Announcement

**pm530** · 05-24-2008, 05:36 AM

Six-pack for Saturday

Thoughts on instant replay in baseball........

-- Looks like major league baseball will experiment with some instant replay next spring at World Baseball Classic and also in spring training games. Replay is on the way......

-- My idea for replay would be for home run calls and balls in play down either foul line. Possibly on force plays, too.

-- Don't like the idea of replay on tag plays.

-- If they ever start doing replay on balls/strikes, it would be hideous. Umpires' union might not like that too much.

-- Too time consuming? Eliminate trips to the mound, that would save a lot of time. Getting calls right is important.

-- A challenge system, likes football has, would be best way to do it; let managers decide which plays are critical ones.

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**pm530** · 05-24-2008, 05:37 AM

Saturday's List of 13: Random thoughts on a sunny day.......

13) Things got weird after midnight Friday, as Mets lost out in Colorado in 13 innings, blowing 9th-inning lead; there was rain delay in LA in 9th inning, and Reds actually won on the road.

12) Matt Holliday homered in bottom of 9th off Wagner to tie game, then both teams blew several chances to win before the Rockies' LF won game with single to right in 13th off Heilman. The Willie Randolph era in Queens may be nearing an end.

11) Mets' GM Omar Minaya cut short a scouting trip to go out to Colorado and see his team play in person, which does not bode well for the New York skipper.

10) It rained in southern California late Friday night; there was a rain delay in bottom of 9th in Cardinal-Dodger game. Cards' new closer Ryan Franklin finally got last out in a 2-1 win. Game ended with Andruw Jones (1 for 32 this season with runners in scoring position) striking out with tying run on second.

9) Reds had guy thrown out trying to steal third in top of 8th with Dunn at plate and game tied 2-2; weird strategy, but then Dunn homered through the raindrops leading off ninth inning as Reds won for just second time in last dozen road games.

8) Barry Zito got his first win in ten starts as Giants actually scored some runs for him. Zito's last four starts have been OK.

7) Braves signed up Bobby Cox through 2009 Friday; look at their team and tell me how they're still a contending club. Just a tremendous manager, maybe even a little bit underrated.

6) Brewers allowed four more unearned runs in 5-1 loss in our nation's capitol; what did Milwaukee do in spring training? It looks like they didn't spend much time practicing fielding.

5) Seattle manager McLaren got ejected in the second inning Friday, as Mariners weren't happy with ump Dimuro all night. We see lot of baseball with Extra Innings package; it seems like a lot of teams don't especially like the way Dimuro umpires.

4) Roy Halladay threw a 104-pitch complete game for Jays, as they beat the Royals 7-1. Whole AL East may be over .500 by the end of this weekend.

3) Cleveland trailed Texas 11-6 in third inning Friday; Rangers are trying to hack their way back into contention.

2) The maple bat controversy will be discussed next month; at some point, either a sheared bat is going to hurt someone, or a ball hit back to mound is going to do even more damage. Don't be surprised to see maple bats outlawed soon.

1) Good for Doug Davis; less than month after having surgery for thyroid cancer, Davis toed the slab and won 11-1 over the Braves in Atlanta, snapping an Arizona losing skid. Davis won just by walking to the mound Friday night.

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**pm530** · 05-24-2008, 05:38 AM

