Thursday Trends and Indexes 08/16

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Trends and Indexes
Thursday, August 16

Good Luck on day #228 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

-- Cardinals are now a serious threat in NL Central, only 3.5 games out, as Brewers and Cubs flounder. St Louis is hot.

-- Mets are 33-16 when Jose Reyes reaches base in the 1st inning, 34-36 when he doesn't.

-- Orioles now won Eric Bedard's last eleven starts. Braves won Tim Hudson's last ten starts.

-- Chad Billingsley recently became first LA Dodger pitcher ever to lose consecutive starts, both by 1-0 score.

-- Visiting team has now won Philip Hughes' first five starts.

-- Reds led 6-3 after three innings Wednesday; they walked first four Cub batters in bottom of third, then pitcher Lilly came up and swung at first pitch. Very weird strategy.

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Thursday's List of 13: Fun things I've had chance to do.....

I've been very lucky, had chance to do lot of fun things that had to do with sports, and even some non-sports stuff. Here are some of those things..............

13) Penn State-Michigan was fun, but I froze my butt off; the Tennessee-Alabama game in Knoxville was amazing. If you like college football at all, you have to see a game in south. The whole town is one big parking lot/tailgate party.

12) 10 years of Arena Football in Albany. We saw lot of fun things while Firebirds were here: Art Schlichter, Kurt Warner, Eddie Brown scoring nine TDs in one game, winning the '99 Arena Bowl, Earle Bruce trying to establish the run. It was a joy to have the AFL here. Too bad they left.

11) Meeting Dusty Baker in 1975-- I was 14, Dusty was hurt and signing autographs at Shea Stadium. Very nice guy.

10) Seeing Dan Fouts in 7-on-7 drills at Anaheim Stadium in 1986; amazing exhibition of passing, at a free scrimmage. So much so that the Rams' QB got booed when he threw couple of incompletions after Fouts was done.

9) Seeing Roger Clemens pitch at Doubleday Field way back in '84 or '85, against the Astros. Worst home run contest ever, as Astros had no power hitters. George H. Bush was there, so there were metal detectors everywhere.

8) Watched Dan Gable coach wrestling; he is greatest coach in wrestling history. Iowa once won ten national titles in row, and I got to keep the clock for some of their matches, despite knowing nothing about amateur wrestling.

7) Walked into a Garth Brooks concert in Albany, realizing I was about the only person there not dressed like a cowboy. Just a fantastic show, lot of fun. Too bad he retired so early.

6) Triple overtime minor league hockey game back in 1987 in Glens Falls, between Red Wings and Hershey Bears. Goalie for Hershey was Ron Hextall, who went on to become great goalie in NHL. Game didn't end until almost one in morning; the concession stand int he arena ran out of food.

5) Not sure what year this was, but Cardinal-Met twinbill at Shea Stadium; first time Kevin Elster is up, he hits a foul fly that guy six seats down from me caught. Next time up, same pitcher, Elster hit another foul fly to the same guy, sitting in the same exact place. Very weird.

4) For some reason, I once kept the chains at semi-pro game in Albany; the other team had uniforms just like Cowboys. I was standing there in third quarter, next to guy calling plays for the other team, and I realized he had his play chart in his right hand, and a Pabst Blue Ribbon in his left. Good stuff.

3) My trips to BC Open: Seeing Eldrick Woods in his one and only visit there, John Daly and his driver with the red shaft, listening to Hal Sutton talk SEC football by the putting green, fetching sodas at the concession stand for a caddy during a round. Seeing Joey Sindelar ace the 14th hole on Sunday in front of all his family and friends, as he won the tournament. Golf in person is more fun than you'd think.

2) Going to Canton to see Jack Youngblood, Jackie Slater go into the Hall of Fame in 2001; watched Rams-Dolphins game Monday, then headed home Tuesday morning; in the Canton airport, actually collided with Jack Youngblood, talked to him for ten minutes. Excellent guy, surprisingly not-so-big.

1) Rams 11, Tampa Bay 6, January of 2000. Most fun I've ever had at a game, well, once Rams won at least. Seeing them win NFC title game in person capped off a perfect season for any fan, as they came from nowhere to win the Super Bowl.

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National Football League - Long Sheet

NFL
Pre-Season
Long Sheet


Thursday, August 16

MIAMI (1 - 0) at KANSAS CITY (0 - 1) - 8/16/2007, 8:00 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.

