Thursday Trends and Indexes 5/7 (NBA, NHL, MLB, Misc.)

[pm530]

NHL


Thursday, May 7

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Trend Sheet
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8:00 PM
VANCOUVER vs. CHICAGO
Vancouver is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Chicago
Vancouver is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games on the road
Chicago is 11-5 SU in its last 16 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Chicago's last 7 games

10:30 PM
DETROIT vs. ANAHEIM
Detroit is 4-12-1 SU in its last 17 games when playing on the road against Anaheim
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Detroit's last 8 games when playing on the road against Anaheim
Anaheim is 16-6 SU in its last 22 games
Anaheim is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home

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[pm530]

NHL


Thursday, May 7

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Ice Picks: NHL best bets
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Vancouver Canucks at Chicago Blackhawks (-160, 5)

Welcome back Roberto Luongo.

After a rough start to the Canucks’ second round series, Luongo locked down the Blackhawks for a 3-1 Game 3 victory in Chicago Tuesday.

He stopped 24 of 25 shots including 10 big saves in the third period to hang on to the win. In the past two games, Luongo has cracked down the stretch and allowed the Blackhawks to come back from three and two-goal deficits.

Luongo didn’t just let his performance do the talking. The Canucks captain constantly chirped Chicago’s forwards whenever they were within an ear shot. The brunt of most of those verbal lashings is Chicago winger Dustin Byfuglien, who was whistled for interference in Game 3.

"Unfortunately after the game I was going to congratulate him, but he skated away with his head down. I'm sure we'll talk next game," Luongo joked with reporters.

Not that Luongo needed any extra motivation for Game 4, but it seems one of hockey’s best net minders has a chip on his shoulder heading into Thursday.

Pick: Under 5



Detroit Red Wings at Anaheim Ducks (+130, 5.5)

What’s the NHL playoffs without a little bit of controversy?

The Anaheim Ducks may have gotten away with a 2-1 win Tuesday despite Detroit forward Marion Hossa scoring the tying goal in the final minute of the game. However, with all the commotion in front of the net, the officials whistled the play dead after losing sight of the puck.

"I just saw it lying there on the goal line and I just dove and thought for sure it was in, but he blew the whistle right when I touched it," Hossa told reporters. "Sometimes it happens and it's frustrating, but the game is over and we just have to go through that and keep battling."

Red Wings coach Mike Babcock voiced his disappointment with the call following the game and is trying to keep his team focused, despite having the wind knocked out of them for the second straight contest.

Hockey fans can almost taste the frustration brooding in the Red Wings locker room, most of which is targeted at Anaheim goaltender Jonas Hiller. He’s stymied the defending champs, allowing just seven goals on 145 shots during this series.

Pick: Anaheim +130

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[pm530]

MLB
Dunkel Index


Arizona at San Diego
The Padres look to bounce back from yesterday's defeat against an Arizona team that is just 2-9 in its last 11 games following a win. San Diego is the underdog pick (+115) according to Dunkel, which has the Padres favored by 1/2 a run. Dunkel Pick: San Diego (+115). Here are all of today's games

THURSDAY, MAY 7

Game 951-952: Atlanta at Florida
Dunkel Ratings: Atlanta (Jurrjens) 13.746; Florida (Sanchez) 14.505
Dunkel Line: Florida by 1; 9 1/2
Vegas Line: Atlanta (-125); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Florida (+115); Over

Game 953-954: Pittsburgh at St. Louis
Dunkel Ratings: Pittsburgh (Ohlendorf) 14.967; St. Louis (Wellemeyer) 13.766
Dunkel Line: Pittsburgh by 1; 9
Vegas Line: St. Louis (-190); 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: St. Louis (-190); Under

Game 955-956: San Francisco at Colorado
Dunkel Ratings: San Francisco (Cain) 15.650; Colorado (Marquis) 14.659
Dunkel Line: San Francisco by 1; 10 1/2
Vegas Line: Colorado (-140); 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: San Francisco (+130); Over

Game 957-958: Arizona at San Diego
Dunkel Ratings: Arizona (Haren) 13.737; San Diego (Young) 14.335
Dunkel Line: San Diego by 1/2; 6 1/2
Vegas Line: Arizona (-125); 7
Dunkel Pick: San Diego (+115); Under

Game 959-960: Milwaukee at Cincinnati
Dunkel Ratings: Milwaukee (Looper) 15.581; Cincinnati (Owings) 15.966
Dunkel Line: Cincinnati by 1/2; 10 1/2
Vegas Line: Milwaukee (-120); 9
Dunkel Pick: Cincinnati (+110); Over

Game 961-962: Philadelphia at NY Mets
Dunkel Ratings: Philadelphia (Moyer) 14.495; NY Mets (Pelfrey) 16.132
Dunkel Line: NY Mets by 1 1/2; 11
Vegas Line: NY Mets (-140); 10
Dunkel Pick: NY Mets (-140); Over

Game 963-964: Chicago Cubs at Houston
Dunkel Ratings: Cubs (Lilly) 16.094; Houston (Ortiz) 14.648
Dunkel Line: Chicago Cubs by 1 1/2; 10
Vegas Line: Chicago Cubs (-145); 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Chicago Cubs (-145); Over

Game 965-966: Washington at LA Dodgers
Dunkel Ratings: Washington (Zimmerman) 15.968; LA Dodgers (Wolf) 15.169
Dunkel Line: Washington by 1; 8
Vegas Line: LA Dodgers (-165); 9
Dunkel Pick: Washington (+155); Under

Game 967-968: Seattle at Kansas City
Dunkel Ratings: Seattle (Washburn) 15.942; Kansas City (Bannister) 15.579
Dunkel Line: Seattle by 1/2; 9 1/2
Vegas Line: Kansas City (-120); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Seattle (+110); Over

Game 969-970: Texas at Oakland
Dunkel Ratings: Texas (McCarthy) 15.001; Oakland (Cahill) 16.059
Dunkel Line: Oakland by 1; 10
Vegas Line: Oakland (-115); 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Oakland (-115); Over

