Announcement

**pm530** · 09-21-2008, 05:22 AM

Daily Sports Roundup

Sunday, September 21

The National Football League rolls out its third week of action on Sunday, with marquee games in Philadelphia and Green Bay. Here's a look in today's Daily Sports Roundup.

The Gridiron Spotlight

The Eagles lost a tough game against the Cowboys in Week 2, so they'll try to bounce back this week by knocking their state rivals from Pittsburgh for a loss. The Eagles and Steelers will clash at 4:15pm ET at Lincoln Financial Field, with Philly pegged as a 3.5-point home favorite (and the total at 45). Despite their loss last week the Eagles are still 2-0 ATS on the season, while unbeaten Pittsburgh is just 1-1 ATS over two contests.

The Cowboys aim to follow up their win over Philadelphia with another victory against a big-time NFC team - the Packers. Aaron Rodgers and company will play host to Tony Romo and the 'Boys starting at 8:15pm ET at Lambeau Field on Sunday night, with Dallas listed as a 3-point road favorite. Both the Cowboys and Packers are 2-0 to start the season, with Green Bay covering twice, and Dallas only covering in one victory.

Other Notable Events

The NFL's byes don't start until next week, so that means every team is in action once again in Week 3. The Patriots will look to stay on a roll behind Matt Cassel when they host the lowly Dolphins in a 1:00pm ET contest; they're 12.5-point home favorites. As well, the Colts will be looking to keep the rival Jaguars winless when they host them at Lucas Oil Stadium at 4:15pm ET; Indy has been listed as a 5.5-point home favorite.

Making up the rest of the NFL's Sunday schedule: Oakland at Buffalo (-9.5), Tampa Bay at Chicago (-3), Houston at Tennessee (-4.5), Carolina at Minnesota (-3), Cincinnati at the Giants (-13), Arizona at Washington (-3), Detroit at San Francisco (-4), St. Louis at Seattle (-9.5), New Orleans at Denver (-5.5), and Cleveland at Baltimore (-2). As well, the least interesting game of the entire day has Kansas City taking on Atlanta (-6).

Meanwhile, the Sprint Cup Series will stage their second playoff event on Sunday, the Camping World RV 400 presented by AAA at Dover International Speedway. Jimmie Johnson and Carl Edwards sit tied atop the standings heading into this race, and they're at 5/1 and 9/2 odds to visit victory lane. Kyle Busch, who fell to eighth in the standings with a poor result last weekend, is also pegged at 9/2 odds to take the checkered flag.

The Rest of the Schedule

Yankee Stadium closes on Sunday night with a matchup between Baltimore's Chris Waters (3-3, 4.75 ERA) and New York's Andy Pettitte (13-14, 4.57 ERA). The rest of the American League's slate: Detroit at Cleveland, Boston at Toronto, Minnesota at Tampa Bay, the White Sox at Kansas City, the Angels at Texas, and Seattle at Oakland.

The race for the final NL playoff spots continues on Sunday, with Milwaukee at Cincinnati, Philadelphia at Florida, and the Mets at Atlanta. Rounding out the National League schedule: Houston at Pittsburgh, San Diego at Washington, St. Louis at the Cubs, Arizona at Colorado, and San Francisco at the Dodgers.

Finally, there are two WNBA playoff games on the Sunday slate - Indiana at Detroit, and Los Angeles at Seattle - while the CFL offers up Edmonton at Montreal (-3).

News from the Wire

Notable players listed as OUT for Sunday's NFL games heading into the weekend: Browns S Sean Jones (knee), Cowboys S Roy Williams (forearm), Colts CB Bob Sanders (ankle/knee), Chiefs QB Brodie Croyle (right shoulder), Saints WR Marques Colston (thumb), Eagles WR Kevin Curtis (hernia), Seahawks WR Bobby Engram (shoulder), Seahawks RB Maurice Morris (knee), Rams WR Drew Bennett (foot), Buccaneers WR Joey Galloway (foot), and Titans QB Vince Young (knee/hamstring).

