Thursday Trends and Indexes 08/09

[pm530]

Trends and Indexes
Thursday, August 9
Good Luck on day #221 of 2007!

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

[pm530]

Six-pack for Thursday

More NFL knowledge, as preseason play kicks into high gear this weekend............

-- You think of Cincinnati as undisciplined, because of the off-field issues, but over last two years, Bengals have +31 turnover ratio, with 75 takeaways, 44 giveaways. Thats the mark of a disciplined team, but...........

-- .....since 1990, Bengals are 4-14 in game after a bye week.

-- Marvin Harrison has scored 14 TDs in 16 career games
against the Patriots.

-- Three QBs likely to start season with Giants all played their college football in SEC: Manning (Ole Miss), Wright (South Carolina) and Lorenzen (Kentucky).

-- The '83 Washington Redskins had a +43 turnover margin, which is +17 better than any other team in NFL history. '90 Chiefs had a +26 mark, the '97 Giants +25.

-- Since taking over as GM of Lions after 2000 season, Matt Millen has steered Detroit to a 24-72 record, yet, amazingly, he still has a job!!!! Not to beat a dead horse, but Lions had a 9-7 record the year before Millen took over.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

[pm530]

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

13) Happy to see Eric Byrnes get paid with $10M a year deal with the Arizona team; he plays the game the right way, and paid his dues, bouncing around between several teams. He is one of the Armadillo's all-time favorite players; the A's made a mistake trading him for Jay Payton.

12) Speaking of which, that Aaron Harang-for-Jose Guillen deal ain't looking so good either. Harang is a horse for Reds.

11) How about the Dodgers getting shut out three games in a row, the last two in Cincinnati? Think they miss Jeff Kent?

10) Cubs are 0-3 this week without Alfonso Soriano, who is out for around a month; with the Brewers getting waxed daily out in Colorado, the door is opening for the Cardinals.

9) Barry Bonds cranked homer #757 into McCovey Cove in his first at-bat Wednesday; they brought the person into the stadium, so maybe it still pays to find his home run balls.

8) Let the record show that in top of 5th inning at Arizona on Wednesday, August 8, Arizona pitcher Gonzalez faked a toss to third, threw to first and picked off runner Ryan Doumit, a rare occasion where that goofy play actually worked.

7) Amazing stat: San Diego Padres have scored exactly one run in six of Chris Young's starts this season, and are 5-1 in those games, thats how good Young has been this season.

6) Quotes of the Day
"Sometimes its better to be lucky than good." said by many, and "...that stupid Chipper" my 81-year old father after Mets gave up another hit to their nemesis, Chipper Jones.

5) Lookalikes: Diamondback announcer Darin Sutton and CSI actor William Peterson.

4) In the last three seasons, Michigan is 0-3 vs Ohio State, 0-3 in bowl games; good thing they decided to toughen the team by scheduling a I-AA opponent in their opener this season.

3) The three QBs on Oklahoma's roster have thrown total of two college passes in their careers; now, we're not saying it is doomsday for the Sooners, but someone has to step up and do something they haven't done before.

2) The Raiders are actually favored in their first game.

1) The Vikings' QB battle is between Tarvaris Jackson and Brooks Bollinger; we've seen Bollinger's act, so purple fans better hope Jackson is the real deal. By the way, QB #3 with Vikings is none other than former baseball player and former Jerry Jones project Drew Henson.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

[pm530]

Major League Soccer – Hot Lines

MLS
Hot Lines


Thursday, August 9

MLS kicks and picks: Beckham ‘doubtful’ for Thursday


Los Angeles Galaxy at DC United (L.A. +260, Draw +220, D.C. -110)

David Beckham felt the heat from some Toronto fans last weekend after they paid inflated prices for tickets, but didn’t get to see him play. On Thursday, a sellout crowd at RFK Stadium in Washington will be expecting Becks to feature for the Galaxy, and if he doesn’t, MLS could have a fan backlash on their hands.