Arena Football League – Long Sheet

AFL
Long Sheet

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Saturday, May 24
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NEW YORK (6 - 5) at COLUMBUS (2 - 9) - 5/24/2008, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NEW YORK is 11-2 ATS (+8.8 Units) in road games in the last 4 weeks of the regular season since 1996.
COLUMBUS is 5-17 ATS (-13.7 Units) when the total is between 95 and 99.5 points since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
COLUMBUS is 3-2 against the spread versus NEW YORK over the last 3 seasons
COLUMBUS is 3-2 straight up against NEW YORK over the last 3 seasons
4 of 5 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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CHICAGO (9 - 2) at UTAH (2 - 10) - 5/24/2008, 9:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CHICAGO is 19-8 ATS (+10.2 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO is 15-6 ATS (+8.4 Units) against conference opponents over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO is 8-1 ATS (+6.9 Units) in May games over the last 3 seasons.
CHICAGO is 12-3 ATS (+8.7 Units) after 2 or more consecutive straight up wins over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO is 16-6 ATS (+9.4 Units) as a favorite over the last 2 seasons.
UTAH is 9-19 ATS (-11.9 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
UTAH is 9-19 ATS (-11.9 Units) when playing with 6 or less days rest over the last 3 seasons.
UTAH is 2-10 ATS (-9.0 Units) off a division game over the last 2 seasons.
UTAH is 7-16 ATS (-10.6 Units) when the total is greater than or equal to 110 over the last 2 seasons.
UTAH is 6-16 ATS (-11.6 Units) in home games over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
CHICAGO is 1-0 against the spread versus UTAH over the last 3 seasons
CHICAGO is 1-0 straight up against UTAH over the last 3 seasons
1 of 1 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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GRAND RAPIDS (3 - 8) at ARIZONA (5 - 6) - 5/24/2008, 10:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
GRAND RAPIDS is 3-12 ATS (-10.2 Units) in road games against American Conference, Western Division Opponents since 1996.
GRAND RAPIDS is 13-26 ATS (-15.6 Units) in the last 4 weeks of the regular season since 1996.
ARIZONA is 9-1 ATS (+7.9 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
GRAND RAPIDS is 1-0 against the spread versus ARIZONA over the last 3 seasons
GRAND RAPIDS is 1-0 straight up against ARIZONA over the last 3 seasons
1 of 1 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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COLORADO (4 - 7) at SAN JOSE (7 - 5) - 5/24/2008, 10:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
SAN JOSE is 20-10 ATS (+9.0 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
SAN JOSE is 16-5 ATS (+10.5 Units) against conference opponents over the last 2 seasons.
SAN JOSE is 13-5 ATS (+7.5 Units) when playing on a Saturday over the last 2 seasons.
SAN JOSE is 9-2 ATS (+6.8 Units) in home games when playing with 6 or less days rest over the last 2 seasons.
SAN JOSE is 14-4 ATS (+9.6 Units) after playing a game on a Saturday over the last 2 seasons.
SAN JOSE is 8-1 ATS (+6.9 Units) in May games over the last 3 seasons.
SAN JOSE is 10-1 ATS (+8.9 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
SAN JOSE is 8-0 ATS (+8.0 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record after 8 or more games over the last 2 seasons.
SAN JOSE is 17-3 ATS (+13.7 Units) when the total is greater than or equal to 110 over the last 2 seasons.
SAN JOSE is 18-8 ATS (+9.2 Units) as a favorite over the last 2 seasons.
SAN JOSE is 12-3 ATS (+8.7 Units) in home games over the last 2 seasons.
SAN JOSE is 10-1 ATS (+8.9 Units) in home games where the total is greater than or equal to 110 over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
SAN JOSE is 2-1 against the spread versus COLORADO over the last 3 seasons
SAN JOSE is 3-0 straight up against COLORADO over the last 3 seasons
3 of 3 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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Monday, May 26
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GEORGIA (6 - 5) at NEW ORLEANS (7 - 4) - 5/26/2008, 8:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
GEORGIA is 15-6 ATS (+8.4 Units) against conference opponents over the last 2 seasons.
GEORGIA is 8-1 ATS (+6.9 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
GEORGIA is 6-0 ATS (+6.0 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record after 8 or more games over the last 2 seasons.
NEW ORLEANS is 8-20 ATS (-14.0 Units) versus division opponents since 1996.
NEW ORLEANS is 1-12 ATS (-12.2 Units) in May games since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
GEORGIA is 3-0 against the spread versus NEW ORLEANS over the last 3 seasons
GEORGIA is 3-0 straight up against NEW ORLEANS over the last 3 seasons
2 of 3 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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**pm530** · 05-24-2008, 05:39 AM

Arena Football League – Write up

AFL
Write-up

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Saturday, May 24
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Saturday's Arena Football game

New York (6-5) @ Columbus (2-9)-- Dragons had five-game win streak ended at home by Georgia last week; NY won last two road games by 19-4 points after losing first three away games, allowing 62 ppg. Destroyers lost last five games, allowing an average of 59.2 ppg. Columbus lost 62-44 to Dragons back in Week 7 (+1.5) . Under is 3-1 in last four Columbus home tilts.

Chicago (9-2) @ Utah (2-10)-- Blaze covered last three games after 2-7 spread start (0-9 SU) start to season; improved Utah offense has scored 30+ points in first half of last three games. Chicago won last five games; they're 4-1 on road, with wins by 29-7-13-5 points, losing only in OT at Orlando. Four of last five Chicago games stayed under the total.

Grand Rapids (3-8) @ Arizona (5-6)-- Erratic Rattlers pulled an upset at Dallas last week, as 16-point dogs; they're 0-4 against spread this season in game that followed a win, but they did cover their only try as favorite this season. Rampage lost six of last seven games, including last three in row by 35-11-8 points. Last four Arizona games all went over the total.

Colorado (4-7) @ San Jose (7-5)-- Two teams going in different directions; Colorado lost two in row, four of last five games; as an underdog, they're 1-4 vs spread this season, losing games on road by 11-35-2-35 points. SaberCats won two in row, four of last five; they're 3-5 vs spread as favorite, 2-2 on the home field. Four of last five San Jose games stayed under the total.

