Monday Trends and Indexes 08/13

[pm530]

Trends and Indexes
Monday, August 13

Good Luck on day #225 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 Monday

-- White Sox reliever Bobby Jenks has retired 41 batters in a row, tying Jim Barr's all-time record, a pretty impressive one.

-- Colorado's Tim Harikkala made his 2nd big league start Sunday; his first was in 1996, only 4,071 days ago.

-- Dodgers are 4-13 in last 17 games, and have fallen out of NL West race. Why do teams suddenly go cold? There is no easy answer, although Dodgers miss Jason Schmidt.

-- Magglio Ordonez is first Tiger since 1955 to homer twice in the same inning; Al Kaline did it back then.

-- Eric Gagne's lousy weekend has to have Red Sox Nation more obnoxious than usual; he blew two games vs Orioles, and the lead over Bronx is now only four games.

-- There are two strong teams in each AL division; four of the six will make the playoffs. Cleveland, Detroit open a big series this week by Lake Erie.

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[pm530]

Monday's List of 13: Wrapping up a sports weekend.........

13) Marty Schottenheimer had 200-126-1 regular season mark as a head coach, but Chargers let him go, primarily because of a 5-13 record in playoffs (plus, he and the GM apparently did not work together well at all).

My question is this: why replace Marty with Norvelous Norv Turner, who has 58-82-1 record (with Redskins, Raiders) and a 1-1 playoff record? How exactly is Norv the answer?

12) San Diego let both coordinators leave before firing Marty, so they lost a chance for some continuity there; Ron Rivera is one of their linebacker coaches; wouldn't he have been just a good a head coaching candidate as Turner, or are Chargers still concerned enough about Philip Rivers that they wanted a QB guru to watch over his development?

11) Wade Phillips has a 48-39 record as a head coach, some of which came as an interim coach; his playoff record is 0-3, but to listen to Dallas players this summer, you'd think Phillips is Don Shula replacing Les Steckel, when in fact he is replacing Bill Parcells, he of the two Super Bowl titles. We'll see what is being said in Dallas around Halloween and Thanksgiving.

10) 12 of the 32 NFL head coaches are in their first or second year as an NFL head coach. Thats 37.5%.

9) You watch the fourth quarters of these NFL games, and it looks like meaningless football, but especially when the good teams are playing, their subs could be picked up by a weaker team once cuts are made, and thats one way that a lousy team can get better fairly quickly.

8) There are 35 coaches in NFL history with 100+ career wins; six are still active. The coach with worst winning %age with 100+ career wins? Mike Ditka, who was 134-130-7 in 14 years.

7) Arizona's Neil Rackers drilled a 59-yard FG at Oakland this weekend; I'm pretty sure he kicked the ball of the infield dirt at the McAfee Coliseum, which makes it more impressive.

6) We don't get to see lot of preseason games on TV here, in part because our cable company doesn't have NFL Network, so the networks' decision to put both Jets, Giants on network TV next week is especially aggravating, since that means we have two less games to observe, takes notes on. Is it possible that you have to be an imbecile to be a network executive?

5) By the way, instead of wasting time investigating steroids, we need Congress to get the NFL Network on cable; they are our representatives right? Do something we care about.

4) Good to see Peyton Manning spent part of his offseason making more commercials; we just don't see enough of him all season long.

3) Pirates just swept Giants in Bay Area, now teams are flying cross country to play twi-night twinbill at PNC Monday nite; that should pack 'em in. Break for both Mets/Braves, who are playing those two teams in new series Tuesday night.

2) I feel compelled to give you a Rocco Baldelli update; in the last three seasons, Baldelli has played in 127 of Tampa Bay's 441 games; he hasn't played since May 15 vs Rangers, when he pulled a hamstring. Lets get this right; Jack Youngblood once played two NFL playoff games with a broken leg, and Baldelli has missed three months with a hamstring pull, and his contract is guaranteed. Somehow, this doesn't seem right.

1) I was at a bar Friday night, listening to some nitwit rattle on about how Bill Belichick won his Super Bowls with teams that had inferior players to those on the other teams. Here's a clue: no coach wins titles with bad players. Belichick is obviously one of the greatest coaches in NFL history, but lets be fair, he has talented players, or else he wouldn't win championships.

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[pm530]

National Football League - Long Sheet

NFL
Pre-Season
Long Sheet


Monday, August 13

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PHILADELPHIA (2 - 3) at BALTIMORE (2 - 2) - 8/13/2007, 7:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
BALTIMORE is 2-0 against the spread versus PHILADELPHIA over the last 3 seasons
BALTIMORE is 2-0 straight up against PHILADELPHIA over the last 3 seasons
2 of 2 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons


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DENVER (3 - 1) at SAN FRANCISCO (2 - 2) - 8/13/2007, 8:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
SAN FRANCISCO is 1-0 against the spread versus DENVER over the last 3 seasons
DENVER is 1-0 straight up against SAN FRANCISCO over the last 3 seasons
1 of 1 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons


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[pm530]

National Football League - Short Sheet

NFL
Pre-Season
Short Sheet


Monday, August 13

Philadelphia at Baltimore, 7:00 ET
Philadelphia: 4-10 ATS in the first two weeks of preseason
Baltimore: 6-0 Under as a favorite

Denver at San Francisco, 8:00 ET ESPN
Denver: 1-7 ATS on Monday nights
San Francisco: 5-1 ATS vs. non-conference opponents

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[pm530]

National Football League – Write up

NFL
Pre-Season
Write-up


Monday, August 13

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

Donovan McNabb won't play vs Ravens, which leaves QB play to Feeley, Holcomb and rookie Kolb, very solid set of backups. Raven backups are Boller, then Ohio State rookie Smith. so edge to Phiully there. Six of last eight Baltimore summer games stayed under the total. Eagles lost first summer games last three years.