It wasn’t so bad in Toronto because there has been a high demand for tickets there all season, and most TFC games have been 20,000 seat sellouts. Toronto fans generally took his absence in stride and just enjoyed the game.

The same won’t happen on Thursday when the Galaxy face DC United. Some 45,000 people bought tickets to see Beckham play, and that’s what they’ll expect. This will be the first time all season that United have sold out the stadium – the previous high was 24,000 when the Chicago Fire came to town in July.

The point? Well, there is now firm pressure on David Beckham to play, even though the man is obviously injured. A report in today’s Washington Post lists Beckham as doubtful for the game and some reports in Britain claim he could even be out for a few more weeks.

The fans that MLS added when Beckham arrived are now growing impatient, and with the NFL season set to start in a few weeks, the media’s attention will soon be elsewhere. The longer Beckham is absent, the more the MLS will look like a one-trick pony that is completely reliant on a single superstar – which is simply not the case.

Let’s all hope that Beckham recovers from injury sooner rather than later because packed houses at Gillette and Giants Stadium are beckoning in the next seven days.

There is another concern that arises from Beckham’s continuing absence and it has much more to with Thursday’s game. The Galaxy are really struggling and are in desperate need of a player of his caliber to turn things around.

If Beckham doesn’t get fit in the next few weeks, there's a distinct possibility that the Galaxy could miss out on the playoffs for the second consecutive season.

Last weekend’s performance was a good indicator of L.A.’s problems. They traveled to Toronto and faced a home side that was without six regular starters. Most fans and pundits expected them to record an easy win, but instead they were an absolute shambles and were lucky to come out with a 0-0 tie.

That result was more to do with TFC’s inability to finish their chances than any defensive strength on L.A.’s part.

The Galaxy were run ragged in every area of the pitch by a young, eager Toronto team and the most worrying part was that they looked like they had no game plan.

Landon Donovan played on the left flank for most of the game and had little impact, while midfielders Kelly Gray and Peter Vagenas never really came to grips with the opposition.

Sadly, that kind of performance is nothing new for the Galaxy and they are now 2-4-4 in the their last 10 games. One thing is for sure, if they play like that against DC on Thursday, they will get severely punished.

United come into this game on the back of resounding 3-0 road win against the division-leading New England Revs, which puts them within five points of the Eastern Division lead.

Based on L.A’s performance in Toronto, and DC’s commanding victory at Gillette last weekend, it’s hard to see anything other than a home win in this fixture. Whether or not the DC fans get to witness Beckham’s debut remains to be seen, but it looks unlikely at the moment.

Pick: DC United -110

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[pm530]

Pro Basketball (Women’s) – Long Sheet

WNBA
Long Sheet


Thursday, August 9

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


SEATTLE (14 - 16) at DETROIT (22 - 6) - 8/9/2007, 7:30 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
DETROIT is 3-2 against the spread versus SEATTLE over the last 3 seasons
SEATTLE is 3-2 straight up against DETROIT over the last 3 seasons
3 of 5 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


SACRAMENTO (17 - 11) at SAN ANTONIO (17 - 11) - 8/9/2007, 8:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
SACRAMENTO is 5-3 against the spread versus SAN ANTONIO over the last 3 seasons
SACRAMENTO is 7-2 straight up against SAN ANTONIO over the last 3 seasons
6 of 9 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


NEW YORK (12 - 16) at PHOENIX (19 - 11) - 8/9/2007, 10:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
NEW YORK is 4-1 against the spread versus PHOENIX over the last 3 seasons
NEW YORK is 3-2 straight up against PHOENIX over the last 3 seasons
3 of 5 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


WASHINGTON (13 - 15) at LOS ANGELES (9 - 19) - 8/9/2007, 10:30 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
WASHINGTON is 3-2 against the spread versus LOS ANGELES over the last 3 seasons
LOS ANGELES is 3-2 straight up against WASHINGTON over the last 3 seasons
4 of 5 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[pm530]

WNBA
Trends


Thursday, August 9

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Recent Trends
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Seattle (14-16) at Detroit (22-6)

Seattle:
Over is 8-0 in SEA last 8 overall.
SEA are 2-9 ATS in their last 11 games overall.
Over is 7-3-1 in SEA last 11 games as an underdog.

