Announcement

**pm530** · 06-26-2008, 03:42 AM

Six-pack for Thursday

-- David Wright was given Tuesday off, promptly hit pair of homers in his first two ABs Wednesday.

-- Bobby Crosby's error in 8th inning Wednesday was first miscue by Oakland in their last nine games.

-- Twins won 8th game in a row as Brendan Harris homered again; Minnesota is playing really well right now.

-- Does anyone know if the Sonics are playing in Oklahoma or Seattle next season? Has this been decided?

-- Wild game in Detroit, with 2:25 rain delay and some lousy relief pitching; Sheffield's fourth hit of game ended things at 12:51 am, giving Tigers 8-7 win. Teams have a day game on Thursday that will start just over 12 hours after this ended.

-- Astros' pitcher Shawn Chacon has been suspended after a scuffle with Houston GM Ed Wade; throwing your boss to the floor is not the way to move up in the world.

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**pm530** · 06-26-2008, 03:43 AM

Thursday's List of 13: Nobody asked me, but..........

13) When three managers got canned in four days last week, it was first time since 1991 that happened during the season.

12) As an A's fan, I've seen Art Howe, Ken Macha, Bob Geren manage the A's the last few seasons-- the guy who really runs Oakland's team is Billy Beane- manager is just a button-pusher in Oakland, but I don't really care who the A's manager is, and I think most fans feel the same way. They just want the team to win. Players win/lose games anyway, not the skipper.

11) Seattle's Ryan Rowland-Smith is first hyphenated player in the history of major league baseball. He is also the first player in major leagues from Newcastle, Australia.

10) Quick prediction: NFL Network will wind up in some kind of merger with ESPN Classic, we will finally get to see NFL Films stuff we enjoy so much, but have missed since we ditched the satellite dish and DirecTV last summer. NFL Network is really a terrific channel for pro football fans.

9) Nolan Ryan once walked 10, struck out 19 in 13-inning game back in the early 70's. There weren't pitch counts kept in those days, but it estimated he threw 230 pitches in that game.

8) Because they play in London in late October and have a bye right after that, the Saints don't play in the Superdome between October 12 and November 24.

7) Last year, the London game was Giants-Dolphins; one team won the Super Bowl, the other had the worst record in league, so its up to you to decide what effect the long trip had.

6) Back in 1997, the Orioles averaged 45,816 fans per game; ten years later, they averaged just 27,531, partly because Nationals are now in DC, partly because O's haven't been good, mostly because baseball fans despise Baltimore owner Peter Angelos. In fairness, though, this Oriole team deserves better support-- they're a much-improved ballclub.

5) Twins are hitting 40+ points over league average when they have runners in scoring position, which is why they're right up near top of AL Central, and they have Liriano lurking in AAA, ready to bolster the starting rotation.

4) Home Run Derby will be weird at the All-Star Game, since in the Bronx, left-center field is long way from home plate. Not a great place for HR Derby. Would have been good if they had held it in Shea Stadium, since that place is closing down too, and it is only eight miles from the stadium in the Bronx.

3) Was funny listening to ESPNews guys showing Tampa Bay Lightning's press conference announcing the hiring of former ESPN analyst Barry Melrose, who is a good guy. An anchor said, "I can't believe I'm watching this", as Melrose blurted out lot of coaching cliches. Then they showed shots of Melrose back in '93, when he had the long mullet working. Good stuff.

2) Fresno State (47-31) won an unlikely baseball national title in Omaha Wedmesday night; no previous national champion had more than 23 losses. Bulldogs are the seventh straight baseball champ from west of the Mississippi.

1) Who would have thought next week's Boston-Tampa series will be a showdown for first place in American League East?

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**pm530** · 06-26-2008, 03:44 AM

WNBA – Long Sheet

WNBA
Long Sheet

Note: When the long sheet is updated, we will re-post.

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Thursday, June 26
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INDIANA (7 - 6) at NEW YORK (6 - 6) - 6/26/2008, 7:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
INDIANA is 6-2 against the spread versus NEW YORK over the last 3 seasons
INDIANA is 7-1 straight up against NEW YORK over the last 3 seasons
4 of 7 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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CONNECTICUT (11 - 3) at DETROIT (10 - 4) - 6/26/2008, 7:30 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
DETROIT is 7-4 against the spread versus CONNECTICUT over the last 3 seasons
DETROIT is 9-2 straight up against CONNECTICUT over the last 3 seasons
6 of 11 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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SACRAMENTO (6 - 7) at MINNESOTA (7 - 6) - 6/26/2008, 8:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
SACRAMENTO is 5-2 against the spread versus MINNESOTA over the last 3 seasons
SACRAMENTO is 7-1 straight up against MINNESOTA over the last 3 seasons
4 of 7 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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SAN ANTONIO (8 - 5) at HOUSTON (5 - 8) - 6/26/2008, 8:30 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
HOUSTON is 5-3 against the spread versus SAN ANTONIO over the last 3 seasons
SAN ANTONIO is 5-4 straight up against HOUSTON over the last 3 seasons
5 of 9 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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PHOENIX (5 - 7) at CHICAGO (3 - 8) - 6/26/2008, 9:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
PHOENIX is 3-2 against the spread versus CHICAGO over the last 3 seasons
PHOENIX is 5-0 straight up against CHICAGO over the last 3 seasons
3 of 5 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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WASHINGTON (5 - 8) at LOS ANGELES (10 - 3) - 6/26/2008, 10:30 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

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

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**pm530** · 06-26-2008, 03:45 AM

WNBA – Additional

WNBA

Thursday, June 26

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Trend Sheet
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7:00 PM INDIANA vs. NEW YORK
Indiana is 3-6 ATS in its last 9 games on the road
Indiana is 2-7 SU in its last 9 games on the road
New York is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Indiana
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of New York's last 7 games when playing at home against Indiana

7:30 PM CONNECTICUT vs. DETROIT
Connecticut is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Detroit
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Connecticut's last 6 games when playing on the road against Detroit
Detroit is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
Detroit is 9-3 SU in its last 12 games

8:00 PM SACRAMENTO vs. MINNESOTA
Sacramento is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Minnesota
Sacramento is 12-1 SU in its last 13 games when playing Minnesota
Minnesota is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games
Minnesota is 7-3 SU in its last 10 games at home

8:30 PM SAN ANTONIO vs. HOUSTON
San Antonio is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Houston
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of San Antonio's last 10 games when playing on the road against Houston
Houston is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing San Antonio
Houston is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games

9:00 PM PHOENIX vs. CHICAGO
Phoenix is 15-7 SU in its last 22 games on the road
Phoenix is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Chicago is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Phoenix
Chicago is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games

10:30 PM WASHINGTON vs. LOS ANGELES
Washington is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Los Angeles
Washington is 3-10 SU in its last 13 games when playing Los Angeles
Los Angeles is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
Los Angeles is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games

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**pm530** · 06-26-2008, 03:46 AM

Major League Baseball – Write up

MLB
Write-up

Thursday, June 26

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AL teams were 7-7 yesterday, are 116-83 against NL this year. Over is 74-77-7 since over last 13 days in interleague games.