Game 971-972: Tampa Bay at NY Yankees
Dunkel Ratings: Tampa Bay (Niemann) 14.190; NY Yankees (Pettitte) 15.865
Dunkel Line: NY Yankees by 1 1/2; 11
Vegas Line: NY Yankees (-165); 10 1/2
Dunkel Pick: NY Yankees (-165); Over

Game 973-974: Minnesota at Baltimore
Dunkel Ratings: Minnesota (Perkins) 15.105; Baltimore (Bergeson) 16.287
Dunkel Line: Baltimore by 1; 11
Vegas Line: Minnesota (-115); 10
Dunkel Pick: Baltimore (+105); Over

Game 975-976: Cleveland at Boston
Dunkel Ratings: Cleveland (Sowers) 14.793; Boston (Wakefield) 16.383
Dunkel Line: Boston by 1 1/2; 11
Vegas Line: Boston (-170); 10 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Boston (-170); Over

Game 977-978: 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 979-980: Toronto at LA Angels
Dunkel Ratings: Toronto (Ray) 15.693; LA Angels (Weaver) 16.447
Dunkel Line: LA Angels by 1; 9
Vegas Line: LA Angels (-160); 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: LA Angels (-160); Under

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[pm530]

MLB
Long Sheet


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Thursday, May 7
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ATLANTA (11 - 15) at FLORIDA (15 - 12) - 12:10 PM
JAIR JURRJENS (R) vs. ANIBAL SANCHEZ (R)
Top Trends for this game.
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 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 5-12 (-9.6 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
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 25-14 (+13.3 Units) against the money line when playing with a day off over the last 3 seasons.
FLORIDA is 13-5 (+9.3 Units) against the money line against division opponents this season.
FLORIDA is 31-24 (+13.6 Units) against the money line in day games over the last 2 seasons.
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 32-14 (+19.4 Units) against the money line when playing with a day off over the last 3 seasons.

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)

JAIR JURRJENS vs. FLORIDA since 1997
JURRJENS is 1-1 when starting against FLORIDA with an ERA of 7.80 and a WHIP of 1.867.
His team's record is 2-1 (+0.8 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-2. (-1.3 units)

ANIBAL SANCHEZ vs. ATLANTA since 1997
SANCHEZ is 2-2 when starting against ATLANTA with an ERA of 4.66 and a WHIP of 1.586.
His team's record is 2-3 (-1.2 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-4. (-3.4 units)

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PITTSBURGH (12 - 14) at ST LOUIS (17 - 10) - 1:40 PM
ROSS OHLENDORF (R) vs. TODD WELLEMEYER (R)
Top Trends for this game.
ST LOUIS is 38-19 (+15.1 Units) against the money line in home games in day games 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.
ST LOUIS is 70-54 (+16.0 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
ST LOUIS is 103-86 (+14.6 Units) against the money line in all games 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)

ROSS OHLENDORF vs. ST LOUIS since 1997
OHLENDORF is 0-1 when starting against ST LOUIS with an ERA of 3.00 and a WHIP of 1.333.
His team's record is 0-1 (-1.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-1. (-1.1 units)

TODD WELLEMEYER vs. PITTSBURGH since 1997
WELLEMEYER is 3-1 when starting against PITTSBURGH with an ERA of 3.83 and a WHIP of 1.181.
His team's record is 4-3 (+0.1 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 2-4. (-2.4 units)

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SAN FRANCISCO (13 - 12) at COLORADO (10 - 15) - 3:10 PM
MATT CAIN (R) vs. JASON MARQUIS (R)
Top Trends for this game.
CAIN is 25-46 (-24.2 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
CAIN is 9-24 (-13.8 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
CAIN is 9-24 (-17.0 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
CAIN is 25-46 (-24.2 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
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.
MARQUIS is 27-9 (+16.1 Units) against the money line in day games over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
SAN FRANCISCO is 367-357 (+43.1 Units) against the money line in road games against right-handed starters since 1997.
COLORADO is 31-45 (-20.2 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 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 23-36 (-18.7 Units) against the money line in day games 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.
COLORADO is 53-78 (-26.9 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
COLORADO is 83-104 (-28.1 Units) against the money line in all games 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)

MATT CAIN vs. COLORADO since 1997
CAIN is 6-5 when starting against COLORADO with an ERA of 3.33 and a WHIP of 1.279.
His team's record is 7-7 (-1.8 units) in these starts. The OVER is 3-11. (-9.0 units)

JASON MARQUIS vs. SAN FRANCISCO since 1997
MARQUIS is 4-1 when starting against SAN FRANCISCO with an ERA of 1.71 and a WHIP of 0.893.
His team's record is 6-1 (+5.8 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-5. (-3.6 units)

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ARIZONA (11 - 16) at SAN DIEGO (12 - 15) - 3:35 PM
DAN HAREN (R) vs. CHRIS YOUNG (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 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.
SAN DIEGO is 75-113 (-37.2 Units) against the money line in all games 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 49-72 (-20.4 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
YOUNG is 3-12 (-11.2 Units) against the money line when playing on Thursday since 1997. (Team's Record)

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

DAN HAREN vs. SAN DIEGO since 1997
HAREN is 3-1 when starting against SAN DIEGO with an ERA of 2.93 and a WHIP of 1.196.
His team's record is 5-2 (+2.1 units) in these starts. The OVER is 3-3. (-0.2 units)

CHRIS YOUNG vs. ARIZONA since 1997
YOUNG is 1-3 when starting against ARIZONA with an ERA of 4.42 and a WHIP of 1.009.
His team's record is 2-6 (-5.9 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 2-5. (-3.7 units)

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MILWAUKEE (15 - 12) at CINCINNATI (14 - 12) - 7:10 PM
BRADEN LOOPER (R) vs. MICAH OWINGS (R)
Top Trends for this game.
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 12-2 (+9.7 Units) against the money line in home games in May games 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.
OWINGS is 3-11 (-9.5 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)

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)