A Peek at the Future

The Chargers are 8.5-point home favorites against the Jets on Monday Night Football . . . Monday sees the start of a National League series between the Cubs and Mets in New York. As well, Tampa Bay is in Baltimore and Boston hosts Cleveland . . . the PGA Tour concludes their FedExCup playoffs this week at The TOUR Championship at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta, with Vijay Singh only needing to finish 72 holes to win the Cup.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**pm530** · 09-21-2008, 05:23 AM

Six-pack for Sunday

Some NFL knowledge to peruse on a Sunday morning......

-- Jacksonville is 9-3-1 as road underdog in divisional games.

-- Bucs covered three of last 15 non-divisional road games.

-- Eagles covered four of last 16 at home against the AFC.

-- Lions covered four of last seventeen road games.

-- Raiders are 6-15 vs spread on road in non-divisional games.

-- Carolina is 8-2-2 vs spread in its last dozen dome games.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

**pm530** · 09-21-2008, 05:24 AM

Sunday's List of 13: Wrapping up college football Saturday

13) Mike Shanahan's going for the win last Sunday influenced some college football coaches six days later; at least two teams went for two when they were down a point late in game. Both lost the game.

12) Central Michigan converted the 2-pointer to go up 25-24 with a little more than a minute left, but Purdue went down and scored the winning TD to prevent a Chippewa upset...........Toledo failed on its 2-point play in OT, as they lost at home to Fresno State, 55-54, in what was definitely the game of the day, on a lackluster day.

11) Notre Dame had a laptop removed from its coaching box by the game officials Saturday; Charlie Weis blamed it on an intern, just as the Patriots threw their hands up and blamed a video assistant when they were accused of filming a Super Bowl walkthrough. Figures.

By the way, it is illegal to have a laptop in the coaches' box; do you really think a kid (thats what an intern would be, a college kid) would have one in there without approval from a coach? I think not.

10) Before Jim Grobe came to Wake Forest, the Deacons used to sell some of their home games, because they never drew at home-- now, Wake has beaten Florida State three years in a row. Grobe is the best college football coach in America.

9) Seminoles had seven turnovers, three points; they committed 12 penalties foe 139 yards. Thats what happen when you start season with pair of I-AA teams, then jump way up in class to play Wake.

8) I have one simple request for this bowl season: an SEC-Pac 10 matchup. Georgia made its farthest regular season western trip since 1960 Saturday night, and they won easily at Arizona State. Would it be so terrible if we had the first SEC-Pac 10 bowl game in 19 years?

7) Don't want to lean too hard on Mississippi State, but in its loss at Georgia Tech Saturday, they allowed 438 rushing yards, turned ball over four times, and had an 18-yard FG blocked. Down 14-0, why in the name of Garo Yepremian were they even trying a field goal when they had the ball at the one-yard line?

6) UNLV was up 21-0 at half against Iowa State late Saturday, but needed OT to subdue the spunky Cyclones, 34-31. ISU tied game on 28-yard TD pass in final thirty seconds of regulation.

5) BYU won its last two games by combined score of 103-0, and not a cupcake in sight-- UCLA and league rival Wyoming.

4) South Carolina 23, Wofford 13. Gamecocks scored TD with 1:58 left to salt the game away. Fans there must really be happy.

3) Former Oklahoma QB Rhett Bomar was 26-46/340 as Bearkats of Sam Houston State lost 38-14 at Kansas. Bomar was exiled to I-AA after it was found out that his summer job while playing QB for the Sooners was just a little too well-paying.

3) LSU found itself a QB Saturday night. America, meet Jarrett Lee.

2) First three TDs in the Vandy-Ole Miss game came on a fumble return, INT return and kick return, all in the space of 37 seconds. In the other 59:23 of the game, only one TD was scored.

