Monday Trends and Indexes 08/27

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Trends and Indexes
Monday, August 27

Good Luck on day #239 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 Monday

With school starting next week, here are six school-related questions I've always wondered about.......

-- Why does high school football have games before the school year starts?

-- Do kids still fill out index cards in every class on the first day of school?

-- How much money does a school bus driver make?

-- What did Dewey do after he invented the Dewey Decimal System? Is he living off the royalties?

-- I always wondered if teachers hate going back to school as much as kids do.

-- The two worst days of year, two dismal days to be a kid.:
1) The first day back to school after Christmas vacation
2) The first day back in September.

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

13) Remember, college football starts Thursday night; get all your information on all the games on this website. Where else can you get so much information for free?

12) Why does summer go by more quickly than winter?

11) How in the name of Greg Maddux can every ballpark not have the Questec umpiring evaluation system? If they use a system to evaluate umps, how can it not be used at each and every game? Would this be too much to ask? Just don't tell me it is a cost issue- that would be insane.

10) At one point during recent skid, Dodgers went 4-105 with runners in scoring position, and two of four hits didn't score the guy from second. Four for 105- thats an amazing slump.

9) It looks like the Mets are a lock to make playoffs, but they can't feel real good about their team, bringing in Jeff Conine, and then playing him a lot. They have lot of unsettled spots in their lineup, for a team with a such a lead in the division.

8) Penn State's offensive line had some issues coming into '07 season, so they brought in two JC guys, the first time they've done that since 1985.

7) I'm not a fan of NFL preseason games; they can give out as much misinformation as real info. Who played against whose starters or subs? What team gameplanned? The games are a money grab by the owners, thats their real value.

6) The Japanese little league that made the World Series this year brought their 11-year old team, just to watch, observe, as motivation for those kids to make next year's Series. What we have there is a pretty expensive motivational tool.

5) David Wright is batting .400 in his at bats if Jose Reyes is on base; logic being is he gets more fastballs to hit.

4) ESPN has Angels-Tigers next week; at some point, ESPN is going to realize the Rockies are exciting and in contention; if both New York teams and the Red Sox have a week off, then maybe they could show one of their games. Or the Phillies.

3) Sadly, the wheel have fallen off for the Brewers, who are in second place, and also exactly at .500. They haven't had year over .500 since 1992, and unless they can right the ship soon, it ain't happening this year, either.

2) If you like to keep track of odd stats, let it be known that in Tampa, the Devil Rays need a 20-22 finish to post best record in team history (old record, 70-92). They have lot of games vs Boston, so 20-22 would be pretty good accomplishment.

1) Monday night- Bengals at Falcons, after Michael Vick is in court during the day. Excelleent chance to see if mute button on your TV works- ESPN figures to wear this topic out, and I, for one, have heard enough of it.

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[pm530]

National Football League - Long Sheet

NFL
Pre-Season
Long Sheet


Monday, August 27

CINCINNATI (0 - 2) at ATLANTA (1 - 1) - 8/27/2007, 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


Monday, August 27th

Cincinnati at Atlanta, 8:00 ET ESPN
Cincinnati: 5-1 Over vs. non-conference opponents
Atlanta: 19-7 ATS off a road game

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[pm530]

National Football League – Write up

NFL
Pre-Season
Write-up


Monday, August 27

Week 3 preseason games are usually the ones where you get the most effort out of these teams. They're still exhibitions, however.

Let me see, Michael Vick officially pleads guilty today; ESPN is doing Falcons' home game with Cincinnati, the team that had double figure arrests on its team last year-- this game shouldn't be dealt with in any way, shape or form, too many distractions. Save your money for the college football games later in the week. No more NFL analysis until Saints-Colts September 6.

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National Football League – Starter Report

NFL

Monday, August 27

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Monday's Starter Report
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Cincinnati Bengals at Atlanta Falcons (+3, 38)

Last week Carson Palmer and the first-string offense stayed on the field for a quarter and a half, but Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis says his regulars will get more game action this time around.

