Wednesday Trends and Indexes 5/6 (NBA, NHL, MLB, Misc.)

[pm530]

NHL


Wednesday, May 6

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Trend Sheet
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7:00 PM
WASHINGTON vs. PITTSBURGH
Washington is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing Pittsburgh
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Washington's last 6 games when playing Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Pittsburgh's last 9 games

7:30 PM
BOSTON vs. CAROLINA
Boston is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Boston's last 9 games
Carolina is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Boston
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Carolina's last 8 games when playing at home against Boston

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[pm530]

NHL


Wednesday, May 6

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Ice Picks: NHL best bets
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Boston Bruins at Carolina Hurricanes (+100, 5)

Chad LaRose tried to beat up 6-foot-9 Boston defenseman Zdeno Chara a few months ago, but that didn't quite work.

So once the playoffs started, the 5-10 Carolina forward instead turned to his quickness to outfox the NHL's tallest player, turning a hustling steal of the defenseman's lazy pass into the kind of goal that can swing a series.

Now the breakout player of the Hurricanes' postseason run will be back on home ice Wednesday night for Game 3 of the best-of-seven Eastern Conference semifinals with the Bruins, and he's looking to create more of the highlights that have made him perhaps the NHL's most surprising point-a-game performer in these playoffs.

"I'm just ending up finding the back of the net here and there,'' LaRose said Tuesday. "I'm playing a role (and) I've kind of had the pressure to do that sort of thing. And I like that role - if I wasn't producing, then it'd be a problem. Since they're going in, it's going well, and as long as we're getting wins, that's all that matters to me.''

With several of his high-profile teammates struggling with their scoring touch in the postseason, the high-energy LaRose has picked up the slack, keeping his career-year numbers rolling right through these playoffs and helping the Hurricanes even the series at one game apiece.

He had career-highs of 19 goals and 31 points during the regular season, then kept it up into May with a team-best six assists in the playoffs. On the team, only All-Star center Eric Staal (nine) has more points this postseason than the eight recorded by LaRose, who has been shifted between both wing positions and shuttled through Carolina's line combinations.

"He's one of those guys that everybody likes to play with,'' coach Paul Maurice said. "He's excited about playing. He's going to go work his butt off, so he's going to make you look good. He gives you chances to score. He's going to compete and say a few funny things on the bench. ... As we're moving the lines around, 'Guys, you're playing with Chad today,' (the reaction is), 'All right, I'm playing with Chad today - that's a good thing.'''

One of the more memorable snapshots of the Hurricanes' regular season came during the Bruins' last visit in February, when the diminutive LaRose mixed it up in the corner with the hulking Chara - a mismatch no matter how you interpret the tale of the tape.

"I just remember going after him a little bit, but that's all behind us,'' LaRose said with a smile.

He found a new way to get the better of Chara in the postseason, using his hustle to help turn Game 2 - and, perhaps, the series - around for Carolina.

The Bruins trailed 1-0 but were on a second-period power play when LaRose jumped Chara's pass near the blue line. He skated in and set up Matt Cullen's short-handed one-timer that made it a two-goal game.

Before Carolina's 3-0 Game 2 victory, Boston had won its first five playoff games by a combined 20-7, and didn't allow more than two goals in any playoff game.

"I think when teams say they didn't play well, like every other team that's in the playoffs, there's going to be some games where you don't feel you're as good as others - and that was in all areas,'' Bruins coach Claude Julien said. "That's why you hear coaches say it's a mindset. I think that's what it was. We were just OK and OK is not enough in the playoffs.''

They'll have to get back to what worked so well during Game 1, when they dominated play throughout and took advantage of several Carolina miscues in a 4-1 victory before 2006 Conn Smythe Trophy winner Cam Ward claimed his fourth career playoff shutout and second of this postseason in the second game.

"He's been through it once. He's going through it again,'' Julien said. "Having said that, right now, I think both goalies have played really well. He definitely was outstanding last game, but we have to be better to make him not look so good and we can do a better job in that regard.''

Pick: Over

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[pm530]

MLB
Dunkel Index


Milwaukee at Cincinnati
The Brewers are 3-15 in Manny Parra's last 18 starts, while the Reds are 13-4 in Bronson Arroyo's last 17 home starts. Cincinnati is the pick (-110) according to Dunkel, which has the Reds favored by 1. Dunkel Pick: Cincinnati (-110). Here are all of today's games

WEDNESDAY, MAY 6

Game 901-902: Atlanta at Florida
Dunkel Ratings: Atlanta (Lowe) 13.381; Florida (Taylor) 14.614
Dunkel Line: Florida by 1; 8
Vegas Line: Atlanta (-150); 9
Dunkel Pick: Florida (+140); Under

Game 903-904: Philadelphia at NY Mets
Dunkel Ratings: Philadelphia (Park) 14.743; NY Mets (Santana) 15.885
Dunkel Line: NY Mets by 1; 8
Vegas Line: NY Mets (-245); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: NY Mets (-245); Under

Game 905-906: Milwaukee at Cincinnati
Dunkel Ratings: Milwaukee (Parra) 15.735; Cincinnati (Arroyo) 16.812
Dunkel Line: Cincinnati by 1; 9 1/2
Vegas Line: Cincinnati (-110); 9
Dunkel Pick: Cincinnati (-110); Over

Game 907-908: Chicago Cubs at Houston
Dunkel Ratings: Cubs (Harden) 15.456; Houston (Hampton) 14.287
Dunkel Line: Chicago Cubs by 1; 9 1/2
Vegas Line: Chicago Cubs (-125); 9
Dunkel Pick: Chicago Cubs (-125); Over

Game 909-910: Pittsburgh at St. Louis
Dunkel Ratings: Pittsburgh (Duke) 15.117; St. Louis (Boggs) 13.616
Dunkel Line: Pittsburgh by 1 1/2; 10
Vegas Line: St. Louis (-145); 9
Dunkel Pick: Pittsburgh (+135); Over

Game 911-912: San Francisco at Colorado
Dunkel Ratings: San Francisco (Johnson) 14.376; Colorado (Jimenez) 15.934
Dunkel Line: Colorado by 1 1/2; 10 1/2
Vegas Line: Colorado (-140); 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Colorado (-140); Over

Game 913-914: Arizona at San Diego
Dunkel Ratings: Arizona (Garland) 13.637; San Diego (Peavy) 14.534
Dunkel Line: San Diego by 1; 8
Vegas Line: San Diego (-180); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: San Diego (-180); Over

Game 915-916: Washington at LA Dodgers
Dunkel Ratings: Washington (Cabrera) 15.443; LA Dodgers (Kershaw) 16.994
Dunkel Line: LA Dodgers by 1 1/2; 8 1/2
Vegas Line: LA Dodgers (-200); 9
Dunkel Pick: LA Dodgers (-200); Under

Game 917-918: Minnesota at Baltimore
Dunkel Ratings: Minnesota (Slowey) 14.617; Baltimore (Hendrickson) 15.775
Dunkel Line: Baltimore by 1; 9 1/2
Vegas Line: Minnesota (-120); 10 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Baltimore (+110); Under

