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**pm530** · 04-20-2009, 05:54 AM

Daily Sports Roundup

Monday, April 20

Today in the Daily Sports Roundup: The Celtics and Spurs look to bounce back, the Caps try to dig themselves out of a hole, and the BoSox and O's meet early.

Tipping off on the hardwood . . .

There are just two NBA playoff games on the schedule for Monday night, with Chicago at Boston and Dallas at San Antonio. The Bulls pulled off the overtime upset in the opening game of the first-round series on Saturday afternoon, getting 36 points from Derrick Rose in a 105-103 victory. Ben Gordon added 20 points for Chicago in that win, while Rajon Rondo scored 29 points for the Celtics.

The Spurs also lost their series opener at home on Saturday, falling 105-97 to the rival Mavericks. Josh Howard led the Dallas attack with 25 points in that contest, while Dirk Nowitzki tossed in 19 points, and Erick Dampier contributed 10 points and 11 rebounds. Tim Duncan had a game-high 27 points and nine boards in a losing cause for San Antonio, and Tony Parker poured in 24 points.

Meeting up on the diamond . . .

The Red Sox play their annual Marathon-induced morning contest on Monday as they conclude their series with the division-rival Orioles. Boston will send righthander Justin Masterson to the mound in that game; he replaces Daisuke Matsuzaka in the team's rotation and sports an 0-0 mark with a 4.50 ERA. The O's counter with lefthander Mark Hendrickson, who is 1-1 with a 3.00 ERA so far.

The only other American League contest on the slate for Monday sees the Yankees opening a home series against Oakland. Over in the National League on Monday it'll be Atlanta at Washington, San Diego at Philadelphia, Florida at Pittsburgh, Cincinnati at Houston, and Colorado at Arizona. Rockies starting righthander Jason Marquis has a 2-0 mark and stellar 1.93 ERA on the season.

Taking a trip around the rink . . .

Three teams will be looking to take commanding series leads on Monday night when the NHL playoffs return to the ice. Leading things off is Washington at the Rangers, with New York coming off back-to-back upsets over Alexander Ovechkin and company. Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist made 35 saves on Saturday to give his team a 1-0 victory and a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series.

The Bruins and Blackhawks also won on Saturday to go up 2-0 in their playoff series. Boston thumped Montreal 5-1, with Marc Savard picking up two goals and two assists and Tim Thomas making 30 saves. Habs netminder Carey Price was pulled after allowing five goals on 26 shots. Chicago, meanwhile, rallied for a 3-2 win over the Flames on Saturday, with Jonathan Toews scoring twice. Nikolai Khabibulin had 30 saves for Chicago; Miikka Kiprusoff had 30 saves for Calgary.

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**pm530** · 04-20-2009, 05:54 AM

Six-pack for Monday

-- Right now, Dodgers are best team in the National League; if you say Florida, keep in mind they've played Washington six times.

-- There is a rumor that Celine Dion is going to buy the Montreal Canadiens; wow, singers must make a lot of money.

-- Lakers win when their secondary guys score: Gasol, Ariza shot a combined 15-21 from floor in an easy Game 1 win against the Jazz.

-- 76ers rallied to win in Orlando after being down 18 at one time-- Sixer subs Marshall, Ratliff had plus/minuses of +18/+17, which in a two-point win is pretty damn impressive.

-- Mavericks' bench was 17-31 from floor in Game 1 at the Alamo.

-- Remember Joakim Noah, who won two national titles at Florida? He had 17 rebounds for Bulls in their Game 1 win at Boston.

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**pm530** · 04-20-2009, 05:55 AM

Monday's List of 13: Wrapping up a sports weekend..........

13) Padres have been winning so many games they had to give closer Bell the day off and it cost them Sunday, as Ibanez hit walk-off tater in bottom of ninth-- Phillies nipped San Diego 5-4, their first win in three series games, with series winding up Monday night.

12) Too bad the Indians' bullpen blew their 3-1 lead in Bronx Sunday afternoon; New York papers would have gone wild had Carl Pavano beaten the Bombers. As it was, Pavano gave up one run in six IP to the team he stole money from for four seasons.

11) Someone send some steroids to San Francisco, and quick; final scores in Diamondback-Giant series: 2-0/2-0/2-0. Randy Johnson had a no-hitter in 7th inning Sunday. He's almost as old as I am.

10) Florida came from behind to beat beleaguered Washington 7-4; it has only been two weeks, but for National skipper Manny Acta, it must feel like this season has been going on forever. Washington is a team with truly terrible relief pitching.

9) Why did they build the Nationals a new ballpark? Fans could have not gone to RFK Stadium just as easily as the new park., which looks to be an excellent facility but is mostly empty these days.