Hot Pitchers
-- Wellemeyer is 5-0, 2.03 in his last six starts. Tigers won five of last six Robertson starts.
-- Marquis is 4-0, 3.55 in his last four starts.
-- Danks is 1-0, 2.73 in his last five starts.
-- Baker has 2.37 RA in his last three starts. Banks is 1-1, 2.49 in four starts for the Padres.
-- Harden is 3-0, 2.03 in his last seven starts.
-- Lee is 1-0, 2.41 in his last three starts; Indians are 11-3 in his starts this season. Cain is 2-1, 3.38 in his last three starts.
-- Pirates won five of Maholm's last six starts. Bronx won last five Mussina road starts.
-- Reds won last four Volquez road starts (3-0, 2.07).
-- Rangers won seven of last nine Millwood starts.

Cold Pitchers
-- Hendrickson has 10.41 RA in his last five starts, but Marlins won six of his last seven home starts. Rays lost Garza's last four road starts (0-3, 7.36).
-- Liz has 6.27 RA in four starts for Orioles.
-- Dodgers lost last four Kershaw starts (0-1, 6.05).
-- Eaton is 0-2, 6.11 in his last three starts.
-- Toronto last four Litsch starts (0-3, 6.46).
-- Astros lost last three Rodriguez home starts (0-2, 6.89).

Hot Teams
-- Rays won three of their last four games.
-- Cubs are 15-1 in their last sixteen games at Wrigley.
-- Tigers won nine of their last eleven home games.
-- Twins won their last eight games, allowing total of 16 runs.
-- Oakland is 7-4 in its last eleven games.
-- Giants are 11-4 in their last fifteen road games.
-- Pirates are 11-6 in their last seventeen home games. Bronx is 5-1 in its last six road games.
-- Rangers won three of their last four games.

Cold Teams
-- Marlins lost their last three games, allowing 28 runs.
-- Cardinals are 3-5 in their last eight games.
-- Indians lost six of their last eight games.
-- White Sox lost ten of their last eleven road games. Dodgers are 4-7 in their last eleven home games.
-- Orioles lost five of their last seven road games.
-- Phillies lost six of seven, eight of last ten games.
-- Padres lost eight of their last nine games.
-- Reds lost seven of their last ten games. Blue Jays lost eight of their last ten.
-- Astros lost eight of their last ten home games.

Totals
-- Over is 6-0-1 in last seven Florida games.
-- Under is 7-2 in last nine Wellemeyer starts.
-- Over is 5-2 in Marquis' starts at Wrigley Field.
-- Under is 10-3 in last thirteen Danks starts.
-- Three of four Banks starts stayed under the total.
-- Under is 9-2 in Phillies' last eleven road games.
-- Eight of last eleven Indian home games went over the total.
-- Over is 4-1-1 in last six Maholm home starts.
-- Four of last five Volquez road starts stayed under the total.
-- Under is 6-1-1 in last eight Rodriguez starts.

Umpires
-- TB-Fla-- Seven of nine Estabrook games stayed under total.
-- StL-Det-- Under is 9-3-1 in last thirteen Schrieber games; dog is 9-6 in his games this season.
-- Balt-Chi-- Eight of last nine Knight games stayed under.
-- Chi-LA-- Underdog is 8-8 in Demuth games this season; the under is 10-6.
-- Min-SD-- Home side won last four Cuzzi games.
-- Phil-A's-- Six of last nine Tschida games went over; home side won seven of his last eight games behind the plate.
-- SF-Clev-- Five of last seven Iassogna games went over total; underdog is 8-3 in his last eleven games.
-- NY-Pitt-- Last five Meriwether games stayed under the total.
-- Cin-Tor-- Last six Hickox games all went over the total.
-- Tex-Hst-- Home side won nine of last ten Hoye games.

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**pm530** · 06-26-2008, 03:47 AM

Major League Baseball - Tips & Trends

MLB

Thursday, June 26

We will update when projected scores are available.

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Tips and Trends
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Baltimore Orioles at Chicago Cubs [WGN | 2:20 PM ET]

Orioles: Radhames Liz makes his fifth start of the season and somehow Baltimore is 4-1 in his four previous outings, despite Liz allowing 13 runs in 18.2 innings of work. In his last appearance versus the Brewers, Liz lasted only two innings after giving up five runs on four hits. This will most likely be a high-scoring affair, seeing that the OVER is 3-1 in games started by Liz this season.

The OVER is 9-2 in Baltimore's last 11 road games.
The OVER is 17-5-1 in Baltimore's last 23 interleague games.

Key Injuries - NONE

PROJECTED SCORE: TBD

Cubs (-165): Jason Marquis just keeps winning every time he takes the hill. Marquis has won four straight and the Cubs have come out on top the last five times he's started overall. Marquis allowed five runs to the White Sox in his most recent start but was bailed out by the Cubs scoring 11 runs themselves. In six consecutive starts before that outing, Marquis had allowed three runs or less each time. The OVER is 4-2 in Marquis' last six starts.

Cubs are 15-1 in their last 16 home games.

Key Injuries - NONE

PROJECTED SCORE: TBD

New York Yankees at Pittsburgh Pirates [YES | 7:05 PM ET]

Pitching Tips Top Trends Key Injuries
Yankees (-150, O/U 9): Mike Mussina lost for the first time in a month his last out against the Reds but overall he's been by far the Yankees most consistent pitcher this season. The Moose has done a lot of his damage on the road, where he's 5-1 with a strong 3.50 ERA. Mussina isn't going to allow many cheap runs. He's given out just 13 walks in 89.1 innings pitched this year. The UNDER is 3-1 in Mussina's last four starts.

Yankees are 9-3 in their last 12 games overall.

Key Injuries - OF Johnny Damon (.323; foot) is doubtful.
OF Hideki Matsui (.323; knee) is doubtful.

PROJECTED SCORE: TBD

Pirates: After a rough first month, Paul Maholm has turned his season around, not recording a loss since May 20. The Pirates are 5-1 over that span. Maholm has really been tough at home where he's 4-1 with a 3.47 ERA in nine starts. Throw in the fact that the Yankees struggle against lefties and the stage is set for Maholm to have another strong outing tonight. But even though he's been pitching well, the OVER is still 7-3 the last 10 times Maholm has taken the mound.

Pirates are 7-3 in their last 10 home games.
The OVER is 8-2 in Pittsburgh's last 10 games vs. AL East.

Key Injuries - OF Xavier Nady (.314; shoulder) is questionable.

