Seattle (+150); Over

[Udog]

MLB
Long sheet


Thursday, July 5


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MILWAUKEE (48 - 36) at PITTSBURGH (37 - 47) - 12:35 PM
BEN SHEETS (R) vs. TOM GORZELANNY (L)
Top Trends for this game.
MILWAUKEE is 43-73 (-25.1 Units) against the money line in road games in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
MILWAUKEE is 59-69 (-19.8 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
MILWAUKEE is 21-36 (-20.4 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
MILWAUKEE is 14-25 (-19.0 Units) against the money line as a road favorite of -125 to -150 since 1997.
MILWAUKEE is 45-77 (-26.7 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
SHEETS is 6-12 (-9.7 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
PITTSBURGH is 46-38 (+10.8 Units) against the money line in home games against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
MILWAUKEE is 49-49 (+18.9 Units) against the money line in road games when playing on Thursday since 1997.
PITTSBURGH is 28-56 (-23.0 Units) against the money line in day games over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
MILWAUKEE is 6-3 (+2.2 Units) against PITTSBURGH this season
6 of 9 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+3.1 Units)

BEN SHEETS vs. PITTSBURGH since 1997
SHEETS is 6-7 when starting against PITTSBURGH with an ERA of 2.90 and a WHIP of 1.178.
His team's record is 9-10 (-3.7 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 13-5. (+7.3 units)

TOM GORZELANNY vs. MILWAUKEE since 1997
GORZELANNY is 1-0 when starting against MILWAUKEE with an ERA of 1.93 and a WHIP of 1.071.
His team's record is 1-1 (+0.2 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-1. (-0.1 units)




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FLORIDA (39 - 46) at SAN DIEGO (48 - 35) - 3:35 PM
BYUNG-HYUN KIM (R) vs. JAKE PEAVY (R)
Top Trends for this game.
SAN DIEGO is 135-111 (+11.2 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
SAN DIEGO is 137-112 (+12.2 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
FLORIDA is 209-218 (+37.9 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
SAN DIEGO is 4-2 (+1.6 Units) against FLORIDA this season
3 of 6 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=-0.3 Units, Under=-0.6 Units)

BYUNG-HYUN KIM vs. SAN DIEGO since 1997
KIM is 1-0 when starting against SAN DIEGO with an ERA of 0.00 and a WHIP of 1.043.
His team's record is 1-0 (+1.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-1. (-1.1 units)

JAKE PEAVY vs. FLORIDA since 1997
PEAVY is 3-3 when starting against FLORIDA with an ERA of 3.03 and a WHIP of 1.112.
His team's record is 3-3 (-1.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 4-2. (+1.8 units)




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CHICAGO CUBS (42 - 41) at WASHINGTON (34 - 50) - 7:05 PM
SEAN MARSHALL (L) vs. JASON BERGMANN (R)
Top Trends for this game.
CHICAGO CUBS are 606-666 (-130.4 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 49-63 (-21.5 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO CUBS are 216-211 (-50.8 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 109-137 (-33.7 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO CUBS are 109-134 (-30.7 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 36-34 (+13.4 Units) against the money line against left-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
MARSHALL is 15-5 (+14.5 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
WASHINGTON is 5-21 (-11.2 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 this season.
WASHINGTON is 16-32 (-15.9 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
CHICAGO CUBS is 5-1 (+3.5 Units) against WASHINGTON this season
3 of 6 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=-0.1 Units, Under=-0.4 Units)

SEAN MARSHALL vs. WASHINGTON since 1997
MARSHALL is 1-0 when starting against WASHINGTON with an ERA of 1.80 and a WHIP of 1.100.
His team's record is 1-1 (+0.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-1. (-0.1 units)

JASON BERGMANN vs. CHICAGO CUBS since 1997
BERGMANN is 0-1 when starting against CHICAGO CUBS with an ERA of 6.00 and a WHIP of 1.667.
His team's record is 0-1 (-1.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 0-1. (-1.3 units)