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National Football League - Short Sheet

NFL
Pre-Season
Short Sheet


Thursday, August 16

Miami at Kansas City, 8:00 EST ESPN
Miami: 5-1 Over off a home win by 3 points or less
Kansas City: 1-6 ATS off a loss

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National Football League – Write up

NFL
Pre-Season
Write-up


Thursday, August 16

In Week 2 and 3 preseason games, regulars play little more, but still, no one really cares who wins. Invest carefully...........

Trent Green got booed at home in his Miami debut last week; in his return to Kansas City, in front of national TV audience, don't be surprised to see Cameron try little harder to get offense going at least harder than he would try in ordinary summer game. KC is struggling at QB with Broyle/Huard combo; Edwards has gone under total in 2/3 of his summer games.

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NFL
Thursday's starter report: Dolphins at Chiefs


Miami Dolphins at Kansas City Chiefs (-3, 34 ½)


Dolphins head coach Cam Cameron’s no dummy – he knows that Trent Green needs as many snaps as he can get before Week 1, so he’ll go with the same quarterback rotation as he used last week. That means Green could be in for the entire first half again against the Chiefs, Green’s first trip back to Kansas City.

Whether or not that’s a good thing for Miami backers is up for debate – behind a terrible effort from the offensive line, Green fumbled, threw a pick, and completed just six of his 15 pass attempts in an 18-17 win over Jacksonville last week as 2 ½-point underdogs.

At least the majority of Miami’s first team will stay in the game as long as Green does to develop some chemistry.

"We're hoping to make improvements from week to week and get ready for the opener," Green told reporters. "Understand that this is the preseason and we are growing. We are a group of new guys on offense and a lot of young guys, so it's going to be a growing process."

After Green and the first-stringers check out, Cameron is expected to hand the keys to Cleo Lemon next and then have John Beck finish off the game. Defensive standouts Jason Taylor, Keith Traylor and Zach Thomas are all expected to sit out, but the defense looked great last week anyway.

Meanwhile, Chiefs coach Herm Edwards still isn’t sure when he’ll decide between Brodie Croyle and Damon Huard as his definitive No. 1 starting quarterback. Huard will start and play the first quarter Thursday, with Croyle coming in after that.

“I think this game is big for both of them,” Edwards told reporters of his top two quarterbacks. “There is no doubt about it. If one surfaces, obviously you start leaning, well maybe that’s the guy, maybe that’s not the guy.”

Croyle was the guy taking the first-quarter snaps last week. He finished 5-of-8 for 49 yards to go along with an ugly interception in which he scrambled away from Cleveland’s pass rush only to fling an off-balance duck into Leigh Bodden’s hands.

“I tried to be Superman,” Croyle told reporters, “and I ended up making a stupid play.”

Huard wasn’t much better in relief either, going 2-of-4 for 19 yards with an interception, while former CFLer Casey Printers was 8-of-17 for 64 yards in mop-up duty during the 16-12 loss to the Browns.

The rest of Kansas City’s defensive and offensive starters should play into the second quarter against Miami. In other news, Larry Johnson continues his contract holdout and Priest Holmes is no closer to suiting up in his curious comeback attempt.

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NFL

Thursday, August 16

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NFL Preseason Preview
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Thursday

Miami at Kansas City (-3)

Trent Green makes an early return to Kansas City this week, hoping to improve on the form he displayed in his Miami preseason debut last week. In the Dolphins’ 18-17 win over Jacksonville, Green was booed by the hometown fans after completing 6-of-15 passes for 60 yards and an interception. The usually fiery Dolphins’ defense will be tame Thursday night with Zach Thomas, Keith Traylor and Jason Taylor all expected to sit out. The Chiefs are coming off a 16-12 loss to Cleveland in which the offense fizzled. Both Damon Huard and Brodie Croyle threw an interception in the loss, while the Chiefs’ running game flat-lined without Larry Johnson. With Johnson’s holdout still ongoing, he’ll be nowhere near Kansas City on Thursday, while tight end Tony Gonzalez will also likely be absent due to a lingering knee injury.

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Major League Soccer – Hot Lines

MLS
Hot Lines


Thursday, August 16

MLS kicks and pick: New England at Colorado


New England Revolution at Colorado Rapids (Revolution +150, Draw +220, Rapids +150)

The Colorado Rapids finally ended a 10-game winless streak last weekend with a shock 1-0 win over the Houston Dynamo. They look to build on that win this week but again face top opposition – this time in the form of division-leading New England.