1) Vanderbilt is 4-0; Northwestern is 4-0. Vandy has a coach who is a dead ringer for Steve Martin, the great comedian- they last went to a bowl in 1982. In a year when the Tampa Rays made the playoffs in baseball, it makes sense that Vanderbilt leads the SEC East at 2-0.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

**pm530** · 09-21-2008, 05:25 AM

Canadian Football League – Long Sheet

CFL
Long Sheet

Week 13

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sunday, September 21
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**pm530** · 09-21-2008, 05:26 AM

Canadian Football League – Write up

CFL
Write-up

Week 13 CFL games

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**pm530** · 09-21-2008, 05:27 AM

Canadian Football League – Additional Trends

CFL

Trends Sheet

Week 13

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

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**pm530** · 09-21-2008, 05:28 AM

Canadian Football League – Previews and Picks

CFL
Previews and Picks

CFL Week 13 previews and predictions

Sunday, September 21

Edmonton Eskimos (7-4) at Montreal Alouettes (7-4) (Montreal -3)

On paper, these two teams compare quite well with one major difference: Montreal’s running game is more efficient when Avon Cobourne is in the lineup. His status is questionable at this point, coach Trestman insisting that he won’t play if he is not 100 percent healthy after nursing a ankle injury.

The Eskimos will have to do without A.J. Harris, Garrick Jones and possibly Kelly Campbell. Ricky Ray has been erratic in his last two games and he’s never really had success against the Alouettes in Montreal’s Percival-Molson Stadium.

But Montreal’s defense was horrible in Calgary, giving Henry Burris all the time he needed to throw five touchdown passes to five different receivers with more than 400 yards gained throwing the ball. The Alouettes’ secondary can’t be that generous with Ray, one of the best gunslingers in the CFL, who averages more than nine yards on each of his completed passes.

The Alouettes cornerbacks will have to keep an eye on Kelly Campbell and Kamau Peterson, both in the top six in the league among wide receivers. Good news is for the Als that Free Safety Etienne Boulay will get his first start this season, since he was released from the New York Jets training camp. But Montreal native and Edmonton coach Danny Maciocia love to play against the Alouettes and this should make for a very exciting Sunday afternoon game.

That said, the Alouettes should win it, if only to redeem themselves from Friday night embarrassing loss to Calgary.

Pick: Montreal

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**pm530** · 09-21-2008, 05:30 AM

WNBA – Long Sheet

WNBA
Long Sheet

Playoffs

Note: The long sheet should be updated, if so, we will re-post.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sunday, September 21
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

INDIANA (17 - 18) at DETROIT (23 - 12) - 9/21/2008, 3:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
DETROIT is 9-8 against the spread versus INDIANA over the last 3 seasons
DETROIT is 12-5 straight up against INDIANA over the last 3 seasons
8 of 15 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

LOS ANGELES (21 - 14) at SEATTLE (22 - 13) - 9/21/2008, 5:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
SEATTLE is 10-4 against the spread versus LOS ANGELES over the last 3 seasons
SEATTLE is 8-6 straight up against LOS ANGELES over the last 3 seasons
8 of 13 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**pm530** · 09-21-2008, 05:31 AM

WNBA – Trends Sheet

.
WNBA

Playoffs

Sunday, September 21

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trends Sheet
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

3:00 PM INDIANA vs. DETROIT
Indiana is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Detroit
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Indiana's last 5 games when playing on the road against Detroit
Detroit is 14-3 SU in its last 17 games at home
Detroit is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Indiana

5:00 PM LOS ANGELES vs. SEATTLE
Los Angeles is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
Los Angeles is 3-8 SU in its last 11 games on the road
Seattle is 9-1 ATS in its last 10 games at home
Seattle is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**pm530** · 09-21-2008, 05:45 AM

Baseball Today

MLB

Sunday, September 21

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Baseball Today
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SCOREBOARD
Baltimore at New York Yankees (8:05 p.m. EDT). Andy Pettitte will pitch for New York in the final regular-season game at 85-year-old Yankee Stadium. Fans will be allowed to walk on the field hours before a pregame ceremony highlighting the ballpark’s rich history.