“Yeah, they’ll play more than they have in the past,” Lewis told the Cincinnati Enquirer. “We get a chance to stay in rhythm offensively and defensively.”

Right tackle Levi Jones and cornerback Johnathan Joseph are both expected to start and play in their first game this preseason.

As for the Falcons, coach Bobby Petrino says his top players (minus Michael Vick) will play into the third quarter. Running back Warrick Dunn, who’s battled a sore back throughout camp, will start against the Bengals.

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National Football League - Gameday

NFL
Pre-Season
Gameday


Monday, August 27

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NFL Preseason Gameday
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Carson Palmer and the Cincinnati Bengals will be looking to get on track on Monday night as they travel to Atlanta to face Joey Harrington and the Falcons at the Georgia Dome.

The Bengals are considered a threat to challenge both the Indianapolis Colts and the Baltimore Ravens in what promises to be a bruising AFC North division once the NFL regular season begins on September 6th. Last season Cincinnati finished 8-8, tied with the Ravens behind the 13-3 Colts, who of course went on to win the Super Bowl while the Bengals missed the playoffs.

Palmer returned from a horrible knee injury to throw for 4,035 yards in 2006, with 28 touchdown passes, only 13 interceptions and a quarterback rating of 93.9. He could be poised for a huge campaign with the likes of Chad Johnson and T.J. Houshmandzadeh awaiting his passes. Palmer and the Bengals are off to a slow start this preseason, however, and are winless in their first two games. Cincinnati fell 27-26 to the Lions in Detroit back in Week 1, and followed that up with a 27-19 setback on their home turf at the hands of the Saints in Week 2.

Palmer has so far completed a mere 12-of-21 passes for 134 yards and zero touchdowns, and will be looking to get some offense going on Monday night - at least in the first half - against the Falcons. Running back Rudi Johnson will also be looking to improve on his preseason totals of 11 carries for 47 yards with a strong performance. Chris Henry has been the top receiver for Cincy so far, with eight receptions for 112 yards and one touchdown, but Henry will serve an eight-game suspension to begin the regular season and won't be part of the mix when the Bengals break camp.

The situation in Atlanta will be a circus on Monday, as Michael Vick is expected to formally plead guilty to charges associated with his role in a dogfighting enterprise. Harrington has reportedly had a strong week in camp and will be doing his best to get the Falcons to focus on football.

After absorbing a 31-16 pounding by the New York Jets back in Week 1 of the preseason, Atlanta bounced back to post a 13-10 victory over the Buffalo Bills in Week 2. Rookie head coach Bobby Petrino seems determined to help the Falcons turn the page as quickly as possible on the Vick era in Atlanta, as the 28-year-old Harrington takes over the offensive reins after being signed to play the role of Vick's backup during the offseason, after Matt Schaub was traded to Houston. Harrington so far is 10-of-16 for 119 yards with an interception. Running back Warrick Dunn is expected to make his preseason debut coming off back surgery after rushing for 1,140 yards in 2006.

Despite visiting what promises to be an electric Georgia Dome full of interested Falcons fans, the Bengals are listed as 3-point favorites with the total sitting at 38 points. Atlanta is 7-2 all-time against Cincinnati in preseason play involving the two teams, and the Falcons knocked off the Bengals 29-27 in Cincy midway through the 2006 regular season. Kick-off is 8 pm ET with ESPN handling the coverage.

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[pm530]

WNBA – Betting Trends

WNBA


Monday, August 27

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Betting Trends
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ATS Trends
Connecticut
Sun are 6-0 ATS in their last 6 Monday games.
Sun are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games following a S.U. loss.
Sun are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games following a ATS loss.
Sun are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games vs. a team with a winning S.U. record.
Sun are 7-3 ATS in their last 10 vs. Eastern Conference.
Sun are 38-18 ATS in their last 56 road games.
Sun are 2-5 ATS in their last 7 games playing on 1 days rest.


Indiana
Fever are 6-0 ATS in their last 6 games playing on 1 days rest.
Fever are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 home games.
Fever are 6-2 ATS in their last 8 games overall.
Fever are 4-9 ATS in their last 13 games following a ATS win.
Fever are 3-9 ATS in their last 12 Monday games.
Fever are 2-7 ATS in their last 9 games vs. a team with a winning S.U. record.