The burning question ahead of this Primetime Thursday clash is whether Saturday’s win was just a flash in the pan for Colorado. The Rapids have lost seven of the last 11 games and it remains to be seen if a one-goal victory – regardless of the high standard of opposition – is enough to turn things around.

The Rapids' big problem this season has been putting the ball in the net. They've scored 17 goals in 20 games this season, while conceding 25. That’s by far the lowest total of any team that's played 20 games this year.

But there have been signs in recent weeks that the slump is coming to an end. Aside from the win over Houston, in which they were forced to defend for long periods, the Colorado offense has started to click.

Manager Fernando Clavijo has settled on a front two of Herculez Gomez and Jacob Peterson and the more they play together the more dangerous they look. A tally of four goals for the season may not look too impressive for a striker of Gomez's quality, but he has been getting more and more chances in the past few games. It's only a matter of time before he starts hitting the back of the net frequently.

Midfield stars Pablo Mastroeni and Terry Cooke are also starting to live up to preseason expectations, and are helping create much-needed offense. The pair have stamped their authority on recent games, getting the ball down and making the kind of incisive passes that open defenses up.

But there is still a lot of work to do and, on Thursday, the Rapids face one of the league's most complete teams. There are very few weak links in a Revolution lineup that's won four of their last five games.

Colorado always has the ability to keep games tight (five of their last seven losses were decided by just one goal) and if their offense can produce another improved performance, they have a chance to sneak something from this game.

Pick: Draw +220

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[pm530]

Baseball – Write up

MLB
Write-up


Thursday, August 16

Hot Pitchers
-- Arizona won six of last nine Hernandez starts.
-- Giants won six of last nine Lincecum starts.
-- Armas is 2-0, 2.92 in his last couple starts.
-- Cubs are 15-7 in last 22 Marquis starts. Reds won five of last seven Livingston starts.
-- Wainwright is 4-2, 3.00 in his last seven starts.
-- Phillies won five of Hamels' last seven starts. Nationals won all three Hanrahan starts (2-0, 2.76).
-- Hensley is 1-0, 3.32 in his last four starts.

-- Haren is 3-1, 3.66 in his last five starts. White Sox won seven of last nine Vazquez starts.
-- Detroit won nine of last twelve Verlander starts. Bronx won last four Mussina starts, scoring 42 runs.
-- Escobar is 3-3, 1.81 in his last seven starts. McGowan is 3-1, 2.34 in his last five starts.
-- Nunez is 2-0, 1.13 in three starts for the Royals.

Cold Pitchers
-- Bush has 6.11 RA in his last five starts.
-- Lawrence has a 4.09 RA in two starts for the Mets.
-- Barone gave up three runs in 4.2 IP in his first start, shutting Mets out for four innings, then giving up three runs in fifth.
-- James has a 6.75 RA in his last three starts.
-- Dessens pitched just 15 innings for Brewers this year, before San Diego got him; he's made 135 big league starts, but last one was two years ago.
-- Rodriguez allowed 36 runs in 28.2 innings, in his last 6 starts on foreign soil. Lowe is 0-4, 7.47 in his last six starts. .

-- Rheinecker is 0-1, 11.68 in his last three starts.


Totals
-- Over is 9-3 in Brewers' last twelve games.
-- Over is 13-0-1 in last fourteen Cincinnati road games.
-- Last five Hernandez starts all went over the total.
-- Over is 14-6 in Phillies' last twenty road games.
-- Over is 16-4 in Pirates' last twenty games.
-- Over is 11-3-1 in last fifteen Atlanta home games.
-- Over is 8-4 in last twelve Colorado games.
-- Over is 8-1 in Astros' last nine road games.

-- Over is 7-4 in White Sox' last eleven road games.
-- Over is 6-2 in last eight Verlander starts.
-- Under is 8-3 in Angels' last eleven road games.
-- Last seven Kansas City games stayed under the total.


Hot Teams
-- Arizona won eight of its last ten road games. Marlins are 4-2 in their last six games overall.
-- Phillies won six of their last nine games. Nationals won eight of last ten at home.
-- Mets won six of their last seven road games.
-- Reds won seven of their last ten games.
-- Braves won seven of their last ten games.
-- Cardinals won six of their last seven games.
-- Padres won five of their last six home games.
-- Astros won six of their last nine games.