STARS

Saturday

— Manny Ramirez, Dodgers, hit two homers and drove in five runs to help Los Angeles beat San Francisco 10-7.

— Roy Halladay, Blue Jays, worked six innings to earn his 19th win and keep Toronto’s slim playoff hopes alive with a 6-3 victory over the Red Sox.

— Robinson Cano, Yankees, hit an RBI single with two outs in the ninth inning and New York staved off postseason elimination with a 1-0 victory over Baltimore.

— Garret Anderson, Angels, homered and drove in three runs to help Los Angeles beat the Rangers 7-3.

— Ryan Doumit, Pirates, drove in three runs with a pair of triples in the first two innings and Pittsburgh held off Houston 6-4.

— Chris Young, Padres, allowed just two hits in seven innings and hit the first home run of his career to lead the Padres over the Nationals 6-1.

CUBS WIN, CUBS WIN

The Chicago Cubs clinched their second straight NL Central title Saturday, beating the St. Louis Cardinals 5-4 behind Ted Lilly’s seven innings at rocking Wrigley Field.

The 41,597 fans jammed into the old neighborhood ballpark were ready to party as they watched the Cubs earn back-to-back postseason appearances for the first time since they participated in three straight World Series from 1906-08.

CELEBRATION

The Tampa Bay Rays kept things simple, clinching the first playoff berth in franchise history on their own. Carlos Pena hit a two-run double and Scott Kazmir rebounded from the worst start of his career to pitch six scoreless innings Saturday, helping the AL East leaders wrap up at least a wild-card spot with a 7-2 victory over the Minnesota Twins.

SIXTY SAVES

Francisco Rodriguez recorded his 60th save Saturday night in Los Angeles’ 7-3 victory over Texas. Originally, Angels manager Mike Scioscia said Friday he was going to give Rodriguez the next two games off. Scot Shields closed out Friday’s win, but Rodriguez retired Nelson Cruz to preserve the lead in his 67th save opportunity.

OOPS

Stephen Drew turned an embarrassing moment into a winning one. One pitch after thinking he had drawn a walk, Drew hit a two-out, two-run homer in the top of the ninth and the Arizona Diamondbacks ended their 11-game road losing streak with a 5-3 victory over the Colorado Rockies on Saturday night.

STATS

New York Mets pitcher Pedro Martinez struck out seven to move within eight of tying former Boston teammate Curt Schilling for 14th place on the career strikeout list with 3,116. … Houston’s Lance Berkman singled up the middle in the ninth to end a career-worst slump of 0-for-27 that helped drop his average from .338 on Sept. 1 to .315.

FAMILIAR FACE

Georgetown University coach John Thompson III was a pregame visitor before the San Diego Padres beat the Washington Nationals 6-1. He was an assistant coach at Princeton when Chris Young played basketball and baseball, and head coach when Will Venable played both sports there.

SPEAKING

“We’re looking at the big picture and it’s nice to get in. We expected to get in and be in this spot and we’re going to enjoy it tonight and probably a little bit in the morning”—said Cubs closer Kerry Wood, who’s been with the team longer than any other current player, after Chicago clinched the NL Central with a 5-4 win over the Cardinals.

SEASONS

Sept. 21

1934—Daffy Dean of the St. Louis Cardinals pitched a no-hitter against the Brooklyn Dodgers for 3-0 victory in the second game of an Ebbets Field doubleheader. Daffy’s brother Dizzy held Brooklyn hitless until the eighth inning in the opener and won 13-0.
1964—Manager Gene Mauch’s first-place Phillies lost 1-0 to the Cincinnati Reds on Chico Ruiz’s steal of home in the sixth inning. It was Philadelphia’s first of 10 straight losses, a streak that cost them the NL pennant.

1970—Oakland’s Vida Blue pitched a no-hitter in his eighth major league start, beating Minnesota 6-0.

