Thursday Trends and Indexes 08/02

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Trends and Indexes
Thursday, August 2

Good Luck on day #214 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

-- Arizona blew 5-1 lead in 9th inning, but scored four in the 11th to stay hot, and keep Padres reeling.

-- Giants blew 4-2 8th inning lead and lost 6-4 to Dodgers.

-- Angels scored three in ninth to force extra innings up in Seattle., but Mariners won in 12th, to take series 2-1.

-- Thursday's Royal-Twin game is postponed, because of the bridge collapse eight blocks from the Metrodome.

-- Lookalikes: Giant announcer Duane Kuiper and Wheel of Fortune host Pat Sajak. Both were at Dodger Stadium Wed.

-- Bernie Brewer slides down a chute every time Milwaukee hits a homer, but even though the team plays at Miller Park, he doesn't slide into a giant mug of beer, the way he did at old County Stadium. Things like this bother me.

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Thursday's List of 13: Final thoughts from the Florida trip

Its always good to get home (I apologize for not posting last night, but had a 5:45am wakeup call). Here are my thoughts from 13 days in the Sunshine State, the great majority being spent watching summer basketball tournaments.

13) I asked a few coaches how many kids come here without a scholarship, and leave either with one, or impress coaches to a point where they'll wind up with one. The consensus, from a wide variety of souces, was maybe a small handful of kids. It is very difficult to get a college basketball scholarship.

12) That said, we watched one kid play, and were told that he already had a scholarship from a D-I team (one of worst clubs in a league in bottom half of RPI ratings). Had I not known of his scholarship, and been asked for my opinion of his play, I wouldn't have recommended him to a D-III team, which helps to explain why his new college never wins in basketball.

11) I learned that the big boys sometimes help the little guys get recruits, and to repay the favor, the little team is likely to play road game at the school that did them the favor. Some of the lesser teams in big conferences still need home games to help fatten their win-loss record.

10) U of New Orleans just changed coaches; a look at their roster shows that they currently have only two players from the '08-'09 season, so they're really out there looking for guys to replace this coming season's strong senior class.

9) Most coaches are very nice people and fun to talk with, especially when they're bored watching the same AAU team play for the seventh or eighth time in a week.

8) Central Florida is a goldmine. Totally crowded, very hard to get anywhere quickly, because there are so many people here having fun. Good place to come and live, since there are lot of opportunities in an area that is still growing.

7) Best uniforms: the Ambassadors' bright orange duds, or Louisiana Stars' blues, which looked lot like Kansas' uniforms Worst uniforms: Albany City Rocks' 16-year old team-- they had numbers on front of their shorts, not shirts, and looked more like practice shirts than game outfits. Extremely ugly.

6) ESPN Zone restaurant by the Boardwalk Hotel is nice, but not nearly as nice as the Orlando Ale House, which is always crowded, has good food and lot of games on TV.

5) Some of the games from yesterday, today are being shown on ESPNU, so you can get a small taste of the quality of play for the older kids. There were still handful of college coaches around to watch the kids they like in those games.

4) No one game stood out to me as the best one I saw, there were lot of terrific games, more than in previous years. Kids still need work on shooting and passing, but mostly on their decision-making, what makes a good shot, what the coaches want to see in a potential recruit.

3) Spring/summer basketball is game-intensive, not so much time to practice, and practice is where your improvement is going to happen. In a classroom, did you get smarter when you studied or when you took tests? Same thing works here.

2) Airport security was tougher this year, and thats good.

1) At the airport today, saw couple of teams for the 14-yr old tournament arriving; thats the next in assembly line of events at the Disney complex. Sports really is big business, and we enjoyed sharing our opinions on this year's event.

Only 28 days until the start of college football; August will be a month of research for the coming season. Log on every day for reports on football, for college, pro and fantasy stuff.

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Wednesday's List of 13: My night at Tropicana Field

13) So I go to see the Devil Rays play for the first time, on my last night in Florida, and they get shut out by a kid who used to be one of their batboys. The Devil Rays are a bad team.

12) Parking is free at the Trop; from time I parked on a grass field a few hundred yards from the stadium, it was less than ten minutes until I was in my seat, exactly three rows behind the Toronto dugout. I can't get seats like that for a NY-Penn League game over in Troy.

11) I'm walking across street to stadium and two guys come up to me, asking if I need tickets; I tell them I need two, and the guy puts two tickets in my face, says they're $43 seats, but I can have them both for $50. Gametime is in two minutes, I'm a sap, so I give him the $50. Thought he might hug me, he was so happy to get rid of the tickets. I'm happy too.

10) Before going in, I asked the guy whose season tickets I had bought, if he thought the Rays would ever be good. He was as negative as ever fan I had ever talked to. Not good.

9) The Trop is basically a circular **** with a ballfield in the middle; there are three team shops, beers-of-the-world kiosks a cigar store, a place where you can get personalized wooden bats made, a huge sports bar, a fish tank with actuat rays, and places the kids can play video games during the ballgame. There are two picnic areas, but they are rented out to groups ($45 a head, minimum 35 people), explaining why it is often empty. In other words, since their team sucks, they try to sell everything but the game.

9) So my tickets are in Row M, and I'm figuring Row 13, right, as M is the 13th letter in alphabet, but for some, reason, Row 13 is the third row behind the digoiut. Amazingly good seats, so good I spent the first two innings patting myself on back.