PROJECTED SCORE: TBD

San Francisco Giants at Cleveland Indians [7:05 PM ET]

Giants: Matt Cain is currently in the midst of a win-one, lose-one pattern and unfortunately for the Giants, he's due for a loss tonight. In his last two wins, Cain has allowed four runs in 14.1 innings of work. In his last two losses, Cain has given up eight runs over 13 innings. It's the kind of inconsistency that's plagued the Giants right-hander all season. Cain has been average on the road, going 2-2 with a 4.14 ERA in eight starts. The UNDER has cashed in three of Cain's last four outings.

Giants are 11-4 in their last 15 road games.

Key Injuries - NONE

PROJECTED SCORE: TBD

Indians (-160, O/U 8): Cliff Lee continues to roll along, not losing a decision since May 18. In his last six starts, Lee is 4-0 with two no-decisions. He's been exceptionally tough in his last three starts, allowing just five runs over 18.2 innings. Lee is perfect at home this season, going 3-0 with a spectacular 2.00 ERA. One weird anomaly with Lee is despite all the impressive numbers, the OVER is 4-0-1 in his last five starts.

Indians are 4-11 in their last 15 interleague games.
The OVER is 14-3-1 in Lee's last 18 Thursday starts.

Key Injuries - C Victor Martinez (.278; elbow) is out 6-8 weeks.

PROJECTED SCORE: TBD

Texas Rangers at Houston Astros [8:05 PM ET]

Rangers: Kevin Millwood is 4-1 with five no-decisions in his last 10 starts. Overall, the Rangers have been successful with Millwood on the mound, going 7-3 during that span. Millwood has pitched well against Houston over his career. In 10 starts, he's 6-3 with an ERA of 3.48. This will be Millwood's fourth consecutive start on the road. In his previous three, he allowed 10 walks and 10 runs in 22 innings. The OVER is 8-2 in Millwood's last 10 starts.

The UNDER is 7-2 in the last 9 meetings at Houston.

Key Injuries - OF Josh Hamilton (.312; knee) is questionable.
OF Milton Bradley (.330; quad) is doubtful.
C Gerald Laird (.306; hamstring) is on the 15-day DL.

PROJECTED SCORE: TBD

Astros (-130, O/U 9): Wandy Rodriguez has suffered some tough losses on the year but he's pitched poorly in two of his last three starts. In his last 16.2 innings on the mound, Rodriguez allowed 15 hits and 12 runs. Even with his recent skills, Rodriguez still possesses a solid 2.82 ERA, proof that he's pitched well at times this year. Rodriguez is just 1-2 at home, although he has an impressive 2.10 ERA in five starts. The UNDER is 6-3-1 in Rodriguez's last 10 starts.

Astros are 3-8 in their last 11 interleague games.
The OVER is 8-4 in Houston's last 12 interleague home games.

Key Injuries - 2B Kaz Matsui (.271; hamstring) is on the 15-day DL.

PROJECTED SCORE: TBD

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**pm530** · 06-26-2008, 03:49 AM

Major League Baseball – Streaking Pitchers

MLB

Thursday, June 26

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Streaking Starting Pitchers
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Thursday's streaking and slumping starters

Streaking

Cliff Lee, Cleveland Indians (10-1, 2.45)

Cliff Lee is becoming a staple of Streaking Starters, which shouldn’t be a surprise considering he hasn’t lost since May 18 – his only defeat of the season.

After a tough year last season, Lee has bounced back with 10 quality starts under his belt already and has put more than seven units in the pockets of his supporters – good for No. 11 on starter money List.

Lee isn’t overpowering so location is key for him. Right now he heads into Thursday’s game against Matt Cain and the Giants with 79 strikeouts compared to only 15 walks.

Rich Harden, Oakland A’s (4-0, 2.44)

Haren’s numbers are impressive enough at first glance, but they could be a lot better if he didn’t miss some time with a back issue. And it wouldn't hurt if he could get a little help from Oakland’s bats.

Haren, who has yet to be charged with a loss this season, has allowed just 10 earned runs over his last seven starts while striking out 52 batters over that stretch. However, he has just three wins to show for his effort even though the A’s have won all but one of those games.

Slumping

Mark Hendrickson, Florida Marlins (7-5, 5.73)

When Mark Hendrickson kicked off talk of an All-Star appearance by jumping out to a 5-1 start to the year, many bettors looked on cautiously, waiting for the 6-foot-9 veteran to return to his usual mediocre form. That time may have come sooner than Marlins bettors hoped.

The big lefty hasn’t won since May 25, lasting into the seventh inning just once since then. The long ball has also been a problem for him. He’s allowed six jacks over his last three starts.

Hendrickson has been great in the clubhouse with Florida’s young pitching staff, but he’s going to need to get back to changing speeds better to get out of this slump.

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**pm530** · 06-26-2008, 06:03 AM

Major League Baseball – Additional

MLB

Thursday, June 26

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Trend Sheet
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12:10 PM TAMPA BAY vs. FLORIDA
Tampa Bay is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Florida
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Tampa Bay's last 5 games when playing on the road against Florida
Florida is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Florida's last 7 games

1:05 PM ST. LOUIS vs. DETROIT
St. Louis is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Detroit
St. Louis is 7-3 SU in its last 10 games on the road
Detroit is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against St. Louis
Detroit is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games at home

2:20 PM BALTIMORE vs. CHI CUBS
Baltimore is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Baltimore's last 6 games on the road
Chi Cubs are 4-1 SU in their last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Chi Cubs's last 7 games

3:10 PM CHI WHITE SOX vs. LA DODGERS
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Chi White Sox's last 5 games when playing on the road against LA Dodgers
Chi White Sox are 6-1 SU in their last 7 games when playing LA Dodgers
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of LA Dodgers's last 9 games
LA Dodgers are 2-4 SU in their last 6 games at home

3:35 PM MINNESOTA vs. SAN DIEGO
Minnesota is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against San Diego
Minnesota is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
San Diego is 1-8 SU in its last 9 games
San Diego is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games at home

3:37 PM PHILADELPHIA vs. OAKLAND
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Philadelphia's last 11 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Philadelphia's last 5 games when playing Oakland
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Oakland's last 5 games when playing at home against Philadelphia
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Oakland's last 5 games when playing Philadelphia

:05 PM NY YANKEES vs. PITTSBURGH
NY Yankees are 7-1 SU in their last 8 games when playing Pittsburgh
The total has gone OVER in 4 of NY Yankees's last 5 games when playing Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Pittsburgh's last 6 games at home

7:05 PM SAN FRANCISCO vs. CLEVELAND
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of San Francisco's last 7 games
San Francisco is 11-4 SU in its last 15 games on the road
Cleveland is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Cleveland's last 7 games

7:07 PM CINCINNATI vs. TORONTO
Cincinnati is 3-7 SU in its last 10 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Cincinnati's last 5 games when playing Toronto
Toronto is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games at home
Toronto is 2-8 SU in its last 10 games

8:05 PM TEXAS vs. HOUSTON
Texas is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games when playing Houston
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Texas's last 5 games when playing Houston
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Houston's last 9 games when playing at home against Texas
Houston is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games at home

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**pm530** · 06-26-2008, 06:07 AM

MLB

Thursday, June 26

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Baseball Today
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SCOREBOARD

Thursday, June 26

San Francisco at Cleveland (7:05 p.m. EDT). The Giants are playing in Cleveland for the first time since the franchise, then located in New York, swept the 1954 World Series.

