Monday Trends and Indexes 09/17

[pm530]

Trends and Indexes
Monday, September 17

Good Luck on day #260 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

-- It seems un-American that people without DirecTV can't get the NFL Sunday Ticket. Yes, I'm whining.

-- So Robert Kraft is NFL's version of Sergeant Schultz on the old TV show Hogan's Heroes....."I know nothing!!!!"

-- Sunday, Belichick got a contract extension that runs thru 2013; Kraft's actions speak louder than his words.

-- Eldrick Woods makes golf boring; why watch, when you know who is going to win? He is that excellent.

-- Jim Thome seems like a good guy; we were happy to see that he hit his 500th homer Sunday.

-- Brewers got seven shutout innings from Villanueva and stayed within game of Cubs in NL Central; when this year started in April, who thought the Brewers would contend?

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Monday's List of 13: Wrapping up an NFL Sunday.............

13) Superb effort by the Bengal defense, allowing Cleveland 554 yards, 7.5 yards per rush, in a 51-45 debacle by Lake Erie. Browns had 220 total yards against the Steelers last week.

12) Patriots obviously rallied behind their cheater coach and stomped the Chargers Sunday night; impressive performance by whole team, even Moss, who still seems interested. Lets wait until January, and see if he still cares when its freezing.

11) Rams had 16-14 lead with 5:44 left when Dante Hall muffed a punt, setting up winning 49er points. The special teams still stink, and the defense still doesn't tackle well, and while I am bitching, Bulger still stinks in the red zone. Otherwise, terrific.

10) Rams opened with pair of home games, led both at half, and lost both, scoring total of six second half points, keeping their opponents in game with turnovers. They outgained the 49ers 392-186 and lost. What date is the draft again? They'll need to take an offensive tackle who can stay healthy.

9) Giants allowed 80 points in first two games; it looks as if teams are just isolating their LBs in coverage, and exploiting a weakness there. They catch Redskins on a short week next.

8) I thought Janikowski had beaten Denver with FG in OT; in reality, Shanahan had waited until very last second to call a timeout to ice everyone, and Janikowski missed the next one, as Broncos continued tormenting Al Davis in a game that had a thunderstorm delay early in second quarter.

7) Jeff Garcia attempted 16 passes, wasn't sacked, and threw for 243 yards; thats a whopping 15.2 yards per attempt, very impressive no matter who was doing the passing.

6) Chiefs averaged 1.9 yards per pass, Bears 2.1, in game that set the NFL back a few pegs. If Chicago didn't have Hester on special teams, they'd have trouble scoring at all. Kansas City is definitely one of five worst teams in league.

5) Vikings, Lions both had five turnovers, both had their QB knocked goofy in wild OT game, where both sides missed FG to win game at end of regulation. Detroit led 17-10, and on its next three possessions, fumbled for a Viking TD, threw pick on Viking 10, and fumbled in Viking red zone. Nothing like an afternoon with Martz Madness (they gained 415 yards).

4) Let me see: Matt Schaub's Texans are 2-0, Joey Harrington is 0-2 in Atlanta, and Falcon owner Arthur Blank is probably ordering background checks on every player on his team; if they had known earlier about Michael Vick's dogfighting, no way would they have ever traded Schaub.

3) Texans averaged 8.1 yards per pass attempt Sunday, came back from early 14-0 deficit to whack Carolina, and are now a Cinderella contender in a tough AFC. Next up: the Colts.

2) Buffalo has 407 total yards in two games; what are they to do when the weather gets bad? Steelers kicked four FGs and still won 26-3; pretty good butt kicking there.

1) Nice choke job by Seattle, which had ball on Cardinal 36 in last 2:00, perfectly set up for the win, when they fumbled an exchange on a handoff, giving Cardinals the ball and a game.