Game 919-920: Cleveland at Boston
Dunkel Ratings: Cleveland (Pavano) 15.895; Boston (Masterson) 15.280
Dunkel Line: Cleveland by 1/2; 11 1/2
Vegas Line: Boston (-205); 11
Dunkel Pick: Cleveland (+185); Over

Game 921-922: Tampa Bay at NY Yankees
Dunkel Ratings: Tampa Bay (Sonnanstine) 16.094; NY Yankees (Burnett) 14.962
Dunkel Line: Tampa Bay by 1; 10 1/2
Vegas Line: NY Yankees (-185); 10
Dunkel Pick: NY Yankees (-185); Over

Game 923-924: Detroit at Chicago White Sox
Dunkel Ratings: Detroit (Galarraga) 14.464; White Sox (Buehrle) 15.553
Dunkel Line: Chicago White Sox by 1; 8
Vegas Line: Chicago White Sox (-110); 9
Dunkel Pick: Chicago White Sox (-110); Under

Game 925-926: Seattle at Kansas City
Dunkel Ratings: Seattle (Silva) 16.363; Kansas City (Ponson) 15.159
Dunkel Line: Seattle by 1; 9 1/2
Vegas Line: Kansas City (-120); 10 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Seattle (+110); Under

Game 927-928: Texas at Oakland
Dunkel Ratings: Texas (Feldman) 14.993; Oakland (Giese) 16.067
Dunkel Line: Oakland by 1; 8 1/2
Vegas Line: No Line
Dunkel Pick: N/A

Game 929-930: Toronto at LA Angels
Dunkel Ratings: Toronto (Halladay) 16.775; LA Angels (Ortega) 15.386
Dunkel Line: Toronto by 1 1/2; 8
Vegas Line: Toronto (-160); 9
Dunkel Pick: Toronto (-160); Under

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[pm530]

MLB
Long Sheet


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Wednesday, May 6
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ATLANTA (11 - 15) at FLORIDA (15 - 12) - 7:10 PM
DEREK LOWE (R) vs. GRAHAM TAYLOR (L)
Top Trends for this game.
ATLANTA is 45-57 (-18.4 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 83-105 (-31.1 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 35-58 (-19.7 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 10-20 (-11.8 Units) against the money line when playing on Wednesday over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 37-49 (-17.1 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 82-103 (-30.2 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 57-70 (-20.3 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
FLORIDA is 50-39 (+17.6 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 2 seasons.
FLORIDA is 99-89 (+22.9 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
FLORIDA is 65-42 (+30.9 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 over the last 2 seasons.
FLORIDA is 19-10 (+12.6 Units) against the money line when playing on Wednesday over the last 2 seasons.
FLORIDA is 13-5 (+9.3 Units) against the money line against division opponents this season.
FLORIDA is 98-87 (+23.5 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
FLORIDA is 69-65 (+10.4 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 47-22 (+25.5 Units) against the money line in road games after 3 or more consecutive losses since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
FLORIDA is 3-0 (+4.3 Units) against ATLANTA this season
2 of 3 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+0.8 Units)

DEREK LOWE vs. FLORIDA since 1997
LOWE is 4-4 when starting against FLORIDA with an ERA of 4.90 and a WHIP of 1.385.
His team's record is 5-5 (-2.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 5-5. (-1.1 units)

GRAHAM TAYLOR vs. ATLANTA since 1997
No recent starts.

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PHILADELPHIA (14 - 10) at NY METS (12 - 13) - 7:10 PM
CHAN HO PARK (R) vs. JOHAN SANTANA (L)
Top Trends for this game.
PHILADELPHIA is 26-33 (-19.3 Units) against the money line after 3 or more consecutive wins over the last 3 seasons.
SANTANA is 96-40 (+34.5 Units) against the money line in night games since 1997. (Team's Record)
SANTANA is 80-28 (+37.4 Units) against the money line after a win since 1997. (Team's Record)
PHILADELPHIA is 56-42 (+12.7 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 27-14 (+12.5 Units) against the money line in road games against division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 55-41 (+12.7 Units) against the money line in road games in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 43-27 (+15.7 Units) against the money line in road games in night games over the last 2 seasons.
PARK is 80-52 (+24.2 Units) against the money line after a win since 1997. (Team's Record)
NY METS are 4-10 (-8.8 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
NY METS are 95-79 (-30.3 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 3 seasons.
NY METS are 37-41 (-29.2 Units) against the money line in home games against division opponents over the last 3 seasons.
NY METS are 95-79 (-30.3 Units) against the money line in home games in games played on a grass field over the last 3 seasons.
NY METS are 66-65 (-16.0 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
NY METS are 52-51 (-14.8 Units) against the money line after a win over the last 2 seasons.
SANTANA is 5-10 (-13.8 Units) against the money line in home games against division opponents over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
SANTANA is 15-20 (-14.5 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
NY METS is 1-1 (+0.0 Units) against PHILADELPHIA this season
1 of 1 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+1.0 Units)

CHAN HO PARK vs. NY METS since 1997
PARK is 4-4 when starting against NY METS with an ERA of 3.60 and a WHIP of 1.292.
His team's record is 5-5 (-0.3 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 5-4. (+0.5 units)

JOHAN SANTANA vs. PHILADELPHIA since 1997
SANTANA is 2-0 when starting against PHILADELPHIA with an ERA of 2.85 and a WHIP of 1.024.
His team's record is 4-2 (+1.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 4-2. (+1.9 units)

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MILWAUKEE (15 - 12) at CINCINNATI (14 - 12) - 7:10 PM
MANNY PARRA (L) vs. BRONSON ARROYO (R)
Top Trends for this game.
PARRA is 6-15 (-12.3 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
PARRA is 6-14 (-11.0 Units) against the money line after a win over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
CINCINNATI is 12-2 (+9.7 Units) against the money line in home games in May games over the last 2 seasons.
CINCINNATI is 50-46 (+9.2 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
CINCINNATI is 18-26 (-15.2 Units) against the money line in home games against division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
CINCINNATI is 219-254 (-66.1 Units) against the money line in home games after a win since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
CINCINNATI is 2-1 (+1.7 Units) against MILWAUKEE this season
2 of 3 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+1.0 Units)

MANNY PARRA vs. CINCINNATI since 1997
PARRA is 0-2 when starting against CINCINNATI with an ERA of 5.89 and a WHIP of 1.200.
His team's record is 0-3 (-4.5 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 2-1. (+1.0 units)

BRONSON ARROYO vs. MILWAUKEE since 1997
ARROYO is 8-4 when starting against MILWAUKEE with an ERA of 3.40 and a WHIP of 1.278.
His team's record is 9-5 (+3.9 units) in these starts. The OVER is 5-7. (-2.9 units)

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CHICAGO CUBS (14 - 12) at HOUSTON (11 - 15) - 8:05 PM
RICH HARDEN (R) vs. MIKE HAMPTON (L)
Top Trends for this game.
CHICAGO CUBS are 971-1021 (-186.8 Units) against the money line in all games since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 914-937 (-164.5 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 479-456 (-101.9 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record since 1997.
HOUSTON is 49-43 (+16.9 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 97-90 (+17.8 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 95-89 (+15.5 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
HAMPTON is 88-47 (+31.4 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 since 1997. (Team's Record)
HAMPTON is 53-17 (+28.1 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 8 to 8.5 since 1997. (Team's Record)
HOUSTON is 164-181 (-45.9 Units) against the money line in May games since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
CHICAGO CUBS is 2-1 (+0.9 Units) against HOUSTON this season
2 of 3 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+0.9 Units)