STARS

Wednesday

- Eric Stults, Dodgers, pitched his first shutout and drove in a run in a 5-0 victory over the Chicago White Sox.

- David Wright, Mets, homered twice to lead New York to an 8-2 victory over the Seattle Mariners.

- Jesus Flores, Nationals, singled home the winning run in the bottom of the ninth in Washington's 5-4 victory. He was 0-for-4 with three strikeouts before his final at-bat.

- Max Ramirez, Rangers, got his first two major league hits, including a two-run homer in Texas' 3-2 win over the Houston Astros.

- Carl Crawford, Rays, had two home runs and a career-high five RBIs in Tampa Bay's 15-3 win against the Florida Marlins.

CHIPPER-ESQUE

With Chipper Jones missing his fifth straight game with an injury, Kelly Johnson was 2-for-4 with a two-run double and a run-scoring single batting third in Atlanta 4-2 victory over the Brewers. Atlanta won for only the third time in 13 games not started by Jones, whose .394 batting average leads the majors.

RAY RUNS

Carl Crawford's second homer of the game started a 10-run, 14-batter, 32-minute barrage in the fifth inning for the Rays in their 15-3 victory over the Marlins. The 10-run inning was one short of a Tampa Bay franchise record.

HALL OF FAME DROUGHT

Greg Maddux's winless streak reached nine starts, the second-longest drought of his brilliant career, when the Minnesota Twins beat the San Diego Padres 9-3.

FILLING IN

Eric Stults, making his second start in place of the injured Brad Penny, pitched his first career complete game, leading the Dodgers to a 5-0 victory over the AL Central-leading Chicago White Sox. Stults (2-0) allowed four hits, struck out three and walked one.

NEMESIS

Jay Payton of the Orioles homered twice off Cubs starter Ted Lilly in Chicago's 7-4 victory and is 9-for-19 with three homers in his career against the left-hander.

COOKING

Gary Sheffield's RBI single in the bottom of the ninth gave the Detroit Tigers an 8-7 win over the St. Louis Cardinals. Sheffield came off the disabled list Tuesday and homered.

RESTED AND READY

The day after being given a game off for the first time this season, David Wright homered twice to lead the New York Mets to an 8-2 victory over the Seattle Mariners. Wright had played every inning of every game before getting Tuesday's game off.

STREAKS

The Minnesota Twins won their eighth straight game, a 9-3 victory at San Diego. It's the Twins longest winning streak in nearly two years. The Twins had an eight-game run in July 2006.

ROOTING INTEREST

Kansas City starter Luke Hochevar, the former No. 1 overall draft pick who was born in Colorado and grew up rooting for the Rockies, held Colorado to two runs and seven hits in a career-high eight innings in a 4-2 victory for the Royals.

START ME UP

New York's Joba Chamberlain was dominant in his first victory as a starter, regularly hitting 99 mph on the radar gun while striking out seven and walking one in 6 2-3 innings as the Yankees blanked the Pirates 10-0.

OLDIES

Knuckleballer Tim Wakefield, 41, outpitched 44-year-old Randy Johnson in Boston's 5-0 victory over Arizona. Not since Sept. 26, 1965, when Satchel Paige made a one-game comeback after a 12-year absence from the majors, had two pitchers of the combined age of Wakefield and Johnson started against each other in a Red Sox game, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. Elias said it also was a match of starters at Fenway with the oldest combined age - 86 years, 252 days.

WE ARE FAMILY

Washington's Aaron Boone got his 1,000th career hit on an infield single in the eighth inning, becoming the fourth member of his family to reach that mark in the majors. His grandfather Ray (1,260 hits), father Bob (1,838) and brother Bret (1,775) all got there, too.

INTERLEAGUE BLUES

Barry Zito won his first interleague game with the Giants, allowing one run in 6 2-3 innings in a 4-1 victory over Cleveland. Zito came in 0-6 with a 9.32 ERA in interleague play since signing with the Giants before the 2007 season. He had gone 0-8 since his previous interleague win, June 16, 2006, against the Los Angeles Dodgers when he was with Oakland.

EXTRA, EXTRA

Toronto dropped to 3-7 in extra-inning games with a 6-5 loss to the Cincinnati Reds.

SEE YA, SHAWN

Astros pitcher Shawn Chacon was indefinitely suspended by the team after he reportedly grabbed Houston general manager Ed Wade by the neck and threw him to the ground. Chacon was upset about being demoted to the bullpen and his agent requested the right-hander be traded.

SPEAKING

"I definitely feel like I'm back.'' - Giants left-hander Barry Zito, who improved to 3-11 with a strong 6 2-3 innings in a 4-1 victory against Cleveland.

SEASONS

June 26

1916 - In a game against the Chicago White Sox, the Cleveland Indians appeared on the field with numbers on their sleeves. It marked the first time players were identified by numbers corresponding to the scorecard.

1938 - Lonny Frey of the Cincinnati Reds had eight hits in a doubleheader split with the Philadelphia Phillies. Frey had three hits in a 10-3 opening-game loss and collected five in the nightcap, which the Reds won 8-5.

1944 - In an effort to raise funds for war bonds, the New York Giants, Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Yankees played against each other in a six-inning contest at the Polo Grounds. More than 50,000 fans turned out. Each team played successive innings against the other two teams then would sit out an inning. The final score was Dodgers 5, Yankees 1, Giants 0.

1962 - Earl Wilson of the Boston Red Sox pitched a 2-0 no-hitter against the Los Angeles Angels at Fenway Park. Wilson also homered.

1970 - Frank Robinson hit two grand slams for the Orioles as Baltimore defeated the Washington Senators 12-2.

1976 - Shortstop Toby Harrah played an entire doubleheader for the Texas Rangers without handling a batted ball from the Chicago White Sox.

2000 - Minor league sensation Alex Cabrera hit a two-run homer in his first major league at-bat for Arizona as the Diamondbacks beat the Houston Astros 6-1.

2006 - Oregon State beat North Carolina 3-2 for its first College World Series title.

Today's birthdays: Elijah Dukes 24; Luis Hernandez 24; Derek Jeter 34; Jason Kendall 34.

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**Udog** · 06-26-2008, 07:28 AM

MLB
Dunkel

NY Yankees at Pittsburgh
The Pirates will look to take the rubber game of the series and build on their 13-8 record at home when the total is listed at 9 to 9 1/2. Pittsburgh is the underdog pick (+130) according to Dunkel, which has the Pirates favored straight up by 1. Dunkel Pick: Pittsburgh (+130). Here are all of today's games.