OU Trends
Connecticut
Under is 4-0 in Sun last 4 games playing on 1 days rest.
Over is 4-0 in Sun last 4 Monday games.
Under is 10-2 in Sun last 12 Conference Semifinals games.
Over is 5-1 in Sun last 6 games following a S.U. loss.
Over is 7-3-1 in Sun last 11 games following a ATS loss.
Under is 7-3 in Sun last 10 vs. Eastern Conference.


Indiana
Under is 6-1 in Fever last 7 games playing on 1 days rest.
Under is 5-1 in Fever last 6 home games.
Over is 8-2 in Fever last 10 games following a S.U. win.
Over is 4-1 in Fever last 5 games following a ATS win.


Head to Head
Sun are 6-1 ATS in the last 7 meetings in Indiana.
Sun are 16-5 ATS in the last 21 meetings.



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ATS Trends
Sacramento
Monarchs are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 Conference Semifinals games.
Monarchs are 5-2 ATS in their last 7 games following a S.U. loss.
Monarchs are 5-2 ATS in their last 7 games following a ATS loss.
Monarchs are 2-5 ATS in their last 7 vs. Western Conference.
Monarchs are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games playing on 1 days rest.
Monarchs are 0-4 ATS in their last 4 road games.


San Antonio
Silver Stars are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 Monday games.
Silver Stars are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games overall.
Silver Stars are 1-6 ATS in their last 7 games following a S.U. win.
Silver Stars are 0-7 ATS in their last 7 games following a ATS win.


OU Trends
Sacramento
Over is 7-0 in Monarchs last 7 Conference Semifinals games.
Over is 6-1 in Monarchs last 7 overall.
Over is 11-2-1 in Monarchs last 14 games following a ATS loss.
Over is 5-1 in Monarchs last 6 vs. Western Conference.
Over is 4-1 in Monarchs last 5 vs. a team with a winning S.U. record.
Over is 20-7-1 in Monarchs last 28 games following a S.U. loss.


San Antonio
Over is 4-1 in Silver Stars last 5 games following a S.U. win.
Under is 4-1 in Silver Stars last 5 games playing on 1 days rest.
Over is 4-1 in Silver Stars last 5 vs. a team with a winning S.U. record.
Over is 4-1 in Silver Stars last 5 vs. Western Conference.


Head to Head
Over is 4-1 in the last 5 meetings.

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[pm530]

Baseball – Write up

MLB
Write-up


Monday, August 27

Hot Pitchers
-- Phillies won four of last five Durbin starts, scoring 48 runs.
-- Peavy is 5-0, 1.82 in his last six starts.
-- Lowe is 2-0, 1.93 in his last couple starts.
-- Zito has a 2.41 RA in his last four starts.

-- Silva is 2-1, 1.75 in his last five starts. Indians won nine of the last twelve starts by Byrd.
-- Mariners won five of last six Batista home starts.
-- Loaiza shut Toronto down last week in Canada, allowing one run in 7.2 IP-- it was his first start of season.
-- Jackson is 2-2, 1.64 in his last five starts.

Cold Pitchers
-- Carlyle is 0-4, 9.00 in five starts for the Braves. Olsen is 1-4 in his last six starts, with a 6.87 RA.
-- Mets lost last three Lawrence starts (0-1, 5.63).
-- Hernandez is 1-1, 7.00 in three '07 starts vs San Diego.
-- Bacsik has a 7.80 RA in his last three starts.
-- Fogg is 0-2, 13.03 in his last couple starts.

-- Verlander has a 6.36 RA in his last ten starts. In his last two starts, Mussina faced 40 batters; got 17 outs, allowed 14 runs.
-- Lackey is 0-2, 6.19 in his last three starts.
-- Toronto lost six of last eight Lackey starts.
-- White Sox lost thirteen of last fourteen Contreras starts.

