Announcement

**pm530** · 08-22-2008, 04:12 AM

Daily Sports Roundup

Friday, August 22

The New England Patriots will be back in preseason action on Friday night, as they play host to the Philadelphia Eagles at Gillette Stadium. Here's your Daily Sports Roundup…

Event of the day . . .

Here we go again with all the Tom Brady injury intrigue. The Patriots' quarterback reportedly has a foot, ankle, or leg injury that either needs rest or is of no concern at all. Don't expect any more details than those from the secretive New England front office, who always seem to manage to drum up a reason to put Brady on the injury report.

And don't expect much dedication to winning from the Patriots when they get a visit from the Eagles at Gillette Stadium on Friday night. New England, a team that does everything to win during the regular season, is already 0-2 so far during exhibition action. Philadelphia is 1-1 so far in the preseason, losing to the Steelers in their opener and then knocking off the Panthers last week.

Still, the oddsmakers opened the Patriots as 4-point home favorites for this contest (that line has since slipped a couple points, thanks to Brady's injury 'news'), with the total hovering around 37.5 points. Kickoff for the contest is set for 7:30pm ET.

Non-event of the day . . .

Colorado would need to go on quite a hot streak to even get a whiff of playoff contention over the next month, and the Rockies will be up against another NL also-ran on Friday night, the Reds. Cincinnati has already dealt both Ken Griffey Jr. and Adam Dunn this season, and their best possible result for 2008 is probably fifth place in the NL Central.

Also on the schedule . . .

There are three other National Football League games on tap for Friday: Tennessee at Atlanta, Houston at Dallas, and Green Bay at Denver. Each of the home teams has been hovering around a 3-point favorite (as usual) in those three exhibition contests.

In American League action, Mike Mussina (16-7, 3.35 ERA) will return to his old stomping grounds on Friday night when his Yankees play in Baltimore. Other AL games on Friday include Boston at Toronto, Cleveland at Texas, Detroit at Kansas City, Tampa Bay at the White Sox, Minnesota at the Angels, and also Oakland at Seattle.

Over in the National League there's a big pitcher's duel on tap for Friday, with Houston's Roy Oswalt (11-8, 4.28 ERA) taking on New York's Johan Santana (11-7, 2.75 ERA). In other action around the NL on Friday it's Washington at the Cubs, the Dodgers at Philadelphia, Pittsburgh at Milwaukee, Atlanta at St. Louis, Florida at Arizona, and finally San Diego at San Francisco.

As well, there is one Canadian Football League game on the schedule for Friday night, as Calgary travels to British Columbia. The Lions were opened as 2.5-point home favorites in that contest, while the game's total has been pegged at 58 points.

News from the wire . . .

The Patriots could give running back LaMont Jordan more work on Friday night, as he didn't have a carry in the team's second exhibition contest against the Bucs last week . . . Mets outfielder Ryan Church might be able to return to the lineup next week, as he's been feeling no ill effects from his concussion in minor league rehab games . . . the Sixers have officially announced guard Andre Iguodala's six-year, $80 million deal.

Peek at the future . . .

The drivers of the Sprint Cup Series will compete in the Sharpie 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway under the lights on Saturday night . . . the drivers of Formula One will return to the track on Sunday as they take part in the European Grand Prix in Spain . . . the bronze medal game at the Olympic men's basketball tournament will be played at 12:00am ET on Sunday, with the gold medal contest getting underway at 2:30am ET.

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**pm530** · 08-22-2008, 04:13 AM

Six-pack for Friday

-- The great Brandon Webb blanked San Diego for seven innings as Arizona kept pace with LA, beating Padres 4-1.

-- Braves' LF Infante lost a line drive in lights on last play of game, as Mets continued to dominate weaker foes, beating Atlanta 5-4, sweeping their mid-week series.

-- Nationals ended 12-game skid by upsetting Phillies 4-3.

-- Blue Jays got 21 hits, pounding another nail into coffin of Bronx Bombers, squashing overpaid underachievers, 14-3.

-- Twins scored in 12th to beat Angels 2-1 in game that had playoff-style tension. Spunky Minnesota won't go away.

-- In Olympic volleyball, they play best-of-5 games, with first four games being to 25, but fifth only to 15. Why is that?

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**pm530** · 08-22-2008, 04:13 AM

Friday's List of 13: In a perfect world, where I made decisions

13) Olympic basketball and NBA would play by same rules; 48 minute game, any defense is allowed, 22-9 three-point line, six fouls and you're out. Seems like a simple thing to agree on.

12) Female beach volleyball players would wear more clothes during their matches. Thats right; more, not less.