Detroit: Over is 9-3 in DET last 12 vs. Western Conference.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sacramento (17-11) at San Antonio (17-10)

San Antonio:
SA are 2-8 ATS in their last 10 Thu. games.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

New York (12-16) at Phoenix (19-11)

New York:
Over is 7-3 in NY last 10 overall.

Phoenix:
Over is 17-5 in PHO last 22 Thu. games.

Head to Head:
Over is 8-3 in the last 11 meetings.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Washington (12-15) at Los Angeles (9-19)

Washington:
WAS are 7-2-1 ATS in their last 10 games overall.
WAS are 2-6 ATS in their last 8 Thu. games.
Over is 14-6 in WAS last 20 road games.

Los Angeles:
Under is 22-7-1 in LA last 30 home games.
LA are 6-2 ATS in their last 8 Thu. games.
Under is 8-3 in LA last 11 games as an underdog.

Head to Head:
Over is 8-1 in the last 9 meetings.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[pm530]

Canadian Football League – Long Sheet

CFL
Long Sheet

Thursday, August 9

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

CALGARY (3 - 3) at MONTREAL (3 - 3) - 8/9/2007, 7:30 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

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

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[pm530]

Canadian Football League – Write up

CFL
Write-up


Thursday, August 9

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Calgary (3-3) @ Montreal (3-3) -- Both teams off dramatic wins vs rivals, with Stampeders gaining 463 yards in gaining its first road win (34-32 at Edmonton) while Als swept Toronto, taking OT contest last week, as Calvillo was 30-40/241 passing; they are just 1-2 at home, losing to Riders, Bombers, beating Argos. Four of last five Calgary games went over the total.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[pm530]

National Football League - Long Sheet

NFL
Pre-season
Long Sheet


Thursday, August 9

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

CINCINNATI (4 - 0) at DETROIT (1 - 3) - 8/9/2007, 7:30 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

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

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

INDIANAPOLIS (1 - 3) at DALLAS (3 - 0 - 1) - 8/9/2007, 8:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
DALLAS is 12-25 ATS (-15.5 Units) as a favorite since 1993.

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

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[pm530]

National Football League - Short Sheet

NFL
Pre-season
Short Sheet


Thursday, August 9

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Cincinnati at Detroit, 7:30 ET
Cincinnati: 5-1 ATS playing on artificial turf
Detroit: 1-6 ATS in August

Indianapolis at Dallas, 8:00 ET FOX
Indianapolis: 21-5 Over away in August
Dallas: 4-18 ATS in the first two weeks of preseason

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[pm530]

National Football League – Write up

NFL
Pre-season
Write-up


Thursday, August 9

These Week 1 preseason games aren't great places to make an investment; regulars don't play enough.

Martz has rarely risked his #1 QB in summer, so expect to see lot of backups against Bengal team that won, covered last five tilts in summer play. But as horrid as Lions have been, they'd like to soothe home fans with a win.

Dallas has Brad Johnson as backup, expect to see lot of him at QB, while Colt backup QBs, the Maytag repairmen of the NFL, get their only action of season this month. Perfectionist Manning will want to score TD before he leaves, but Colts have holes on defense, especially with McFarland going down this week. Under is 6-1-1 in last eight Dallas summer games. Indy covered two of last eight preseason contests.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[pm530]

Baseball – Write up

MLB
Write-up


Thursday, August 9

Hot Pitchers
-- Hudson is 5-1, 2.13 in his last six starts.
-- Kendrick has 2.75 RA in his last three starts.
-- Hanrahan allowed one run in five IP in beating Cards 12-1 last time out.
-- Cubs won seven of last eight Lilly starts.
-- Young has 1.00 RA in last dozen starts; he comes off DL to make this start.
-- Arizona won last five Davis starts (3-0, 2.67).

