Wednesday Trends and Indexes 05/07

[Udog]

Trends and Indexes

Wednesday, May 7



Good Luck on day #129 of 2008!



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.

[Udog]

Six-pack for Wednesday


-- Lebron goes 2-17 with ten turnovers and Cavaliers lose by only four? Thats a good omen for Cleveland.

-- Andy Sonnanstine is first Tampa pitcher ever to have four wins by the end of April.

-- Rich Harden actually pitched in a game Tuesday, sadly, it was a Class A game, but he breezed thru it and is expected to start for Oakland Sunday afternoon.

-- Reliever Santiago Casilla hasn't allowed an earned run in 17.1 IP this season out of the Oakland bullpen.

-- Blake Dewitt hit an inside-the-park HR for game-winning run and his second career HR- he hit his first one Monday. Nomar Garciaparra isn't going to get the 3B job back in LA.

-- My godson Tom allowed only one run in seven innings as his Kellenberg HS team upset first-place St Dominic's 2-1 in 10 innings Tuesday. I'll be down on Long Island Friday to see Firebirds play St Dominic's, Rick Pitino's alma mater.

[Udog]

Wednesday's List of 13: Running the bases in the AL.........

Orioles-- Last winning season was in '97, with Davey Johnson as manager; why isn't Johnson still managing in big leagues? He did nothing but win at every stop. The letter posted above tells you all you need to know about the modern Orioles.

Red Sox-- In their history, Red Sox have won 523 more games than they've lost- they've only had six losing seasons since '67 but to listen to Boston fans, they were the Devil Rays before 2004 happened. Matsuzaka has only allowed 22 hits in his 42 IP, but he's walked 27. Ortiz homered the last couple of nights.

White Sox-- How long does White Sox' world title give Ozzie Guillen to manage the Sox without any further success? Three years? Five? Guillen cursing fans and media out isn't a good sign- he got booed when he came out to take Gavin Floyd out in 9th inning tonight, after Floyd lost his no-hitter in the ninth.

Indians-- Charlie Manuel went 90-72/91-71 in his first couple of years managing Tribe, then had a bad year and got canned; he has won a decent amount with Phillies; is it possible he's good manager? Tribe is just 8-11 at home this season; did Dellucci's homer off Chamberlain Tuesday jumpstart Indians' season?

Detroit-- In the three years before Leyland came to manage the Tigers, Detroit went 43-119/71-91/72-90; in his first two years in Detroit, Leyland went 95-67/88-74, all of which makes struggle in '08 more puzzling. Bondermna/Verlander combined to allow 127 baserunners in 84 IP. Six everyday starters are 32 or older.

Kansas City-- Royals have one winning season since '93; for a franchise that was once in playoffs seven times in 10 seasons, these are lean years, but things are looking up, with Kauffman Stadium being redone as new manager Hillman brings his ideas from five years of managing in Japan. They're getting better.

LA Angels-- Angels went 86-76 in their second season, in '62, an unheard-of feat, then went 82-80 in their fourth season, then were bad for long time. Halos have been good for a while now, making playoffs four of last six years. All their starting pitchers are 28 or younger; their OFs and DH are all 32+ years old.

Minnesota-- Still can't believe they're building a stadium with no retractable roof; it makes zero sense. Anyway, Minnesota had eight consecutive losing seasons, from 1993-2000, and had same manager (Tom Kelly) the whole time, so this is definitely a different-type franchise. Back to contending status this year.

Bronx-- So the Cubs have more wins than the Bronx Bombers? Ha. Joba Chamberlain blew a save Tuesday; why don't they do something different-- send Joba to Scranton, stretch him out to be a starter, and fix the mess that is their pitching. Would it be that horrible to invest in future to straighten out the rotation? 37-year old Jason Giambi gets $17M to hit .150, by the way.

Oakland-- NYC talk show hosts like to rip Biully Beane, but in last couple years, he traded Milton Bradley for Aaron Brown, Mark Kotsay for Joey Divine, Mark Mulder for Haren, Barton and Calero, then Haren to Arizona for six prospects. He signed Emil Brown off scrap heap, and got Frank Thomas for $350K. By the way, I hate the A's black jerseys. Despise. Just awful.

Seattle-- Think Mike Hargrove knew something when he blew out of town during a winning season? Johjima is 32, Sexson 33, Ichiro 34, Ibanez 36, Vidro 33-- yes, an old team. Bedard is off to solid start, but he missed three starts with hip issues. Four relievers have combined to get the team's six saves, not ideal.

Tampa Bay-- In June '04, Rays went 20-7 in June, still won just 70 games, best season in team history. That is about to change as this bullpen is locking down games, and starting rotation is not only pretty good, but also fairly young. Only two of their nine regulars are hitting .250+; they'll need to score more later.

Texas-- Until they trade for a pitcher, I'm boycotting Rangers, so in this space, I'll tell you that Lebron James went 2-17 with 10 turnovers in Game 1 of Cavs-Celtics series. I'll also tell you that Jamie Moyer beat Max Scherzer in Arizona Monday; when Scherzer was born, Moyer was already in the major leagues.

