Friday Trends and Indexes 9/19 (MLB, CFL, WNBA)

[pm530]

Trends and Indexes
Friday September 19

Good Luck on day #263 of 2008!

NOTE: NCAAF NFL

For COLLEGE FOOTBALL and the NFL, see separate threads:

• “NCAAF Week 4 Trends and Indexes 9/17 through 9/20”

• “NFL Week 3 Trends and Indexes 9/21 through 9/22”

For now, the balance of the sports menu in this thread will consist of Major League Baseball, the Canadian Football League, and the WNBA until their seasons are played out. Also, general sports news and notes will still be posted here.


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.
Any opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the posting member or BettorsChat.
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[pm530]

Daily Sports Roundup

Friday, September 19

The Ryder Cup is set to get underway on Friday morning, on a day that also features some college football and baseball's pennant races. Here's your Daily Sports Roundup.

The Gridiron Spotlight

The only game on the college football schedule for Friday is Baylor at Connecticut (with a kickoff of 8:00pm ET). Baylor fell to ranked Wake Forest in their season opener, then pounded both Northwestern State and Washington State. Connecticut has won three consecutive games over Hofstra, Temple, and Virginia by a combined score of 92-22. The Huskies are 12-point favorites to win Friday, with the total listed at 51 points.

Other Notable Events

Golf's Ryder Cup tees off on Friday, with the United States team looking to get back into the winner's circle for the first time since 1999. The streaking Europeans, who are pegged as the -125 Vegas favorites to win this weekend, defeated the Americans 18.5 to 9.5 in the last Ryder Cup, at The K Club in Ireland in 2006. The United States, who are +105 underdogs to come out on top, won't have Tiger Woods in the fold this year.

On the diamond, Cubs pitcher Carlos Zambrano (14-5, 3.41 ERA) has a hard act to follow in his home start against the Cards on Friday - he threw a no-hitter against the Astros last time out. St. Louis will send Adam Wainwright (9-3, 3.20 ERA) to the mound.
The Rest of the Schedule

Other National League games on the schedule for Friday: Houston at Pittsburgh, Philadelphia at Florida, Milwaukee at Cincinnati, the Mets at Atlanta, San Diego at Washington, Arizona at Colorado, and San Francisco at the Dodgers. The D-Backs are expected to give Max Scherzer (0-2, 2.80 ERA) the start against the Rockies.

On Friday's American League slate: Detroit at Cleveland, Baltimore at the Yankees, Boston at Toronto, Minnesota at Tampa Bay, the Angels at Texas, the White Sox at Kansas City, and Seattle at Oakland. The key Twins/Rays contest will feature a pitching matchup of Nick Blackburn (10-9, 3.89 ERA) and Edwin Jackson (11-11, 4.33 ERA).

Finally, the WNBA playoffs continue on Friday with Detroit (-2) at Indiana and Seattle at Los Angeles (-6), while the CFL offers up a meeting of Winnipeg (-1.5) at Hamilton.

News from the Wire

The Vikings have finally made a switch at quarterback, benching Tarvaris Jackson and promoting veteran Gus Frerotte to the starting gig . . . the Chiefs are planning on giving Tyler Thigpen the start on Sunday, with Damon Huard sent back to the bench . . . Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger hasn't been limited by his injured shoulder so far this week during practice, and there's little doubt that he'll start for them Sunday.

A Peek at the Future

Toronto's Roy Halladay (18-11, 2.77 ERA) will take on Boston's Jon Lester (15-5, 3.15 ERA) in the top pitching matchup on Saturday . . . No. 18 Wake Forest will try to get past No. 24 Florida State (-4) in college football action on Saturday, with No. 6 LSU (-2.5) taking on No. 10 Auburn as well . . . the Sunday night NFL game this week features the Cowboys and the Packers, with Dallas pegged as a 3-point road favorite.

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[pm530]

Six-pack for Friday

Some football knowledge to ponder for Week 3.........

-- Arizona is 8-4-1 vs spread in last 13 road games.

-- Buffalo covered 12 of its last 17 home games.

-- Carolina is 19-9-2 vs spread in last 30 games as road underdog.

-- Lions covered four of last 17 road games.

-- Raiders covered only five of last 17 games in eastern time zone.

-- Cowboys covered nine of last thirteen road games.

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[pm530]

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

13) Horrible loss by Brewers, who led 6-2 with two outs in ninth at Wrigley, and wound up losing in 12 innnings. Hideous defeat.

12) Phillies, Mets both won Thursday, so Milwaukee now sits 1.5 games out of playoff spot, but at least they play Pirates on Friday.

11) Dodgers beat Pittsburgh in 12 innings, then Arizona beat Giants and Tim Lincecum, so LA lead remains at 3.5 games in NL West.

10) So far in college football, home favorites in conference games are
3-10 vs spread; home dogs are 5-5.

9) Colorado is 3-0 after winning tense OT game 17-14 vs West Va., but neither side was that impressive. Mountaineers are now 0-2 vs D-I opponents, have to be missing Rich Rodriguez bigtime. Teams in Big East are 2-12 against the spread in non-conference games.