8) This is the year that someone can jump up and unseat the Angels in the AL West; Halos have been ravaged by injuries, just got swept in the Metrodome, and look awful. Seattle looks like the only one of the three challengers that is strong enough to unseat LA, though.

7) Bill Cowher was cranking up the crowd in Raleigh before playoff game between Devils, Hurricanes Sunday night. Cowher doesn't look like a guy whos in a hurry to get back into coaching.

6) Before Brian Gay's 10-shot win at Hilton Head Sunday, last time someone won on PGA Tour by double digit margin? Phil Mickelson won in Atlanta by ten shots in 2006, week before he won at Augusta.

5) Somehow, David Wright won a Gold Glove last year, so must be a weak era at the hot corner in the National League; anyway, Wright is presented his Gold Glove before Sunday's game, so the first batter of the game hits the ball to Wright's left, and he boots it. Official scorer for Mets protects Wright, calls it a hit. Up in the broadcast booth, Keith Hernandez rips the official scorer on TV.

4) Milwaukee, by the way, hasn't had Gold Glove winner since way back in 1982. In 27 years, they haven't had a great fielder? (Well, not counting Prince Fielder.......)

3) Mets still haven't faced a lefthanded starting pitcher, and won't in their next series either, in St Louis.

2) After two weeks of 26, here are how the playoffs would shape up, if they started Monday morning at 9am.........
AL-- Toronto-Kansas City-Seattle-White Sox
NL-- Florida- St Louis-Dodgers-Padres.

1) Some night when there are both an NHL, NBA playoff games on TV, flip back and forth between the games. NHL playoff games are harder hitting, more intense than the regular season.

NBA games are slower, because there is more preparation time than in the regular season, so teams know each others' plays so well, there is very little transition scoring. Just the way it is, NHL playoff games are more fun than NBA games, there is more emotion in the NHL buildings, it means more to hockey fans, I really believe that.

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**pm530** · 04-20-2009, 05:59 AM

NBA
Long Sheet

If additional “Top Trends” are updated, we will re-post.

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Monday, April 20
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CHICAGO (42 - 41) at BOSTON (62 - 21) - 4/20/2009, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CHICAGO is 12-24 ATS (-14.4 Units) against Atlantic division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO is 7-21 ATS (-16.1 Units) off an upset win as an underdog over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 110-80 ATS (+22.0 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 85-68 ATS (+10.2 Units) as a favorite over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 55-41 ATS (+9.9 Units) in home games over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 31-13 ATS (+16.7 Units) revenging a home loss vs opponent over the last 3 seasons.
BOSTON is 55-40 ATS (+11.0 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 56-36 ATS (+16.4 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO is 13-3 ATS (+9.7 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season this season.
CHICAGO is 19-10 ATS (+8.0 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game this season.
BOSTON is 55-81 ATS (-34.1 Units) after 3 or more consecutive overs since 1996.
BOSTON is 60-87 ATS (-35.7 Units) in home games after allowing 105 points or more since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
BOSTON is 7-4 against the spread versus CHICAGO over the last 3 seasons
BOSTON is 6-5 straight up against CHICAGO 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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DALLAS (51 - 32) at SAN ANTONIO (54 - 29) - 4/20/2009, 9:35 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
DALLAS is 8-5 against the spread versus SAN ANTONIO over the last 3 seasons
DALLAS is 7-6 straight up against SAN ANTONIO over the last 3 seasons
7 of 13 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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Tuesday, April 21

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DETROIT (39 - 44) at CLEVELAND (67 - 16) - 4/21/2009, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
DETROIT is 34-49 ATS (-19.9 Units) in all games this season.
DETROIT is 2-14 ATS (-13.4 Units) after a division game this season.
CLEVELAND is 50-33 ATS (+13.7 Units) in all games this season.
CLEVELAND is 44-27 ATS (+14.3 Units) as a favorite this season.
CLEVELAND is 28-14 ATS (+12.6 Units) in home games this season.
CLEVELAND is 25-16 ATS (+7.4 Units) after a win by 10 points or more this season.
DETROIT is 13-3 ATS (+9.7 Units) in a road game where the total is between 170 and 179.5 points over the last 2 seasons.
DETROIT is 16-5 ATS (+10.5 Units) in road games when playing with 2 days rest over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
CLEVELAND is 12-7 against the spread versus DETROIT over the last 3 seasons
CLEVELAND is 10-9 straight up against DETROIT over the last 3 seasons
14 of 19 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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HOUSTON (54 - 29) at PORTLAND (54 - 29) - 4/21/2009, 10:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
PORTLAND is 6-6 against the spread versus HOUSTON over the last 3 seasons
HOUSTON is 9-3 straight up against PORTLAND over the last 3 seasons
6 of 12 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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**pm530** · 04-20-2009, 06:00 AM

NBA
Write-up

Monday, April 20

First round, NBA playoffs

Chicago rookie Rose scored 36 points in OT win in Game 1, tying record for most points scored in first playoff game. Bulls are 6-2-1 vs spread in last nine games as underdog. Allen/Pierce combined to go 9-33 from the floor in Game 1. Chicago played only eight guys; Noah had 17 rebounds for Bulls, who were +8 on boards and blocked nine Boston shots.