Toronto--Not sure what is wrong with them, but this unhappy team is far less than sum of its parts. Their pitching has really been great for last couple weeks, allowing 17 runs in their last nine games, but they're 5-4 in those games. Marcum is 3-2, 2.70 a underrated hurler. Does Marco Scutaro have a voodoo doll? He's supposed to be a sub, but the guy he backs up always gets hurt, both in Oakland and now in Toronto.

[Udog]

MLB
Dunkel


Brewers vs. Marlins
The Brewers look to snap a four-game losing streak against Florida rookie starter Burke Badenhop, who is 0-2 with a 7.20 ERA in his four starts this season. Milwaukee is the pick (-110) according to Dunkel, which has the Brewers favored by 1. Dunkel Pick: Milwaukee (-110). Here are all of today's games.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 7

Game 951-952: Chicago Cubs at Cincinnati
Dunkel Ratings: Cubs (Lieber) 15.309; Cincinnati (Volquez) 14.943
Dunkel Line: Chicago Cubs by 1/2; 7 1/2
Vegas Line: Cincinnati (-135); 9
Dunkel Pick: Chicago Cubs (+125); Under

Game 953-954: NY Mets at LA Dodgers
Dunkel Ratings: NY Mets (Maine) 14.984; LA Dodgers (Penny) 16.242
Dunkel Line: LA Dodgers by 1 1/2; 9
Vegas Line: LA Dodgers (-125); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: LA Dodgers (-125); Over

Game 955-956: San Francisco at Pittsburgh
Dunkel Ratings: San Francisco (Misch) 14.457; Pittsburgh (Dumatrait) 15.798
Dunkel Line: Pittsburgh by 1 1/2; 10 1/2
Vegas Line: Pittsburgh (-115); 9
Dunkel Pick: Pittsburgh (-115); Over

Game 957-958: Milwaukee at Florida
Dunkel Ratings: Milwaukee (Bush) 15.054; Florida (Badenhop) 14.343
Dunkel Line: Milwaukee by 1; 9 1/2
Vegas Line: Milwaukee (-110); 10 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Milwaukee (-110); Under

Game 959-960: San Diego at Atlanta
Dunkel Ratings: San Diego (Wolf) 14.272; Atlanta (Hudson) 16.237
Dunkel Line: Atlanta by 2; 9
Vegas Line: Atlanta (-165); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Atlanta (-165); Over

Game 961-962: Washington at Houston
Dunkel Ratings: Washington (Perez) 14.557; Houston (Oswalt) 16.404
Dunkel Line: Houston by 2; 9
Vegas Line: Houston (-170); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Houston (-170); Over

Game 963-964: St. Louis at Colorado
Dunkel Ratings: St. Louis (Wainwright) 15.673; Colorado (Francis) 14.667
Dunkel Line: St. Louis by 1; 10
Vegas Line: Colorado (-120); 9
Dunkel Pick: St. Louis (+110); Over

Game 965-966: Philadelphia at Arizona
Dunkel Ratings: Philadelphia (Kendrick) 15.270; Arizona (Owings) 14.756
Dunkel Line: Philadelphia by 1/2; 11
Vegas Line: Arizona (-130); 10 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Philadelphia (+120); Over

Game 967-968: Baltimore at Oakland
Dunkel Ratings: Baltimore (Guthrie) 14.830; Oakland (Blanton) 16.811
Dunkel Line: Oakland by 2; 7
Vegas Line: Oakland (-140); 8
Dunkel Pick: Oakland (-140); Under

Game 969-970: Tampa Bay at Toronto
Dunkel Ratings: Tampa Bay (Garza) 14.583; Toronto (Marcum) 15.780
Dunkel Line: Toronto by 1; 9
Vegas Line: Toronto (-140); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Toronto (-140); Over

Game 971-972: Cleveland at NY Yankees
Dunkel Ratings: Cleveland (Lee) 15.048; NY Yankees (Wang) 16.195
Dunkel Line: NY Yankees by 1; 8
Vegas Line: NY Yankees (-130); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: NY Yankees (-130); Over

Game 973-974: Boston at Detroit
Dunkel Ratings: Boston (Buchholz) 15.931; Detroit (Galarraga) 16.043
Dunkel Line: Detroit by 1/2; 8
Vegas Line: Boston (-120); 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Detroit (+110); Under

Game 975-976: LA Angels at Kansas City
Dunkel Ratings: LA Angels (Weaver) 16.003; Kansas City (Greinke) 14.744
Dunkel Line: LA Angels by 1 1/2; 7
Vegas Line: Kansas City (-115); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: LA Angels (+105); Under

Game 977-978: Minnesota at Chicago White Sox
Dunkel Ratings: Minnesota (Hernandez) 14.606; White Sox (Buehrle) 15.828
Dunkel Line: Chicago White Sox by 1; 9
Vegas Line: Chicago White Sox (-145); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Chicago White Sox (-145); Over

Game 979-980: Texas at Seattle
Dunkel Ratings: Texas (Padilla) 14.741; Seattle (Bedard) 14.876
Dunkel Line: Seattle by 1/2; 8 1/2
Vegas Line: Seattle (-150); 8
Dunkel Pick: Seattle (-150); Over

[Udog]

MLB
Write-Up


Wednesday, May 7

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Hot Pitchers
-- Volquez is 4-1, 1.51 in six starts this season.
-- Maine is 3-1, 2.73 in his last five starts. LA won the last four Penny starts (4-0, 3.04), scoring 39 runs.
-- Hudson is 3-0, 2.08 in three home starts. Wolf is 1-0, 3.93 in three road starts this season.
-- Oswalt is 3-0, 3.81 in his last four starts. Perez is 0-0, 2.37 in his last three starts.
-- Cardinals won last four Wainwright starts (2-0, 2.40).

