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**pm530** · 05-21-2008, 03:25 AM

Six-pack for Wednesday

Thoughts on the NBA's draft lottery.........

-- Chicago Bulls were big winner, jumping from ninth to first in next month's draft. Timberwolves slipped to number three, out of the Rose/Beasley range. Bad night for them.

-- Golden State (48-34) was best team ever to be in lottery.

-- Credit to Larry Bird for having the onions to show up and take responsibility for his team being in the lottery. Never are you going to see Pat Riley at one of these events.

-- Sacramento held a contest for a season ticket holder to sit at the Kings' station; a woman won whose ancestor had a ticket to sail on the Titanic, but missed the boat that day. Her presence didn't bring the Kings any luck, though.

-- Clippers were in lottery for 19th time, most of any team; at least they spared Elgin Baylor from going. Mike Dunleavy, who is from New York, represented the Clippers.

-- Of all the goofy things that get televised now- poker, darts, politics, the WNBA, the worst is the draft lottery. Lot of rich dudes sitting around to see what ping pong balls got pulled out of the cooler in what order. We don't even get to see the ping pong balls jump around. What a country.

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**pm530** · 05-21-2008, 03:25 AM

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

This week, we're looking at a pleasant surprise for each team as well as a disappointment.

Orioles-- Daniel Cabrera is finally living up to his potential, as vastly-improved Orioles are contending in AL East.

Ramon Hernandez was at .209 going into Tuesday's game; O's have been unable to find a SS to replace the traded Tejada.

Red Sox-- Emergence of strong role players-- Ellsbury, Pedroia and Youkilis keep this team strong. Have gotten no-hitters out of young starters Buchholz, Lester in last 70 games.

It would be nit-picking to say anyone has been disappointing.

White Sox-- Young starters Floyd (2.94 ERA), Danks (2.92) are cornerstones of pitching staff that have Pale Hose in 1st place.

Swisher is hitting .213, Cabrera .225, Konerko .212, yet they're in first place. The manager needs to quiet down some, too.

Indians-- Cliff Lee (6-1, 1.37) has been Sandy Koufax for first seven weeks of season.

Of their nine starting players, only two are hitting above .241, as offense in AL has taken a severe tumble. Hafner (.228 with four homers) is having an especially hard time.

Detroit-- In a house of horrors, Armando Galarraga (3-1, 3.06) has been a pleasant surprise replacing injured Dontrelle Willis.

Three of the other four starters have ERAs over 6.00. Defense has been so dismal they switched 1st and 3rd basemen during the season. They're in last place in a poor division.

Kansas City-- Zack Greinke (5-1, 2.18) has been terrific. Closer Soria has allowed five hits in 17.2 IP.

Meche (3-6, 5.58) has been disappointment, but for most part, the Royals seem like a team on the rise.

LA Angels-- Saunders (7-1, 2.48), Santana (6-1, 2.97) are keys to injury-riddled Angels still being in first place. Now Lackey is back; this is by far best team in AL West.

Bullpen, other than K-Rod, has been brutal, but now that they have Lackey back, it will be less exposed. Guerrero is hitting a sub-par .259, Matthews just .223.

Minnesota-- Morneau and Mauer continue to hit for average, and Livan Hernandez has been effective innings-eater who is 6-2 this season, surprisingly good. How come his brother gets hurt all the time, but Livan rarely does?

Francisco Liriano (0-3, 11.32) is back in AAA, where he slowly is getting back to his '06 form, but Twins thought he'd help this season. They're really hurting for a fifth starting pitcher. The three OFs and DH have OB%s of .328/.298/.281/.275. Ugh.

Bronx-- Mariano Rivera has been terrific (one run in 17 IP) why did they skip Rasner against the Mets? He's made two starts, and both were good-- what does he have to do?

Injuries, older players, lousy pitching, you name it; they look like an old, dying team. Where do they go for help? Until they can open their checkbooks next winter, they are what they are.

Oakland-- Trading Haren for six prospects provided Eveland, Smith-- two starting lefties who've been very good. Crosby is healthy and has been an anchor in the infield.

For a team that gave us Rickey Henderson, Bert Camparneris, it is a nightly source of aggravation that this team hasn't got one guy who can bat leadoff. Could Eric Chavez be the answer? He is 6-13 batting leadoff on his rehab assignment.

Seattle-- Raul Ibanez (.301, 7 HRs, 29 RBI) is one of few bright spots in an awful spring for Mariners.

You name it, its gone wrong. Hard to win in AL with a DH who hits .207. Felix Hernandez only has two wins. Johjima has been so feeble at plate that M's brought prospect Clement up.

Tampa Bay-- Bullpen had worst ERA in fifty years last season; this year, they've been a rock, a huge reason why if the season ended today, they'd be the freakin' Wild Card team.