11) NFL teams would play two and only two preseason games, and all the tickets for those games would cost $20 apiece.

10) Major league baseball would realign geographically, which would make scheduling easier, travel cheaper.

9) There would NHL teams in Winnipeg, Quebec City and even in Saskatoon and Hamilton. Not so much in Nashville, Raleigh, Long Island or Los Angeles.

8) Larry Brown would retire, and for good.

7) There would be a Steak 'n Shake in every American city.

6) The decathlon would get more publicity at the Olympics.

5) Tony Kornheiser would never be heard on ESPN again.

4) Notre Dame wouldn't be allowed in BCS unless they joined a conference and shared their TV money with other schools.

3) David Stern would make sure Seattle always had NBA team; for the last 41 years, they've shown they deserve it.

2) Rookies wouldn't make more money than veterans.

1) NFL Sunday Ticket would be available to every American; for the crazy taxes we pay, its the least our leaders could do.

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**pm530** · 08-22-2008, 04:15 AM

Canadian Football League – Long Sheet

CFL
Long Sheet

Week 9

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Friday, August 22
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CALGARY (4 - 3) at BRITISH COLUMBIA (4 - 3) - 8/22/2008, 10:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
BRITISH COLUMBIA is 43-26 ATS (+14.4 Units) when playing on a Friday since 1996.
BRITISH COLUMBIA is 31-16 ATS (+13.4 Units) in August games since 1996.
BRITISH COLUMBIA is 37-18 ATS (+17.2 Units) in weeks 5 through 9 since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
BRITISH COLUMBIA is 5-3 against the spread versus CALGARY over the last 3 seasons
BRITISH COLUMBIA is 5-2 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** · 08-22-2008, 04:16 AM

Canadian Football League – Write up

CFL
Write-up

Week 9 CFL games

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Teams this week are coming off a bye week.

Friday, August 22

Calgary (4-3) @ BC Lions (4-3)-- Lions lost 28-18 at McMahon in Week 1 (-3), getting outrushed 197-65, turning ball over three times. Stamps are 2-2 on road after upsetting Roughriders last week at Taylor Field. BC won last three home games after they lost home opener to Riders. Over is 4-1 in last five Lion games, 3-1 in last four Calgary contests. All four teams in west are over .500; so much for geographic balance.

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**pm530** · 08-22-2008, 04:16 AM

Canadian Football League – Additional Trends

CFL

Week 9

Trend Sheet

Friday, August 22

10:30 PM CALGARY vs. BRITISH COLUMBIA
Calgary is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games when playing on the road against British Columbia
Calgary is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against British Columbia
British Columbia is 1-5-1 ATS in its last 7 games at home
British Columbia is 18-4 SU in its last 22 games at home

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**pm530** · 08-22-2008, 04:18 AM

Canadian Football League – Preview and Predictions

CFL
Preview and Predictions

CFL games – Week 9

Friday, August 22

Calgary Stampeders (4-3) at British Columbia Lions (4-3) (British Columbia by 2.5)

Again, these two teams are coming off a bye week. In Week 7, the Stampeders won 30-25 against Saskatchewan while the Lions won against the Eskimos, 40-34. Both teams can score a lots of points but Calgary has shown great skills on the defensive side of the game, allowing only 23,71 points per game. Calgary has more passing and rushing yards than B.C., they give up less turnovers and are better stopping the run. This will be the return of Dave Dickenson at B.C. Place since he left the Lions and joined the Stampeders as a backup quarterback to Henry Burris who completed 22-of-33 attempts for 214 yards and one touchdown in Week 7. Running Back Joffrey Reynolds will also be an offensive threat for the Stampeders. Against the Roughriders, he ran for 128 yards off 24 carries with a touchdown. After a 0-2 start, the Lions, who finished first in the West four years in a row, won four of their last five games. Over the last few years, the Lions have been very tough to beat in the second half of the season. This should be a great game, but expect the Lions to prevail.

Pick: Lions

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**pm530** · 08-22-2008, 04:18 AM

Canadian Football League – ATS Previews

CFL
ATS Previews

CFL ATS Previews Week 9

The OVER/UNDER record on the season is 34-26-0 for 56% and you will have noticed in the Stamps vs. Lions game the bookmakers have made their adjustments to this total, which will discourage the public from betting the OVER in this matchup. However, it’s been an explosive season for the offenses and it might take a few more weeks to get those UNDERS tickets to start cashing.

Here are the CFL previews for Week 9. Enjoy!

Friday, August 22

Calgary (58) vs. BC Lions (-3)

Stampeders vs. Lions History: The Calgary Stampeders are 9-8-1 (ATS), 5-13 SU and the O/U is 8-10-0 vs. the Lions at BC Place since 1996.