RICH HARDEN vs. HOUSTON since 1997
HARDEN is 0-0 when starting against HOUSTON with an ERA of 6.35 and a WHIP of 1.587.
His team's record is 1-0 (+1.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-0. (+1.0 units)

MIKE HAMPTON vs. CHICAGO CUBS since 1997
HAMPTON is 8-4 when starting against CHICAGO CUBS with an ERA of 3.51 and a WHIP of 1.476.
His team's record is 12-5 (+6.9 units) in these starts. The OVER is 9-6. (+1.9 units)

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PITTSBURGH (12 - 14) at ST LOUIS (17 - 10) - 8:15 PM
ZACH DUKE (L) vs. MITCHELL BOGGS (R)
Top Trends for this game.
ST LOUIS is 103-86 (+14.6 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
ST LOUIS is 33-20 (+14.7 Units) against the money line when playing on Wednesday over the last 3 seasons.
ST LOUIS is 103-86 (+14.6 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
PITTSBURGH is 2-2 (+1.0 Units) against ST LOUIS this season
3 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+2.0 Units)

ZACH DUKE vs. ST LOUIS since 1997
DUKE is 3-4 when starting against ST LOUIS with an ERA of 3.97 and a WHIP of 1.475.
His team's record is 4-6 (-1.3 units) in these starts. The OVER is 4-5. (-1.0 units)

MITCHELL BOGGS vs. PITTSBURGH since 1997
No recent starts.

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SAN FRANCISCO (13 - 12) at COLORADO (10 - 15) - 8:40 PM
RANDY JOHNSON (L) vs. UBALDO JIMENEZ (R)
Top Trends for this game.
COLORADO is 91-83 (+21.6 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.
COLORADO is 35-20 (+19.6 Units) against the money line when playing on Wednesday over the last 3 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 666-562 (+80.8 Units) against the money line in night games since 1997.
SAN FRANCISCO is 367-357 (+43.1 Units) against the money line in road games against right-handed starters since 1997.
COLORADO is 41-59 (-18.0 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 2 seasons.
COLORADO is 83-104 (-28.1 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
COLORADO is 38-54 (-19.0 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
COLORADO is 83-104 (-28.1 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
SAN FRANCISCO is 2-1 (+0.8 Units) against COLORADO this season
3 of 3 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+3.0 Units)

RANDY JOHNSON vs. COLORADO since 1997
JOHNSON is 19-7 when starting against COLORADO with an ERA of 2.23 and a WHIP of 0.900.
His team's record is 19-9 (+1.3 units) in these starts. The OVER is 9-18. (-10.2 units)

UBALDO JIMENEZ vs. SAN FRANCISCO since 1997
JIMENEZ is 1-2 when starting against SAN FRANCISCO with an ERA of 2.65 and a WHIP of 1.045.
His team's record is 2-4 (-3.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 5-1. (+3.7 units)

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ARIZONA (11 - 16) at SAN DIEGO (12 - 15) - 10:05 PM
JON GARLAND (R) vs. JAKE PEAVY (R)
Top Trends for this game.
ARIZONA is 94-96 (-21.0 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
ARIZONA is 37-53 (-19.6 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
ARIZONA is 13-20 (-11.9 Units) against the money line in May games over the last 2 seasons.
ARIZONA is 11-18 (-12.2 Units) against the money line when playing on Wednesday over the last 2 seasons.
ARIZONA is 94-93 (-17.4 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
ARIZONA is 63-69 (-20.4 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
GARLAND is 13-4 (+9.6 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
SAN DIEGO is 75-113 (-37.2 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
SAN DIEGO is 5-24 (-20.5 Units) against the money line when playing on Wednesday over the last 2 seasons.
SAN DIEGO is 75-113 (-37.2 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
SAN DIEGO is 53-82 (-26.9 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
SAN DIEGO is 49-72 (-20.4 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.

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

JON GARLAND vs. SAN DIEGO since 1997
GARLAND is 1-1 when starting against SAN DIEGO with an ERA of 1.20 and a WHIP of 0.933.
His team's record is 1-1 (-0.6 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-2. (-2.1 units)

JAKE PEAVY vs. ARIZONA since 1997
PEAVY is 11-11 when starting against ARIZONA with an ERA of 4.80 and a WHIP of 1.295.
His team's record is 13-13 (-1.7 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 11-14. (-5.5 units)

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WASHINGTON (7 - 17) at LA DODGERS (20 - 8) - 10:10 PM
DANIEL CABRERA (R) vs. CLAYTON KERSHAW (L)
Top Trends for this game.
WASHINGTON is 66-119 (-32.7 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 27-66 (-22.3 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 66-116 (-29.7 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 45-84 (-25.7 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 27-64 (-28.3 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
LA DODGERS are 11-0 (+11.0 Units) against the money line in home games after a win this season.
LA DODGERS are 9-0 (+9.0 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
LA DODGERS are 20-8 (+11.1 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
LA DODGERS are 12-0 (+12.0 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
LA DODGERS are 20-8 (+11.1 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
LA DODGERS are 9-0 (+9.0 Units) against the money line in home games in night games this season.
WASHINGTON is 94-87 (+36.7 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 over the last 3 seasons.
LA DODGERS are 69-56 (-34.5 Units) against the money line as a home favorite of -175 to -200 since 1997.

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

DANIEL CABRERA vs. LA DODGERS since 1997
CABRERA is 0-1 when starting against LA DODGERS with an ERA of 6.75 and a WHIP of 1.649.
His team's record is 0-1 (-1.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-0. (+1.0 units)

CLAYTON KERSHAW vs. WASHINGTON since 1997
KERSHAW is 1-1 when starting against WASHINGTON with an ERA of 5.40 and a WHIP of 1.561.
His team's record is 1-1 (-0.6 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-1. (+0.0 units)

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MINNESOTA (13 - 14) at BALTIMORE (10 - 17) - 7:05 PM
KEVIN SLOWEY (R) vs. MARK HENDRICKSON (L)
Top Trends for this game.
HENDRICKSON is 16-5 (+14.1 Units) against the money line in home games in May games since 1997. (Team's Record)
MINNESOTA is 72-57 (+13.9 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 473-518 (-112.0 Units) against the money line in home games since 1997.
BALTIMORE is 473-518 (-112.0 Units) against the money line in home games in games played on a grass field since 1997.
BALTIMORE is 223-285 (-91.9 Units) against the money line in home games after a loss since 1997.