The lighting is much better than it appears on TV; I liked it better than old Olympic Stadium in Montreal, where I went to see the Expos several times in the 80's. The scoreboards are good, out-of-town scores are easy to find. They do the little things very well in Tampa, and it was a fun night.

8) I mean, we're sitting behind the wife and kids of someone in the Blue Jays' front office. You can hear what a third base coach says and you can hear that nitwit heckler behind home plate. Well, you can hear everyone, because the park is just about empty. They would post an attendance of 10,569, which is a joke. No way were there that many people there.

7) It was dollar hot dog night, and they were pretty good, too. The hamburgers looked darned good, but on dollar hot dog night, you stay conservative and go with a sure thing.

6) Prices in the gift shop were major league all the way. Very expensive. Word has it the Rays are changing from green to blue/yellow for next year, so the selection of stuff wasn't so good. There was a sale on Ty Wigginton t-shirts, since they had just traded him to Houston. The people who worked in the shop seemed seriously bored/depressed. I'm not kidding.

5) Now I have great seats, but my section is less than half full My original plan had been to find some hardcore fans, ask a few questions about the team, and get a pulse of what people who root for this downtrodden franchise are thinking, but an air of doom was so prevalent during the game, it would have felt like I was making fun of them, so I passed.

4) For some reason, every time Jonny Gomes came to bat, a cheerleader with glasses (very pretty girl, but only the DRays would have a cheerleader with glasses) appeared in our aisle. Since Gomes was awful Tuesday, we never found out what she would have done had Gomes actually gotten a hit.

3) The Blue Jays' road uniforms are amazingly ugly in person.

2) I tried to get into the picnic area in left field, just to see the view from field level, but they wouldn't let me in. Something about a private party. Seemed more like a funeral, but those of us who are Irish party after funerals, so maybe that was it.

1) Iwamura got robbed on a triple by Vernon Wells, Pena hit a line drive into a double play with the bases loaded, and night ended with a 2-0 Devil Rays loss. To a pitcher who spent part of his childhood as a Devil Ray bat boy. On the drive back to Orlando, somehow, it all seemed fitting.

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[pm530]

Baseball – Write up

MLB
Write-up


Thursday, August 2

Hot Pitchers
-- Marshall is 1-1, 2.31 in his last four starts.
-- Peavy is 5-0, 1.15 in eight road starts this season. Petit is 2-1, 4.00 in his last five starts.
-- Washington won last three Bacsik starts (2-0, 1.86).
-- Marlins won three of last four Vanden Hurk starts.

-- Gabbard is making first start for Rangers; he was 2-0, 2.67 in his last four starts for the Red Sox.
-- Clemens is 2-1, 2.10 in five home starts for Bronx.
-- Guthrie is 3-0, 1.89 in his last three starts. Red Sox won seven of last nine Wakefield starts.
-- Angels won last six Saunders starts, scoring 41 runs.

Cold Pitchers
-- Youman is 0-3, 6.88 in his last three starts. Cardinals are 2-10 in Reyes starts this season.
-- Lawrence makes first start for Mets; he was 49-61, 4.10 in his 146 starts for the Padres from 2001-05. Brewers lost eleven of Capuano's last twelve starts.
-- Lohse makes first start for Phillies (Reds were 4-12 in his last sixteen starts for them); he is 0-2, 10.45 in his last two starts.
-- Dumatrait makes first start for Reds; he was 10-5, 3.49 in his 21 starts for AAA Louisville, allowing 109 hits in 118.2 IP.
-- Hirsh comes off DL to start for Rockies; he is 1-1. 6.53 in his last four starts.
-- Braves are 0-4 in Reyes starts (0-1, 8.20). Astros are 4-9 in last thirteen Williams starts.
-- Dodgers lost seven of last nine Tomko starts. Zito has a 9.30 RA in his last four starts.

-- Cleveland lost four of last five Westbrook starts.
-- Garland has an 8.26 RA in his last five starts.
-- Gaudin is 0-3, 7.89 in his last four starts.


Totals
-- Four of five Youman starts stayed under the total.
-- Under is 7-2-1 in last ten Capuano starts.
-- Under is 6-2 in last eight Marshall starts.
-- Five of six Petit starts stayed under the total.
-- Last six Bacsik starts stayed under the total.
-- Over is 6-2 in last eight Vander Hurk starts.
-- Three of four Reyes starts went over the total.
-- Under is 6-2 in Tomko's last eight starts.

-- Under is 8-2 in last ten Westbrook starts.
-- Four of last five Garland starts went over the total.
-- Under is 8-3 in last eleven Guthrie starts.
-- Royals-Twins game postponed, due to bridge collapse.
-- Under is 9-2-1 in last dozen Gaudin starts.


Hot Teams
-- Nationals won six of their last seven home games.
-- Rockies won four of their last six games.
-- Cardinals won five of their last seven games.
-- Phillies won nine of their last twelve games.
-- Arizona won ten of its last eleven games.
-- Visiting team is 10-1 in Giant-Dodger games this season.

-- Bronx is 10-3 in its last thirteen games.
-- Orioles won seven of their last ten games. Red Sox won nine of their last twelve games.
-- Angels won five of their last seven games.

Cold Teams
-- Reds lost last four games by combined score of 27-6.
-- Marlins lost seven of their last nine games.
-- Pirates lost four of their last five games.
-- Astros lost four of last five games, allowing forty-two runs in their last three games.
-- Brewers lost seven of their last ten games. Mets are 3-4 in their last seven games.
-- Padres lost nine of their last twelve games.
-- Dodgers lost five of their last seven games.