BRADEN LOOPER vs. CINCINNATI since 1997
LOOPER is 4-1 when starting against CINCINNATI with an ERA of 2.57 and a WHIP of 0.878.
His team's record is 6-1 (+5.4 units) in these starts. The OVER is 3-3. (+0.1 units)

MICAH OWINGS vs. MILWAUKEE since 1997
OWINGS is 0-3 when starting against MILWAUKEE with an ERA of 7.71 and a WHIP of 1.714.
His team's record is 0-3 (-3.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-2. (-1.2 units)

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PHILADELPHIA (14 - 10) at NY METS (12 - 13) - 7:10 PM
JAMIE MOYER (L) vs. MIKE PELFREY (R)
Top Trends for this game.
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.
MOYER is 27-14 (+12.1 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
MOYER is 15-6 (+10.4 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
MOYER is 11-1 (+10.7 Units) against the money line in road games against division opponents over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
MOYER is 27-14 (+12.1 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
MOYER is 122-63 (+31.9 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record since 1997. (Team's Record)
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 4-10 (-8.8 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
PELFREY is 6-12 (-9.5 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 2 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)

JAMIE MOYER vs. NY METS since 1997
MOYER is 5-3 when starting against NY METS with an ERA of 3.37 and a WHIP of 1.250.
His team's record is 9-5 (+5.6 units) in these starts. The OVER is 4-10. (-6.6 units)

MIKE PELFREY vs. PHILADELPHIA since 1997
PELFREY is 2-2 when starting against PHILADELPHIA with an ERA of 4.28 and a WHIP of 1.573.
His team's record is 2-3 (-1.5 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 3-1. (+2.0 units)

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CHICAGO CUBS (14 - 12) at HOUSTON (11 - 15) - 8:05 PM
TED LILLY (L) vs. RUSS ORTIZ (R)
Top Trends for this game.
CHICAGO CUBS are 283-326 (-90.5 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 144-202 (-60.9 Units) against the money line on the road when the total is 9 to 9.5 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.
CHICAGO CUBS are 971-1021 (-186.8 Units) against the money line in all games since 1997.
HOUSTON is 95-89 (+15.5 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
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.
ORTIZ is 101-67 (+28.9 Units) against the money line in night games 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)

TED LILLY vs. HOUSTON since 1997
LILLY is 4-1 when starting against HOUSTON with an ERA of 3.25 and a WHIP of 0.993.
His team's record is 4-3 (-0.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-5. (-3.2 units)

RUSS ORTIZ vs. CHICAGO CUBS since 1997
ORTIZ is 4-5 when starting against CHICAGO CUBS with an ERA of 5.29 and a WHIP of 1.619.
His team's record is 5-6 (-2.1 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 5-6. (-1.4 units)

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WASHINGTON (7 - 17) at LA DODGERS (20 - 8) - 10:10 PM
JORDAN ZIMMERMANN (R) vs. RANDY WOLF (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 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.
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.
WOLF is 14-4 (+10.2 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
WOLF is 17-3 (+12.4 Units) against the money line in home games in May games since 1997. (Team's Record)
WOLF is 14-4 (+10.2 Units) against the money line in home games in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
WOLF is 12-2 (+10.2 Units) against the money line in home games in night games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
WASHINGTON is 94-87 (+36.7 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 over the last 3 seasons.

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

JORDAN ZIMMERMANN vs. LA DODGERS since 1997
No recent starts.

RANDY WOLF vs. WASHINGTON since 1997
WOLF is 9-4 when starting against WASHINGTON with an ERA of 4.58 and a WHIP of 1.379.
His team's record is 12-7 (+3.9 units) in these starts. The OVER is 10-8. (+1.6 units)

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SEATTLE (15 - 12) at KANSAS CITY (16 - 11) - 2:10 PM
JARROD WASHBURN (L) vs. BRIAN BANNISTER (R)
Top Trends for this game.
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 48-81 (-33.7 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
SEATTLE is 76-113 (-35.0 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
WASHBURN is 6-21 (-15.7 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
KANSAS CITY is 91-98 (+9.9 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
KANSAS CITY is 34-32 (+11.8 Units) against the money line in day 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 43-29 (+26.7 Units) against the money line against left-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
BANNISTER is 15-6 (+12.2 Units) against the money line in day games over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
KANSAS CITY is 29-55 (-26.4 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 9 to 9.5 over the last 3 seasons.

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

JARROD WASHBURN vs. KANSAS CITY since 1997
WASHBURN is 8-5 when starting against KANSAS CITY with an ERA of 3.32 and a WHIP of 1.186.
His team's record is 9-7 (-1.4 units) in these starts. The OVER is 7-9. (-2.7 units)

BRIAN BANNISTER vs. SEATTLE since 1997
BANNISTER is 0-3 when starting against SEATTLE with an ERA of 4.79 and a WHIP of 1.209.
His team's record is 0-3 (-3.1 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 2-0. (+2.0 units)

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TEXAS (14 - 12) at OAKLAND (9 - 15) - 3:35 PM
BRANDON MCCARTHY (R) vs. TREVOR CAHILL (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 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)

BRANDON MCCARTHY vs. OAKLAND since 1997
MCCARTHY is 0-2 when starting against OAKLAND with an ERA of 18.00 and a WHIP of 2.500.
His team's record is 0-2 (-2.2 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 0-2. (-2.1 units)

TREVOR CAHILL vs. TEXAS since 1997
No recent starts.

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TAMPA BAY (12 - 16) at NY YANKEES (13 - 13) - 7:05 PM
JEFF NIEMANN (R) vs. ANDY PETTITTE (L)
Top Trends for this game.
TAMPA BAY is 1-8 (-7.9 Units) against the money line against left-handed starters this season.
TAMPA BAY is 55-39 (+18.0 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 117-89 (+21.0 Units) against the money line in all games 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)

JEFF NIEMANN vs. NY YANKEES since 1997
No recent starts.