Broncos won nine of last eleven summer games, with seven of last ten Denver summer games going over total. Underdog has covered seven of last nine Denver games. 49ers have backups at QB-- Trent Dilfer, then pair of new guys behind Alex Smith. for Denver, backup QBs are Patrick Ramsey, then two new guys.

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[pm530]

National Football League – Preview

NFL
Preview


Monday, August 13

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Monday Night Football Preview
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The four teams in action on Monday won a combined one playoff game last season. That quartet, though, will be looking for more success during the 2007 NFL campaign.

Leading off the night is a game between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium (kickoff is 7:00pm ET). Philadelphia won the NFC East with a 10-6 record last year, then knocked off the New York Giants in the first round of the playoffs before losing to the New Orleans Saints in Round 2. The Ravens won the AFC North with a 13-3 mark, but lost to the Indianapolis Colts in their first playoff game.

Donovan McNabb will take over starting quarterback duties for the Eagles to start the season, after a serious knee injury cost him that job in 2006 (and gave Jeff Garcia a chance to shine). McNabb, though, is still not at 100%, and there's no telling how much action he will see during the preseason. That could mean a lot of A.J. Feeley, Kelly Holcomb, and Kevin Kolb in the coming weeks as McNabb watches from the sidelines.

Also hurting for the Eagles is tight end L.J. Smith, who is still experiencing soreness from hernia surgery and also suffered a strained groin on the practice field during the week. Smith's condition isn't considered serious, but he should be limited for a while.

The Ravens aren't nearly as beat up, but don't expect veteran starting QB Steve McNair to see much time on the field in the team's first exhibition contest. Backup Kyle Boller is a likely participant, though, and he'll be handing off to the team's newest offensive weapon, running back Willis McGahee. The former Buffalo Bill replaces longtime Raven Jamal Lewis in the Baltimore backfield this year, and could put up big touchdown stats.

The oddsmakers like the Ravens at home in this contest; Baltimore was listed as a 3-point favorite at press time. The total for the game is currently listed at a low 31.5 points.

The Denver Broncos and the San Francisco 49ers will meet at Monster Park in Monday night's second game (kickoff is 8:00pm ET). The Broncos finished with a respectable 9-7 mark last season, but lost a tiebreaker with the Kansas City Chiefs and missed the playoffs. The 49ers couldn't quite get to the .500 mark in 2006, but they did end up 7-9.

And San Francisco will be looking to improve on that mark in 2007 and make a run for first place in the NFC West division. To achieve that goal, however, they'll need more progress from starting quarterback Alex Smith, and good health from running back Frank Gore. The Niners weren't too happy to see Gore already go down with a broken hand during training camp; the running back is still listed as probable to play in San Fran's regular-season opener, but he is expected to miss most or all of the preseason.

Denver jettisoned quarterback Jake Plummer in the offseason (he subsequently retired), and second-year pro Jay Cutler is now entrenched as the team's starting pivot. Cutler will get some playing time on Monday, but he'll likely be limited to a few series at most. Running back Travis Henry, signed as a free agent in the offseason, will be the starter this year, and he probably won't see much time on Monday either. Henry's likely backup, Mike Bell, is expected to get more action as the team fine-tunes their run game.

The Broncos are expected to be the better team during the regular season, but the Niners are currently listed as 2.5-point home faves for this game (with the total at 35).

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[pm530]

Baseball – Write up

MLB
Write-up


Monday, August 13

Hot Pitchers
-- Cain is 1-0, 2.21 in his last three starts. Lowry is 2-0, 1.62 in his last three starts.
-- Oswalt is 4-0, 1.08 in his last four starts. Billingsley has a 1.42 RA in last two starts, but lost both games by 1-0 scores.

-- Bronx is 11-3 in last fourteen Wang starts. Guthrie is 1-0, 2.92 in two starts against Bronx this season.
-- Red Sox won eight of last eleven Wakefield starts. Shields is 1-1, 3.38 in his last three starts.
-- Litsch is 2-0, 1.93 in his last three starts.
-- Mariners are 5-2 in last seven Hernandez home starts.

Cold Pitchers
-- Maholm has a 5.02 RA in his last seven starts. Youman is 0-3, 6.55 in his last four starts.

-- Durbin is 1-3, 3.68 in his last four starts. Gaudin is 0-5, 8.81 in his last six starts.
-- Perez is 1-3, 7.29 in his last four starts.
-- Santana is 1-3, 5.06 in his last five starts.


Totals
-- Over is 13-3 in Pirates' last sixteen games.
-- Last four Cain starts all stayed under the total, as did seven of last eight Lowry starts.
-- Last six Houston road games all went over the total.

-- Six of last eight Oriole games went over the total.
-- Under is 4-1 in Detroit's last five games.
-- Over is 6-2-1 in last nine games at Fenway Park.
-- Under is 5-1 in last six Kansas City home games.
-- Under is 13-2 in Minnesota's last fifteen games.


Hot Teams
-- Pirates just swept Giants in Bay Area, scoring 26 runs.

-- Bronx won eight of its last nine home games.
-- Tigers won last two games, scoring sixteen runs.
-- Blue Jays won three of their last four games.
-- Mariners won five of their last six games.

Cold Teams
-- Giants lost eight of their last ten games.
-- Astros are 6-16 in their last twenty-two road games. Dodgers are 4-13 in their last seventeen games overall.

-- Orioles lost five of their last seven home games.
-- Oakland is 5-12 in its last seventeen road games.
-- Red Sox are off a 4-5 road trip, but won five of their last six at Fenway. Devil Rays are 5-21 in last twenty-six road games.
-- Royals are 5-8 in their last thirteen games.
-- Twins lost their last four games, scoring total of seven runs.

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[pm530]

Baseball – Betting Notes

MLB


Monday, August 13

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MLB Betting Notes
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Monday’s MLB betting notes

Big Papi gets a shot in the arm

The difference between being the best team in baseball and just managing to stay afloat in the American League East is clutch hitting. For the Boston Red Sox, who are watching their lead on the New York Yankees get smaller every week, David Ortiz is the guy who provides big hits in the clutch.

