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**pm530** · 05-06-2008, 05:15 AM

Tuesday's six (+1) –pack

Who I think are seven best managers in major leagues.......

7) Joe Torre—Won four world titles, so he has to be on this list, but his career playoff record in 12 years as a skipper of non-Bronx teams: 0-3. Lets see him advance in playoffs with Dodgers before he goes to Cooperstown. Of the seven guys on this list, Torre was the best player, by far.

6) Bobby Cox—Won 14 consecutive division titles, which is super. Hasn’t had the best postseason record but has won a World Series title. In recent years, has skippered teams with shaky pitching and kept them in contention until the end.

5) Lou Piniella—Jumps to near top of list if he can win title with Cubs- his team has enough ability to do that this year. . Won world title in Cincinnati, won a lot of games in Seattle and Bronx, is one of many to flop in Tampa. Seems to have no patience with pitchers. Will move on this list, depending on how his stay on Waveland Ave. goes.

4) Tony Larussa—Got to playoffs with White Sox, won one of three World Series in Oakland, won another world title in St Louis. Has any other manager worked this long with the same pitching coach?

3) Terry Francona—This high on list as much for conquering brutal Boston media as much for as conquering the enemy; washed out as skipper in Philly, but has fit in perfectly in Boston. Had unique experience of being Michael Jordan’s manager while skipper at the AA level- you wonder if that helped prepare him for his future.

2) Mike Scioscia—As an A’s fan, I’ve been rooting against Angels since 1965; under Scioscia, they play good defense, they always have fast guys, they pitch well, and they had the guts to cut Jose Guillen during a pennant race because he wasn’t a good guy. Wish they were in another division.

1) Jim Leyland—Got to playoffs in Pittsburgh, won World Series in Florida, won AL title with Detroit team that had a 119-loss season in their not-too-distant past. Its almost like he’s more comfortable with an underdog-type team, but if I had my pick of one guy to manage my team, I’d take Leyland.

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**pm530** · 05-06-2008, 05:15 AM

Tuesday's List of 13: Running the bases in the NL.........

Since we're in middle of a Presidential race, figured we'd give a State of the Union on every National League team. We'll do the American League teams later this week........

Diamondbacks— Won World Series in '01, went 51-111 in '04, then bounced back into playoffs LY; their farm system was so well-stocked they traded gaggle of prospects for Dan Haren. Trade seems to have helped both sides. At 21-10 this season, as long as Orlando Hudson stays healthy, they look real good.

Braves— Starting rotation is aging, manager Cox is nearing the end of Hall of Fame career, they're just 178-176 since start of '06 season, after making the playoffs 14 years in a row before that. Chipper Jones is hitting ..425 with 27 RBI at age 36. Teixeira is likely to walk after this season. This looks like team in decline.

Cubs— Could this be the year? Last time Cubs made playoffs in consecutive years was 1908. Fukudome is hitting .342 with a .431 OB%, and Soriano's hideous .173 start provides upside, as he is career .280 hitter. How is this guy playing for his fourth team in last six years? Dempster is surprising 4-0, 3.16 in 2008.

Reds— Bronson Arroyo has allowed 50 hits in 32.2 IP, terrible start; Volquez is 4-1, 1.27, allowing 24 hits with 42 strikeouts in 35 IP- ownership was so impressed, they fired Krivsky, the GM who traded for him. Dunn is hitting .224 with four HR; he's hit exactly 40 homers the last three years, so he's due to get hot.

Rockies— Had never won more than 83 games in a season 'til LY's great September run; ownership was patient with Hurdle, who had four losing years in row until LY. This year has been awful, with closer Corpas allowing 15 runs in 15.2 IP; Fuentes has already taken his place. Losing Tulowitzki is going to hurt.

Marlins— Have had only four winning seasons, but won the World Series in two of those four years. Neither Cincinnati or Marlins have had winning season since Jack McKeon stopped managing them (Reds '00, Marlins '04). LHPs Hendrickson and Olsen are combined 8-2; Olsen allowing just 30 hits in his 40 IP.

Astros— Last year was second losing season in last 15 for the Astros, who are hanging in race at 16-16 despite face that one of its starting Ps, Backe, has better BA (.231) than three of its starting eight players. They need to find a 3B who can hit, and need speedy CF Bourne to get on base a lot more (.278 OB%).

Dodgers— Won eight in row last week, scoring 59 runs, they started using Martin at 3B, much like Joe Torre's own career, when he went from catcher to 3B (Torre caught 90 games in '70 at age 29, then never caught again, playing full-time four more years, including his great .363, 24 HR 137 RBI season in '71.) Rookie Dewitt just hit first major league homer as I typed this.