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[pm530]

National Football League - Dunkel Index

NFL
Dunkel Index

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 17

Game 231-232: Washington at Philadelphia
Dunkel Ratings: Washington 124.184; Philadelphia 135.681
Dunkel Line: Philadelphia by 11 1/2; 36
Vegas Line: Philadelphia by 6 1/2; 39
Dunkel Pick: Philadelphia (-6 1/2); Under

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[pm530]

National Football League – Long Sheet

NFL
Long Sheet


Week 2

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Monday, September 17

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WASHINGTON (1 - 0) at PHILADELPHIA (0 - 1) - 9/17/2007, 8:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
WASHINGTON is 42-65 ATS (-29.5 Units) versus division opponents since 1992.
PHILADELPHIA is 113-78 ATS (+27.2 Units) against conference opponents since 1992.
WASHINGTON is 25-10 ATS (+14.0 Units) as a road underdog of 3.5 to 7 points since 1992.

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

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[pm530]

National Football League - Short Sheet

NFL
Short Sheet

Week 2

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Monday, September 17th

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Washington at Philadelphia, 8:30 ET ESPN
Washington: 25-10 ATS as a road underdog of 3.5 to 7 points
Philadelphia: 8-2 Under as a favorite of 3.5 to 9.5 points

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[pm530]

National Football League – Write up

NFL
Write-up

Monday, September 17

Redskins (1-0) @ Eagles (0-1) — Hopefully Philly found someone who can catch a punt; they’ve won nine of last 11 vs. Redskins, taking four of last five here, with wins by 13-2-22-24 points. Last year, Iggles won 27-3/21-19, outscoring Skins by combined 38-9 in first half of those games. Washington ran ball for 356 yards vs. Philly LY, but didn’t score TD (four FGs) in four trips to Eagle red zone. Skins lost five of last seven road openers, but are 7-4 as dog in their first road game of season. Philly scored 32.3 pg in last three home openers, with six of last eight going over total. Skins held Miami to 66 rushing yards LW, were one of only three teams that won despite losing field position battle.are 3-2 as home dog, beat Missouri here back in '03.

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[pm530]

National Football League - Tips & Trends

NFL


Monday, September 17

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Tips and Trends
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Washington Redskins at Philadelphia Eagles (ESPN | 8:30 PM ET)

Eagles QB Donovan McNabb is 8-1 SU vs. Washington during his career, throwing for 1,285 yards with 11 touchdowns and just three interceptions. EDGE: EAGLES
Special teams cost Philadelphia in last week's loss at Green Bay, so the Eagles re-signed former punt returner Reno Mahe this week to handle punt returning duties. It's unclear whether or not Mahe will see action, but insiders expect the special teams to be much improved after a tough week of practice. SLIGHT EDGE: EAGLES
Philly's secondary will be without starting cornerback Lito Sheppard on Monday night after he sprained his knee against the Packers. Look for Washington QB Jason Campbell to take advantage of Sheppard's replacement William James, who played in just one game last year and just six games over the last three years combined. EDGE: REDSKINS
Washington is just 3-8-2 ATS its last 13 games vs. NFC opponents.
Washington is 3-7 ATS in its last 10 appearances on Monday Night Football.
Philadelphia is 11-4 ATS in its last 15 appearances on Monday Night Football.
The UNDER is 12-5-2 in Philly's last 19 appearances on Monday Night Football.
The UNDER is 8-3-3 in Washington's last 14 games vs. NFC opponents.

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[pm530]

National Football League – Preview

NFL

Monday, September 17

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NFL Preview
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Monday Night Football Preview

Donovan McNabb and the Philadelphia Eagles will be looking to break into the win column Monday night when they do battle with the division-rival Washington Redskins.

The Eagles came up short in their Week 1 game against the Green Bay Packers last Sunday, falling behind 10-0 after the first quarter en route to a 16-13 defeat. McNabb had a shaky outing that day - he completed just 15-of-33 pass attempts for 184 yards, with only one touchdown strike and one interception. McNabb was also sacked once.

Brian Westbrook rushed for 85 yards on 20 carries for Philadelphia in the loss, while Jason Avant caught a nine-yard pass from McNabb in the end zone in the second quarter for the team's only touchdown. David Akers provided the rest of Philly's points with two field goals. Green Bay scored off a fumbled punt return in the first quarter and got three field goals from Mason Crosby - including the winner with two seconds left.