-- Lee is 5-0, 1.19 in five starts this season. Bronx is 7-0 in Wang starts this season (3-0, 0.79 in last three).
-- Buchholz is 2-1, 1.42 in his last three starts.
-- Greinke is 3-1, 1.60 in six starts this season.
-- Bedard is 1-1, 2.07 in his last couple starts. Rangers are 5-2 in Padilla starts this season.

Cold Pitchers
-- Lieber is making first start of '08; he shut Pirates out for 4.1 IP Sunday afternoon, in relief.
-- Dumatrait allowed four runs in four IP in his first '08 start, a game Pirates later won 11-4 in Washington. Giants are 0-6 in Zito's starts (0-6, 9.42) outscored 39-8.
-- Badenhop is 0-2, 7.58 in four starts this season. Bush is 0-2, 6.23 in three starts this season.
-- Francis is 0-2, 6.27 in three home starts.
-- Owings is 0-1, 10.12 in his last two starts. Kendrick has 6.00 RA in his last three starts, but Phillies won all three, scoring a total of 23 runs.

-- Guthrie is 1-2, 4.56 in his last four starts. Oakland is 0-5 this season in Blanton home starts.
-- Garza has 5.85 RA in four starts this season.
-- Galarraga is 0-1, 5.25 in his last two starts.
-- Angels lost five of seven Weaver starts.
-- Buehrle is 0-3, 3.86 in his last four starts. Hernandez has 11.42 RA in his last two road starts.

Hot Teams
-- Braves won eleven of last thirteen home games.
-- Marlins won three of their last four games.
-- Astros won their last even home games. Nationals won eight of their last eleven games.
-- Cardinals won eight of their last ten games.
-- Phillies won six of their last nine road games.
-- Dodgers won ten of their last eleven games.

-- Red Sox won seven of their last eight games.
-- Bronx won three of their last four games. Indians won their last four road games.
-- Toronto won six of their last eight at Rogers Centre.
-- Twins won five of their last six games.
-- Angels won nine of their last eleven road games.
-- Oakland won eight of last eleven home games.
-- Rangers won five of their last seven games.

Cold Teams
-- Pirates are 4-7 in their last eleven games. Giants lost three of their last four games.
-- Padres lost fifteen of their last nineteen games.
-- Cubs lost six of their last nine road games. Cincinnati lost six of their last seven games.
-- Brewers are 3-8 in their last eleven games.
-- Colorado is 3-13 in its last sixteen games.
-- Arizona lost four of its last six games.
-- Mets lost seven of their last ten road games.

-- Tigers lost last five games, allowing 33 runs.
-- Tampa Bay lost three of their last four games.
-- White Sox lost six of their last seven games.
-- Royals lost nine of their last twelve home games.
-- Orioles lost six of their last seven games.
-- Mariners lost six of their last seven games.

Totals
-- Under is 7-1-1 in Cubs' last nine road games.
-- Over is 9-3-1 in last thirteen games at Dodger Stadium.
-- Seven of last ten Pirate games went over the total.
-- Five of last seven Florida home games went over the total.
-- Five of six Wolf starts stayed under the total.
-- Under is 6-0-1 in Perez starts this season.
-- Over is 8-2 in last ten games at Coors Field.
-- Five of six Kendrick starts went over the total.

-- Under is 13-4 in Baltimore road games.
-- Last three Marcum starts stayed under the total.
-- Four of five Lee starts stayed under the total.
-- Under is 5-0-1 in last six Detroit home games.
-- Seven of last nine Royal games stayed under the total.
-- Over is 3-0-1 in last four Hernandez starts.
-- Under is 3-1-1 in last five Padilla starts.

Umpires
-- Chi-Cin-- All six BWelke games this season went over total.
-- NY-LA-- Under is 5-1-1 in Joyce games this season.
-- SF-Pitt-- Favorite won five of last six Drake games.
-- Mil-Fla-- Favorite won four of last five Cousins games.
-- SD-Atl-- Underdog is 4-3 in Knight games this season.
-- Wsh-Hst-- Visiting team won last four Reliford games.
-- StL-Col-- Favorite is 5-1 in Fletcher games this season.
-- Phil-Az-- Home side won last four Emmel games.

-- Blt-A's-- Over is 6-0-1 in West games this season.
-- TB-Tor-- Over is 6-1-2, underdog 5-4 in Crawford games.
-- Clev-NY-- Three of last four Gorman games went over total.
-- Bos-Det-- Favorite is 6-0 in Reynolds games this season.
-- LA-KC-- Underdog won last three McClelland games.
-- Min-Chi-- Favorite won five of six Barksdale games.
-- Tex-Sea-- Four of last five Wegner games stayed under.