Brewers— Vegetarian Fielder has four HR on May 5, not what they are paying him for; he hit 50 LY. Other three infielders are all hitting .233 or less. Loss of 22-year old Gallardo (0-0, 1.80) to torn ACL really hurts; their other young starter, Parra is off to very bad start (1-2, 5.86, 38 hits, 17 walks allowed in his 27.2 IP)

Metropolitans— Odd thing about Mets is that Art Howe might be better manager for this talented group of Mets than Willie Randolph is, but Howe was gone before Omar Minaya got the job and Mets got better talent (Howe was 137-186 with Mets). For '08 Mets, Reyes' OB% has to be higher than 328, or else.....

Phillies— In its history, team has lost 171 more games than it has won, but they've had winning seasons last five years, with an NL East title LY. Rollins has missed 18 games, Victorino 14, and Howard is hitting .167 with 45 Ks in 114 AB this year, but Phils are still near top. Myers has allowed 11 HRs in his 44 IP.

Pirates— Ugh. Losing Jack Wilson in third game of year hurt the defense badly; their starting Ps have only 84 strikeouts in 161.3 IP, so they're relying on leaky defense to get out, and it ain't happening. Hitting .249 as team, even with Nady hitting .347, Doumit .345, .McLouth .323. Gorzelanny has 27 walks and just 17 strikeouts, negating his allowing less hits than IP.

Cardinals— 14-7 at home, they had out on road now; Ludwick has been a pleasant surprise, hitting .308 with four HRs. Pujols has 33 walks and .518 OB%. Four main starting Ps are 13-4; had Isringhausen not allowed 10 runs in 13.2 IP, they'd be winning even more. This road trip will tell a lot about these Redbirds.

Padres— Thanks to their dismal early days, when their owner was McDonald's guru Ray Kroc, they've lost 460 more games than they've won, though they've had winning years the last four seasons. '08 Padres are hitting .230 as a team; Jake Peavy has better BA. Will Padres ever move fences in at Petco, or are the hitters doomed to hit long flyballs into outfielders' gloves?

Giants— Post-Bonds era has Giants struggling with bats (.311 OB%, .378 slugging), but solid young starters (Sanchez, Cain, Lincecum) keeping Giants in games. Zito has been terrible, is in bullpen now; he is only Giant starter to allow more hits than IP. Team has hit 19 homers, leading Chase Utley by just seven.

Nationals— Have the beautiful new ballpark, have done weird job of assembling players; why trade for Elijah Dukes, who the Rays couldn't wait to get rid of (Tampa Bay farm clubs refused to take him back)? Trading Church for Milledge seems to be a major blunder. Odalis Perez has done nice job, allowing fewer hits than IP. Manager Acta is highly regarded around the NL.

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**pm530** · 05-06-2008, 05:17 AM

Major League Baseball – Write up

MLB
Write-up

Tuesday, May 6

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Hot Pitchers
-- Giants won last five Sanchez starts (2-0, 2.12).
-- Jurrjens is 2-1, 1.17 in two home starts. Young has 2.37 RA in his last three starts.
-- Olsen is 3-1, 2.38 in his last five starts.
-- Hill is 1-0, 2.77 in his last two starts.
-- Zambrano is 3-0, 1.32 in his last four starts.
-- Looper is 1-0, 1.38 in his last couple starts.
-- Mets are 3-1 in Figueroa starts (2-1, 3.86).

-- Carmona is 2-0, 3.44 in his last three starts.
-- Sonnanstine is 3-0, 1.54 in his last three starts. Burnett is 2-1, 3.60 in his last three starts, but has a 8.38 home RA (2 starts).
-- Floyd is 1-1, 3.55 in his last four starts.
-- Burres is 2-0, 1.83 in his last three starts. Duchscherer is 2-1 with a 2.40 ERA in three starts; five of six runs he allowed last start were unearned, due to a dropped fly ball.
-- Batista has 2.30 RA in his last three starts. Ponson is 1-0, 4.15 in his two starts for the Rangers.

Cold Pitchers
-- Duke is 0-2, 6.65 in his last four starts.
-- Harang is 0-3, 3.95 in his last four starts.
-- Suppan is 0-1, 11.93 in his last three road starts.
-- Chacon is 0-0, 5.00 in his last three starts.
-- Redman is 2-2, 8.10 in five starts; he allowed ten runs in first inning his last start, then threw five more scoreless innings.
-- Johnson is 1-1, 7.20 in four starts this season. Eaton has 5.23 RA in his last four starts (0-0) but Phillies won all four games.
-- Kuroda is 0-2, 4.99 in his last five starts.