8) If I was the guy who signed coach Stewart to a 6-year deal to be coach of the Mountaineers, I'd be little happier if I thought he knew how to manage the 2:00 drill. He looked like a rookie coach last night.

7) LaDanian Tomlinson, Adrian Peterson haven't practiced the last couple days; the era of the one-back offense is winding down-- with all the injuries, it really helps to have running back-by-committee.

6) Tyler Thigpen is starting at QB for the Chiefs this week; wonder how many times an NFL team has started three different QBs in its first three games of the season? It couldn't have happened too often.

5) No Republican has ever been elected President without winning the state of Ohio; the last time a Democrat Presidential candidate won in Indiana, Lyndon freakin' Johnson was Democratic candidate ('64).

4) Evan Longoria hit three HRs Thursday, but Rays bullpen had rare meltdown in ninth inning, blowing 8-6 lead, as Twins crept within a game and half of White Sox in AL Central.

3) Only 17,296 fans showed up in St Pete to see Rays against Twins with Tampa Bay on verge on baseball's best story in last 40 years. Rays are close to clinching their first ever playoff berth, but not sure if they can outdraw high school football games on a Friday night.

2) Don't want to hear any whining from anyone in Florida if Tampa Rays become San Antonio Rays or Las Vegas or Charlotte Rays. It is ridiculous that they support a hockey team, but not a baseball club that is undoubtedly the best American sports story of 2008.

1) In event Rays face Twins in first round of playoffs, nitwits that run TV networks are liable to schedule those games for 3am. When Twins played A's two years ago, first couple of games were both in afternoon, well out of view for most of working America.

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[pm530]

Canadian Football League – Long Sheet

CFL
Long Sheet


Week 13

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Friday, September 19
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WINNIPEG (3 - 7) at HAMILTON (2 - 9) - 9/19/2008, 7:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
WINNIPEG is 0-7 ATS (-7.7 Units) as a road favorite of 3 points or less since 1996.
HAMILTON is 7-17 ATS (-11.7 Units) in home games over the last 3 seasons.
HAMILTON is 7-17 ATS (-11.7 Units) in home lined games over the last 3 seasons.
HAMILTON is 2-11 ATS (-10.1 Units) in home games versus division opponents over the last 3 seasons.
HAMILTON is 7-17 ATS (-11.7 Units) in home games in games played on turf over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
WINNIPEG is 5-3 against the spread versus HAMILTON over the last 3 seasons
WINNIPEG is 6-2 straight up against HAMILTON 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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Saturday, September 20
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TORONTO (4 - 7) at CALGARY (7 - 4) - 9/20/2008, 6:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
TORONTO is 6-0 ATS (+6.0 Units) in road games after 2 or more consecutive straight up losses over the last 3 seasons.
TORONTO is 41-24 ATS (+14.6 Units) in weeks 10 through 15 since 1996.

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


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BRITISH COLUMBIA (6 - 5) at SASKATCHEWAN (7 - 3) - 9/20/2008, 9:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
SASKATCHEWAN is 8-2 ATS (+5.8 Units) in all games this season.
SASKATCHEWAN is 8-2 ATS (+5.8 Units) in all lined games this season.
SASKATCHEWAN is 8-1 ATS (+6.9 Units) in games played on turf this season.
SASKATCHEWAN is 22-8 ATS (+13.2 Units) in home games in September games since 1996.
SASKATCHEWAN is 73-45 ATS (+23.5 Units) revenging a loss versus opponent since 1996.
BRITISH COLUMBIA is 6-0 ATS (+6.0 Units) as an underdog over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
SASKATCHEWAN is 7-4 against the spread versus BRITISH COLUMBIA over the last 3 seasons
SASKATCHEWAN is 6-5 straight up against BRITISH COLUMBIA over the last 3 seasons
5 of 10 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons


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Sunday, September 21
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EDMONTON (7 - 4) at MONTREAL (7 - 4) - 9/21/2008, 1:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MONTREAL is 6-15 ATS (-10.5 Units) in non-conference games over the last 3 seasons.
MONTREAL is 2-12 ATS (-11.2 Units) in weeks 10 through 15 over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
EDMONTON is 3-1 against the spread versus MONTREAL over the last 3 seasons
EDMONTON is 3-1 straight up against MONTREAL over the last 3 seasons
2 of 4 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 13 CFL games

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Friday, September 19

Winnipeg (3-8) @ Hamilton (2-9)-- TiCats (+4.5) lost 37-24 in Week 8 at Winnipeg, turning ball over three times and allowing 433 TY; Cats are 0-8 against everyone but Toronto, 1-5 at home, with losses by 23-5-6-3-23 points. Bombers split last four games after 1-6 start; in their three winsm they scored 32-37-39 points- they're 0-8 when scoring 31 or less points. Over is 8-2 in last ten Hamilton games.