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

KEVIN SLOWEY vs. BALTIMORE since 1997
SLOWEY is 0-1 when starting against BALTIMORE with an ERA of 6.00 and a WHIP of 1.167.
His team's record is 0-1 (-1.5 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-0. (+1.0 units)

MARK HENDRICKSON vs. MINNESOTA since 1997
HENDRICKSON is 1-1 when starting against MINNESOTA with an ERA of 4.98 and a WHIP of 1.343.
His team's record is 1-1 (+0.5 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-1. (-0.2 units)

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CLEVELAND (10 - 17) at BOSTON (17 - 10) - 7:10 PM
CARL PAVANO (R) vs. JUSTIN MASTERSON (R)
Top Trends for this game.
CLEVELAND is 6-15 (-10.9 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
BOSTON is 68-30 (+21.5 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 109-61 (+29.2 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 50-23 (+22.2 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
PAVANO is 50-37 (+21.3 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record since 1997. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
BOSTON is 2-1 (+1.2 Units) against CLEVELAND this season
2 of 3 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+0.9 Units)

CARL PAVANO vs. BOSTON since 1997
PAVANO is 1-3 when starting against BOSTON with an ERA of 8.18 and a WHIP of 1.955.
His team's record is 2-3 (-1.3 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-4. (-3.5 units)

JUSTIN MASTERSON vs. CLEVELAND since 1997
No recent starts.

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TAMPA BAY (12 - 16) at NY YANKEES (13 - 13) - 7:05 PM
ANDY SONNANSTINE (R) vs. A.J. BURNETT (R)
Top Trends for this game.
TAMPA BAY is 117-89 (+21.0 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 55-39 (+18.0 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 88-53 (+30.4 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
NY YANKEES are 209-142 (-64.7 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 10 to 10.5 since 1997.
NY YANKEES are 83-77 (-52.5 Units) against the money line in home games in May games since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
NY YANKEES is 2-1 (+1.1 Units) against TAMPA BAY this season
2 of 3 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+1.0 Units)

ANDY SONNANSTINE vs. NY YANKEES since 1997
SONNANSTINE is 2-1 when starting against NY YANKEES with an ERA of 5.65 and a WHIP of 1.151.
His team's record is 2-3 (+1.1 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-2. (-0.1 units)

A.J. BURNETT vs. TAMPA BAY since 1997
BURNETT is 8-4 when starting against TAMPA BAY with an ERA of 2.94 and a WHIP of 1.018.
His team's record is 9-8 (-3.3 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 10-5. (+4.3 units)

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DETROIT (14 - 12) at CHI WHITE SOX (12 - 14) - 8:11 PM
ARMANDO GALARRAGA (R) vs. MARK BUEHRLE (L)
Top Trends for this game.
DETROIT is 88-100 (-29.7 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
DETROIT is 42-51 (-18.4 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 over the last 2 seasons.
DETROIT is 84-133 (-39.7 Units) against the money line as a road underdog of +100 to +125 since 1997.
DETROIT is 33-49 (-28.0 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
DETROIT is 82-86 (-22.4 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
DETROIT is 55-65 (-20.3 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
CHI WHITE SOX are 61-34 (+17.2 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons.
CHI WHITE SOX are 32-11 (+17.1 Units) against the money line in home games against division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
CHI WHITE SOX are 95-71 (+15.1 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
BUEHRLE is 17-3 (+12.9 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
BUEHRLE is 19-3 (+15.3 Units) against the money line in home games in May games since 1997. (Team's Record)
BUEHRLE is 17-3 (+12.9 Units) against the money line in home games in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
CHI WHITE SOX is 1-1 (+0.2 Units) against DETROIT this season
1 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=-0.1 Units, Under=-0.1 Units)

ARMANDO GALARRAGA vs. CHI WHITE SOX since 1997
GALARRAGA is 1-0 when starting against CHI WHITE SOX with an ERA of 0.00 and a WHIP of 0.948.
His team's record is 1-0 (+1.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-1. (-1.1 units)

MARK BUEHRLE vs. DETROIT since 1997
BUEHRLE is 13-8 when starting against DETROIT with an ERA of 2.96 and a WHIP of 1.160.
His team's record is 14-11 (+0.8 units) in these starts. The OVER is 8-16. (-9.7 units)

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SEATTLE (15 - 12) at KANSAS CITY (16 - 11) - 8:10 PM
CARLOS SILVA (R) vs. SIDNEY PONSON (R)
Top Trends for this game.
SEATTLE is 44-69 (-23.8 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 2 seasons.
SEATTLE is 76-113 (-35.0 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
SEATTLE is 10-23 (-16.1 Units) against the money line in May games over the last 2 seasons.
SEATTLE is 69-104 (-34.9 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
SEATTLE is 49-77 (-27.6 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
SEATTLE is 48-81 (-33.7 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
KANSAS CITY is 91-98 (+9.9 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
KANSAS CITY is 84-85 (+11.1 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
KANSAS CITY is 12-5 (+8.1 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
KANSAS CITY is 48-41 (+13.6 Units) against the money line after a win over the last 2 seasons.
PONSON is 32-19 (+15.1 Units) against the money line in May games since 1997. (Team's Record)

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

CARLOS SILVA vs. KANSAS CITY since 1997
SILVA is 5-4 when starting against KANSAS CITY with an ERA of 4.10 and a WHIP of 1.320.
His team's record is 9-5 (+2.2 units) in these starts. The OVER is 6-8. (-2.5 units)

SIDNEY PONSON vs. SEATTLE since 1997
PONSON is 4-4 when starting against SEATTLE with an ERA of 4.38 and a WHIP of 1.471.
His team's record is 8-5 (+4.2 units) in these starts. The OVER is 6-7. (-1.4 units)

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TEXAS (14 - 12) at OAKLAND (9 - 15) - 10:05 PM
SCOTT FELDMAN (R) vs. DAN GIESE (R)
Top Trends for this game.
TEXAS is 93-95 (+10.1 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
TEXAS is 23-11 (+17.4 Units) against the money line in May games over the last 2 seasons.
TEXAS is 18-13 (+12.3 Units) against the money line in road games against division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
TEXAS is 86-87 (+8.3 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
TEXAS is 70-66 (+13.1 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
TEXAS is 66-61 (+15.2 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
OAKLAND is 154-180 (-51.4 Units) against the money line in May games since 1997.
OAKLAND is 54-73 (-24.3 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
OAKLAND is 1-1 (+0.1 Units) against TEXAS this season
2 of 2 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+2.0 Units)

SCOTT FELDMAN vs. OAKLAND since 1997
FELDMAN is 1-2 when starting against OAKLAND with an ERA of 4.70 and a WHIP of 1.217.
His team's record is 1-3 (-2.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 3-1. (+1.8 units)

DAN GIESE vs. TEXAS since 1997
No recent starts.

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TORONTO (19 - 10) at LA ANGELS (12 - 13) - 10:05 PM
ROY HALLADAY (R) vs. ANTHONY ORTEGA (R)
Top Trends for this game.
LA ANGELS are 50-36 (+12.2 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
LA ANGELS are 113-78 (+21.4 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
LA ANGELS are 107-68 (+25.8 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
LA ANGELS are 151-105 (+25.4 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 3 seasons.
TORONTO is 24-11 (+13.1 Units) against the money line in May games over the last 2 seasons.
TORONTO is 79-60 (+14.3 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
HALLADAY is 32-12 (+18.8 Units) against the money line in May games since 1997. (Team's Record)
LA ANGELS are 26-29 (-16.6 Units) against the money line in home games after a win over the last 2 seasons.