1981—Steve Carlton struck out Andre Dawson in the third inning for his 3,118th career strikeout, the most in the NL. But the Phillies lost to Montreal 1-0 in 17 innings.

1986—No. 1 draft pick Jimmy Jones pitched a one-hitter in his major league debut, leading the San Diego Padres to a 5-0 victory against the Houston Astros. Jones allowed a triple in the third inning to opposing pitcher Bob Knepper.

1995—Colorado’s John Vander Wal set a major league record with his 26th pinch-hit of the season with a home run in the seventh inning against San Francisco.

2000—Colorado’s Jeff Cirillo doubled twice in a 13-4 win over San Diego, giving him 51 doubles for the year. Cirillo and Todd Helton (57) became the seventh pair of teammates in major league history to reach 50 doubles in the same season.

2001—Albert Pujols hit a grand slam and doubled in a run in St. Louis’ 9-5 win over Pittsburgh. The slam gave him the major league record for extra base hits by a rookie (83), one more than Johnny Frederick’s total for Brooklyn in 1929.

2003—Greg Maddux became the first pitcher in major league history to win at least 15 games in 16 consecutive seasons, leading Atlanta over Florida 8-0. Maddux (15-11) had shared the record with Cy Young. Maddux pitched five scoreless innings, allowing only one hit in his 288th career victory.

2006—David Ortiz hit his 51st and 52nd homers, breaking the Red Sox record for most homers in a season of 50 set in 1938 by Jimmie Foxx. The homers also set the major league record by a designated hitter at 45, two more than he hit when he set the record last season.

Today’s birthdays: Joaquin Arias 24; Brian Tallet 31; Doug Davis 33.

LATE HEADLINES
MLB Rays clinch first-ever playoff berth
Phils reclaim 1st in East, beat Marlins
K-Rod notches save No. 60 for Angels
Braves use 3-run 1st to beat Pedro, Mets
ChiSox fail to build on AL Central lead
Cubs win second straight division title
Fading Brewers lose again, 4-3 to Reds
Ramirez's 2 HRs, 5 RBIs power Dodgers
Halladay wins 19th, Jays top Red Sox 6-3
Drew's HR in 9th helps Arizona end skid

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**pm530** · 09-21-2008, 05:47 AM

Major League Baseball – Trend Sheet

MLB

Sunday, September 21

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trend Sheet
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1:05 PM DETROIT vs. CLEVELAND
Detroit is 3-9 SU in its last 12 games when playing on the road against Cleveland
Detroit is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Cleveland
Cleveland is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
Cleveland is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home

1:07 PM BOSTON vs. TORONTO
Boston is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing Toronto
Boston is 3-8 SU in its last 11 games when playing on the road against Toronto
Toronto is 8-3 SU in its last 11 games when playing at home against Boston
Toronto is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games when playing Boston

1:15 PM MILWAUKEE vs. CINCINNATI
Milwaukee is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Cincinnati
Milwaukee is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Cincinnati
Cincinnati is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games at home
Cincinnati is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games

1:35 PM HOUSTON vs. PITTSBURGH
Houston is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Houston is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Houston
Pittsburgh is 8-17 SU in its last 25 games

1:35 PM NY METS vs. ATLANTA
NY Mets are 1-7 SU in its last 8 games when playing on the road against Atlanta
NY Mets are 15-6 SU in its last 21 games on the road
Atlanta is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
Atlanta is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games at home

1:35 PM SAN DIEGO vs. WASHINGTON
San Diego is 12-1 SU in its last 13 games when playing on the road against Washington
San Diego is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing Washington
Washington is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games when playing San Diego
Washington is 2-9 SU in its last 11 games

1:40 PM MINNESOTA vs. TAMPA BAY
Minnesota is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games
Minnesota is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games on the road
Tampa Bay is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Minnesota
Tampa Bay is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing Minnesota