So Philadelphia began the season at 0-1, while fellow NFC East team Washington began the season at 1-0 after knocking off the Miami Dolphins by a final score of 16-13 in overtime on Sunday. Shaun Suisham's third field goal proved to be the winner for the Redskins in the extra frame, in a contest that featured another shaky quarterback outing.

Jason Campbell went just 12-of-21 for 222 yards for Washington in the win, with no touchdown passes and two interceptions to go along with two sacks. The Redskins got a touchdown from Clinton Portis off a 19-yard rush in the third quarter; Portis ran for 98 yards in the victory, while backup Ladell Betts had 59 rushing yards on his 17 carries. Miami got a touchdown pass from Trent Green at the conclusion of the second quarter.

Philadelphia had Washington's number on the field last season, as the Eagles went 2-0 over their two matchups. On November 12 the Eagles rolled to an easy 27-3 home win over the Redskins, covering the 8-point spread. On December 10 Philly walked away with a 21-19 road victory, but just missed covering the 2.5-point spread. The combined scores of both of those 2006 contests fell UNDER the day's posted total (41.5 and 40.5).

The oddsmakers will be looking for McNabb to get back on track on Monday night and lead Philadelphia to another win over the division-rival Redskins - the Eagles are listed as a 7-point favorite in the Monday contest, with the game's total pegged at 38.5 points.

McNabb has admitted that his running game is not where it was prior to his knee surgery, but the QB was still able to avoid the team's injury report after one week of action. Oft-injured Redskin Portis sat out parts of practice this week, but he'll be fine for Monday night. Washington, though, has lost the services of tackle Jon Jansen for the season; he broke his ankle in Week 1. Jansen's roster spot was filled by newly-signed wide receiver Reche Caldwell. Here are the complete injury reports for both teams . . .

Washington Injuries
Vernon Fox S Doubtful Week 2 (groin)
Phillip Daniels DE Questionable Week 2 (foot)
Pierson Prioleau S Questionable Week 2 (hamstring)
Cody Boyd TE Probable Week 2 (shoulder)
Fred Smoot CB Probable Week 2 (hamstring)
Todd Yoder TE Probable Week 2 (ankle)

Philadelphia Injuries
Lito Sheppard CB Out Week 2 (knee)
A.J. Feeley QB Questionable Week 2 (left hand)
Joselio Hanson CB Probable Week 2 (concussion)
Jevon Kearse DE Probable Week 2 (shoulder)
Greg Lewis WR Probable Week 2 (hip)
Matt Schobel TE Probable Week 2 (groin)
L.J. Smith TE Probable Week 2 (groin)

The Eagles will stay at home for their Week 3 contest - they'll get a visit from the Detroit Lions on Sunday afternoon at Lincoln Financial Field. The Redskins will be home as well in Week 3 as they'll play host to the New York Giants in the confines of FedExField.

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[pm530]

National Football League – Game Day Buzz

NFL


Monday, September 17

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Game Day Buzz: Week 2 Betting Notes
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Washington at Philadelphia

Philadelphia has won nine of the last 11 meetings with Washington. The only two losses came during the Eagles' disastrous 6-10 season in 2005 - the only year of the previous six they failed to win the division.

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[pm530]

Baseball – Write up

MLB
Write-up


Monday, September 17

Hot Pitchers
-- Smoltz is 3-1, 3.21 in his last six starts. Marlins won Kim's last four starts, scoring 27 runs.
-- Cubs won five of Hill's last six starts. Arroyo is 2-1, 2.77 in his last four starts.
-- Gallardo is 3-0, 0.90 in his last three starts.
-- Cardinals are 5-0 in Thompson home starts this season.
-- Arizona won eight of last ten Webb starts. Correia is 3-0, 1.98 in five starts this season, but is facing team for second time as a starter for the first time.

-- Cleveland won twelve of last sixteen Byrd starts. Rogers has 2.38 RA in two starts since coming off the DL.
-- Red Sox are 11-2 in last thirteen Wakefield starts.
-- Hughes is 2-0, 3.00 in his last couple starts.
-- Angels won six of last seven Escobar starts.