-- Kazmir is 3-1, 1.65 in his last five starts.
-- Garza is 2-2, 2.57 in five starts this season.
-- Cabrera is 2-1, 2.25 in his last three starts.
-- Buehrle is 4-1, 2.62 in his last six starts.

Cold Pitchers
-- Maine is 2-2, 6.75 in his last five starts.
-- Mitre is 1-1. 9.77 in his last three starts.
-- Dumatrait allowed six runs in 3.1 IP in his first start, a 7-3 loss at Washington. Tomko is 1-5, 7.58 in his last six starts.
-- Pineiro lost his first Cardinal start 12-1, giving up five runs in five innings.
-- Jimenez is 1-1, 5.16 in four starts this season.
-- Snell is 0-5, 9.35 in his last five starts.
-- Misch allowed two runs in five IP in his first start; Giants lost lost that game in extra innings at San Diego.

-- Bonderman is 0-3, 12.12 in his last three starts.
-- Davies is 1-6, 8.04 in his last eight starts.
-- Ramirez has a 7.61 RA in his last four starts.
-- Laffey lost first big league start 3-2, allowing three runs in his 5.1 innings pitched at Minnesota.


Totals
-- Last five Hudson starts all went over the total.
-- Under is 5-1 in Dodgers' last six road games.
-- Wsh-SF
-- Over is 6-2 in Phillies' last eight games.
-- Under is 7-1-1 in last nine Young starts.
-- Under is 4-1-1 in Cubs' last six road games.
-- Over is 10-2 in last twelve Pittsburgh games.

-- Over is 6-2 in Devil Rays' last eight road games.
-- Ten of last eleven Minnesota games stayed under the total.
-- Five of last six Mariner games went over the total.
-- Under is 9-2 in Cleveland's last eleven games.


Hot Teams
-- Phillies won ten of their last twelve home games.
-- Braves won six of their last nine games. Mets are 13-6 in their last nineteen home games.
-- Cincinnati won ten of its last thirteen home games.
-- Padres won five of their last seven games.
-- Colorado is 21-5 in its last 26 games at Coors Field.
-- Arizona is 14-3 in its last seventeen games.
-- Nationals won seven of their last nine games.

-- Orioles won nine of last twelve home games.
-- White Sox won five of their last seven games. Indians are 6-4 in their last ten road games.


Cold Teams
-- Florida lost eight of last ten road games.
-- Dodgers lost last six games and eleven of last thirteen; they've been shut out in last three games.
-- Cardinals lost six of their last eight games.
-- Cubs lost five of their last six games.
-- Pirates lost ten of their last twelve road games.
-- Giants lost five of their last eight games.

-- Tigers lost ten of their last thirteen games. Devil Rays lost 14 of their last eighteen games.
-- Seattle lost six of its last eight road games.
-- Royals lost six of their last eight games. Twins lost seven of their last ten road games.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

[pm530]

Baseball - Tips & Trends

MLB

Thursday, August 9

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tips and Trends
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Atlanta Braves at New York Mets (12:10 PM ET)

Atlanta starter Tim Hudson is a solid 5-1 with a 2.77 ERA in 11 road starts this season. The Braves have won his last four starts away from Turner Field, as the offense has provided a remarkable 35 runs of support. EDGE: BRAVES
Hudson has pitched well at Shea Stadium in his career, going 4-1 with a 2.80 ERA in five starts. The right-hander led the Braves to a 7-3 road victory over the Mets on April 20, tossing eight shutout innings and scattering five hits. EDGE: BRAVES
New York’s John Maine has a 5-4 record and 3.26 ERA in 11 home starts in 2007. The Mets have tallied back-to-back victories at Shea Stadium with Maine on the hill, as the right-hander has allowed just two runs and six hits in his last 12 home innings. EDGE: METS
Maine has been impressive at times during six daytime starts, going 3-1 with a 3.62 ERA. He’s surrendered just 3 hits and three home runs in 32 1/3 innings. EDGE: METS
The Mets are 12-1 in Maine’s last 14 starts versus the NL East.