ANDY PETTITTE vs. TAMPA BAY since 1997
PETTITTE is 15-4 when starting against TAMPA BAY with an ERA of 3.70 and a WHIP of 1.407.
His team's record is 18-7 (+3.3 units) in these starts. The OVER is 7-18. (-12.6 units)

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

MINNESOTA (13 - 14) at BALTIMORE (10 - 17) - 7:05 PM
GLEN PERKINS (L) vs. BRADLEY BERGESEN (R)
Top Trends for this game.
MINNESOTA is 17-4 (+14.8 Units) against the money line when playing with a day off over the last 2 seasons.
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 18-36 (-16.6 Units) against the money line against left-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.

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

GLEN PERKINS vs. BALTIMORE since 1997
PERKINS is 0-0 when starting against BALTIMORE with an ERA of 12.86 and a WHIP of 2.571.
His team's record is 2-0 (+2.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-0. (+2.0 units)

BRADLEY BERGESEN vs. MINNESOTA since 1997
No recent starts.

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

CLEVELAND (10 - 17) at BOSTON (17 - 10) - 7:05 PM
AARON LAFFEY (L) vs. TIM WAKEFIELD (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.

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)

AARON LAFFEY vs. BOSTON since 1997
No recent starts.

TIM WAKEFIELD vs. CLEVELAND since 1997
WAKEFIELD is 9-7 when starting against CLEVELAND with an ERA of 5.04 and a WHIP of 1.388.
His team's record is 11-8 (+3.7 units) in these starts. The OVER is 9-8. (+0.2 units)

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

DETROIT (14 - 12) at CHI WHITE SOX (12 - 14) - 8:11 PM
ZACH MINER (R) vs. JOSE CONTRERAS (R)
Top Trends for this game.
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.
DETROIT is 56-75 (-31.7 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
DETROIT is 88-100 (-29.7 Units) against the money line in all 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.

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)

ZACH MINER vs. CHI WHITE SOX since 1997
MINER is 2-3 when starting against CHI WHITE SOX with an ERA of 8.59 and a WHIP of 1.728.
His team's record is 2-3 (-1.2 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-3. (-2.5 units)

JOSE CONTRERAS vs. DETROIT since 1997
CONTRERAS is 8-9 when starting against DETROIT with an ERA of 4.75 and a WHIP of 1.354.
His team's record is 12-11 (+0.5 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 13-10. (+1.9 units)

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

TORONTO (19 - 10) at LA ANGELS (12 - 13) - 10:05 PM
ROBERT RAY (R) vs. JERED WEAVER (R)
Top Trends for this game.
LA ANGELS are 49-25 (+21.0 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 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.
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.
WEAVER is 24-8 (+14.7 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 since 1997. (Team's Record)
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.
LA ANGELS are 92-89 (-51.1 Units) against the money line as a home favorite of -150 to -175 since 1997.

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

ROBERT RAY vs. LA ANGELS since 1997
No recent starts.

JERED WEAVER vs. TORONTO since 1997
WEAVER is 3-1 when starting against TORONTO with an ERA of 4.30 and a WHIP of 1.391.
His team's record is 3-1 (+1.7 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-2. (-0.2 units)

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[pm530]

MLB
Short Sheet


Thursday, May 7

National League

ATLANTA at FLORIDA, 12:10 PM ET
JURRJENS: ATL 5-12 against right-handed starters
SANCHEZ: FLA 40-24 after 3+ consecutive home games

PITTSBURGH at ST LOUIS, 1:40 PM ET
OHLENDORF: PIT 10-2 OVER revenging 2 straight losses by 2 runs or less
WELLEMEYER: STL 38-19 at home in day games

SAN FRANCISCO at COLORADO, 3:10 PM ET
CAIN: 4-17 TSR as a road underdog of +100 to +150
MARQUIS: 27-9 TSR in day games

ARIZONA at SAN DIEGO, 3:35 PM ET
HAREN: ARI 9-0 UNDER AWAY in the first half of the season
YOUNG: SD 1-8 after having lost 2 of their last 3

MILWAUKEE at CINCINNATI, 7:10 PM ET
LOOPER: 18-5 UNDER when the money line is +125 to -125
OWINGS: 3-11 TSR in night games

PHILADELPHIA at NY METS, 7:10 PM ET MLB
MOYER: PHI 6-0 as an underdog of +100 to +150
PELFREY: 4-11 TSR after 2+ consecutive team wins

CHICAGO CUBS at HOUSTON, 8:05 PM ET
LILLY: 8-0 OVER when playing on Thursday
ORTIZ: HOU 20-6 revenging 2 straight home losses

WASHINGTON at LA DODGERS, 10:10 PM ET
ZIMMERMANN: WAS 4-23 after allowing 10+ runs
WOLF: LAD 13-0 at home


American League

SEATTLE at KANSAS CITY, 2:10 PM ET
WASHBURN: SEA 1-18 after allowing 9+ runs
BANNISTER: 15-6 TSR in day games

TEXAS at OAKLAND, 3:35 PM ET
MCCARTHY: 12-2 UNDER as an underdog of +100 to +150
CAHILL: OAK 0-6 at home against division opponents

TAMPA BAY at NY YANKEES, 7:05 PM ET
NIEMANN: TB 1-8 against left-handed starters
PETTITTE: 54-19 TSR as a home favorite of -150 to -200

MINNESOTA at BALTIMORE, 7:05 PM ET
PERKINS: MIN 11-2 OVER AWAY after scoring 1 run or less
BERGESEN: BAL 33-17 OVER against left-handed starters

CLEVELAND at BOSTON, 7:05 PM ET
SOWERS: CLE 20-39 after having won 2 of their last 3
WAKEFIELD: BOS 27-8 as a home favorite of -150 to -200

DETROIT at CHI WHITE SOX, 8:11 PM ET
GALARRAGA: DET 9-1 OPER AWAY when playing on Thursday
BUEHRLE: 19-3 at home in May

TORONTO at LA ANGELS, 10:05 PM ET
RAY: TOR 9-1 OVER as an underdog
WEAVER: 24-8 TSR when the total is 9 to 9.5

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[pm530]

MLB
Write-up


Thursday, May 7

Hot Pitchers
-- Jurrjens has a 1.64 RA in his last four starts.
-- Ohlendorf is 3-0, 2.70 in his last three starts.
-- Marquis is 4-1, 3.31 in five starts this season. Cain has 2.07 RA in his two road starts this season.
-- Haren has 1.47 RA in six starts this season. Young is 2-0, 1.93 in his two home starts this season.
-- Milwaukee is 4-1 in Looper starts (2-1, 3.41).
-- Houston is 3-0 in Ortiz starts, scoring 17 runs. Lilly is 2-2, 2.36 in his last four starts.
-- Wolf is 1-0, 3.45 in his last five starts. Zimmermann is 2-1, 4.24 in his first three major league starts.