Saturday, September 20

Toronto (4-7) @ Calgary (7-4)-- Argonauts lost four of last five tilts; they're 1-4 as road dog, with losses on foreign soil by 19-6-24-26 pts. Stampeders won four of last five games; they are 2-4 vs spread this season when favored. Calgary is 3-2 at home, with wins by 10-27-11 points. Six of their last nine games went over the total. Stamps scored at least 30 points in each of their last five wins.

BCLions (6-5) @ Saskatchewan (8-3)-- Roughriders split pair in BC, losing 28-23 last week (+6) after winning 26-16 back in Week 2 (+6). QB situation is bad enough in Regina that Ben Mauk, who ran out of eligibility at Cincinnati but was hurt a lot, has signed to play QB for Riders. Lions are 2-3 on road, with losses by 18-11-5 points; they're 2-0 vs spread as dog. Five of last seven Rider games stayed under.


Sunday, September 21

Edmonton (7-4) @ Montreal (7-4)-- Eskimos scored 33+ pts in five of last six games; they won five of last seven games, are 2-3 on road, with losses by 21-4-6 points. Ray was 23-35/342 passing in Week 12 38-33 win over Hamilton. Alouettes won five of last six games, won four of five home games, with wins by 14-7-5-24 points.

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[pm530]

Canadian Football League – Additional Trends

CFL

Trends Sheet


Week 13

Friday, September 19

7:30 PM WINNIPEG vs. HAMILTON
Winnipeg is 3-8 ATS in its last 11 games
Winnipeg is 3-9 SU in its last 12 games
Hamilton is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Winnipeg
Hamilton is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing Winnipeg



Saturday, September 20

6:30 PM TORONTO vs. CALGARY
Toronto is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Calgary
Toronto is 8-3 SU in its last 11 games when playing Calgary
Calgary is 14-7 ATS in its last 21 games at home
Calgary is 14-6-1 SU in its last 21 games at home


9:30 PM BRITISH COLUMBIA vs. SASKATCHEWAN
British Columbia is 14-6 SU in its last 20 games
British Columbia is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games on the road
Saskatchewan is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games when playing at home against British Columbia
Saskatchewan is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games when playing at home against British Columbia



Sunday, September 21

1:00 PM EDMONTON vs. MONTREAL
Edmonton is 2-2-2 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
Edmonton is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games on the road
Montreal is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Edmonton
Montreal is 7-3 SU in its last 10 games when playing at home against Edmonton

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[pm530]

WNBA – Long Sheet

WNBA
Long Sheet


Playoffs

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Friday, September 19
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DETROIT (22 - 12) at INDIANA (17 - 17) - 9/19/2008, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
DETROIT is 23-9 ATS (+13.1 Units) as a road favorite of 3 points or less since 1997.
INDIANA is 61-90 ATS (-38.0 Units) as an underdog since 1997.
INDIANA is 3-11 ATS (-9.1 Units) after allowing 75 points or more this season.
INDIANA is 3-12 ATS (-10.2 Units) after scoring 75 points or more this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
INDIANA is 8-8 against the spread versus DETROIT over the last 3 seasons
DETROIT is 11-5 straight up against INDIANA over the last 3 seasons
8 of 14 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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SEATTLE (22 - 12) at LOS ANGELES (20 - 14) - 9/19/2008, 10:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
LOS ANGELES is 15-8 ATS (+6.2 Units) as a favorite this season.
LOS ANGELES is 8-2 ATS (+5.8 Units) in home games vs. division opponents this season.
LOS ANGELES is 9-2 ATS (+6.8 Units) in home games after a division game this season.
LOS ANGELES is 8-1 ATS (+6.9 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
SEATTLE is 21-13 ATS (+6.7 Units) in all games this season.
SEATTLE is 7-1 ATS (+5.9 Units) when playing with 3 or more days rest this season.
SEATTLE is 11-4 ATS (+6.6 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
SEATTLE is 7-1 ATS (+5.9 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record after 15+ games this season.
LOS ANGELES is 3-11 ATS (-9.1 Units) after a win by 10 points or more over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
SEATTLE is 10-3 against the spread versus LOS ANGELES over the last 3 seasons
SEATTLE is 8-5 straight up against LOS ANGELES over the last 3 seasons
8 of 12 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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[pm530]

WNBA – Trends Sheet

WNBA


Playoffs

Friday, September 19

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Trends Sheet
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Friday, September 19

7:00 PM DETROIT vs. INDIANA
Detroit is 3-6 ATS in its last 9 games on the road
Detroit is 3-6 SU in its last 9 games on the road
Indiana is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Detroit
Indiana is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Detroit


10:30 PM SEATTLE vs. LOS ANGELES
Seattle is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
Seattle is 6-16 SU in its last 22 games on the road
Los Angeles is 7-1 ATS in its last 8 games at home
Los Angeles is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games at home

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[pm530]

Baseball Today

MLB


Friday, September 19

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Baseball Today
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SCOREBOARD

Philadelphia at Florida (7:10 p.m. EDT). In the opener of a key three-game series the Phillies send rejuvenated starter Brett Myers (10-11, 4.06 ERA) to the mound against Josh Johnson (5-1, 3.30). Myers has won five of his last six starts, including a two-hitter against Milwaukee on Sunday.


STARS

Thursday

— Geovany Soto, Cubs, hit a tying three-run homer with two out in the ninth and Chicago went on to beat the Brewers 7-6 in 12 innings.

— Mike Aviles, Royals, hit a three-run homer to lead Kansas City to a 12-0 victory over the Mariners.

— James Loney, Dodgers, singled to score the go-ahead run in the 12th after Pittsburgh reliever Craig Hansen walked the bases full, and Los Angeles inched closer to winning the NL West with a 4-3 win.

— John Baker, Marlins, drove in four runs and scored two, leading Florida over the fading Astros 8-1 for its eighth straight victory.

— Bobby Abreu, Yankees, homered twice and drove in six runs in a 9-2 win over the White Sox.


GONE, THREE TIMES

Evan Longoria hit three home runs for Tampa Bay in an 11-8 loss to Minnesota. Longoria hit a two-run homer in Tampa Bay’s five run first against Glen Perkins. He added solo shots off Philip Humber in the fourth for his third multihomer game and Bobby Korecky in the seventh for an 8-6 lead. Longoria joined Jonny Gomes as the only Rays to hit three home runs in a game in the club’s 11-season history.


AND ANOTHER ONE

Kendry Morales, Mike Napoli and Brandon Wood hit consecutive home runs in a span of four pitches from Keith Foulke in the seventh inning of the Angels’ 6-4 victory over Oakland. The Angels hit three straight homers for the first time since May 24, 2004, at Toronto, helping Joe Saunders (16-7) win his second straight decision—just his second victory in nine starts. The Angels had hit back-to-back homers three other times this year.


SWEEP

With a 4-3 victory over the Braves, Philadelphia became the first team to sweep a season series longer than four games in Atlanta. They swept three three-game series at Turner Field by a combined score of 49-24. Cole Hamels (14-9) gave up six hits and two runs in six innings to improve to 3-0 in four starts against the Braves this season.


WHY HE MAKES THE BUCKS

New York ace Johan Santana (14-7) improved to 7-0 with a 2.26 ERA over his last 14 starts, giving up one run and eight hits and striking out eight in seven innings of the Mets’ 7-2 win over the Nationals.


COULD BE COSTLY

The Brewers carried a 6-2 lead into the bottom of the ninth, but the Cubs staged an improbable four-run rally with two outs against Salomon Torres, capped by Geovany Soto’s three-run homer. Derrek Lee hit an RBI single in the 12th to lift Chicago to a 7-6 win. The loss dropped the Brewers 1 1/2 games back of New York in the wild-card race.


CRUISIN’

Zack Greinke combined with two pitchers on a three-hitter and the Royals routed Seattle 12-0 to complete their first four-game sweep of the Mariners in 19 years. Kansas City led 9-0 after four innings, roughing up Ryan Feierabend on its way to its first four-game sweep of the Mariners since Aug. 17-20, 1989, in Seattle. The Royals had at least 10 hits (13) for the sixth time during a seven-game winning streak, their longest since opening the 2003 season 9-0.


FADING FAST

Houston has struggled since Hurricane Ike hit the Gulf Coast. The Astros had won six straight and 14 of 15 before the storm, but have since dropped five straight, including an 8-1 loss to Florida on Thursday.


BACK IN THE W COLUMN

St. Louis’ Kyle Lohse (14-6) matched his career high for wins after serving a five-game suspension from Sept. 10-14 for throwing a pitch near the head of Reds pitcher Edinson Volquez—his opponent Thursday—on Aug. 17. The 5-4 win over Cincinnati was Lohse’s first since beating Philadelphia on Aug. 1. He was 0-3 in seven starts since. The former Reds right-hander gave up six hits and three runs—two earned—with two walks and five strikeouts in 6 2-3 innings.


DENIED

The Diamondbacks blew a lead for Randy Johnson for the fifth time this season, again depriving the 44-year-old left-hander of his 295th career victory. Johnson gave up a run in the first and scattered eight hits through seven innings, striking out four and walking one. He left with a 2-1 lead.


SLUMPING

The last-place Orioles have lost 19 of 22 games and dropped their past nine series overall, including a 3-2 loss to Toronto on Thursday. Baltimore has gone 2-17 in its past 19 one-run games after starting the season 18-10 in such contests.


GIVING ‘EM UP

Minnesota pitchers allowed five home runs in a game for the second time in five days. The Twins have given up a major league-high 33 home runs in September, 18 over the past five games.


SPEAKING

“A real nice day kind of went haywire right away.”—Milwaukee interim manager Dale Sveum after the Brewers blew a four-run lead in the ninth inning and lost 7-6 to the Chicago Cubs in 12 innings.


SEASONS

Sept. 19

1925—Ted Lyons lost his bid for a no-hitter when Bobby Veach singled with two outs in the ninth inning. The Chicago White Sox routed the Washington Senators 17-0.