Dallas won eight of its last ten games; its bench was 17-31 from the floor in Game 1 win at Alamo; Mavs shot 53.8% from floor, didn't have shot blocked by Spurs, who are 4-12 vs spread in last 16 games as a favorite. San Antonio made 11-14 from arc in Game 1 and still lost. Dallas sub G Barea was +17 in his 26:03 of playing time; younger legs prevailing?

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**pm530** · 04-20-2009, 06:01 AM

NBA

Monday, April 20

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Trend Sheet
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7:00 PM
CHICAGO vs. BOSTON
Chicago is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games on the road
Chicago is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Boston is 8-2 SU in its last 10 games
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Boston's last 8 games

9:30 PM
DALLAS vs. SAN ANTONIO
Dallas is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games
Dallas is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games
San Antonio is 2-10 ATS in its last 12 games when playing at home against Dallas
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of San Antonio's last 7 games when playing at home against Dallas

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**pm530** · 04-20-2009, 06:01 AM

NBA

Monday, April 20

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Pick ‘n’ Roll: NBA best bets
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Chicago Bulls at Boston Celtics (-8, 196)

If words could stop Derrick Rose, the Celtics would be doing better in the playoffs.

"Everybody has their night," Boston center Kendrick Perkins said Sunday. "I know it won't happen again. He'll never have another game like that against us."

The defending NBA champions need more than strong statements to cool off the 20-year-old rookie. In his playoff debut, the Chicago Bulls' point guard had 36 points and 11 assists in a 105-103 overtime win at the Celtics home Saturday.

That's where Game 2 will be Monday night, and the Celtics know exactly what they must do better on defense - hurry back against the speedy Bulls, communicate, stop the pick-and-roll and get the ball out of Rose's hands as soon as possible.

A tall order, perhaps, but one they must fill to have a better chance of avoiding a 2-0 deficit in the best-of-seven series going into Thursday night's game in Chicago.

The top-seeded Celtics are the more skillful team, even without the sidelined Kevin Garnett, although Boston coach Doc Rivers conceded that the eighth-seeded Bulls are more athletic.

"I was just doing anything I could to win that game," Rose said, speaking like a seasoned veteran wary of stirring up controversy.

He did plenty. The 36 points tied Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's NBA record for a playoff debut. On Sunday, Rose, a humble, team-oriented player, paid the proper respect.

The Celtics had a long film session - needing that time, perhaps, to watch all their mistakes - and a short practice. The Bulls were pleased with the win but know that's no indication of how the rest of the series will go now that Boston has seen firsthand that they're not pushovers.

The Bulls must improve against point guard Rajon Rondo, who had 29 points, nine rebounds and seven assists. The Celtics might be better off if he scored fewer points and had more assists to Pierce and Allen.

But first Boston must do a better job of setting screens to get Allen open and delivering the ball to him at the right time.

"We're a better defensive team" than they showed in Game 1, Rivers said. "We're going to win because of our defense and, if we get more stops, Ray will get more shots and he'll get more shots in rhythm" since the Bulls will have less time to set up their defense.

The Celtics said they won't change their game plan, just execute it better. The Bulls want to avoid becoming predictable on defense.

"We're going to mix it up on Pierce and Allen," Del Negro said. "Obviously, Rondo hurt us a lot, so we have to make some adjustments there, but that's what playoff basketball is all about."

He knows that if Pierce had made his free throw at the end of regulation, the Bulls probably would have lost.

But they didn't, and the Celtics know that whether Garnett is sitting on the bench in a suit, as he did in the first half, or leaving because he gets too worked up watching from there, as he did in the second, they'll have to go on without him.

They did finish the regular season with an 8-1 record when he sat out the last nine games. And they were 15-7 in the 22 he missed out of the final 26.

"Kevin's not with us," Pierce said simply, "so we're not going to even linger on that."

Pick: Over

Dallas Mavericks at San Antonio Spurs (-5.5, 189)

Dirk Nowitzki sat in a chair courtside, reflecting on the Dallas Mavericks first playoff road win in three years.