-- Washburn is 3-1, 2.97 in five starts this season.
-- McCarthy is 3-0, 4.67 in five starts this season.
-- Red Sox won last four Wakefield starts (3-0, 2.57).
-- Galarraga is 3-1, 3.07 in five starts this season. Buehrle is 4-0, 3.24 in his last four starts.
-- Royals are 3-0 in Bannister starts (2-0, 3.44).
-- Weaver is 1-0, 3.15 in his last three starts.

Cold Pitchers
-- Sanchez is 0-3, 7.94 in his last three starts.
-- Wellemeyer has 6.35 RA in his last three starts.
-- Owings is 1-3, 6.04 in four starts this season.
-- Pelfrey has 6.00 RA in four starts, but is 3-0 (Mets scored 29 runs). Phillies won Moyer's last four starts, scoring 39 runs.

-- Pettitte is 0-1, 6.94 in his last two starts. Niemann has 5.87 RA in his three road starts this season.
-- Cahill is 0-2, 4.50 in five starts this season (0-1, 2.19 day games).
-- Bergesen has 6.32 RA in three starts this season. Perkins is 0-1, 7.36 in his last two starts.
-- Sowers is making first '09 start; he is 12-19, 5.14 in his 49 big league starts.
-- Ray allowed three runs in 5.2 IP in his first start, vs Baltimore.

Hot Teams
-- Phillies won eight of their last eleven games. Mets won four of five.
-- Giants won ten of their last fifteen games.
-- Cubs won five of their last six games.
-- Brewers won twelve of their last fifteen games.
-- Dodgers are 13-0 at home this season.

-- Red Sox won fifteen of their last nineteen games.
-- Tigers won three of their last four games.
-- Royals won seven of their last eight games.
-- Rangers won nine of their last twelve games.
-- Angels won three of their last four games. Blue Jays won five of their last six games.

Cold Teams
-- Braves lost four of their last five games. Marlins lost five of their last six games.
-- Nationals lost eight of their last twelve games.
-- Reds are 4-8 at home this season.
-- Pirates lost eight of their last nine games, allowing 51 runs. Cardinals lost three of their last four games.
-- Astros lost four of their last five home games.
-- Rockies are 4-5 in their last nine home games.
-- Padres lost thirteen of their last fifteen games. Arizona is 4-6 on the road this season.

-- Orioles lost eight of their last twelve games. Twins lost four of five.
-- Bronx lost last four games, allowing 25 runs. Rays lost four of their last six road games.
-- Indians are 6-10 on the road this season.
-- White Sox lost their last four games, allowing 25 runs.
-- Mariners lost four of their last five games.
-- A's lost five of their last six games.

Totals
-- Last four Jurrjens starts stayed under the total.
-- Over is 7-3-1 in Phillies' last eleven games.
-- All four Owings starts went over the total.
-- Over is 8-3-1 in Chicago's last twelve games.
-- Four of last six Pittsburgh road games went over the total.
-- Three of last four Marquis starts stayed under the total.
-- Under is 9-0-1 in Arizona's road games.
-- Over is 15-5-2 in last twenty-two Dodger games.

-- Under is 4-0-1 in Minnesota's last five road games.
-- Over is 15-4-2 in last twenty-one Boston games. Over is 12-4 in Cleveland's road games.
-- Four of five Pettitte starts stayed under the total.
-- Three of last four Galarraga starts stayed under the total.
-- Last three Washburn starts stayed under the total.
-- Last five Oakland home games stayed under the total.
-- Nine of last thirteen Angel games went over the total.

Umpire Stats
-- Atl-Fla-- All four Diaz games went over the total.
-- Pitt-StL-- Underdog won two of three Fairchild games.
-- SF-Colo-- Seven of eight Davis games went over the total.
-- Az-SD-- Favorite won five of six Rapuano games.
-- Mil-Cin-- Home side won last five Gibson games, with last three all going over the total.
-- Phil-NY-- Three of last four Hernandez games stayed under total.
-- Chi-Hst-- Over is 3-0-1 in Johnson games this season.
-- Wsh-LA-- There isn't enough data to analyze umpire Campos yet.

-- Sea-KC-- Underdog won both Tichenor games.
-- Tex-A's-- Road team won all five Vanover games (over 4-1).
-- TB-NY-- Three of last four Scott games stayed under the total.
-- Min-Balt-- Four of five Marsh games went over the total.
-- Clev-Bos-- Three of last four Tschida games went over the total.
-- Det-Chi-- No idea who umpire for this game is.
-- Tor-LAA-- Not enough data to analyze umpire Moser yet.