Cold Pitchers
-- Lawrence is 0-2, 6.53 in his last four starts. Redding is 0-2, 7.94 in his last three starts.
-- Astros lost seven of last ten Albers starts.
-- Phillies lost five of last six Kendrick road starts.
-- Van Benschoten is 0-3, 16.62 in his last four starts. Cassel, in his first '07 start, allowed three runs in 5.2 IP vs Dodgers.

-- Cabrera is 0-4, 9.00 in his last five starts.
-- Toronto lost five of last seven McGowan starts.
-- Slowey has 7.00 RA in his last seven starts. Volquez is 2-1 in three starts for Texas, with a 4.24 RA.
-- Vazquez has 6.29 RA in his last four starts. Davies is 1-5, 7.33 in his last six starts.
-- Haren is 0-3, 7.33 in his last four starts. Batista is 0-4, 7.81 in his last five starts.
-- Jackson is 0-2, 9.00 in his last four starts.


Totals
-- Over is 5-1-1 in last seven Florida games.
-- Over is 5-2-1 in last eight Washington games.
-- Under is 4-1-1 in last six Cincinnati games.
-- Under is 6-2-1 in last nine games at Minute Maid Park.
-- Under is 6-0-1 in last seven St Louis games.
-- Under is 8-2 in last ten San Francisco games.
-- Over is 6-3 in last nine games at Petco Park.

-- Under is 7-2 in Tigers' last ten games.
-- Under is 5-2 in last seven Boston road games.
-- Under is 6-3 in Angels' last nine games.
-- Over is 9-2 in last eleven Texas road games, 7-0 in last seven Slowey starts.
-- Under is 14-3 in Royals' last seventeen home games.
-- Over is 8-0 in last eight Oakland games.
-- Under is 7-3 in last ten Tampa Bay games.


Hot Teams
-- Nationals won six of their last eight home games. Mets won 12 of last 15 games, if you eliminate the 0-7 vs Phillies during this stretch of games. .
-- Phillies won last four games, scoring thirty runs.
-- Cubs won six of their last seven games.
-- Florida won four of its last five games.
-- Padres won nine of their last eleven home games.
-- Arizona won eight of its last eleven games.

-- Bronx won nine of its last eleven games.
-- Red Sox are 9-5 in their last fourteen road games.
-- Indians won six of their last eight games. Tigers won ten of their last twelve games.
-- A's won six of their last eight home games.
-- Devil Ray starting pitchers are 12-2 since August 24. Angels won seven of last eight home series openers.

Cold Teams
-- Braves are 5-8 in their last thirteen home games.
-- Reds lost five of their last six road games.
-- Astros lost eight of their last eleven games. Brewers are 4-9 in their last thirteen road games.
-- Cardinals lost ten of their last eleven games.
-- Giants lost seven of their last eight road games.
-- Pirates lost eight of their last eleven road games.

-- Orioles lost nineteen of last twenty-five games.
-- Blue Jays lost six of their last eight games.
-- Royals lost nine of their last eleven games. White Sox lost 13 of their last 15 road games.
-- Minnesota lost its last seven home games. Rangers lost six of their last seven games.
-- Seattle lost ten of its last twelve road games.

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[pm530]

Baseball - Tips & Trends

MLB


Monday, September 17

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Tips and Trends
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Detroit Tigers at Cleveland Indians (7:05 PM ET)

Detroit’s Kenny Rogers is 17-16 with a 5.20 ERA in 56 career outings versus Cleveland. The left-hander picked up a 6-4 victory over the White Sox on July 4, giving up one run and seven hits over 5 1/3 innings. SLIGHT EDGE: TIGERS
Rogers has been solid during the month of September, allowing three earned runs and 11 hits over 11 1/3 innings. The Tigers have picked up victories in six of the eight games Rogers has started. EDGE: TIGERS
Indians starter Paul Byrd has a tremendous 8-2 record and 3.45 ERA in 16 career games versus the Tigers. He’s a perfect 2-0 with a 5.30 ERA in three starts against them in 2007, giving up 11 earned runs and 22 hits over 18 2/3 innings. EDGE: INDIANS
Byrd has been very impressive at home this season, going 8-3 with a 5.40 ERA in 14 starts. The Indians have won his last two starts at Jacobs Field, outscoring their opponents 15-3 in the process. EDGE: INDIANS
The Indians are 9-1 in their last 10 home games.