1926—The St. Louis Cardinals pounded the Philadelphia Phillies 23-3 in the first game of a doubleheader and beat them again in the nightcap, 10-2.

1949—Ralph Kiner of the Pittsburgh Pirates became the first NL player to hit 50 home runs in two different seasons.

1955—Ernie Banks of the Chicago Cubs set a major league record with his fifth grand slam of the season in a 12-inning, 6-5 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals.

1968—Denny McLain won his 31st game, the most in the AL since Lefty Grove’s 31 in 1931. The Detroit Tigers beat the New York Yankees 6-2 while Mickey Mantle hit his 535th and next-to-last career homer.

1973—Frank Robinson hit his first home run in Arlington Stadium, as a member of the California Angels. It was the 32nd major league ballpark in which he had homered.

1984—Pete Rose reached the 100-hit plateau for a record 22nd consecutive year. He also tied the NL record for doubles with 725 as the Cincinnati Reds beat the Atlanta Braves 4-2.

1995—San Diego’s Ken Caminiti became the first player in major league history to homer from both sides of the plate three times in a season as he went 4-for-4 with a career-high eight RBIs in a 15-4 win over Colorado.

1997—Mark McGwire hit his 54th homer and became the first major leaguer to hit 20 or more homers for two teams in the same season.

1998—Seattle’s Alex Rodriguez hit his 40th homer to become the third player in baseball history to hit 40 home runs and steal 40 bases in the same season.

2001—Roger Clemens became the first pitcher in major league history to go 20-1, pitching the New York Yankees to a 6-3 victory over the Chicago White Sox.

2001—Albert Pujols set a National League rookie RBI record as St. Louis beat Milwaukee 8-2. Pujols drove in three runs to give him 120 RBIs, breaking the mark of 119 set by Wally Berger in 1930 for the Boston Braves.

2002—Alex Rodriguez and Rafael Palmeiro of Texas tied a major league record by homering in the same game for the 15th time this season. Rodriguez and Palmeiro equaled the mark set by Barry Bonds and Rich Aurilia for San Francisco last season.

Today’s birthday: Scott Baker 27; Lenny Dinardo 29; Nick Johnson 30; Javier Valentin 33.

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[pm530]

Major League Baseball - Dunkel Index

MLB
Dunkel Index

Houston at Pittsburgh
The Astros bring a five-game losing streak into Pittsburgh to face a Pirates team that is 17-12 as a home underdog between +100 and +120. The Pirates are the underdog pick (+115) according to Dunkel, which has Pittsburgh favored straight up by 1 1/2. Dunkel Pick: Pittsburgh (+115). Here are all of today's games

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 19

Game 951-952: St. Louis at Chicago Cubs
Dunkel Ratings: St. Louis (Wainwright) 14.261; Cubs (Zambrano) 13.711
Dunkel Line: St. Louis by 1/2; 7 1/2
Vegas Line: Chicago Cubs (-175); No Run Line
Dunkel Pick: St. Louis (+165); N/A

Game 953-954: Houston at Pittsburgh
Dunkel Ratings: Houston (Wolf) 14.481; Pittsburgh (Snell) 16.140
Dunkel Line: Pittsburgh by 1 1/2; 10 1/2
Vegas Line: Houston (-125); 9
Dunkel Pick: Pittsburgh (+115); Over

Game 955-956: Philadelphia at Florida
Dunkel Ratings: Philadelphia (Myers) 16.505; Florida (Johnson) 17.864
Dunkel Line: Florida by 1 1/2; 9
Vegas Line: Philadelphia (-145); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Florida (+135); Over

Game 957-958: Milwaukee at Cincinnati
Dunkel Ratings: Milwaukee (Suppan) 15.369; Cincinnati (Ramirez) 14.267
Dunkel Line: Milwaukee by 1; 8
Vegas Line: No Line
Dunkel Pick: N/A

Game 959-960: San Diego at Washington
Dunkel Ratings: San Diego (Peavy) 15.008; Washington (Balester) 13.460
Dunkel Line: San Diego by 1 1/2; 8 1/2
Vegas Line: San Diego (-140); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: San Diego (-140); Over

Game 961-962: NY Mets at Atlanta
Dunkel Ratings: NY Mets (Perez) 16.808; Atlanta (Reyes) 15.302
Dunkel Line: NY Mets by 1 1/2; 9
Vegas Line: NY Mets (-150); 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: NY Mets (-150); Under

Game 963-964: Arizona at Colorado
Dunkel Ratings: Arizona (Scherzer) 15.357; Colorado (De La Rosa) 14.405
Dunkel Line: Arizona by 1; 8
Vegas Line: Colorado (-120); 9
Dunkel Pick: Arizona (+110); Under

Game 965-966: San Francisco at LA Dodgers
Dunkel Ratings: San Francisco (Zito) 14.612; LA Dodgers (Maddux) 16.890
Dunkel Line: LA Dodgers by 2; 8 1/2
Vegas Line: LA Dodgers (-185); 8
Dunkel Pick: LA Dodgers (-185); Over