-- White Sox lost last three games, outscored 28-5.
-- Indians lost seven of their last nine games. Rangers lost four of their last five games, allowing 29 runs.
-- Oakland lost four of its last six games.

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[pm530]

Baseball - Tips & Trends

MLB

Thursday, August 2

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Tips and Trends
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Chicago White Sox at New York Yankees (1:05 PM ET)

Chicago’s Jon Garland is 3-5 with a 3.07 ERA in eight career starts versus New York. He led the White Sox to two home victories this season over the Yankees, allowing just two earned runs and 13 hits over 15 1/3 innings. EDGE: WHITE SOX
Garland posted a 3-2 record in the month of July with a highly-inflated 6.37 ERA. Many of his problems last month came in his July 6 start versus Minnesota, giving up a season-high 11 earned runs and 11 hits over just 3 1/3 innings. SLIGHT EDGE: YANKEES
New York starter Roger Clemens has a dominate 17-8 record and 3.34 ERA in 33 career starts versus Chicago. He hasn’t faced the White Sox since 2003, picking up a loss after allowing nine earned runs and seven hits over 4 2/3 innings. SLIGHT EDGE: YANKEES
Clemens has enjoyed much more success at home than on the road, posting a 2-1 record and 2.10 ERA in five starts at Yankee Stadium. EDGE: YANKEES
The Yankees are 23-4 in Clemens’ last 27 starts versus the AL Central.



New York Mets at Milwaukee Brewers (2:05 PM ET)

New York’s Jorge Sosa has an even 1-1 record and 1.30 ERA in eight career appearances against Milwaukee. He picked up his second victory of the season versus the Brewers on May 11, surrendering two earned runs and four hits over 6 2/3 innings. EDGE: METS
Sosa was a miserable 0-3 with a 6.50 ERA in four July appearances this season. He’s allowed 11 earned runs and 17 hits in his last 10 innings of work. EDGE: BREWERS
Milwaukee has lost each of Chris Capuano’s last 12 starts, but he’s been pitching better of late. He’s posted a 2.95 ERA over his last three starts, allowing seven earned runs in 21 1/3 innings. SLIGHT EDGE: METS
Capuano has a dismal 0-3 record and 6.04 ERA in four career starts against New York. He picked up a 9-1 loss versus the Mets on May 13, allowing four earned runs and seven hits over four innings of work. EDGE: METS
The Brewers are 9-3 in Capuano’s last 12 home starts versus a team with a winning record.



Philadelphia Phillies at Chicago Cubs (2:20 PM ET)

Philadelphia’s J.D. Durbin is 2-1 with a 4.19 ERA in five road outings this season. The right-hander has collected two straight victories away from Citizens Bank Park, as the Phillies have outscored opponents 24-3 in the process. EDGE: PHILLIES
Durbin has been blasted for 13 earned runs and 20 hits in just 14 1/3 daytime innings this season. Opposing batters are hitting .339 against him during the day compared to .271 at night. EDGE: CUBS
Cubs left-hander Sean Marshall made his only career start against the Phillies in his next to last start of 2006, allowing six earned runs and five hits over 3 1/3 innings. SLIGHT EDGE: PHILLIES
Marshall posted a fantastic 2.31 ERA in four July starts, but the Cubs dropped both of his starts at Wrigley Field. SLIGHT EDGE: CUBS
The Cubs are 4-10 in Marshall’s last 14 home starts.



Arizona Diamondbacks at San Diego Padres (3:35 PM ET)

Diamondbacks starter Yusmeiro Petit has collected a 2-2 record and 2.54 ERA in five road starts this season. One problem that the young right-hander has been up against is run support from the offense, with Arizona scoring just eight runs in his last three starts away from Chase Field. SLIGHT EDGE: D-BACKS
Petit has posted an even 1-1 record and 2.50 ERA in three daytime starts this season. Opposing batters are hitting just .188 against him under the sun, but he’s been reached for four home runs. SLIGHT EDGE: D-BACKS
San Diego ace Jake Peavy is an even 5-5 with a 5.20 ERA in 19 career starts versus Arizona. The hard-throwing right-hander is 1-0 with a 2.92 ERA in two starts against them this season. SLIGHT EDGE: PADRES
Peavy has posted a 4-3 record and 2.68 ERA in eight daytime starts this year. He’s fanned an impressive 50 batters and issued just 15 walks in 50 1/3 innings. EDGE: PADRES
The Diamondbacks are 1-9 in their last 10 road games versus a right-handed starter.



Houston Astros at Atlanta Braves (7:35 PM ET)

Houston’s Woody Williams is an impressive 4-1 with a 2.21 ERA in eight career starts versus Atlanta. The right-hander has allowed just 45 hits and four home runs in 57 innings against them. EDGE: ASTROS
Williams is a dismal 2-8 with a 5.01 ERA in 13 road starts this season, but he was impressive in his last start away from Miller Park. He tossed eight shutout innings and allowed just five hits in a 1-0 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park. BIG EDGE: BRAVES
Atlanta’s Jo-Jo Reyes looks to right the ship, after suffering through his worst career start versus the Arizona. He allowed a season-high seven runs and seven hits over just four innings in an 8-7 road loss. SLIGHT EDGE: ASTROS
The Braves has lost all four of Reyes’ career starts, but three of those losses have come by two runs or less. SLIGHT EDGE: BRAVES
The UNDER is 4-1 in Williams last five road starts.