New York Mets at Washington Nationals (7:05 PM ET)

New York’s Brian Lawrence is an even 1-1 with a 7.36 ERA on the road this season through three starts. He’s allowed nine earned runs and 14 hits over his last 9 2/3 innings of work away from Shea Stadium. SLIGHT EDGE: NATIONALS
The Mets have lost four straight games with Lawrence on the hill, being outscored 30-17 in the process. EDGE: NATIONALS
Washington starter Tim Redding has a losing 2-3 record at home, but carries a respectable 3.25 ERA. The Nationals have won three of his last four starts at RFK Stadium, as the right-hander has allowed just eight earned runs over that span. SLIGHT EDGE: NATIONALS
Redding has a 2-5 losing record and 4.17 ERA in nine nighttime starts this season. Opposing batters are hitting .261 against him under the lights compared to .227 during the day. EDGE: METS


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

Baltimore right-hander Daniel Cabrera has a losing 3-4 record and 3.90 ERA in 11 career starts versus New York. He’s an even 1-1 with a 3.79 ERA in three starts against the Yankees this season, giving up just one home run in 19 innings. SLIGHT EDGE: ORIOLES
Cabrera has struggled since the All-Star break, posting a 3-6 record and 5.96 ERA in 12 starts. The right-hander has continues to have control problems, issuing 40 walks in just 68 innings of work. EDGE: YANKEES
New York’s Mike Mussina is an even 5-5 with a 5.48 ERA in 12 home outings this season. The Yankees have picked up back-to-back losses at Yankee Stadium with him on the mound, being outscored 15-6 in the process. SLIGHT EDGE: ORIOLES
Mussina is enjoying his best month of the season, allowing just two runs and 12 hits over 9 1/3 innings. The veteran right-hander is a dominant 35-19 with a 2.93 ERA over 74 career outings in September. BIG EDGE: YANKEES
The OVER is 4-0-1 in the last five meetings.


Boston Red Sox at Toronto Blue Jays (7:07 PM ET)

Boston’s Tim Wakefield has a dominant 15-9 record and 3.80 ERA in 44 career outings versus Toronto. The knuckle ball thrower has posted a 3-1 record and 2.77 ERA in four starts against them in 2007, giving up just eight earned runs and 24 hits over 26 innings. EDGE: RED SOX
Wakefield has struggled mightily in his last two starts, giving up 13 earned runs and 19 hits over 6 2/3 innings. The right-hander is just 25-23 with a 4.02 ERA in 82 career appearances in the month of September. SLIGHT EDGE: BLUE JAYS
Blue Jays starter Dustin McGowan has struggled mightily during 31 nighttime appearances in his career, going 5-11 with a 5.07 ERA. He’s 3-8 with a 5.36 ERA under the lights this season compared to 7-1 with a 2.23 ERA during the day. EDGE: RED SOX
McGowan has posted a solid 6-3 record and 3.45 ERA in 11 home starts this season. Opposing hitters are hitting .219 against him and have managed to hit just five home runs against him at the Rogers Centre. EDGE: BLUE JAYS
The Red Sox are 5-0 in the last five meetings in Toronto.


Cincinnati Reds at Chicago Cubs (8:05 PM ET)

Cincinnati’s Bronson Arroyo has a losing 4-5 record and 2.76 ERA in 13 career outings versus Chicago. The right-hander has gone 0-2 against the Cubs this season, but carries a solid 2.53 ERA. SLIGHT EDGE: CUBS
Arroyo is a dismal 3-10 with a 4.16 ERA in 16 road outings this season. The Reds have managed to score just four runs in his last two starts away from the Great American Ball. SLIGHT EDGE: CUBS
Chicago left-hander Rich Hill is 5-2 with a 3.97 ERA in 13 home starts this season. The Cubs have won his last four starts at Wrigley Field, but they’ve outscored their opponents by just five runs over that span. EDGE: CUBS
Hill has been reached for 15 earned runs and 25 hits over his last 25 innings of work. He’s struggled with his control over his last three starts, issuing eight walks. EDGE: REDS
The OVER is 21-5-1 in the Reds last 27 road games.