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SAN FRANCISCO (36 - 46) at CINCINNATI (32 - 52) - 7:10 PM
MATT MORRIS (R) vs. BRONSON ARROYO (R)
Top Trends for this game.
SAN FRANCISCO is 44-60 (-25.9 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 17-26 (-13.5 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 112-131 (-25.5 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 48-72 (-18.6 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 112-131 (-25.5 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 32-54 (-17.9 Units) against the money line in road games in night games over the last 2 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 17-8 (+10.9 Units) against the money line when playing on Thursday over the last 2 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 326-305 (+40.9 Units) against the money line in road games against right-handed starters since 1997.
CINCINNATI is 16-28 (-15.0 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
CINCINNATI is 32-52 (-20.9 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
CINCINNATI is 16-26 (-15.5 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
CINCINNATI is 32-52 (-20.9 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
CINCINNATI is 22-38 (-17.5 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
CINCINNATI is 20-32 (-13.2 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
ARROYO is 4-13 (-11.1 Units) against the money line in all games this season. (Team's Record)
ARROYO is 4-13 (-11.1 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season. (Team's Record)
ARROYO is 3-10 (-8.6 Units) against the money line in night games this season. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
CINCINNATI is 1-1 (+0.0 Units) against SAN FRANCISCO this season
2 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+2.1 Units)

MATT MORRIS vs. CINCINNATI since 1997
MORRIS is 8-5 when starting against CINCINNATI with an ERA of 3.95 and a WHIP of 1.195.
His team's record is 11-8 (-2.3 units) in these starts. The OVER is 6-12. (-7.2 units)

BRONSON ARROYO vs. SAN FRANCISCO since 1997
ARROYO is 1-3 when starting against SAN FRANCISCO with an ERA of 4.13 and a WHIP of 1.459.
His team's record is 1-3 (-2.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 4-0. (+4.0 units)




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ARIZONA (47 - 39) at ST LOUIS (38 - 43) - 7:15 PM
DOUG DAVIS (L) vs. ADAM WAINWRIGHT (R)
Top Trends for this game.
DAVIS is 1-11 (-10.7 Units) against the money line in road games when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
ST LOUIS is 123-75 (+36.5 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season since 1997.
ARIZONA is 47-39 (+7.0 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
ARIZONA is 67-66 (+14.1 Units) against the money line in road games in night games over the last 3 seasons.
ARIZONA is 35-27 (+6.8 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
ARIZONA is 28-18 (+9.0 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
ARIZONA is 47-39 (+7.0 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
ARIZONA is 99-105 (+13.7 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 3 seasons.
ST LOUIS is 132-126 (-17.9 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
ST LOUIS is 77-94 (-33.5 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
ST LOUIS is 2-8 (-9.6 Units) against the money line in home games against left-handed starters this season.
ST LOUIS is 14-23 (-12.3 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
ST LOUIS is 132-126 (-17.9 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
ST LOUIS is 2-1 (+0.9 Units) against ARIZONA this season
1 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=-0.1 Units, Under=-0.1 Units)

DOUG DAVIS vs. ST LOUIS since 1997
DAVIS is 4-4 when starting against ST LOUIS with an ERA of 4.63 and a WHIP of 1.527.
His team's record is 6-4 (+5.7 units) in these starts. The OVER is 4-6. (-2.6 units)

ADAM WAINWRIGHT vs. ARIZONA since 1997
No recent starts.




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NY METS (46 - 37) at HOUSTON (37 - 48) - 8:05 PM
JOHN MAINE (R) vs. JASON JENNINGS (R)
Top Trends for this game.
NY METS are 147-105 (+16.0 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
NY METS are 108-74 (+16.7 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
NY METS are 149-106 (+17.0 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
NY METS are 81-44 (+23.7 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 over the last 2 seasons.
NY METS are 72-54 (+14.0 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
NY METS are 17-6 (+10.8 Units) against the money line on the road when the total is 9 to 9.5 this season.
NY METS are 62-45 (+22.7 Units) against the money line in road games when playing on Thursday since 1997.
MAINE is 14-3 (+11.7 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
MAINE is 13-3 (+10.4 Units) against the money line in road games in games played on a grass field over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
MAINE is 11-2 (+10.1 Units) against the money line in road games in night games over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
HOUSTON is 37-48 (-14.9 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
HOUSTON is 87-100 (-24.2 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 19-28 (-11.9 Units) against the money line after a loss this season.
HOUSTON is 37-48 (-14.9 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
HOUSTON is 269-262 (-56.2 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 since 1997.
JENNINGS is 0-6 (-7.6 Units) against the money line in home games this season. (Team's Record)
JENNINGS is 0-6 (-7.6 Units) against the money line in home games in games played on a grass field this season. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.