Game 967-968: Baltimore at NY Yankees
Dunkel Ratings: Baltimore (Liz) 14.964; NY Yankees (Pavano) 17.896
Dunkel Line: NY Yankees by 3; 11 1/2
Vegas Line: NY Yankees (-200); 10 1/2
Dunkel Pick: NY Yankees (-200); Over

Game 969-970: Boston at Toronto
Dunkel Ratings: Boston (Byrd) 17.137; Toronto (Burnett) 16.026
Dunkel Line: Boston by 1; 7 1/2
Vegas Line: Toronto (-135); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Boston(+125); Under

Game 971-972: Detroit at Cleveland
Dunkel Ratings: Detroit (Galarraga) 13.943; Cleveland (Carmona) 15.464
Dunkel Line: Cleveland by 1 1/2; 8 1/2
Vegas Line: Detroit (-115); 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Cleveland (+105); Under

Game 973-974: Minnesota at Tampa Bay
Dunkel Ratings: Minnesota (Blackburn) 16.010; Tampa Bay (Jackson) 14.737
Dunkel Line: Minnesota by 1 1/2; 8
Vegas Line: Tampa Bay (-135); 9
Dunkel Pick: Minnesota (+125); Under

Game 975-976: LA Angels at Texas
Dunkel Ratings: LA Angels (Garland) 14.966; Texas (Harrison) 15.397
Dunkel Line: Texas by 1/2; 10
Vegas Line: Texas (-115); 11
Dunkel Pick: Texas (-115); Under

Game 977-978: Chicago White Sox at Kansas City
Dunkel Ratings: White Sox (Buehrle) 16.335; Kansas City (Bannister) 15.481
Dunkel Line: Chicago White Sox by 1; 8 1/2
Vegas Line: Chicago White Sox (-145); 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Chicago White Sox (-145); Under

Game 979-980: Seattle at Oakland
Dunkel Ratings: Seattle (Hernandez) 15.073; Oakland (Eveland) 14.933
Dunkel Line: Seattle by 1/2; 8
Vegas Line: Oakland (-125); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Seattle (+115); Over

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[pm530]

Major League Baseball – Write up

MLB
Write-up


Friday, September 19

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Hot Pitchers
-- Cubs won seven of last nine Zambrano starts; he threw a no-hitter against the Astros Sunday. Wainwright is 3-0, 3.68 in last five starts.
-- Mets won six of last seven Perez road starts.
-- Astros won eight of last ten Wolf starts.
-- Johnson is 2-1, 3.74 in his last four starts. Myers is 7-2, 1.68 in his last ten starts.
-- Reds won both Ramirez starts (0-0, 2.77).
-- Peavy has 2.35 RA in his last three starts. Nationals won three of last four Balestar starts (1-0, 3.70).
-- Scherzer has 2.86 RA in his last four starts, but Arizona is 0-5 this season when he starts, scoring 12 runs.
-- Maddux has 2.89 RA in his last three starts, but Dodgers got shut out in his last two. Giants are 8-3 in Zito's last eleven road starts.

-- Bronx won four of first five Pavano starts.
-- Byrd is 3-0, 2.89 in three road starts for Boston. Burnett is 2-0, 2.29 in his last three starts.
-- Angels won eight of last eleven Garland starts. Rangers won six of last eight Harrison starts.
-- Buehrle is 2-0, 1.40 in his last three starts.
-- A's won five of last six Eveland home starts.

Cold Pitchers
-- Snell is 2-4, 5.25 in his last ten starts.
-- Suppan is 0-2, 9.20 in his last three starts.
-- Braves lost last ten Reyes starts, outscored 64-26. .
-- de la Rosa is 0-1, 7.20 in his last two starts.

-- Liz is 3-6, 8.52 in his last nine starts.
-- Carmona has an 8.10 RA in his last four starts. Galarraga is 0-2, 6.00 in his last four starts.
-- Twins lost six of last eight Blackburn road starts. Jackson is 0-3 in his last three starts, with a 10.95 RA.
-- Bannister is 1-9, 9.00 in his last fourteen starts.
-- Hernandez is 0-2, 4.82 in his last three starts.

Hot Teams
-- Dodgers are 15-3 in their last eighteen games.
-- Phillies won their last seven games, scoring 44 runs.
-- Reds won nine of their last thirteen games.
-- Marlins won their last eight games, scoring 58 runs.
-- Cubs won six of their last seven games.
-- Arizona won its last four games, allowing nine runs. Rockies won three of their last four games.

-- Bronx won five of its last six games.
-- Toronto won eight of its last nine home games. Red Sox are 16-9 in their last 25 road games.
-- Rays are 8-4 in their last dozen games.
-- Indians won their last three games, scoring 21 runs.
-- Angels won six of their last eight games.
-- Royals won seven of their last eight games.
-- A's won four of last five games.

Cold Teams
-- Pirates lost nine of their last thirteen games. Astros lost last five games, outscored 38-5.
-- Braves lost four of their last five games.
-- Washington lost seven of last nine games.
-- Milwaukee lost 13 of its last 16 games. Padres lost five of last six.
-- Cardinals lost seven of their last eight games.
-- Brewers lost 13 of their last 16 games.
-- Giants lost last four games, scoring nine runs.

