Thursday Trends and Indexes 7/31

[pm530]

Trends and Indexes
Thursday July 31

Good Luck on day #213 of 2008!

NOTE:
As information becomes available, we will attempt to post the trends and indexes as soon as possible.
Information is posted from what we believe are reliable sources.
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[pm530]

Daily Sports Roundup

Thursday, July 31

Minnesota and Chicago will again be jockeying for position at the top of the AL Central division on Thursday night when the rivals meet in the finale of their four-game series.

And it'll be Scott Baker (7-3, 3.37 ERA) who gets the ball at home for the Twins in this contest. The righthander has pitched well for Minnesota over the past month, allowing more than three earned runs in just one of his past 10 outings. Baker grabbed a win over the Indians last time out, giving up three earned runs on five hits over five innings.

Baker has faced the White Sox once already this season - way back on April 9. In that game he surrendered three earned runs on five hits over five innings to collect his second win of the season. Baker also walked one batter and fanned seven in that outing, starting a trend that would see him walk just 18 and strike out 81 on the season.

Countering for the White Sox will be John Danks (8-4, 3.18 ERA), who hasn't been tagged with a loss since May 24. Only generous run support, though, allowed the lefthander to avoid defeat over his past three outings, as he surrendered 14 earned runs in 17 2-3 innings in that span. Chicago's offense gave Danks two wins in those games.

Danks has pitched three times against the Twins this season, with mixed results. On June 9 he gave up four earned runs on eight hits over six innings in a no-decision, and he grabbed a win on May 8 after allowing just two earned runs on six hits over five innings. On April 9, though, the Twins pounded Danks for seven runs over 2 1-3 innings.

Even though Chicago and Minnesota are neck-and-neck in the AL Central the Vegas oddsmakers have given them different lines right now to win the American League pennant; the White Sox are up at 5/1, while the Twins are farther back at just 12/1. Here are the rest of the current Vegas odds for teams to grab the AL pennant this season . . .

Boston Red Sox --- 7/4
Los Angeles Angels --- 2/1
Chicago White Sox --- 5/1
New York Yankees --- 5/1
Tampa Bay Rays --- 11/2
Minnesota Twins --- 12/1
Detroit Tigers --- 14/1
Toronto Blue Jays --- 75/1
Oakland Athletics --- 100/1
Texas Rangers --- 150/1
Baltimore Orioles --- 250/1
Cleveland Indians --- 250/1
Kansas City Royals --- 250/1
Seattle Mariners --- 1000/1

There are only three other American League games on the schedule for Thursday. Detroit and Cleveland play a 12:05pm ET contest, while Angels/Yankees and Mariners/Rangers matchups will take place at night. Jon Garland (9-6, 4.30 ERA) and Andy Pettitte (12-7, 3.76 ERA) will start for Los Angeles and New York in their opener.

Over in the National League the Cubs and Brewers will finish up their series in Milwaukee on Thursday afternoon (first pitch is 2:05pm ET), with Rich Harden (0-1, 1.04 ERA with the Cubs) going up against Dave Bush (5-8, 4.81 ERA). Harden's teams are only 1-4 in his last five starts despite the fact that he allowed only six total earned runs.

Other NL games for Thursday: St. Louis at Atlanta, Philadelphia at Washington, Colorado at Florida, and Arizona at the Los Angeles Dodgers. Brandon Webb (14-4, 3.14 ERA) is scheduled to pitch for the D-Backs in that matchup, while Derek Lowe (8-8, 3.74 ERA) will start for the Dodgers. Los Angeles is 4-0 in Lowe's last four outings.

Finally, there are two Canadian Football League games on the schedule for Thursday to kick off Week 6 of their season. The Tiger-Cats will be in Montreal to take on the Alouettes in the early game, while the Eskimos will host the Lions in the later contest. Montreal is a big 10-point favorite, while the Eskimos are sitting as a 2-point home 'dog.

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[pm530]

Six-pack for Thursday

-- Give them credit, the Bronx Bombers get after it; first, they got Sexson, then Nady/Marte, now Pudge Rodriguez, just a terrific pickup. Brian Cashman earns his paycheck.

-- Could the Mets have gotten Pudge? Their catchers aren't exactly Johnny Bench; is Omar Minaya asleep at the wheel?

-- What about the Red Sox? The whole Manny soap opera is a mess; a three-way deal between Marlins/Pirates is the hot rumor as I type this late Wednesday night.

-- Giants haven't scored a run in their last 23 innings.

-- Cubs spanked Brewers again, third straight win in series at Miller Park; Harden-Bush matchup is the finale Thursday.