JOHN MAINE vs. HOUSTON since 1997
MAINE is 2-0 when starting against HOUSTON with an ERA of 1.17 and a WHIP of 0.522.
His team's record is 2-0 (+2.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-2. (-2.1 units)

JASON JENNINGS vs. NY METS since 1997
JENNINGS is 4-2 when starting against NY METS with an ERA of 3.73 and a WHIP of 1.268.
His team's record is 4-2 (+2.9 units) in these starts. The OVER is 4-2. (+1.9 units)




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ATLANTA (44 - 41) at LA DODGERS (48 - 37) - 10:10 PM
TIM HUDSON (R) vs. BRAD PENNY (R)
Top Trends for this game.
ATLANTA is 85-88 (-20.9 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 56-63 (-19.3 Units) against the money line after a win over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 123-124 (-20.6 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 121-120 (-18.7 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
LA DODGERS are 133-108 (+11.6 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
LA DODGERS are 38-26 (+9.7 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
LA DODGERS are 23-13 (+9.4 Units) against the money line after a loss this season.
LA DODGERS are 48-37 (+8.1 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
PENNY is 14-3 (+10.2 Units) against the money line in all games this season. (Team's Record)
PENNY is 13-3 (+9.2 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season. (Team's Record)
PENNY is 13-3 (+9.2 Units) against the money line in night games this season. (Team's Record)
PENNY is 29-19 (+15.7 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season since 1997. (Team's Record)
ATLANTA is 85-46 (+25.2 Units) against the money line in road games in July games since 1997.
HUDSON is 163-89 (+38.7 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field since 1997. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
LA DODGERS is 3-3 (+0.3 Units) against ATLANTA this season
4 of 6 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+2.1 Units)

TIM HUDSON vs. LA DODGERS since 1997
HUDSON is 5-1 when starting against LA DODGERS with an ERA of 3.27 and a WHIP of 1.280.
His team's record is 7-1 (+5.4 units) in these starts. The OVER is 6-2. (+3.8 units)

BRAD PENNY vs. ATLANTA since 1997
PENNY is 8-4 when starting against ATLANTA with an ERA of 4.77 and a WHIP of 1.569.
His team's record is 12-6 (+8.5 units) in these starts. The OVER is 10-7. (+2.3 units)




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CLEVELAND (51 - 33) at DETROIT (48 - 34) - 1:05 PM
C.C. SABATHIA (L) vs. JUSTIN VERLANDER (R)
Top Trends for this game.
DETROIT is 93-58 (+22.4 Units) against the money line after a win over the last 2 seasons.
DETROIT is 152-106 (+24.9 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
DETROIT is 139-92 (+25.9 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
DETROIT is 51-27 (+18.4 Units) against the money line against left-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
CLEVELAND is 76-58 (+21.3 Units) against the money line in road games against right-handed starters over the last 3 seasons.
DETROIT is 63-112 (-47.6 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 8 to 8.5 since 1997.
DETROIT is 44-49 (-20.2 Units) against the money line in home games against division opponents over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
CLEVELAND is 6-3 (+2.9 Units) against DETROIT this season
7 of 9 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+5.0 Units)

C.C. SABATHIA vs. DETROIT since 1997
SABATHIA is 12-7 when starting against DETROIT with an ERA of 4.14 and a WHIP of 1.230.
His team's record is 14-8 (+1.4 units) in these starts. The OVER is 13-9. (+2.9 units)

JUSTIN VERLANDER vs. CLEVELAND since 1997
VERLANDER is 2-3 when starting against CLEVELAND with an ERA of 5.97 and a WHIP of 1.500.
His team's record is 2-4 (-2.3 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 3-3. (-0.4 units)




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MINNESOTA (43 - 40) at NY YANKEES (39 - 42) - 1:05 PM
KEVIN SLOWEY (R) vs. KEI IGAWA (L)
Top Trends for this game.
MINNESOTA is 13-18 (-12.7 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
MINNESOTA is 145-149 (+25.2 Units) against the money line in road games in day games since 1997.
MINNESOTA is 82-57 (+18.0 Units) against the money line after a win over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 139-109 (+14.6 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
NY YANKEES are 30-28 (-12.3 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
NY YANKEES are 19-23 (-12.9 Units) against the money line after a loss this season.
NY YANKEES are 39-42 (-23.9 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
NY YANKEES are 180-121 (-54.4 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 10 to 10.5 since 1997.
NY YANKEES are 12-16 (-15.1 Units) against the money line when playing on Thursday over the last 2 seasons.
NY YANKEES are 11-18 (-15.8 Units) against the money line in day games this season.
NY YANKEES are 36-37 (-19.4 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
NY YANKEES is 4-2 (+1.5 Units) against MINNESOTA this season
4 of 5 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+2.9 Units)

KEVIN SLOWEY vs. NY YANKEES since 1997
No recent starts.