Comment: Great Wendy’s Friday night matchup this week on TSN in Canada; the Calgary Stampeders travel to BC Place in Vancouver to face the BC Lions. The Stamps and Lions are both coming off their bye week and it’s a dangerous spot for both teams, as both the Stamps are Lions are coming off big wins prior to the Bye week. Calgary won as a road underdog in Saskatchewan 30-25, while the Lions went to 4-3 on the season beating the Edmonton Eskimos who were enjoying a 2-game winning streak at the time. In fact, prior to their tilt with the Leo’s, Edmonton was unbeaten ATS in their last 5 games. Calgary has a great offense with Henry Burris as their field general, keep in mind Dave Dickenson is returning as a back up in BC since leaving the team in the offseason, so there’s always a chance Dickenson can come into the game and give the Stamps a shot in the arm if needed. The Stamps are averaging 29.14 (PF) a game, while their defense has been the main surprise, giving up only 23.71 points per game. However, the Stamps are in a bad betting spot, they are only 2-10 SU as a Road Underdog vs. a division foe, while the total is 54.5 or higher. Plus, don’t forget the big Labor Day classic on deck for Calgary, as they have the Eskimos in Week 10 in the nationally televised game where the whole country is paying attention to this main event. As for the Lions, they have seen their last 3 games go OVER the posted total in their last 3 matches and that’s why you’ve seen the line makers have made their adjustments with a high total for this contest. During the last 3 season, it seems Wally Buono’s teams seem to kick it up a notch after Week 8, as they are 13-3 SU as a Home Team during the month of August between Week 8 to 12. To dig a bit deeper into this statistic, the BC Lions are 10-1-1 SU the last 3 years during Week 8 to 12, so look for the Leo’s to maybe stick to this trend. The warning shot for the Lions is their next game, as they might be looking ahead subconsciously with the surging Montreal Alouettes on deck who are making some noise now in the Eastern Division.

ATS Calculator Forecast: The ATS Calculator has Calgary winning by 3.89 points and the O/U to land on 56.12 points.

ATS Database Stat of the Game: When ANY CFL team played as Road team as a Underdog -Playing on Friday -Total is 54.5 or more - Coming off a 1 ATS; The UNDER is 12-3-1 for the Road Dog (Calgary) in this situation since 1996.

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**pm530** · 08-22-2008, 04:19 AM

National Football League – Long Sheet

NFL
Pre-Season

Long Sheet

Note: Limited trends are listed. There may be updates prior to play date.

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Friday, August 22
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PHILADELPHIA (1 - 1) at NEW ENGLAND (0 - 2) - 8/22/2008, 7:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
PHILADELPHIA is 9-21 ATS (-14.1 Units) in games where the line is +3 to -3 since 1993.
NEW ENGLAND is 18-6 ATS (+11.4 Units) against NFC East division opponents since 1993.
NEW ENGLAND is 18-7 ATS (+10.3 Units) in home games in non-conference games since 1993.

Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.

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TENNESSEE (2 - 0) at ATLANTA (0 - 2) - 8/22/2008, 7:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
TENNESSEE is 18-7 ATS (+10.3 Units) in games where the line is +3 to -3 since 1993.
TENNESSEE is 14-4 ATS (+9.6 Units) as an underdog since 1993.
TENNESSEE is 16-5 ATS (+10.5 Units) in road games since 1993.
TENNESSEE is 16-5 ATS (+10.5 Units) in road lined games since 1993.
TENNESSEE is 10-1 ATS (+8.9 Units) in games played on turf since 1993.
TENNESSEE is 15-5 ATS (+9.5 Units) in road games in August games since 1993.

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

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HOUSTON (2 - 0) at DALLAS (0 - 2) - 8/22/2008, 8:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
DALLAS is 11-33 ATS (-25.3 Units) in all games where the total is between 35.5 and 42 points since 1993.

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

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GREEN BAY (0 - 2) at DENVER (1 - 1) - 8/22/2008, 9:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
DENVER is 31-16 ATS (+13.4 Units) in non-conference games since 1993.

Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.

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Saturday, August 23
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CLEVELAND (0 - 2) at DETROIT (2 - 0) - 8/23/2008, 4:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

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

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NY GIANTS (1 - 1) at NY JETS (1 - 1) - 8/23/2008, 7:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
NY JETS is 1-1 against the spread versus NY GIANTS over the last 3 seasons
NY JETS is 1-1 straight up against NY GIANTS over the last 3 seasons
2 of 2 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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WASHINGTON (3 - 0) at CAROLINA (1 - 1) - 8/23/2008, 7:30 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.