For a once "terrible" road team, in the words of Nowitzki, they looked perfectly relaxed in San Antonio, a day after beating the Spurs in the series opener.

"The advantage we just gained, we don't want to give it right back," Nowitzki said. "We've seen it happen before."

Not since the 2006 NBA finals had the Mavs led in a playoff series. But they've now got a 1-0 edge after going to Josh Howard early, relying on their bench late and wearing down rival San Antonio in a 105-97 victory on Saturday night.

About the only thing wrong for San Antonio on Sunday was that Jason Kidd didn't practice because of a stomach illness.

He expects to be fine for Game 2 on Monday night.

Dallas hadn't won a road playoff game in nine tries, but the Mavs don't seem to mind San Antonio: dating back to their memorable seven-game West semifinals series in 2006, Dallas has left the AT&T Center as winners in three of their last four playoff trips here.

The Game 1 victory was in large thanks to Howard, who scored 25 points and continues playing through an ailing ankle that will be surgically repaired once his season ends. Howard acknowledged the ankle was sore after the game. Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle tried keeping giving him as much rest as possibly by sitting Howard for virtually all the fourth quarter.

Now comes the far more difficult part: whether the Mavericks can become the first team since the Los Angeles Lakers in 2002 to win consecutive playoff games in San Antonio.

The Mavericks were 18-23 on the road this season, including winning just two of their last eight away from Dallas before the playoffs.

San Antonio, on the other hand, doesn't lose at home often come the playoffs: the Game 1 loss to Dallas was just the fourth in 20 home playoff games for the Spurs since winning their last NBA championship in 2007.

Pick: Spurs

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**pm530** · 04-20-2009, 06:03 AM

MLB
Write-up

Monday, April 20

Hot Pitchers
-- Lowe is 1-0, 2.81 in his first three Atlanta starts.
-- Cincinnati won both Arroyo starts, scoring 14 runs. Hampton has a 2.45 RA in his first two '09 starts.
-- Marquis is 2-0, 1.93 in his first two starts for Colorado.

-- Pettitte is 1-0, 2.51 in his two starts this season.

Cold Pitchers
-- Zimmerman makes first big league start; he allowed three runs in 5.1 IP in his only minor league start this season.
-- Miller is 0-4, 9.43 in his last six starts. Ohlendorf is 0-2, 4.76 in his first two '09 starts.
-- Moyer has 6.55 RA in his first two '09 starts. Correia is 0-1, 4.09 in his first two starts with San Diego.
-- Garland has an 8.44 RA in his first two starts for Arizona.

-- Masterson is 1-3, 4.55 in his last five starts. Hendrickson is 1-1, 9.00 in two starts this season.
-- Eveland has 6.75 RA in two games; Oakland bullpen won both.

Hot Teams
-- Marlins won eleven of their first twelve games. Pirates are 4-1 in the game following a loss this season.
-- San Diego won eight of its last ten games.
-- Cincinnati won five of its last seven games.

-- Red Sox won last four games, scoring 26 runs.
-- Bronx is 7-0 if they allow less than six runs, 0-6 if they don't.

Cold Teams
-- Nationals lost ten of their first 11 games. Braves lost five of their last six games. .
-- Phillies lost four of their first six home games.
-- Astros lost three of their last four home games.
-- Rockies lost six of their last seven games. Arizona lost eight of its last eleven games.

-- Orioles lost last three games, allowed 60 runs in last six.
-- Oakland lost three of its last four games.

Totals
-- Three of last four Atlanta road games went over the total.
-- Six of last nine Pittsburgh games stayed under the total.
-- Over is 7-1-1 in Philadelphia's last nine games.
-- Last seven Houston games stayed under the total.
-- Five of last seven Arizona games stayed under the total.

-- Nine of twelve Baltimore games went over the total.
-- Eight of last eleven Oakland games went over the total.

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**pm530** · 04-20-2009, 06:03 AM

MLB

Monday, April 20

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Trend Sheet
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11:05 AM
BALTIMORE vs. BOSTON
Baltimore is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Boston
Baltimore is 3-15 SU in its last 18 games on the road
Boston is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Boston's last 6 games

7:05 PM
ATLANTA vs. WASHINGTON
Atlanta is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing Washington
The total has gone OVER in 11 of Atlanta's last 13 games when playing Washington
Washington is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Washington's last 7 games at home

7:05 PM
FLORIDA vs. PITTSBURGH
Florida is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing Pittsburgh
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Florida's last 7 games when playing Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh is 13-6 SU in its last 19 games when playing at home against Florida
Pittsburgh is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing Florida