Totals
-- Over is 11-4-2 in last seventeen Olsen starts.
-- All six Durbin starts went over the total.
-- Six of last seven Hernandez starts went over the total.
-- Over is 6-2-1 in Lowe's last nine starts.
-- Under is 4-1 in Zito's last five starts.

-- Over is 5-2 in last seven Bronx games.
-- Under is 5-2-1 in last eight Byrd starts.
-- Under is 5-2-1 in last eight Lackey road starts.
-- Under is 10-2 in last dozen Burnett starts.
-- Over is 11-3-1 in last fifteen Contreras starts.


Hot Teams
-- Mets won nine of their last thirteen games.
-- Padres won five of their last seven games. Arizona won three of its last four games.
-- Dodgers won four of their last five home games.
-- Giants won nine of their last eleven games. Rockies won last three games, scoring 21 runs.

-- Devil Rays won last three games, 12-2/14-3/7-4.
-- Minnesota won its last six road games. Indians won four of their last five games.
-- Mariners won ten of last fifteen games. Angels won thirteen of their last seventeen home games.

Cold Teams
-- Braves are 6-12 in their last eighteen road games. Marlins lost eleven of their last twelve games.
-- Phillies lost six of their last eight games.
-- Nationals lost four of their last five games.

-- White Sox lost fourteen of their last seventeen games, giving up 46 runs in last four games.
-- Detroit lost six of last nine games. Bronx lost four of its last six games.
-- A's lost last three games, giving up 33 runs. Blue Jays lost six of their last eight games.

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[pm530]

Baseball – Betting Notes

MLB


Monday, August 27

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MLB Betting Notes
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Monday’s MLB betting notes

Delgado finally busts slump

The New York Mets have tried everything to keep Carlos Delgado from ending up in potentially game-spoiling situations. The high-priced slugger is mired in one of the worst slumps of his career after recently going through a 0-for-19 drought and watching his batting average drop to .245. After Delgado left five runners stranded on one occasion last week and seven in another game, manager Willie Randolph has moved the former cleanup man to fifth and then sixth position in the lineup in an effort to hide him.

There is some hope among New York fans that Delgado’s slump-busting hit (a single that scored two runs on Saturday) could cure him of the yips, but it was a knee injury that precipitated the slump in the first place and that injury hasn’t yet healed. However, Delgado’s teammates believe he’ll break out of it soon.

"We all know as hitters what it's like to go through stretches like he's been going through. It was only a matter of time before a great hitter like him got going."

Hall finds hitch in swing

Last year, Bill Hall was the player the Milwaukee Brewers leaned on for big hits when they needed them most. This year, he’s been almost invisible at the plate.

With only 12 home runs to his name this season, Hall’s frustrations had grown steadily as the months passed and his hitting didn’t improve. But now Hall thinks he’s solved the riddle of his uncooperative bat.

"It was my hand positioning," he explained. "My hands weren't where they were last year, to have a good bat angle. It caused my swing to be slightly slower and have a little drag to it."

Hall has been watching video of his plate appearances and he think a change to his hand positioning could improve his batting numbers. He has five hits in five games, including two home runs, since making the change.

Setup for a fall

Los Angeles Angels relief pitcher Scott Shields has been complaining about soreness in his pitching arm. That might partly explain the shocking lack of control the 32-year-old has shown in recent outings. In nine August appearances, Shields has a 13.50 ERA and has walked seven batters in his last seven outings. To compound the problem, one of the Angels’ other primary relievers, is also going through a rough time, with a couple of bad outings against Boston and New York last week.


"Right now, I think they're in a little bit of a funk but I think Justin is doing a terrific job and Shields is really just a hair off," manager Mike Scioscia said. "When they get back in sync they will be as effective as ever and the only way to get them back in sync is to keep them out there pitching."

Scioscia says he doesn’t plan on making any changes to his bullpen, despite a 6.35 ERA in the last three games before Sunday.

Kim is back in Miami

In an odd turn of events, Byung Hyun Kim is a member of the Florida Marlins again after spending a total of 12 days with the Arizona Diamondbacks. Kim, who started the season with the Colorado Rockies before moving to the Marlins in May, was put on waivers at the beginning of the month and claimed by the D-backs. But after only two disappointing outings, Arizona released the right-hander and the Marlins were more than happy to claim him again for their own bullpen.