-- Wakefield is 1-1, 5.14 in his last three starts. Robertson is 1-3, 6.88 in six starts this season.
-- Pettitte is 0-2, 8.18 in his last couple of starts.
-- Twins are 0-3 in Blackburn road starts (0-0, 5.94).
-- Bannister is 0-3, 8.59 in his last three starts. Adenhart threw 57 pitches in just two IP in his first start, walking five hitters.

Hot Teams
-- Braves won ten of last twelve home games.
-- Astros won their last six home games. Nationals won eight of their last ten games.
-- Cardinals won seven of their last nine games.
-- Phillies won six of their last eight road games.
-- Dodgers won nine of their last ten games.

-- Red Sox won six of their last seven games.
-- Bronx won its last three games, allowing four runs.
-- Toronto allowed 12 runs in last nine games (6-3); they won six of their last seven at Rogers Centre.
-- Twins won their last five games, outscoring foes 29-12.
-- Angels won eight of their last ten road games.
-- Oakland won seven of last ten home games.
-- Rangers won four of last six games.

Cold Teams
-- Pirates lost seven of their last ten games. Giants are 1-5 in the first game of a road series.
-- Padres lost fourteen of their last eighteen games.
-- Cubs lost six of their last eight road games. Cincinnati lost five of their last six games.
-- Florida is 0-5 in game after its last five wins. Brewers are 3-7 in their last ten games.
-- Colorado is 3-12 in its last fifteen games.
-- Arizona lost four of its last five games.
-- Mets lost six of their last nine road games.

-- Tigers lost last four games, allowing 28 runs.
-- Indians lost last two games; they scored total of five runs in their last three contests.
-- Tampa Bay lost last three games, allowing 26 runs.
-- White Sox lost last six games, scoring total of nine runs.
-- Royals lost eight of their last eleven home games.
-- Orioles lost five of their last six games.
-- Mariners lost five of their last six games.

Totals
-- Four of last five Duke starts went over the total.
-- Last five Jurrjens starts stayed under the total.
-- Three of last four Olsen starts stayed under the total.
-- Under is 6-1-1 in Cubs' last eight road games.
-- Under is 6-2-1 in last nine Washington games.
-- Over is 7-2 in last nine games at Coors Field.
-- Over is 6-2 in Phillies' last eight road games.
-- Over is 9-3 in last twelve games at Dodger Stadium.

-- Under is 4-0-1 in last five Detroit home games.
-- Last five Carmona starts all went over the total.
-- Under is 4-1 in last five Sonnanstine starts.
-- All three Blackburn road starts went over the total.
-- Six of last eight Royal games stayed under the total.
-- Under is 12-4 in Baltimore road games.
-- Four of last five Batista starts stayed under the total.

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**pm530** · 05-06-2008, 05:17 AM

MLB

Tuesday, May 6

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Trend Sheet
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7:05 PM BOSTON vs. DETROIT
Boston is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games
Boston is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Detroit is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Boston
Detroit is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games at home

7:05 PM CLEVELAND vs. NY YANKEES
Cleveland is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Cleveland's last 8 games
NY Yankees are 11-5 SU in their last 16 games when playing Cleveland
NY Yankees are 19-4 SU in their last 23 games when playing at home against Cleveland

7:05 PM SAN FRANCISCO vs. PITTSBURGH
San Francisco is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Pittsburgh
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of San Francisco's last 6 games when playing on the road against Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh is 5-13 SU in its last 18 games
The total has gone OVER in 14 of Pittsburgh's last 20 games

7:07 PM TAMPA BAY vs. TORONTO
Tampa Bay is 8-4 SU in its last 12 games
Tampa Bay is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
Toronto is 8-4 SU in its last 12 games when playing at home against Tampa Bay
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Toronto's last 11 games when playing at home against Tampa Bay

7:10 PM CHI CUBS vs. CINCINNATI
Chi Cubs are 1-4 SU in their last 5 games
Chi Cubs are 1-4 SU in their last 5 games on the road
Cincinnati is 2-4 SU in their last 6 games when playing at home against Chi Cubs
Cincinnati is 3-6 SU in its last 9 games at home

7:10 PM MILWAUKEE vs. FLORIDA
Milwaukee is 2-7 SU in its last 9 games when playing on the road against Florida
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Milwaukee's last 5 games when playing on the road against Florida
Florida is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Florida's last 6 games

7:10 PM SAN DIEGO vs. ATLANTA
San Diego is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing Atlanta
San Diego is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games when playing on the road against Atlanta
The total has gone UNDER in 11 of Atlanta's last 16 games
Atlanta is 10-2 SU in its last 12 games at home

8:05 PM WASHINGTON vs. HOUSTON
Washington is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Houston
Washington is 2-10 SU in its last 12 games on the road
Houston is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Houston's last 10 games