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**pm530** · 05-24-2008, 05:40 AM

Arena Football League – Additional

AFL

Trend Sheet

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Saturday, May 24

7:00 PM NEW YORK vs. COLUMBUS
New York is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
New York is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Columbus's last 5 games when playing New York
Columbus is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games

9:00 PM CHICAGO vs. UTAH
Chicago is 2-3-1 ATS in its last 6 games
Chicago is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
Utah is 3-8 ATS in its last 11 games at home
Utah is 3-8 SU in its last 11 games at home

10:00 PM GRAND RAPIDS vs. ARIZONA
Grand Rapids is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing Arizona
Grand Rapids is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games
Arizona is 2-4-1 ATS in its last 7 games at home
Arizona is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games at home

10:30 PM COLORADO vs. SAN JOSE
Colorado is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
Colorado is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games on the road
San Jose is 6-2 ATS in its last 8 games when playing Colorado
San Jose is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games when playing Colorado

Monday, May 26

8:00 PM GEORGIA vs. NEW ORLEANS
Georgia is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Georgia's last 7 games
New Orleans is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Georgia
New Orleans is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games at home

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**pm530** · 05-24-2008, 05:42 AM

Major League Baseball – Write up

MLB
Write-up

Saturday, May 24

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Hot Pitchers
-- Campillo shut Mets out for six innings in his first 2008 start; Arizona won last five Johnson starts, scoring 31 runs.
-- Lannan is 2-1, 2.79 in his last three starts.
-- Arroyo is 1-0, 2.70 in his last three starts.

-- Litsch is 3-0, 3.00 in his last four starts.
-- Danks is 1-0, 2.55 in his last three starts. Weaver is 1-0, 1.46 in his last two starts, but Angels are 1-4 in his road starts.
-- Jackson is 0-0, 0.44 in his last three starts.
-- Lee is 6-1, 1.67 in eight starts this season.
-- Duchscherer is 2-0, 2.25 in two home starts.

Cold Pitchers
-- Francis is 1-4, 5.83 in his last nine starts. Vargas is 0-2, 4.77 in two starts for the Mets.
-- Myers is 0-3, 8.58 in his last five starts. Moehler is 1-1, 3.60 in three starts, going five in all three.
-- Marquis is 1-3, 5.95 in his last four starts. Dumatrait is 1-1 in four starts, with a 4.87 RA.
-- Badenhop is 1-3, 7.49 in his last seven starts. Cain has a 6.35 RA in his last five road starts.
-- McClung is making first start for Brewers; he started 37 times for Tampa Bay from 2003-06.
-- Ledezma is 0-1, 5.63 in two starts this season.
-- Penny is 0-2, 10.80 in his last three starts. Lohse is 0-2, 8.61 in his last four starts.

-- Silva is 0-3, 10.02 in his last four starts; Felix Hernandez is scratched for this start with a leg injury. Mussina allowed seven runs (six unearned) in less than an inning Tuesday, after he had won his previous four starts.
-- Hochevar is 1-2, 8.10 in his three road starts.
-- Trachsel is 1-4, 8.20 in his last six starts.
-- Rangers are 1-5 in Feldman starts, (three extra-inning losses).
-- Tigers lost seven of nine Robertson starts. Bonser is 0-1, 8.46 in his last four starts.
-- Beckett has a 4.83 RA in eight starts this season.

Hot Teams
-- Marlins are 3-1 in second game of home series if they lost the opener. Giants won three in a row, scoring 17 runs.
-- Atlanta is 13-2 in its last fifteen home games.
-- Astros are 11-3 in last fourteen home games. Phillies are 3-1 in their last four games.
-- Rockies won four of their last six games.
-- Cardinals won five of their last six games. Dodgers won three of their last four games.

-- Detroit won three of last four games, scoring 34 runs.
-- Rangers won six of last eight road games.
-- Bronx won last three games, allowing total of three runs.
-- Toronto won eight of its last eleven games.
-- Rays won thirteen of last fourteen home games.
-- White Sox won eight of last nine games. Angels won four of their last five games.
-- Oakland won six of last eight home games. .

Cold Teams
-- Cubs are 5-9 in their last fourteen road games. Pirates are 1-4 in their last five games overall.
-- Arizona lost six of its last seven road games.
-- Brewers lost 11 of their last thirteen road games. Nationals are 2-4 in their last six home games.
-- Mets are 4-9 in their last thirteen games.
-- Reds lost eleven of last thirteen road games. Padres are 3-7 in their last ten games.