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

ROY HALLADAY vs. LA ANGELS since 1997
HALLADAY is 6-5 when starting against LA ANGELS with an ERA of 4.63 and a WHIP of 1.325.
His team's record is 7-7 (-0.3 units) in these starts. The OVER is 6-8. (-2.9 units)

ANTHONY ORTEGA vs. TORONTO since 1997
No recent starts.

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[pm530]

MLB
Short Sheet


Wednesday, May 6th

National League

ATLANTA at FLORIDA, 7:10 PM ET
LOWE: ATL 0-7 after 4+ consecutive home games
TAYLOR: FLA 13-5 against division opponents

PHILADELPHIA at NY METS, 7:10 PM ET
PARK: PHI 6-0 as a road underdog
SANTANA: 5-10 TSR against division opponents

MILWAUKEE at CINCINNATI, 7:10 PM ET
PARRA: MIL 63-33 after having won 3 of their last 4
ARROYO: CIN 21-8 OVER after 3+ consecutive unders

CHICAGO CUBS at HOUSTON, 8:05 PM ET
HARDEN: 41-17 TSR when the total is 8.5 to 10
HAMPTON: HOU 14-4 UNDER against division opponents

PITTSBURGH at ST LOUIS, 8:15 PM ET
DUKE: PIT 10-34 AWAY after allowing 8+ runs
BOGGS: 6-0 TSR in the first half of the season

SAN FRANCISCO at COLORADO, 8:40 PM ET
JOHNSON: SF 7-0 UNDER when the total is 8.5 to 10
JIMENEZ: 5-17 TSR in the first half of the season

ARIZONA at SAN DIEGO, 10:05 PM ET
GARLAND: 13-4 TSR after a team loss
PEAVY: SD 5-24 when playing on Wednesday

WASHINGTON at LA DODGERS, 10:10 PM ET
CABRERA: WAS 45-84 in night games
KERSHAW: LAD 12-0 at home


American League

MINNESOTA at BALTIMORE, 7:05 PM ET
SLOWEY: MIN 11-1 OVER AWAY after scoring 1 run or less
HENDRICKSON: 16-5 TSR at home in May

CLEVELAND at BOSTON, 7:10 PM ET
PAVANO: CLE 6-15 against right-handed starters
MASTERSON: BOS 27-7 as a home favorite of -150 to -200

TAMPA BAY at NY YANKEES, 7:05 PM ET
SONNANSTINE: TB 88-53 against right-handed starters
BURNETT: NYY 1-11 after 5+ consecutive overs

DETROIT at CHI WHITE SOX, 8:10 PM ET
GALARRAGA: DET 21-40 as an underdog of +100 to +150
BUEHRLE: 19-3 TSR at home in May

SEATTLE at KANSAS CITY, 8:10 PM ET
SILVA: SEA 10-23 in May
PONSON: 33-18 TSR against AL West

TEXAS at OAKLAND, 10:05 PM ET
FELDMAN: TEX 23-11 in May
GIESE: OAK 54-73 against division opponents

TORONTO at LA ANGELS, 10:05 PM ET
HALLADAY: TOR 8-1 OVER when the total is 7 to 8.5
ORTEGA: LAA 7-2 as an underdog of +150 or more

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[pm530]

MLB
Write-up


Wednesday, May 6

Hot Pitchers
-- Lowe is 2-1, 3.05 in his last three starts.
-- Santana is 2-1, 1.65 in his five starts this year.
-- Arroyo is 4-1 this season, but has 1.69 RA on road, 10.80 at home.
-- Cubs won Harden's last three starts, scoring 25 runs.
-- Duke has 1.17 RA in his last couple starts. Cardinals won both starts by Boggs (1-0, 3.86), scoring 17 runs.
-- Giants won last three Johnson starts (2-0, 1.04).
-- Arizona won Garland's last three starts (2-0, 3.54).
-- Kershaw is 2-0, 0.00 at home (14 IP; 10.29 on road).

-- Slowey is 3-0, 3.60 in his last three starts (Twins 23 runs).
-- Masterson is 2-0, 1.69 in two Fenway starts.
-- Galarraga is 3-1, 3.07 in five starts this season. Buehrle is 4-0, 3.24 in his last four starts.
-- Feldman is 1-0, 3.38 in two starts this season.
-- Halladay is 5-1, 3.89 so far this season.

Cold Pitchers
-- Taylor is 0-1, 6.23 in two starts for Florida.
-- Park is 0-1, 9.00 in four starts this season.
-- Milwaukee is 0-5 when Parra starts (0-4, 6.39).
-- Astros lost last three Hampton starts (0-1, 7.02).
-- Jimenez is 0-4, 9.00 in his last four starts.
-- Peavy is 1-2, 5.31 in three home starts.
-- Washington is 0-5 in Cabrera starts (0-3, 7.33).

-- Hendrickson is 0-4, 11.00 in his last four starts.
-- Pavano is 1-3, 7.46 in five starts this season.
-- Burnett has a 7.36 RA in his last three starts. Sonnanstine is 1-3, 7.11 in five starts this season.
-- Royals are 0-5 when Ponson starts (0-4, 7.07). Silva is 1-2, 7.36 in his five starts this season.
-- Geise has only allowed eight hits in 12.2 IP in relief, but three of the eight hits were HRs, and two of three HRs were walk-offs.
-- Ortega is 0-1, 7.15 in two starts this season.

Hot Teams
-- Phillies won eight of their last ten games. Mets won three of four.
-- Giants won ten of their last fourteen games.
-- Cubs won four of their last five games.
-- Brewers won eleven of their last fourteen games.
-- Dodgers are 12-0 at home this season.

-- Red Sox won fifteen of their last eighteen games.
-- Tigers won three of their last four games.
-- Royals won six of their last seven games.
-- Rangers won eight of their last eleven games.
-- Angels won their last three games, outscoring foes 18-7. Blue Jays won four of their last five games.

Cold Teams
-- Braves lost their last four games, allowing 22 runs. Marlins lost four of their last five games.
-- Nationals lost seven of their last eleven games.
-- Reds are 4-7 at home, 0-4 in home series openers.
-- Pirates lost seven of their last eight games, allowing 47 runs.
-- Astros lost three of their last four home games.
-- Marlins lost eleven of their last fifteen games.
-- Rockies are 3-5 in their last eight home games.
-- Padres lost twelve of their last fourteen games. Arizona is 3-6 on the road this season.

-- Orioles lost eight of their last eleven games. Twins lost three of four.
-- Bronx lost last three games, allowing 21 runs. Rays lost four of their last five road games.
-- Indians are 5-10 on the road this season.
-- White Sox lost their last four games, allowing 25 runs.
-- Mariners lost three of their last four games.
-- A's lost four of their last five games.

Totals
-- Four of Lowe's last five starts went over the total.
-- Over is 7-2-1 in Phillies' last nine games.
-- Five of last seven Milwaukee games stayed under the total.
-- Eight of last eleven Cub games went over the total.
-- Four of last five Pittsburgh road games went over the total.
-- Last three Johnson starts stayed under the total.
-- Under is 8-0-1 in road games for the Diamondbacks.
-- Over is 14-5-2 in last twenty-one Dodger games.