Carlos Pena signed a big contract then regressed into the lefty version of Richie Sexson, but he is a terrific fielder, and Tampa defense has been super so far this season.

Texas-- Josh Hamilton's story is so unusual that it really needs some more exposure; they guy missed three years because he had substance abuse issues, then emerged from nowhere and became a big-time major league player. Will make a good movie

But they had to trade Volquez to get Hamilton; this is team that starts Sidney Ponson, so they should never trade pitchers. Do they teach baseball theory in the Ivy League? Has Mr Daniels ever heard the old cliche that baseball is 90% pitching?

Toronto-- Have to give them credit for sucking it up and doing better after Vernon Wells broke his wrist. Shawn Marcum has allowed 32 hits in 57.2 IP-- he's an underrated pitcher.

Have already used 38 players this season. Team OB% is .331, not exactly the stuff of champions. Division has opened up in light of Bronx's awful start, but Jays aren't stepping into void.

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**pm530** · 05-21-2008, 03:27 AM

Major League Baseball – Write up

MLB
Write-up

Wednesday, May 21

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Hot Pitchers
-- Pirates won all three Snell home starts (1-0, 3.66).
-- Arizona is 9-0 in Webb starts; they scored 26 runs in his last three outings.
-- Braves won all four Jurrjens home starts. Pelfrey has 1.98 RA in his last two starts, but Mets lost his last five outings.
-- Young is 2-1, 1.75 in four home starts.

-- Oakland is 3-0 in Eveland home starts (2-0, 0.92). Rays won last six Sonnanstine starts, are 4-0 in his road outings.
-- Royals won three of four Tomko road starts.
-- Olson is 3-0, 3.47 in four starts this season. Rasner is 2-0, 3.00 in two starts this season.
-- Garland is 1-0, 1.71 in his last three starts. Marcum has a 1.72 RA in his last five starts.
-- Vazquez is 2-1, 3.29 in four home starts this season.
-- Blackburn is 3-0, 3.05 in his last three home starts.

Cold Pitchers
-- Colorado lost last seven Jimenez starts (0-3, 6.75). Sanchez is 0-2, 6.00 in his last four starts.
-- Sheets has 6.20 RA in his last four starts.
-- Nolasco is 0-2, 11.58 in two home starts.
-- Moyer has 5.87 RA in his last four starts. Chico is 0-5, 7.12 in seven starts this season.
-- Gallagher has 4.36 RA in two starts this season. Chacon has a 7.89 RA in his last four starts.
-- Looper is 1-2, 5.31 in his last three starts.
-- Reds are 0-4 in Cueto road starts (0-3, 9.64). Kuroda is 0-3 in his last eight starts, with a 4.98 RA.

-- Colon makes first start for Red Sox, who need starter because they played doubleheader last Friday.
-- Rogers has 7.61 RA in his last seven starts. Washburn is 0-4, 5.76 in his last five starts.
-- Cleveland is 0-4 in Byrd road starts (0-3, 7.40).
-- Ponson has 11.33 RA in his last two starts.

Hot Teams
-- Pirates won seven of last nine home games.
-- Arizona won five of its last seven games.
-- Braves won eleve of last twelve home games.
-- Astros are 9-2 in last 11 home games. Cubs won five of their last seven games.
-- Colorado won three of their last four games.
-- Dodgers won three of their last four games.

-- Orioles won five of their last six games.
-- Red Sox won their last eight home games.
-- Blue Jays won six of their last eight games.
-- White Sox won last six games, outscoring foes 32-14.
-- Twins won twelve of their last sixteen home games.
-- Rays won ten of their last thirteen games.

Cold Teams
-- Brewers lost nine of their last ten road games.
-- Phillies are 5-7 in their last 12 games. Nationals are 6-9 in last fifteen games.
-- Mets are just 6-8 in their last fourteen games.
-- Marlins lost five of their last seven games.
-- Giants lost seven of their last nine games.
-- Cardinals lost six of last eight road games. San Diego lost five of its last seven games.
-- Reds lost nine of their last ten road games.

-- Tigers lost six of their last eight games. Mariners lost eight of their last nine road games.
-- Bronx lost six of its last seven games.
-- Royals lost three of their last four games.
-- Indians lost their last five road games.
-- Angels lost four of their last five road games.
-- Rangers lost last three games, allowing
-- Oakland lost seven of its last eight games.

Totals
-- Over is 4-1-1 in last six Milwaukee games.
-- Five of last six Arizona games stayed under total.
-- Under is 6-1-1 in last eight Atlanta home games.
-- Five of last six Washington games stayed under the total.
-- Under is 9-1-2 in Cubs' last eleven away games.
-- Under is 8-3 in last eleven Colorado games.
-- Six of last nine St Louis games went over the total.
-- Five of last seven Cincinnati road games went over total.