8:10 PM LA ANGELS vs. KANSAS CITY
LA Angels are 5-1 SU in their last 6 games on the road
LA Angels are 5-2 SU in their last 7 games
Kansas City is 6-2 SU in their last 8 games when playing LA Angels
Kansas City is 4-16 SU in their last 20 games when playing at home against LA Angels

8:11 PM MINNESOTA vs. CHI WHITE SOX
Minnesota is 2-5 SU in their last 7 games when playing on the road against Chi White Sox
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Minnesota's last 5 games when playing on the road against Chi White Sox
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Chi White Sox's last 6 games at home
Chi White Sox are 0-5 SU in their last 5 games

8:35 PM ST. LOUIS vs. COLORADO
St. Louis is 13-5-1 SU in its last 19 games when playing Colorado
St. Louis is 2-3-1 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Colorado is 1-3-1 SU in its last 5 games
Colorado is 2-5-1 SU in its last 8 games at home

9:40 PM PHILADELPHIA vs. ARIZONA
Philadelphia is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Arizona
Philadelphia is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games when playing Arizona
Arizona is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
Arizona is 12-6 SU in its last 18 games at home

10:05 PM BALTIMORE vs. OAKLAND
Baltimore is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Baltimore is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games
Oakland is 14-6 SU in its last 20 games when playing at home against Baltimore
Oakland is 13-6 SU in its last 19 games when playing Baltimore

10:10 PM NY METS vs. LA DODGERS
NY Mets are 3-6 SU in its last 9 games on the road
LA Dodgers are 9-1 SU in their last 10 games
LA Dodgers are 7-1 SU in their last 8 games at home

10:10 PM TEXAS vs. SEATTLE
Texas is 1-8 SU in its last 9 games when playing on the road against Seattle
Texas is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games when playing Seattle
Seattle is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games at home
Seattle is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games

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**pm530** · 05-06-2008, 05:19 AM

Major League Baseball - Tips & Trends

MLB

Tuesday, May 6

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Tips and Trends
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We will update when projected scores are available.

Boston Red Sox at Detroit Tigers [7:05 PM ET]

Red Sox: Despite the fact that it seems like he's been pitching since World War II, Tim Wakefield can still get the job done. Wakefield gives the Sox a lot of innings, a luxury most teams don't get from their fourth starter. Wakefield already faced Detroit once this season, getting the win after allowing just 2 runs in 5 innings pitched. One troublesome stat from that game was Wakefield's 5 walks. In 6 starts this year, Wakefield has walked 21 batters compared to 19 strikeouts.

Red Sox are 30-14 in the last 44 meetings.
The UNDER is 8-3-2 in the last 13 meetings.

Key Injuries - NONE

PROJECTED SCORE: TBD

Tigers (-115, O/U 9.5): Nate Robertson has been an opposing batter's best friend so far this year, giving up 42 hits and 26 runs over 34 1/3 innings pitched. In Robertson's lone outing against the Sox, he took the loss after giving up 8 hits and 4 runs through 5 1/3 innings. Robertson hasn't had much luck against Boston in his career either, going 2-4 with a 6.46 ERA.

Tigers are 6-3 in their last 9 home games.

Key Injuries - NONE

PROJECTED SCORE: TBD

Cleveland Indians at New York Yankees [7:05 PM ET]

Indians: Fausto Carmona will try to win for the third time in 4 starts when he takes the mound against the Yankees. Carmona allowed 1 earned run last time out against Seattle only to see the team's bullpen give up 5 runs in the ninth inning. He is 0-1 in 2 road starts this season with a 3.27 ERA and 0-1 in 2 starts against the Yankees with a 3.86 ERA, failing to get a decision against them in last year's ALDS despite pitching 9 innings.

Key Injuries - NONE

PROJECTED SCORE: TBD

Yankees (-145, O/U 8.5): Andy Pettitte is expected to get the call in the series opener even though he has struggled against the Tribe during his career. Pettitte is 6-8 lifetime against the Indians with a 4.63 ERA and got rocked at Cleveland on April 25th. He surrendered 5 runs and 8 hits in 5 innings - including back-to-back homers in the 5th - to take the loss and then suffered another setback last time out at home against Detroit, falling to 0-2 there with a 6.55 ERA.

Key Injuries - NONE

PROJECTED SCORE: TBD

Chicago Cubs at Cincinnati Reds [7:10 PM ET]

Cubs (-130, O/U 8): Chicago ace Carlos Zambrano is making his third road start of the season, with mixed results in the previous 2. Zambrano threw 7 shutout innings in his last road start at Washington on April 26th, allowing just 5 hits with 4 walks and 5 strikeouts. He had lost his previous road start at Philadelphia on April 11th, giving up a season-high 5 runs and 9 hits for his only setback of 2008. He is 11-9 lifetime vs. Cincinnati with a 3.35 ERA.