-- Twins lost seven of last eleven road games.
-- Indians lost their last seven games.
-- Mariners lost eleven of their last twelve road games.
-- Royals lost last five games, allowing 33 runs.
-- Orioles are 4-9 in their last thirteen road games.
-- Red Sox lost six of their last seven road games.

Totals
-- Under is 6-1-1 in Cubs' last eight road games.
-- Three of last four Florida games stayed under the total.
-- Six of last seven Arizona games stayed under the total.
-- Under is 6-3-1 in last ten Milwaukee road games.
-- Six of last seven Houston games stayed under the total.
-- Five of last seven games at Coors Field stayed under total.
-- Under is 16-6-1 in games at Petco Park this season.
-- Four of last six St Louis games went over the total.

-- Five of last six Detroit home games went over total.
-- Nine of last 11 Cleveland games stayed under the total.
-- Seven of last eleven Bronx games stayed under the total.
-- Under is 11-3 in last fourteen Toronto home games.
-- Under is 10-4 in last fourteen Baltimore road games.
-- Eight of last ten White Sox games stayed under total.
-- Over is 5-1-1 in last seven Boston road games.

Umpires
-- Az-Atl-- Underdog is 5-2 in Timmons games this season.
-- NY-Colo-- Five of last seven Fairchild games went over.
-- Phil-Hst-- Underdog won last seven O'Nora games.
-- Chi-Pitt-- Under is 8-1-1 when Bell is behind the dish.
-- SF-Fla-- Under is 7-2 in Meriwether games this season.
-- Mil-Wsh-- Three of last four Emmel games stayed under.
-- Cin-SD-- Visitor won seven of last nine Campos games.
-- StL-LA-- Under is 8-2 in Layne games this season.

-- Sea-NY-- Favorite won last seven Vanover games.
-- KC-Tor-- Last three Dreckman games went over the total.
-- LA-Chi-- Last four Marquez games went over the total.
-- Balt-TB-- Under is 8-2 in Hickox games this season.
-- Tex-Clev-- Five of last seven scott games stayed under the total, with home side winning last five, favorite last four.
-- Min-Det-- Under is 4-2 in last six Hudson games.
-- Bos-A's-- Under is 6-3-1 with Joyce behind the plate.

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**pm530** · 05-24-2008, 05:43 AM

Major League Baseball – Additional

MLB

Saturday, May 24

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Trend Sheet
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1:05 PM SEATTLE vs. NY YANKEES
Seattle is 0-5 SU in their last 5 games when playing on the road against NY Yankees
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Seattle's last 6 games when playing on the road against NY Yankees
The total has gone OVER in 4 of NY Yankees's last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of NY Yankees's last 15 games

1:07 PM KANSAS CITY vs. TORONTO
Kansas City is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Kansas City's last 9 games
Toronto is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Kansas City
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Toronto's last 5 games when playing at home against Kansas City

3:55 PM ARIZONA vs. ATLANTA
Arizona is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games when playing on the road against Atlanta
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Arizona's last 6 games when playing on the road against Atlanta
Atlanta is 2-9 SU in its last 11 games when playing Arizona
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Atlanta's last 9 games when playing Arizona

3:55 PM LA ANGELS vs. CHI WHITE SOX
LA Angels are 4-1 SU in their last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of LA Angels's last 10 games
Chi White Sox are 5-11 SU in their last 16 games when playing at home against LA Angels
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Chi White Sox's last 6 games when playing at home against LA Angels

3:55 PM NY METS vs. COLORADO
NY Mets are 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Colorado
The total has gone OVER in 4 of NY Mets's last 5 games when playing Colorado
Colorado is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Colorado's last 7 games at home

6:10 PM BALTIMORE vs. TAMPA BAY
Baltimore is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Baltimore's last 5 games
Tampa Bay is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Baltimore
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Tampa Bay's last 9 games when playing at home against Baltimore

7:05 PM CHI CUBS vs. PITTSBURGH
Chi Cubs are 5-1 SU in their last 6 games when playing on the road against Pittsburgh
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Chi Cubs's last 5 games when playing on the road against Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh is 1-12 SU in their last 13 games when playing Chi Cubs
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Pittsburgh's last 6 games when playing Chi Cubs

7:05 PM MINNESOTA vs. DETROIT
Minnesota is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Detroit
Minnesota is 5-11 SU in its last 16 games when playing Detroit
Detroit is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Detroit's last 6 games at home

7:05 PM PHILADELPHIA vs. HOUSTON
Philadelphia is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing Houston
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Philadelphia's last 6 games on the road
Houston is 11-3 SU in its last 14 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Houston's last 5 games at home

7:05 PM TEXAS vs. CLEVELAND
Texas is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing Cleveland
Texas is 4-8 SU in its last 12 games when playing Cleveland
Cleveland is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Cleveland's last 6 games at home