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NEW ORLEANS (1 - 1) at CINCINNATI (1 - 1) - 8/23/2008, 7:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NEW ORLEANS is 23-10 ATS (+12.0 Units) in road games since 1993.
NEW ORLEANS is 23-10 ATS (+12.0 Units) in road lined games since 1993.
NEW ORLEANS is 15-5 ATS (+9.5 Units) in road games when playing with 6 or less days rest since 1993.

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

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JACKSONVILLE (1 - 1) at TAMPA BAY (2 - 0) - 8/23/2008, 7:30 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

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

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KANSAS CITY (1 - 1) at MIAMI (1 - 1) - 8/23/2008, 7:30 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

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

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PITTSBURGH (1 - 1) at MINNESOTA (1 - 1) - 8/23/2008, 8:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

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

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BALTIMORE (1 - 1) at ST LOUIS (1 - 1) - 8/23/2008, 8:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
ST LOUIS is 3-14 ATS (-12.4 Units) when playing on a Saturday since 1993.
ST LOUIS is 1-8 ATS (-7.8 Units) in non-conference games over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.

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ARIZONA (1 - 1) at OAKLAND (1 - 1) - 8/23/2008, 9:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

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

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Sunday, August 24
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BUFFALO (1 - 1) at INDIANAPOLIS (1 - 2) - 8/24/2008, 8:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
BUFFALO is 6-0 ATS (+6.0 Units) as an underdog over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.

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Monday, August 25
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SEATTLE (2 - 0) at SAN DIEGO (1 - 1) - 8/25/2008, 8:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

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

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**pm530** · 08-22-2008, 04:20 AM

National Football League – Short Sheet

NFL
Pre-Season

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Short Sheet
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Friday, August 22nd

Philadelphia at New England, 7:30 ET
Philadelphia: 9-21 ATS when the line is +3 to -3
New England: 18-7 ATS at home vs. NFC

Tennessee at Atlanta, 7:30 ET
Tennessee: 8-0 Over Away off ATS loss
Atlanta: 8-0 ATS after a game with a turnover margin of -3 or worse

Houston at Dallas, 8:00 ET CBS
Houston: 6-0 Over in all games L2 seasons
Dallas: 16-32 ATS off non-conference game

Green Bay at Denver, 9:00 ET
Green Bay: 1-5 ATS as an underdog
Denver: 31-16 ATS vs. NFC

Saturday, August 23rd

Cleveland at Detroit, 4:00 ET NFL
Cleveland: 5-1 ATS after a loss by 3 or less points
Detroit: 3-10 ATS as a home favorite of 3 points or less

NY Giants at NY Jets, 7:00 ET
NY Giants: 8-21 ATS last two weeks of the preseason
NY Jets: 12-3 ATS vs. Giants

Washington at Carolina, 7:30 ET
Washington: 6-1 Under off SU win as road underdog
Carolina: 12-4 ATS vs. NFC

New Orleans at Cincinnati, 7:30 ET
New Orleans: 23-10 ATS in road games
Cincinnati: 0-6 ATS vs. NFC South

Jacksonville at Tampa Bay, 7:30 ET
Jacksonville: 7-0 Over off BB ATS losses
Tampa Bay: 5-1 ATS when the line is +3 to -3

Kansas City at Miami, 7:30 ET
Kansas City: 1-5 ATS off a SU/ATS loss
Miami: 5-1 Under playing with 6 or less days rest

Pittsburgh at Minnesota, 8:00 ET CBS
Pittsburgh: 9-1 Under vs. NFC
Minnesota: 5-0 ATS playing with 6 or less days rest

Baltimore at St. Louis, 8:00 ET
Baltimore: 13-4 Under off an Over
St. Louis: 4-18 ATS off home game

Arizona at Oakland, 9:00 ET
Arizona: 0-3 ATS off ATS win
Oakland: 5-0 ATS as favorite

Sunday, August 24th

Buffalo at Indianapolis, 8:00 ET NFL
Buffalo: 6-0 ATS as an underdog
Indianapolis: 3-0 Over as favorite

Monday, August 25th

Seattle at San Diego, 8:00 ET ESPN
Seattle: 6-0 Over as an underdog
San Diego: 17-6 Over off Under

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**pm530** · 08-22-2008, 06:09 AM

Baseball Today

MLB

Friday, August 22

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Baseball Today
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SCOREBOARD

Friday, Aug. 22

Tampa Bay at Chicago White Sox (8:11 p.m. EDT). The AL East-leading Rays travel to the Windy City to take on the Central-leading White Sox.