Cubs are 12-5 in their last 17 games as a favorite.

Key Injuries - NONE

PROJECTED SCORE: TBD

Reds: Aaron Harang is just 1-4 on the season, but that’s not all his fault. The crafty right-hander is sporting a very respectable 2.98 ERA, and has received just 3 runs of support per start. Harang hasn’t allowed more than 2 runs in 3 home starts this season, but did get rocked for 5 runs at Wrigley back on April 15th in his last appearance against the Cubbies.

Reds are 3-9 in their last 12 games as an underdog.
Reds are 3-6 in their last 9 home games.

Key Injuries - NONE

PROJECTED SCORE: TBD

New York Mets at Los Angeles Dodgers [10:10 PM ET]

Mets: Nelson Figueroa will try to earn his first road win at LA after losing at Chicago in his last start away from home. Figueroa is 0-1 on the road in 3 appearances (1 start) with a 6.43 ERA. He pitched 3 1/3 innings in relief of Oliver Perez in an eventual 13-1 loss to Pittsburgh last Wednesday, giving up 1 run and 5 hits with 2 walks and 3 strikeouts.

Key Injuries - NONE

PROJECTED SCORE: TBD

Dodgers (-130, O/U 9): LA's Hiroki Kuroda is still searching for his first home win after going 0-0 with a 6.00 ERA in 2 starts at Dodger Stadium. Kuroda got pounded for 5 runs and 9 hits in 6 innings of an 8-7 win over Colorado there on April 25th. He pitched better last time out at Florida in a 5-3 win, allowing 3 runs and 5 hits in 7 innings with no walks and 4 strikeouts.

Dodgers are 9-1 in their last 10 games overall.
The OVER is 7-1 LA's last 8 home games.

Key Injuries - NONE

PROJECTED SCORE: TBD

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**pm530** · 05-06-2008, 05:21 AM

MLB

Tuesday, May 6

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Baseball Today
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SCOREBOARD

Tuesday, May 6
Chicago Cubs at Cincinnati (7:10 p.m.). Carlos Zambrano (4-1, 2.11 ERA) is on the mound for the Cubs against Reds right-hander Aaron Harang (1-4, 2.98) in a matchup of NL Central workhorses.

STARS

Monday

— Ervin Santana, Angels, improved to 6-0 by pitching a four-hitter with nine strikeouts in a 4-0 victory over Kansas City. Santana’s only other complete game in the majors was a five-hit shutout against the White Sox on May 23, 2005, his first career win.

— Jamie Moyer, Phillies, pitched seven strong innings and hit an RBI double in Philadelphia’s 11-4 win at Arizona in a matchup of division leaders. A career .141 hitter, the 45-year-old Moyer also singled during the fifth multihit game of his career.

— Emil Brown, Athletics, singled home the winning run in the 10th inning for his third hit to give Oakland a 2-1 victory over Baltimore.

ABOUT TIME

Mike Lowell hit a two-run homer for his first RBIs this season, helping Boston beat the Detroit Tigers 6-3. It was Lowell’s first regular-season homer and RBI since Sept. 29. Lowell, who finished with three hits, was sidelined from April 10-28 with a sprained left thumb. He led the team with 120 RBIs last season and was the World Series MVP against Colorado.

SPEEDY SLUGGER

A hustling Albert Pujols scored from second base on a groundout in the ninth inning, lifting St. Louis to a 6-5 victory at Colorado. After hitting a one-out double, Pujols took off on contact as Rick Ankiel grounded out to second baseman Jonathan Herrera, who never glanced at Pujols before lofting a throw to Todd Helton at first base. Pujols kicked into high gear after rounding third and slid just out of the reach of catcher Yorvit Torrealba. “I didn’t know he was that fast,” Cardinals pitcher Joel Pineiro said. “He looked fast there.”

SAVING THE DAY

Blue Jays closer B.J. Ryan walked the bases loaded in the ninth inning but got Pablo Ozuna to ground into a 1-2-3 double play to end the game, preserving Toronto’s 1-0 win over the slumping Chicago White Sox. Dustin McGowan (2-2) outpitched Javier Vazquez (3-3) in an entertaining duel, and Matt Stairs homered to help the Blue Jays finish their first four-game sweep since May 2003 against the New York Yankees.

POWERFUL START

Wladimir Balentien hit a three-run homer for Seattle in a 7-3 victory over the Texas Rangers. It was the third home run in 22 major league at-bats for Balentien, who has started every game since the Mariners recalled him April 30 from Triple-A Tacoma to replace released right fielder Brad Wilkerson.