Tampa Bay Devil Rays at Detroit Tigers (1:05 PM ET)

Tampa’s Scott Kazmir is a disappointing 1-3 with a 5.47 ERA in five career starts versus Detroit. The hard-throwing left-hander tossed five shutout innings against the Tigers in 2006. SLIGHT EDGE: TIGERS
Kazmir has been dominant at times over his last five starts, allowing just five earned runs in his last 32 2/3 innings of work. The Devil Rays have won four out of those five starts, with the only loss coming on the road against the Baltimore Orioles. EDGE: D-RAYS
Tigers starter Jeremy Bonderman is 4-1 with a 1.88 ERA in six career starts versus the Devil Rays. He’s struck out 44 batters and walked just seven in 43 innings against them. EDGE: TIGERS
Detroit has lost three straight starts with Bonderman on the hill. The right-hander has given up an incredible 21 runs and 27 hits in his last 16 1/3 innings of work. EDGE: D-RAYS
The UNDER is 4-1 in Bonderman’s last five starts versus the Devil Rays.



Seattle Mariners at Baltimore Orioles (7:05 PM ET)

Mariners left-hander Horacio Ramirez has enjoyed great success versus the Orioles in his career, posing a perfect 3-0 record and 2.45 ERA in three starts. He garnered a 4-2 home victory over Baltimore on July 16, allowing two runs and five hits over seven innings. BIG EDGE: MARINERS
Ramirez leaves a lot to be desired away from Safeco Field in 2007, with a horrific 0-3 record and 13.72 ERA in five road starts. He’s been tagged for an amazing 43 hits in just 20 1/3 innings. BIG EDGE: ORIOLES
Baltimore’s Daniel Cabrera is a perfect 5-0 with a 3.61 ERA in seven career starts versus Seattle. The erratic right-hander picked up a no-decision in his last start against the Mariners, allowing five runs and eight hits over five innings of work. EDGE: ORIOLES
Often times Cabrera falls into a pattern of following a quality start with a terrible one, with the Orioles alternating wins and losses over his last six starts. He picked up an impressive 3-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Devil Rays on the road last time out. SLIGHT EDGE: MARINERS
The UNDER is 4-0 in the Orioles last four home games versus a left-handed starter.



San Diego Padres at St. Louis Cardinals (8:10 PM ET)

San Diego starter Chris Young is expected to make his first start since going on the disabled list with a strained left oblique on July 25. Before becoming injured, he breezed through the month of July with a 1-0 record and 0.41 ERA in four starts. EDGE: PADRES
Young has been truly dominant at home this season, but still is very effective away from Petco Park. The All-Star right-hander is 5-2 with a 3.02 ERA in 11 road starts this season. EDGE: PADRES
St. Louis right-hander Joel Pineiro is a perfect 2-0 with a 4.05 ERA in four career starts versus San Diego. He’s issued just three walks and fanned 20 in 26 2/3 innings against them. EDGE: CARDINALS
Pineiro hopes to rebound in his second start for the Cardinals since being traded from the Red Sox, as he was reached for four earned runs and seven hits in five frames on the road against the Washington Nationals. SLIGHT EDGE: PADRES
The Padres are 19-46 in the last 65 meetings.