7:05 PM
OAKLAND vs. NY YANKEES
Oakland is 5-12 SU in its last 17 games
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Oakland's last 11 games
NY Yankees are 4-2 SU in their last 6 games when playing at home against Oakland
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of NY Yankees's last 6 games when playing at home against Oakland

7:05 PM
SAN DIEGO vs. PHILADELPHIA
San Diego is 8-2 SU in its last 10 games
The total has gone OVER in 7 of San Diego's last 9 games
Philadelphia is 12-4 SU in its last 16 games at home
Philadelphia is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games at home

8:00 PM
CINCINNATI vs. HOUSTON
Cincinnati is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Cincinnati's last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Houston's last 9 games when playing at home against Cincinnati
Houston is 17-5 SU in its last 22 games when playing Cincinnati

9:40 PM
COLORADO vs. ARIZONA
Colorado is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Colorado is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games
Arizona is 7-2 SU in its last 9 games when playing at home against Colorado
The total has gone OVER in 9 of Arizona's last 12 games when playing at home against Colorado

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**pm530** · 04-20-2009, 06:04 AM

MLB

Monday, April 20

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Hot lines: Today’s best MLB bets
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Cincinnati Reds at Houston Astros (-135, 8)

The Cincinnati Reds were worried about Bronson Arroyo's effectiveness after an injury to his throwing arm in spring training. He is quickly putting to rest any indication that it's bothering him.

The right-hander looks to open a season with three consecutive victories for the first time in his career when he takes the ball for the Reds in the finale of a four-game road series against the Houston Astros on Monday night.

Arroyo (2-0, 4.38 ERA) was bothered by a flare-up of carpal tunnel syndrome during spring training and didn't look particularly sharp in winning his first outing over the New York Mets on April 9. On Tuesday, though, he gave up one run and four hits in 6 1-3 innings of Cincinnati's 6-1 victory over Milwaukee to open with back-to-back wins for the first time since 2006.

Arroyo had a 9.00 ERA in losing his first three starts against the Astros (4-8) in 2008, but in his last start against them Aug. 26, the hurler allowed five hits in a complete-game, 2-1 win at Minute Maid Park.

He would appear to have a good chance for more success against Houston's offense, which has been abysmal this season, scoring a major-league low 36 runs.The Astros went 0-for-11 with runners in scoring position in Sunday's 4-2 loss to the Reds, their fourth defeat in six games at Minute Maid Park.

Cincinnati's offense isn't much better than Houston's.

The Reds (6-5) rank last in the majors in batting average (.210) and their biggest hit Sunday came from pitcher Micah Owings, who delivered a pinch-hit, two-run double in the seventh inning. Owings, who won the 2007 NL Silver Slugger award for pitchers, is 2-for-3 as a pinch hitter this season.

Pick: Reds

Colorado Rockies at Arizona Diamondbacks (-115, 10.5)

With their next 16 games against NL West foes, the slumping Colorado Rockies have a chance to make an early-season push up the division standings.

Facing a struggling Diamondbacks club that they beat two of three to open the season could be exactly what they need to get back on track.Colorado looks to snap a three-game slide Monday night at Chase Field as it takes on Arizona, which hopes for better results on its second nine-game homestand this season.

First-year Rockie Jason Marquis (2-0, 1.93 ERA) takes the mound Monday looking to snap his team's second three-game skid of the season. In his last start, the veteran right-hander ended Colorado's three-game slide by allowing one run and five hits in seven innings in a 5-2 win over the Chicago Cubs on Wednesday.

Marquis also went 1-for-3 with two RBIs against his former team.

"Jason's outing was as important as anything we got done today," Rockies manager Clint Hurdle told the team's official Web site.

Colorado (4-7), which has dropped six of seven, needs another solid start from Marquis as it makes its second visit to Phoenix this season.
The Rockies lost their season opener to the Diamondbacks 9-8 but won 3-0 on April 7 to snap a seven-game losing streak at Chase Field. Colorado's 9-2 win in the finale gave it a series win over Arizona for the first time since Sept. 28-30, 2007, when it took two of three.

Marquis, who is 0-3 with a 3.60 ERA lifetime at Chase Field, makes his first start there since giving up three runs and five hits in six innings as the Cubs lost 9-2 on July 22.

While the Rockies have batted just .214 and been outscored 27-10 since Marquis' last start, Arizona is struggling even more at the plate. In Sunday's 2-0 loss to San Francisco, the Diamondbacks managed just one hit - a lead-off double by Augie Ojeda in the seventh inning.

Arizona (4-8), batting an NL-worst .211 (15-for-71) with runners in scoring position, has scored two or fewer runs eight times this season.