-- Under is 7-3-1 in last eleven Detroit home games.
-- Under is 7-4 in last eleven Baltimore road games.
-- Six of last eight Detroit games stayed under the total.
-- Under is 8-2 in Angels' last ten road games.
-- Six of last seven White Sox home games stayed under total.
-- Four of last six Minnesota road games stayed under total.
-- Eight of last twelve Tampa Bay games stayed under the total

Umpires
-- SF-Col-- Home side won six of last seven Cousins games.
-- Mil-Pitt-- Underdog is 4-3 in last seven Everitt games.
-- Az-Fla-- Favorite won four of last five Hohn games.
-- NY-Atl-- Under is 6-3-1 in Hoye games this season.
-- Phil-Wsh-- Three of last four Wolf games stayed under.
-- Chi-Hst-- Over is 7-2-1 in West games this season.
-- StL-SD-- Home side won last six Reynolds games; the over is 5-2-1 in his games this season.
-- Cin-LA-- Over is 6-2-3 in Crawford games this season.

-- TB-A's-- Underdog is 5-2 in last seven Holbrook games; the under is 5-2-1 in his last eight.
-- KC-Bos-- Under is 7-3, underdog 8-2 in Hallion games.
-- Sea-Det-- Favorite is 8-1 in Fletcher games, with last three staying under the total.
-- Balt-NY-- Over is 7-1-1 in BWelke games; underdog is 5-3 in his last eight games behind the dish.
-- LA-Tor-- Four of last five Reed games went over the total.
-- Clev-Chi-- Home side won five of last six Winters games.
-- Tex-Min-- Under is 5-1-1 in last seven Nelson games.

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**pm530** · 05-21-2008, 03:28 AM

Major League Baseball - Tips & Trends

MLB

Wednesday, May 21

We will update when projected scores are available.

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Tips and Trends
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New York Mets at Atlanta Braves [ESPN | 7:10 PM ET]

Mets: New York has lost the last five times Mike Pelfrey has gone to the mound, with his last win coming back on April 15th. Pelfrey has been a tough-luck loser in his last starts, as the Mets scored only one run for him while he gave up three. He is 0-1 in two road starts with an 8.10 ERA and has not enjoyed much success against the Braves, going 1-2 in three starts with a 5.40 ERA.

Key Injuries - NONE

PROJECTED SCORE: TBD

Braves (-135, O/U 9.5): Atlanta's Jair Jurrjens will try to beat the Mets for the second time this season and stay unbeaten at home. Jurrjens earned the win in a 6-3 victory at New York on April 25th, and he is perfect at home this season with a 3.-0 mark and 1.54 ERA. However, he has won consecutive starts just once this season with one win in his last four.

Key Injuries - NONE

PROJECTED SCORE: TBD

Cleveland Indians at Chicago White Sox [8:11 PM ET]

Indians: Cleveland's Paul Byrd has enjoyed a lot of career success against the White Sox, but he will need to overcome some struggles on the road in order to earn another victory here. Byrd is a dominant 8-2 lifetime vs. Chicago with a 4.22 ERA. He is winless away from home though at 0-3 with a lofty 6.53 ERA. Byrd is coming off his best start of the season at home against Oakland last Tuesday, pitching 7 1/3 scoreless innings with no walks and seven strikeouts in a 4-0 victory.

Indians are 7-4 in the last 11 meetings.
Indians are 7-4 in the last 11 meetings at Chicago.

Key Injuries - NONE

PROJECTED SCORE: TBD

White Sox (-145, O/U 8.5): Chicago's Javier Vazquez has been slightly better at home this season with a 2-1 mark and 3.29 ERA. Vazquez will be making his first start at U.S. Cellular Field since back on April 28th, when he allowed just one run and four hits to Baltimore in eight innings of a game that was eventually called due to rain after 12 innings. The White Sox have won his last two starts, and he will be looking to rebound against the Indians after taking a loss at Cleveland in his very first outing of the year.

Key Injuries - NONE

PROJECTED SCORE: TBD

St. Louis Cardinals at San Diego Padres [10:05 PM ET]

Cardinals: St. Louis pitcher Braden Looper has been hit hard in his last two starts, giving up 17 hits and seven runs in just 12 innings of work. The Cardinals lost both of them after going 5-2 in Looper's first seven starts of the season. He is 2-1 in three road starts this year with a 4.95 ERA and has enjoyed some success against the Padres, going 3-3 with an impressive 2.58 ERA.

Cardinals are 2-7 in their last 9 games as an underdog.