Chicago Cubs at Colorado Rockies (9:05 PM ET)

Chicago left-hander Ted Lilly had less than desirable results in his only career start at Coors Field, as he gave up four earned runs and six hits over just 1 2/3 innings. SLIGHT EDGE: ROCKIES
The Cubs have picked up victories in eight of Lilly’s last ten starts, including three straight on the road. In his last three road wins, he’s given up just three earned runs over 21 1/3 innings against Pittsburgh, St. Louis and Washington. BIG EDGE: CUBS
Colorado’s Ubaldo Jimenez is 1-0 with a 3.46 ERA in two home starts this season. He limited the Dodgers and Padres to just five runs and eight hits in his 13 innings of work at Coors Field. SLIGHT EDGE: ROCKIES
Jimenez has very limited work under the lights in his career, but the right-hander is 0-1 with a 5.94 ERA in three starts. SLIGHT EDGE: CUBS
The Rockies are 17-4 in their last 21 home games versus a team with a winning record.



Pittsburgh Pirates at Arizona Diamondbacks (9:40 PM ET)

Pittsburgh starter Ian Snell is a perfect 2-0 with a 2.84 ERA in two career starts versus Arizona. He led the Pirates to a 11-5 home victory over the Diamondbacks on May 18, allowing four earned runs and seven hits over 5 2/3 innings. EDGE: PIRATES
The Pirates have certainly seen better days with Snell on the mound over his career, as the team has dropped five straight games with him on the mound. The right-hander has allowed 24 earned runs and 39 hits over his last 26 innings. EDGE: D-BACKS
Diamondbacks left-hander Doug Davis is an even 5-5 with a 5.23 ERA in 17 career starts versus the Pirates. He’s allowed 117 hits and 49 walks in just 94 2/3 innings against them. EDGE: PIRATES
Davis has been steady as a rock over his last five starts – all Diamondbacks’ victories – allowing three earned runs or less in each start. EDGE: D-BACKS
The Pirates are 7-2 in Snell’s last nine starts versus the NL West.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[pm530]

Baseball – Betting Notes

MLB


Thursday, August 9

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MLB Betting Notes
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thursday’s MLB betting notes

Beltran close to returning

New York Mets outfielder Carlos Beltran is close to a return to the lineup after missing two weeks with a strained oblique muscle. Beltran worked out for the first time on Tuesday and should be ready to come off the DL by the end of the week – possibly in time for Thursday’s series finale with the Atlanta Braves.

"Running and playing catch was fine," Beltran told MLB.com. "But we weren't going crazy out there. It's the first day since I got hurt that I'm capable of doing work."

Beltran told reporters after Tuesday’s session that his biggest issue was hitting. He said he felt about 75 percent slugging from the left, but only 50 percent from the right. How quickly that improves will determine when Beltran, who is batting .263 for the season, will return.

If he does come back on Thursday, Beltran will be facing Braves starter Tim Hudson (12-5, 2.95). New York counters with John Maine (12-6, 3.27) and is a –105 favorite with the total set at 8 runs.


Twins rely on strong pitching

During the recent seven-game homestand against Cleveland and Kansas City, the Minnesota Twins averaged just 2.4 runs per game, but still managed a 4-3 record. That’s because of their lights-out pitching staff, which has posted a 2.30 ERA over the last nine games.

MLB.com reports that over that nine-game period the Twins staff went 6-3, striking out 73 batters, while walking a major league low 13.

Minnesota’s starters have put together a 2.21 ERA for the season and the bullpen has an equally impressive 2.57. The combined 4.08 average is currently the third-best in the American League.

The Twins get the chance to improve that record when they send Matt Garza (1-2, 1.78) to the mound to close out a three-game series against Kansas City. The Royals start with Kyle Davies (4-8, 6.07) and are +118 underdogs with the total set at 10.


Little wants improvement

The Los Angeles Dodgers have lost eight of their last 10 games, falling from first place in the NL West to fourth, in less than 10 days. They are now four games behind the surging Arizona Diamondbacks and manager Grady Little is calling for an immediate improvement.

"The thing that is most consistent is when you play good baseball, you win games," he told MLB.com. "When you don't execute, you don't win games. That's a constant. We've got to be better in all areas."

"We've got to take responsibility for what took place last week. We've got to keep ourselves from being too anxious, and not look at being four out and wanting to make it up in one day. If we pick up a game every couple weeks, we'll be fine."