KEI IGAWA vs. MINNESOTA since 1997
No recent starts.




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TAMPA BAY (33 - 50) at BOSTON (52 - 31) - 7:05 PM
J.P. HOWELL (L) vs. JOSH BECKETT (R)
Top Trends for this game.
TAMPA BAY is 29-73 (-31.5 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 20-61 (-30.4 Units) against the money line in road games in night games over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 22-65 (-32.0 Units) against the money line in road games against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 43-103 (-33.5 Units) against the money line in road games after a loss over the last 3 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 9-32 (-18.7 Units) against the money line in road games after 3 or more consecutive losses over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 34-88 (-36.4 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 10-35 (-20.1 Units) against the money line on the road when the total is 9 to 9.5 over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 37-42 (-18.2 Units) against the money line against left-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 283-222 (-53.6 Units) against the money line in home games after a win since 1997.
BOSTON is 246-188 (-40.5 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season since 1997.
BOSTON is 189-156 (-45.1 Units) against the money line in home games against division opponents since 1997.
BECKETT is 13-15 (-14.3 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
BOSTON is 2-0 (+2.0 Units) against TAMPA BAY this season
1 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=-0.1 Units, Under=-0.2 Units)

J.P. HOWELL vs. BOSTON since 1997
HOWELL is 0-0 when starting against BOSTON with an ERA of 7.71 and a WHIP of 1.713.
His team's record is 1-0 (+1.2 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-0. (+1.0 units)

JOSH BECKETT vs. TAMPA BAY since 1997
BECKETT is 1-2 when starting against TAMPA BAY with an ERA of 5.03 and a WHIP of 1.220.
His team's record is 1-2 (-3.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 2-1. (+1.0 units)




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BALTIMORE (37 - 46) at CHI WHITE SOX (36 - 45) - 8:10 PM
BRIAN BURRES (L) vs. JOHN DANKS (L)
Top Trends for this game.
BALTIMORE is 22-42 (-17.0 Units) against the money line as a road underdog of +100 to +125 over the last 3 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 12-28 (-15.9 Units) against the money line in road games against left-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
CHI WHITE SOX are 11-17 (-9.2 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
CHI WHITE SOX are 36-45 (-10.1 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
CHI WHITE SOX are 19-25 (-8.5 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 this season.
CHI WHITE SOX are 4-11 (-8.4 Units) against the money line at home with a money line of -100 to -125 this season.
CHI WHITE SOX are 16-23 (-10.7 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
CHI WHITE SOX are 27-30 (-13.9 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 9 to 9.5 over the last 2 seasons.
CHI WHITE SOX are 29-38 (-10.8 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
CHI WHITE SOX are 38-50 (-23.3 Units) against the money line against left-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
BALTIMORE is 2-1 (+1.2 Units) against CHI WHITE SOX this season
2 of 3 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+1.1 Units)

BRIAN BURRES vs. CHI WHITE SOX since 1997
No recent starts.

JOHN DANKS vs. BALTIMORE since 1997
No recent starts.




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LA ANGELS (51 - 33) at TEXAS (36 - 48) - 8:35 PM
KELVIM ESCOBAR (R) vs. ROBINSON TEJEDA (R)
Top Trends for this game.
LA ANGELS are 230-164 (+29.7 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 3 seasons.
LA ANGELS are 114-94 (+23.0 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
LA ANGELS is 6-3 (+2.0 Units) against TEXAS this season
6 of 9 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+2.5 Units)

KELVIM ESCOBAR vs. TEXAS since 1997
ESCOBAR is 3-7 when starting against TEXAS with an ERA of 4.59 and a WHIP of 1.260.
His team's record is 4-8 (-7.4 units) in these starts. The OVER is 3-9. (-6.4 units)

ROBINSON TEJEDA vs. LA ANGELS since 1997
TEJEDA is 1-1 when starting against LA ANGELS with an ERA of 3.18 and a WHIP of 1.529.
His team's record is 1-2 (-1.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-2. (-1.1 units)