Seattle Mariners at Oakland Athletics (10:05 PM ET)

Seattle starter Miguel Batista has a losing 3-4 record and 5.71 ERA in 17 career outings versus Oakland. He’s 1-2 with a 5.70 ERA in four starts against the Athletics this season, giving up 15 earned runs and 29 hits over 23 2/3 innings. EDGE: A’S
Batista has a 6-5 record and 5.12 ERA in 15 road games this season. He’s allowed 103 hits and 39 walks in just 84 1/3 innings away from Safeco Field. SLIGHT EDGE: MARINERS
Oakland’s Dan Haren is an incredible 8-2 with a 2.85 ERA in 15 home starts this season. Opposing hitters are batting just .229 against him at home compared to .262 on the road. BIG EDGE: A’S
Haren has gone 6-3 with a 2.97 ERA in 11 career starts versus Seattle. The All-Star pitcher has a losing 1-2 record and 3.12 ERA in four starts against the Mariners in 2007, allowing nine earned runs and 30 hits over 26 innings. EDGE: A’S
The Mariners are 2-10 in their last 12 road games.


Tampa Bay Devil Rays at Los Angeles Angels (10:05 PM ET)

Tampa starter Edwin Jackson is searching for his first victory over Los Angeles, going 0-1 with a 5.23 ERA in five outings. He was handed a 9-1 road loss against the Angels on April 25, giving up three earned runs and eight hits over six innings. EDGE: ANGELS
Jackson is 0-2 with a 9.60 ERA in three starts this month. The right-hander has given up 26 earned runs and 20 hits over 15 innings of work. EDGE: ANGELS
Los Angeles right-hander Kelvim Escobar has a losing 6-7 record and 5.63 ERA in 34 career games versus Tampa Bay. He picked up a solid 3-0 victory over the Devil Rays on July 19, giving up nine hits and striking out five in 7 2/3 innings. SLIGHT EDGE: D-RAYS
Escobar is a dominant 10-4 with a 2.80 ERA in 16 home starts this season. The Angels have won four of his last five starts at home, with the offense providing 47 runs of support. BIG EDGE: ANGELS
The Devil Rays are 5-26 in the last 31 meetings in Los Angeles.

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[pm530]

Baseball Today - September 17

SCOREBOARD
Tuesday, Sept. 18
Cincinnati at Chicago Cubs (8:05 p.m. EDT). Carlos Zambrano starts for the NL Central-leading Cubs, facing off against Aaron Harang.

STARS
Sunday

-- Michael Young, Rangers, drove in a career-high seven runs, including a go-ahead grand slam in the eighth, and Texas beat the Oakland Athletics 11-9.

-- Jim Thome, White Sox, hit a game-ending homer in the ninth inning to push Chicago past the Los Angeles Angels 9-7.

-- Joe Dillon, Brewers, drove in a career-high four runs, leading Milwaukee to a 5-2 victory over Cincinnati.

-- Josh Anderson, Astros, had a career-high five hits and drove in three runs and Houston pounded Pittsburgh 15-3.

-- Tim Hudson, Braves, held Washington to seven hits in a complete game and Atlanta topped the Nationals 3-0.

-- Derek Jeter, Yankees, broke an eighth-inning tie with a three-run homer that sent the New York Yankees to a 4-3 victory over the Boston Red Sox.

500 CLUB

Jim Thome hit his 500th homer, a two-run shot in the bottom of the ninth inning that gave the Chicago White Sox a 9-7 victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Sunday. Thome became the 23rd player in major league history and third this season to reach 500 homers.

YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS

Michael Young drove in a career-high seven runs, including a go-ahead grand slam in the eighth, and the Texas Rangers beat the Oakland Athletics 11-9 on Sunday in a game featuring a benches-clearing brawl. A's outfielder Nick Swisher rushed the mound and tackled Texas starter Vicente Padilla after getting hit by a pitch in the first inning. Both benches flooded the field, with Oakland second baseman Jack Hannahan diving into the pile and A's manager Bob Geren getting into a heated argument with the umpires. Second base umpire Tim Timmons was bumped to the ground during the fray, and plate umpire Chuck Meriwether wasted little time in tossing Padilla and Swisher, who had to be restrained by catcher Kurt Suzuki and several teammates. Nobody else was ejected.

30-30

David Wright hit a solo homer in the New York Mets' 10-6 loss to Philadelphia on Sunday to become the third player in franchise history to reach 30 homers and 30 stolen bases in a season. New York hitting coach Howard Johnson and Darryl Strawberry also accomplished the feat with the Mets.

300 SAVES

Todd Jones pitched a shaky ninth inning for his 300th career save in Detroit's 6-4 win over Minnesota on Sunday, becoming the 21st pitcher in major league history to reach the mark. Jones allowed an RBI single to Nick Punto before getting Michael Cuddyer to ground out with the bases loaded for his 37th save in 42 chances this season.

GOT YOUR NUMBER

Philadelphia beat the Mets for the eighth straight time Sunday, completing another sweep of sloppy New York with a 10-6 victory. The Phillies pulled within 3 1/2 games of first-place New York and have won 12 of 18 against the Mets this season, including a franchise-best three series sweeps.

SEASON-HIGHS

Houston piled up a season-high 22 hits to help Brandon Backe win for the first time in more than a year, and the Astros routed Pittsburgh 15-3 on Sunday. Chris Burke had three hits and four RBIs and Ty Wigginton had a home run, double and single and Houston set a season-high for runs to win its second straight.

SNAPPED

Baltimore defeated Toronto 8-6 in 12 innings on Sunday to clinch its first series win since Aug. 13-15, when they took two of three at Yankee Stadium. The Orioles had dropped eight straight series since.

SPEAKING

"I have never been a complete game guy. I don't really care about shutouts. The most important thing is to get a win for the ballclub." -- Atlanta pitcher Tim Hudson, on pitching his 10th career shutout and 21st complete game in a 3-0 win over Washington on Sunday. He needed just 100 pitches to get the first complete game by a Braves pitcher this season.

SEASONS
Sept. 17

1930 -- Cleveland's Earl Averill drove in eight runs with three consecutive home runs to lead the Indians to a 13-7 victory over the Washington Senators in a doubleheader opener. Averill added another homer in the nightcap, which the Senators took 6-4, and set an American League record with 11 RBIs in the twinbill.

1968 -- Gaylord Perry of the San Francisco Giants pitched a no-hitter against the St. Louis Cardinals for a 1-0 victory.

1984 -- Reggie Jackson, at 38, became the 13th player in major league history to hit 500 home runs. No. 500 came off Kansas City pitcher Bud Black. His homer came exactly 17 years after he got his first career hit.

1984 -- Rookie pitcher Dwight Gooden of the New York Mets struck out 16 Phillies in a 2-1 loss at Philadelphia. Five days earlier, Gooden fanned 16 Pittsburgh Pirates tying a major league record for 32 strikeouts in two consecutive games.

1988 -- Jeff Reardon became the first pitcher to save 40 games in both leagues as the Minnesota Twins beat the Chicago White Sox 3-1. Reardon, who saved 42 games for the Montreal Expos in 1985, pitched the ninth inning for his 40th save in 47 opportunities.

1996 -- Hideo Nomo pitched a no-hitter against the Colorado Rockies, leading the Los Angeles Dodgers to a 9-0 victory. Nomo walked four batters and stuck out eight.

1998 -- Denny Neagle put Atlanta's pitching staff into the record books as he limited Arizona to four hits in six innings for a 1-0 win. Neagle improved to 15-11, making the Braves the first major league team with five 15-game winners since the 1930 Washington Senators. Neagle joined Tom Glavine, Greg Maddux, John Smoltz and Kevin Millwood.