Los Angeles Angels at Oakland Athletics (10:05 PM ET)

Los Angeles starter Joe Saunders has posted a 1-0 record in three career starts versus Oakland, but he carries a rather high 6.75 ERA. The only game that the Angels have lost with him on the mound came in his first 2007 start against the Athletics, as the left-hander allowed three earned runs and nine hits in 5 2/3 innings. EDGE: A’S
The Angels have picked up victories in six of Saunders’ seven starts, with the offense supplying the left-hander with 44 runs of support. EDGE: ANGELS
Oakland’s Chad Gaudin is a perfect 2-0 with a 4.84 ERA in 10 career appearances against Los Angeles. The right-hander lasted just 3 2/3 innings on July 23 versus the Angels, allowing five earned runs and six hits while tying a season-high with six free passes. SLIGHT EDGE: A’S
Gaudin has been miserable in three starts since the All-Star break, posting a 0-3 record and 7.89 ERA. He’s walked 18 batters in just 21 2/3 innings of work. EDGE: ANGELS
The UNDER is 4-0 in the last four meetings in Oakland.



San Francisco Giants at Los Angeles Dodgers (ESPN2 | 10:10 PM ET)

Giants left-hander Barry Zito is an even 1-1 with a 5.57 ERA in three career starts against the Dodgers. The struggling starter was blasted for eight earned runs and nine hits in a 10-4 home loss to Los Angeles on April 8. SLIGHT EDGE: DODGERS
Life on the road has been a nightmare for the one-time Cy Young winning pitcher, posting a disappointing 4-7 record and 5.94 ERA. The Giants have lost five of Zito’s last six starts away from AT&T Park. EDGE: DODGERS
Los Angeles starter Brett Tomko is searching for his first home victory of the season, going 0-5 with a 6.88 ERA in his first 15 outings. He’s allowed 49 and issued 12 walks in 35 1/3 innings at Dodger Stadium. EDGE: GIANTS
Tomko has pitched relatively well in his first three starts after the All-Star break, posting a 1-1 record and 3.18 ERA in three starts. SLIGHT EDGE: DODGERS
The UNDER is 5-0-1 in Zito’s last six starts versus the NL West.


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[pm530]

Baseball – Betting Notes

MLB


Thursday, August 2

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MLB Betting Notes
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Catching experience

New York Yankees backup catcher Jose Molina has already started two games since arriving from the L.A. Angels last week. On Thursday, he should make his third appearance as the Yankees face the Chicago White Sox in a day game after playing the night before.

Manager Joe Torre said earlier in the week that he was pleased with former backup catcher Wil Nieves, but that Molina adds invaluable experience behind the plate.

"I'm more comfortable," Torre told MLB.com when asked about having Molina to back up the resting Jorge Posada. "The fact that Jose has been a regular catcher on a team is great. Just watching his first game the other day, he knows what to do."

Molina, batting .229 this season, is expected to catch for Yanks starter Andy Pettitte (6-7, 4.11) on Thursday. The White Sox counter with John Danks (6-7, 4.83) and are +190 underdogs with the total set at 10.


Phillies injury woes continue

The Philadelphia Phillies have had 10 different players on the disabled list this season, with two going down this week. Outfielders Shane Victorino and Michael Bourn were both injured in Monday’s win over the Chicago Cubs and were placed on the 15-day DL.

Victorino strained his right calf muscle grounding into a double play to end the fourth inning, while Bourn suffered an ankle sprain pursuing a foul ball into the uneven ground near the visitors' bullpen.

"It is what it is," Victorino told MLB.com. "I don't want to sit on that bench, let me tell you that right now, but it's better than what I thought it might be. When I felt something pop, I expected to hear the worst."

The pair will be replaced by Aaron Rowand and Chris Roberson as the Phillies close out that four-game series against the Cubs on Thursday. Kyle Lohse faces Sean Marshall on the mound and Chicago is a –146 favorite.


Orioles unsure on Mora

The Baltimore Orioles haven't decided when to reactivate third baseman Melvin Mora after he missed much of July with a strained left foot.

The veteran spent most of this week taking batting practice and the Orioles must choose whether to send him on a rehab stint or return him to the lineup.

"Tomorrow, it's his last stage of the rehab," Orioles manager Dave Trembley told MLB.com on Tuesday. "He's got to run the bases, and after that, we'll make a decision. I would think after he runs the bases, that will all take care of itself."

Mora, who is batting .265 with 12 homers and 41 RBIs this season, is unlikely to return in time for Thursday’s series finale against the Boston Red Sox. That game features a strong pitching matchup between Jeremy Guthrie (7-3, 2.89) and Tim Wakefield (12-9, 4.59). The Sox are +190 underdogs.


Soria handed closer’s role

When the Kansas City Royals traded Octavio Dotel to the Atlanta Braves on Tuesday, 23-year-old Joakim Soria was named as KC's new closer. Soria was the Royals' setup man this season and he told MLB.com that he's confident of making a successful transition.

"It's kind of the same, just one inning difference," Soria told the website. "The game's on the line with the setup man, too. I feel good about it. It's an important position, being closer. I know the position and I think I'm ready for that."

The closer’s role is not new to Soria. When Dotel was out with a ribcage injury in April, Soria stood in and notched 10 saves in 13 opportunities. Overall this season, Soria has posted a 2.44 ERA in 40 appearances.