2:10 PM CHI WHITE SOX vs. KANSAS CITY
Chi White Sox are 2-4 SU in their last 6 games
Chi White Sox are 4-9 SU in their last 13 games on the road
Kansas City is 4-2 SU in their last 6 games when playing at home against Chi White Sox
Kansas City is 1-4 SU in their last 5 games when playing Chi White Sox

2:20 PM ST. LOUIS vs. CHI CUBS
St. Louis is 7-16 SU in their last 23 games when playing on the road against Chi Cubs
St. Louis is 2-8 SU in its last 10 games
Chi Cubs are 4-2 SU in their last 6 games when playing St. Louis
Chi Cubs are 3-7 SU in their last 10 games at home

3:05 PM ARIZONA vs. COLORADO
Arizona is 0-4-1 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Arizona is 10-3-1 SU in its last 14 games when playing Colorado
Colorado is 4-1-1 SU in its last 6 games
Colorado is 4-8-1 SU in its last 13 games

3:05 PM LA ANGELS vs. TEXAS
LA Angels are 8-2 SU in their last 10 games
LA Angels are 4-2 SU in their last 6 games on the road
Texas is 1-6 SU in their last 7 games when playing LA Angels
Texas is 2-6 SU in their last 8 games when playing at home against LA Angels

4:05 PM SEATTLE vs. OAKLAND
Seattle is 3-8 SU in its last 11 games when playing Oakland
Seattle is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Oakland
Oakland is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games
Oakland is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games at home

4:10 PM PHILADELPHIA vs. FLORIDA
Philadelphia is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games
Philadelphia is 3-7 SU in its last 10 games when playing Florida
Florida is 7-3 SU in its last 10 games when playing at home against Philadelphia
Florida is 7-3 SU in its last 10 games when playing Philadelphia

4:10 PM SAN FRANCISCO vs. LA DODGERS
San Francisco is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games
San Francisco is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games on the road
LA Dodgers are 16-4 SU in their last 20 games
LA Dodgers are 8-1 SU in their last 9 games at home

8:05 PM BALTIMORE vs. NY YANKEES
Baltimore is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
Baltimore is 1-10 SU in its last 11 games on the road
NY Yankees are 8-3 SU in their last 11 games when playing at home against Baltimore
NY Yankees are 5-0 SU in their last 5 games when playing Baltimore

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**pm530** · 09-21-2008, 05:48 AM

Major League Baseball – Streaking Pitchers

MLB

Sunday, September 21

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Streaking Starting Pitchers
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sunday’s streaking and slumping pitchers

Streaking

Bronson Arroyo, Cincinnati Reds (15-10, 4.57 ERA)

Arroyo just keeps on rockin' during the second half of the season. The part-time song smith is 8-3 in 12 starts with a 2.82 ERA since the All-Star break. He is undefeated in the past six trips to the mound.

Arroyo's success can be attributed to tinkering with his grip on his sinker. In his most recent start against the Brew Crew, the right hander didn't allow an earned run in seven innings of work. He is 1-1 with a 2.41 ERA in three appearances versus Milwaukee this season.

Derek Lowe, Los Angeles Dodgers (14-11, 3.40 ERA)

Los Angeles has padded its lead over the NL West thanks in part to Lowe's four straight victories. The righty has given up just two earned runs on 14 hits over those games and comes into Sunday following a seven-inning, one-run performance against Pittsburgh.

Lowe will be a free agent this offseason and his recent play has grabbed the attention of many clubs trying to beef up their rotation. This could be the last time Lowe faces the rival Giants in the blue and grey. He is 5-1 in his last six starts versus San Fran.

Slumping

Braden Looper, St. Louis Cardinals (12-13, 4.06 ERA)

Looper is trying hard to pick up his first win in almost a month, but it seems it just isn't in the Cards. The right-handed hurler is 0-3 in his last four trips to the hill and is just 3-6 in his last 11 starts.

St. Louis' sluggers have provided an average of under three runs of support in those last four games. Looper has an ERA of 4.94 over this span. He is 0-2 with 2.37 ERA in three starts versus Chicago.