"I got a little personal problem and I explained to them," Kim told the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. "They asked if I can pitch? I didn't do a good job. I didn't talk to the manager and general manager again."

Kim pitched 1.1 scoreless innings for the Marlins in a 9-3 loss to the Cincinnati Reds on Saturday.

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[pm530]

Baseball Today - August 27

SCOREBOARD
Arizona at San Diego (10:05 p.m. EDT). Jake Peavy of the Padres starts the opener of a key series against the NL West-leading Diamondbacks.

STARS
Sunday

-- Carlos Pena, Devil Rays, hit a pair of home runs in Tampa Bay's 7-4 win over Oakland.

-- Chris Young, Diamondbacks, hit two homers to help Arizona beat the Chicago Cubs 5-4.

-- Ryan Howard, Phillies, homered and drove in four runs in Philadelphia's 14-2 rout of San Diego.

-- Travis Hafner and Victor Martinez, Indians, singled home runs in the 11th inning to help Cleveland beat Kansas City 5-3.

-- Matt Holliday, Rockies, homered, doubled and drove in three runs to help Colorado complete a three-game sweep of Washington with a 10-5 win.

SWEEPING SOX

Boston defeated the Chicago White Sox 11-1 on Sunday to complete a four-game sweep. For the series, the Red Sox outscored Chicago 46-7. Boston scored at least 10 runs in every game of the series, which is only the fourth time that has happened in a four-game series since 1900, according to the Elias Sports Bureau, and the first time in the American League in 85 years.

BOOM TOWN

David Wells pitched five effective innings in his Dodgers debut and Los Angeles beat the New York Mets 6-2 on Sunday night to salvage the finale of the three-game series. Wells (6-8) allowed seven hits and two runs, walked three and struck out two in his first game in 20 days. He was 0-3 with a 14.04 ERA in his previous four starts before San Diego cut him loose earlier this month.

POWER PLAY

Detroit defeated the New York Yankees 5-4 on Sunday in a game in which home runs accounted for all the offense. Curtis Granderson led off the first inning with an inside-the-park homer for the Tigers and Carlos Guillen added a two-run shot later in the frame. Marcus Thames also homered in the third for Detroit. Jason Giambi hit a solo shot for the Yankees in the second and Robinson Cano connected for a three-run shot in the fourth to complete the scoring.

RED HOT

Ryan Jorgensen's first grand slam helped 29-year-old Tom Shearn win his major league debut Sunday, and Cincinnati beat Florida 9-3 for its sixth straight victory. Since interim manager Pete Mackanin took over on July 3, Cincinnati has the NL's best record at 29-19.

INSIDE-OUT

Curtis Granderson led off the first inning with an inside-the-park homer for the Tigers in a 5-4 win over the Yankees on Sunday. ... Derrek Lee hit his second career inside-the-park homer for the Cubs in a 5-4 loss to the Diamondbacks.

STREAKING

Matt Holliday homered, doubled and drove in three runs to lead Colorado past Washington 10-5 on Sunday and extended his hit streak to 16 games -- a career best. His is the longest current hitting streak in the majors.

SPEAKING

"I'll sleep in my car to pitch in the big leagues right now." -- Cincinnati right-hander Tom Shearn, who won his major league debut, a 9-3 victory over Florida on Sunday. The 29-year-old, who slept on reliever Gary Majewski's couch before his big day, played in the minors for 11 seasons and spent another recovering from elbow surgery.

SEASONS
August 27

1897 -- Roger Bresnahan, later a Hall of Fame catcher, made his major league debut as a pitcher for the Washington Senators by beating the St. Louis Browns 3-0.

1937 -- Brooklyn's Fred Frankhouse pitched a rain-shortened no-hitter against the Cincinnati Reds. The game was stopped with two outs in the eighth inning and the Dodgers leading 5-0.