STARS

Thursday

- Grady Sizemore, Indians, drove in seven runs with a three-run triple in the second, a run-scoring single in the sixth and a three-run homer in the eighth in a 10-3 victory over Kansas City.

- Brandon Webb, Diamondbacks, pitched seven shutout innings for his career-high and major league-leading 19th victory in Arizona's 4-1 win over San Diego.

- Cliff Lee, Indians, earned his AL-best 18th victory and seventh straight decision in a 10-3 win over Kansas City.

- Roy Halladay, Blue Jays, improved to 13-5 in 30 career games against the New York Yankees and helped Toronto to a 14-3 rout.

- Carlos Delgado, Mets, tied his career high with five hits, the last a run-scoring single in the bottom of the ninth that gave New York a 5-4 win over Atlanta.

- Carlos Zambrano, Cubs, earned his 13th victory on the fourth try and hit his fourth homer of the season to lift Chicago to a 3-2 victory against Cincinnati.

NATIONAL GAINS

Austin Kearns hit a tiebreaking RBI single in the eighth inning and the Washington Nationals snapped a 12-game losing streak with a 4-3 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies on Thursday night. Washington (45-83) still owns the worst record in the majors.

PIRATE SAILS

Utilityman Jose Bautista was acquired by the Toronto Blue Jays from the Pittsburgh Pirates on Thursday for a player to be named. The 27-year-old hit .242 with 12 homers and 44 RBIs in 107 games for Pittsburgh this season, then was demoted to Triple-A this month.

SMACKING ZAMBRANO

Chicago Cubs pitcher Carlos Zambrano hit his fourth homer of the season - and the fifth of his career against the Reds. Zambrano also earned his 15th victory of the season in Chicago's 3-2 win Thursday.

UPON FURTHER REVIEW

Before the end of the regular season, Major League Baseball will start allowing umpires to review video to determine boundary calls on home runs, such as whether they cleared fences or went by the foul pole in fair territory.

STREAKING OUT WEST

The Dodgers' 3-1 win Thursday over Colorado helped Los Angeles go 7-3 on a 10-game homestand and kept the team two games behind NL West-leading Arizona. The loss snapped a five-game winning streak for the Rockies, who scored 36 runs in three wins in Washington and two more at Dodger Stadium. It also ended Colorado's four-game winning streak against the Dodgers.

GIANT GAINS

Four days after Emmanuel Burriss' costly baserunning gaffe, the San Francisco Giants' rookie made an aggressive play pay off. Burriss moved from second base to third on a routine fly ball to left, then scored the winning run on a wild pitch in the bottom of the ninth inning to give the San Francisco Giants a 4-3 victory over the Florida Marlins 4-3 on Thursday. San Francisco (55-72) won for the fourth time in five games and improved to 19-13 against the NL East, the only division the Giants have a winning record against this season.

YOUNG GUNS

Greg Smith allowed four hits in six innings for his first win since June, and fellow rookie Brad Ziegler got out of a bases loaded jam in the bottom of the ninth in the Oakland Athletics' 2-0 win over the Seattle Mariners on Thursday night. Smith (6-12), one of the 10 rookies on Oakland's current roster, is 1-0 with 12 scoreless innings in two starts against the Mariners. He's 5-12 with a 4.08 ERA against everyone else. He had six consecutive losses from June 30. Ziegler has allowed two runs in 44 innings this year, a 0.41 ERA. The lowest season ERA with a minimum of 30 innings in major league history is 0.38, by Boston's Buck O'Brien in 1911.

ROYAL BLUE

Kansas City outfielder Mitch Maier's right eye was swollen shut and his nose still bleeding Thursday, less than 24 hours after being hit in the face with a pitch. The Royals placed Maier on the 15-day disabled list with multiple facial fractures. Maier was hit by a pitch from Cleveland left-hander Zach Jackson in the fifth inning of Kansas City's 8-5 loss Wednesday.

PITCHING PAVANO

Carl Pavano will return to the New York Yankees and start for the team on Saturday at Baltimore. The 32-year-old right-hander signed a $39.95 million, four-year contract with the Yankees before the 2005 season but injuries to his shoulder, back, buttocks, elbow and ribs have limited him to only 19 appearances for New York, just two since June 27, 2005. He is 5-6 for the Yankees.

SPEAKING

"I expect to catch that ball. I've got to catch that. I'd been playing Punto to pull all night, and he hit it right where I was supposed to be. If it hits your glove, you've got to catch that. I make those plays nine out of 10 times.'' - Los Angeles Angels center fielder Torii Hunter, who couldn't corral a triple hit by Minnesota's Nick Punto, leading to the winning run in the Twins' 2-1 victory Thursday night.