-- Bronx won eight of its last eleven home games.
-- Toronto won eleven of its last thirteen home games.
-- Rangers won nine of last twelve home games.
-- A's are 10-5 in their last fifteen games.

Cold Teams
-- Giants lost eleven of their last fourteen games.
-- Cubs lost eight of their last ten games.
-- Brewers lost seven of their last nine games.
-- Pirates are 3-8 in their last eleven home games.
-- Dodgers are 5-15 in their last twenty games.
-- Colorado are 5-8 in its last thirteen road games.

-- Detroit is 3-8 in its last eleven road games.
-- Angels lost first two games of Toronto series, scoring 2 runs.
-- Royals lost seven of their last eight road games.
-- White Sox lost five of their last six games.

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[pm530]

Baseball - Tips & Trends

MLB

Thursday, August 16

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Tips and Trends
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St. Louis Cardinals at Milwaukee Brewers (2:05 PM ET)

St. Louis starter Adam Wainwright is a solid 5-2 with a 3.93 ERA in 11 road starts this season. The right-hander has allowed just six runs over his last 27 innings of work away from Busch Stadium. EDGE: CARDINALS
Wainwright has pitched well since the All-Star break, going 3-2 with a 3.07 ERA in six starts. He’s given up just one home run over 41 innings in the second-half, after surrendering nine in 102 1/3 innings to start the season. EDGE: CARDINALS
Milwaukee’s Dave Bush is a dismal 0-2 with a 12.60 ERA in two career starts versus St. Louis. He’s allowed 14 earned runs and 14 hits in just 10 innings of work against them. EDGE: CARDINALS
The Brewers have picked up consecutive victories with Bush on the mound, even though the right-hander has allowed nine earned runs and 19 hits in 11 innings over that span. SLIGHT EDGE: BREWERS
Milwaukee is 7-3 in Bush’s last 10 starts.



Chicago White Sox at Oakland Athletics (3:35 PM ET)

Chicago right-hander Javier Vazquez is 1-2 with a 6.75 ERA in four career starts versus Oakland. He went 1-0 with a 4.50 ERA in two starts against them in 2006, allowing six runs and 11 hits over 12 innings. SLIGHT EDGE: A’S
Vazquez has been rock-solid since the All-Star break, posting a 4-1 record and 3.67 ERA in six starts. The hard-throwing right-hander is a perfect 2-0 with a 3.86 ERA in two starts this month. EDGE: WHITE SOX
Oakland’s Dan Haren is a dominant 8-1 with a sparkling 2.53 ERA in 13 home starts this season. The All-Star right-hander has allowed just 69 hits and fanned 74 in 89 innings of work in the Bay Area. BIG EDGE: A’S
Haren has very limited experience versus the White Sox in his career. He’s tallied an 0-1 record with a 5.56 ERA in two starts against them, allowing eight runs and 16 hits in just 11 1/3 innings. SLIGHT EDGE: WHITE SOX
The White Sox are 4-0 in Vazquez’s last four starts as an underdog.




Detroit Tigers at New York Yankees (7:05 PM ET)

Tigers right-hander Justin Verlander has struggled a bit since the All-Star break despite carrying a 2-1 record, allowing 20 runs and 40 hits in 37 innings of work. He gave up jus 86 hits in 109 innings during the first half of the season. SLIGHT EDGE: YANKEES
Verlander has enjoyed great success on the road this season, posting a 6-2 record and 3.13 ERA in 11 starts. The Tigers have lost his last two starts away from Comerica Park, as the right-hander has allowed six earned runs and 10 hits over his last 12 1/3 innings. SLIGHT EDGE: TIGERS
New York’s Mike Mussina is a superb 17-5 with a 2.50 ERA in 29 career starts versus Detroit. The veteran right-hander allowed just one unearned run in his start versus the Tigers last season, allowing just six hits and striking out five over nine innings. BIG EDGE: YANKEES
The Yankees have picked up four straight victories in Mussina’s last four starts, with the right-hander issuing just two walks over that span. EDGE: YANKEES
The Tigers are 4-0 in Verlander’s last four starts versus the AL East.