1974 -- Benny Ayala of the Mets became the first National League player in 13 years to hit a home run in his first major league at-bat, connecting against Houston's Tom Griffin in New York's 4-2 victory at Shea Stadium.

1977 -- Toby Harrah and Bump Wills of the Texas Rangers hit back-to-back inside-the-park home runs on consecutive pitches in the seventh inning as the Rangers beat the Yankees 8-2 at Yankee Stadium.

1978 -- Joe Morgan of the Cincinnati Reds hit his 200th career home run to become the first player in major league history to have 200 homers and 500 stolen bases.

1982 -- Rickey Henderson of Oakland broke Lou Brock's 1974 record of 118 stolen bases in a season and stole three more bases in the Athletics' 5-4 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers. It gave Henderson 122 thefts in 127 games.

1999 -- Vladimir Guerrero's hitting streak was halted at 31 games by Cincinnati's Ron Villone, as the Reds beat Montreal 4-1. Guerrero went 0-for-2 with an intentional walk against Villone, ending the majors' longest hitting streak since 1987.

2005 -- Jeff Kent became the first player to hit 300 home runs as a second baseman in the Los Angeles Dodgers' 8-3 win over Houston. The homer was the 325th of his career.

Today's birthdays: Jose Vidro 33; Jim Thome 37.

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[Udog]

MLB
Tips and Trends


Monday, August 27


New York Mets at Philadelphia Phillies (7:05 PM ET)

New York’s Brian Lawrence has a losing 1-3 record and 4.06 ERA in seven career outings versus Philadelphia. He’s picked up losses in both of his starts at Citizens Bank Park, allowing eight runs and 10 hits over 11 innings. SLIGHT EDGE: PHILLIES
Lawrence has been solid on the road during his career, posting a 31-29 record and 4.46 ERA in 81 appearances. The right-hander is a dismal 19-33 in 85 outings on his home turf. SLIGHT EDGE: METS
Phillies starter J.D. Durbin is 1-2 with a 6.75 ERA in six home appearances this season. He picked up a 15-3 defeat in his last start at Citizens Bank Park, allowing four earned runs and seven hits over 4 2/3 innings. SLIGHT EDGE: METS
Durbin has struggled with his control for much of the season, issuing 28 walks and striking out just 26 in 49 2/3 innings. He’s walked eight batters over his last three appearances spanning 13 2/3 innings. EDGE: METS
The UNDER is 6-1 in the Phillies last seven games as a home favorite.


New York Yankees at Detroit Tigers (ESPN2 | 7:05 PM ET)

New York has lost four of six on its seven-game road trip after winning 15 of its previous 20 games. Monday’s defeat dropped the Yankees 7 ½ games behind the AL East-leading Boston and they’re in danger of losing consecutive series for the first time since dropping four in a row from June 19-July1. SLIGHT EDGE: TIGERS
Yankees starter Mike Mussina is an impressive 17-6 with a 2.70 ERA in 30 career starts against the Tigers. He hopes to shake off a couple of terrible outings when he takes the ball in the series finale, as he’s allowed 13 earned runs over his last 6 2/3 innings. EDGE: YANKEES
Detroit right-hander Justin Verlander is 1-0 with a 7.84 ERA in two career starts versus New York. He gave up three runs and seven hits in 5 1/3 innings of an 8-5 victory August 16 to beat Mussina. SLIGHT EDGE: TIGERS
Verlander is looking to bounce back from an awful outing, as he gave up a season-high seven runs and season-worst 10 hits in just four innings of an 11-8 loss to the Indians on Wednesday. He has not lost back-to-back starts all season. SLIGHT EDGE: TIGERS
The Yankees are 35-16 in the last 51 meetings.