-- Three of last four Hendrickson starts went over the total.
-- Over is 14-4-2 in last twenty Boston games. Over is 11-4 in Cleveland road games.
-- Over is 4-0-1 in Burnett's five starts. All five Sonnanstine starts went under the total.
-- Three of last four Galarraga starts stayed under the total.
-- Four of five Silva starts went over the total.
-- Last four Oakland home games stayed under the total.
-- Eight of last twelve Angel games went over the total.

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[pm530]

MLB


Wednesday, May 6

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trend Sheet
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7:05 PM
MINNESOTA vs. BALTIMORE
Minnesota is 12-3 SU in its last 15 games when playing Baltimore
Minnesota is 6-13 SU in its last 19 games on the road
Baltimore is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Baltimore's last 7 games at home

7:05 PM
TAMPA BAY vs. NY YANKEES
Tampa Bay is 1-6 SU in their last 7 games when playing on the road against NY Yankees
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Tampa Bay's last 8 games when playing on the road against NY Yankees
NY Yankees are 14-6 SU in their last 20 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 4 of NY Yankees's last 6 games at home

7:10 PM
ATLANTA vs. FLORIDA
Atlanta is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Atlanta's last 6 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Florida's last 7 games when playing at home against Atlanta
Florida is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing Atlanta

7:10 PM
CLEVELAND vs. BOSTON
Cleveland is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Boston
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Cleveland's last 9 games when playing on the road against Boston
Boston is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Boston's last 6 games at home

7:10 PM
MILWAUKEE vs. CINCINNATI
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Milwaukee's last 9 games when playing on the road against Cincinnati
Milwaukee is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing Cincinnati
Cincinnati is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Cincinnati's last 6 games

7:10 PM
PHILADELPHIA vs. NY METS
Philadelphia is 10-5 SU in its last 15 games when playing on the road against NY Mets
Philadelphia is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of NY Mets's last 8 games at home
NY Mets are 5-10 SU in its last 15 games when playing at home against Philadelphia

8:00 PM
CHI CUBS vs. HOUSTON
Chi Cubs are 4-1 SU in their last 5 games
Chi Cubs are 2-4 SU in their last 6 games on the road
Houston is 1-5 SU in their last 6 games when playing at home against Chi Cubs
The total has gone UNDER in 12 of Houston's last 14 games when playing at home against Chi Cubs

8:10 PM
SEATTLE vs. KANSAS CITY
Seattle is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games when playing Kansas City
Seattle is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
Kansas City is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Kansas City's last 5 games at home

8:11 PM
DETROIT vs. CHI WHITE SOX
Detroit is 1-4 SU in their last 5 games when playing Chi White Sox
Detroit is 7-15 SU in its last 22 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Chi White Sox's last 15 games at home
Chi White Sox are 1-4 SU in their last 5 games

8:15 PM
PITTSBURGH vs. ST. LOUIS
Pittsburgh is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games
Pittsburgh is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games on the road
St. Louis is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games when playing Pittsburgh
The total has gone OVER in 6 of St. Louis's last 8 games when playing Pittsburgh

8:40 PM
SAN FRANCISCO vs. COLORADO
San Francisco is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing Colorado
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of San Francisco's last 5 games when playing Colorado
Colorado is 7-14 SU in its last 21 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Colorado's last 5 games at home

10:05 PM
ARIZONA vs. SAN DIEGO
Arizona is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Arizona's last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of San Diego's last 7 games when playing Arizona
San Diego is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Arizona

10:05 PM
TEXAS vs. OAKLAND
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Texas's last 5 games when playing Oakland
Texas is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
Oakland is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games at home
Oakland is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games

10:05 PM
TORONTO vs. LA ANGELS
Toronto is 1-4 SU in their last 5 games when playing on the road against LA Angels
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Toronto's last 13 games when playing on the road against LA Angels
The total has gone OVER in 4 of LA Angels's last 5 games at home
LA Angels are 6-2 SU in their last 8 games

10:10 PM
WASHINGTON vs. LA DODGERS
Washington is 4-11 SU in their last 15 games when playing LA Dodgers
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Washington's last 6 games when playing LA Dodgers
LA Dodgers are 5-0 SU in their last 5 games
LA Dodgers are 5-0 SU in their last 5 games at home

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[pm530]

MLB


Wednesday, May 6

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tips and Trends
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Philadelphia Phillies at New York Mets [ESPN | 7:10 PM ET]

Phillies: The Phillies will give the ball to Chan Ho Park (0-1, 8.57), who allowed 7 runs and 8 hits with 6 walks in 4 2-3 innings of a 7-4 loss to the Mets on Friday. The right-hander hasn't won since a relief appearance July 1 for the Los Angeles Dodgers. He's 0-3 with a 6.02 ERA in 36 games - 6 starts - since then. Park is 5-4 with a 3.10 ERA in 16 games - 10 starts - against New York. The Phillies are getting outstanding production from Shane Victorino. Victorino went 4-for-5 with a homer and 3 RBIs on Tuesday and is batting .365 (23-for-62) with 15 RBIs during a 14-game hitting streak.

The Phillies are 10-1 in their last 11 games vs. a left-handed starter.
The Phillies are 8-0 in their last 8 games as an underdog.

Key Injuries - 2B Chase Utley (foot) is QUESTIONABLE.

PROJECTED SCORE: 4

Mets (-255, O/U 8.5): Johan Santana was the NL pitcher of the month for April after going 3-1 with a 1.10 ERA and 44 strikeouts in 32 2-3 innings over 5 starts. Santana is suffering from a lack of offense. The Mets have scored 11 runs in the two-time Cy Young Award winner's 5 outings. Last year, New York averaged 2.2 runs for Santana in his 12 starts that resulted in losses for the club. The left-hander was also hurt by poor bullpen work behind him last season - a problem that re-occurred in his last outing. Santana went 2-0 with a 2.97 ERA and 32 strikeouts in 36 1-3 innings over 5 starts against the Phillies in 2008.

The Mets are 12-3 in Santana's last 15 starts as a favorite.
The Under is 8-1-1 in the Mets' last 10 games as a favorite.

Key Injuries - NONE

PROJECTED SCORE: 6 (OVER - Total Play of the Day)

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[pm530]

MLB


Wednesday, May 6

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hot lines: Today’s best MLB bets
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Toronto Blue Jays at Los Angeles Angels (+140, 9)

With their ace on the mound, the Toronto Blue Jays are ready for a test out west.

Roy Halladay looks for his sixth victory Wednesday night when the Blue Jays open a two-game set against the surging Los Angeles Angels.

One of the early surprises of 2009, Toronto (19-10) has lost just one series and hasn't dropped more than two games in row. The Blue Jays, who are 8-6 on the road, also haven't traveled further west than Kansas City.

Opening a five-game swing that includes a weekend series in Oakland, Toronto hopes to play better against the Angels this year after going 2-4 in Anaheim a year ago.

Coming off a 10-6 win over Cleveland on Tuesday for its fourth win in five games, Toronto faces a Los Angeles (12-13) club that's trying for a season-high fourth straight victory.

Trying to join Kansas City's Zack Greinke as the only six-game winners in the major leagues, Halladay (5-1, 3.68 ERA) is 6-5 with a 4.63 ERA in 14 starts against the Angels.