Key Injuries - NONE

PROJECTED SCORE: TBD

Padres (-130, O/U 7.5): San Diego's Chris Young continues to dominate opponents at home, going 2-1 in four starts at Petco Park with a stellar 1.75 ERA. Young has allowed just one run in three of his four starts at Petco but has only pitched there once in his last four outings. He is 0-2 lifetime in three starts vs. St. Louis despite a solid 2.95 ERA, getting the decision in a 5-0 home loss to Looper a little more than a year ago as he gave up four unearned runs.

The UNDER is 8-1 in San Diego's last 9 games as a favorite.
The UNDER is 9-2 in San Diego's last 11 home games.
The UNDER is 9-2 in San Diego's last 11 games following a loss.
The UNDER is 10-3-1 in the last 14 meetings.

Key Injuries - NONE

PROJECTED SCORE: TBD

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**pm530** · 05-21-2008, 03:28 AM

National Basketball Association – Long Sheet

NBA
Long Sheet

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Wednesday, May 21
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SAN ANTONIO (64 - 30) at LA LAKERS (65 - 27) - 5/21/2008, 9:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
SAN ANTONIO is 17-30 ATS (-16.0 Units) in road games this season.
LA LAKERS are 54-36 ATS (+14.4 Units) in all games this season.
LA LAKERS are 38-29 ATS (+6.1 Units) as a favorite this season.
LA LAKERS are 16-6 ATS (+9.4 Units) after 3 or more consecutive overs over the last 2 seasons.
SAN ANTONIO is 208-165 ATS (+26.5 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
LA LAKERS is 6-5 against the spread versus SAN ANTONIO over the last 3 seasons
SAN ANTONIO is 6-5 straight up against LA LAKERS over the last 3 seasons
7 of 10 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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**pm530** · 05-21-2008, 03:29 AM

National Basketball Association - Short Sheet

NBA
Short Sheet

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Wednesday, May 21st
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Western Conference Finals
Game One
Series Tied, 0-0
San Antonio at LA Lakers, 9:05 ET

San Antonio:
7-15 ATS as road underdog
6-14 ATS Away off BB wins

LA Lakers:
19-10 ATS off road win
27-17 ATS off BB SU wins

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**pm530** · 05-21-2008, 03:30 AM

National Basketball Association – Write up

NBA
Write-up

Wednesday, May 21

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NBA Games

Lakers are 8-2 in playoffs, 5-0 at home, winning at Staples by 11-10-7-14-15 points (4-1 as home favorite). San Antonio won a tough Game 7 on road Monday night in New Orleans, slept on the plane when it had mechanical difficulties, so tough spot in Game 1 here-- they're 2-4 on road in playoffs, 2-1 as underdog. This season, home team won all four series meetings, with the Spurs losing to Lakers in Staples, 102-97/106-85.

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**pm530** · 05-21-2008, 03:31 AM

National Basketball Association - Tips & Trends

NBA

Wednesday, May 21

We will update when projected scores are available.

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Tips and Trends
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San Antonio Spurs at Los Angeles Lakers
[TNT | 9 PM ET]

Spurs: If the defending NBA champions didn't need any more confidence, they certainly have to be feeling good after rallying back from an 0-2 deficit to win a series for the first time in franchise history. The Spurs became just the 20th road team in 100 attempts to win a Game 7 thanks to outstanding defense. They were 4-0 in the series when holding the Hornets under 100 points and accomplished something they had not after each of their previous four NBA titles - advancing past the second round. San Antonio veteran Robert Horry may have summed up his team's Game 7 performance best: “We’re one of the smartest teams in the league. We didn’t make stupid mistakes tonight.”

Spurs are 2-8 ATS in their last 10 road games.
The UNDER is 7-3 in San Antonio's last 10 Wednesday games.
The UNDER is 13-6-1 in San Antonio's last 20 games as an underdog.

Key Injuries - NONE

PROJECTED SCORE: TBD

Lakers (-7, O/U 196): LA star Kobe Bryant has been able to rest his aching back and spend time with his young daughters while his teammates have also enjoyed their time off since beating Utah 108-105 in Game 6 for the series clincher last Friday. However, the question of too much time off could also be a concern because it can sometimes halt momentum. "Five or six days off is too many in the playoffs," Lakers forward Pau Gasol said. "Two or three or four days off is perfect." LA is 7-2 ATS when playing with three days of rest of more.

Lakers are 9-2-1 ATS in their last 12 games overall.
Lakers are 7-2 ATS in their last 9 games as a favorite.
The OVER is 6-2 in LA's last 8 conference finals games.