DYNAMIC DUO

Ervin Santana improved to 6-0 by pitching a four-hitter in the Los Angeles Angels’ 4-0 victory at Kansas City. He joined teammate Joe Saunders at 6-0, becoming the third and fourth Angels pitchers to open a season 6-0 or better. Saunders and Santana are just the eighth pair of teammates to start a season 6-0 since 1920.

ROAD WEARY

Kevin Millwood allowed nine hits and seven runs in three innings of Texas’ 7-3 loss to the Seattle Mariners—his shortest start of the season. Millwood lost his 10th consecutive road decision, tying the franchise record set by Joe McClain of the Washington Senators from 1961-62.

WILD WINNER

Struggling with coldlike symptoms, Daisuke Matsuzaka pitched the Boston Red Sox to a 6-3 victory at Detroit despite walking a career-worst eight batters in five innings—which also tied the major league high for walks this season. Matsuzaka (5-0) gave up one run and two hits with one strikeout, throwing 109 pitches.

SURGING, SLIPPING

Blake DeWitt hit his first major league home run, Rafael Furcal had a leadoff shot and Matt Kemp also connected to help the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the New York Mets 5-1 for the their ninth victory in 10 games. Mets starter Oliver Perez (2-3) lost his third straight start, allowing five runs over six innings.

SNAPPED

Jarrod Washburn took a one-hit shutout into the seventh inning of Seattle’s 7-3 victory over Texas before giving up three consecutive hits and leaving with tightness in his right calf. Washburn beat the Rangers for the first time in three years, a run of 10 starts. It was his first home win in 11 months. … Cincinnati ended a five-game losing streak by beating the Chicago Cubs 5-3. The Reds scored five unearned runs off Ryan Dempster (4-1), who lost for the first time since switching from closer to starter.
SPEAKING

“That’s amazing sometimes how that 98 (mph) gets hit and that 78 wins.”— Phillies manager Charlie Manuel on soft-tossing lefty Jamie Moyer, who beat hard-throwing rookie Max Scherzer in Philadelphia’s 11-4 victory at Arizona.

SEASONS

May 6

1915—As a pitcher for Boston, Babe Ruth had three hits, including his first major league home run when he connected off Jack Warhop of the New York Yankees at the Polo Grounds.

1917—Bob Groom of the Browns duplicated teammate Ernie Koob’s feat of the previous day by pitching a 3-0 no-hit victory against the Chicago White Sox in the second game of a doubleheader in St. Louis.

1951—Cliff Chambers of the Pittsburgh Pirates pitched a 3-0 no-hitter in the second game of a doubleheader against the Braves in Boston.

1953—Bobo Holloman of the St. Louis Browns pitched a 6-0 no-hitter against the Philadelphia Athletics in his first major league start. He never pitched another complete game in the majors.

1982—Gaylord Perry of the Seattle Mariners became the 15th major league pitcher with 300 victories when he defeated the New York Yankees 7-3 at the Kingdome.

1994—Anthony Young won as a starter for the first time in more than two years as the Chicago Cubs beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 10-1. The win ended Young’s 29-game losing streak as a starter.

1998—Rookie Kerry Wood tied the major league record with 20 strikeouts in a nine-inning game, pitching a one-hitter to lead the Chicago Cubs over the Houston Astros 2-0. The 20-year-old right-hander tied the record set by Boston’s Roger Clemens against Seattle in 1986, and matched by Clemens against Detroit in 1996. Wood broke the NL record of 19 strikeouts in a nine-inning game, held by Steve Carlton, Tom Seaver and David Cone.

2005—San Diego’s Trevor Hoffman became the third pitcher in major league history to reach 400 saves in the Padres’ 6-5 victory over St. Louis. Hoffman joined Lee Smith (478) and John Franco (424) in the 400-save club.

Today’s birthdays: Dustin Nippert 27; Willie Mays 77.

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**pm530** · 05-06-2008, 05:22 AM

National Basketball Association – Long Sheet

NBA
Long Sheet

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Tuesday, May 6
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CLEVELAND (49 - 39) at BOSTON (70 - 19) - 5/6/2008, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CLEVELAND is 14-26 ATS (-14.6 Units) after a win by 10 points or more over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 57-31 ATS (+22.9 Units) in all games this season.
BOSTON is 46-27 ATS (+16.3 Units) as a favorite this season.
BOSTON is 29-15 ATS (+12.5 Units) in home games this season.
BOSTON is 13-5 ATS (+7.5 Units) against Central division opponents this season.
BOSTON is 34-14 ATS (+18.6 Units) after a win by 10 points or more this season.
CLEVELAND is 21-10 ATS (+10.0 Units) in road games revenging a loss vs opponent over the last 2 seasons.
CLEVELAND is 17-7 ATS (+9.3 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
CLEVELAND is 39-25 ATS (+11.5 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
CLEVELAND is 7-3 against the spread versus BOSTON over the last 3 seasons
CLEVELAND is 8-3 straight up against BOSTON over the last 3 seasons
6 of 11 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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**pm530** · 05-06-2008, 05:22 AM

National Basketball Association - Short Sheet

NBA
Short Sheet

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Tuesday, May 6th
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Eastern Conference
Second Round
Game One
Series Tied, 0-0
Cleveland at Boston, 8:05 ET

Cleveland:
14-26 ATS off DD win
13-27 ATS off ATS win

Boston:
23-6 ATS off DD home win
38-18 ATS off ATS win

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**pm530** · 05-06-2008, 05:23 AM

National Basketball Association – Write up

NBA
Write-up

Tuesday, May 6

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NBA Games

Celtics needed seven games to oust sub-.500 Atlanta team in first round, winning all four home games by 18+ points, but in Cavaliers, they have much tougher foe here. Cleveland won in six games over Washington, winning two of three in nation's capitol. During season, home wide won all four series games, with Cavaliers losing 80-70/92-87 in Beantown.

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**pm530** · 05-06-2008, 05:24 AM

NBA

Tuesday, May 6

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Trend Sheet
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8:00 PM CLEVELAND vs. BOSTON
Cleveland is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
Cleveland is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Boston is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games at home
Boston is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home

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**pm530** · 05-06-2008, 05:25 AM

National Basketball Association - Tips & Trends

NBA

Tuesday, May 6

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Tips and Trends
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Cleveland Cavaliers at Boston Celtics [TNT | 8 PM ET]

Cavs: Cleveland star LeBron James averaged 32 points, 7 rebounds and nearly 10 assists in 3 meetings with the Celtics this season, leading his team to 1 win but 2 ******. The Cavs covered both of the losses to Boston and won the other meeting by 1 point at home. "You’ve always got to keep an eye on him wherever he is on the court," Celtics forward Paul Pierce said about James, who he called "arguably the best player in the NBA." "I’m not trying to turn this into a one-on-one. I know that I don’t have to get 35 points and 15 rebounds for us to win."

Cavs are 7-3-2 ATS in the last 12 meetings.
The UNDER is 9-3 in Cleveland's last 12 games overall.

Key Injuries - NONE

PROJECTED SCORE: 87

Celtics (-9.5, O/U 183.5): Boston gave Cleveland some hope in this series after going 7 games with Atlanta, although the Celtics proved to be nearly invincible at home in winning (and covering) all 4 games there by an average of more than 25 points. “They kind of had that arrogance about them all season by winning so many games that you were kind of not wanting to face them,” Cavaliers guard Devin Brown said. “But after seeing what we saw, I think we’re ready to go.”

Celtics are 10-0 SU & ATS in their last 10 home games, winning by an average of 20.9 points.
The UNDER is 6-2 in Boston's last 8 home games.

Key Injuries - NONE

PROJECTED SCORE: 97

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**Udog** · 05-06-2008, 09:24 AM

MLB
Dunkel

Texas at Seattle
The Mariners ended their five-game losing streak last night with a breakout 7-3 win over the Rangers and look to keep the momentum going against a Texas staff that is second-to-last in team ERA (5.21). Seattle is the pick (-135) according to Dunkel, which has the Mariners favored by 1 1/2. Dunkel Pick: Seattle (-135). Here are all of today's games.

TUESDAY, MAY 6

Game 901-902: San Francisco at Pittsburgh
Dunkel Ratings: San Francisco (Sanchez) 14.762; Pittsburgh (Duke) 14.599
Dunkel Line: San Francisco by 1/2; 7 1/2
Vegas Line: Pittsburgh (-105); 8
Dunkel Pick: San Francisco (-105); Under

Game 903-904: San Diego at Atlanta
Dunkel Ratings: San Diego (Young) 14.729; Atlanta (Jurrjens) 15.616
Dunkel Line: Atlanta by 1; 9 1/2
Vegas Line: Atlanta (-135); 9
Dunkel Pick: Atlanta (-135); Over

Game 905-906: Milwaukee at Florida
Dunkel Ratings: Milwaukee (Suppan) 14.371; Florida (Olson) 15.257
Dunkel Line: Florida by 1; 10
Vegas Line: Florida (-120); 9
Dunkel Pick: Florida (-120); Over

Game 907-908: Chicago Cubs at Cincinnati
Dunkel Ratings: Cubs (Zambrano) 15.309; Cincinnati (Harang) 15.405
Dunkel Line: Cincinnati by 1/2; 8 1/2
Vegas Line: Chicago Cubs (-120); 8
Dunkel Pick: Cincinnati (+110); Over

Game 909-910: Washington at Houston
Dunkel Ratings: Washington (Hill) 15.002; Houston (Chacon) 16.014
Dunkel Line: Houston by 1; 9 1/2
Vegas Line: Houston (-135); 9
Dunkel Pick: Houston (-135); Over

Game 911-912: St. Louis at Colorado
Dunkel Ratings: St. Louis (Looper) 15.677; Colorado (Redman) 14.667
Dunkel Line: St. Louis by 1; 11 1/2
Vegas Line: St. Louis (-125); 10 1/2
Dunkel Pick: St. Louis (-125); Over

Game 913-914: Philadelphia at Arizona
Dunkel Ratings: Philadelphia (Eaton) 15.040; Arizona (Johnson) 15.683
Dunkel Line: Arizona by 1/2; 11
Vegas Line: Arizona (-140); 10
Dunkel Pick: Arizona (-140); Over

Game 915-916: NY Mets at LA Dodgers
Dunkel Ratings: NY Mets (Figueroa) 14.984; LA Dodgers (Kuroda) 16.242
Dunkel Line: LA Dodgers by 1 1/2; 9 1/2
Vegas Line: LA Dodgers (-130); 9
Dunkel Pick: LA Dodgers (-130); Over

Game 917-918: Boston at Detroit
Dunkel Ratings: Boston (Wakefield) 16.350; Detroit (Robertson) 15.764
Dunkel Line: Boston by 1/2; 8
Vegas Line: Detroit (-110); 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Boston (+100); Under

Game 919-920: Cleveland at NY Yankees
Dunkel Ratings: Cleveland (Carmona) 15.605; NY Yankees (Pettitte) 15.127
Dunkel Line: Cleveland by 1/2; 8 1/2
Vegas Line: NY Yankees (-120); 8
Dunkel Pick: Cleveland (+110); Over

Game 921-922: Tampa Bay at Toronto
Dunkel Ratings: Tampa Bay (Sonnanstine) 14.583; Toronto (Burnett) 15.780
Dunkel Line: Toronto by 1; 8
Vegas Line: Toronto (-150); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Toronto (-150); Under

Game 923-924: Minnesota at Chicago White Sox
Dunkel Ratings: Minnesota (Blackburn) 15.178; White Sox (Floyd) 15.363
Dunkel Line: Chicago White Sox by 1/2; 10
Vegas Line: Chicago White Sox (-115); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Chicago White Sox (-115); Over

Game 925-926: LA Angels at Kansas City
Dunkel Ratings: LA Angels (Adenhart) 15.678; Kansas City (Bannister) 15.199
Dunkel Line: LA Angels by 1/2; 7 1/2
Vegas Line: Kansas City (-120); 9
Dunkel Pick: LA Angels (+110); Under

Game 927-928: Baltimore at Oakland
Dunkel Ratings: Baltimore (Burres) 15.017; Oakland (Duchscherer) 16.760
Dunkel Line: Oakland by 2; 7
Vegas Line: Oakland (-135); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Oakland (-135); Under

Game 929-930: Texas at Seattle
Dunkel Ratings: Texas (Ponson) 13.831; Seattle (Batista) 15.547
Dunkel Line: Seattle by 1 1/2; 8
Vegas Line: Seattle (-135); 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Seattle (-135); Under

**Udog** · 05-06-2008, 09:26 AM

NBA
Dunkel

Cleveland at Boston
The Celtics finally put away the Hawks with a 34-point trouncing in Game Seven and look to keep the momentum in the opener against the Cavs tonight with a 34-14 ATS record after a win by 10 points or more. Boston is the pick (-9 1/2) according to Dunkel, which has the Celtics favored by 14. Dunkel Pick: Boston (-9 1/2). Here are all of today's games.

TUESDAY, MAY 6

Game 707-708: Cleveland at Boston
Dunkel Ratings: Cleveland 116.062; Boston 129.908
Dunkel Line & Total: Boston by 14; 180
Vegas Line & Total: Boston by 9 1/2; 183 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Boston (-9 1/2); Under

Game 713-714: Utah at LA Lakers
Dunkel Ratings: Utah 124.104; LA Lakers 130.797
Dunkel Line & Total: LA Lakers by 6 1/2; 204
Vegas Line & Total: LA Lakers by 7; 209 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Utah (+7); Under

**pm530** · 05-06-2008, 09:30 AM

Good Morning Udog! and all of the BC crew,

let's have a great day!

Announcement

Tuesday Trends and Indexes 05/06

Tuesday Trends and Indexes 05/06

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