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[Udog]

MLB


Wednesday,May 7


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Trend Sheet
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12:35 PM CHI CUBS vs. CINCINNATI
Chi Cubs are 5-2 SU in their last 7 games when playing on the road against Cincinnati
Chi Cubs are 2-4 SU in their last 6 games on the road
Cincinnati is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games
Cincinnati is 3-7 SU in its last 10 games at home


3:10 PM NY METS vs. LA DODGERS
NY Mets are 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
NY Mets are 3-7 SU in its last 10 games on the road
LA Dodgers are 6-3 SU in their last 9 games when playing at home against NY Mets
LA Dodgers are 5-0 SU in their last 5 games at home


3:37 PM BALTIMORE vs. OAKLAND
Baltimore is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games
Baltimore is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games on the road
Oakland is 15-6 SU in its last 21 games when playing at home against Baltimore
Oakland is 14-6 SU in its last 20 games when playing Baltimore


7:05 PM BOSTON vs. DETROIT
Boston is 4-0-1 SU in its last 5 games
Boston is 1-3-1 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Detroit is 1-3-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Boston
Detroit is 0-4-1 SU in its last 5 games


7:05 PM CLEVELAND vs. NY YANKEES
Cleveland is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Cleveland is 5-19 SU in their last 24 games when playing on the road against NY Yankees
NY Yankees are 2-4 SU in their last 6 games when playing Cleveland
NY Yankees are 19-5 SU in their last 24 games when playing at home against Cleveland


7:05 PM SAN FRANCISCO vs. PITTSBURGH
San Francisco is 2-3-1 SU in its last 6 games
San Francisco is 2-10-1 SU in its last 13 games when playing Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh is 10-2-1 SU in its last 13 games when playing San Francisco
Pittsburgh is 1-3-1 SU in its last 5 games


7:07 PM TAMPA BAY vs. TORONTO
Tampa Bay is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Toronto
Tampa Bay is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Toronto
Toronto is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
Toronto is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home


7:10 PM MILWAUKEE vs. FLORIDA
Milwaukee is 6-13 SU in its last 19 games when playing Florida
Milwaukee is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Florida is 8-2 SU in its last 10 games when playing at home against Milwaukee
Florida is 13-6 SU in its last 19 games when playing Milwaukee


7:10 PM SAN DIEGO vs. ATLANTA
San Diego is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
San Diego is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games when playing Atlanta
Atlanta is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against San Diego
Atlanta is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing San Diego


8:05 PM WASHINGTON vs. HOUSTON
Washington is 8-3 SU in its last 11 games when playing Houston
Washington is 2-11 SU in its last 13 games on the road
Houston is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
Houston is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home


8:10 PM LA ANGELS vs. KANSAS CITY
LA Angels are 17-4 SU in their last 21 games when playing on the road against Kansas City
LA Angels are 6-1 SU in their last 7 games on the road
Kansas City is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games at home
Kansas City is 5-12 SU in its last 17 games


8:11 PM MINNESOTA vs. CHI WHITE SOX
Minnesota is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
Minnesota is 4-2 SU in their last 6 games when playing Chi White Sox
Chi White Sox are 6-2 SU in their last 8 games when playing at home against Minnesota
Chi White Sox are 2-4 SU in their last 6 games when playing Minnesota


8:35 PM ST. LOUIS vs. COLORADO
St. Louis is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Colorado
St. Louis is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing Colorado
Colorado is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games
Colorado is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games at home


9:40 PM PHILADELPHIA vs. ARIZONA
Philadelphia is 10-5 SU in its last 15 games when playing on the road against Arizona
Philadelphia is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Arizona is 13-6 SU in its last 19 games at home
Arizona is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Philadelphia


10:10 PM TEXAS vs. SEATTLE
Texas is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games
Texas is 3-9 SU in its last 12 games on the road
Seattle is 8-2 SU in its last 10 games when playing at home against Texas
Seattle is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games when playing Texas

[Udog]

MLB


Wednesday, May 7


We'll update as soon as projected scores are available.


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Tips and Trends
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New York Mets at Los Angeles Dodgers [3:10 PM ET]

Mets: New York's John Maine has never beaten the Dodgers, going 0-3 with a 5.06 ERA in 3 starts. Maine has not faced them this season and is coming off back-to-back wins against Arizona and Atlanta. He has not given up more than 2 runs in any of his last 5 starts, although he is 1-2 on the road this season with a 4.50 ERA. Much of that damage was done in his first start of the season when he gave up 4 runs and 8 hits in 4 innings at Atlanta back on April 5th.

Key Injuries - NONE

PROJECTED SCORE: TBD

Dodgers (-130, O/U 8): Like Maine, LA's Brad Penny has struggled mightily against the opposition. Penny is just 5-11 lifetime vs. New York with a 5.66 ERA, but he enters this contest on a personal 4-game winning streak. He has given up 7 runs combined during that stretch of 23 2/3 innings, walking 8 and striking out 11. The portly right-hander is 3-1 at Dodger Stadium this season with a 2.49 ERA.

Dodgers are 9-1 in their last 10 games overall.