Key Injuries - NONE

PROJECTED SCORE: TBD

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**pm530** · 05-21-2008, 03:32 AM

WNBA

Wednesday, May 21

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Trend Sheet
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7:30 PM INDIANA vs. DETROIT
Indiana is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games when playing on the road against Detroit
Indiana is 3-7 SU in its last 10 games when playing Detroit
Detroit is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games at home
Detroit is 7-14-1 ATS in its last 22 games at home

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**Udog** · 05-21-2008, 07:34 AM

MLB

Wednesday, May 21

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Baseball Today
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SCOREBOARD
Wednesday, May 21

Arizona at Florida (7:10 p.m.). Brandon Webb (9-0, 2.56 ERA) looks to stay undefeated and become the majors' first 10-game winner when the Diamondbacks take on Ricky Nolasco (2-3, 5.18) and the Marlins.

STARS
Tuesday

- Hunter Pence, Astros, hit a grand slam to lead Houston to a 4-2 win over the Chicago Cubs.

- Dan Uggla, Marlins, scored the tiebreaking run and then hit his 14th homer to lead Florida to a 3-2 victory over Arizona.

- Greg Dobbs, Phillies, had a pinch-hit RBI single in the ninth inning to lifted the Phillies to a 1-0 win over Washington.

- Justin Masterson, Red Sox, allowed one run on three hits over 6 1/3 innings in a 2-1 victory over Kansas City.

- Glen Perkins, Twins, pitched six scoreless innings for his first major league win as Minnesota beat Texas 11-4.

- Jorge Campillo, Braves, gave up three hits and struck out seven in six scoreless innings for his first major league win in a 6-2 victory over the New York Mets.

- Kevin Kouzmanoff, Padres, hit a three-run homer to lead San Diego to a 3-2 victory over St. Louis.

- Chad Billingsley, Dodgers, pitched seven scoreless innings and singled home a run in a 4-1 victory over Cincinnati.

NOT ENOUGH

Although Alex Rodriguez hit a two-run homer in his return to the lineup, the New York Yankees lost 12-2 to Baltimore on Tuesday night. Adam Jones hit a three-run double during the Orioles' seven-run first inning against Mike Mussina, taking advantage of a two-out throwing error by Derek Jeter. Jeter later left the game after being hit by a pitch on the left hand in the third inning.

SLUGGING

Dan Uggla homered leading off the sixth inning of Florida's 3-2 victory over Arizona on Tuesday night. It was his sixth homer in 10 games, and 14th of the season, making him the first Marlins player to hit 10 home runs in a month since Cliff Floyd in April 2002.

COMING BACK

Diamondbacks left-hander Doug Davis, who has been recovering from thyroid cancer surgery, will return to the rotation Friday at Atlanta. Davis' cancerous thyroid gland was removed April 10. He was declared cancer-free this month and rejoined the Diamondbacks for this week's series at Florida. Davis' cancer was discovered before the season, but he made two starts before undergoing surgery April 10. He is 1-1 with a 3.72 ERA.

SIDELINED

Reigning NL Cy Young Award winner Jake Peavy was placed on the 15-day disabled list by the San Diego Padres on Tuesday with a strained and swollen right elbow. The move was retroactive to Thursday, a day after he lasted just four innings against the Chicago Cubs.
- An MRI on Washington outfielder Austin Kearns' sore right elbow showed no tear or other serious problem. Nationals manager Manny Acta said he expects Kearns to miss a few more days as he waits for the elbow to heal.
- Athletics reliever Andrew Brown underwent an appendectomy and was placed on the 15-day disabled list. The move was retroactive to May 14, one day after the last day Brown pitched.

SHAKY START, STRONG FINISH

After getting the first out against his former team, Tom Glavine gave up a home run to Luis Castillo. A single to David Wright, a walk to Carlos Beltran and single to Ryan Church then loaded the bases for the New York Mets. Glavine then retired the next 17 batters in a row, finishing with four strikeouts in six innings to lead the Atlanta Braves to a 6-1 victory over the Mets in the opener of a day-night doubleheader.

NOT COMING BACK SOON

Marlins left fielder Josh Willingham could be sidelined another month or more because of a herniated disc that has kept him out since April 27. Willingham underwent an MRI Monday in Los Angeles and was examined by orthopedist Dr. Robert Watkins. Willingham said Watkins told him his back needs to be strengthened, and it will be 10 days to three weeks before he can resume baseball activity. A three-week layoff would likely mean it would be at least mid-June before Willingham rejoins the lineup.

MILESTONE

Miguel Tejada doubled in the fourth inning of Houston's 4-2 win over the Chicago Cubs for his 1,800th hit. He is the 44th shortstop in major league history to reach the milestone and has the most RBIs (34) and hits (64) of any player at his position this season.

LATE SCARE

While trying to break up a game-ending double play in the second game of a day-night doubleheader, Ryan Church of the New York Mets sustained a mild concussion when his head banged into the right knee of Braves shortstop Yunel Escobar on Tuesday night. Church had a red scrape on the right side of his forehead, and the Mets said he would be taken to Piedmont Hospital for a precautionary examination since he sustained a concussion in spring training.