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SEATTLE (46 - 35) at OAKLAND (43 - 41) - 10:05 PM
MIGUEL BATISTA (R) vs. CHAD GAUDIN (R)
Top Trends for this game.
SEATTLE is 52-82 (-28.2 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 3 seasons.
OAKLAND is 129-104 (+17.0 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
OAKLAND is 61-52 (+18.3 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
OAKLAND is 139-114 (+17.8 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
GAUDIN is 12-5 (+7.5 Units) against the money line in all games this season. (Team's Record)
GAUDIN is 12-5 (+7.5 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season. (Team's Record)
SEATTLE is 44-34 (+13.6 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
SEATTLE is 34-24 (+12.1 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
SEATTLE is 27-18 (+10.4 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
SEATTLE is 46-35 (+14.4 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
SEATTLE is 23-16 (+8.1 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 this season.
BATISTA is 29-20 (+13.6 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
BATISTA is 57-37 (+23.0 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 since 1997. (Team's Record)
BATISTA is 16-7 (+14.5 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
BATISTA is 6-0 (+7.3 Units) against the money line in July games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
BATISTA is 28-19 (+13.6 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
BATISTA is 11-5 (+9.3 Units) against the money line in road games in night games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
BATISTA is 8-1 (+10.7 Units) against the money line in road games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
OAKLAND is 23-34 (-23.7 Units) against the money line as a home favorite of -125 to -150 over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
SEATTLE is 4-1 (+3.3 Units) against OAKLAND this season
3 of 5 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+0.7 Units)

MIGUEL BATISTA vs. OAKLAND since 1997
BATISTA is 3-2 when starting against OAKLAND with an ERA of 4.72 and a WHIP of 1.405.
His team's record is 4-4 (+1.3 units) in these starts. The OVER is 3-4. (-1.4 units)

CHAD GAUDIN vs. SEATTLE since 1997
GAUDIN is 1-0 when starting against SEATTLE with an ERA of 3.86 and a WHIP of 1.715.
His team's record is 2-0 (+3.4 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-0. (+2.0 units)




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[Udog]

MLB
Hot Lines


Thursday, July 5


San Francisco Giants at Cincinnati Reds (-118, 10)

The Giants bats have suddenly gotten hot as we approach the All-Star break. They have won three of their last four, scoring 29 runs.

San Francisco gave Barry Bonds the day off yesterday, but they still managed a 9-5 win over the Cincinnati Reds. He will return today to continue his pursuit of Hank Aaron’s record and build on his recent hot streak. Bonds is 11-for-24 in his last nine games with three homers.

The Giants send Matt Morris (7-4, 3.25 ERA) to the mound for the series finale against the Reds. Morris is 1-1 with a 1.89 ERA at Great America Park and with San Fran hitting well, he should get enough support to earn his eighth win of the season.

Pick: Giants +110



Minnesota Twins at New York Yankees (-152, 11)

Arguably the Yankees most consistent player this season, Alex Rodriguez is now in an 0-for-19 slump. That’s mainly due to a nagging hamstring injury that has forced the Yankees to use A-Rod as a DH. That’s just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the Yankees problems this season and a 6-2 loss to the Twins last night put them 12 games behind Boston in the AL East.

The Yankees, who rank third last in AL in batting over the past seven days, send inconsistent rookie Kei Igawa (2-2, 6.91 ERA) to mound today. He is looking to bounce back from a 7-0 loss to Oakland in his last start.

As always seems to be the case this season, the Yankees are grossly overpriced today and the Twins are more than capable of winning on Kevin Slowey’s (3-0, 5.13 ERA) start.

Pick: Twins +144



Milwaukee Brewers at Pittsburgh Pirates (+117, 7 ½)

The Milwaukee Brewers finished June by winning nine of their last 11 games, but so far haven’t been able to carry that form into July. The NL Central leaders enter today’s finale with the Pittburgh Pirates looking to avoid their first three-game losing streak in a month. The Brewers have always struggled at PNC Park, they are just 19-39 there and have lost 11 of their last 15 in Pittsburgh.

Fortunately, the Brewers can turn to June’s NL Ptcher of the Month Ben Sheets (10-3, 3.19 ERA) as they look to stop the skid. Sheets is chasing his seventh straight decision tonight – a run that has made him a candidate to start the All-Star Game.

Sheets is 3-1 with a 1.83 ERA in his last six starts against the Pirates, and with him on the mound, Milwaukee should avoid their third straight loss.

Pick: Brewers -125