Key Injuries - NONE

PROJECTED SCORE: TBD



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

Indians: In the season's biggest surprise to date, Cliff Lee has dominated on the mound, compiling a perfect 5-0 record to go along with a remarkable 0.96 ERA. In 5 starts, Lee has given up 1 run or less 4 times. His control has been masterful, striking out 32 and walking just 2 batters on the season. Lee hasn't had success taking on the Yankees though. In 6 career starts, he's 2-3 with 6.82 ERA.

The UNDER is 8-2 in Cleveland's last 10 games overall.

Key Injuries - NONE

PROJECTED SCORE: TBD

Yankees (-140, O/U 7.5): Chien-Ming Wang has been the lone starting pitcher Joe Girardi and the Yankees have been able to rely on this season. New York is a perfect 7-0 in Wang's starts this year. Take away 1 bad outing against Boston and Wang hasn't allowed more than 3 runs in any of his other 6 starts. The Cy Young contender has been tough on the Indians, sporting a 3-1 record and a 2.73 ERA in 4 career starts.

Yankees are 21-6 in the last 27 meetings at New York.
The UNDER is 7-1-1 in New York's last 9 games overall.

Key Injuries - NONE

PROJECTED SCORE: TBD



San Diego Padres at Atlanta Braves [7:10 PM ET]

Padres: Randy Wolf has pitched well for San Diego this season, but the Padres have only won 3 of his 6 starts. Twice, Wolf has given up just 2 runs through 6 innings only to come away with a no-decision. The Braves have owned Wolf over the years. He's 4-9 with a 5.02 in 21 career starts against Atlanta.

Key Injuries - NONE

PROJECTED SCORE: TBD

Braves (-170, O/U 8.5): Tim Hudson has been a horse for the Braves this season, pitching at least 6 innings in 5 of his 7 starts. The problem with Hudson is when he's been bad, he's been really bad. In those other 2 appearances, Hudson only went 3 innings and gave up 4 runs in both outings. Hudson has a 2-0 career record versus the Padres but an unimpressive 4.88 ERA and 1.70 WHIP.

Key Injuries - NONE

PROJECTED SCORE: TBD



Los Angeles Angels at Kansas City Royals [8:10 PM ET]

Angels: LA's Jered Weaver will try to forget about his last start and remember his last outing on the road, a 6-2 victory at Detroit on Sunday Night Baseball back on April 27th. Weaver got the decision in a 4-3 home loss to Baltimore last time out on Friday, giving up all 4 runs and 6 hits in 7 innings of work. He allowed half the number of runs in his previous start against the Tigers and will be looking to avoid back-to-back losses for the second time this year.

Key Injuries - NONE

PROJECTED SCORE: TBD

Royals (-120, O/U 7.5): Kansas City's Zack Greinke is 0-2 lifetime against the Angels with an 8.49 ERA and coming off a tough-luck loss at Texas last time out. Greinke allowed just 2 runs - both on solo homers - and 4 hits total in 7 innings with no walks and 9 strikeouts of a 2-1 loss to the Rangers. The Royals have lost 2 of his last 3 starts after winning his first 3, and he is 1-0 in 2 home starts with an impressive 0.60 ERA.

Key Injuries - NONE

PROJECTED SCORE: TBD

[Udog]

MLB


Wednesday, May 7


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Baseball Today
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SCOREBOARD

Wednesday, May 7
Cleveland at New York Yankees (7:05 p.m.) Two undefeated pitchers square off when stingy left-hander Cliff Lee (5-0, 0.96 ERA) and the Indians take on the Yankees and ace Chien-Ming Wang (6-0, 3.00), who has won three straight starts.

STARS

Tuesday

- Gavin Floyd, White Sox, took a no-hitter into the ninth inning before giving up a double to Joe Mauer with one out in a 7-1 win over the Twins.

- Nate McLouth, Pirates, had two homers and three RBIs in Pittsburgh's 12-6 victory over San Francisco.

- Carlos Lee and Lance Berkman, Astros. Lee had the go-ahead two-run double in the eighth inning and Berkman had a career-high five hits in Houston?s 6-5 win over Washington.

- Tim Wakefield, Red Sox, allowed two hits in eight innings of a 5-0 win over the Tigers.

- David Dellucci, Indians, had a pinch-hit, three-run homer off Joba Chamberlain in the eighth inning to lead Cleveland to a 5-3 victory over the New York Yankees.

- Garret Anderson, Angels, homered for the second straight game and drove in five runs in Los Angeles' 5-3 win over Kansas City.

- Braden Looper, Cardinals, pitched into the ninth inning in the longest outing of his career and went 2-for-3 with an RBI in St. Louis' 6-5 win over slumping Colorado.

- Blake DeWitt, Dodgers, had three hits and four RBIs, including a go-ahead, two-run inside-the-park homer in the fifth inning of a 5-4 victory over the New York Mets.

CLOSE TO A NO-NO

Gavin Floyd didn't allow a hit until Joe Mauer's double with one out in the ninth inning of Chicago's 7-1 victory over the Twins on Tuesday night. Floyd (3-1) was taken out to a standing ovation after the hit and Bobby Jenks got the last two outs to help the White Sox end a six-game losing streak. Floyd previously held Detroit hitless for 7 1-3 innings on April 12.