STREAKS

Randy Winn extended his hitting streak to a major-league leading 15 games with a double in the first inning of San Francisco's 6-5 victory at Colorado on Tuesday night.
- The Dodgers' 4-1 victory over Cincinnati was the Reds' eighth straight loss at Chavez Ravine.

CALLING IT A CAREER

Mike Piazza is retiring from baseball following a 16-season career in which he became one of the top-hitting catchers in history. The 39-year-old Piazza batted .275 with eight homers and 44 RBIs as a designated hitter for Oakland last season, became a free agent and did not re-sign. Taken by the Los Angeles Dodgers on the 62nd round of the 1988 amateur draft, Piazza became a 12-time All-Star, making the NL team 10 consecutive times starting in 1993.

NO MORE UPDATES

After another test on his ailing right shoulder, John Smoltz declared Tuesday he will give no more updates until he's back on the mound for the Atlanta Braves. Smoltz, who has been on the disabled list since April 29, felt some reporters misinterpreted his most recent comments by writing his comeback had run into problems and could be delayed for a lengthy period.

SNAPPED

Adam Dunn went 1-for-3 with a single in Cincinnati's 4-1 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers on Tuesday night, ending his home-run streak at five games and leaving him in a tie with Ken Griffey Jr., Ted Kluszewski and Johnny Bench for the Reds' franchise record. Dunn's RBI streak also ended at eight games, three shy of the club record set by Joe Morgan in 1976.
- Braves right fielder Jeff Francoeur did not play in the second game of a doubleheader sweep against the New York Mets on Tuesday night, ending the majors' longest current streak of consecutive games played at 370.

SPEAKING

"We had all the momentum in the world coming into the series and we couldn't do anything with it. We've got too much talent to be a .500 team. We've got too much talent to be mediocre the whole way through the season."-Mets third baseman David Wright after New York was swept by Atlanta 6-1 and 6-2 in a day-night doubleheader Tuesday. Coming off a two-game sweep of the Yankees, the Mets slipped to 22-21 overall-fourth in the NL East.

SEASONS
May 21

1926-Earl Sheely of the Chicago White Sox hit three doubles and a home run against the Boston Red Sox. Sheely doubled in each of his last three at-bats the previous day to give him seven consecutive extra-base hits, tying a major league record. The six doubles in the two games also tied a major league record.

1943-In the fastest nine-inning night game in American League history, the Chicago White Sox beat the Washington Senators 1-0, in 1 hour, 29 minutes.

1948-Joe DiMaggio had two home runs, a triple, double and single to lead the New York Yankees to a 13-2 victory over the Chicago White Sox.

1952-Duke Snider's home run highlighted a 15-run first inning in the Dodgers' 19-1 win over the Cincinnati Reds in Brooklyn. Snider, Pee Wee Reese and Billy Cox each made three plate appearances in the first inning.

1986-Rafael Ramirez of Atlanta had four doubles in seven at-bats as the Braves beat the Chicago Cubs 9-8 in 13 innings.

1996-Larry Walker drove in a career-high six runs, hitting a pair of two-run homers, a triple and a double in the Colorado Rockies' 12-10 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates. His 13 total bases set a club record.

1997-Roger Clemens earned his 200th career victory, leading the Toronto Blue Jays to a 4-1 win over the New York Yankees.

2000-For the first time in baseball history, there were six grand slams in a single day. Anaheim's Garret Anderson hit the record-breaker off Kansas City's Chris Fussell. J.T. Snow of San Francisco, Brian Hunter of Philadelphia, Jason Giambi of Oakland, and Los Angeles' Adrian Beltre and Shawn Green connected with the bases loaded before Anderson. The old mark of five was set in 1999.

2004-Jose Cruz Jr. went 4-for-4 with a homer and three doubles, leading Tampa Bay to a 5-3 victory over Cleveland.

2005-The Texas Rangers set two club records in an 18-3 rout of the Houston Astros. Texas got home runs from Rod Barajas, Hank Blalock, Laynce Nix and Mark Teixeira in an eight-run, four-homer second inning. Texas slugged a team-record eight homers total on the day, also receiving blasts from Kevin Mench, Richard Hidalgo and two from David Dellucci.

Today's birthdays: Andrew Miller 23; Josh Hamilton 27.