The right-hander, who is 2-3 with a 6.35 ERA in eight starts on the road versus the Angels, will try for a third consecutive victory overall. He allowed four runs and 10 hits while striking out six in eight innings of an 8-4 win over Baltimore on Friday.

Rookie Anthony Ortega (0-1, 5.56) makes his third start for Los Angeles after allowing three earned runs and eight hits in 6 1-3 innings of a 7-4 road loss to the New York Yankees on Thursday.

Pick: Jays



San Francisco Giants at Colorado Rockies (-140, 10)

Randy Johnson has more wins against the Colorado Rockies than anyone, and he beat them again in impressive fashion during his last trip to the mound.

Looking to take a step closer to 300 career victories, the left-hander looks for another dominant performance Wednesday night when the San Francisco Giants open a two-game road set with the NL West rivals.

Johnson (2-2, 4.50 ERA), who's 45 and in his 22nd season, is 19-7 with a 2.23 ERA and 251 strikeouts in 28 career starts against the Rockies. That win total is his highest against any opponent, and he hasn't lost to them since Sept. 22, 2004 while with Arizona.

Since then, Johnson has won all five of his starts against Colorado, posting a 1.64 ERA with 38 strikeouts in 33 innings.

The Big Unit continued that dominance for the Giants (13-12) on Friday, striking out the first five Rockies and retiring the first 11 overall. He scattered four hits over seven scoreless innings and finished with nine strikeouts in a 3-2 win.

The Giants are expected to have Pablo Sandoval back in the lineup after he didn't start Tuesday to rest a sore groin. The second-year first baseman, who flied out as a pinch-hitter against the Cubs, is 7-for-18 (.389) with one homer and two RBIs and a .421 on-base percentage in his last six games.

He leads the team with a .319 batting average after hitting .345 in 41 games last year. Sandoval went 4-for-11 with a triple and a solo homer in the last three meetings with Colorado.

The Rockies, who have alternated wins and losses in their last eight games, are looking to rebound from Tuesday's 2-1, 10-inning loss at San Diego to settle for a split of the two-game series.

Colorado will give the ball to Ubaldo Jimenez (1-4, 6.58), who started opposite Johnson on Friday, and allowed three runs and five hits in seven innings to lose his fourth consecutive start. The right-hander has a 9.00 ERA in that span.

Jimenez is 1-2 with a 2.65 ERA in six career starts against San Francisco.

Pick: Under

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[pm530]

MLB


Wednesday, May 6

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Streaking and Slumping Pitchers
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Streaking

Zach Duke, Pittsburgh Pirates

This lefty is a Pittsburgh veteran who appears to be putting together a season that justifies the promise he showed in 2005. He finished that rookie season with an ERA under 2.00 and went 8-2 in 14 starts.

Duke has been average at best over the last three seasons, pitching more like peasant than any type of baseball nobility.

But in five starts this season the 27-year-old has been lights out. He’s carrying a 2.21 ERA and has quality starts in four of his five outings.

Johan Santana, New York Mets

This pitcher isn’t sneaking up on anyone. He’s been the most dominating hurler in his sport since 2004 and he plays for a public team.

Still, the numbers he’s putting together are eye popping even for his sky-high standards. He owns a 1.10 ERA, a 44-9 strikeout-to-walk ratio and opponents are hitting just .238 off him.

Even though the Mets’ bats appear to go cold whenever the ace takes the mound, total bettors appreciate his pitching excellence. The under is undefeated in the lefty’s five starts this season.

Slumping

Carlos Silva, Seattle Mariners

How this guy ever got $48 million from a Major League team will continue to be an unsolved mystery. The former Twin has pitched past the fifth inning just once in 2009 and he has only two more strikeouts than walks after five starts.

Opponents are hitting .351 off the righty in 2009 and his ERA is north of 7.00. The over is 3-0 in Silva’s last three trips to the bump, but despite his efforts Seattle is 3-1 in his last four appearances.

Those numbers are a strong follow-up season to last year’s 4-15 record and 6.46 ERA. Great signing

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[pm530]

MLB
Baseball Today


SCOREBOARD

Wednesday, May 6

Toronto at Los Angeles Angels (10:05 p.m. EDT). Blue Jays ace Roy Halladay gets the ball in the opener of a two-game set. Halladay is 5-1 with a 3.68 ERA in six starts this season. Anthony Ortega is scheduled to pitch for Los Angeles.

STARS

Tuesday

-Matt Garza, Rays, pitched eight strong innings to help Tampa Bay beat Baltimore 6-3.

-J.J. Hardy, Brewers, drove in four runs on three hits and Milwaukee beat Pittsburgh 8-5 for its 17th consecutive victory over the Pirates.

-Brandon Phillips, Reds, tied a career high with six RBIs as Cincinnati beat Florida 7-0.

-Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Rangers, hit a grand slam in the 10th inning and Texas beat Seattle 7-2.

-Shane Victorino, Phillies, was 4 for 5 with a home run and three RBIs as Philadelphia held off St. Louis 10-7.

-Miguel Cabrera, Tigers, hit a two-run homer in Detroit's 9-0 victory over Minnesota.

-Tim Lincecum, Giants, allowed four hits over seven innings and San Francisco beat Chicago 6-2.

STELLAR AT HOME

The Dodgers tied the modern major league record for the longest home winning streak to start a season, improving to 12-0 at Chavez Ravine as Jeff Weaver pitched them to a 3-1 victory over Arizona on Tuesday night. The defending NL West champions now share the mark with the 1911 Detroit Tigers, who accomplished the feat at Bennett Park the year before they moved into Tiger Stadium.

ON THE MEND

Rick Ankiel was out of the hospital after he ran into the outfield wall after making a running catch at the warning track the night before. X-rays and a CT scan of Ankiel's head, neck and back revealed no broken bones. Ankiel said he "tweaked'' his right shoulder and added that his neck and left side, which appeared to take the brunt of the blow, also were the worse for wear. He was released from the hospital earlier Tuesday and was due to be examined by team physician Dr. George Paletta later in the day.

POSADA HURT

Jorge Posada was placed on the 15-day disabled list Tuesday with a strained right hamstring that is expected to sideline the New York Yankees' All-Star catcher for two to three weeks. It was a frustrating blow to Posada, who toiled through months of a strenuous rehab program to get ready for this season. He missed most of last year due to a right shoulder injury that required surgery.

FILIBUSTER!

Two last-place teams with struggling bullpens and other assorted woes played on and on, giving away leads as though neither wanted to win. Fittingly, neither the Washington Nationals nor the Houston Astros did win Tuesday. Instead, because the Astros don't return to Washington this season, they'll have to wait until July 9 to settle who gets the "W'' for a mistake-filled game suspended by rain with the score tied at 10 in the 11th inning.

WELCOME TO THE BIGS

After 11 years of bouncing around the minor leagues, Bobby Scales made his major league debut for the Chicago Cubs, starting at second base Tuesday at Wrigley Field. Scales, 31 years and seven months old, singled sharply to left field in the fifth inning off San Francisco's Tim Lincecum, the 2008 NL Cy Young winner, scored a run and made a diving stop to rob Bengie Molina of a hit. Drafted by San Diego in the 14th round in 1999 from the University of Michigan, Scales lately has supplemented his income by working as a substitute teacher during the offseason.