However, Ortiz is suffering from an enflamed left shoulder and he told reporters that he received a cortisone shot to help with the pain. He managed to get an RBI single on Saturday, but the injury is definitely hindering his swing and keeping him out of the weight room, which could affect his power.

"I'm not doing the heavy lifting I normally do," he told the Boston Globe.



Long night for Devil Rays

Tampa Bay might want to fire their travel agent.

The D-Rays played a night game in Arlington, Tex. on Sunday night (8:35 p.m. ET start), directly after which they hopped on a plane to Boston. According to the St. Petersburg Times, the team will be lucky to make it to their hotel rooms by 6 a.m.

Their game at Fenway Park is scheduled to start at 7:05 p.m. ET. The Devil Rays are 1-8 in Boston over the last two season.


Pirates piling up runs

Freddy Sanchez’s hot bat is a big reason why the Pittsburgh Pirates have been playing over the total with astonishing frequency lately. On Sunday, he rocked the Giants for four hits and five RBIs, which went a long way in helping the Pirates bury the Giants 13-3.

Part of the reason for his improved performance might be his steady presence at second base. In the past, Sanchez had been moved around the infield and had to be ready to play almost any position. Now that he’s anchored at second base, he has more time to concentrate on his work in the batter’s box – and it seems to be paying off.

"I cannot say enough about where Freddy Sanchez is right now, both offensively and defensively," Pirates manager Jim Tracy said. "That's a huge offensive day. He's bearing 30 doubles, he's hitting over .300 again and he has a career high in home runs. There is not anything you wouldn't take at what he's doing at second base."


L.A.’s Dodgy offense

On the other end of the National League offensive spectrum, the Dodgers probably couldn't do any worse at the plate if they wore blindfolds and smoked cigarettes in the batter’s box. The club is last in the NL in runs and hits this month and eight of their last 10 games have played under the total.

Manager Grady Little has tried just about everything to get things jumpstarted. He moved James Loney to the three-hole in the order and it paid off with a two-run, game-winning home run – too bad it was the only two runs the Dodgers scored in the game.

In all, the Dodgers have been on the wrong end of four shutouts over the last week and a half, but Little says he’s not worried.

"These bats will get going," Little said. "We've got too many good quality hitters not to bust out. It'll happen."


Blue Jays put faith in rookie

Rookie Jesse Litsch is slated to start for the Toronto Blue Jays, but not many people would have expected to see him in this spot. When big-money starter A.J. Burnett came off the DL, the Jays needed to clear a spot for him in the rotation. Most people figured Litsch would be sent back to Triple-A, but instead, veteran Josh Towers was relegated to the bullpen and Litsch was given the opportunity to continue what has been an impressive rookie campaign.

"He has pitched better," manager John Gibbons said of Litsch.

With this vote of confidence, Litsch will be expected to perform, but that hasn’t been a problem thus far. The 22-year-old has a 2-0 record and a 1.93 ERA in his last three starts.

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[pm530]

Baseball - Tips & Trends

MLB

Monday, August 13

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Tips and Trends
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San Francisco Giants at Pittsburgh Pirates (5:05 PM ET)

San Francisco starter Matt Cain is 2-5 with a 3.41 ERA in 11 road starts this season. Opposing batters are hitting just .217 against him away from AT&T Park. SLIGHT EDGE: PIRATES
Cain has produced two quality starts in August, allowing two runs and eights hits over 13 1/3 innings. The right-hander was 7-6 with a 3.26 ERA in 15 starts after the All-Star break in 2006. EDGE: GIANTS
Pittsburgh’s Paul Maholm is 4-7 with a 4.32 ERA in 12 home starts in 2007. The left-hander has alternated wins and losses over his last six starts at PNC Park and picked up a 6-4 defeat two starts back at home versus St. Louis. SLIGHT EDGE: GIANTS
Maholm is an impressive 10-6 with a 3.61 ERA in 23 starts since the All-Star break in his career. EDGE: PIRATES
The Pirates are 1-6 in their last seven games as a home favorite.


Tampa Bay Devil Rays at Boston Red Sox (7:05 PM ET)

Tampa’s James Shields is 0-1 with a 5.87 ERA in three career starts versus Boston. He’s allowed 10 runs and 15 hits over 15 1/3 innings against them. SLIGHT EDGE: RED SOX
Shields has an incredible 8-4 record under the lights this season, as the right-hander has struck out 103 batters and walked just 20 in 127 2/3 innings. EDGE: D-RAYS
Red Sox knuckleball pitcher Tim Wakefield is 24-17 with a 2.96 ERA in 34 career outings versus the Devil Rays. He’s 2-0 with a 3.65 ERA in two starts against them this season, allowing five runs and 13 hits over 12 1/3 innings. EDGE: D-RAYS
Wakefield has struggled during the month of August, giving up nine earned runs and 13 hits in 11 innings. He struggled to an 0-3 finish and 7.40 ERA after the All-Star break in 2006. EDGE: D-RAYS
The Red Sox are 8-1 in Wakefield’s last nine starts as a favorite.


Oakland Athletics at Detroit Tigers (7:05 PM ET)

Athletics right-hander Chad Gaudin is 1-0 with a 1.29 ERA in five career appearances versus the Tigers. He’s give up just one run and four hits over seven innings of work. SLIGHT EDGE: A’S
Life has been difficult for Gaudin since the All-Star break, posting a dismal 0-5 record and 8.54 ERA in six starts. He’s allowed 39 hits and 24 walks in just 32 2/3 innings of work. EDGE: TIGERS
Detroit starter Chad Durbin is an even 2-2 with a 6.82 ERA in eight outings versus Oakland. The right-hander has worked 2 1/3 scoreless innings in relief against the Athletics this season. SLIGHT EDGE: A’S
Durbin has fared much better in 20 nighttime appearances his season, going 5-2 with a 3.89 ERA. He’s allowed just 63 hits in 74 innings under the lights compared to 41 hits in 29 1/3 innings under the sun. EDGE: TIGERS
The UNDER is 4-1 in Durbin’s last five starts as a home favorite.


Baltimore Orioles at New York Yankees (7:05 PM ET)

Baltimore’s Jeremy Guthrie is 1-0 with a 2.51 ERA in three career outings versus New York. He picked up a 4-2 home victory over the Yankees on July 27, allowing two runs and six hits over six innings. EDGE: ORIOLES
Guthrie is a perfect 5-0 with a sparkling 2.70 ERA in 14 road outings this season. The talented right-hander has allowed just 51 hits and seven home runs in 70 innings away from Camden Yards. BIG EDGE: ORIOLES
New York sinkerballer Chien-Ming Wang has posted a 3-1 record in eight outings versus Baltimore, but carries an inflated 4.82 ERA against them. He picked up a 10-6 road victory over the Orioles on July 29, surrendering three runs and nine hits over six innings. SLIGHT EDGE: YANKEES
Wang is a rock solid 7-4 with a 2.77 ERA in 11 home starts this season, which is drastically different from his 5.43 ERA on the road. The right-hander has allowed just four home runs in 78 innings at Yankee Stadium. BIG EDGE: YANKEES
The Yankees are 20-6 in Wang’s last 26 home starts.


Minnesota Twins at Seattle Mariners (10:05 PM ET)

Minnesota starter Johan Santana is a dominant 7-1 with a 2.83 ERA in 15 career outings versus Seattle. The Cy Young winner picked up a 6-5 road victory over the Mariners on April 19, allowing just one run and four hits over seven innings. EDGE: TWINS
Santana has a losing 2-3 record and 3.69 ERA in six starts since the All-Star break. He’s allowed seven home runs in 39 innings of work. SLIGHT EDGE: MARINERS
Seattle’s Felix Hernandez is an even 2-2 with a 2.67 ERA in five career starts versus Minnesota. He’s allowed just one home run while striking out 28 and walking six in 30 1/3 innings against them. SLIGHT EDGE: MARINERS
Hernandez is 4-3 with a 3.82 ERA in 11 home starts this season, as he’s allowed 27 runs and 79 hits in 63 2/3 innings. He’s 13-10 with a 3.41 ERA in 32 career starts at Safeco Field. SLIGHT EDGE: MARINERS
The Twins are 8-0 in Santana’s last eight starts versus the Mariners.


Houston Astros at Los Angeles Dodgers (ESPN2 | 10:10 PM ET)

Houston ace Roy Oswalt is an even 3-3 with a 4.70 ERA in six career outings versus Los Angeles. He hasn’t faced the Dodgers since 2005, posting an even 1-1 record and 6.97 ERA in two starts. SLIGHT EDGE: DODGERS
Oswalt is a brilliant 2-0 with a 0.75 ERA in two starts this month, allowing just one earned run and 10 hits over 12 innings. The right-hander is a staggering 55-17 with a 3.03 ERA in 91 career games after the All-Star break. BIG EDGE: ASTROS
Los Angeles starter Chad Billingsley has been a hard luck pitcher over his last two starts, picking up consecutive 1-0 losses to Arizona and Cincinnati. The right-hander has allowed just two earned runs and 11 hits over his last 12 2/3 innings. SLIGHT EDGE: DODGERS
Billingsley is 2-1 with a 3.43 ERA in 14 home outings this season. The Dodgers have picked up victories in three of his last four starts at Dodger Stadium. EDGE: DODGERS
The Dodgers are 0-5 in their last five games as a home favorite.

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[Kaptain]

Points of Interest Early Posts

Early Posts for Points of Interest in Sports

08/13/07
02:44 AM Injuries
MLB
Monday: Giants CF Dave Roberts (.266; leg) is questionable.

08/13/07
02:44 AM Injuries
MLB
Monday: Yankees C Jorge Posada (.338; neck) is questionable; Pirates OF Xavier Nady (.287; hamstring) is questionable.

08/13/07
02:35 AM Info Alert David Beckham did not play in LA Galaxy's game against the Revolution on Sunday to rest his tender left ankle.

08/13/07
02:27 AM News Alert
NFL
Falcons QB Michael Vick will be suspended for one year according to Yahoo Sports.

08/13/07
02:26 AM Injuries
MLB
Reds C David Ross left Sunday's game in the third inning with a head injury.


08/13/07
02:25 AM Lineups
MLB
Cubs placed outfielder Cliff Floyd on the bereavement list.

08/13/07
02:24 AM Info Alert
MLB
Brewers Prince Fielder was ejected from Sunday's game in the eighth inning for arguing balls and strikes.

08/13/07
02:23 AM Boxscore
MLB
Padres Jake Peavy earned his 13th win of the season after yielding four runs -- two earned -- in 6 2/3 innings on Sunday.

08/13/07
02:21 AM News Alert
MLB
White Sox RP Bobby Jenks tied a major league record on Sunday by retiring the 41st consecutive batter he faced.

08/13/07
02:21 AM Boxscore
MLB
Red Sox Eric Gagne blew a two-run lead in the eighth inning against the Orioles on Sunday

08/13/07
02:20 AM Boxscore
MLB
Red Sox Curt Schilling gave up just an unearned run in six innings against the Orioles on Sunday.

08/13/07
02:19 AM Boxscore
MLB
Pirates Tom Gorzelanny threw his first career shutout by hurling nine innings of five-hit ball against the Giants on Sunday.

08/13/07
02:18 AM Boxscore
MLB
Rockies Todd Helton (back spasms) went 0-for-4 against the Cubs on Sunday.

08/13/07
02:17 AM Boxscore
MLB
Cubs Kerry Wood surrendered three runs in an inning of work against the Rockies on Sunday to take a loss.

08/13/07
02:17 AM Boxscore
MLB
Angels Jered Weaver limited the Twins to two runs in 7 1/3 innings of work to record a victory on Sunday.

08/13/07
02:16 AM Injuries
MLB
A's manager Bob Geren called Nick Swisher day-to-day after he left Sunday's game with a sore hamstring.


08/13/07
02:15 AM Injuries
MLB
Mets C Ramon Castro is listed as day-do-day with a strained lower back.

08/13/07
02:14 AM Lineups
MLB
Nationals Mike Bacsik is getting sent to the bullpen.

08/13/07
02:13 AM Boxscore
MLB
Blue Jays A.J. Burnett beat the Royals in his return from the DL by allowing one run and three hits over 7 1/3 innings on Sunday.

08/13/07
02:12 AM Info Alert
MLB
Both Mark Loretta and Mike Lamb were claimed off waivers and pulled back by the Astros, making them ineligible to be dealt.

08/13/07
02:11 AM Info Alert
MLB
Rangers Michael Young hit his 100th career homer Sunday against the Devil Rays.

[pm530]

Baseball – Long Sheet

MLB
Long Sheet


Monday, August 13

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SAN FRANCISCO (49 - 67) at PITTSBURGH (48 - 66) - 5:05 PM
MATT CAIN (R) vs. PAUL MAHOLM (L)
Top Trends for this game.
SAN FRANCISCO is 49-67 (-20.0 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 63-72 (-16.0 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 2 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 55-82 (-20.5 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 3-9 (-8.1 Units) against the money line in August games this season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 49-67 (-20.0 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 67-83 (-20.2 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 2 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 50-68 (-29.9 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 23-34 (-17.5 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.
CAIN is 5-18 (-15.6 Units) against the money line in all games this season. (Team's Record)
CAIN is 2-13 (-13.6 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 this season. (Team's Record)
CAIN is 5-18 (-15.6 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season. (Team's Record)
CAIN is 2-14 (-14.1 Units) against the money line in night games this season. (Team's Record)
CAIN is 3-10 (-8.4 Units) against the money line after a loss this season. (Team's Record)
PITTSBURGH is 313-294 (+36.5 Units) against the money line in home games in night games since 1997.
PITTSBURGH is 51-44 (+10.2 Units) against the money line in home games against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 28-15 (+14.3 Units) against the money line when playing on Monday over the last 3 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 597-479 (+85.8 Units) against the money line in night games since 1997.
PITTSBURGH is 9-17 (-9.6 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 8 to 8.5 this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
PITTSBURGH is 3-1 (+2.4 Units) against SAN FRANCISCO this season
3 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+2.0 Units)

MATT CAIN vs. PITTSBURGH since 1997
CAIN is 0-0 when starting against PITTSBURGH with an ERA of 6.75 and a WHIP of 2.750.
His team's record is 1-0 (+1.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 0-1. (-1.2 units)

PAUL MAHOLM vs. SAN FRANCISCO since 1997
MAHOLM is 0-0 when starting against SAN FRANCISCO with an ERA of 4.50 and a WHIP of 2.000.
His team's record is 1-0 (+2.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-0. (+1.0 units)

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SAN FRANCISCO (49 - 67) at PITTSBURGH (48 - 66) - 8:05 PM
NOAH LOWRY (L) vs. SHANE YOUMAN (L)
Top Trends for this game.
SAN FRANCISCO is 49-67 (-20.0 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 12-23 (-11.7 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 this season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 55-82 (-20.5 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 3-9 (-8.1 Units) against the money line in August games this season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 49-67 (-20.0 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 50-68 (-29.9 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 23-34 (-17.5 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.
LOWRY is 7-16 (-12.1 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
LOWRY is 1-8 (-8.8 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. (Team's Record)
PITTSBURGH is 46-33 (+14.4 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 9 to 9.5 over the last 2 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 313-294 (+36.5 Units) against the money line in home games in night games since 1997.
SAN FRANCISCO is 28-15 (+14.3 Units) against the money line when playing on Monday over the last 3 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 597-479 (+85.8 Units) against the money line in night games since 1997.
LOWRY is 13-4 (+11.5 Units) against the money line in August games since 1997. (Team's Record)
PITTSBURGH is 31-55 (-20.9 Units) against the money line against left-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
PITTSBURGH is 3-1 (+2.4 Units) against SAN FRANCISCO this season
3 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+2.0 Units)

NOAH LOWRY vs. PITTSBURGH since 1997
LOWRY is 0-2 when starting against PITTSBURGH with an ERA of 4.66 and a WHIP of 0.931.
His team's record is 1-2 (-1.5 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-1. (-0.1 units)

SHANE YOUMAN vs. SAN FRANCISCO since 1997
No recent starts.

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HOUSTON (52 - 65) at LA DODGERS (60 - 57) - 10:10 PM
ROY OSWALT (R) vs. CHAD BILLINGSLEY (R)
Top Trends for this game.
HOUSTON is 52-65 (-16.5 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
HOUSTON is 19-39 (-18.2 Units) against the money line as a road underdog of +100 to +125 over the last 3 seasons.
HOUSTON is 20-38 (-16.0 Units) against the money line in road games this season.
HOUSTON is 52-65 (-16.5 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
HOUSTON is 33-47 (-16.4 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
LA DODGERS are 87-53 (+23.8 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
OSWALT is 35-12 (+15.2 Units) against the money line after a win over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
OSWALT is 19-3 (+15.8 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
HOUSTON is 2-1 (+1.4 Units) against LA DODGERS this season
2 of 3 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+1.1 Units)

ROY OSWALT vs. LA DODGERS since 1997
OSWALT is 3-2 when starting against LA DODGERS with an ERA of 4.60 and a WHIP of 1.330.
His team's record is 3-2 (-0.2 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 2-3. (-1.4 units)

CHAD BILLINGSLEY vs. HOUSTON since 1997
BILLINGSLEY is 1-0 when starting against HOUSTON with an ERA of 2.00 and a WHIP of 0.889.
His team's record is 1-0 (+1.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-0. (+1.0 units)