Pick: Under

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**pm530** · 04-20-2009, 06:06 AM

MLB
Baseball Today

SCOREBOARD

Monday, April 20

Baltimore at Boston (11:05 a.m. EDT). Orioles and Red Sox get an early start in the annual Patriots Day game at Fenway.

STARS

Sunday

— Cody Ross, Marlins, hit the tying homer in the eighth inning and a three-run double in the ninth, finishing 3-for-4 with five RBIs in Florida’s seventh straight win, 7-4 over Washington.

— Jon Lester, Red Sox, allowed four hits and two walks in seven shutout innings, striking out nine in Boston’s 2-1 win over Baltimore.

— Glen Perkins, Twins, allowed one run and four hits over eight innings in Minnesota’s 3-1 win over the Los Angeles Angels. He struck out four.

— Jim Thome, White Sox, went 2-for-3 with a homer and two RBIs in Chicago’s 12-2 win over Tampa Bay. Thome also scored four runs.

— Javier Vazquez, Braves, went six shutout innings and struck out eight in Atlanta’s 11-1 win over Pittsburgh. Vazquez allowed only five hits and a walk.

— Raul Ibanez, Phillies, went 2-for-4 with the game-ending two-run homer for Philadelphia in a 5-4 win over San Diego.

— Ricky Romero, Blue Jays, went seven innings and allowed four hits and two walks before turning it over to the bullpen, which held on to lead Toronto to a 1-0 win over Oakland.

— Michael Young, Rangers, hit a solo shot in the ninth inning off Kyle Farnsworth to give Texas a 6-5, come-from-behind victory over Kansas City.

CALLING JEFFREY MAIER

Umpires used video review to confirm that pinch-hitter Jorge Posada’s drive to right field was a home run in the Yankees’ 7-3 win over the Cleveland Indians. The ball was deflected by a fan and hit the top of the wall before landing in play. The two-run shot, reminiscent of Derek Jeter’s home run against Baltimore in the 1996 ALCS, gave New York the lead. Incidentally, replay wasn’t available when young fan Jeffrey Maier grabbed Jeter’s deep fly.

WASHED OUT

The finale of the Cubs’ four-game series against the Cardinals was rained out and will be made up as part of a doubleheader on July 12. It was called about 3 hours before the scheduled first pitch. It’s not as if the two teams won’t see each other for a while, though: they open a three-game series in St. Louis on Friday.

CLEANING HOUSE

The Nationals made a major in-season shuffle after another late-game loss, this time to the Florida Marlins. Reliever Saul Rivera and catcher Josh Bard were optioned to Triple-A Syracuse, and right-hander Steven Shell and left-hander Wil Ledezma designated for assignment. The team plans to purchase the contract of top prospect Jordan Zimmermann to start Monday night, along with veteran right-hander Kip Wells. Garrett Mock and Jason Bermann also will be recalled.

NOT AGAIN!

Kyle Farnsworth gave up a leadoff homer to Michael Young in the ninth inning, and the Rangers rallied for a 6-5 victory over Kansas City. The Royals acquired the free-agent pitcher to help shore up their bullpen, but so far he’s been hit with three of their five losses.

LONG WAIT

Brewers reliever Todd Coffey got an eight-inning save in a 4-2 victory over the Mets. It was his first save since 2006 with Cincinnati. … The White Sox beat the Rays to win consecutive games on artificial turf for the first time since Sept. 21-22, 2007, at Minnesota.

PINCH-HITTING PITCHER

Micah Owings keeps proving his worth beyond the mound. The Reds pitcher hit a pinch two-run double in the seventh inning that helped Cincinnati rally for a 4-2 win over Houston. The 2007 NL Silver Slugger winner for pitchers, Owings is 2-for-3 in pinch situations this season.

(STILL THE) BIG UNIT

Randy Johnson took a no-hitter into the seventh inning before the Giants held on to beat the Diamondbacks 2-0. Johnson was perfect through four and allowed only a double to Augie Ojeda opening the seventh. The 45-year-old Johnson got his 296th win in his first start against the Diamondbacks, with whom he spent eight seasons.

STREAKING

The Marlins have won seven straight after a 7-4 win over Washington, and improved to 11-1 for the best record in the majors. … The Dodgers won their eighth straight with a 14-2 win over Colorado. They’ve won their first six at home for the first time since the 1947 Brooklyn Dodgers started 8-0 at Ebbets Field in Jackie Robinson’s rookie year. … The Red Sox have won four straight and can finish a sweep of the Orioles on Monday.