THURSDAY, JUNE 26

Game 951-952: Tampa Bay at Florida
Dunkel Ratings: Tampa Bay (Garza) 14.727; Florida (Hendrickson) 15.276
Dunkel Line: Florida by 1/2; 10
Vegas Line: Tampa Bay (-120); 9
Dunkel Pick: Florida (+110); Over

Game 953-954: St. Louis at Detroit
Dunkel Ratings: St. Louis (Wellemeyer) 15.373; Detroit (Robertson) 16.836
Dunkel Line: Detroit by 1 1/2; 11
Vegas Line: Detroit (-130); 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Detroit (-130); Over

Game 955-956: Baltimore at Chicago Cubs
Dunkel Ratings: Baltimore (Lis) 16.069; Cubs (Marquis) 14.806
Dunkel Line: Baltimore by 1; 11
Vegas Line: Chicago Cubs (-155); No Run Line
Dunkel Pick: Baltimore (+145); N/A

Game 957-958: Chicago White Sox at LA Dodgers
Dunkel Ratings: White Sox (Danks) 15.693; LA Dodgers (Kershaw) 13.947
Dunkel Line: Chicago White Sox by 1 1/2; 7 1/2
Vegas Line: LA Dodgers (-115); 8
Dunkel Pick: Chicago White Sox (+105); Under

Game 959-960: Minnesota at San Diego
Dunkel Ratings: Minnesota (Baker) 16.859; San Diego (Banks) 14.643
Dunkel Line: Minnesota by 2; 8 1/2
Vegas Line: Minnesota (-105); 8
Dunkel Pick: Minnesota (-105); Over

Game 961-962: Philadelphia at Oakland
Dunkel Ratings: Philadelphia (Eaton) 14.328; Oakland (Harden) 16.153
Dunkel Line: Oakland by 2; 7
Vegas Line: Oakland (-170); 8
Dunkel Pick: Oakland (-170); Under

Game 963-964: San Francisco at Cleveland
Dunkel Ratings: San Francisco (Cain) 14.377; Cleveland (Lee) 15.600
Dunkel Line: Cleveland by 1; 7 1/2
Vegas Line: Cleveland (-160); 8
Dunkel Pick: Cleveland (-160); Under

Game 965-966: NY Yankees at Pittsburgh
Dunkel Ratings: NY Yankees (Mussina) 13.908; Pittsburgh (Maholm) 14.902
Dunkel Line: Pittsburgh by 1; 10
Vegas Line: NY Yankees (-140); 9
Dunkel Pick: Pittsburgh (+130); Over

Game 967-968: Cincinnati at Toronto
Dunkel Ratings: Cincinnati (Volquez) 15.661; Toronto (Litsch) 13.646
Dunkel Line: Cincinnati by 2; 9
Vegas Line: Cincinnati (-110); 8
Dunkel Pick: Cincinnati (-110); Over

Game 969-970: Texas at Houston
Dunkel Ratings: Texas (Millwood) 14.019; Houston (Rodriguez) 15.632
Dunkel Line: Houston by 1 1/2; 9 1/2
Vegas Line: Houston (-120); 9
Dunkel Pick: Houston (-120); Over

**Udog** · 06-26-2008, 09:15 AM

MLB
Long Sheet

Thursday, June 26

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TAMPA BAY (46 - 31) at FLORIDA (40 - 37) - 12:10 PM
MATT GARZA (R) vs. MARK HENDRICKSON (L)
Top Trends for this game.
TAMPA BAY is 53-113 (-38.5 Units) against the money line in road games in games played on a grass field over the last 3 seasons.
FLORIDA is 30-26 (+9.0 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
FLORIDA is 21-16 (+8.9 Units) against the money line after a loss this season.
FLORIDA is 425-483 (+28.1 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record since 1997.
FLORIDA is 40-37 (+10.2 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
FLORIDA is 31-19 (+17.5 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 this season.
FLORIDA is 17-10 (+8.1 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 9 to 9.5 this season.
FLORIDA is 118-95 (+28.3 Units) against the money line in an inter-league game since 1997.
FLORIDA is 39-35 (+10.9 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
TAMPA BAY is 46-31 (+13.4 Units) against the money line in all games this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
TAMPA BAY is 4-1 (+2.6 Units) against FLORIDA this season
3 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+2.0 Units)

MATT GARZA vs. FLORIDA since 1997
GARZA is 1-0 when starting against FLORIDA with an ERA of 1.29 and a WHIP of 0.571.
His team's record is 1-0 (+1.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-1. (-1.0 units)

MARK HENDRICKSON vs. TAMPA BAY since 1997
HENDRICKSON is 2-3 when starting against TAMPA BAY with an ERA of 4.33 and a WHIP of 1.245.
His team's record is 2-4 (-3.4 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 3-3. (-0.3 units)

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ST LOUIS (45 - 34) at DETROIT (37 - 40) - 1:05 PM
TODD WELLEMEYER (R) vs. NATE ROBERTSON (L)
Top Trends for this game.
DETROIT is 50-25 (+19.6 Units) against the money line in June games over the last 3 seasons.
DETROIT is 23-9 (+13.2 Units) against the money line in an inter-league game over the last 2 seasons.
ST LOUIS is 22-17 (+9.7 Units) against the money line in road games this season.
ST LOUIS is 83-55 (+21.4 Units) against the money line in day games over the last 3 seasons.
ST LOUIS is 45-34 (+11.5 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
ST LOUIS is 21-12 (+9.5 Units) against the money line after a loss this season.
ST LOUIS is 45-34 (+11.5 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
WELLEMEYER is 17-8 (+11.5 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
WELLEMEYER is 17-8 (+11.5 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
DETROIT is 37-40 (-10.6 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
DETROIT is 17-23 (-11.0 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 this season.
DETROIT is 23-35 (-18.5 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
ROBERTSON is 18-27 (-14.5 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
ROBERTSON is 16-24 (-13.3 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
ROBERTSON is 4-14 (-11.2 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
ST LOUIS is 1-1 (+0.6 Units) against DETROIT this season
2 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+2.0 Units)

TODD WELLEMEYER vs. DETROIT since 1997
No recent starts.

NATE ROBERTSON vs. ST LOUIS since 1997
ROBERTSON is 1-1 when starting against ST LOUIS with an ERA of 3.60 and a WHIP of 1.800.
His team's record is 1-1 (+0.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-1. (-0.2 units)

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BALTIMORE (39 - 37) at CHICAGO CUBS (49 - 29) - 2:20 PM
RADHAMES LIZ (R) vs. JASON MARQUIS (R)
Top Trends for this game.
BALTIMORE is 22-44 (-22.0 Units) against the money line in day games over the last 2 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 44-79 (-23.7 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO CUBS are 49-29 (+14.6 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
CHICAGO CUBS are 33-9 (+19.5 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
CHICAGO CUBS are 25-11 (+10.4 Units) against the money line in day games this season.
CHICAGO CUBS are 47-25 (+16.0 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
CHICAGO CUBS are 24-7 (+14.5 Units) against the money line in home games against right-handed starters this season.
CHICAGO CUBS are 23-6 (+13.4 Units) against the money line in home games after a win this season.
CHICAGO CUBS are 13-3 (+9.4 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
MARQUIS is 18-6 (+10.6 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
MARQUIS is 18-5 (+13.2 Units) against the money line in day games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
MARQUIS is 18-6 (+10.6 Units) against the money line in home games in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
BALTIMORE is 39-37 (+7.9 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
BALTIMORE is 34-30 (+8.4 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
BALTIMORE is 31-24 (+12.6 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
CHICAGO CUBS are 109-93 (-40.8 Units) against the money line as a home favorite of -150 to -175 since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
BALTIMORE is 1-1 (+0.1 Units) against CHICAGO CUBS this season
2 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+2.1 Units)

RADHAMES LIZ vs. CHICAGO CUBS since 1997
No recent starts.