SEASONS

Aug. 22

1886 - Cincinnati outfielder Abner Powell was literally brought down by the dog days of summer. Chicken Wolf of the Louisville Colonels hit a deep drive and Powell took off after it, joined by a dog that had been sleeping by the fence. The dog bit Powell's leg before the outfielder could get to the ball and wouldn't let go as Wolf scored on a game-winning inside-the-park homer.

1917 - Pittsburgh's Carson Bigbee set a major league record - since tied - with 11 at-bats in a 22-inning game against Brooklyn. Pirate Elmer Jacobs pitched 16 2-3 innings in relief. The game was also the fourth consecutive extra-inning game by the Pirates for a total of 59 innings, a National League record.

1934 - Pitcher Wes Ferrell hit two home runs to give the Boston Red Sox a 3-2 triumph over the Chicago White Sox in 12 innings. Trailing 2-1, Ferrell hit a home run in the eighth inning to tie the score and with two out in the 12th, Ferrell connected again for the game-winner.

1959 - Cincinnati's Frank Robinson hit three consecutive homers in an 11-4 win over St. Louis.

1961 - Roger Maris, en route to his 61-home run season, became the first player to hit his 50th homer in August. He connected off California pitcher Ken McBride in a 4-3 loss to the Angels.

1965 - In the third inning of a game against Los Angeles, pitcher Juan Marichal of the San Francisco Giants hit catcher John Roseboro of the Dodgers in the head with his bat. A 14-minute brawl ensued and Roseboro suffered cuts on the head. Marichal thought Roseboro threw too close to his head when returning the ball to Sandy Koufax.

1984 - New York Mets 19-year-old right-hander Dwight Gooden fanned nine San Diego Padres to become the 11th rookie to strike out 200 batters in one season.

1989 - Nolan Ryan of the Texas Rangers became the first pitcher to strike out 5,000 batters. Ryan struck out 13, walked two and allowed only five hits in a 2-0 loss to Oakland. Ryan began the night needing six strikeouts and fanned Rickey Henderson swinging, leading off the fifth inning, for the record.

1998 - Mark McGwire set a major league record for most home runs in three consecutive seasons, connecting for his 52nd homer of 1998 in the first inning of the St. Louis Cardinals' 14-4 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates. McGwire with 162 homers in three seasons, including 52 in 1996 and 58 in 1997 passed Babe Ruth who had 161 from 1926-28.

1999 - Mark McGwire became the first player to hit 50 homers in four consecutive seasons, hitting Nos. 49 and 50 in the first game of a doubleheader against the New York Mets.

2000 - Colorado tied an NL record by using 10 pitchers in a 7-6, 12-inning win over Atlanta. Catcher Brent Mayne worked a scoreless 12th inning to become the first position player to win a game since the Yankees' Rocky Colavito on Aug. 25, 1968.

2006 - Nick Markakis homered in his first three at-bats to lead Baltimore to a 6-3 victory over Minnesota.

2007 - The Texas Rangers became the first team in 110 years to score 30 runs in a game, setting an American League record in a 30-3 rout of the Baltimore Orioles in the first game of a doubleheader. It was the ninth time a major league team scored 30 runs, the first since the Chicago Colts set the major league mark in a 36-7 rout of Louisville in a National League game on June 28, 1897. Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Ramon Vazquez each homered twice and finished with seven RBIs. The 30 RBIs set a major league record. Texas also won the nightcap 9-7.

Today's birthdays: Randy Wolf 32; Jeff Weaver 32; Carl Yastrzemski 69.

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**pm530** · 08-22-2008, 06:10 AM

Major League Baseball – Trend Sheet

MLB

Friday, August 22

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Trend Sheet
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2:20 PM WASHINGTON vs. CHI CUBS
Washington is 3-7 SU in their last 10 games when playing Chi Cubs
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Washington's last 5 games when playing Chi Cubs
Chi Cubs are 6-2 SU in their last 8 games at home
Chi Cubs are 8-2 SU in their last 10 games

7:05 PM LA DODGERS vs. PHILADELPHIA
LA Dodgers are 6-2 SU in their last 8 games when playing on the road against Philadelphia
LA Dodgers are 8-16 SU in their last 24 games when playing on the road against Philadelphia
Philadelphia is 0-5 SU in their last 5 games when playing LA Dodgers
Philadelphia is 16-8 SU in their last 24 games when playing at home against LA Dodgers