The Dodgers get another chance to pick up a valuable win when they close a three-game series against the Cincinnati Reds on Thursday. Brett Tomko (2-9, 5.56) and Phil Dumatrait (0-1, 16.20) are the starters and Los Angeles is a –108 favorite with the total set at 10.


Padres walking wounded

The San Diego Padres have their fair share of injury problems at the moment, with Brian Giles, Milton Bradley and Scott Hairston amongst the big names who are struggling.

Giles is recovering from a sprained ankle, but so far he has played through it and factored in every game. The outfielder suffered the injury when he ran into the right-field wall while trying to make a catch last week.

"He's getting better," Padres manager Bud Black told reporters on Tuesday. "He felt a little bit of swelling as the game went on, a little discomfort but nothing that should keep him from playing."

The news was not so good for fellow outfielder Milton Bradley. He is nursing a hamstring injury and hasn’t played since last Friday, making him a strong candidate for a stint on the disabled list.

"It doesn't happen overnight," added Black when asked about Bradley. "We're still a few days away. If this lingers on the next three or four days, the disabled list is something we'll think about."

Luckily for the Padres, the injury to left fielder Scott Hairston does not seem to be too serious. He hit a ball off his foot on Saturday, but Black says he’s "close to 100 percent" and is expected to be named in the lineup by Thursday at the latest.

That would put him in line for a return in the series finale against St. Louis, a game that features the pitching matchup of Chris Young (9-3, 1.82) and Joel Pineiro (1-2, 5.31). San Diego is a –145 favorite to get the win, with the total set at 8 ½.


Melvin warns against complacency

In the past week the Arizona Diamonbacks have won series against division rivals San Diego and Los Angeles, to go four games clear at the top of the NL West. Now that they are locked in a series with the slumping Pittsburgh Pirates, manager Bob Melvin is urging his players to keep their focus.

"One of the things we need to take pride in is the fact that we play each game individually and do the best we can that game," Melvin told MLB.com.

"There's no team that we don't respect. Every team is dangerous. A lot of times it's when you catch a team, too. There's no letdown here."

The D-Backs learned that lesson the hard way when they dropped the series opener against the Reds on Tuesday, after sweeping the Dodgers over the weekend.

On Thursday, they look to maintain their four-game lead when they send Doug Davis (8-10, 3.88) to the mound to face the Pirates' Ian Snell (7-10, 3.91). Arizona is a –135 favorite with the total set at 9.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[pm530]

Baseball Today - August 9

SCOREBOARD
Thursday, August 9
San Diego at St. Louis (8:10 p.m. EDT). Chris Young (9-3, 1.82 ERA) starts for the Padres.

STARS
Wednesday

-- Garrett Atkins, Rockies, matched his career high with six RBIs and had four hits in Colorado's 19-4 victory over Milwaukee.

-- Matt Cain, Giants, hit his first career home run and pitched six shutout innings in San Francisco's 5-0 victory over Washington.

-- Jose Vidro, Mariners, homered and drove in four runs to lead Seattle to an 8-4 victory over Baltimore.

-- Juan Uribe, White Sox, hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the 13th inning to give Chicago a 6-4 victory over Cleveland.

-- Vernon Wells, Blue Jays, had four RBIs in Toronto's 15-4 win over the Yankees.

PILING ON

Barry Bonds wasted no time adding to his home run record: this time, with a two-run shot into the water for No. 757. Bonds hit a towering homer into McCovey Cove in the first inning of the San Francisco Giants' 5-0 victory over Washington on Wednesday, one night after breaking Hank Aaron's 33-year-old record with his 756th.

NIGHTCAPPER

Juan Uribe hit a two-run homer off Aaron Foltz in the bottom of the 13th inning Wednesday night to give the Chicago White Sox a 6-4 victory over Cleveland. Scott Podsednik singled with one out in the 13th and Uribe lined a ball over the wall in left center, his 12th homer of the season. A.J. Pierzynski homered to tie the game leading off the bottom of the 12th against Indians closer Joe Borowski, who suffered his fourth blown save in 35 chances.