STATISTICS

Jason Bay of the Red Sox went 0-for-3 and failed to reach base safely for the first time this season, halting a streak of 24 games. … Jack Cust of the A’s finished 0-for-4, failing to reach safely for the first time in 40 games. … Ryan Zimmerman’s RBI grounder for Washington snapped a scoreless streak of 24 2-3 scoreless innings by the Marlins bullpen.

SUSPENSION REDUCED

Josh Beckett’s suspension was reduced from six games to five, allowing the Boston ace to take his next turn in the rotation. Beckett threw a pitch near the head of the Angels’ Bobby Abreu last Sunday, leading to both dugouts and bullpens emptying. The right-hander was suspended on Tuesday and appealed the ruling. Beckett plans to start Saturday against the Yankees.

SPEAKING

“I didn’t take into account that I’d have to get above the fan to get the ball. I watched the replay and it looked like his glove was outstretched on top of mine. It all happened so fast.”—Indians outfielder Trevor Crowe, after a fan appeared to interfere with him on what became a go-ahead two-run homer by Jorge Posada in the Yankees’ 7-3 victory.

SEASONS

April 20

1910 - Addie Joss of Cleveland pitched the second no-hitter of his career, a 1-0 win over the White Sox in Chicago.

1912 - Fenway Park was opened in Boston and the Red Sox defeated the visiting New York Yankees 7-6 in 11 innings. Tiger Stadium in Detroit also opened its doors as the Tigers defeated the Cleveland Indians 6-5.

1916 - The Chicago Cubs played their first game at Weeghman Park - renamed Wrigley Field in 1926 - defeating the Cincinnati Reds 7-6 in 11 innings.

1920 - Manager Gavvy Cravath of the Philadelphia Phillies inserted himself as a pinch hitter and beat the New York Giants with a three-run homer, 3-0. It was his last home run in the majors.

1937 - Gee Walker hit for the cycle on opening day to lead the Detroit Tigers to a 4-3 win over Cleveland. Walker hit the cycle in reverse order: home run, triple, double, single.

1938 - Cleveland's Bob Feller pitched the first of 12 career one-hitters, beating the St. Louis Browns 9-0.

1939 - In his first major league game, Ted Williams hit a 400-foot double in four at-bats as the Boston Red Sox lost 2-0 to New York at Yankee Stadium.

1967 - Tom Seaver of the New York Mets recorded his first major league victory with a 6-1 triumph over the Chicago Cubs. Seaver went 7 2-3 innings and gave up eight hits and one run.

1982 - The Atlanta Braves recorded their 12th consecutive victory from the beginning of the season - a 4-2 decision over Cincinnati in Atlanta - and eclipsed the major league record set a year earlier by the Oakland A's.

1988 - The Baltimore Orioles set a major league record with their 14th straight defeat at the start of the season, losing to the Milwaukee Brewers 8-6.

1990 - Seattle's Brian Holman lost his bid for baseball's 13th perfect game with two outs in the ninth inning on Ken Phelps' pinch-hit home run in the Mariners' 6-1 victory over the Oakland Athletics.

1997 - The Chicago Cubs stopped their season-opening losing streak at 14 games, rallying in the sixth inning to beat the New York Mets 4-3 in the second game of a doubleheader. The Mets won the opener 8-2. Chicago's 0-14 start set a National League record and was the second worst behind the 1988 Baltimore Orioles, who began 0-21.

2001 - Carlos Delgado of the Blue Jays hit three homers for the second time this season, as Toronto beat the Kansas City Royals 12-4.

2006 - Julio Franco became the oldest player in major league history to hit a home run when he his two-run, pinch-hit shot in the eighth inning helped the New York Mets rally for a 7-2 win over San Diego. Franco, 47, replaced Athletics pitcher Jack Quinn in the record book. He was 46 years, 357 days old when he homered on June 27, 1930.

2007 - Alex Rodriguez went 3-for-5 with two home runs in a 7-6 loss to Boston and joined Mike Schmidt, who hit 12 homers in the first 15 games in 1976, as the fastest to reach a dozen in baseball history.

Today's birthdays : Chris Duffy 29; Sean Green 30.

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**pm530** · 04-20-2009, 06:08 AM

NHL
Long Sheet

If additional “Top Trends” are updated, we will re-post.