7:05 PM NY YANKEES vs. BALTIMORE
NY Yankees are 2-4 SU in their last 6 games when playing Baltimore
The total has gone OVER in 4 of NY Yankees's last 5 games when playing Baltimore
Baltimore is 4-8 SU in its last 12 games at home
Baltimore is 4-2 SU in their last 6 games when playing NY Yankees

7:07 PM BOSTON vs. TORONTO
Boston is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Toronto
Boston is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games
Toronto is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Boston
Toronto is 10-2 SU in its last 12 games when playing Boston

7:10 PM HOUSTON vs. NY METS
Houston is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Houston's last 9 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 17 of NY Mets's last 25 games when playing Houston
NY Mets are 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Houston

8:05 PM CLEVELAND vs. TEXAS
Cleveland is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
Cleveland is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Texas's last 5 games when playing Cleveland
Texas is 3-7 SU in its last 10 games when playing at home against Cleveland

8:05 PM PITTSBURGH vs. MILWAUKEE
Pittsburgh is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing Milwaukee
Pittsburgh is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games
Milwaukee is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games at home
Milwaukee is 11-4 SU in its last 15 games

8:10 PM DETROIT vs. KANSAS CITY
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Detroit's last 6 games
Detroit is 3-7 SU in its last 10 games on the road
Kansas City is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games when playing Detroit
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Kansas City's last 8 games when playing Detroit

8:11 PM TAMPA BAY vs. CHI WHITE SOX
Tampa Bay is 4-2 SU in their last 6 games when playing Chi White Sox
Tampa Bay is 4-8 SU in their last 12 games when playing Chi White Sox
Chi White Sox are 5-0 SU in their last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Chi White Sox's last 7 games

8:15 PM ATLANTA vs. ST. LOUIS
Atlanta is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing St. Louis
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Atlanta's last 5 games when playing St. Louis
St. Louis is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games
St. Louis is 4-8 SU in its last 12 games at home

9:05 PM CINCINNATI vs. COLORADO
Cincinnati is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Colorado
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Cincinnati's last 9 games when playing Colorado
Colorado is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
Colorado is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games at home

9:40 PM FLORIDA vs. ARIZONA
Florida is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Florida is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games
Arizona is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Florida
The total has gone OVER in 9 of Arizona's last 12 games when playing at home against Florida

10:05 PM MINNESOTA vs. LA ANGELS
Minnesota is 2-7 SU in their last 9 games when playing LA Angels
Minnesota is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games on the road
LA Angels are 9-3 SU in their last 12 games when playing at home against Minnesota
LA Angels are 1-4 SU in their last 5 games

10:10 PM OAKLAND vs. SEATTLE
Oakland is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Seattle
Oakland is 5-18 SU in its last 23 games
Seattle is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing Oakland
Seattle is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Oakland

10:15 PM SAN DIEGO vs. SAN FRANCISCO
San Diego is 3-7 SU in its last 10 games when playing San Francisco
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of San Diego's last 5 games when playing San Francisco
San Francisco is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home
San Francisco is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games

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**pm530** · 08-22-2008, 06:11 AM

Major League Baseball - Tips & Trends

MLB

We will update when projected scores are available.

Friday, August 22

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Tips and Trends
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Houston Astros at New York Mets [7:10 PM ET]

Astros: After a slow start to the season, Roy Oswalt has found his grove. Oswalt is 6-2 with two no-decisions in his last 10 starts and the Astros have won five consecutive games with him on the mound. Oswalt has been particularly nasty in his last three starts, allowing just four runs in 22 innings of work. In his career versus the Mets, Oswalt is 5-4 with a 3.71 ERA. Even though he’s been on fire of late, the OVER is 4-1-1 in Oswalt’s last six starts.

Astros are 10-4 in their last 14 games overall.
The UNDER is 9-4 in Houston's last 13 Friday games.

Key Injuries - 2B Kaz Matsui (.285; back) is on the 15-day DL.
OF Carlos Lee (.314; finger) is on the 15-day DL.

PROJECTED SCORE: TBD

Mets (-210, O/U 7.5): Johan Santana hasn’t always received a lot of run support this season but the Mets have gotten their money’s worth out of the former CY Young Award winner. Santana hasn’t dropped a game since June 28, a tough 3-2 loss to the Yankees. In his last 10 starts, Santana has given up more than three runs only once. Santana has been tough at Shea, where he’s 5-3 with a strong 2.41 ERA this season. However, his last three home starts have all gone OVER the total.

Mets are 9-1 in their last 10 games overall.
The UNDER is 8-3 in the last 11 meetings at New York.