The Royals will be hoping to hand the ball to him on Thursday as they wrap up a four-game series at Minnesota. Odalis Perez (6-9, 5.73) and Johan Santana (11-8, 2.92) are the starters and the Twins are –255 favorites with the total set at 8 runs.


Hermida not jinxing himself

Florida Marlins left fielder Jeremy Hermida knew he had hit safely in six straight games entering Tuesday, but refused to talk about it. MLB.com reports that after spending the early part of the season answering questions about his struggles, Hermida won't talk about his success because he doesn’t want to jinx himself.

Hermida went 10-for-19 in that six-game stretch and lifted his batting average to .259 for the season. The 23-year-old hit an impressive .351 last month after posting a .188 average in June.

"He's a young player having some young-player struggles," general manager Larry Beinfest told MLB.com when asked about Hermida’s unpredictable form. "But we're very optimistic about him."

Meanwhile, the Marlins finish a three-game series against the Colorado Rockies on Thursday, sending Rick Vanden Hurk to the mound to test his stuff against Jason Hirsh. Colorado is a –102 favorite with the total set at 9 ½.

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[pm530]

Baseball Today - August 2


SCOREBOARD
Thursday, August 2

Los Angeles Angels at Oakland (10:05 p.m. EDT). Joe Saunders (4-0, 3.16 ERA) faces off against Chad Gaudin (8-6, 3.71 ERA).

STARS
Wednesday

-- Carl Crawford, Devil Rays, had three hits, including a go-ahead two run homer and Tampa Bay beat Toronto 6-2.

-- Ronny Paulino and Tony Armas, Pirates. Paulino hit a grand slam and Armas won as a starter for the first time in more than 10 months to carry Pittsburgh past St. Louis 15-1.

-- Jorge Posada, Yankees, homered twice in a 8-1 win over the White Sox.

-- Byung-Hyun Kim, Marlins, struck out a career-high 10, helping Florida beat Colorado 4-3.

-- Yuniesky Betancourt, Mariners, singled home the winning run in the 12th inning and Seattle beat the Angels 8-7.

RESIGNED

Buddy Bell resigned as the Kansas City Royals' manager, effective at the end of the season. Bell announced the decision before Wednesday's game against the Minnesota Twins and said he will remain on for the rest of the season. He will join the Royals' front office in 2008 as a senior adviser to general manager Dayton Moore.

DOUBLE STEAL

Cincinnati's Brandon Phillips stole two bases on one play during Washington's 7-2 win on Wednesday night. With the left-handed Adam Dunn up, the Nationals employed a shift that put three infielders on the right side, with third baseman Ryan Zimmerman essentially playing shortstop. Phillips stole second and, when catcher Brian Schneider didn't attempt to throw him out, rounded the bag and headed for third without breaking stride. He was credited with two stolen bases on the play, giving him 21 for the season.

RAINED OUT

Pedro Martinez's first rehabilitation start was rained out, so he will throw a simulated game of 45 pitches against hitters from the Mets' Gulf Coast League team on Thursday. Martinez had been slated to pitch Wednesday night for the St. Lucie Mets against the Brevard County Manatees.

SLUMPING

Detroit dropped its fourth straight series with a 3-2 loss at Oakland on Wednesday. The Tigers have lost six of seven games overall and eight of 10.

ROAD TRIP

The Boston Red Sox, with ace pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka, could start the 2008 season at the Tokyo Dome, the No. 2 official of the players' association said Wednesday. The Los Angeles Angels or Oakland Athletics are the most likely opponent, with the Seattle Mariners also a possibility, several people familiar with the discussions said. The Chicago Cubs and the New York Mets started the 2000 season with a two-game series in Tokyo, and the New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Devil Rays opened the 2004 season with two games in Japan. A 2003 series between Seattle and Oakland at the Tokyo Dome was scrapped because of the threat of war in Iraq.

POSTPONED

The Minnesota Twins have postponed Thursday's game against Kansas City following a bridge collapse near the Metrodome and team president Dave St. Peter said their weekend series with Cleveland also could be affected. The Twins also postponed Thursday's groundbreaking ceremony for the team's new stadium, which will be located downtown.

FOR THE RECORD

Jorge Posada homered twice, and Derek Jeter, Robinson Cano and Shelley Duncan also connected during New York's 8-1 win over the White Sox on Wednesday, giving the Yankees 13 home runs in two games. That tied the team record for a two-game span set in a doubleheader at the Philadelphia Athletics on June 28, 1939.

WHIFF

Colorado struck out a season-high 16 times and stranded 14 runners, tying a season high.

SPEAKING

"You've got to have a little bit of common sense about what is happening out there. I never saw anybody try to hit somebody with a knuckleball."-- Chicago manager Ozzie Guillen on pitcher Charlie Haegar's ejection in a 8-1 loss to the Yankees on Wednesday. Haegar, a knuckleballer, was immediately ejected by plate umpire Tom Hallion after hitting Robinson Cano with a pitch following Jorge Posada's home run in the eighth inning.

SEASONS
August 2

1906 -- The "Hitless Wonder" Chicago White Sox began their AL record 19-game winning streak with a 3-0 win over Boston. The record would be tied by the 1947 New York Yankees.