Los Angeles Angels at Toronto Blue Jays (7:07 PM ET)

Los Angeles starter Kelvim Escobar is 2-3 with a 2.12 ERA in five career starts versus Toronto. The right-hander has allowed just one home run in 34 innings against them, while striking out 37 batters and walking nine. EDGE: ANGELS
The Angels have lost consecutive road games with Escobar on the hill, with the offense managing to score just one run against Oakland and Seattle. He’s allowed just four earned runs over his last 29 2/3 innings away from Angel Stadium. SLIGHT EDGE: ANGELS
Toronto’s Dustin McGowan is an impressive 5-1 with a 3.11 ERA in seven home starts this season. The Blue Jays have won his last three starts at the Rogers Centre, outscoring opponents 16-1 in the process. EDGE: BLUE JAYS
McGowan hasn’t performed well in 11 nighttime starts this season, going 2-6 with a 5.69 ERA. He’s allowed batters to hit .264 against him under the lights compared to just .207 during the day. EDGE: ANGELS
The Angels are 11-27 in the last 38 meetings in Toronto.



San Francisco Giants at Atlanta Braves (7:35 PM ET)

Giants rookie right-hander Tim Lincecum tallied a 4-2 victory in his first career start versus the Braves on July 26 at AT&T Park. He allowed just two runs and six hits over six innings of work. SLIGHT EDGE: GIANTS
Lincecum has posted a 3-1 record and 3.41 ERA in nine road starts this season. He’s surrendered just five earned runs over his last 30 1/3 innings away from San Francisco. EDGE: GIANTS
Atlanta’s Chuck James has an even 1-1 record and 2.12 ERA in four career outings versus San Francisco. He was on the losing end of a 2-1 decision against the Giants on July 25, allowing two runs and seven hits over six innings. SLIGHT EDGE: BRAVES
James has struggled a bit over his last three starts, allowing four earned runs in his last 16 innings. He’s also had trouble giving up the long ball, with opponents sending six balls over the fence over his last five outings. SLIGHT EDGE: GIANTS
The Braves are 8-2 in James’ last 10 starts as a home favorite.



Colorado Rockies at San Diego Padres (10:05 PM ET)

Rockies right-hander Aaron Cook is 8-3 with a 2.69 ERA in 16 career outings versus San Diego. He posted a 10-2 complete game victory over the Padres on July 25, allowing just two runs and seven hits while issuing not a single walk. BIG EDGE: ROCKIES
Cook has been knocked around a bit this month, allowing 10 runs (five earned) and 18 hits over his last 11 1/3 innings. The right-hander is 6-5 with a 3.69 ERA in 33 career appearances in the month of August. SLIGHT EDGE: PADRES
San Diego turns to reliever-turned-starter Wilfredo Ledezma tonight, as the left-hander has posted a 1-0 record and 3.60 ERA in two career appearances versus Colorado. SLIGHT EDGE: PADRES
Ledezma was touched up in his first start this season, allowing three earned runs and five hits over just 2 1/3 innings. SLIGHT EDGE: ROCKIES
The Rockies are 7-19 in Cook’s last 26 starts.



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

Houston’s Wandy Rodriguez is a miserable 1-8 with an 8.16 ERA in 11 road starts this season. He’s allowed 77 hits and 12 home runs in 57 1/3 innings away from Minute Maid Park. BIG EDGE: DODGERS
Rodriguez is a perfect 2-0 with a 1.84 ERA in three career outings versus Los Angeles. The young left-hander has given up just three earned runs and 10 hits over 14 2/3 innings against them. EDGE: ASTROS
Los Angeles sinker ball thrower Derek Lowe is 1-2 with a 2.70 ERA in five career starts versus Houston. He threw four innings of one run ball against the Astros on July 25, but was later removed due to a leg injury. SLIGHT EDGE: DODGERS
Lowe has been less than impressive in his last two starts against Arizona and St. Louis, lasting just 11 innings and allowing seven runs on 11 hits. SLIGHT EDGE: ASTROS
The UNDER is 4-0 in Lowe’s last four starts versus the Astros.

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[pm530]

Baseball – Betting Notes

MLB


Thursday, August 16

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MLB Betting Notes
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Thursday’s MLB betting notes

Sick Tigers

A flu-like illness struck the Detroit Tigers clubhouse this week. Placido Polanco, Craig Monroe and Justin Verlander (12-4, 3.58) all felt sick starting Tuesday, but say they will battle it out on the field regardless of how they feel.

MLB.com reports that the three looked visibly sick as they shuffled around the clubhouse, and neither Polanco nor Monroe was in the lineup to face C.C. Sabathia and the Indians. Without those two outfielders, Curtis Granderson started in center, Ryan Raburn moved to second base, and Marcus Thames started in left. Detroit managed to pull out a 6-2 win despite being stretched thin.

Both Monroe and Polanco are expected to be in the lineup Thursday.

When asked about the virus Verlander simply told reporters, "I wouldn’t wish this upon anybody." He is expected to make his scheduled start against the Yankees on Thursday and face Mike Mussina (8-7, 4.50). New York is a –150 favorite with the total set at 9 ½.



Angels don’t need homers

Los Angeles Angels hitting coach Mickey Hatcher is defending his team’s lack of home runs, telling MLB.com that the point of the game is scoring runs and not going deep all the time.

"We do a lot of things offensively," Hatcher told the website. "I think people are starting to understand how we play the game, going first to third, situational hitting, making things happen. Sure, we get guys thrown out on the bases, but that doesn't stop us from doing it."

The Angels have hit just 84 homers in 116 games this season – the second-worst total in the majors. But they are still fifth in batting, thanks to their .286 average and 594 runs scored.

The Halos get a chance to tack a few more runs onto their total Thursday when they face Toronto in the finale of a three-game series. Kelvim Escobar (12-6, 2.74) and Dustin McGowan (8-6, 4.12) are the starters and Toronto is a +116 underdog with the total set at 9.



Ramirez battles through injury

Chicago Cubs third baseman Aramis Ramirez returned to the lineup this week and says he’s going to try to finish out the season despite recurring wrist problems.

"I won't be 100 percent, and it's something for me to deal with the rest of the season," Ramirez told MLB.com . "Right now, there's no time for me to miss any more games. We're in a pennant race."

Ramirez is batting .314 with 17 homers and a team-high 70 RBIs this season. The Cubs went 2-4 over the six games he missed last week due to the injury.

"Aramis is a huge presence," first baseman Derrek Lee told reporters on Tuesday. "He's one of the best hitters in the National League. You pull him out of the lineup and it makes a big difference. It's good to have him back."

The Cubs close out a three-game series against the Cincinnati Reds on Thursday, sending Jason Marquis (9-7, 4.18) to the mound. Cincinnati counters with Bobby Livingston (3-2, 4.24) and is a +145 underdog with the total not released at this time



Nomar's injury problems continue

The L.A. Dodgers have placed Nomar Garciaparra on the 15-day disabled list because of a strained calf muscle. The third baseman suffered the injury on the recent road trip and tried to play through it.

"It's not something he's going to get through without giving it adequate rest," Dodgers manager Grady Little told MLB.com. "He's been battling against it for several days, so we're going to give him two weeks now to get it better. Right now, it's a calf strain. But if he pulls it all the way, he could miss the rest of the season."

Garciaparra is batting .280 with 6 homers and 57 RBIs this season. He will be replaced by Shea Hillenbrand who makes the switch to third base after playing DH with the Angels for most of the season.

Derek Lowe (8-11, 3.61) takes the mound against Houston on Thursday. The Astros counter with Wandy Rodriguez (7-10, 4.34) and are +145 underdogs with the total set at 8.

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[pm530]

Baseball Today - August 16

SCOREBOARD
Thursday, Aug. 16
Detroit at N.Y. Yankees (7:05 p.m. EDT). Justin Verlander faces off against Mike Mussina, who has won his last four starts.

STARS
Wednesday

-- Torii Hunter, Twins, hit a tiebreaking single in the eighth inning and a grand slam in the ninth, leading Minnesota over Seattle 6-1.

-- Miguel Tejada and Aubrey Huff, Orioles. Tejada hit a tiebreaking double in the 10th inning and Huff added a two-run homer to lift Baltimore over the New York Yankees 6-3.

-- Fausto Carmona, Indians, allowed two runs in eight innings and struck out a career-high 10 in Cleveland's 5-2 win over Detroit.

-- Tim Redding, Nationals, drove in two runs and limited Philadelphia to two runs and three hits in six-plus innings to lead Washington to a 4-2 victory over the Phillies.

-- Russell Martin, Dodgers, hit two homers to help the Los Angeles Dodgers beat Houston 6-3. ^BONDS=

Barry Bonds hit career homer No. 759 in San Francisco's 6-3 loss to Atlanta on Wednesday. A week after breaking Hank Aaron's record, the new home run king extended it just across the street from where the Hammer went past Babe Ruth with No. 715.