-- Minnesota is 5-12 in its last seventeen road games.
-- Tigers lost four of their last five games.
-- Twins lost four of their last five games.
-- White Sox are 9-15 in their last 24 road games.
-- Orioles are 6-21 in their last 27 games.
-- Mariners lost their last ten road games.

Totals
-- Over is 7-2 in last nine Zambrano starts.
-- Over is 10-5 in last fifteen Pittsburgh games.
-- Last five Johnson starts stayed under the total.
-- Seven of last eight Cincinnati games stayed under the total.
-- Over is 8-3-1 in last twelve Washington games.
-- Over is 8-4 in last twelve Atlanta games.
-- Seven of last eight Arizona games stayed under the total.
-- Under is 4-1 in Maddux starts for the Dodgers.

-- Over is 12-2 in last fourteen Liz starts.
-- Over is 10-3 in last thirteen Toronto home games.
-- Over is 10-1 in last eleven Carmona starts.
-- Over is 11-3 in Minnesota's last fourteen road games.
-- Six of last nine Angel games stayed under the total.
-- Six of last eight Buehrle starts went over the total.
-- Under is 6-3 in last nine Hernandez starts.

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[pm530]

Major League Baseball – Trend Sheet

MLB


Friday, September 19

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Trend Sheet
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2:20 PM ST. LOUIS vs. CHI CUBS
St. Louis is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games on the road
St. Louis is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games
Chi Cubs are 5-2 SU in their last 7 games when playing at home against St. Louis
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Chi Cubs's last 5 games when playing at home against St. Louis


7:05 PM BALTIMORE vs. NY YANKEES
Baltimore is 1-8 SU in its last 9 games on the road
Baltimore is 5-19 SU in its last 24 games
NY Yankees are 6-3 SU in their last 9 games when playing at home against Baltimore
The total has gone OVER in 4 of NY Yankees's last 6 games when playing at home against Baltimore


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


7:05 PM HOUSTON vs. PITTSBURGH
Houston is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Pittsburgh
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Houston's last 13 games when playing on the road against Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Houston
Pittsburgh is 5-13 SU in its last 18 games at home


7:07 PM BOSTON vs. TORONTO
The total has gone OVER in 9 of Boston's last 13 games on the road
Boston is 15-8 SU in its last 23 games
Toronto is 7-2 SU in its last 9 games when playing at home against Boston
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Toronto's last 5 games when playing at home against Boston


7:10 PM MILWAUKEE vs. CINCINNATI
Milwaukee is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games
Milwaukee is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games on the road
Cincinnati is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games when playing at home against Milwaukee
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Cincinnati's last 6 games when playing at home against Milwaukee


7:10 PM MINNESOTA vs. TAMPA BAY
Minnesota is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Minnesota is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
Tampa Bay is 5-12 SU in its last 17 games when playing at home against Minnesota
Tampa Bay is 6-19 SU in its last 25 games when playing Minnesota


7:10 PM PHILADELPHIA vs. FLORIDA
Philadelphia is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
Philadelphia is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games when playing Florida
Florida is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games when playing at home against Philadelphia
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Florida's last 6 games when playing at home against Philadelphia


7:35 PM NY METS vs. ATLANTA
NY Mets are 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing Atlanta
NY Mets are 6-2 SU in its last 8 games on the road
Atlanta is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against NY Mets
The total has gone UNDER in 12 of Atlanta's last 14 games when playing at home against NY Mets


7:35 PM SAN DIEGO vs. WASHINGTON
San Diego is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 7 of San Diego's last 8 games
Washington is 1-10 SU in its last 11 games when playing at home against San Diego
Washington is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing San Diego


8:05 PM ARIZONA vs. COLORADO
Arizona is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Colorado
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Arizona's last 14 games when playing on the road against Colorado
Colorado is 3-8 SU in its last 11 games
Colorado is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing Arizona


8:05 PM LA ANGELS vs. TEXAS
LA Angels are 2-4 SU in their last 6 games on the road
LA Angels are 6-2 SU in their last 8 games
Texas is 1-4 SU in their last 5 games when playing LA Angels
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Texas's last 7 games when playing LA Angels


8:10 PM CHI WHITE SOX vs. KANSAS CITY
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Chi White Sox's last 6 games when playing on the road against Kansas City
Chi White Sox are 12-5 SU in their last 17 games when playing Kansas City
Kansas City is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
Kansas City is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games at home


10:05 PM SEATTLE vs. OAKLAND
Seattle is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Seattle is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games
Oakland is 3-9 SU in its last 12 games when playing at home against Seattle
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Oakland's last 6 games when playing at home against Seattle


10:40 PM SAN FRANCISCO vs. LA DODGERS
San Francisco is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
San Francisco is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games on the road
LA Dodgers are 4-2 SU in their last 6 games when playing at home against San Francisco
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of LA Dodgers's last 6 games when playing at home against San Francisco

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[pm530]

Major League Baseball - Tips & Trends

MLB


We will update when projected scores are available.