**Udog** · 05-21-2008, 07:46 AM

MLB

Wednesday, May 21

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Trend Sheet
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3:05 PM SAN FRANCISCO vs. COLORADO
San Francisco is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games
San Francisco is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing Colorado
Colorado is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing San Francisco
Colorado is 3-7 SU in its last 10 games

3:37 PM TAMPA BAY vs. OAKLAND
Tampa Bay is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Oakland
Tampa Bay is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Oakland
Oakland is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games
Oakland is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games at home

7:05 PM BALTIMORE vs. NY YANKEES
Baltimore is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
Baltimore is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games on the road
NY Yankees are 1-5 SU in their last 6 games at home
NY Yankees are 1-6 SU in their last 7 games

7:05 PM KANSAS CITY vs. BOSTON
Kansas City is 5-15 SU in its last 20 games when playing on the road against Boston
Kansas City is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games when playing Boston
Boston is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
Boston is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games

7:05 PM MILWAUKEE vs. PITTSBURGH
Milwaukee is 1-9 SU in its last 10 games on the road
Milwaukee is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Milwaukee
Pittsburgh is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games

7:05 PM SEATTLE vs. DETROIT
Seattle is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Detroit
Seattle is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Detroit
Detroit is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games
Detroit is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Seattle

7:07 PM LA ANGELS vs. TORONTO
LA Angels are 1-4 SU in their last 5 games on the road
LA Angels are 4-2 SU in their last 6 games when playing Toronto
Toronto is 2-4 SU in their last 6 games when playing LA Angels
Toronto is 8-3 SU in their last 11 games when playing at home against LA Angels

7:10 PM ARIZONA vs. FLORIDA
Arizona is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Arizona is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games when playing Florida
Florida is 12-5 SU in its last 17 games when playing at home against Arizona
Florida is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games

7:10 PM NY METS vs. ATLANTA
NY Mets are 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Atlanta
NY Mets are 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
Atlanta is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing NY Mets
Atlanta is 11-1 SU in its last 12 games at home

7:10 PM PHILADELPHIA vs. WASHINGTON
Philadelphia is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Washington
Philadelphia is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Washington is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games at home
Washington is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Philadelphia

8:05 PM CHI CUBS vs. HOUSTON
Chi Cubs are 5-2 SU in their last 7 games when playing Houston
Chi Cubs are 2-4 SU in their last 6 games on the road
Houston is 13-5 SU in its last 18 games
Houston is 9-2 SU in its last 11 games at home

8:10 PM TEXAS vs. MINNESOTA
Texas is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Minnesota
Texas is 2-7 SU in its last 9 games when playing Minnesota
Minnesota is 12-4 SU in its last 16 games at home
Minnesota is 7-2 SU in its last 9 games when playing Texas

8:11 PM CLEVELAND vs. CHI WHITE SOX
Cleveland is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
Cleveland is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Chi White Sox are 5-1 SU in their last 6 games at home
Chi White Sox are 5-0 SU in their last 5 games

10:05 PM ST. LOUIS vs. SAN DIEGO
St. Louis is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing San Diego
St. Louis is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games on the road
San Diego is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing St. Louis
San Diego is 4-8 SU in its last 12 games at home

10:10 PM CINCINNATI vs. LA DODGERS
Cincinnati is 1-9 SU in its last 10 games on the road
Cincinnati is 3-13 SU in their last 16 games when playing LA Dodgers
LA Dodgers are 5-0 SU in their last 5 games when playing at home against Cincinnati
LA Dodgers are 5-2 SU in their last 7 games

**Udog** · 05-21-2008, 07:50 AM

NBA

Wednesday, May 21

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Trend Sheet
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9:00 PM SAN ANTONIO vs. LA LAKERS
The total has gone OVER in 12 of San Antonio's last 17 games when playing on the road against LA Lakers
San Antonio is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
LA Lakers are 9-2-1 ATS in their last 12 games
LA Lakers are 12-2 SU in their last 14 games

**Udog** · 05-21-2008, 07:57 AM

NBA

Wednesday, May 21

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Pick 'n' Roll: Wednesday's best NBA bets
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San Antonio at L.A. Lakers (-6 1/2, 196)

When one of the only positives to come out of San Antonio's series with New Orleans was its Game 7 win on the road, it's hard to get overly excited about the Spurs in Game 1 against a rested Lakers team.

"I'm sure glad that's over," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich told reporters after Game 7. "The Hornets are an unbelievably tough team. I don't think there's any doubt their time will come, and we are thrilled to get out of here with a victory."

Understandably so. The Spurs clawed back from a 2-0 deficit and closed the series on the road, something every team left in the playoffs is having a tough time with. But that doesn't erase the fact that it was New Orleans, not San Antonio, which looked like the better team top to bottom over the past couple of weeks.

Maybe Game 7 woke up San Antonio's grizzled veterans - then again, maybe it took a lot of gas out of the Spurs' tank.