BARRY'S BACK

Barry Zito, demoted to the San Francisco bullpen last week, is returning to the starting rotation without having made any relief appearances. Giants manager Bruce Bochy said that Zito will start Wednesday's game at Pittsburgh. Zito, who a year ago signed a $126 million, seven-year contract, was sent to the bullpen last week after a terrible start. The left-hander lost his first six starts and had a 7.53 ERA.

TEAM EFFORT

Josh Hamilton, Michael Young and David Murphy drove in three runs each to support stingy starter Sidney Ponson in the Rangers' 10-1 victory over the sinking Mariners. Ponson gave up seven harmless hits in seven innings, striking out two and walking two. Signed to a minor-league contract in March, Ponson is 2-0 with a 1.33 ERA in three starts since his recall from Triple-A Oklahoma last month.

SIDELINED

-Victor Martinez was pulled from the Indians? lineup because of a stiff neck. The decision was made during batting practice before the opener of a three-game series against New York. Martinez, an All-Star catcher, was replaced by backup Kelly Shoppach.
-Arizona second baseman Orlando Hudson could be out up to 10 days after an MRI exam revealed a strain in his right hamstring.
-The Blue Jays lost shortstops David Eckstein and John McDonald to injuries against Tampa Bay. Eckstein left in the fifth inning with a sore right groin and McDonald, his replacement, had to leave after injuring his right ankle in the sixth.

CLOSE TO COMING BACK

Jimmy Rollins thinks he almost is ready to rejoin the Phillies after going 2-for-4 with a solo homer Tuesday in an extended spring game against the Yankees. On the disabled list for the first time in his big league career, Rollins is recovering from a sprained left ankle. He is 6-for-8 with a homer, three doubles and four RBIs in two games.
- Giants shortstop Omar Vizquel, out all season after having arthroscopic left knee surgery Feb. 27, could rejoin the team within a week. Vizquel, who has been at the team's extended spring training camp in Arizona, may return to San Francisco on Friday for evaluation and, if no problems are found, could be ready to play shortly after that.
- A's right-hander Rich Harden struck out nine in six scoreless innings in a rehab start for Class-A Stockton. He allowed three hits and plunked three without a walk.

SCHILLING'S SHOULDER

Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling tested his ailing shoulder by playing catch on flat ground Tuesday but isn't ready to begin throwing off a mound. The 41-year-old right-hander threw 25 balls from 60 feet away. He'll repeat the exercise Thursday before the Red Sox complete a four-game series against the Tigers.

NO BONDS MARKET

The players' association expressed concern to the baseball commissioner's office over the lack of offers to Barry Bonds, asking for additional information about the offseason's free-agent market. The union did not go as far as to file a grievance on behalf of the 43-year-old outfielder, who remains unsigned and hasn't received any offers since the Giants decided not to re-sign him last year and he became a free agent.

SHUTOUTS

Carlos Zambrano allowed three hits in eight innings, and Ronny Cedeno singled home a pair of runs that sent the Chicago Cubs to a 3-0 victory over the Reds.
- Scott Olsen allowed two hits in 8 2-3 innings, and Mike Jacobs hit a two-run homer to help Florida beat slumping Milwaukee 3-0.
- Tim Wakefield allowed two hits in eight innings, David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez hit back-to-back homers on successive pitches in the seventh inning and Boston beat Detroit 5-0.

SURGERY

Colorado right-hander Kip Wells underwent surgery to remove blood clots in his pitching hand. The four-hour operation was performed by Dr. Robert Thompson at Barnes Jewish Hospital in St. Louis. Wells' condition will be re-evaluated Wednesday. No date has been set for his return.

STREAKS

- Boston's 5-0 victory over Detroit was the Red Sox's fifth straight win and the Tigers' fifth straight loss.
- Andy Sonnanstine won his fourth straight start, Eric Hinske homered and Tampa Bay beat the Blue Jays 5-4 to snap Toronto?s five-game winning streak.

SPEAKING

"We're not doing well right now. But it's very important that we remember what we have and how good they are."-Tigers manager Jim Leyland, following his team's 5-0 loss to Boston on Tuesday night that dropped Detroit to 14-20.


SEASONS

May 7

1917-Babe Ruth of the Red Sox allowed two hits as he outdueled Walter Johnson of the Washington Senators 1-0. Ruth knocked in the winning run with a sacrifice fly.

1922-Jesse Barnes of the New York Giants pitched the only no-hitter of the year, beating the Philadelphia Phillies 6-0.

1925-Pittsburgh shortstop Glenn Wright made an unassisted triple play in the ninth inning against the St. Louis Cardinals when he caught Jim Bottomley-s line drive, stepped on second to double Jimmy Cooney, and tagged Rogers Hornsby coming from first.

1957-Cleveland pitcher Herb Score was hit on the right eye by a line drive off the bat of Gil McDougald in the first inning. The ball broke Score's nose and damaged his eye; he missed the rest of the season.

1959-A crowd of 93,103 came to the Los Angeles Coliseum on "Roy Campanella Night" to honor the paralyzed Dodger catcher. The Dodgers were beaten by the New York Yankees 6-2 in an exhibition game that followed the ceremonies.