STRUGGLING

The St. Louis Cardinals closed to within 3 1/2 games of the division-leading Milwaukee Brewers with an 8-3 win on Wednesday. Rookie Yovani Gallardo, who went 4-0 in his first seven starts after being called up in June, gave up seven runs and nine hits in 5 2-3 innings and has now lost his last two. The Brewers haven't had a starting pitcher record a victory since Gallardo's win over Philadelphia on Aug. 3, and Milwaukee starters are 1-8 with a 7.64 ERA in their past 16 games.

BOOKENDS

The New York Mets did all of their scoring in the first and ninth innings, scoring five runs in each frame, in a 10-8 victory over Pittsburgh on Wednesday. Moises Alou hit a two-run homer in the first inning and is 17-for-46 (.370) with six homers and 14 RBIs in his last 12 games.

STREAKS

Tim Hudson allowed three runs in eight innings to win his eighth straight decision in Atlanta's 6-3 victory over San Francisco on Wednesday. ... Shaun Marcum allowed one run on four hits and won his fifth straight start in Toronto's 2-1 victory over the Los Angeles Angels. ... Doug Davis picked up the win in Arizona's 9-6 victory over Florida and has now won his last five decisions. ... Jarrod Washburn surrendered two runs -- one earned -- in seven-plus innings, but still lost his fourth consecutive decision as Seattle fell to Minnesota 6-1.

SNAPPED

Texas reliever C.J. Wilson had his scoreless streak of 16 2-3 innings end in the ninth inning of the Rangers' 4-3 win over Kansas City on Wednesday. Wilson picked up his sixth save despite allowing two runs. ... Andy Sonnanstine ended an eight-game losing streak in Tampa Bay's 6-5 win over Boston. He hadn't won since June 10.

SPEAKING

"Maybe in Little League." -- Toronto hurler Shaun Marcum, on how long it's been since he's enjoyed a run of success like his current run of five straigt wins. Marcum, who picked up the win in Toronto's 2-1 win over the Los Angeles Angels on Wednesday, is 9-2 with a 2.91 ERA in 18 starts since joining the rotation on May 13. He has not lost since July 18.

SEASONS
Aug. 16

1920 -- Shortstop Ray Chapman of the Cleveland Indians was hit in the head with a pitch in the fifth inning by New York's Carl Mays. Chapman suffered a fractured skull and died the next day. It is the only field fatality in major league history.

1927 -- Babe Ruth of the New York Yankees became the first player to clear the roof at Comiskey Park in Chicago. Ruth's home run came off White Sox pitcher Tommy Thomas in the 8-1 win.

1947 -- Ralph Kiner hit three successive home runs to become the first Pirates player to ever accomplish the feat as Pittsburgh beat the St. Louis Cardinals 12-7 at Forbes Field.

1948 -- Babe Ruth died of cancer in New York at the age of 53.

1950 -- Hank Thompson hit two inside-the-park home runs in the Giants' 16-7 rout of the Brooklyn Dodgers at the Polo Grounds.

1964 -- Curt Flood of the St. Louis Cardinals had eight straight hits in a doubleheader against the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Dodgers won the first game 3-0 and the Cardinals took the second, 4-0.

1967 -- Jim Maloney of Cincinnati retired 19 consecutive Pirates but had to leave the game after he injured his ankle by stepping in a hole at Forbes Field. Billy McCool allowed two hits over the final 2 2-3 innings to give the Reds a 4-0 victory over Pittsburgh.

1996 -- With 23,699 fans at the 25,644-seat Estadio Monterrey, the San Diego Padres defeated the New York Mets 15-10 in the first major league regular-season game played outside the United States or Canada.

2005 -- Bobby Bragan became the oldest manager of a pro baseball game when the 87-year-old managed the Fort Worth Cats of the Central League for one game against Coastal Bend. Hall of Famer Connie Mack previously held the record, but Bragan eclipsed Mack by eight days. Bragan was tossed out of the game in the third inning after he went on the field following the ejection of a player.

2006 -- Bruce Froemming umpired his 5,000th major league game -- second-most in big league history. Bill Klem worked 5,374 games from 1905-40. ^Aug. 17=

1904 -- Jesse Tannehill of the Boston Red Sox pitched a no-hitter, beating the Chicago White Sox 6-0.

1920 -- Cleveland shortstop Ray Chapman died from a beaning by Carl Mays of the New York Yankees on Aug. 16. This was the only on-field fatality in major league history.