JASON MARQUIS vs. BALTIMORE since 1997
No recent starts.

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CHI WHITE SOX (42 - 35) at LA DODGERS (36 - 41) - 3:10 PM
JOHN DANKS (L) vs. CLAYTON KERSHAW (L)
Top Trends for this game.
CHI WHITE SOX are 60-74 (-25.1 Units) against the money line against left-handed starters over the last 3 seasons.
CHI WHITE SOX are 22-44 (-14.8 Units) against the money line in road games after a loss over the last 2 seasons.
CHI WHITE SOX are 19-9 (+13.1 Units) against the money line when playing on Thursday over the last 2 seasons.
CHI WHITE SOX are 39-25 (+12.8 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
CHI WHITE SOX are 53-32 (+26.0 Units) against the money line after getting shut out since 1997.
LA DODGERS are 36-41 (-10.0 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
LA DODGERS are 13-28 (-16.7 Units) against the money line in an inter-league game over the last 3 seasons.
LA DODGERS are 36-41 (-10.0 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
LA DODGERS are 87-108 (-30.5 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
CHI WHITE SOX is 1-1 (+0.1 Units) against LA DODGERS this season
2 of 2 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+2.0 Units)

JOHN DANKS vs. LA DODGERS since 1997
No recent starts.

CLAYTON KERSHAW vs. CHI WHITE SOX since 1997
No recent starts.

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MINNESOTA (42 - 36) at SAN DIEGO (32 - 47) - 3:35 PM
SCOTT BAKER (R) vs. JOSH BANKS (R)
Top Trends for this game.
MINNESOTA is 12-27 (-13.9 Units) against the money line as a road underdog of +100 to +125 over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 124-90 (+27.5 Units) against the money line after a win over the last 3 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 42-36 (+11.1 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
MINNESOTA is 48-28 (+19.2 Units) against the money line in June games over the last 3 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 11-3 (+10.2 Units) against the money line in an inter-league game this season.
MINNESOTA is 34-24 (+14.2 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
BAKER is 12-4 (+9.7 Units) against the money line after a win over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
SAN DIEGO is 32-46 (-16.2 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
SAN DIEGO is 9-20 (-13.0 Units) against the money line in an inter-league game over the last 2 seasons.
SAN DIEGO is 32-46 (-16.2 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
SAN DIEGO is 10-24 (-14.6 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
MINNESOTA is 2-0 (+2.8 Units) against SAN DIEGO this season
1 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+0.0 Units)

SCOTT BAKER vs. SAN DIEGO since 1997
No recent starts.

JOSH BANKS vs. MINNESOTA since 1997
No recent starts.

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PHILADELPHIA (43 - 36) at OAKLAND (42 - 35) - 3:35 PM
ADAM EATON (R) vs. RICH HARDEN (R)
Top Trends for this game.
OAKLAND is 42-35 (+7.5 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
OAKLAND is 46-29 (+19.0 Units) against the money line in June games over the last 3 seasons.
OAKLAND is 70-32 (+31.7 Units) against the money line in home games in an inter-league game since 1997.
HARDEN is 20-5 (+13.9 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
HARDEN is 20-5 (+13.9 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
EATON is 54-46 (+17.9 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record since 1997. (Team's Record)
OAKLAND is 41-46 (-16.3 Units) against the money line in home games against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
OAKLAND is 8-20 (-13.3 Units) against the money line after getting shut out over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
PHILADELPHIA is 1-1 (+0.0 Units) against OAKLAND this season
2 of 2 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+2.0 Units)

ADAM EATON vs. OAKLAND since 1997
EATON is 1-1 when starting against OAKLAND with an ERA of 4.91 and a WHIP of 1.409.
His team's record is 1-3 (-2.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-3. (-3.6 units)

RICH HARDEN vs. PHILADELPHIA since 1997
No recent starts.

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SAN FRANCISCO (34 - 44) at CLEVELAND (35 - 43) - 7:05 PM
MATT CAIN (R) vs. CLIFF LEE (L)
Top Trends for this game.
SAN FRANCISCO is 105-135 (-25.7 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 105-135 (-25.7 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
CAIN is 15-33 (-21.6 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
CAIN is 8-19 (-14.6 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
CAIN is 15-33 (-21.6 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
CAIN is 10-22 (-14.9 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
LEE is 7-0 (+7.5 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 this season. (Team's Record)
SAN FRANCISCO is 25-14 (+13.1 Units) against the money line when playing on Thursday over the last 3 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 16-11 (+9.8 Units) against the money line in road games in night games this season.
CLEVELAND is 19-30 (-19.7 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
CLEVELAND is 35-43 (-19.9 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
CLEVELAND is 58-75 (-33.0 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 8 to 8.5 since 1997.
CLEVELAND is 34-43 (-20.1 Units) against the money line in June games over the last 3 seasons.
CLEVELAND is 13-19 (-13.2 Units) against the money line in an inter-league game over the last 2 seasons.
CLEVELAND is 34-41 (-18.7 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
CLEVELAND is 352-310 (-68.4 Units) against the money line in home games in night games since 1997.
CLEVELAND is 26-30 (-11.8 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
SAN FRANCISCO is 2-0 (+3.1 Units) against CLEVELAND this season
2 of 2 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+2.0 Units)

MATT CAIN vs. CLEVELAND since 1997
No recent starts.