HAPLESS

Cincinnati beat Los Angeles 1-0 on Wednesday night, leaving the Dodgers scoreless for the third game in a row. They hadn't been shut out three games in a row since 1966. That year, they got blanked three in a row from April 23-25, then again in the last three games of the World Series while they were getting swept by Baltimore.

STREAKS

Minnesota's Johan Santana won his ninth straight decision against Kansas City with an 11-4 romp Wednesday night. ... Billy Wagner extended his scoreless streak to 21 innings in the New York Mets' 4-3 over Atlanta.

SNAPPED

Toronto beat New York 15-4 on Wednesday night to snap the Yankees' five-game winning streak. ... The Tampa Bay Devil Rays snapped an eight-game road losing streak with a 7-1 victory over Detroit.

STRONG IN DEFEAT

Robinson Cano hit two home runs for the Yankees in a 15-4 loss to the Blue Jays on Wednesday night.

SPEAKING

"Come on, be nice about the base. If you haven't noticed, I've only been near it once." -- Giants pitcher Matt Cain, who overran first base while trotting round during his first career home run and pitched six shutout innings in a 5-0 win over the Nationals on Wednesday night.

SEASONS
August 9

1916 -- The Philadelphia A's ended their 20-game losing streak as Joe Bush beat the Detroit Tigers 7-1.

1939 -- Red Rolfe of the New York Yankees started a streak of 18 consecutive games in which he scored at least one run. During those games, he scored a total of 30 runs.

1960 -- Ted Williams of the Boston Red Sox hit home run No. 511 to tie Mel Ott for fourth place on the career list.

1975 -- Davey Lopes of the Los Angeles Dodgers stole his 32nd consecutive base without being caught in a 2-0 victory over the New York Mets, breaking Max Carey's 1922 record. Lopes tacked on six more steals before being caught on Aug. 24.

1976 -- John Candelaria became the first Pirates pitcher in 69 years to throw a no-hitter in Pittsburgh by blanking the Los Angeles Dodgers 2-0. Candelaria's no-hitter came at Three Rivers Stadium. No Pirate ever threw a no-hitter at Forbes Field.

1981 -- Baseball returned following the strike with the All-Star game in Cleveland before a crowd of 72,086. Gary Carter of the Montreal Expos hit two home runs to give the NL a 5-4 triumph over the AL. Vida Blue became the first pitcher to win an All-Star game in both leagues. His AL victory came in 1971 at Detroit.

1988 -- The Chicago Cubs won the first official night game at Wrigley Field by beating the New York Mets 6-4.

1998 -- Dennis Martinez became the winningest Latin pitcher in baseball history, breaking Juan Marichal's record of 243 victories. Martinez pitched a perfect eighth inning and got the victory when Chipper Jones hit a tiebreaking, two-run single in the ninth inning and the Atlanta Braves held on for the win.

2001 -- Mike Hampton tied the NL record for pitchers with his seventh homer and the Rockies beat the Cubs 14-5. Hampton's seventh homer matched the NL mark shared by Don Drysdale (1958, 1965) and Don Newcombe (1955). The major league record is nine by Cleveland's Wes Ferrell in 1931.

2002 -- Barry Bonds hit his 600th homer, becoming the fourth major leaguer to reach the mark. With a 421-foot, solo shot off Pittsburgh's Kip Wells, the San Francisco Giants slugger joined Hank Aaron, Babe Ruth and Willie Mays in the exclusive club.

2006 -- Mark DeRosa hit three-run homers in consecutive innings to lead Texas to a 14-0 rout of Oakland.

Today's birthdays: Jason Frasor 30; Mike Lamb 32; Brian Fuentes 32; Matt Morris 33; Troy Percival 38.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------