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BALTIMORE (54 - 62) at NY YANKEES (66 - 51) - 7:05 PM
JEREMY GUTHRIE (R) vs. CHIEN-MING WANG (R)
Top Trends for this game.
BALTIMORE is 19-36 (-13.7 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
BALTIMORE is 40-84 (-35.1 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season over the last 3 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 24-17 (+11.1 Units) against the money line against division opponents this season.
NY YANKEES are 66-51 (-12.3 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
NY YANKEES are 23-23 (-9.9 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 this season.
NY YANKEES are 21-23 (-15.7 Units) against the money line against division opponents this season.
NY YANKEES are 58-44 (-10.3 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
NY YANKEES are 147-109 (-34.8 Units) against the money line after a win over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
BALTIMORE is 6-3 (+6.0 Units) against NY YANKEES this season
5 of 9 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+0.9 Units)

JEREMY GUTHRIE vs. NY YANKEES since 1997
GUTHRIE is 1-0 when starting against NY YANKEES with an ERA of 2.92 and a WHIP of 1.379.
His team's record is 2-0 (+2.7 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-2. (-2.0 units)

CHIEN-MING WANG vs. BALTIMORE since 1997
WANG is 3-1 when starting against BALTIMORE with an ERA of 4.89 and a WHIP of 1.500.
His team's record is 5-2 (+2.2 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 3-4. (-1.6 units)

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OAKLAND (56 - 62) at DETROIT (65 - 52) - 7:05 PM
CHAD GAUDIN (R) vs. CHAD DURBIN (R)
Top Trends for this game.
OAKLAND is 56-62 (-11.5 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
OAKLAND is 54-57 (-8.4 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
OAKLAND is 38-43 (-9.5 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
DETROIT is 169-124 (+20.0 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
DETROIT is 113-77 (+21.3 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
DETROIT is 102-67 (+21.2 Units) against the money line after a win over the last 2 seasons.
OAKLAND is 73-71 (+12.6 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
OAKLAND is 118-101 (+29.4 Units) against the money line on the road when the total is 10 to 10.5 since 1997.
OAKLAND is 27-11 (+15.5 Units) against the money line in August games over the last 2 seasons.
DETROIT is 20-22 (-11.6 Units) against the money line in home games against right-handed starters this season.
DETROIT is 8-13 (-9.6 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
DETROIT is 3-3 (-0.3 Units) against OAKLAND this season
3 of 6 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=-0.4 Units, Under=-0.7 Units)

CHAD GAUDIN vs. DETROIT since 1997
No recent starts.

CHAD DURBIN vs. OAKLAND since 1997
DURBIN is 2-2 when starting against OAKLAND with an ERA of 7.34 and a WHIP of 1.500.
His team's record is 3-3 (+2.2 units) in these starts. The OVER is 4-1. (+3.0 units)

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TAMPA BAY (45 - 72) at BOSTON (70 - 47) - 7:05 PM
JAMES SHIELDS (R) vs. TIM WAKEFIELD (R)
Top Trends for this game.
TAMPA BAY is 45-72 (-20.1 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
TAMPA BAY is 7-27 (-16.3 Units) against the money line as a road underdog of +150 to +175 over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 39-101 (-42.6 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 12-39 (-21.9 Units) against the money line on the road when the total is 9 to 9.5 over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 14-34 (-15.4 Units) against the money line in road games in games played on a grass field this season.
TAMPA BAY is 31-52 (-16.7 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
TAMPA BAY is 25-72 (-34.1 Units) against the money line in road games against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 47-111 (-36.1 Units) against the money line in road games after a loss over the last 3 seasons.
BOSTON is 52-28 (+15.0 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
BOSTON is 15-26 (-16.2 Units) against the money line in August games over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 194-159 (-45.0 Units) against the money line in home games against division opponents since 1997.
BOSTON is 258-197 (-43.1 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season since 1997.

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

JAMES SHIELDS vs. BOSTON since 1997
SHIELDS is 0-1 when starting against BOSTON with an ERA of 5.87 and a WHIP of 1.370.
His team's record is 0-3 (-3.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-2. (-1.4 units)

TIM WAKEFIELD vs. TAMPA BAY since 1997
WAKEFIELD is 15-2 when starting against TAMPA BAY with an ERA of 3.11 and a WHIP of 1.161.
His team's record is 17-7 (+4.8 units) in these starts. The OVER is 11-11. (-0.6 units)

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TORONTO (59 - 57) at KANSAS CITY (51 - 65) - 8:10 PM
JESSE LITSCH (R) vs. ODALIS PEREZ (L)
Top Trends for this game.
TORONTO is 45-63 (-40.2 Units) against the money line as a road favorite of -125 to -150 since 1997.
TORONTO is 26-32 (-8.5 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
KANSAS CITY is 51-65 (+4.8 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
KANSAS CITY is 46-58 (+5.1 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
KANSAS CITY is 87-114 (+25.3 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
KANSAS CITY is 39-46 (+7.0 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
KANSAS CITY is 33-39 (+9.9 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
KANSAS CITY is 37-49 (+15.4 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
KANSAS CITY is 9-21 (-11.0 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 9 to 9.5 this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
TORONTO is 4-2 (+1.5 Units) against KANSAS CITY this season
4 of 6 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+1.8 Units)

JESSE LITSCH vs. KANSAS CITY since 1997
No recent starts.