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Monday, April 20
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ANAHEIM (43-33-0-7, 93 pts.) at SAN JOSE (53-19-0-11, 117 pts.) - 4/19/2009, 10:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
SAN JOSE is 78-51 ATS (-6.7 Units) in April games since 1996.
ANAHEIM is 14-10 ATS (+26.0 Units) in road games second half of the season this season.
ANAHEIM is 34-23 ATS (+60.0 Units) in road games on Sunday games since 1996.
ANAHEIM is 20-7 ATS (+11.1 Units) when leading in a playoff series since 1996.
ANAHEIM is 152-143 ATS (+310.7 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season since 1996.
SAN JOSE is 25-21 ATS (-20.0 Units) second half of the season this season.
SAN JOSE is 57-60 ATS (-48.6 Units) in home games when playing with 2 days rest since 1996.
SAN JOSE is 16-16 ATS (-21.3 Units) in home games vs. division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
SAN JOSE is 31-30 ATS (-22.4 Units) after a division game over the last 2 seasons.
SAN JOSE is 3-8 ATS (-11.0 Units) in home games revenging a home loss versus opponent over the last 2 seasons.
SAN JOSE is 5-10 ATS (-11.2 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
ANAHEIM is 13-10 (+3.3 Units) against the spread versus SAN JOSE over the last 3 seasons
ANAHEIM is 13-10-0 straight up against SAN JOSE over the last 3 seasons
15 of 21 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+7.6 Units)

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BOSTON (55-18-0-11, 121 pts.) at MONTREAL (41-32-0-11, 93 pts.) - 4/20/2009, 7:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
MONTREAL is 18-13 (+1.2 Units) against the spread versus BOSTON over the last 3 seasons
MONTREAL is 18-13-0 straight up against BOSTON over the last 3 seasons
16 of 27 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+4.2 Units)

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WASHINGTON (50-26-0-8, 108 pts.) at NY RANGERS (45-30-0-9, 99 pts.) - 4/20/2009, 7:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
NY RANGERS is 8-6 (+2.7 Units) against the spread versus WASHINGTON over the last 3 seasons
NY RANGERS is 8-6-0 straight up against WASHINGTON over the last 3 seasons
8 of 14 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+1.2 Units)

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CHICAGO (48-25-0-11, 107 pts.) at CALGARY (46-31-0-7, 99 pts.) - 4/20/2009, 9:35 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
CHICAGO is 10-4 (+8.7 Units) against the spread versus CALGARY over the last 3 seasons
CHICAGO is 10-4-0 straight up against CALGARY over the last 3 seasons
7 of 12 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+1.8 Units)

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Tuesday, April 21
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DETROIT (53-21-0-10, 116 pts.) at COLUMBUS (41-33-0-10, 92 pts.) - 4/21/2009, 7:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
COLUMBUS is 9-15 (+1.7 Units) against the spread versus DETROIT over the last 3 seasons
DETROIT is 15-9-0 straight up against COLUMBUS over the last 3 seasons
15 of 22 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+7.5 Units)

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**pm530** · 04-20-2009, 06:09 AM

NHL
Write-up

Monday, April 20

NHL Playoffs

Rangers won last three games vs Washington, after losing previous five; they're home now with a 2-0 series lead, despite being outshot 70-49 in first two games. Rangers won last five games overall, allowing a total of eight goals. Capitols are 2-10 on power play in series - they had the man advantage for 18:13 in first two games. Huge game for the Caps.

Bruins are 9-2 in last eleven games vs Montreal, winning last seven, with two overtime wins, but are without Lucic for Game 3 in Montreal- he is suspended. Bruins won ten of last twelve games, with the last five going over total- they were 3-5 on power play Saturday, in just 7:23 with man edge. Montreal lost its last six games, outscored 23-11.

Chicago is 6-0 against Calgary this season; they've won won eight of last nine games, with under is 10-2-1 in their last thirteen. Flames are just 4-8 in last twelve games; under is 12-2-1 in their last 15 games. Bad omen for Calgary is they led 1-0/2-0 after first period of first two games, and have scored just one power play goal in 10:51 with a man advantage.

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**pm530** · 04-20-2009, 06:09 AM

NHL

Monday, April 20

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Trend Sheet
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7:00 PM
BOSTON vs. MONTREAL
Boston is 3-7 SU in its last 10 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Boston's last 6 games on the road
Montreal is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Boston
Montreal is 16-4 SU in its last 20 games when playing at home against Boston

7:00 PM
WASHINGTON vs. NY RANGERS
Washington is 1-8 SU in their last 9 games when playing on the road against NY Rangers
Washington is 9-4 SU in its last 13 games on the road
NY Rangers are 5-0 SU in their last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of the NY Rangers last 6 games

9:30 PM
CHICAGO vs. CALGARY
Chicago is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Calgary
Chicago is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Calgary
Calgary is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Calgary's last 9 games

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Announcement

Monday Trends and Indexes 4/20 (NBA, MLB, NHL, Misc.)

Monday Trends and Indexes 4/20 (NBA, MLB, NHL, Misc.)

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