2003 -- In Boston's 7-0 loss to Tampa Bay, Todd Walker's ninth-inning double was the Red Sox's 608th extra-base hit of the season, breaking the major league record set by the 1996 Mariners.

2004 -- San Francisco's Barry Bonds hit the 700th home run of his career, joining Babe Ruth (714) and Hank Aaron (755) as the only players to reach the milestone. Bonds connected in the third inning at home, a 392-foot solo shot to left-center. San Francisco beat San Diego 4-1.

2004 -- Seattle's Ichiro Suzuki broke Lloyd Waner's single-season record for singles with his 199th in a 6-3 win over Oakland. Suzuki's two hits gave him 235 for the season, 22 shy of the major league record set by George Sisler of the St. Louis Browns in 1920.

Today's birthdays: Casey Janssen 26; Danny Haren 27.

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[Kaptain]

NFL INFO

Washington at PHILADELPHIA.........Eagles’ top CB Lito
Sheppard (6 ints. LY) is expected to miss 3-5 weeks with a sprained knee.
Philadelphia, which lost 16-13 at Green Bay, largely due to 10 points handed
to the Packers on two muffed punts by two different punt returners (J.R. Reed
& Greg Lewis), has re-signed veteran KR/RB Reno Mahe. Washington will
have a more experienced replacement this week for outstanding RT Jon
Jansen, who was lost for the season last week with a broken ankle. Rookie
free agent Stephon Heyer took over for Jansen in last week’s 16-13 OT win vs.
the Dolphins. Wade, a former RT being converted to G TY, was inactive for the
opener, but this week the 8-year veteran takes over for Jansen at RT.

[Udog]

MLB
Streaking Pitchers


Monday, September 17


Hot

Yovani Gallardo (Milwaukee Brewers) The Brewers rookie will be looking to win his fourth straight start tonight. Since losing at San Francisco on August 25, Gallardo is 3-0 with a 0.90 ERA and has pitched 13 scoreless innings. The right-hander's scoreless inning streak started with seven shutout innings against the Houston Astros on Sept. 5, the same team he faces tonight. The Brewers are 4-1 in Gallardo's last 5 starts on grass this season.

Kevin Correia (San Francisco Giants) - Despite a poor overall record of 4-6, Correia has been hot as of late. The right-hander has won his last three decisions and the Giants have won his last four starts. Correia has a 1.98 ERA as a starter and has allowed one run in each of his last two starts, including last Tuesday's outing against the Diamondbacks. The Giants are 7-0 in Correia's last seven starts versus NL West teams.

Kevin Slowey (Minnesota Twins) - Although Slowey has avoided his first loss in eight starts, he has allowed four runs or more in five of those appearances while yielding 14 home runs. The right-hander will try to help the Twins stop a recent slide tonight wth a start against the Detroit Tigers. Slowey moves back into the Twins rotation after he was originally scheduled to pitch Sunday. Totals bettors take note that the over is 7-0 in Slowey's last seven starts.


Cold

Edwin Jackson (Tampa Bay Devil Rays) - Jackon will try to win for the first time in nearly a month tonight, against the -240 favored Los Angeles Angels. The right-hander followed two dismal starts with a much better performance Wednesday at Boston, but lost the decision when the Red Sox rallied with two ninth-inning runs. Jackson lost his only start against the Angels this season on April 25, giving up six runs and eight hits in six innings. He is 0-1 with a 5.23 ERA in five appearances, including two starts, versus Los Angeles.

Daniel Cabrera (Baltimore Orioles) - The way the Yankees have been scoring lately it could be another long night for Orioles backers. Cabrera, who is tied for the league lead in losses, looks to end a personal four-game skid tonight. He is able to play while he appeals a six-game suspension and fine he received for throwing at Boston's Dustin Pedroia on Sept. 7. The right-hander is 0-4 with an 8.28 ERA in his last five starts and is 2-2 with a 2.78 ERA in five starts at Yankee Stadium in his career.