1907 -- Walter Johnson made his major league debut with the Washington Senators and lost 3-2 to the Detroit Tigers. The first hit he yielded was a bunt single by Ty Cobb. The Tigers beat "The Big Train" 7-6 exactly 20 years later on Walter Johnson Day in the nation's capital.

1933 -- Mickey Cochrane of the Philadelphia A's hit for the cycle in a 16-3 win over the New York Yankees.

1938 -- The Brooklyn Dodgers and the St. Louis Cardinals used a yellow baseball in the first game of a doubleheader as an experiment. The two teams went back to the white ball in the second game as the Dodgers swept the doubleheader 6-2 and 9-3.

1959 -- Bill Bruton of Milwaukee hit three triples, including two with the bases-loaded, to lead the Braves to an 11-5 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals in the nightcap of a doubleheader.

1979 -- New York Yankees captain Thurman Munson died when his private plane crashed while practicing takeoffs and landings at the Canton, Ohio, airport.

1987 -- Kevin Seitzer went 6-for-6, hit two homers and drove in seven runs to pace a 20-hit Kansas City attack as the Royals beat the Boston Red Sox 13-5 in 102-degree heat.

1987 -- Eric Davis led off the bottom of the 11th inning with his 30th home run of the season to give the Cincinnati Reds a 5-4 victory over the San Francisco Giants. Davis's homer made him the seventh player with 30 homers and 30 steals in the same season, and the earlist in a season.

1998 -- The Cuban national team claimed its 22nd gold medal at the World Baseball Championships, beating South Korea 7-1 and extending its winning streak at the event to 41 games since 1986.

Today's birthdays: Huston Street 24; Grady Sizemore 25; Matt Guerrier 29; Julio Mateo 30; Tim Wakefield 39. ^Aug. 3=

1933 -- Lefty Grove of the Philadelphia A's became the first pitcher since Aug. 2, 1931 -- a span of 308 games -- to shut out the New York Yankees, winning 7-0.

1948 -- Cleveland's Satchel Paige made his first major league start and went seven innings to lead the Indians to a 5-3 victory over the Washington Senators.

1959 -- The second game of All-Star play this year was won by the AL 5-3 at Los Angeles' Memorial Stadium. Nellie Fox of the Chicago White Sox singled in the deciding run in the seventh inning.

1961 -- The Pittsburgh Pirates scored a 19-0 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals for the largest shutout score in an NL night game.

1969 -- Pinch-hitter Rich Reese hit a grand slam to power the Minnesota Twins to a 5-2 victory over the visiting Baltimore Orioles and end Dave McNally's 15-game winning streak. His two victories at the end of 1968 had given him 17 straight wins.

1977 -- Eddie Murray, rookie first baseman for Baltimore, hit a home run from each side of the plate. The Orioles beat the Oakland Athletics, 8-6, in 10 innings.

1989 -- The Cincinnati Reds scored 14 runs in the first inning on a major league record 16 hits and went on to beat the Houston Astros 18-2. Seven Reds had two hits off starter Jim Clancy and reliever Bob Forsch in the first, breaking a century-old record.

1998 -- Mike Oquist allowed 14 earned runs -- the most by a major leaguer since 1977 -- in five innings of Oakland's 14-1 loss to the New York Yankees.

2001 -- Mark Buehrle of the Chicago White Sox pitched a one-hitter and faced only 28 batters in a 4-0 win over Tampa Bay.

2004 -- Tony Batista hit a grand slam in the 12th inning after tying the game with a two-run homer in the ninth, leading Montreal over St. Louis 10-6.

2006 -- Chase Utley singled in the first inning of Philadelphia's 8-1 win at St. Louis to extend his hitting streak to 35 games.

2006 -- Matt Murton tied a major league record with four doubles and drove in five runs to help the Chicago Cubs salvage a split of a doubleheader with Arizona 7-3.

Today's birthday: Troy Glaus 31.

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[pm530]

Canadian Football League – Long Sheet

CFL
Long Sheet

Thursday, August 2

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TORONTO (2 - 3) at MONTREAL (2 - 3) - 8/2/2007, 7:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
TORONTO is 13-26 ATS (-15.6 Units) in road games revenging a loss versus opponent since 1996.
TORONTO is 29-14 ATS (+13.6 Units) off a loss against a division rival since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
MONTREAL is 6-3 against the spread versus TORONTO over the last 3 seasons
MONTREAL is 6-3 straight up against TORONTO over the last 3 seasons
5 of 8 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons


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SASKATCHEWAN (3 - 2) at BRITISH COLUMBIA (5 - 0) - 8/2/2007, 10:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
SASKATCHEWAN is 0-6 ATS (-6.6 Units) off a win over a division rival over the last 2 seasons.
BRITISH COLUMBIA is 28-14 ATS (+12.6 Units) in August games since 1996.
BRITISH COLUMBIA is 9-1 ATS (+7.9 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
BRITISH COLUMBIA is 35-14 ATS (+19.6 Units) in weeks 5 through 9 since 1996.
SASKATCHEWAN is 47-28 ATS (+16.2 Units) as an underdog of 3.5 to 9.5 points since 1996.
SASKATCHEWAN is 77-46 ATS (+26.4 Units) as an underdog since 1996.
SASKATCHEWAN is 69-43 ATS (+21.7 Units) revenging a loss versus opponent since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
SASKATCHEWAN is 6-3 against the spread versus BRITISH COLUMBIA over the last 3 seasons
SASKATCHEWAN is 5-4 straight up against BRITISH COLUMBIA over the last 3 seasons
4 of 8 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, August 2

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Week 6 CFL games

THURSDAY

Toronto (2-3) @ Montreal (2-3)
Alouettes went to Toronto a week ago, won 26-13, using long punt return for TD to salt the game away in fourth quarter. Montreal had 132 rushing yards, only 120 passing, as both teams ran ball 20+ times. Argos split first two road games, winning at Hamilton, losing in Calgary by 33-10 score. Alouettes are 0-2 at home, losing to Saskatchewan and Winnipeg. Under is 4-1 in Argonaut games this season.