CLIFF LEE vs. SAN FRANCISCO since 1997
LEE is 1-0 when starting against SAN FRANCISCO with an ERA of 1.29 and a WHIP of 0.857.
His team's record is 1-0 (+1.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-1. (-1.0 units)

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NY YANKEES (42 - 36) at PITTSBURGH (37 - 41) - 7:05 PM
MIKE MUSSINA (R) vs. PAUL MAHOLM (L)
Top Trends for this game.
NY YANKEES are 137-107 (-22.0 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
NY YANKEES are 23-26 (-17.8 Units) against the money line when playing on Thursday over the last 3 seasons.
NY YANKEES are 120-93 (-20.6 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
NY YANKEES are 12-22 (-18.1 Units) against the money line in road games against left-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 22-18 (+9.8 Units) against the money line after a loss this season.
PITTSBURGH is 236-245 (+33.5 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a winning record since 1997.
PITTSBURGH is 24-17 (+7.9 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
PITTSBURGH is 67-48 (+21.1 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 9 to 9.5 over the last 3 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 24-17 (+7.9 Units) against the money line in home games in games played on a grass field this season.
PITTSBURGH is 337-318 (+36.7 Units) against the money line in home games in night games since 1997.
PITTSBURGH is 53-35 (+21.5 Units) against the money line in home games after allowing 10 runs or more since 1997.
MAHOLM is 10-2 (+8.0 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 9 to 9.5 over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
MAHOLM is 7-1 (+6.8 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season. (Team's Record)
NY YANKEES are 31-15 (+11.3 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
PITTSBURGH is 1-1 (+0.4 Units) against NY YANKEES this season
2 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+2.1 Units)

MIKE MUSSINA vs. PITTSBURGH since 1997
MUSSINA is 1-0 when starting against PITTSBURGH with an ERA of 0.00 and a WHIP of 0.667.
His team's record is 1-0 (+1.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-0. (+0.0 units)

PAUL MAHOLM vs. NY YANKEES since 1997
MAHOLM is 0-1 when starting against NY YANKEES with an ERA of 5.07 and a WHIP of 2.064.
His team's record is 0-1 (-1.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 0-1. (-1.2 units)

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CINCINNATI (36 - 43) at TORONTO (37 - 42) - 7:07 PM
EDINSON VOLQUEZ (R) vs. JESSE LITSCH (R)
Top Trends for this game.
CINCINNATI is 108-133 (-25.5 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
CINCINNATI is 9-19 (-12.8 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
CINCINNATI is 433-499 (+46.7 Units) against the money line in road games since 1997.
CINCINNATI is 282-321 (+31.0 Units) against the money line in road games in night games since 1997.
CINCINNATI is 322-366 (+41.5 Units) against the money line in road games against right-handed starters since 1997.
CINCINNATI is 213-223 (+43.0 Units) against the money line in road games after a win since 1997.
VOLQUEZ is 12-3 (+9.2 Units) against the money line in all games this season. (Team's Record)
TORONTO is 17-24 (-11.1 Units) against the money line after a loss this season.
TORONTO is 13-20 (-12.4 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
TORONTO is 37-42 (-12.7 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
TORONTO is 6-15 (-13.8 Units) against the money line in June games this season.
TORONTO is 3-9 (-10.6 Units) against the money line in home games when playing on Thursday over the last 2 seasons.
TORONTO is 21-33 (-18.1 Units) against the money line in night games this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
CINCINNATI is 1-1 (+0.6 Units) against TORONTO this season
2 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+2.0 Units)

EDINSON VOLQUEZ vs. TORONTO since 1997
No recent starts.

JESSE LITSCH vs. CINCINNATI since 1997
No recent starts.

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TEXAS (40 - 39) at HOUSTON (36 - 42) - 8:05 PM
KEVIN MILLWOOD (R) vs. WANDY RODRIGUEZ (L)
Top Trends for this game.
TEXAS is 40-39 (+7.8 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
TEXAS is 107-112 (+14.5 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
TEXAS is 30-24 (+11.7 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
HOUSTON is 306-317 (-73.4 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
TEXAS is 3-2 (+1.2 Units) against HOUSTON this season
4 of 5 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+2.9 Units)

KEVIN MILLWOOD vs. HOUSTON since 1997
MILLWOOD is 7-3 when starting against HOUSTON with an ERA of 3.18 and a WHIP of 0.991.
His team's record is 7-4 (+2.3 units) in these starts. The OVER is 6-5. (+0.7 units)

WANDY RODRIGUEZ vs. TEXAS since 1997
RODRIGUEZ is 2-0 when starting against TEXAS with an ERA of 4.77 and a WHIP of 1.324.
His team's record is 2-0 (+2.8 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-1. (-0.1 units)

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**Udog** · 06-26-2008, 09:19 AM

MLB

Thursday, June 26

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Hot Lines: Thursday's best MLB bets
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Cincinnati at Toronto (-105, 8)

Sometimes baseball betting doesn't have to be complicated. Toronto has a slight edge in batting and bullpen, and of course they're the home team today, but essentially these are two clubs wallowing on the same plane of mediocrity. There’s not much to choose between them.

The difference in this game will come down to the starting pitchers - and in that department, Toronto isn't even in the same neighborhood. Jesse Litsch is a good young pitcher, but his stuff is pretty ordinary in comparison to that of Edinson Volquez. When a guy has the nickname "Little Pedro", you know he's got incredible stuff, but this year Volquez has finally gained the maturity and discipline necessary to be a dominant starter in the majors. That's why he leads the Reds with 10 wins and leads the major leagues in strikeouts and ERA.

Pick: Reds

St. Louis at Detroit (-131, 9 1/2)

It's all about "what have you done for me lately" when it comes to the Detroit Tigers. They've been one of the biggest disappointments in baseball this season, but Jim Leyland's club is finally starting to pull it together. Over their last 10 games, the Tigers are 7-3 and batting .312 as a team. Even Nate Robertson has gotten his game together in recent starts after a disastrous start to the season. He has gone 3-0 with a 3.93 ERA in his last three starts.

And even if Albert Pujols is able to play today (as he says he will), all the injuries to the St. Louis pitching staff still make it a great time to fade the Cardinals.

Pick: Tigers

**pm530** · 06-26-2008, 11:01 AM

Major League Baseball - Short Sheet

MLB
Short Sheet

Thursday, June 26th

Interleague Play

Tampa Bay at Florida, 12:10 ET
Matt Garza (R) vs. Mark Hendrickson (L)
Garza: TB 3-23 AWAY after 2+ consecutive wins
Hendrickson: 26-14 TSR after 2 or more consecutive wins

St Louis at Detroit, 1:05 ET
Todd Wellemeyer (R) vs. Nate Robertson (L)
Wellemeyer: STL 23-36 after a one run loss
Robertson: DET 23-9 in interleague play

Baltimore at Chicago Cubs, 2:20 ET WGN
Radhames Liz (R) vs. Jason Marquis (R)
Liz: BAL 22-44 in day games
Marquis: 18-5 TSR in day games

Chicago White Sox at LA Dodgers, 3:10 ET
John Danks (L) vs. Clayton Kershaw (R)
Danks: CHW 19-9 on Thursday
Kershaw: LAD 13-28 in interleague play

Minnesota at San Diego, 3:35 ET
Scott Baker (R) vs. Josh Banks (R)
Baker: 12-4 TSR after a team win
Banks: SD 9-20 interleague play

Philadelphia at Oakland, 3:35 ET
Adam Eaton (R) vs. Rich Harden (R)
Eaton: 50-46 TSR as an underdog of +100 or higher
Harden: OAK 8-20 revenging a shutout loss