7:10 PM MILWAUKEE vs. WASHINGTON
Milwaukee is 1-4-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Washington
The total has gone UNDER in 11 of Milwaukee's last 16 games when playing on the road against Washington
Washington is 1-5-1 SU in its last 7 games at home
Washington is 2-4-1 SU in its last 7 games

7:10 PM SAN FRANCISCO vs. FLORIDA
San Francisco is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Florida
The total has gone OVER in 4 of San Francisco's last 6 games when playing Florida
Florida is 8-3 SU in its last 11 games at home
Florida is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games

9:05 PM BOSTON vs. OAKLAND
Boston is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Oakland
Boston is 4-9 SU in its last 13 games when playing on the road against Oakland
Oakland is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games when playing Boston
Oakland is 3-7 SU in its last 10 games

10:05 PM CINCINNATI vs. SAN DIEGO
Cincinnati is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against San Diego
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Cincinnati's last 6 games when playing on the road against San Diego
San Diego is 7-3 SU in its last 10 games when playing Cincinnati
The total has gone OVER in 4 of San Diego's last 5 games when playing Cincinnati

10:10 PM ST. LOUIS vs. LA DODGERS
St. Louis is 12-3-1 SU in their last 16 games when playing LA Dodgers
St. Louis is 2-3-1 SU in their last 6 games when playing LA Dodgers
LA Dodgers are 4-1-1 SU in their last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of LA Dodgers's last 7 games

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**pm530** · 05-24-2008, 05:44 AM

Major League Baseball - Tips & Trends

MLB

Saturday, May 24

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Tips and Trends
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New York Mets at Colorado Rockies [FOX | 3:55 PM ET]

Mets: Claudio Vargas has lost both of his starts this year but he's given the Mets a chance to win in each outing. While not spectacular, Vargas has given up a workmanlike six runs in 11.1 innings of work. Both of the games Vargas has started this year have gone under the total. Vargas was lit up in his one start at Coors Field last season as a member of the Brewers. He took the loss in that game after giving up 12 hits and six runs over seven innings.

The OVER is 5-1 in Vargas' last 6 starts overall.

Key Injuries - NONE

PROJECTED SCORE: 4

Rockies (-140, O/U 10): After eight unsuccessful tries, Jeff Francis finally got his first victory of the season in his last outing against the Minnesota Twins. In that game, Francis recorded seven strikeouts and allowed just two runs in 6.1 innings of work. Francis has struggled at home this year, going 1-2 with a 5.40 ERA in five starts at Coors Field. A lot of Francis' problems in 2008 stem from putting runners on base, although he's done a better job recently, allowing only two walks in his last 11 innings on the mound.

Rockies are 2-6 in their last 8 Saturday games.

Key Injuries - NONE

PROJECTED SCORE: 6 (Side Play of the Day)

Arizona Diamondbacks at Atlanta Braves [FOX | 3:55 PM ET]

Diamondbacks: Randy Johnson isn't the dominant pitcher he once was but the results have been the same. Despite giving up four runs or more in four of his seven starts, Johnson has benefited from strong run support on his way to a 4-1 record. Overall, the Diamondbacks have won the last five games Johnson has started. The Big Unit is coming off his most impressive performance of the year, pitching seven shutout innings against the Tigers.

Diamondbacks are 15-5 in their last 20 Saturday games.
Diamondbacks are 8-3 in Johnson's last 11 Saturday starts.
The UNDER is 10-1 in Johnson's last 11 road starts.

Key Injuries - NONE

PROJECTED SCORE: 3 (UNDER - Total Play of the Day)

Braves (-115, O/U 9): Jorge Campillo is making his second start for the Braves after a brilliant outing against the Mets, where he didn't allow a run over six strong innings. Campillo made nine appearances as a relief pitcher for the Braves before entering the starting rotation and has a microscopic 0.99 ERA on the year. Campillo has displayed tremendous control this season, striking out 24 batters and walking just five.

Braves are 2-9 in the last 11 meetings.
The UNDER is 8-3 in Atlanta's last 11 home games.

Key Injuries - NONE

PROJECTED SCORE: 4

Los Angeles Angels at Chicago White Sox [FOX | 3:55 PM ET]

Angels: After struggling for most of the season, Jered Weaver has finally begun to get it together. Weaver won his previous two starts in impressive fashion, striking out 13 and allowing just two runs in his last 12.1 innings pitched. Weaver has allowed 10 hits in a game on three separate occasions this season, but only gave up six hits in his last two starts. Weaver has been hit hard on the road, going 1-3 with a 7.76 ERA in five starts this season.

Angels are 3-6 in their last 9 games as an underdog.
The UNDER is 14-4 in the last 18 meetings.

Key Injuries - NONE

PROJECTED SCORE: 4

White Sox (-125, O/U 9): John Danks has been a beast for the White Sox in 2008, allowing three runs of less in all but one start. Danks hasn't received a lot of run support, which explains his 3-3 record, but he's shutout the opposition on three separate occasions this season. Danks has actually been more effective on the road than at home. In four starts at U.S. Cellular Field, Danks is just 2-2 with an ERA of 4.64, compared to a 1.76 ERA on the road.

White Sox are 8-1 in their last 9 games overall.
The UNDER is 7-2 in Chicago's last 9 Saturday games.

Key Injuries - NONE

PROJECTED SCORE: 5

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**pm530** · 05-24-2008, 05:45 AM

MLB

Saturday, May 24

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Baseball Today
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SCOREBOARD

Saturday, May 24

Arizona at Atlanta (3:55 p.m. EDT). Two of the top left-handers in baseball history meet at Turner Field. The NL West-leading Diamondbacks send out 44-year-old Randy Johnson to face the Braves’ Tom Glavine, who is 42. Glavine has 305 career wins, Johnson 288.

STARS

Friday

— Roy Halladay, Blue Jays, won for the third time in four starts, and had his major league-leading fifth complete game in a 7-1 win over Kansas City on Friday night.

— Adam Dunn, Reds, homered off Trevor Hoffman to start the ninth inning and give the Cincinnati Reds a 3-2 win over the San Diego Padres.

— Matt Holliday, Rockies, hit a tying homer in the ninth inning off Billy Wagner, then singled home the winning run in the 13th to rally the Rockies past the New York Mets 6-5.

— Joe Saunders, Angels, one run and three hits in a career-high 8 1-3 innings in a 3-1 win over Chicago that ended the White Sox’s eight-game winning streak.

— Barry Zito, Giants, earned his first win of the season after eight straight losses, pitching San Francisco past the Florida Marlins 8-2.

— Doug Davis, Diamondbacks, allowed one run in seven innings in his first start following his return from cancer surgery and Arizona cooled off Atlanta 11-1.

BEST COMEBACK

Doug Davis was relaxed and in control in his first start following his return from cancer surgery, giving up only one run in seven innings, and the inspired Diamondbacks hit five homers and rolled to an 11-1 win over the Atlanta Braves on Friday night. “Everybody kind of realized what they are all about today, a little more than baseball,” Arizona manager Bob Melvin said.

BLINDING

Tampa Bay earned its sixth shutout of the season with a 2-0 win over Baltimore. The Rays improved the second-best home record in the AL to 17-8. They have won 11 of 15 games overall, and their 13 wins in May are a franchise record.

GIANT ‘W’

Making his 10th start this year, Giants left-hander Barry Zito earned his first win and avoided becoming the first starter in franchise history to begin a season 0-9. … Cardinals ace Adam Wainwright won for the first time in five starts, allowing a run and five hits while stranding four runners in scoring position in seven innings in a 2-1 victory over the Dodgers.

STILL THE HURT

Frank Thomas hit a two-run homer to give him 1,701 RBIs in his career. The Big Hurt homered for the fourth time in four games. Thomas, who turns 40 on Tuesday, has seven homers on the year and four since joining the A’s after Toronto released him April 20.

PLUNDERED

The Cubs, who lead the NL Central, are 9-1 against the Pirates this season, 4-0 in Pittsburgh, and 12-1 in their past 13 meetings after a 12-3 win on Friday. The Cubs scored 10 or more runs against Pittsburgh for the fourth time this season.

ON THE ‘L’ TRAIN

The Indians’ losing streak reached seven games after Texas earned a 13-9 win on Friday night. Cleveland’s losing streak is its longest since a nine-game slide in August 2004. Cleveland also lost starting pitcher Fausto Carmona to a strained his left hip. … New York lost its fifth straight and ninth in 13 contests while falling to 22-24. Two games under .500 matches their low-water mark for the season, when they were 2-4 after dropping their home opener to Philadelphia on April 8. … San Diego (18-32), with the worst record in the majors, has lost 13 of 19 games.

LOW TIDE FOR M’S

Seattle has lost 17 of its past 22 games and is an AL-worst 18-31. No team that fell more than 16 games under .500 has ever reached the postseason.

RED-HOT RANGER

Rangers outfielder Josh Hamilton is hitting .528 (19-for-36) with four homers and nine RBIs over his past eight games.

HIGH MARK

Marco Scutaro is batting .365 (19-for-52) since taking over at shortstop after David Eckstein and John McDonald were both injured. Scutaro matched a career high with four RBIs and the Toronto Blue Jays beat Kansas City 7-1 on Friday night.