Pick: Lakers

**Udog** · 05-21-2008, 08:04 AM

MLB
Dunkel

St. Louis at San Diego
Chris Young has been nearly unhittable at home (1.75 ERA in 4 starts) and looks to take advantage of a St. Louis team that is just 2-8 when listed as a road underdog between +100 and +125. The Padres are the pick (-130) according to Dunkel, which has San Diego favored by 1 1/2. Dunkel Pick: San Diego (-130). Here are all of today's games.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 21

Game 951-952: San Francisco at Colorado
Dunkel Ratings: San Francisco (Sanchez) 14.250; Colorado (Jimenez) 14.920
Dunkel Line: Colorado by 1; 9
Vegas Line: Colorado (-140); 10
Dunkel Pick: Colorado (-140); Under

Game 953-954: Milwaukee at Pittsburgh
Dunkel Ratings: Milwaukee (Sheets) 14.132; Pittsburgh (Snell) 14.601
Dunkel Line: Pittsburgh by 1/2; 7 1/2
Vegas Line: Milwaukee (-125); 8
Dunkel Pick: Pittsburgh (+115); Under

Game 955-956: Arizona at Florida
Dunkel Ratings: Arizona (Webb) 16.977; Florida (Nolasco) 14.237
Dunkel Line: Arizona by 2 1/2; 8
Vegas Line: Arizona (-160); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Arizona (-160); Under

Game 957-958: NY Mets at Atlanta
Dunkel Ratings: NY Mets (Pelfrey) 15.941; Atlanta (Jurrjens) 15.406
Dunkel Line: NY Mets by 1/2; 9
Vegas Line: Atlanta (-125); 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: NY Mets (+115); Under

Game 959-960: Philadelphia at Washington
Dunkel Ratings: Philadelphia (Moyer) 16.013; Washington (Chico) 15.081
Dunkel Line: Philadelphia by 1; 8
Vegas Line: Philadelphia (-120); 9
Dunkel Pick: Philadelphia (-120); Under

Game 961-962: Chicago Cubs at Houston
Dunkel Ratings: Chicago Cubs (Gallagher) 15.236; Houston (Chacon) 16.453
Dunkel Line: Houston by 1; 9
Vegas Line: Houston (-105); 10
Dunkel Pick: Houston (-105); Under

Game 963-964: St. Louis at San Diego
Dunkel Ratings: St. Louis (Looper) 13.742; San Diego (Young) 15.057
Dunkel Line: San Diego by 1 1/2; 7
Vegas Line: San Diego (-130); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: San Diego (-130); Under

Game 965-966: Cincinnati at LA Dodgers
Dunkel Ratings: Cincinnati (Cueto) 14.967; LA Dodgers (Kuroda) 15.653
Dunkel Line: LA Dodgers by 1/2; 9
Vegas Line: LA Dodgers (-130); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: LA Dodgers (-130); Over

Game 967-968: Tampa Bay at Oakland
Dunkel Ratings: Tampa Bay (Sonnanstine) 14.937; Oakland (Eveland) 15.796
Dunkel Line: Oakland by 1; 8
Vegas Line: Tampa Bay (-110); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Oakland (+100); Under

Game 969-970: Kansas City at Boston
Dunkel Ratings: Kansas City (Tomko) 15.501; Boston (Colon) 16.664
Dunkel Line: Boston by 1; 10 1/2
Vegas Line: Boston (-160); 10
Dunkel Pick: Boston (-160); Over

Game 971-972: Seattle at Detroit
Dunkel Ratings: Seattle (Washburn) 13.907; Detroit (Rogers) 15.192
Dunkel Line: Detroit by 1; 11
Vegas Line: Detroit (-145); 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Detroit (-145); Over

Game 973-974: Baltimore at NY Yankees
Dunkel Ratings: Baltimore (Olson) 15.520; NY Yankees (Rasner) 14.829
Dunkel Line: Baltimore by 1; 11
Vegas Line: NY Yankees (-150); 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Baltimore (+140); Over

Game 975-976: LA Angels at Toronto
Dunkel Ratings: LA Angels (Garland) 15.172; Toronto (Marcum) 16.064
Dunkel Line: Toronto by 1; 7
Vegas Line: Toronto (-125); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Toronto (-125); Under

Game 977-978: Cleveland at Chicago White Sox
Dunkel Ratings: Cleveland (Byrd) 15.531; White Sox (Vazquez) 16.635
Dunkel Line: Chicago White Sox by 1; 8
Vegas Line: Chicago White Sox (-140); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Chicago White Sox (-140); Under

Game 979-980: Texas at Minnesota
Dunkel Ratings: Texas (Ponson) 15.183; Minnesota (Blackburn) 14.913
Dunkel Line: Texas by 1/2; 10
Vegas Line: Minnesota (-135); 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Texas (+125); Over

Announcement

Wednesday Trends and Indexes 05/21

Wednesday Trends and Indexes 05/21

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