San Francisco at Cleveland, 7:05 ET
Matt Cain (R) vs. Cliff Lee (L)
Cain: 11-29 TSR when the total is 7 to 8.5
Lee: 7-0 TSR when the total is 8 to 8.5

NY Yankees at Pittsburgh, 7:05 ET
Mike Mussina (R) vs. Paul Maholm (L)
Mussina: NYY 12-22 AWAY against left-handed starters
Maholm: 10-2 TSR at home when the total is 9 to 9.5

Cincinnati at Toronto, 7:05 ET
Edinson Volquez (R) vs. Jesse Litsch (R)
Volquez: 12-3 TSR in all games
Litsch: TOR 2-9 after 2+ consecutive overs

Texas at Houston, 8:05 ET
Kevin Millwood (R) vs. Wandy Rodriguez (L)
Feldman: TEX 30-24 in night games
Oswalt: HOU 84-107 when the total is 8.5 to 10

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**pm530** · 06-26-2008, 11:13 AM

Major League Baseball - Tips & Trends

MLB

Thursday, June 26

Updated

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Tips and Trends
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Baltimore Orioles at Chicago Cubs [WGN | 2:20 PM ET]

Orioles: Radhames Liz makes his fifth start of the season and somehow Baltimore is 4-1 in his four previous outings, despite Liz allowing 13 runs in 18.2 innings of work. In his last appearance versus the Brewers, Liz lasted only two innings after giving up five runs on four hits. This will most likely be a high-scoring affair, seeing that the OVER is 3-1 in games started by Liz this season.

The OVER is 9-2 in Baltimore's last 11 road games.
The OVER is 17-5-1 in Baltimore's last 23 interleague games.

Key Injuries - NONE

PROJECTED SCORE: 5

Cubs (-165): Jason Marquis just keeps winning every time he takes the hill. Marquis has won four straight and the Cubs have come out on top the last five times he's started overall. Marquis allowed five runs to the White Sox in his most recent start but was bailed out by the Cubs scoring 11 runs themselves. In six consecutive starts before that outing, Marquis had allowed three runs or less each time. The OVER is 4-2 in Marquis' last six starts.

Cubs are 15-1 in their last 16 home games.

Key Injuries - OF Kosuke Fukudome (.299; calf) is questionable.
OF Reed Johnson (.271; back) is on the 15-day DL.
OF Alfonso Soriano (.283; broken hand) is out at least 6 weeks.

PROJECTED SCORE: 6

New York Yankees at Pittsburgh Pirates [YES | 7:05 PM ET]

Pitching Tips Top Trends Key Injuries
Yankees (-150, O/U 9): Mike Mussina lost for the first time in a month his last out against the Reds but overall he's been by far the Yankees most consistent pitcher this season. The Moose has done a lot of his damage on the road, where he's 5-1 with a strong 3.50 ERA. Mussina isn't going to allow many cheap runs. He's given out just 13 walks in 89.1 innings pitched this year. The UNDER is 3-1 in Mussina's last four starts.

Yankees are 9-3 in their last 12 games overall.

Key Injuries - OF Johnny Damon (.323; foot) is doubtful.
OF Hideki Matsui (.323; knee) is doubtful.

PROJECTED SCORE: 4 (UNDER - Total Play of the Day)

Pirates: After a rough first month, Paul Maholm has turned his season around, not recording a loss since May 20. The Pirates are 5-1 over that span. Maholm has really been tough at home where he's 4-1 with a 3.47 ERA in nine starts. Throw in the fact that the Yankees struggle against lefties and the stage is set for Maholm to have another strong outing tonight. But even though he's been pitching well, the OVER is still 7-3 the last 10 times Maholm has taken the mound.

Pirates are 7-3 in their last 10 home games.
The OVER is 8-2 in Pittsburgh's last 10 games vs. AL East.

Key Injuries – OF Jason Bay (.287; groin) is questionable.
OF Xavier Nady (.314; shoulder) is questionable.

PROJECTED SCORE: 3

San Francisco Giants at Cleveland Indians [7:05 PM ET]

Giants: Matt Cain is currently in the midst of a win-one, lose-one pattern and unfortunately for the Giants, he's due for a loss tonight. In his last two wins, Cain has allowed four runs in 14.1 innings of work. In his last two losses, Cain has given up eight runs over 13 innings. It's the kind of inconsistency that's plagued the Giants right-hander all season. Cain has been average on the road, going 2-2 with a 4.14 ERA in eight starts. The UNDER has cashed in three of Cain's last four outings.

Giants are 11-4 in their last 15 road games.

Key Injuries - NONE

PROJECTED SCORE: 3

Indians (-160, O/U 8): Cliff Lee continues to roll along, not losing a decision since May 18. In his last six starts, Lee is 4-0 with two no-decisions. He's been exceptionally tough in his last three starts, allowing just five runs over 18.2 innings. Lee is perfect at home this season, going 3-0 with a spectacular 2.00 ERA. One weird anomaly with Lee is despite all the impressive numbers, the OVER is 4-0-1 in his last five starts.

Indians are 4-11 in their last 15 interleague games.
The OVER is 14-3-1 in Lee's last 18 Thursday starts.

Key Injuries - C Victor Martinez (.278; elbow) is out 6-8 weeks.

PROJECTED SCORE: 6 (Side Play of the Day)

Texas Rangers at Houston Astros [8:05 PM ET]

Rangers: Kevin Millwood is 4-1 with five no-decisions in his last 10 starts. Overall, the Rangers have been successful with Millwood on the mound, going 7-3 during that span. Millwood has pitched well against Houston over his career. In 10 starts, he's 6-3 with an ERA of 3.48. This will be Millwood's fourth consecutive start on the road. In his previous three, he allowed 10 walks and 10 runs in 22 innings. The OVER is 8-2 in Millwood's last 10 starts.

The UNDER is 7-2 in the last 9 meetings at Houston.

Key Injuries - OF Josh Hamilton (.312; knee) is questionable.
OF Milton Bradley (.330; quad) is doubtful.
C Gerald Laird (.306; hamstring) is on the 15-day DL.

PROJECTED SCORE: 4

Astros (-130, O/U 9): Wandy Rodriguez has suffered some tough losses on the year but he's pitched poorly in two of his last three starts. In his last 16.2 innings on the mound, Rodriguez allowed 15 hits and 12 runs. Even with his recent skills, Rodriguez still possesses a solid 2.82 ERA, proof that he's pitched well at times this year. Rodriguez is just 1-2 at home, although he has an impressive 2.10 ERA in five starts. The UNDER is 6-3-1 in Rodriguez's last 10 starts.

Astros are 3-8 in their last 11 interleague games.
The OVER is 8-4 in Houston's last 12 interleague home games.

Key Injuries - 2B Kaz Matsui (.271; hamstring) is on the 15-day DL.

PROJECTED SCORE: 5

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Thursday Trends and Indexes 06/26

Thursday Trends and Indexes 06/26

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