1960-Norm Sherry, a replacement catcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers, hit a home run in the 11th inning to give his brother, relief pitcher Larry Sherry, a 3-2 triumph over the Philadelphia Phillies in Los Angeles.

1997-The Montreal Expos scored 13 runs to set an NL record for runs in a sixth inning during their 19-3 win over the San Francisco Giants. Montreal had five runs in the fifth to set a National League record for runs in consecutive innings with 18.

2007-San Francisco's Bengie Molina hit a two-run homer in the fifth, then added a three-run drive later in the same inning to lead the Giants to a 9-4 win over New York.

Today's birthdays: James Loney 24; Conor Jackson 26.

[Udog]

NBA
Dunkel


Detroit at Orlando
The Magic look to get back into this series after dropping a pair in Detroit and come into the home contest with a 25-10 ATS record when revenging a loss versus an opponent. Orlando is the pick (-3 1/2) according to Dunkel, which has the Magic favored by 5. Dunkel Pick: Orlando (-3 1/2). Here are all of today's games.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 7

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

Game 715-716: Detroit at Orlando
Dunkel Ratings: Detroit 121.262; Orlando 126.489
Dunkel Line & Total: Orlando by 5; 182
Vegas Line & Total: Orlando by 3 1/2; 186
Dunkel Pick: Orlando (-3 1/2); Under

[Udog]

NBA
Long Sheet


Wednesday, May 7


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UTAH (58 - 31) at LA LAKERS (62 - 25) - 5/7/2008, 10:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
UTAH is 7-15 ATS (-9.5 Units) in road games versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game this season.
LA LAKERS are 52-34 ATS (+14.6 Units) in all games this season.
LA LAKERS are 37-28 ATS (+6.2 Units) as a favorite this season.
LA LAKERS are 16-7 ATS (+8.3 Units) against Northwest division opponents this season.
LA LAKERS are 49-33 ATS (+12.7 Units) after a win by 10 points or more over the last 3 seasons.
UTAH is 48-40 ATS (+4.0 Units) in all games this season.
UTAH is 22-12 ATS (+8.8 Units) revenging a loss vs opponent this season.
UTAH is 29-15 ATS (+12.5 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
UTAH is 20-7 ATS (+12.3 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season this season.
UTAH is 24-13 ATS (+9.7 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game this season.
UTAH is 14-4 ATS (+9.6 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game - 2nd half of the season this season.
LA LAKERS are 6-16 ATS (-11.6 Units) in home games versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game - 2nd half of the season over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
LA LAKERS is 7-4 against the spread versus UTAH over the last 3 seasons
LA LAKERS is 8-4 straight up against UTAH over the last 3 seasons
7 of 12 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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DETROIT (65 - 25) at ORLANDO (56 - 33) - 5/7/2008, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
ORLANDO is 54-33 ATS (+17.7 Units) in all games this season.
ORLANDO is 36-21 ATS (+12.9 Units) as a favorite this season.
ORLANDO is 26-16 ATS (+8.4 Units) in home games this season.
ORLANDO is 25-10 ATS (+14.0 Units) revenging a loss vs opponent this season.
DETROIT is 53-37 ATS (+12.3 Units) in all games this season.
DETROIT is 54-38 ATS (+12.2 Units) in road games over the last 2 seasons.
DETROIT is 25-14 ATS (+9.6 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
DETROIT is 21-12 ATS (+7.8 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
DETROIT is 10-5 against the spread versus ORLANDO over the last 3 seasons
DETROIT is 14-3 straight up against ORLANDO over the last 3 seasons
10 of 17 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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[Udog]

NBA
Short Sheet


Wednesday, May 7th


Eastern Conference
Second Round
Game Three
Pistons Lead, 2-0
Detroit at Orlando, 8:05 ET

Detroit:
14-3 Under Away 2nd Round of playoffs
27-10 Under as road underdog

Orlando:
18-3 ATS revenging same season loss
14-2 ATS off road loss

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Western Conference
Second Round
Game Two
Lakers Lead, 1-0
Utah at LA Lakers, 10:30 ET

Utah:
1-4 ATS at LA Lakers
14-5 Over vs. Pacific Division

LA Lakers:
22-10 ATS off BB ATS wins
30-15 ATS off an Under

[Udog]

NBA
Write-Up


Wednesday, May 7

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NBA Games

Orlando lost both games in Detroit, 91-72/100-93; Lewis missed short runner late in Game 2 that would have tied score; lets say Orlando didn't exactly get an even whistle in this game. Magic had 15 offensive rebounds in Game 2, shot 11-26 from arc, big improvements from Game 1, but not good enough. Pistons are 6-0 in playoffs when they score more than 86 points.

Lakers won Game 1, with Bryant taking 23 foul shots, while the whole Utah team was 22-30. Jazz was 4-19 from arc, shot 37.9% from floor in game they trailed 54-41 at half. LA is now 5-0 this playoffs, winning home games by 14-15-11 points. Utah is 2-2 on road in playoffs, with losses by 2-11 points. Under is 6-1 in their seven playoff games.