Andy Pettitte, New York Yankees (13-14, 4.57 ERA)

Hey Andy, no pressure.

Pettitte takes the mound for the final game in Yankee Stadium Sunday and it could come at a worst time. The veteran pitcher is coming off a career-worst fifth straight loss and is 1-7 in his last 10 starts.

The lefty has a hefty 6.90 ERA over the past five games. Although, he does have a 1.32 ERA and a 2-0 mark in his two starts versus the Orioles this season.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**Udog** · 09-21-2008, 10:58 AM

MLB

Sunday, September 21

Guys,
If this article updates, for the Cards/Cubs game, we'll re-post.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hot Lines: Sunday's best MLB bets
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

San Francisco at L.A. Dodgers (-175, 7 1/2)

A key reason for the Los Angeles Dodgers' success over the last three weeks has been the pitching of Derek Lowe.

Lowe goes for his fifth consecutive victory as the Dodgers try to move closer to claiming the NL West in the deciding game of their three-game home set with the San Francisco Giants on Sunday afternoon.

There haven't been many who have pitched better than Lowe (14-11, 3.40 ERA) over the last month. He allowed one run and five hits in seven innings of a 6-2 win at Pittsburgh on Tuesday, improving to 4-0 with a 0.68 ERA since losing at Washington on Aug. 26.

The right-hander has allowed 14 hits during his winning stretch while the Dodgers have won each of those contests by at least four runs. Los Angeles (81-74) led 5-0 after three innings of his last outing.

"They made it easy by getting me an early lead and allowed me to settle in," said Lowe, who is 4-5 with a 3.62 ERA in 12 starts against San Francisco and 1-0 versus the Giants this season.

Pick: Dodgers

St. Louis at Chicago Cubs (N/A )

The Chicago Cubs have more than a week to prepare for a run at the franchise's first World Series title in 100 years.

After clinching their second straight NL Central division title, the Cubs conclude their season series with the rival St. Louis Cardinals on Sunday at Wrigley Field.

Chicago (93-60) held on for a 5-4 win over St. Louis on Saturday to clinch consecutive playoff appearances for the first time since 1908 - the last time the storied franchise won a World Series title.

The Cubs, 8-4 since losing six in a row, won 85 games and the Central last year before being swept by Arizona in the divisional series. They also were considered a favorite to repeat in 2008.

"They pretty much felt all year they were going to end up right here and get the first step done ," Chicago general manager Jim Hendry said. "They should be enjoying it, but you can tell they got some other business on their mind to take care of this year."

Manager Lou Piniella has a chance to rest some regulars and set his rotation while trying to maintain the NL's best record and home-field advantage in the final week of the regular season. After Sunday's home finale, the Cubs play at New York and Milwaukee - both playoff contenders - to close out the season.

Pick: N/A

**Udog** · 09-21-2008, 11:03 AM

MLB
Dunkel

Chicago White Sox at Kansas City
The Royals look to continue their hot September (13-6) and make it two straight over the Chisox. Kansas City is the underdog pick (+145) according to Dunkel, which has the Royals favored straight up by 1. Dunkel Pick: Kansas City (+145). Here are all of today's games

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 21

Game 951-952: Milwaukee at Cincinnati
Dunkel Ratings: Milwaukee (Mcclung) 13.749; Cincinnati (Arroyo) 15.887
Dunkel Line: Cincinnati by 2; 8 1/2
Vegas Line: Cincinnati (-145); 9
Dunkel Pick: Cincinnati (-145); Under

Game 953-954: San Diego at Washington
Dunkel Ratings: San Diego (Baek) 13.747; Washington (Perez) 14.721
Dunkel Line: Washington by 1; 9 1/2
Vegas Line: Washington (-130); 9
Dunkel Pick: Washington (-130); Over

Game 955-956: Houston at Pittsburgh
Dunkel Ratings: Houston (Oswalt) 15.896; Pittsburgh (Ohlendor) 14.725
Dunkel Line: Houston by 1; 9 1/2
Vegas Line: Houston (-185); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Houston (-185); Over