-- Angels flexed their muscles with sweep at Fenway; now they move on to the Bronx for four games with the Bombers.

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[pm530]

Thursday's List of 13: Runnin' the bases in the AL.......

14) Mariners-- Could pick up some prospects Thursday if they decide to move Ibanez/Washburn, but it looks like they want too much in return. Ibanez is in late 30's, could help contender.

13) Sacramento Rivercats/A's-- White flag is up; they resemble a minor league team now. Imagine if you bet over 73 before the season for Oakland wins; it looked like a mortal lock before the fire sale began. Now? Not so much.........

12) Indians-- Had bases loaded, no one out in 12th inning of a tie game, didn't score, lost in 13th to Pudge-less Tigers, which symbolizes the disaster that has been the '08 season for Tribe.

11) Orioles-- I'm surprised Aubrey Huff never wound up with the Bronx Bombers; his swing would seem perfect for that park with the short RF fence. O's took two of three there this week.

10) Royals-- They have some pieces now; I'd be optimistic if I rooted for them. Their pitching isn't horrible anymore-- if they can add couple more solid relievers, they could do what Rays are doing now next season.

9) Blue Jays-- Allowed seven runs in three home games vs the Rays this week, still lost two of three. Marco Scutaro is a great sub, but if he's batting second for you, its not a good thing.

8) Tigers-- Threw in towel, trading Pudge, then showed guts in 13-inning win at Cleveland. Would they trade Magglio too? Rogers? Thursday could be a very interesting day in Motown.

7) Rangers-- One team that keeps plugging away; problem is, they just don't have enough pitching to get over top. They are ton of fun to watch, but 4.5 games out of playoffs with several teams to pass, they're going to need an amazing stretch run.
6) Twins-- Liriano won again in AAA Sunday; I'm a conspiracy theory guy-- something's up with his getting buried at AAA. Casilla hurt his thumb, has been out. They're only game out of the playoffs-- they need to get Liriano back to major leagues.

5) Bronx-- Give them credit; they really try to win, acquiring a total of four guys in last week. Losing two of three at home to the Orioles didn't help, but other contenders are fading, too.

4) Red Sox-- Just a guess here, but Terry Francona ain't having a lot of fun this season. Pivotal point for franchise here-- trade that sends Manny out of Boston would be huge. Look at all he has done, look at his numbers-- why would you trade him?

3) Rays-- Tampa Bay is now three games up in AL East on the last morning of July. Carl Crawford has four triples in last week, as he wakes from season-long slumber. How does guy as fast as Crawford only have eleven doubles this season?

2) White Sox-- They said they wouldn't make any moves, and they haven't, but they better hope Twins don't liberate Liriano from AAA hell, or Minnesota might pass them in standings.

1) Angels-- They do everything right. What a week- they trade for Teixeira, they sweep the Sox in Fenway, now they head to Bronx on a serious roll. Now favored to reach the World Series.

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[pm530]

Canadian Football League – Long Sheet

CFL
Long Sheet

Week 6

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Thursday, July 31
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HAMILTON (1 - 4) at MONTREAL (2 - 3) - 7/31/2008, 7:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
MONTREAL is 4-3 against the spread versus HAMILTON over the last 3 seasons
MONTREAL is 7-0 straight up against HAMILTON over the last 3 seasons
5 of 7 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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BRITISH COLUMBIA (3 - 2) at EDMONTON (3 - 2) - 7/31/2008, 10:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
BRITISH COLUMBIA is 36-17 ATS (+17.3 Units) in weeks 5 through 9 since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
EDMONTON is 4-2 against the spread versus BRITISH COLUMBIA over the last 3 seasons
BRITISH COLUMBIA is 5-1 straight up against EDMONTON over the last 3 seasons
3 of 5 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons


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Friday, August 1
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WINNIPEG (1 - 4) at TORONTO (2 - 3) - 8/1/2008, 7:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

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


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Saturday, August 2
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SASKATCHEWAN (5 - 0) at CALGARY (3 - 2) - 8/2/2008, 8:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
SASKATCHEWAN is 51-30 ATS (+18.0 Units) as an underdog of 3.5 to 9.5 points since 1996.
SASKATCHEWAN is 121-90 ATS (+22.0 Units) in all games since 1996.
SASKATCHEWAN is 121-90 ATS (+22.0 Units) in all lined games since 1996.
SASKATCHEWAN is 81-49 ATS (+27.1 Units) as an underdog since 1996.
SASKATCHEWAN is 10-2 ATS (+7.8 Units) in road games over the last 2 seasons.
SASKATCHEWAN is 10-2 ATS (+7.8 Units) in road lined games over the last 2 seasons.
SASKATCHEWAN is 39-23 ATS (+13.7 Units) in road games versus division opponents since 1996.
SASKATCHEWAN is 110-81 ATS (+20.9 Units) in games played on turf since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
CALGARY is 4-4 against the spread versus SASKATCHEWAN over the last 3 seasons
SASKATCHEWAN is 5-3 straight up against CALGARY over the last 3 seasons
4 of 8 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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[pm530]

Canadian Football League – Write up

CFL
Write-up


Week 6 CFL games

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Thursday, July 31

Hamilton (1-4) @ Montreal (2-3)-- Alouettes lost last three in a row, by 4-8-2 points; they scored 67 points in last two games, but waxed Hamilton on road in Week 1, 33-10 (+2); running ball for 188 yards, gaining just under seven yards/play. TiCats lost last three games by 5-27-6 points- both their road games went over total. TiCats were outgained by 204-149 yds last two wks.

BC Lions (3-2) @ Edmonton (3-2)-- Lions won last three games, all vs eastern teams, scoring 35 ppg- they scored 18-16 pts in their losses (both vs western teams), 27+ in wins. BC picked off 11 passes in last four games. Eskimos won three of its last four games, despite a -7 turnover ratio in those games- they allowed 34-35 points in their losses, an average of 24 ppg in wins.


Friday, August 1

Winnipeg (1-4) @ Toronto (2-3)-- Bombers passed for 450 yds last week in upset of Calgary, after not having 300+ in any of their first four games. Bombers are allowing 31.4 ppg. Argos led at half in Regina last week, lost for third time in last four games; they average 80.6 ypg in penalties. Three of last four Toronto games went over. Argos won 23-16 at Winnipeg in Week 1, as +3 turnover ratio negated Bombers' 367-230 edge in yardage.


Saturday, August 2

Saskatchewan (5-0) @ Calgary (3-2)-- Roughriders are winning despite revolving door at QB; they trailed Argos 18-10 at hal last week, rallied for a 28-22 home win. Stampeders allowed 19 points or less in all three wins, 34-32 in its losses; they've had 9+ penalties in all their games (71 ypg). Three of their last four games went over total. Riders are 5-0 against the spread, too.

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[pm530]

Canadian Football League – Additional Trends

CFL

Week 6

Trend Sheet

Thursday, July 31

7:00 PM HAMILTON vs. MONTREAL
Hamilton is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games
Hamilton is 4-21 SU in its last 25 games
Montreal is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Hamilton
Montreal is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Hamilton


10:00 PM BRITISH COLUMBIA vs. EDMONTON
British Columbia is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of British Columbia's last 5 games on the road
Edmonton is 7-2 ATS in its last 9 games when playing British Columbia
Edmonton is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing British Columbia



Friday, August 1

7:00 PM WINNIPEG vs. TORONTO
Winnipeg is 1-6 ATS in its last 7 games when playing Toronto
Winnipeg is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games when playing Toronto
Toronto is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games when playing at home against Winnipeg
Toronto is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games at home



Saturday, August 2

AUGUST 2, 8:00 PM SASKATCHEWAN vs. CALGARY
Saskatchewan is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Calgary
Saskatchewan is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
Calgary is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games
Calgary is 4-9 SU in its last 13 games

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[pm530]

Major League Baseball – Write up

MLB
Write-up


Thursday, July 31

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Hot Pitchers
-- Brewers are 7-1 in last eight Bush home starts. Harden has a 1.04 RA in his first three starts for the Cubs.
-- de la Rosa is 2-0, 1.42 in his last two starts.
-- Phillies won eight of last nine Kendrick road starts. Lannan is 2-1, 1.89 in his last three starts.
-- Webb is 2-0, 1.93 in his last four starts. Lowe is 2-0, 2.14 in his last three starts.

-- Tigers won six of last seven Verlander starts.
-- Bronx won six of last seven Pettitte home starts.
-- Baker is 5-1, 3.00 in his last seven starts.

Cold Pitchers
-- Sanchez is 12-4, 3.24 in 23 career starts, 17 of which were in 2006; this is his first start since early last season.
-- Hampton allowed six runs in four IP in his first start in almost three years Saturday. Pineiro has an 8.04 RA in last three starts.

-- Carmona allowed 15 runs in 4.1 IP in his last two starts.
-- Garland has a 9.20 RA in his last three starts, but Angels are 4-1 in his last five road outings.
-- Mariners lost seven of last nine Dickey starts. Harrison has a 11.37 RA in his last three starts.
-- Danks has a 7.64 RA in his last three starts; White Sox are 5-1 in his last six road outings.

Hot Teams
-- Cubs won their last four games, scoring 29 runs.
-- Rockies won nine of their last twelve games.
-- Cardinals won last three games, scoring 27 runs.
-- Phillies won their last three games, scoring 22 runs. Marlins won four of their last six games.
-- Arizona won seven of last nine games, is 27-13 vs NL West. Dodgers won nine of their last thirteen games.

-- Tigers won three of their last four games.
-- Angels won twelve of their last fourteen games.
-- Texas is 11-6 in its last seventeen home games.
-- Minnesota won four of its last five games. .

Cold Teams
-- Washington lost last eight games, scoring eight runs total in last six contests.
-- Atlanta is 4-11 in its last fifteen home games.
-- Brewers lost last four games, allowing 31 runs.

-- Indians lost six of their last eight games.
-- Bronx lost three of their last four games.
-- Mariners lost nine of their last eleven games.
-- White Sox lost three of their last four games.

Totals
-- Over is 10-2 in Milwaukee's last twelve home games.
-- Over is 7-2-1 in Colorado's last ten games.
-- Over is 6-0-1 in last seven Atlanta home games.
-- Over is 6-2 in Phillies' last eight games.
-- Under is 6-2-1 in Dodgers' last nine games.

-- Over is 14-7-1 in last twenty-two Cleveland games.
-- Under is 8-1 in last nine Pettitte starts.
-- Seven of last eight Texas games went over the total.
-- Over is 11-2-1 in last fourteen White Sox games.

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[pm530]

Major League Baseball – Trend Sheet

MLB


Thursday, July 31

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Trend Sheet
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12:05 PM DETROIT vs. CLEVELAND
Detroit is 3-6 SU in its last 9 games when playing on the road against Cleveland
Detroit is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Cleveland
Cleveland is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
Cleveland is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games at home


2:05 PM CHI CUBS vs. MILWAUKEE
Chi Cubs are 4-1 SU in their last 5 games
Chi Cubs are 4-1 SU in their last 5 games on the road
Milwaukee is 1-4 SU in their last 5 games when playing Chi Cubs
Milwaukee is 1-5 SU in their last 6 games when playing at home against Chi Cubs


7:05 PM LA ANGELS vs. NY YANKEES
LA Angels are 7-1 SU in their last 8 games
LA Angels are 7-1 SU in their last 8 games on the road
NY Yankees are 2-4 SU in their last 6 games when playing at home against LA Angels
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of NY Yankees's last 9 games when playing at home against LA Angels


7:10 PM COLORADO vs. FLORIDA
Colorado is 10-3 SU in its last 13 games
Colorado is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Florida is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Colorado
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Florida's last 5 games when playing Colorado


7:10 PM PHILADELPHIA vs. WASHINGTON
Philadelphia is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing Washington
Philadelphia is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Washington
Washington is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games
Washington is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games at home


7:10 PM ST. LOUIS vs. ATLANTA
St. Louis is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Atlanta
St. Louis is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Atlanta
Atlanta is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games
Atlanta is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games at home


8:05 PM SEATTLE vs. TEXAS
Seattle is 2-9 SU in its last 11 games
Seattle is 3-7 SU in its last 10 games on the road
Texas is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games when playing at home against Seattle
Texas is 7-2 SU in its last 9 games when playing Seattle


8:10 PM CHI WHITE SOX vs. MINNESOTA
Chi White Sox are 8-16 SU in their last 24 games on the road
Chi White Sox are 6-2 SU in their last 8 games when playing Minnesota
Minnesota is 5-1 SU in their last 6 games when playing at home against Chi White Sox
Minnesota is 2-6 SU in their last 8 games when playing Chi White Sox


10:10 PM ARIZONA vs. LA DODGERS
Arizona is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
Arizona is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games on the road
LA Dodgers are 5-1 SU in their last 6 games
LA Dodgers are 6-1 SU in their last 7 games at home

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[pm530]

Major League Baseball - Tips & Trends

MLB


We will update when projected scores are available.

Thursday, July 31

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Tips and Trends
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Chicago Cubs at Milwaukee Brewers [WGN | 2:05 PM ET]

Cubs (-145, O/U 7): In three starts with the Cubs, Rich Harden has been brilliant, allowing just two runs in 17.1 innings pitched. Unfortunately for Harden, he's 0-1 with two no-decisions in those three starts thanks to the Cubs giving him just two runs of support in his last two appearances. Harden is just 2-2 on the road this season, although he has a strong 2.94 ERA in six starts away from home. The UNDER is 2-1 in Harden's three starts with the Cubbies.

Cubs are 4-1 in the last 5 meetings.
The OVER is 7-2 in Chicago's last 9 games overall.

Key Injuries - Closer Kerry Wood (24 saves; finger) is on the 15-day DL.

PROJECTED SCORE: TBD

Brewers: Dave Bush has been pitching much better of late, allowing just one run in four of his last six starts. The Brewers have taken advantage of Bush's strong pitching recently, going 5-1 in those six games. Bush's hot streak could end tonight. He's just 1-6 with a 4.88 ERA in nine career starts versus the Cubs. The OVER is 5-2 in Bush's last seven starts. .

Brewers are 4-9 in their last 13 home games.
The OVER is 9-3 in Milwaukee's last 12 home games.

Key Injuries - NONE

PROJECTED SCORE: TBD



Los Angeles Angels at New York Yankees [YES | 7:05 ET]

Angels: Jon Garland takes the hill tonight for the Angels in hopes that he pitches much better than he has in his three most recent starts. In his last 14.2 innings of work, Garland has allowed 23 hits and 25 runs but the Angels are 2-1 over that span thanks to their red-hot hitting. Garland is 6-2 on the road this season, although his ERA is a less than impressive 4.58. The OVER has cashed in two of Garland's last three starts.

Angels are 13-3 in their last 16 games as an underdog.
Angels are 9-2 in their last 11 games following a win.

Key Injuries - NONE

PROJECTED SCORE: TBD

Yankees (-160, O/U 9.5): Andy Pettitte has arguably been the Yankees most consistent pitcher this season, going 7-2 with one no-decision in his last 10 starts. Pettitte has actually been more effective on the road than at home this season. He's just 5-4 with an ERA of 4.00 in 11 starts at Yankee Stadium. The UNDER has been a wise play with Pettitte on the hill. The UNDER is a strong 8-2 in his last 10 starts.

Yankees are 9-3 in their last 12 games overall.
The OVER is 5-0 in New York's last 5 games overall.

Key Injuries - C Jorge Posada (.268; shoulder) is OUT for the season.

PROJECTED SCORE: TBD



Chicago White Sox at Minnesota Twins [8:10 PM ET]

White Sox: John Danks takes to the hill tonight with an impressive streak of not recording a loss since May 24. However, while he's 2-0 with one no-decision over his last three starts, Danks has been roughed up pretty good. In 17.2 innings of work, Danks has allowed an alarming 15 runs. Danks has been hammered in six career starts versus the Twins, going 2-3 with a lofty 7.06 ERA.

White Sox are 2-11 in their last 12 games in field turf.
The UNDER is 17-7 in Chicago's last 24 games on field turf.

Key Injuries - 3B Joe Crede (.255; back) is on the 15-day DL.

PROJECTED SCORE: TBD

Twins (-130, O/U 8): Scott Baker has been stellar over his most recent 10-game stretch, allowing three runs or less nine times. Unfortunately for the Twins, they don't like to give Baker much run support so they are only 5-5 over that span. Baker has been worn out by the White Sox, sporting a 8.44 ERA. Not surprisingly, the UNDER has been a strong play with Baker on the mound, going 6-3-1 in his last 10 outings.

Twins are 20-6 in their last 26 home games.
Twins are 8-3 in the last 11 meetings at Minnesota.

Key Injuries - NONE

PROJECTED SCORE: TBD

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[pm530]

Major League Baseball – Streaking Pitchers

MLB

Thursday, July 31

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Streaking Starting Pitchers
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Thursday’s streaking and slumping pitchers

Streaking

Rich Harden, Chicago Cubs (0-1, 1.07 ERA)

The Cubs have to be feeling pretty good about their trade for Harden right about now. The Canadian right-hander has allowed just three earned runs in 17 1/3 innings since coming to the Windy City. He picked up 10 strikeouts in each of his three of his Cubs starts so far and he's allowed only eight hits.

Unfortunately for Chicago, that only translates to a 1-2 record but you'd have to think the wins will follow if he keeps pitching like this.

This marks Harden's second straight day start. He held the Marlins to just one run in five innings last time on the mound.

Derek Lowe, Los Angeles Dodgers (8-8, 3.74 ERA)

Lowe is coming off his best start of the season, a one-hit performance through eight innings in a 6-0 victory over the Nationals.

The win marked the fourth straight for Los Angeles with Lowe on the hill. Many bettors might shy away from Lowe on Thursday when he goes up against the Diamondbacks and Brandon Webb. However, Lowe and the Dodgers beat the D-backs just last week and the big righty should see some solid value here.



Slumping

Fausto Carmona, Cleveland Indians (4-3, 4.33 ERA)

Carmona's ERA has exploded to 12.34 over his past three games, all losses for the struggling Indians. The right-hander's latest two starts were the most troubling, when he allowed a combined 15 earned runs and was chased out of the game after the second inning each time.

The good news for him is that he pitches well against Detroit. He already has a win against the Tigers this year (11-1 on April 17) and has had quality starts in five of his last six starts against them.

Anibal Sanchez, Florida Marlins (0-0, 0.00 ERA)

Technically, it's hard to say Sanchez is slumping because this is his first start since May 2, 2007. But you can expect a little rust when he climbs the bump Thursday against the Rockies.

Sanchez missed a ton of time due to a shoulder injury that required surgery and he's finally able to give it another shot in the bigs. It will be interesting to see how his start plays out on Thursday, though. Sanchez is involved in a dispute with the Marlins over his salary from last season.

Prior to Sanchez's injury, he was demoted to the minors and now they'll be a hearing on Aug. 8 to determine whether he was entitled to receive a big-league salary while he was on the DL.

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[Udog]

MLB


Thursday, July 31

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Baseball Today
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SCOREBOARD

Thursday, July 31

Arizona at Los Angeles Dodgers (10:10 p.m. EDT). Arizona ace Brandon Webb (14-4) faces sinkerball specialist Derek Lowe (8-8).

STARS

Wednesday

- Chad Billingsley, Dodgers, pitched a five-hitter in a 4-0 victory over San Francisco for his first career shutout and Los Angeles' fourth in five games. The Dodgers have 10 shutouts this season, all at home.

- Garret Anderson, Angels, went 4-for-5 with a homer and four RBIs as Los Angeles beat Boston 9-2 to finish 8-1 against the Red Sox this season with victories in their final eight meetings.

- Ryan Dempster, Cubs, allowed one run and struck out nine in seven superb innings to lead Chicago past Milwaukee 7-2.

- Kelly Shoppach, Indians, tied a major league record with five extra-base hits, including a game-tying homer in the ninth, but Detroit beat Cleveland 14-12 in 13 innings. Shoppach had two homers and three doubles.

- Carlos Quentin, White Sox, homered and drove in four runs to help Chicago extend its AL Central lead over the Twins to 1 1/2 games with an 8-3 victory at Minnesota.

- Bobby Abreu, Yankees, hit two homers and scored four times in a 13-3 rout of Baltimore.


CATCHING ON

Ivan Rodriguez is ready for pinstripes. The 14-time All-Star catcher was traded from Detroit to the New York Yankees for hard-throwing reliever Kyle Farnsworth in a surprising deal that addressed obvious needs for both playoff contenders. The Yankees jumped at the chance to upgrade behind the plate on the same day catcher Jorge Posada had season-ending shoulder surgery. The 36-year-old Rodriguez, winner of 13 Gold Gloves, waived his no-trade clause to go to New York. Defensive whiz Jose Molina had been doing most of the catching for the Yankees. "Honestly, I was shocked by this, but that's baseball,'' said Rodriguez, in the option year of a $50 million contract he signed with the Tigers in February 2004. "Now, I'm just looking forward to playing for the Yankees and maybe I will play against Detroit again in the playoffs.''


AGELESS WONDER

Jamie Moyer won his third straight decision, pitching Philadelphia to an 8-5 victory at Washington that moved the Phillies back into first place in the NL East. The 45-year-old Moyer (10-6) earned his 240th career win, tying Frank Tanana for 12th place among left-handers in major league history.


UNFAMILIAR TERRITORY

Kansas City beat the Athletics 4-3 in 10 innings to complete its first three-game sweep in Oakland in 20 years. The Royals last swept the A's in a series in 1999 in Kansas City, but had not done so in Oakland since June 1988. The A's dropped to 2-10 since the All-Star break, the worst record in the majors, and fell under .500 (53-54) for the first time since April 6.


BACK ON THE MOUND

Chris Carpenter pitched four solid innings for St. Louis in a 7-2 victory at Atlanta, his first start since April 2007. The 2005 NL Cy Young Award winner spent the past year recovering from ligament replacement surgery on his right elbow. He allowed one run and five hits. He threw 67 pitches, striking out two and walking two.


SURGING

Aaron Cook (14-6) tossed seven innings in Colorado's 7-4 victory at Pittsburgh to tie for the major league lead in wins. The Rockies improved to 10-3 since the All-Star break. ... Dan Haren (11-5) pitched seven solid innings to win his third straight start and Arizona beat San Diego 7-3 for its seventh victory in nine games. Haren leads the NL with a 2.62 ERA.


SNAPPED

Mike Pelfrey (9-7) lost for the first time in eight decisions when he lasted only four innings for the New York Mets in a 7-5 loss at Florida. The right-hander's previous defeat also came against the Marlins, on May 26. ... Josh Johnson pitched 6 2-3 innings for Florida to earn his first win since Aug. 28, 2006. It was his fourth start since returning from reconstructive elbow surgery in August 2007. ... Adam Dunn homered twice, Ken Griffey Jr. added a three-run shot and Cincinnati ended an eight-game losing streak against Houston with a 9-5 victory. Edinson Volquez (13-4) helped the Reds stop their five-game skid overall.


SPEAKING

"He's hotter than doughnut grease.'' - Nick Swisher on Chicago White Sox teammate Carlos Quentin, who homered and drove in four runs during an 8-3 victory at Minnesota.


SEASONS

July 31

1930 - Lou Gehrig drove in eight runs with a grand slam and two doubles as the New York Yankees outlasted the Boston Red Sox 14-13.

1932 - Cleveland's Municipal Stadium opened and Lefty Grove and the Philadelphia A's beat the Indians 1-0 before 76,979 fans.

1934 - The St. Louis Cardinals defeated the Cincinnati Reds 8-6 in 18 innings at Cincinnati as Dizzy Dean and Tony Freitas both went the distance.

1954 - Joe Adcock hit four home runs and a double to lead the Milwaukee Braves to a 15-7 victory over the Brooklyn Dodgers. Adcock's 18 total bases is a major league record.

1961 - The All-Star game ended in a 1-1 tie at Fenway Park as heavy rain halted play.

1981 - The second baseball strike ended after 42 days.

1990 - Nolan Ryan, 43, won his 300th game, reaching the milestone in his second try, as the Texas Rangers beat the Milwaukee Brewers 11-3.

2002 - Mike Mussina became the second pitcher in major league history to give up six doubles in one inning, during the New York Yankees' 17-6 loss to Texas. Hall of Famer Lefty Grove allowed that many with Boston in 1934 against Washington.

2003 - John Smoltz broke his own record as the fastest pitcher to record 40 saves by pitching a scoreless ninth in Atlanta's 7-4 win over Houston. Last year, he got his 40th save on Aug. 8, en route to breaking the NL record with 55.

2006 - Orlando Hudson hit home runs from both sides of the plate, including his first career grand slam, as Arizona beat the Chicago Cubs 15-4.

2007 - The New York Yankees tied a franchise record by hitting eight home runs, including a pair by Hideki Matsui, in a 16-3 rout of the Chicago White Sox. New York last hit eight homers in a game in a doubleheader opener at the Philadelphia Athletics on June 28, 1939.

Today's birthday: Randy Flores 33.

[Udog]

MLB
Dunkel


Detroit at Cleveland
The Tigers came back from an 8-1 deficit against All-Star Cliff Lee last night and look to make it three straight over the Tribe today behind a 6-3 road mark when favored between -125 and -150. Detroit is the favorite (-135) according to Dunkel, which has the Tigers favored by 2. Dunkel Pick: Detroit (-135). Here are all of today's games.

THURSDAY, JULY 31

Game 951-952: Chicago Cubs at Milwaukee
Dunkel Ratings: Cubs (Harden) 14.679; Milwaukee (Bush) 14.824
Dunkel Line: Milwaukee by 1/2; 8 1/2
Vegas Line: Chicago Cubs (-145); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Milwaukee (+135); Over

Game 953-954: Colorado at Florida
Dunkel Ratings: Colorado (De La Rosa) 15.043; Florida (Sanchez) 15.988
Dunkel Line: Florida by 1; 11
Vegas Line: Colorado (-115); 10
Dunkel Pick: Florida (+105); Over

Game 955-956: St. Louis at Atlanta
Dunkel Ratings: St. Louis (Pineiro) 15.014; Atlanta (Hampton) 15.149
Dunkel Line: Atlanta by 1/2; 11
Vegas Line: St. Louis (-125); 10
Dunkel Pick: Atlanta (+115); Over

Game 957-958: Philadelphia at Washington
Dunkel Ratings: Philadelphia (Kendrick) 13.988; Washington (Lannan) 14.771
Dunkel Line: Washington by 1; 7 1/2
Vegas Line: Philadelphia (-120); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Washington (+110); Under

Game 959-960: Arizona at LA Dodgers
Dunkel Ratings: Arizona (Webb) 16.957; LA Dodgers (Lowe) 15.847
Dunkel Line: Arizona by 1; 5 1/2
Vegas Line: Arizona (-105); 6 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Arizona (-105); Under

Game 961-962: Detroit at Cleveland
Dunkel Ratings: Detroit (Verlander) 17.265; Cleveland (Carmona) 15.280
Dunkel Line: Detroit by 2; 10
Vegas Line: Detroit (-135); 9
Dunkel Pick: Detroit (-135); Over

Game 963-964: LA Angels at NY Yankees
Dunkel Ratings: LA Angels (Garland) 17.078; NY Yankees (Pettitte) 15.899
Dunkel Line: LA Angels by 1; 10
Vegas Line: NY Yankees (-155); 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: LA Angels (+145); Over

Game 965-966: Seattle at Texas
Dunkel Ratings: Seattle (Dickey) 15.257; Texas (Harrison) 16.335
Dunkel Line: Texas by 1; 13
Vegas Line: Texas (-155); 12
Dunkel Pick: Texas (-155); Over

Game 967-968: Chicago White Sox at Minnesota
Dunkel Ratings: White Sox (Danks) 16.444; Minnesota (Baker) 15.579
Dunkel Line: Chicago White Sox by 1; 8 1/2
Vegas Line: Minnesota (-140); 8
Dunkel Pick: Chicago White Sox (+130); Over

[pm530]

Major League Baseball – Hot lines

MLB


Thursday, July 31

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Hot lines: Today’s MLB bets
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Seattle at Texas (-150, 12)

Here’s the story on Seattle’s R.A. Dickey: when he starts, the Mariners lose. To be more precise, the M’s are 2-7 with the converted knuckleballer on the hill, which is bad, but with the most proficient offense in the major leagues waiting in the wings, this one could get really ugly.

Of course, the Rangers’ Matt Harrison hasn’t looked all that great in his four major league starts either, as evidenced by his 7.32 ERA, but the Mariners simply don’t have the firepower to take advantage of a weak starter like the Rangers do. The Mariners are ranked 27th in the major leagues with 427 runs this season, the Rangers have produced 605 runs.

Pick: Rangers


Arizona at L.A. Dodgers (-108, 6 ½)

The under has been the hot bet in the Dodgers’ recent games with five of their last six playing under the total. Three of those games were shutouts, including Derek Lowe’s last start, a 6-0 win. That – and L.A.’s unimpressive bats – goes a long way in explaining the lowest-of-the-low total set for this game.

Brandon Webb is the other reason oddsmakers decided on this number, but when six of eight meetings between these two clubs have played over, you really have to take a long, hard look at the over. And here’s another interesting stat: as dominant as Webb is, the over/under is 12-7 in his starts this season.

Pick: Over

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[pm530]

Major League Baseball - Short Sheet

MLB
Short Sheet


Thursday, July 31st

National League

Chicago Cubs at Milwaukee, 2:05 ET
Rich Harden (R) vs. Dave Bush (R)
Harden: CHC 51-26 as a favorite of -110 or higher
Bush: 13-27 TSR against NL Central

Colorado at Florida, 7:10 ET
Jorge De La Rosa (L) vs. Anibal Sanchez (R)
De La Rosa: COL 29-40 when the total is 8.5 to 10
Sanchez: FLA 49-34 when the total is 8.5 to 10

St. Louis at Atlanta, 7:10 ET
Joel Pineiro (R) vs. Mike Hampton (L)
Pineiro: STL 34-22 after 2+ consecutive overs
Hampton: ATL 3-9 at Home in July

Philadelphia at Washington, 7:10 ET
Kyle Kendrick (R) vs. John Lannan (L)
Kendrick: 14-4 TSR in night games
Lannan: WAS 6-18 playing with triple revenge

Arizona at LA Dodgers, 10:10 ET
Brandon Webb (R) vs. Derek Lowe (R)
Webb: 11-2 TSR Away vs. division
Lowe: Dodgers 2-9 at home on Thurs


American League

Detroit at Cleveland, 12:05 ET
Justin Verlander (R) vs. Fausto Carmona (L)
Verlander: 3-9 TSR vs. division
Carmona: 5-1 TSR, 2.81 ERA vs. White Sox

LA Angels at NY Yankees, 7:05 ET
Jon Garland (R) vs. Andy Pettitte (L)
Garland: Angels 16-3 Away after allowing 2 runs or less
Pettitte: 15-3 Under as a favorite

Seattle at Texas, 8:05 ET
R.A. Dickey (R) vs. Matt Harrison (L)
Dickey: Sea 15-6 Under off one runs loss
Harrison: Tex 13-3 Under off one run division win

Chicago White Sox at Minnesota, 8:10 ET
John Danks (L) vs. Scott Baker (R)
Danks: 8-2 TSR as an underdog
Baker: Min 30-15 Over off a loss

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