Atlanta Braves at Florida Marlins (7:05 PM ET)

Florida has lost 11 of its last 12 games, including three in a row to Cincinnati by a combined score of 25-13. The Marlins were swept for the second time in their last three series after a 9-3 defeat Monday and fell a season-high 17 games under .500. EDGE: BRAVES
The Marlins have fared well against the Braves recently, winning seven of the teams’ 12 meetings this year. The clubs have split six games at Dolphin Stadium, where the Braves are average 7.3 runs and batting .302. SLIGHT EDGE: MARLINS
Marlins starter Scott Olsen is the team leader in wins, but he has just one victory in six starts since he was arrested July 21 for driving under the influence and resisting an officer. In that stretch, the left-hander is 1-4 with a 6.63 ERA. EDGE: BRAVES
Atlanta’s Lance Cormier is 0-2 with a 10.29 ERA in five career games – three starts – against the Marlins. He’s allowed an amazing 12 home runs in just 25 innings this season. EDGE: MARLINS
The Marlins are 5-16 in their last 21 games during Game 1 of a series.


Minnesota Twins at Cleveland Indians (7:05 PM ET)

Minnesota starter Carlos Silva is 4-5 with a 4.90 ERA in 16 career outings versus Cleveland. He was handed a 4-0 home defeat in his last start against the Tribe on August 6, allowing two runs and six hits over seven innings. SLIGHT EDGE: INDIANS
Silva has pitched better than his 1-1 record in August would indicate, as the right-hander has a brilliant 1.61 ERA over four starts. He has issued two walks and allowed just 21 hits over 28 innings of work. EDGE: TWINS
Indians right-hander Paul Byrd is an impressive 9-3 with a 3.59 ERA in 15 career starts versus the Twins. He’s a perfect 3-0 with a 3.13 ERA in three starts against Minnesota this season, surrendering eight earned runs and 21 hits over 23 innings. EDGE: INDIANS
Byrd has a 6-3 winning record at home over 12 starts, but he carries a very-high 6.19 ERA. The Tribe has dropped his last two starts at Jacobs Field, being outscored 20-8 by the New York Yankees and Texas Rangers. EDGE: TWINS
The Indians are 2-8 in their last 10 home games.


Arizona Diamondbacks at San Diego Padres (10:05 PM ET)

· Arizona starter Livan Hernandez is 10-3 with a 3.87 ERA in 20 career starts versus San Diego. He’s an even 1-1 with a 7.00 ERA in three starts against the Padres in 2007, issuing 10 walks and striking out seven in 18 innings. SLIGHT EDGE: D-BACKS
· Hernandez has shown signs of returning to his early season form, posting a 3-1 record and 4.85 ERA in four starts this month. Opposing batters are hitting .278 against him in August, which is far better than the .333 average he allowed last month. SLIGHT EDGE: D-BACKS
· San Diego ace Jake Peavy is 9-8 with a 4.90 ERA in 20 career starts versus Arizona. He’s a perfect 2-0 with a 1.86 ERA in three outings against the Diamondbacks this season, striking out an incredible 35 batters in just 19 1/3 innings. EDGE: PADRES
· Peavy has dominated hitters this month, going a perfect 4-0 with a 1.38 ERA in five starts. Hitters are batting just .162 against the right-hander in August. BIG EDGE: PADRES
· The Padres are 6-1 in Peavy’s last seven home starts versus the Diamondbacks.


Los Angeles Angels at Seattle Mariners (10:05 PM ET)

Los Angeles right-hander John Lackey is an even 8-8 with a 4.27 ERA in 20 career starts versus Seattle. He’s been brilliant against the Mariners this season, tossing 15 scoreless innings and allowing just 11 hits. SLIGHT EDGE: ANGELS
Lackey has a 9-4 record and 3.12 ERA in 14 road starts this season. He should relish tonight’s situation, as the right-hander is also an incredible 12-4 with a 2.85 ERA in 17 nighttime starts. EDGE: ANGELS
Seattle starter Miguel Batista has tallied a 7-5 home record and 3.97 ERA in 13 home starts in 2007. The Mariners have picked up victories in five of his last six starts at Safeco Field, as he’s allowed three earned runs or less in each of those outings. EDGE: MARINERS
Batista has been struggling with his control over the month of August, issuing 15 walks in his last 20 innings of work. SLIGHT EDGE: ANGELS
The Mariners are 12-3 in their last 15 Monday games.