Friday, September 19

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Tips and Trends
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St. Louis Cardinals at Chicago Cubs [2:20 PM ET]

Cardinals: Adam Wainwright had been cruising along until his most recent outing against the Pirates when he gave up six runs over four innings. Before that game, Wainwright had allowed just one run in three of his four prior starts. Wainwright is 3-2 on the road this season with a 4.10 ERA. His last three road starts have gone OVER the total.

Cardinals are 1-6 in their last 7 during game 1 of a series.
Cardinals are 1-11 in their last 12 road games.

Key Injuries - OF Rick Ankiel (abdominal) is OUT.

PROJECTED SCORE: TBD

Cubs (-175): Carlos Zambrano is coming off a no-hitter against the Astros in a stellar performance that also included 10 strikeouts. Zambrano has been tough to beat at Wrigley Field this season where he’s 7-1 with a 3.08 ERA. Even though Big Z has been dominant for most of the season, the OVER is 5-2 in his last seven starts.

Cubs are 6-0 in Zambrano’s last 6 starts with 4 days of rest.
Cubs are 5-1 in Zambrano’s last 6 Friday starts.

Key Injuries - NONE

PROJECTED SCORE: TBD



Minnesota Twins at Tampa Bay Rays [ESPN | 7:10 PM ET]

Twins: The Twins have lost six of the last seven games Nick Blackburn has started. In his last outing against the Orioles, Blackburn allowed nine hits and six runs over four innings. Blackburn has struggled on the road this season, going just 3-6 with an ERA of 4.72. Not surprisingly, the OVER is 4-1 in Blackburn’s last five starts away from the Metrodome.

Twins are 1-6 in their last 7 road games vs. a right-handed starter.
Twins are 0-5 in Blackburn’s last 5 starts vs. AL East.

Key Injuries - NONE

PROJECTED SCORE: TBD

Rays (-135, O/U 9): Edwin Jackson has lost three straight starts after winning six of seven. In his last 12.1 innings pitched, Jackson has allowed a ridiculous 24 hits and 15 runs. Things probably won’t get better tonight for him. In five career appearances against the Twins – including two starts – Jackson’s ERA is 18.90. Jackson is 5-6 at home this season with a 4.83 ERA.

Rays are 4-1 in their last 5 vs. AL Central.
Rays are 4-0 in Jackson’s last 4 starts vs. AL Central.

Key Injuries - OF B.J. Upton (quad) is day-to-day.

PROJECTED SCORE: TBD

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[pm530]

Major League Baseball – Streaking Pitchers

MLB

Friday, September 19

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Streaking Starting Pitchers
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Friday’s streaking and slumping pitchers

Streaking

A.J. Burnett, Toronto Blue Jays (18-10, 4.19 ERA)

Burnett is one of the best finishers in baseball. He may have his problems early in the season but no one ends on a high note like A.J.

Last season, Burnett went 5-2 in the final two months of the schedule and in 2006 he closed out the year with an 8-4 tally in August and September.

Burnett is 7-1 with a 3.07 ERA since late July and is only getting hotter as the season dies down. He hasn't allowed an earned run in his last two trips to the mound - one of which was a six-inning, three-hit, six-strikeout performance against Boston last weekend.

The righty is 5-0 with a 2.37 ERA in seven career starts versus the BoSox.

Brett Myers, Philadelphia Phillies (10-11, 4.06)

What a difference a trip to the minors can make. Myers seems to be scared straight and is toting a 7-2 mark and a 1.80 ERA in his last 11 major league starts since his stint in Lehigh Valley.

He is coming off a complete-game, one-run, two-hit showing against the Brewers last Sunday and has the red-hot bats of the Phillies backing him up. Heading into Thursday night, Philadelphia was a half-game ahead of New York in the NL East.



Slumping

Edwin Jackson, Tampa Bay Rays (11-11, 4.33 ERA)

The Rays' right-hander has dropped three straight decisions and is 2-4 in his last six starts. He is posting an ERA just below 11 in his previous three games - mostly due to a two-inning showing against the Yankees on Sunday in which he was knocked around for six runs including a grand slam.

Jackson is 5-6 in 14 home starts and posts a 4.83 ERA inside Tropicana (almost a run higher than his road ERA) this season. He is 0-2 with a hefty 18.90 ERA in five career starts versus Minnesota.

Jake Peavy, San Diego Padres (9-11, 2.77 ERA)

My, how the mighty have fallen. The reigning NL Cy Young champ is 1-5 in his last eight starts and hasn't recorded a win in over a month. Peavy's troubles on the mound escalated in his most recent appearance when the right-handed hurler was dinged for five runs on five hits, two of those leaving the park, against the Giants last Friday.

The blame can't solely fall on Peavy's shoulders. During this skid, he's carried an ERA of 3.00 but is getting just 2 1/2 runs of support per game from the Padres. San Diego has scored three or fewer runs of support in 14 of Peavy's 26 starts this season.

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