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[Udog]

NBA


Wednesday, May 7


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Trend Sheet
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8:00 PM DETROIT vs. ORLANDO
Detroit is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Orlando
Detroit is 12-2 SU in its last 14 games when playing Orlando
Orlando is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games at home
Orlando is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games at home


10:30 PM UTAH vs. LA LAKERS
Utah is 1-6 ATS in their last 7 games when playing LA Lakers
Utah is 1-6 SU in their last 7 games when playing LA Lakers
LA Lakers are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 games
LA Lakers are 5-0 SU in their last 5 games

[Udog]

NBA


Wednesday, May 7


We'll update as soon as projected scores are available.


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Tips and Trends
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Detroit Pistons at Orlando Magic [TNT | 8 PM ET]

Pistons: Detroit is well aware that Orlando's main strength is hitting 3-pointers, which opens things up inside for star Dwight Howard to do his damage. When the Magic aren't hitting their 3-pointers, they haven't fared well, so Detroit head coach Flip Saunders is concentrating on taking advantage when they go through cold spells. "That's what they do - that's the scary part of playing this team," Saunders said. "They go through runs of making 3's where you're saying that it's never going to go in. And I'm sure in the fourth quarter (Van Gundy) was saying, 'Are we ever going to make another one?"' Orlando was just 2-for-15 from beyond the 3-point arc in Game 1 but improved to 11-of-26 in Game 2.

Pistons are 2-7 ATS in their last 9 Wednesday games.
The UNDER is 14-6 in Detroit's last 20 games overall.

Key Injuries - NONE

PROJECTED SCORE: TBD

Magic (-3.5, O/U 186): Orlando has lost 9 straight playoff games against the Pistons, and 1 more setback would tie the Magic with 3 other teams for the second-longest postseason skid vs. 1 team. They know they can beat Detroit if they can avoid turnovers, as the Pistons have committed just 16 in the first 2 games compared to 32 for Orlando. "When you turn the ball over you aren't giving yourself a chance, and we just have to do the little things like that, as well as not letting them get the offensive rebounds," Magic point guard Jameer Nelson said. "There are just some things that we need to take care of. We have great competitors in this locker room that compete really hard, and we just turned the ball over."

Magic are 13-5-2 ATS in their last 20 home games.
Magic are 6-2-1 ATS in their last 9 games vs. Central Division.
The OVER is 8-3 in the last 11 meetings.

Key Injuries - NONE

PROJECTED SCORE: TBD



Utah Jazz at Los Angeles Lakers [TNT | 10:30 PM ET]

Jazz: Utah held a dominating 58-41 rebounding advantage in Game 1 and will continue to use their strength inside in an attempt to beat the Lakers. "I think we can do a good job of getting the ball inside a little bit more," Jazz forward Carlos Boozer said. "I think we settled for jump shots at times. We're stronger than them. They're longer than we are, but we have some guys that like to get in there and bang around a little big and move some bodies and try to get the ball, which is going to be the key for us in this series. We need to continue to go inside and make them work inside."

The OVER is 20-7 in Utah's last 27 games vs. Pacific Division.
The OVER is 6-2 in the last 8 meetings at LA.

Key Injuries - NONE

PROJECTED SCORE: TBD

Lakers (-7, O/U 209.5): Phil Jackson-coached teams have never lost a playoff series when winning Game 1, going a perfect 39-0. It's this approach that has enabled 2008 NBA MVP Kobe Bryant and his teammates to succeed, believing that every game could be their last. "Every game is Game 7 - that's been our approach," Bryant said. "I think with each win, we get more confident. Utah is a much bigger challenge for us than the first round. I think Game 3 in Denver, we played well. Other than that, we've been playing in spurts. We haven't put together a complete game. I think that's good news."

Lakers are 7-0 SU & ATS in their last 7 games overall.
Home team is 8-2 ATS in the last 10 meetings.

Key Injuries - NONE

PROJECTED SCORE: TBD

[Udog]

NBA


Wednesday, May 7


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Pick 'n' Roll: Wednesday's best NBA bets
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Detroit at Orlando (-3 1/2, 186)

On Monday night, Dwight Howard dropped 22 points and grabbed 18 rebounds, while Jameer Nelson and Rashard Lewis cracked 20 points too, and the Magic still couldn't get past the Pistons in Detroit. So now what?

Well, the good news for Magic bettors is the series now shifts to Orlando for the next two games and the hometown team is going to need all the help it can get. The Magic outrebounded Detroit 40-35 in Game 2, hit 11 treys, and held their own in the paint but still couldn't get past the Pistons.

That probably isn't a good sign.

Pick: Pistons



Utah at L.A. Lakers (- 6 1/2, 209 1/2)

You can't say the Jazz didn't put out a solid team effort in Game 1's 11-point loss to the Lakers - Utah had six players score in double figures. But the problem was that nobody had more than 21 points, while Kobe Bryant came up with 38 for the Lakers.

The Jazz didn't make it easy on him. Bryant was sent to the line 23 times, but responded by nailing 21 of those free throws.

Now all the Lakers are talking about is improving their rebounding for Game 2 after the Jazz pounded them 58-41 on the glass. If L.A. can cut into that margin and get some more secondary scoring from Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom, Utah will be in serious trouble heading back home for Game 3.

Pick: Lakers