British Columbia (5-0) @ Saskatchewan (3-2)
Undefeated and defending champ Lions are 5-0, with wins by 2-4-5 points, but in their first visit to Regina three weeks ago, they won 42-12, as Riders turned ball over five times and trailed 21-0 at half. Lions were outgained 527-294 at McMahon last week, still won game thanks to five takeaways and 176 rushing yards. By the way, game in Calgary was first '07 CFL game that was tied at the half.


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[pm530]

Pro Basketball (Women’s) – Long Sheet

WNBA
Long Sheet


Thursday, August 2

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MINNESOTA (7 - 20) at NEW YORK (10 - 15) - 8/2/2007, 7:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MINNESOTA is 23-35 ATS (-15.5 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 14-27 ATS (-15.7 Units) as an underdog over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 17-29 ATS (-14.9 Units) in road games over the last 3 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 7-16 ATS (-10.6 Units) against Eastern conference opponents over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 7-16 ATS (-10.6 Units) in non-conference games over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 3-12 ATS (-10.2 Units) revenging a home loss versus opponent over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 16-26 ATS (-12.6 Units) revenging a loss versus opponent over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 18-33 ATS (-18.3 Units) off an upset win as an underdog since 1997.
MINNESOTA is 2-8 ATS (-6.8 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
NEW YORK is 27-10 ATS (+16.0 Units) in home games after a loss by 10 points or more since 1997.

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


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PHOENIX (17 - 10) at SAN ANTONIO (16 - 9) - 8/2/2007, 8:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
SAN ANTONIO is 11-3 ATS (+7.7 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
PHOENIX is 18-8 ATS (+9.2 Units) as an underdog over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
PHOENIX is 6-4 against the spread versus SAN ANTONIO over the last 3 seasons
PHOENIX is 7-3 straight up against SAN ANTONIO over the last 3 seasons
5 of 10 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons


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[pm530]

Major League Soccer – Hot Lines

MLS
Hot Lines


Thursday, August 2


MLS kicks and pick: Kansas City at New England


Kansas City Wizards at New England Revolution (+275, +210, -110)

The meeting of Kansas City and New England at Gillette Stadium is a game worthy of the MLS Primetime Thursday stage. The last time these sides met the game was a thriller, and this time only one point separates them at the top of the Eastern Conference.

Bettors should note New England’s recent inability to beat the Wizards. The Revs haven't defeated their rivals in over two years. Worse again, they haven't beaten them at home since 1999.

Earlier this season, New England had their best chance of ending that run, but failed. Kansas were without three of their regular back four for the game and the Revolution initially took advantage, pulling out an early 2-1 lead. But a one-man show from Eddie Johnson kept the Wizard’s domination of the Revs going; he bagged three goals to lead his side to an outrageous 4-3 win.

Thursday’s game is unlikely to be a thriller of that magnitude, but it does give New England another good chance for an overdue win against Kansas.

The Revs are in excellent form. They are unbeaten since the end of June and have taken points from the Red Bulls, Houston and Chivas since their last loss.

The return of top-scorer Taylor Twellman from a long spell of international duty has sparked the recent resurgence. He is not only an outstanding goal poacher, but his ability to bring other offensive players into the game is second to none.

Since his return, midfielders Andy Dorman, Sharie Joseph and Steve Ralston have been a greater attacking threat in games. Dorman in particular has been in impressive, and his tally of seven goals is the most for a midfield player this season.

Kansas also poses a strong attacking threat – most notably in the form of Johnson – but this time around New England look better equipped to deal with it. The Revs' defense, marshaled by Jay Heaps and Michael Parkhurst, has conceded only four times in the last four games. In fact, New England’s back four have conceded only 21 goals this season – the lowest in the East.

With first place in the division on the line Thursday, this is likely to be a tight, tactical game. Neither side will want to concede early and the likelihood is that the first 20 minutes will be quite subdued.

Whichever team scores first has a strong chance of going on to win and New England is best equipped to strike early. Whereas Kansas rely heavily on Eddie Johnson to provide goals, the Revs have a host of players in their side that can hit the net at any time.

Pick: New England

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[Udog]

MLB
70% Situation


MLB (Thursday): Play Against MLB (NL) road underdogs with a money line of +100 to +150 with a bullpen that blows 38% or more of their save opportunities facing a starting pitcher whose ERA is 6.70 or worse this year.
(52-14 since 1997.) (78.8%) PLAY: Atlanta -142

[Udog]

MLB
Streaking Pitchers


Thursday, August 2


Hot

Mike Bacsik (Washington Nationals) - Bacsik has been cashing in for Nats backers with three straight wins to close out July. After a shaky start to his season, Bacsik will try to improve on his 4-6 record and 4.22 ERA by grabbing his third straight win and fourth in his last six starts when Washington hosts Cincinnati this afternoon as -131 home favorites. Books have set the total at 9 runs.