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

[pm530]

MLB


Thursday, May 7

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

12:10 PM
ATLANTA vs. FLORIDA
Atlanta is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
Atlanta is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Florida is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Atlanta
Florida is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games

1:40 PM
PITTSBURGH vs. ST. LOUIS
Pittsburgh is 1-8 SU in its last 9 games
Pittsburgh is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games on the road
St. Louis is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Pittsburgh
St. Louis is 17-8 SU in its last 25 games

2:10 PM
SEATTLE vs. KANSAS CITY
Seattle is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Kansas City
Seattle is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Kansas City
Kansas City is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Seattle
Kansas City is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home

3:10 PM
SAN FRANCISCO vs. COLORADO
San Francisco is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Colorado
San Francisco is 3-9 SU in its last 12 games on the road
Colorado is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home
Colorado is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing San Francisco

3:35 PM
ARIZONA vs. SAN DIEGO
Arizona is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games when playing San Diego
Arizona is 7-18 SU in its last 25 games on the road
San Diego is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games at home
San Diego is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games

3:35 PM
TEXAS vs. OAKLAND
Texas is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Oakland
Texas is 8-4 SU in its last 12 games when playing on the road against Oakland
Oakland is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games at home
Oakland is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Texas

7:05 PM
MINNESOTA vs. BALTIMORE
Minnesota is 8-2 SU in its last 10 games when playing on the road against Baltimore
Minnesota is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
Baltimore is 4-12 SU in its last 16 games when playing Minnesota
Baltimore is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games at home

7:05 PM
TAMPA BAY vs. NY YANKEES
Tampa Bay is 2-4 SU in their last 6 games when playing NY Yankees
Tampa Bay is 2-6 SU in their last 8 games when playing on the road against NY Yankees
NY Yankees are 14-7 SU in their last 21 games at home
NY Yankees are 1-4 SU in their last 5 games at home

7:10 PM
CLEVELAND vs. BOSTON
Cleveland is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Boston
Cleveland is 3-10 SU in its last 13 games when playing Boston
Boston is 10-3 SU in its last 13 games when playing Cleveland
Boston is 15-5 SU in its last 20 games

7:10 PM
MILWAUKEE vs. CINCINNATI
Milwaukee is 11-3-1 SU in its last 15 games
Milwaukee is 6-1-1 SU in its last 8 games on the road
Cincinnati is 2-3-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Milwaukee
Cincinnati is 2-4-1 SU in its last 7 games at home

7:10 PM
PHILADELPHIA vs. NY METS
Philadelphia is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against NY Mets
Philadelphia is 8-3 SU in its last 11 games
NY Mets are 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
NY Mets are 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Philadelphia

8:00 PM
CHI CUBS vs. HOUSTON
Chi Cubs are 5-1 SU in their last 6 games
Chi Cubs are 5-1 SU in their last 6 games when playing Houston
Houston is 1-6 SU in their last 7 games when playing at home against Chi Cubs
Houston is 1-5 SU in their last 6 games when playing Chi Cubs

8:11 PM
DETROIT vs. CHI WHITE SOX
Detroit is 1-7-1 SU in their last 9 games when playing on the road against Chi White Sox
Detroit is 1-4-1 SU in their last 6 games when playing Chi White Sox
Chi White Sox are 4-1-1 SU in their last 6 games when playing Detroit
Chi White Sox are 0-4-1 SU in their last 5 games

10:05 PM
TORONTO vs. LA ANGELS
Toronto is 2-4 SU in their last 6 games when playing LA Angels
Toronto is 2-4 SU in their last 6 games when playing on the road against LA Angels
LA Angels are 4-2 SU in their last 6 games when playing Toronto
LA Angels are 2-4 SU in their last 6 games at home

10:10 PM
WASHINGTON vs. LA DODGERS
Washington is 0-4-1 SU in their last 5 games when playing on the road against LA Dodgers
Washington is 7-17-1 SU in its last 25 games
LA Dodgers are 11-4-1 SU in their last 16 games when playing Washington
LA Dodgers are 1-3-1 SU in their last 5 games when playing Washington

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

[pm530]

MLB


Thursday, May 7

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

Tampa Bay Rays at New York Yankees [7:05 PM ET]

Rays: Jeff Niemann (2-3, 5.68) hopes to pitch the Rays to their first three-game win streak. The second-year right-hander had his worst start of the season Saturday in a 10-6 loss to Boston, allowing six runs and seven hits in three innings, the shortest start of his career. Niemann had surrendered five earned runs in his previous three starts over 17 innings before getting hit hard by the Red Sox. This will be Niemann's first appearance against the Yankees. Carlos Pena, who hit his major league-leading 12th home run to win the game last night, is 10-for-30 (.333) with three homers lifetime vs. Andy Pettitte.

The Rays are 5-17 in their last 22 games vs. a left-handed starter.
The Under is 11-3 in the Rays' last 14 games as an underdog.

Key Injuries - NONE

PROJECTED SCORE: 4

Yankees (-160, O/U 10.5): With their fourth consecutive loss, 4-3 to the Rays last night , the Yankees matched their longest skid from last season and dropped to 3-9 against the AL East. Andy Pettitte (2-1, 3.82) looks to rebound from his worst performance of the season for New York. After limiting opponents to three earned runs or fewer in each of his first four starts, the left-hander was tagged for five runs and nine hits in 5 2-3 innings Friday against the Los Angeles Angels. Pettitte held the Rays to three runs through 7 1-3 innings April 15 at Tropicana Field. He is 15-4 with a 3.70 ERA in 25 starts against Tampa Bay.

The Yankees are 1-6 in their last 7 games off a loss.
The Under is 8-2 in Pettitte's last 10 home starts vs. the Rays.

Key Injuries - 3B Alex Rodriguez (hip) is on the 15-day DL.
OF Xavier Nady (elbow) is on the 15-day DL.
C Jorge Posada (hamstring) is on the 15-day DL.

PROJECTED SCORE: 5 (UNDER - Total Play of the Day)

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[pm530]

MLB


Thursday, May 7

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

Tampa Bay Rays at New York Yankees (-151, 10.5)

The New York Yankees have experienced their share of potential distractions in the first month of the season. They've also endured more losses than expected from a team with baseball's highest payroll.

Hoping to avoid their first five-game losing streak in nearly two years, the Yankees close a brief two-game series against the visiting Tampa Bay Rays on Thursday night.

The offseason additions of big-name free agents CC Sabathia, A.J. Burnett and Mark Teixeira only served to increase expectations for the Yankees (13-14), who reached the playoffs 13 straight seasons before falling short last year.

Anything less than a World Series title is usually unacceptable in New York, where empty seats in the new $1.5 billion Yankee Stadium have received as much attention as the team's disappointing play on the field.