CINCINNAT-OH

The Reds shut out a team for the fourth time in the last six games, beating Florida 7-0 Tuesday night. It was Cincinnati's sixth shutout of the season.

CLOSE ONE

Carlos Delgado dropped Omar Infante's infield pop fly in the ninth that could have ended the game, opening the way for Atlanta to score two unearned runs off Mets reliever Francisco Rodriguez before Chipper Jones flied out to right field to end the game.

SPEAKING

"It's not any fun, that's for sure. It's frustrating. It's not the way you want to start the season, but it's where we are. We've got to do something about it.'' - Yankees manager Joe Girardi on his team's 13-13 start, including a 6-5 mark at its new home and an 0-5 showing thus far against the rival Red Sox.

SEASONS

May 6

1915 - As a pitcher for Boston, Babe Ruth had three hits, including his first major league home run when he connected off Jack Warhop of the New York Yankees at the Polo Grounds.

1917 - Bob Groom of the Browns duplicated teammate Ernie Koob's feat of the previous day by pitching a 3-0 no-hit victory against the Chicago White Sox in the second game of a doubleheader in St. Louis.

1951 - Cliff Chambers of the Pittsburgh Pirates pitched a 3-0 no-hitter in the second game of a doubleheader against the Braves in Boston.

1953 - Bobo Holloman of the St. Louis Browns pitched a 6-0 no-hitter against the Philadelphia Athletics in his first major league start. He never pitched another complete game in the majors.

1982 - Gaylord Perry of the Seattle Mariners became the 15th major league pitcher with 300 victories when he defeated the New York Yankees 7-3 at the Kingdome.

1994 - Anthony Young won as a starter for the first time in more than two years as the Chicago Cubs beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 10-1. The win ended Young's 29-game losing streak as a starter.

1998 - Rookie Kerry Wood tied the major league record with 20 strikeouts in a nine-inning game, pitching a one-hitter to lead the Chicago Cubs over the Houston Astros 2-0. The 20-year-old right-hander tied the record set by Boston's Roger Clemens against Seattle in 1986, and matched by Clemens against Detroit in 1996. Wood broke the NL record of 19 strikeouts in a nine-inning game, held by Steve Carlton, Tom Seaver and David Cone.

2005 - San Diego's Trevor Hoffman became the third pitcher in major league history to reach 400 saves in the Padres' 6-5 victory over St. Louis. Hoffman joined Lee Smith (478) and John Franco (424) in the 400-save club.

2008 - Gavin Floyd of the Chicago White Sox took a no-hitter into the ninth inning before giving up a double to Joe Mauer with one out in a 7-1 win over Minnesota. Floyd was taken out to a standing ovation after the hit and Bobby Jenks got the last two outs.

Today's birthdays: Dustin Nippert 28; Willie Mays 78.

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MLB
Notes / Commentary


Wednesday, May 6

It’s not considered politically correct to admit you enjoyed Major League baseball during what has become known as the steroid era. After people lost faith in baseball because of the 1994 strike that caused the deletion of the World Series, baseball needed a change to bring people back to the park. As players started paying attention to nutrition and health supplements, the seamy side also crept in and untold numbers of players started using steroids and other performance enhancements and the ball was flying out of the ball yard as never before.

Baseball assuredly heard the whispers about players “adding 20 pounds of muscle” but choose to ignore with the turnstiles twirling, as fans enjoyed all the home runs being launched across 30 ball parks. ESPN SportsCenter had a massive inventory of highlights for several shows each night and the game’s popularity grew.

Though many of its presumed users have not and likely will never come forward, I always had more of a problem with Brady Anderson hitting 50 home runs and never before or after even reaching 25. Or Luis Gonzalez hitting 57 in 2001, with 31 homers the high water mark previously and going forward for. I’m not accusing either player of doing something they have denied doing, just trying to make sense of their accomplishments, as literally one-hit wonders.

While that space of time is looked upon shamefully because a bunch of oversized non-athletic (in many cases) players were “softball bangers” with limited skills, this helped usher in a new era, taking the game back to its roots with a new modern twist that can help the sports bettor.

Tampa Bay turned over its organization three years ago, finally realizing they had to have different concept to compete with Boston and the Yankees. The Rays started drafting players not only with skills, but exceptional athletes, who could run and play a different style of baseball. I’ve mentioned before in articles about how Peter Gammons believed in spring training of 2008, after watching Tampa Bay, he felt the Rays would be at least a .500 or better last season, since they were in his opinion the most athletic team in baseball.

The Rays easily exceeded Gammon’s beliefs, winning 97 games, after never winning more than 70 in any previous season. The two most obvious aspects of improvement were the young talented everyday players and starting pitchers. Scott Kazmir was already established as the best pitcher in baseball on bad team and James Shields and Matt Garza came into their own. By late August of 2008, every true baseball fan knew the names of B.J. Upton, Evan Longoria and Carlos Pena.

Despite all the fanfare, one aspect was overlooked after Tampa Bay won first ever division title. The Rays actually scored EIGHT less runs in winning 97 games than they did in winning 66 contests in 2007. So what happened, the starting pitching and bullpen was dramatically improved as Tampa gave up 273 FEWER runs. One overlooked point is what a difference defense made.

Where this comes into play is sites like Hardball Times, who have devised methods to rate players on defense skills, beyond errors. They have metrics like Ultimate Zone Ratings, which measure a player’s ability to save or cost his team runs during the course of a season. There are so many intriguing variables to learn from, that would be two more articles, but for the sake of simple clarity, we’ll stick to the basics.

Tampa Bay developed a model of defensive statistics that was devised to replicate how offensive numbers worked. This led to drafting certain types of players that could reach batted balls at a higher rate then average players. The results of this new way of thinking helped produce last year’s American League champions.

John Dewan, who was an early Bill James follower, started Baseball Info Solutions and created +/- method of interpreting fielding. In Sports Illustrated’s Baseball Preview, he talked about the importance of fielding. “Last year, based on my metrics, the Phillies defense saved about 80 runs as team,” Dewan stated. “The worst team, the Royals, lost about 50 runs.”

If you consider this the norm and think of Texas and San Diego having the widest variance in runs scored from last year with a 264 runs scored differential, this suggests defense is approximately half as important as scoring runs.

If you find this argument hard to swallow, think about a few of the season results to date. Seattle is a surprise leader in the AL West, after losing 101 games last season. The Mariners added Franklin Gutierrez, who was Fielding Bible winner last season and Endy Chavez to patrol expansive Safeco Field outfield. In defensive efficiency ratings, the Mariners have jumped from 24th to eighth.

If your prefer simpler stats, the top three teams in total chances are in order, Toronto, St. Louis and the Dodgers, who are a combined 54-27, +23.8 units at this time. Putouts are a related function to total chances and the four best teams at present are Toronto, Florida, Seattle and the Dodgers, all four division leaders.

The L.A. Angels have been hamstrung with pitching woes, but they have not been helped by miserable defense, which has fallen from 14th to 29th this season.

The game of baseball has gone back to having a lineup that has boppers and strong hitters, balanced with players who can throw around the leather. Smart baseball teams are seeing the value of fielding and smart baseball bettors are too.

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