[Udog]

MLB
Streaking Pitchers


Monday, August 27


HOT

Paul Byrd (Cleveland Indians) - Byrd has won his last two straight starts and five of his last seven overall. More impressive is his record against today's opponent, the Minnesota Twins. This season alone, he's won all three starts and he's 9-3 in 15 career starts against them. The Tribe have cashed in on the moneyline in seven of Byrd's last 10 starts and are -131 favorites today.

Jake Peavy (San Diego Padres) - Today's Diamondbacks-Padres 7-run total is the lowest on the card and for good reason. Jake Peavy hasn't allowed the D-Backs to score in his last 14 innings and has won both starts against them at Petco Park this year. The righty is 14-5 on the season and his 2.21 ERA is the second lowest in the league behind teammate Chris Young (2.12). As favorites, the Padres have collected on the moneyline in five of Peavy's last six starts and they are -230 home faves today.

COLD

Jose Contreras (Chicago White Sox) - Contreras is defying the law of averages with his nine-game losing slump. He has put up a 9.17 ERA in that skid and is just 6-16 with a 6.18 ERA overall. Will today be the day Contreras posts his first win in over two months? The White Sox have been slapped with a dog tag in Contreras' last five starts but books favor them today at -109 when they host the Devil Rays (-101).

Mike Mussina (New York Yankees) - After a four-game winning streak, Mussina has dropped his last two starts both straight up and on the moneyline and has given up 13 runs in that time. Yanks bats have provided him with some run support however. The total has played over in their last five straight behind the veteran right-hander. The Bombers are +105 underdogs today against the Tigers and books have set the total at 10 1/2.

[Kaptain]

Early POINTS OF INTEREST

08/27/07
03:00 AM Injuries
MLB
Monday: Phillies RF Shane Victorino (.283; calf) is doubtful; Giants LF Barry Bonds (.286; rest) is doubtful.


08/27/07
03:00 AM Injuries
MLB
Monday: Twins C Joe Mauer (.294; hamstring) is questionable; Angels 3B Chone Figgins (.225; wrist) is questionable.


08/27/07
02:59 AM Injuries
MLB
Monday: White Sox LF Scott Podsednik (.257; ribs) is questionable; Yankees SS Derek Jeter (.320; knee) is expected back.

08/27/07
02:41 AM Lineup Alert
NFL
Browns QB Brady Quinn has had a solid preseason, but is likely NOT the starter for the opener on Sept. 9th.

08/27/07
02:36 AM Injuries
MLB
Tigers SP Jair Jurrjens had an MRI on his right shoulder that showed no significant damage but he'll still go on the DL.

08/27/07
02:35 AM Injury Alert
MLB
Tigers SP Jair Jurrjens left Sunday's game in the second inning with an apparent right shoulder injury.

08/27/07
02:33 AM Info Alert
MLB
Tigers C Ivan Rodriguez was ejected from Sunday's game in the fourth inning for arguing balls and strikes.


08/27/07
02:28 AM Lineups
MLB
The Cubs are planning to activate Alfonso Soriano for Tuesday's game against the Brewers.

08/27/07
02:28 AM Info Alert
MLB
D-Backs closer Jose Valverde became the first big leaguer to 40 saves when he pitched a scoreless ninth on Sunday.

08/27/07
02:26 AM Info Alert
MLB
Nationals optioned SP John Lannan to Triple-A Columbus.

i08/27/07
02:26 AM Injuries
MLB
Dodgers 2B Jeff Kent left Sunday's game in the fourthnning after being hit in the head by a pitch.


08/27/07
02:24 AM Lineups
MLB
Yankees SS Derek Jeter said he'd play Monday after resting a sore knee Sunday.

08/27/07
02:23 AM Injuries
MLB
Astros SP Roy Oswalt (oblique) threw a bullpen session Sunday and pronounced himself ready to pitch Wednesday.

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08/27/07
02:20 AM Info Alert
MLB
Mets designated catcher Sandy Alomar Jr. for assignment.

08/27/07
02:17 AM Injuries
NFL
Raiders RB Michael Bush (leg surgery) will begin the season on injured reserve.