Sabathia, Burnett and Teixeira have all performed well below expectations with their new team. Sabathia (4.85 ERA) and Burnett (5.26) have combined for only three wins in 12 starts and each sports an ERA well above their career averages while Teixeira is batting .209 with 15 RBIs.

Teixeira delivered a game-tying, three-run double in the eighth inning of Wednesday night's 4-3, 10-inning loss to Tampa Bay (13-16), but also stranded a runner at third with one out in the 10th when he flied out to shallow right.

"I've got to get that runner home,'' Teixeira said. "I tried to hit a fly ball and I popped it up a little bit. Little things.''

Teixeira's slump can be partly attributed to the absence of Alex Rodriguez, who has yet to play this season following hip surgery. Rodriguez, who likely will bat behind Teixeira, could return as early as Friday at Baltimore.

"People are asking if it's Friday,'' manager Joe Girardi said before Wednesday's game. "I'm not going to say 100 percent he's not going to be here - or he is going to be here.''

With their fourth consecutive loss, the Yankees matched their longest skid from last season and dropped to 3-9 against the AL East. They last dropped five in a row May 25-29, 2007.

Pick: Tampa Bay +143



Chicago Cubs at Houston Astros (+138, 9.5)

Ted Lilly has been dominant at home for the Chicago Cubs this year. That's certainly not been the case on the road for the left-hander.

On Thursday night, Lilly looks to avoid another rough start away from home as the Cubs try to sweep a two-game series from the Houston Astros.

Lilly (3-2, 3.13 ERA) allowed one run and five hits while striking out 10 in eight innings of a 6-1 victory over Florida on Saturday at Wrigley Field. He is 2-1 with a 0.42 ERA at home this season, but 1-1 with a 9.00 ERA on the road.

Lilly, who hasn't pitched past the fifth inning in either road outing, allowed five runs, eight hits - including four home runs - and was fortunate to get more than enough support in Chicago's 11-6 win at Houston on April 8. He gave up five runs in a 7-2 loss at Arizona on April 27.

"We're going to score a lot of runs," Lilly told the Cubs' official Web site. "I want to be prepared so when we don't, I can limit the opposing club to two runs or whatever is necessary to get the 'W.'"

Despite his latest effort versus Houston (11-16), Lilly is 4-1 with a 3.25 ERA in seven starts against the Astros.

Pick: Over 9.5

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[pm530]

MLB


Thursday, May 7

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Streaking and Slumping Pitchers
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Streaking

Jair Jurrjens (Atlanta Braves)

The young righty’s name sounds more like a soccer player than a starting pitcher. He’s put in good work for the Braves to begin the year, posting a 2-2 record with a 1.89 ERA in six starts.

He would have a record more reflective of his efforts if Atlanta’s lineup would provide run support. The Braves have given Jurrjens an average of just 4.32 runs during his appearances, keeping him winless in his past four games.

"We can't keep wasting Jurrjens' good efforts," Chipper Jones told reporters. "The kid has pitched great and has nothing to show for it."

Jurrjens’ most recent start versus the Houston Astros was cut short due to rain. He pitched just over two innings, allowing a first-inning home run. In the start before that, he went six innings and gave up just two runs on six hits. He has allowed only seven earned runs in his six starts.

Dan Haren (Arizona Diamondbacks)

The D-backs right-handed starter has won three straight decisions heading into Thursday, most recently an eight-inning gem against the Milwaukee Brewers. Haren allowed just one run on four hits while striking out 11 batters.

Despite not having his best stuff, Haren has whiffed 21 batters in the past two games. He has 47 strikeouts on the year and posts a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 6.71.

"I was actually all over the place in the bullpen," Haren told the media following Saturday’s win. "I had a quick first inning. After that, I kind of locked it in. I had a good split and a good cut fastball. The breaking ball wasn't as good; I was trying to get a feel for it. Getting runs and being able to be real aggressive is nice."

Haren would have a better overall record if he got support from Arizona’s bats earlier in the schedule. But during this current winning streak, the Diamondbacks have gave their starter 13 total runs.

Slumping

Jose Contreras (Chicago White Sox)

The axe is hovering above Jose Contreras' spot in the rotation. After allowing seven run on seven hits in just over three innings of work against Texas Saturday, the White Sox are considering demoting the struggling righty.

"I don't want to give up on him," Ozzie Guillen told the press. "It's not my style, but I'd like to know what's going through my mind. I'm going crazy about it. It's driving his pitching coach (Don Cooper) crazy. The stuff is there. I've seen people get people out with less stuff, and that's a shame. Right now I don't have any answers about the next start. Right now I will pencil him in for the next start. We'll see if we change our mind the next couple days."

Contreras is 0-4 in five starts and lugs a chunky 8.31 ERA. He has given up 16 earned runs in his past three starts and has walked nine batters while striking out seven. Going back to 2008, Chicago is 1-7 in Contreras’ past eight starts.

Anibal Sanchez (Florida Marlins)

After a great start to the year, the Florida Marlins are coming back to earth. One of the reasons is the decline of starter Anibal Sanchez, who has lost three straight games heading into Thursday.

Sanchez began the year by giving up just two earned runs in his first two starts but has since allowed 19 earned runs during this current skid. In his most recent start, Sanchez served up six runs on nine hits including two home runs in four innings against the Chicago Cubs Saturday.

The damage is being done in the first inning, where Sanchez has allowed nine runs including three home runs in his past two starts. On the year, he has given up 14 hits in his first 15 pitches and has allowed opponents to hit .467 BA to begin games.

"The cold in particular makes me uncomfortable when it comes time to pitch," Sanchez told the Sun Sentinel. "That's not an excuse. I have to try to make some adjustments in that first inning, try to come in a little more aggressive and see what I can do. I'm expecting not to have that same problem [next time] in the first inning."

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[pm530]

MLB
Baseball Today


SCOREBOARD

Thursday, May 7

Washington at L.A. Dodgers, (10:10 p.m. EDT). The Nationals' Ryan Zimmerman tries to hit safely in his 25th straight game against the Dodgers, who can extend their record home winning streak to start a season to 14 straight.