TOUGH LUCK

Gavin Floyd (4-3) took the loss despite holding the Angels to three hits in his first career complete game. He had a rocky fifth inning, when Hunter hit a solo shot. The right-hander also hit Maicer Izturis and Gary Matthews Jr. with bases-loaded pitches. … Baltimore starter Jeremy Guthrie (2-5) allowed one run and four hits in 6 2-3 innings, but took the loss against Tampa Bay.

QUIETING A NATION

Oakland’s Rich Harden has 23 strikeouts in three starts spanning 17 innings this year against the Red Sox.

SPEAKING

“Playing on this team and seeing what’s happening around me, I feel that something is beginning to fall apart.”—Ichiro Suzuki, on the struggles of the Mariners, who are 18-31 and have the worst record in the American League.

SEASONS

May 24

1918—Cleveland’s Stan Coveleski pitched 19 innings in the Indians’ 3-2 victory over the New York Yankees. Former pitcher Joe Wood hit a home run for the win.

1935—In the first major league night game in Cincinnati, the Reds beat the Philadelphia Phillies 2-1 before 25,000.

1936—Tony Lazzeri, batting eighth for the New York Yankees, drove in 11 runs with a triple and three home runs—two of them grand slams—in a 25-2 rout of the Philadelphia A’s.

1964—Harmon Killebrew of the Minnesota Twins hit the longest home run in Baltimore’s Memorial Stadium, a 471-foot shot to left-center off right-hander Milt Pappas.

1984—Jack Morris led the Tigers to their 17th straight road win, setting an AL record. Morris allowed four hits and Detroit beat the California Angels 5-1.

1990—Chicago’s Andre Dawson was walked intentionally five times by the Cincinnati Reds to break the record shared by Roger Maris and Garry Templeton.

1994—The St. Louis Cardinals set a major league record by stranding 16 runners without scoring, losing to David West and three Philadelphia Phillies relievers 4-0.

1995—Oakland’s Dennis Eckersley became the sixth pitcher with 300 saves in a 5-2 win over the Baltimore Orioles.

1998—Freshman Matt Diaz hit four homers, tying a school and regional record, and drove in seven runs as Florida State routed Oklahoma 23-2 to advance to the NCAA Atlantic II Regional final.

2000—For the third time in major league history a team blew a seven-run lead twice in a week. The Houston Astros lost a 7-0 lead at home against Philadelphia after blowing a 9-2 lead in the ninth inning at Milwaukee two days earlier.

2001—Jon Lieber of the Chicago Cubs threw a 79-pitch, one-hit shutout in a 3-0 blanking of the Reds. It was the first shutout of the Reds in an NL-record 208 games.

2006—Adam Wainwright homered in his first major league at-bat and pitched three innings of relief to earn the win in St. Louis’ 10-4 victory over San Francisco. Wainwright, who had no batting practice since spring training, hit the first pitch he saw out to left in the fifth for a solo homer.

2007—John Smoltz of Atlanta pitched seven shutout innings and became baseball’s first pitcher with 200 wins and 150 saves with a 2-1 win over the New York Mets.

2007—Seattle’s Ichiro Suzuki went 3-for-6 with a homer in his 1,000th major league game. Suzuki compiled 1,414 hits in those games—the second most by a player in his first 1,000 games since 1900. Hall of Famer Al Simmons (1924-44) had 1,443 hits in that span.

Today’s birthdays: Kevin Frandsen 26; Justin Hampson 28; Brad Penny 30; Masa Kobayashi 34.

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**pm530** · 05-24-2008, 05:46 AM

National Basketball Association – Write up

NBA
Write-up

Saturday, May 24

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NBA Game

Celtics lost first home playoff game in 10 tries Thursday, as the Pistons improved their FG% from 42.4% in Game 1 to 49.3% in Game 2, while going 28-32 from line. Boston took 19 3's in Game 2, more than twice as many as they tried (nine) in Game 1 win. Celtics are 0-6 on road in playoffs, and now they'll have to win road game to advance to Finals. Detroit is 5-1 at home so far in playoffs, 4-2 as a home favorite.