Key Injuries - NONE

PROJECTED SCORE: TBD

Tampa Bay Rays at Chicago White Sox [8:10 PM ET]

Rays: After winning four consecutive starts, Edwin Jackson lost his last outing against Texas but it was far from his fault. Jackson took the loss despite holding the Rangers to just one run over six innings. In his last 25.2 innings of work, Jackson has only given up a total of nine runs. Jackson hasn’t had any success against the White Sox over his career. In three starts he’s 0-2 with a 7.71 ERA. The UNDER is 5-1 in Jackson’s last six road starts.

Rays are 16-5 in their last 21 games overall.
The UNDER is 20-7 in Tampa Bay's last 27 road games.

Key Injuries - 3B Evan Longoria (.278; wrist) is on the 15-day DL.
OF Carl Crawford (.273; hand) is OUT for the season.

PROJECTED SCORE: TBD

White Sox (-165, O/U 9): John Danks is coming off an impressive performance versus Oakland, getting the win after allowing just one run in six innings of work. In his last three starts, Danks has given up just four runs in 19.2 innings pitched. He’s actually been better on the road than at home, where he’s just 4-4 on the season. However, Danks owns Tampa, going 3-0 with an impressive 2.50 ERA against the Rays. After the OVER had cashed in four straight outings with Danks on the mound, the UNDER is now 3-0 in his last three starts.

White Sox are 40-13 in their last 53 home games.
White Sox are 8-2 in the last 10 meetings at Chicago.

Key Injuries - White Sox DH Jim Thome (.251; leg) is probable.

PROJECTED SCORE: TBA

Minnesota Twins at Los Angeles Angels [10:05 PM ET]

Twins: Despite not pitching great, Glen Perkins has won his last two starts and three of his last four. During that span Perkins has allowed 13 runs over 26.1 innings. Perkins has allowed four runs or more in four of his last five starts but the Twins are 3-2 thanks to an offense that has provided him with strong run support all season. Perkins is 3-1 in seven starts on the road, although his ERA is 4.60. The OVER is 3-1 the last four times Perkins has taken the mound.

Twins are 13-3 in their last 16 Friday games.
Twins are 9-3 in Perkins' last 12 starts.

Key Injuries - SS Adam Everett (.211; hand) is questionable.

PROJECTED SCORE: TBD

Angels (-170, O/U 8.5): Joe Saunders has received three no-decisions in a row but he’s pitched pretty well in those games, giving up seven runs over 18 innings of work. The Angels lost to the Indians in Saunders last start but before that the team had won five consecutive games with him on the mound. Saunders has baffled the Twins both times he’s faced them in his career, going 2-0 with a minuscule 1.20 ERA. In his last 10 starts, the UNDER has a slight 6-4 advantage.

Angles are 21-9 in their last 30 games on grass.
Angels are 7-2 in the last 9 meetings.

Key Injuries - 3B Maicer Izturis (.269; thumb) is OUT for the season.

PROJECTED SCORE: TBD

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**pm530** · 08-22-2008, 06:11 AM

Major League Baseball – Streaking Pitchers

MLB

Friday, August 22

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Streaking Starting Pitchers
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Friday’s streaking and slumping pitchers

Streaking

Shaun Marcum, Toronto Blue Jays (8-5. 3.36)

Marcum is 3-0 with a 2.00 ERA in his last three starts and has not surrendered more than two earned runs in each of those starts.

Marcum, who missed time with an elbow injury early, has relinquished just 16 hits in his last three starts. He also has 14 strikeouts against seven walks in that stretch.

The Blue Jays are 5-0 in Marcum's last five against the Boston Red Sox and are 10-2 in their last 12 overall against the Red Sox.

Dave Bush, Milwaukee Brewers (7-9, 4.26)

Bush, who had just two wins in his first 10 starts, is 2-0 and has a solid 1.77 ERA in his last three outings.

In his last home start, a triumph over the Washington Nationals, Bush surrendered one earned run in six IP. He is also 3-1 in his last six at home and has relinquished more than two ERs just twice in each of his last six starts at Miller Park.

The Brewers are 7-0 in Bush's last seven starts against a team with a losing record and are 5-1 in their last six against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Slumping

Brian Bannister, Kansas City Royals (7-12, 5.96)

Bannister, who is winless in his last nine, is 0-3 in his last three with a 12.75 ERA. He has also relinquished 17 earned runs and six homers in his last eight IP.

Bannister is 5-5 at home and has a 3.72 ERA. In his last home start, a setback to the Boston Red Sox, he surrendered three earned runs on six hits in four innings. He is 0-3 in his last four starts at Kauffman Stadium.

The Royals are 6-18 in their last 24 home games against the Detroit Tigers.

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Announcement

Friday Trends and Indexes 8/22

Friday Trends and Indexes 8/22

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