STARS

Wednesday

-Johan Santana, Mets, extended his dominant start to the season, striking out 10 in seven innings of two-hit ball as New York beat Philadelphia 1-0.

-Victor Martinez, Indians, homered and drove in four runs and Cleveland ended Boston's nine-game home winning streak with a 9-2 victory.

-Roy Halladay, Blue Jays, dominated the Los Angeles Angels over eight innings of Toronto's 13-1 victory, allowing one run on six hits with two walks and six strikeouts to become the majors' second six-game winner.

-Carlos Pena, Rays, homered leading off the 10th inning, and Tampa Bay survived a sudden downpour and Mark Teixeira's tying, three-run double in the eighth to beat the New York Yankees 4-3.

-Albert Pujols, Cardinals, homered for the fourth time in five games and St. Louis beat Pittsburgh 4-2.

-Justin Upton, Diamondbacks, hit two home runs, including a two-run shot off Jake Peavy, to lead Arizona to a 3-1 win over San Diego.

STREAKING

The Los Angeles Dodgers broke the modern major league record for home winning streak to start a season with their 13th straight victory, 10-3 over the Washington Nationals. The Dodgers surpassed the 12-0 record of the 1911 Detroit Tigers.

SEE YOU IN COURT

The New York Yankees' former scouting director in this baseball hotbed has filed a $3 million lawsuit against the team for firing him amid a probe of alleged bonus skimming from a top teenage prospect. Ramon Valdivia, one of two scouts fired last year during a Major League Baseball investigation of skimming from contracts with Latin American players, said he is seeking damages against the Yankees to restore his name and hopefully pave the way for his return to baseball.

SAVE THE 'PEN

Cleveland's beleaguered bullpen got a boost from its newest member, Aaron Laffey. He had been scheduled to start Thursday night, but the Indians moved him to a relief role and he allowed two hits in three scoreless innings for his first career save in a 9-2 win over Boston. He is 2-0 this year and all 29 of his previous major league appearances were as a starter.

SIZZLING

Albert Pujols is batting .611 (11 for 18) with two homers and three RBIs against the Pirates in five games this season and .371 for his career with 37 homers and 109 RBIs in 490 at-bats.

STUNG

Cincinnati Reds pitcher Bronson Arroyo had one of the worst outings of his career. Coming off a stellar performance in his last start, Arroyo gave up nine runs in one inning in a 15-3 loss to Milwaukee. He faced 12 batters overall and retired only two of them. The right-hander gave up seven hits and walked three. The nine runs allowed were one shy of his career high.

GET WELL SOON

Red Sox announcer Jerry Remy is taking an indefinite leave of absence after having setbacks following cancer surgery. The 56-year-old Remy does color commentary for the New England Sports Network. Remy is a former smoker who had surgery for lung cancer late last year and later developed an infection and pneumonia. The former major league second baseman for California and Boston said he disclosed his illness to reinforce the dangers of smoking.

WET ONE

The Orioles beat the Twins 4-1 night in a rain-shortened game marred by four delays totaling 3 hours, 46 minutes. The teams played a total of 1 hour, 27 minutes before the final stoppage occurred with one out in the top of the sixth.

LACKING K's

Randy Johnson, who stands in second place all-time on the career strikeout list, didn't have any against Colorado. It was only the fifth time since 1999 that Johnson failed to record a strikeout in a game. The last time was in 2006 when he was pitching for the Yankees.

SPEAKING

"Streaks are fine, but we have more important things in mind. Hopefully, it's just a stepping stone on the way to something more important. The fact that we're playing well takes precedence over anything else. The good part about this thing is that this is about winning games, which is what we try to do every day.'' - Dodgers manager Joe Torre after his team won its 13th straight home game to start the season, breaking the major league record.

SEASONS

May 7

1917 - Babe Ruth of the Red Sox allowed two hits as he outdueled Walter Johnson of the Washington Senators 1-0. Ruth knocked in the winning run with a sacrifice fly.

1922 - Jesse Barnes of the New York Giants pitched the only no-hitter of the year, beating the Philadelphia Phillies 6-0.

1925 - Pittsburgh shortstop Glenn Wright made an unassisted triple play in the ninth inning against the St. Louis Cardinals when he caught Jim Bottomley's line drive, stepped on second to double Jimmy Cooney, and tagged Rogers Hornsby coming from first.

1957 - Cleveland pitcher Herb Score was hit on the right eye by a line drive off the bat of Gil McDougald in the first inning. The ball broke Score's nose and damaged his eye; he missed the rest of the season.

1959 - A crowd of 93,103 came to the Los Angeles Coliseum on "Roy Campanella Night'' to show its affection for the paralyzed Dodger catcher. The Dodgers were beaten by the New York Yankees 6-2 in an exhibition game that followed the ceremonies.

1960 - Norm Sherry, a replacement catcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers, hit a home run in the 11th inning to give his brother, relief pitcher Larry Sherry, a 3-2 triumph over the Philadelphia Phillies in Los Angeles.

1997 - The Montreal Expos scored 13 runs to set an NL record for runs in a sixth inning during their 19-3 win over the San Francisco Giants. Montreal had scored five runs in the fifth to set a National League record for runs in consecutive innings.

2007 - San Francisco's Bengie Molina hit a two-run homer in the fifth, then added a three-run drive later in the same inning to lead the Giants to a 9-4 win over New York.

2008 - Carlos Gomez became the first Minnesota player to hit for the cycle in 22 years in a 13-1 victory over the Chicago White Sox. Gomez homered off Mark Buehrle on the game's third pitch. He added an RBI triple in the fifth, doubled in a run in the sixth and completed the cycle with an infield single to lead off a six-run ninth.

2008 - Joey Votto hit three homers as Cincinnati beat Chicago 9-0. Jon Lieber became only the second pitcher in Cubs history to give up four homers in an inning. Votto started the four-homer second inning off Lieber, who was making his first start of the season. Adam Dunn and Paul Bako also had solo shots, and Jerry Hairston Jr.'s two-run homer completed the history-matching rally.

Today's birthdays: James Loney 25; Conor Jackson 27.

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