ODALIS PEREZ vs. TORONTO since 1997
PEREZ is 2-2 when starting against TORONTO with an ERA of 4.79 and a WHIP of 1.500.
His team's record is 2-2 (+0.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 2-2. (-0.2 units)

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MINNESOTA (58 - 59) at SEATTLE (65 - 50) - 10:05 PM
JOHAN SANTANA (L) vs. FELIX HERNANDEZ (R)
Top Trends for this game.
SEATTLE is 65-50 (+19.9 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
SEATTLE is 37-22 (+13.8 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
SEATTLE is 9-3 (+8.1 Units) against the money line when playing on Monday this season.
SEATTLE is 62-47 (+20.0 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
SEATTLE is 48-34 (+16.7 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
SEATTLE is 22-8 (+16.4 Units) against the money line against left-handed starters this season.
SEATTLE is 38-26 (+14.3 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
SEATTLE is 37-29 (+8.4 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
SANTANA is 117-49 (+42.2 Units) against the money line in all games since 1997. (Team's Record)
SANTANA is 80-27 (+37.0 Units) against the money line in night games since 1997. (Team's Record)
SEATTLE is 207-193 (-72.3 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
MINNESOTA is 3-0 (+4.0 Units) against SEATTLE this season
3 of 3 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+3.1 Units)

JOHAN SANTANA vs. SEATTLE since 1997
SANTANA is 7-0 when starting against SEATTLE with an ERA of 2.08 and a WHIP of 1.096.
His team's record is 8-0 (+8.3 units) in these starts. The OVER is 4-4. (-0.3 units)

FELIX HERNANDEZ vs. MINNESOTA since 1997
HERNANDEZ is 2-2 when starting against MINNESOTA with an ERA of 2.67 and a WHIP of 0.956.
His team's record is 3-2 (-0.2 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 3-2. (+0.8 units)

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[pm530]

Baseball Today - August 13

SCOREBOARD
Monday, Aug. 13

Minnesota at Seattle (10:05 p.m. EDT). Johan Santana starts for the Twins against Felix Hernandez.

STARS
Sunday

-Brian Giles, Padres, hit two homers for the second consecutive day to lead San Diego past Cincinnati 10-4.

-Kevin Millar, Orioles, hit a game-winning, three-run homer in the 10th inning to lift Baltimore over Boston 6-3.

-Magglio Ordonez, Tigers, hit a pair of homers in an eight-run second inning and Detroit beat Oakland 11-6.

-Moises Alou, Mets, homered twice and drove in four runs to help the New York Mets defeat Florida 10-4.

-Jeff Weaver, Mariners, pitched his second shutout of the season, striking out a season-high eight to help Seattle down the Chicago White Sox 6-0.

-Tom Gorzelanny, Pirates, allowed five hits in his first career shutout and Pittsburgh finished off a sweep of San Francisco 5-0.

BEASTS OF THE EAST

The New York Yankees beat Cleveland 5-3 to complete a series - and season - sweep on Sunday. The Yankees have won eight of nine and are a baseball-best 23-8 since the All-Star break. The Boston Red Sox were defeated by the Baltimore Orioles 6-3 in 10 innings. It was the fourth loss in six games for the Red Sox, whose lead over the second-place Yankees in the AL East shrunk to four games - Boston's smallest margin since May 1.

MAG-NIFICENT

Magglio Ordonez hit two homers in an eight-run second inning and Detroit topped Oakland 11-6 on Sunday to win consecutive games for only the second time since mid-July. The All-Star slugger joined Hall of Famer Al Kaline as the only Tigers to homer twice in one inning. Kaline did it in 1955 against the Kansas City Athletics.

BROTHERLY LOVE

Jeff Weaver pitched his second shutout of the season, allowing five hits and striking out a season-high eight in Seattle's 6-0 win over the Chicago White Sox on Sunday. He has now won consecutive starts after losing four straight. ... Jered Weaver gave up two runs and five hits in 7 1-3 innings in the Los Angels Angels' 6-2 win over Minnesota - his second impressive outing against the Twins this season. He held them to a run and five hits over seven innings in a 16-3 rout on June 4.

SEEING RED

Brian Giles hit two home runs for the second consecutive day as San Diego beat Cincinnati 10-4 on Sunday. Giles, who also homered on Friday, has hit five of his seven home runs in the past three days. The two-homer game was the 18th of Giles' career and gave him 26 career home runs against the Reds, more than any other opponent.

STREAKS

Bobby Jenks pitched a perfect ninth inning in the Chicago White Sox's 6-0 loss to Seattle on Sunday, breaking David Wells' American League record and tying the major league record of 41 straight batters retired. Jim Barr also set down 41 straight for San Francisco in 1972. ... Placido Polanco tied a major league record by playing his 143rd consecutive game without an error at second base in Detroit's 11-6 victory over Oakland.

SPEAKING

''We've come full circle. We were just struggling in all aspects of the game a few months ago. It was no fun losing. There's not a whole lot to complain about right now.'' - Andy Pettitte, on the Yankees' torrid run. New York has won eight of nine, and improved to a baseball-best 23-8 since the All-Star break with a 5-3 win over Cleveland on Sunday.

SEASONS
Aug. 13

1906 - Jack Taylor of the Chicago Cubs was chased by Brooklyn in the third inning, ending a streak of 187 complete games and 15 relief appearances that Taylor had finished without help.

1910 - The Brooklyn Dodgers and the Pittsburgh Pirates played to an 8-8 tie. Each team had 38 at-bats, 13 hits, 12 assists, two errors, five strikeouts, three walks, one hit batsman and one passed ball.

1931 - Tony Cuccinello of the Cincinnati Reds had six hits in six at-bats in the first game of a doubleheader at Boston. Cuccinello had a triple, two doubles and three singles to knock in five runs as the Reds won 17-3.

1948 - Satchel Paige, 42, pitched his first major league complete game against the Chicago White Sox. Paige gave up five hits en route to 5-0 Cleveland victory.

1969 - Jim Palmer of the Orioles, plagued by arm trouble the year before, threw an 8-0 no-hitter against the Oakland A's in Baltimore.

1978 - The Baltimore Orioles benefited from the rain-out rule. The Orioles were leading New York 3-0 after six innings but the Yankees scored five runs in the top half of the seventh. Heavy rains ended the game in the bottom half of the inning and the score was reverted to the end of the last completed frame giving the Orioles the triumph. This rule was changed in 1980.

1979 - St. Louis' Lou Brock reached the 3,000-hit plateau with an infield hit off Chicago Cubs pitcher Dennis Lamp. St. Louis won 3-2.