1933 -- Lou Gehrig played in his 1,308th straight game to break Everett Scott's record of 1,307.

1944 -- Johnny Lindell of the New York Yankees hit four consecutive doubles in a 10-3 victory over the Cleveland Indians. Lindell drove in two runs and scored twice.

1972 -- Steve Carlton of the Philadelphia Phillies won his 15th consecutive game with a 9-4 victory over the Cincinnati Reds.

1990 -- Carlton Fisk broke Johnny Bench's major league record for catchers with his 328th homer as the Chicago White Sox beat the Texas Rangers 4-2 for a split of a doubleheader.

1992 -- Kevin Gross pitched a no-hitter as Los Angeles beat San Francisco 2-0 at Dodgers Stadium.

1999 -- Jesse Orosco set a major league record by pitching in his 1,072nd game, breaking a tie with Dennis Eckersley atop the career list. The 42-year-old Orosco took the mound with two outs in the seventh inning of Baltimore's victory over Minnesota.

2001 -- Jeff Frye became the second Toronto player to hit for the cycle as the Blue Jays beat Texas 11-3. Frye tripled in the second inning, doubled in the fifth, homered in the sixth and hit a shot to the right-center field gap in the seventh. With the game in hand, he held up at first.

2002 -- Alex Rodriguez became the sixth player in major league history to have five straight 40-homer seasons.

2004 -- Tampa Bay's B.J. Upton, 19, became the first teenager in more than six years to homer in a major league game, helping Tampa Bay snap a six-game losing streak with an 8-3 victory over Anaheim.

Today's birthdays: Dustin Pedroia 24; Brett Myers 27; Chad Qualls 29; Mike Maroth 30; Jorge Posada 36.

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[Udog]

MLB
Streaking Pitchers


Thursday, August 16


HOT

Mike Mussina (New York Yankees) – Aren’t older pitchers supposed fade towards the end of the season? Apparently not in the Moose’s case. The nine-year veteran has won his last four starts while allowing no more than three earned runs in any of those outings. During the winning streak the Yankees' bats have been explosive, supplying Mussina with at least seven runs of support in each game and busting totals of 10 or more the last three times he’s taken the hill. New York is a –142 favorite against the Detroit Tigers tonight and the total is set at 9 ½.

Joel Hanrahan (Washington Nationals) – Chances are you might not even know who this guy is but if not, you should definitely take notice. The Nats rookie is 2-0 with a 2.76 ERA in his three starts since being called up with Washington winning all three games. Hanrahan has been limited to six innings or less in each of his starts but hasn’t allowed more than three earned runs in any game, while allowing just one in each of his last two. The Nationals are +161 home underdogs against the Philadelphia Phillies tonight.

Leo Nunez (Kansas City Royals) – The Royals might actually have something going for them with this young righty. Nunez has just two starts under his belt this season but he’s looked fantastic in both of them, allowing a total of just one earned run on five hits in 12 innings of action. Nunez made a relief appearance in between his two outings, pitching four innings and allowing two earned runs on just two hits against the Yankees. Kansas City faces the Texas Rangers tonight with books setting the Royals as +108 underdogs.

Javier Vazquez (Chicago White Sox) – Vazquez has just one loss in his last 11 trips to the mound going 7-1 with a 3.16 ERA. He’s pitched at least seven innings while allowing three earned runs or less in each of his last four outings. Vazquez has been getting it done against some stiff competition like the Mariners, Tigers (twice), Jays and Red Sox in his last five games. It will be no different tonight when he faces the Oakland Athletics and their ace Danny Haren with oddsmakers setting the ChiSox as +138 underdogs.

COLD

Derek Lowe (Los Angeles Dodgers) – The entire season has been filled with inconsistency and struggles for Lowe who hasn’t been able to string together a winning streak longer than two games this year. Recently he’s hit rock bottom, going 0-5 with an ugly 5.30 ERA in his last eight starts, while the Dodgers have lost five straight games in which Lowe’s started. Tonight Los Angeles will host the Houston Astros with the Dodgers priced as –153 favorites and the total set at eight.

[Udog]

MLB
70% Situation


MLB (Thursday): Play On MLB (AL) favorites with a money line of -150 or more with a team batting average <=.265 versus a starting pitcher whose ERA is <=4.20, with a starting pitcher whose ERA is 4.20+ on the season.
(83-25 since 1997.) (76.9%) PLAY: Oakland -150