Tim Wakefield (Boston Red Sox) - Wakefield is 6-1 in his last seven starts at Fenway. He's 12-9 (4.59 ERA) on the season and looks for his third straight win today when Boston hosts Baltimore. Books list the Red Sox as -140 home faves to take the three-game series behind the knuckleballer.

Cold

Woody Williams (Houston Astros) - Williams squares off against rookie Jo-Jo Reyes when the Astros take to Turner field tonight, but the veteran righty doesn't have much to brag about. Coming off a 9-4 loss at home, he holds a dismal 5-12 record with a 5.14 ERA and is 1-5 in his last seven road starts. Williams has given up a National League-worst 23 home runs. The Astros are +134 underdogs on the road against the Braves tonight.

Barry Zito (San Francisco Giants) - Zito has given up 13 runs and 16 hits in his last two outings but his struggles are magnified away from home. He's 4-7 with a 5.94 ERA in 12 road starts and has given up the cash in eight of those starts. The lefty had his worst showing of the year against tonight's opponent, a 10-4 loss to the Dodgers on April 8, where he allowed eight runs in six innings. The Giants are +116 dogs at Dodger Stadium tonight and the total is set at 8 1/2.

[Kaptain]

Early "Points of Interest"

Here's the early points of interest updates...will come in later with the later ones.........

08/02/07
02:01 AM Injuries
MLB
Thursday: Mets C Paul Lo Duca (.270; hamstring) is questionable; Pirates OF Xavier Nady (.289; hamstring) is questionable.

08/02/07
01:59 AM Injuries
MLB
Thursday: Red Sox RF JD Drew (.248; personal) is doubtful; A's 3B Eric Chavez (.240; back) is questionable.

08/02/07
01:36 AM Injuries
MLB
Royals placed OF Reggie Sanders (hamstring) on the 15-day DL.

08/02/07
01:35 AM Coach's Call
MLB
Mariners Richie Sexson will begin losing playing time to Ben Broussard until he can turn things around per manager John McLaren.

08/02/07
01:34 AM News Alert
MLB
The Twins have postponed Thursday's game against the Royals due to a bridge collapsing on Interstate 35 on Wednesday.

08/02/07
01:33 AM Lineups
MLB
Struggling White Sox SP Jose Contreras will have his turn skipped Sunday.

08/02/07
01:31 AM Injuries
MLB
Braves Buddy Carlyle left his start Wednesday against Astros in the sixth inning with an apparent oblique injury.


08/02/07
01:26 AM Injuries
MLB
Padres Brian Giles left Wednesday's game in the bottom of the fifth inning with an apparent ankle injury.


08/02/07
01:28 AM Info Alert
MLB
Mets Pedro Martinez will throw a simulated game of 45 pitches on Thursday.

08/02/07
01:25 AM Injuries
MLB
D-Backs Carlos Quentin left Wednesday's game in the fifth inning with an apparent leg injury.
08/02/07
01:24 AM Injuries
MLB
Padres Brian Giles left Wednesday's game in the bottom of the fifth inning with an apparent ankle injury.

08/02/07
01:22 AM Lineups
MLB
Cubs Aramis Ramirez will be back in Thursday's lineup after resting his sore knee Wednesday.

08/02/07
01:21 AM Injuries
MLB
Dodgers Derek Lowe (hip) threw a 65-pitch bullpen session Wednesday and said he experienced no pain.


08/02/07
01:20 AM Injuries
MLB
Giants Rich Aurilia left Wednesday's game because of a hamstring injury.

[Udog]

MLB
Hot Lines


Thursday, August 2


Philadelphia Phillies at Chicago Cubs: (-142, N/A)

Pitcher Kyle Lohse will make his debut for the Phillies after being acquired from the Cincinnati Reds this past Monday.

"I'm a little excited, happy to be going to a team in the race," Lohse told reporters about joining Philadelphia.

Lohse’s struggles on the road this season won’t be helped by a bunch of unfamiliar players around him. The right-hander will have either Chris Coste or Carlos Ruiz behind home plate. Lohse brings a 2-9 road record to Philly along with a 6.42 ERA away from Great American Ball Park. He lost his last four road starts for the Reds, giving up 26 runs in 22 innings of work during those games.

Pick: Cubs -142



Colorado Rockies at Florida Marlins: (-106, 9 ½)

Colorado’s rookie pitcher Jason Hirsh is making his first start since coming off the disabled list with a sprained right ankle.

He is 2-3 in eight road starts this season with a 4.79 ERA. In his last away game Hirsh was hit for five runs in six innings against the Cubs on June 27. Rockies manager Clint Hurdle is asking his young hurler to use his fastball more and not rely on his changeup so much in the second half of the season.

The Rockies are 7-15 on the road since June 22, dropping their season away total to 24-31.

Pick: Marlins -106



Los Angeles Angels at Oakland Athletics: (-110, 9)

The Angels bats are smoking, pounding in 56 runs over their last seven games. They are still averaging eight runs per contest despite getting shutout this past Monday.

Los Angeles’ lineup was able to get to Oakland’s Chad Gaudin, who starts today, when they faced the A’s on July 23. Gaudin was hit for five runs in just over three innings pitched.

Gaudin hasn’t recorded a win since July 5, going 0-3 in his last four starts. During this skid, the righty has posted an ERA just under 8.00 and has a 17-to-18 strikeout-to-walk tally.

Pick: Angels +102