2004 - J.T. Snow hit three home runs, had four RBIs, and scored five runs to power the San Francisco Giants to a 16-6 rout of Philadelphia.

2004 - Kansas City rookies Abraham Nunez and John Buck both hit grand slams to lead the Royals past the Oakland Athletics 10-3. It was the first time in club history the Royals have hit two grand slams in one game - which also ties a major league record. Buck and Nunez were the first rookie teammates to hit grand slams in the same game since the rookie rule went into effect in 1957.

2005 - New York Yankees closer Mariano Rivera blew his first save since April 6 in a 7-5 win over Texas. Rivera had converted a career-best 31 consecutive saves before allowing Kevin Mench's two-run, game-tying single in the ninth.

2006 - Travis Hafner tied Don Mattingly's single-season grand slam record with his sixth of the year as Cleveland routed Kansas City 13-0.

Today's birthdays: Randy Messenger 26; Corey Patterson 28; Roman Colon 28; Will Ohman 30; Jarrod Washburn 33.

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[pm530]

Baseball – Streaking Pitchers

MLB


Monday, August 13

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Streaking Pitchers
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Monday's streaking starting pitchers

HOT

Jesse Litsch (Toronto Blue Jays) – Litsch is giving the Jays a big, and unexpectected, boost on the mound. The young right-hander is 2-0 in his last three starts with a sparkling 1.93 ERA and no home runs allowed. Under bettors are also benefiting from the youngster as Toronto has played under the total in eight of his 10 starts this season. The Jays will look to take three of four in the final game of a four-game set with the Kansas City Royals tonight. Oddsmakers have Toronto listed as a –121 favorite and the total set at 9 ½.

Roy Oswalt (Houston Astros) – Houston's hard-throwing ace has been absolutely lights out recently, winning his last four starts while posting a remarkable 0.72 ERA over that stretch. Houston is 9-1 during Oswalt’s last 10 trips to the hill. The Astros will face the Los Angeles Dodgers tonight with books setting Houston as a +104 road underdog. The Dodgers have lost eight of their last 10 games.

Tim Wakefield (Boston Red Sox) – If you’re wondering how Wakefield could possibly qualify as a hot pitcher after getting shelled for six earned runs in four innings his last time out, look no further than tonight’s opponent. The knuckleballer will face the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, a team against which he holds a 17-2 record with a 2.96 ERA in his career. Wakefield is 6-2 over his last eight outings with the Red Sox playing over the total in six of those games. Boston is a heavy –174 favorite tonight with the total set at 9 ½.


COLD

Chad Gaudin (Oakland Athletics) – After starting the season 6-1 with a 2.85 ERA, Gaudin has completely fallen apart, going 2-7 with a 6.00 ERA over his last 10 outings. The right-hander has allowed four or more earned runs in six straight starts, all but one of which played over the total. Oakland will look to avoid losing three straight games to the Detroit Tigers tonight with books setting the A’s as +137 underdogs and the total at 10 ½.

Shane Youman (Pittsburgh Pirates) – Youman hasn’t made it out of the fifth inning in each of his last two outings and hasn’t won a game in his last four trips to the mound. During his last two starts he’s allowed a total of nine earned runs on 12 hits. Books have continually set the total too high in Youman’s starts however as the Pirates have gone under the total in five of his six starts this season. Youman will pitch in the tail end of a doubleheader against the Giants tonight. The total is set at nine.

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[pm530]

Baseball – Hot Lines

MLB
Hot Lines


Monday, August 13

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Hot lines
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Hot lines: Monday's best MLB bets


Houston Astros at Los Angeles Dodgers (-112, 7 ½)

The Dodgers are singing the blues. Not too long ago Los Angeles was leading the NL West but now sits in fourth place after losing 11 of the last 14.

“Everything works together,” manager Grady Little told the Los Angeles Times. “You have to have everything to be working to win ballgames. And when you lose, it takes everybody out there. Pitchers, hitters.

“And it’s easy to lose. It’s tough to win.”

Yesterday, neither the bats nor the arms were doing the job as the St. Louis Cardinals won 12-2 thanks to a season-high 18 base hits. The Dodgers' once impressive batting order has scored only seven runs in its last 10 matches.

Pick: Astros +104


Toronto Blue Jays at Kansas City Royals (+113, 9 ½)

Don’t look now but the Jays have the best no-name pitching staff in the big leagues. Ace pitcher Roy Halladay is a known commodity, but youngsters Shaun Marcum, Dustin McGowan and Jesse Litsch make the rotation solid top-to-bottom.

The starters have given the club quality starts in six of the last eight games and that’s a trend that should continue now that A.J. Burnett has returned to the staff. Burnett surrendered one run in just over seven innings of work yesterday.

The right-hander hadn’t pitched since June 28 because of a shoulder problems but he didn’t look rusty during yesterday’s 4-1 win.

“He had it all going – the overpowering fastball, the big breaking ball. Typical A.J. when he’s on,” manager John Gibbons told the Toronto Star after the game.

As long as Jeremy Accardo continues to hold the fort in the ninth, the Jays should win more and more close contests.

Pick: Blue Jays –121


Minnesota Twins at Seattle Mariners (+107, 7 ½)

Mariners first baseman Richie Sexson had some interesting comments after learning there were still 16,000 tickets unsold for tonight’s home game against the Minnesota Twins.

“I don’t think (Seattle fans) believe it,” Sexson told the Seattle Times. “That’s why you’re still getting the boos. I don’t think they’ve bought into the fact we have a good team yet. It’s just strange.”

Seattle backers better start believing. The Mariners have won 11 of their last 15, keeping pace with the red-hot New York Yankees in the AL Wild Card.

Meanwhile, the Twins' wheels are really starting to come off. Their offense has gone in the tank averaging only 2.45 runs per game and that number would be even lower if not for an 11-run outburst last week.

Pick: Mariners +107

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