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**pm530** · 05-24-2008, 05:47 AM

National Basketball Association – Additional

NBA

Saturday, May 24

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Trend Sheet
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8:30 PM BOSTON vs. DETROIT
Boston is 17-8 SU in its last 25 games
Boston is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
Detroit is 15-4 SU in its last 19 games when playing Boston
Detroit is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games when playing at home against Boston

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**pm530** · 05-24-2008, 05:48 AM

National Basketball Association - Tips & Trends

NBA

Saturday, May 24

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Tips and Trends
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Boston Celtics at Detroit Pistons [ABC | 8:30 PM ET]

Celtics: Boston faces the prospect of having to win on the road for the first time after suffering a home loss in the playoffs for the first time in Game 2. Before that setback, the argument could be made that the Celtics could just win their home games to win the NBA championship. That obviously isn't the case anymore. “If we’re going to win this series, we’ve got to protect the home for the rest of the series and try to get one on the road,” Boston's Paul Pierce said. That goal will begin in Game 3, and a another road loss will give the Celtics the dubious distinction of becoming the first team ever to start 0-7 away from home in the playoffs.

Road team is 8-2 ATS in the last 10 meetings.
Underdog is 6-2 ATS in the last 8 meetings.
The UNDER is 17-8 in Boston's last 25 games vs. Central Division.

Key Injuries - NONE

PROJECTED SCORE: 85

Pistons (-5, O/U 175): The key for Detroit in the rest of this series will be continued offensive balance, as the Celtics mainly had to worry about defending just one star player in each of the first two rounds. “What makes Detroit good is you can’t really hone in on one guy,” Boston head coach Doc Rivers said. “Obviously in the two previous series we’ve had LeBron (James) and Joe Johnson. Even though they had players around them, clearly they were the focal point. (The Pistons) have five for sure, and six guys on certain nights they can go to.”

Pistons are 12-5 ATS in their last 17 games overall.
The UNDER is 14-5 in Detroit's last 19 games as a favorite.
The UNDER is 17-8 in Detroit's last 25 games overall.

Key Injuries - NONE

PROJECTED SCORE: 90

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**pm530** · 05-24-2008, 05:49 AM

National Basketball Association - Gameday

NBA
Gameday

Saturday, May 24

Saturday NBA Playoff Gameday

Detroit is the place to be Saturday night, as the Stanley Cup final gets underway between the Red Wings and Penguins, while in the NBA the Eastern Conference final resumes with Game 3 between the Celtics and Pistons.

Boston Celtics at Detroit Pistons – 8:30 pm EDT

The Pistons became the first team to solve the Celtics at home in the postseason on Thursday night after upsetting Boston 103-97 as a 4.5-point underdog. That loss was Boston's first at home in the playoffs and snapped their 15-game winning streak at TD Northbank Garden.

Richard Hamilton made up for a disappointing Game 1 by leading Detroit with 25 points. Chauncey Billups also bounced back after showing a little rust since returning from injury in the series opener, netting 19 points and handing out seven assists. The Celtics' big three all delivered, but it wasn’t enough to secure a victory. Paul Pierce led the way with 26 points, Ray Allen chipped in with 25 points and Kevin Garnett added 24 points and 13 rebounds. Rajon Rondo also had a solid all-round game for Boston with 10 points, nine rebounds and eight assists in a losing effort.

The Celtics could be in trouble heading to the Palace of Auburn Hills unless they can reverse their fortunes from the earlier rounds of the playoffs. Boston is 0-6 on the road through the postseason so far and would fall into a deep 3-1 hole if that trend continues.

The Pistons are a 4.5-point home favorite in Game 3.

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**pm530** · 05-24-2008, 05:51 AM

National Hockey League – Long Sheet

NHL
Long Sheet

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Saturday, May 24
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PITTSBURGH (59-29-0-8, 126 pts.) at DETROIT (66-25-0-7, 139 pts.) - 5/24/2008, 8:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
PITTSBURGH is 5-12 ATS (-8.1 Units) in road games after scoring 4 goals or more in their previous game this season.
DETROIT is 81-31 ATS (+4.8 Units) in home games in non-conference games since 1996.
DETROIT is 12-1 ATS (+10.0 Units) in the Stanley Cup finals since 1996.
DETROIT is 33-10 ATS (+33.0 Units) after a win by 2 goals or more this season.
DETROIT is 34-7 ATS (+16.6 Units) in home games after scoring 4 goals or more in their previous game over the last 2 seasons.
DETROIT is 85-45 ATS (-14.4 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 59-37 ATS (+11.2 Units) in all games this season.
PITTSBURGH is 18-12 ATS (+30.1 Units) in a road game where where the total is 5.5 this season.
PITTSBURGH is 39-19 ATS (+13.8 Units) second half of the season this season.
PITTSBURGH is 30-19 ATS (+7.5 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
PITTSBURGH is 32-20 ATS (+61.0 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
DETROIT is 2-0 (+2.0 Units) against the spread versus PITTSBURGH over the last 3 seasons
DETROIT is 2-0-0 straight up against PITTSBURGH over the last 3 seasons
2 of 2 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+2.1 Units)

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Announcement

Saturday Trends and Indexes 05/24

Saturday Trends and Indexes 05/24

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