Game 957-958: NY Mets at Atlanta
Dunkel Ratings: NY Mets (Pelfrey) 16.757; Atlanta (Parr) 15.353
Dunkel Line: NY Mets by 1 1/2; 10
Vegas Line: NY Mets (-135); 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: NY Mets (-135); Over

Game 959-960: Arizona at Colorado
Dunkel Ratings: Arizona (Haren) 15.718; Colorado (Reynolds) 14.176
Dunkel Line: Arizona by 1 1/2; 10
Vegas Line: Arizona (-150); 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Arizona (-150); Over

Game 961-962: Philadelphia at Florida
Dunkel Ratings: Philadelphia (Moyer) 16.422; Florida (Volstad) 17.947
Dunkel Line: Florida by 1 1/2; 10 1/2
Vegas Line: Philadelphia (-115); 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Florida (+105); Over

Game 963-964: San Francisco at LA Dodgers
Dunkel Ratings: San Francisco (Cain) 14.934; LA Dodgers (Lowe) 16.238
Dunkel Line: LA Dodgers by 1 1/2; 6
Vegas Line: LA Dodgers (-185); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: LA Dodgers (-185); Under

Game 965-966: St. Louis at Chicago Cubs
Dunkel Ratings: St. Louis (Looper) 13.124; Cubs (Dempster) 14.849
Dunkel Line: Chicago Cubs by 2; 9 1/2
Vegas Line: No Line
Dunkel Pick: N/A

Game 967-968: Detroit at Cleveland
Dunkel Ratings: Detroit (Willis) 14.370; Cleveland (Lewis) 16.038
Dunkel Line: Cleveland by 1 1/2; 11 1/2
Vegas Line: Cleveland (-140); 10 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Cleveland (-140); Over

Game 969-970: Baltimore at NY Yankees
Dunkel Ratings: Baltimore (Waters) 15.132; NY Yankees (Pettitte) 17.728
Dunkel Line: NY Yankees by 2 1/2; 11
Vegas Line: NY Yankees (-230); 10
Dunkel Pick: NY Yankees (-230); Over

Game 971-972: Boston at Toronto
Dunkel Ratings: Boston (Matsuzaka) 16.815; Toronto (Richmond) 15.348
Dunkel Line: Boston by 1 1/2; 8 1/2
Vegas Line: Boston (-175); 9
Dunkel Pick: Boston (-175); Under

Game 973-974: Minnesota at Tampa Bay
Dunkel Ratings: Minnesota (Liriano) 15.241; Tampa Bay (Shields) 15.506
Dunkel Line: Tampa Bay by 1/2; 7
Vegas Line: Tampa Bay (-120); 8
Dunkel Pick: Tampa Bay (-120); Under

Game 975-976: Chicago White Sox at Kansas City
Dunkel Ratings: White Sox (Danks) 15.872; Kansas City (Duckworth) 16.945
Dunkel Line: Kansas City by 1; 10
Vegas Line: Chicago White Sox (-155); 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Kansas City (+145); Over

Game 977-978: LA Angels at Texas
Dunkel Ratings: LA Angels (Lackey) 15.244; Texas (Feldman) 15.199
Dunkel Line: LA Angels by 1/2; 9 1/2
Vegas Line: LA Angels (-140); 10 1/2
Dunkel Pick: LA Angels (-140); Under

Game 979-980: Seattle at Oakland
Dunkel Ratings: Seattle (Morrow) 15.148; Oakland (Gallagher) 16.858
Dunkel Line: Oakland by 2 1/2; 8 1/2
Vegas Line: Oakland (-135); 8
Dunkel Pick: Oakland (-135); Over

Announcement

Sunday Trends and Indexes 9/21 (MLB, CFL, WNBA, Misc.)

Sunday Trends and Indexes 9/21 (MLB, CFL, WNBA, Misc.)

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment