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**pm530** · 05-10-2009, 05:56 AM

Daily Sports Roundup

Sunday, May 10

Today in the Daily Sports Roundup: The Lakers and Magic try to extend series leads, and the Giants look to close out their series with the Dodgers with a victory.

Tipping off on the hardwood . . .

The Lakers will be looking to run their series lead to 3-1 on Sunday afternoon when they play in Houston in the fourth game of their second-round playoff matchup. Los Angeles rolled to a 108-94 road win over the Rockets in Game 3 on Friday night, with Kobe Bryant scoring a game-high 33 points in the victory. Lamar Odom had 16 points and 13 rebounds for Los Angeles. Ron Artest led the Rockets with 25 points, and Yao Ming contributed 19 points but will miss the rest of the playoffs with a broken foot.

The Magic are also up 2-1 in their best-of-seven series, and they'll be trying to put a stranglehold on the visiting Celtics when those teams clash again in Game 4 on Sunday night. Dwight Howard picked up 17 points and 14 rebounds in Orlando's 117-96 Game 3 home win on Friday night, while Rashard Lewis contributed a team-high 28 points. Paul Pierce scored 27 points in a losing cause for the Celtics, while Ray Allen was held to just eight points on 3-of-13 shooting.

Meeting up on the diamond . . .

The Rays will close out their series at Fenway Park on Sunday in the marquee primetime contest, with Matt Garza (3-2, 3.51 ERA) scheduled to take on Boston's Josh Beckett (3-2, 6.75 ERA). Righthander Garza has faced the BoSox twice this season already, picking up the win convincingly in both outings. Righthander Beckett has had two starts vs. Tampa, with one win and one defeat.

The Yankees will finish up in Baltimore on Sunday, while Cleveland again hosts Detroit. Also on the American League slate: Texas at the White Sox, Seattle at Minnesota, Kansas City at the Angels, and Toronto at Oakland. Projected A's starter Dallas Braden is 3-3 with a solid 2.50 ERA through six outings this season.

Over in the National League on Sunday it'll be Atlanta at Philadelphia, Pittsburgh at the Mets, St. Louis at Cincinnati, San Diego at Houston, the Cubs at Milwaukee, Florida at Colorado, Washington at Arizona, and San Francisco at the Dodgers. The Giants will send righthander Tim Lincecum to the mound against their rivals; he's 3-1 with a 3.05 ERA, and defeated Los Angeles April 29.

Taking a trip around the rink . . .

The Hurricanes can finish off their second-round set with the Bruins on Sunday night when those teams meet on the ice in Boston for Game 5 of the series. Carolina took a 3-1 series lead on Friday, getting two goals from Eric Staal and 20 saves from Cam Ward in a 4-1 home victory. Jussi Jokinen and Sergei Samsonov also scored for Carolina in the win. Marc Savard had the Bruins tally.

The other game on the ice on Sunday has Anaheim at Detroit, with the Red Wings knotting up that series 2-2 with a 6-3 victory in Game 4 on Thursday night. Johan Franzen and Marian Hossa each scored twice for Detroit in that contest, while Mikael Samuelsson and Henrik Zetterberg provided singles. Corey Perry scored twice for Anaheim, and Jonas Hiller was pulled after giving up five goals.

Rounding out the Roundup . . .

Finally, the drivers of Formula 1 will hit the track for the Spanish Grand Prix on Sunday. Jenson Button won the circuit's last event, the Bahrain Grand Prix on April 26, and he's taken the checkered flag in three of four races this season (Sebastian Vettel has the other win). Kimi Raikkonen won the Spanish Grand Prix last season, with Felipe Massa and Lewis Hamilton following him across the finish line. Raikkonen is 12th in the standings with just 3 points so far this season.

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**pm530** · 05-10-2009, 05:57 AM

Six-pack for Sunday

Sunday six-pack

-- Greinke was terrific Saturday, but Saunders was better, as Halos beat Kansas City 1-0 in Anaheim, in a game that took 2:05 to play.

-- Pirates were 11-7 but are 1-12 since- they really miss Doumit's bat in middle of lineup. Moss looks awful in the outfield.

-- Houston was only team that won Saturday when they trailed in seventh inning or later.

-- Indians haven't scored in their last nineteen innings.

-- de la Rosa allowed four hits, struck out 12 at Coors Field, but it wasn't enough as Johnson and Marlins beat Colorado 3-1.

-- Ryan Freel bitched about playing time in Baltimore; so they sent him to the Cubs; first day he's there, Aramis Ramirez messes up a shoulder, so now Freel will be getting lot of time for the Cubs.

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Sunday's List of 13: Random thoughts on Mother's Day.......

13) Yao Ming broke his foot, is out of NBA playoffs; Jack Ramsay was saying on radio that Houston will still battle the Lakers, even in absence of both Ming and Tracy McGrady, but if they win another game this season, Rick Adelman should get Coach of the Year.

12) Carmelo Anthony hit a tough 3 from right sideline after Dallas unsuccessfully tried to give a foul, and Nuggets beat Mavericks by a point to grab 3-0 series lead. Pretty bad when you lose because refs won't call a foul on you when you want them to.

11) When you're Mark Cuban and you bitch about officiating like he does, losing a game like that has to be a very bitter experience. '

10) Why coaches lose their minds-- Orioles led 9-0 in fourth inning Saturday and Adam Eaton walked the bases full with nobody out.

9) Evan Longoria has five HRs, 21 RBI this year....just against Red Sox pitching. He has six HRs, 23 RBI against everyone else, and has the most RBI in any 11-game span since Ted Kluszewski in 1954.

8) Scoring rules are weird-- Lance Cormier got save for Rays in 14-5 win, allowing one baserunner in 3.2 IP. Anytime you get the last nine outs, its a save no matter what the score of the game is.

7) Nick Swisher has eight home runs, all on the road.

6) Not only was Phil Hughes an unmitigated horror Saturday night, but Ian Kennedy needs an operation for an aneurysm near his right shoulder, so the Bronx Bombers' pitching situation is still dreadful, and it doesn't help that their top two catchers are both on the DL.

5) NASCAR driver Jeremy Mayfield has been suspended for failing a substance test; there is no sport that has to be as vigilant about drugs as NASCAR, for obvious reasons. Mayfield has suffered broken back in the past, so it is possible painkillers are the cause of this problem.

4) 50-year old Mark Martin won at Darlington Saturday night; he is older than me, but the President of the United States is younger.

3) Nice touch on pre-race show on Speed Chanannel, as lot of drivers were with their moms before the race. NASCAR never seems to have a race on Mother's Day- they're going to more night races in spring.

2) Alex Cejka has five-shot lead entering final round of the PLAYERS Championship Sunday,but is in final group with Eldrick Woods, one of many players tied for second. What is the over/under for what hole Woods passes Cejka on? 10th? 11th? Sooner?

1) When Woods was a 20-year old amateur, he and Cejka played in the same group in final round of the British Open. Both shot 67 that day. Seeing as Cejka has never won a tournament in this country, he is going to be hard-pressed to shoot a 67 on Mother's Day.

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**pm530** · 05-10-2009, 05:58 AM

NBA
Long Sheet

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Sunday, May 10
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LA LAKERS (71 - 19) at HOUSTON (58 - 33) - 5/10/2009, 3:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
LA LAKERS are 103-87 ATS (+7.3 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
LA LAKERS are 55-37 ATS (+14.3 Units) in road games over the last 2 seasons.
LA LAKERS are 9-1 ATS (+7.9 Units) in road games against Southwest division opponents this season.
LA LAKERS are 34-22 ATS (+9.8 Units) in road games after scoring 105 points or more over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 62-98 ATS (-45.8 Units) in home games against Pacific division opponents since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
LA LAKERS is 10-4 against the spread versus HOUSTON over the last 3 seasons
LA LAKERS is 9-5 straight up against HOUSTON over the last 3 seasons
7 of 13 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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BOSTON (67 - 25) at ORLANDO (65 - 26) - 5/10/2009, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
ORLANDO is 54-37 ATS (+13.3 Units) in all games this season.
ORLANDO is 40-32 ATS (+4.8 Units) as a favorite this season.
ORLANDO is 52-37 ATS (+11.3 Units) in home games over the last 2 seasons.
ORLANDO is 23-14 ATS (+7.6 Units) after scoring 105 points or more this season.
ORLANDO is 25-15 ATS (+8.5 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
ORLANDO is 25-11 ATS (+12.9 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game this season.
BOSTON is 114-84 ATS (+21.6 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 26-12 ATS (+12.8 Units) as an underdog over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 57-40 ATS (+13.0 Units) in road games over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 36-13 ATS (+21.7 Units) in road games revenging a loss vs opponent over the last 3 seasons.
BOSTON is 56-43 ATS (+8.7 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
ORLANDO is 7-7 against the spread versus BOSTON over the last 3 seasons
ORLANDO is 9-5 straight up against BOSTON over the last 3 seasons
8 of 14 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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**pm530** · 05-10-2009, 05:58 AM

NBA
Short Sheet

Sunday, May 10th

Western Conference Playoffs - Round Two
Game Four
LA Lakers Lead, 2-1
LA Lakers at Houston, 3:30 ET

LA Lakers:
21-9 ATS Away off BB ATS wins
22-9 ATS Away off BB Overs

Houston:
2-14 ATS revenging loss where opp scored 100+ pts
7-0 Under after allowing 100+ pts BB games

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Eastern Conference Playoffs - Round Two
Game Four
Orlando Leads, 2-1
Boston at Orlando, 8:05 ET

Boston:
36-13 ATS Away playing with revenge
26-12 ATS as an Underdog

Orlando:
14-5 UNDER after scoring 110+ points
28-16 Under at home

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**pm530** · 05-10-2009, 05:59 AM

NBA

Sunday, May 10

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Trend Sheet
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3:30 PM
LA LAKERS vs. HOUSTON
LA Lakers are 9-2 ATS in their last 11 games when playing on the road against Houston
LA Lakers are 4-1 SU in their last 5 games when playing on the road against Houston
Houston is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games
Houston is 10-5 SU in its last 15 games

8:00 PM
BOSTON vs. ORLANDO
Boston is 17-7 SU in its last 24 games
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Boston's last 7 games
Orlando is 6-3 ATS in its last 9 games when playing at home against Boston
Orlando is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games when playing at home against Boston

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**pm530** · 05-10-2009, 06:00 AM

NBA

Sunday, May 10

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Pick ‘n’ Roll: NBA best bets
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Los Angeles Lakers at Houston Rockets (+3.5, 194)

The Lakers took control in Game 3 with their defense, forcing 17 turnovers and holding Houston to 24 percent shooting in the third quarter, when they built a double-digit lead. And that was with Yao Ming playing more than 39 minutes. The Rockets center is done for the playoffs with a broken left foot.

Adelman stressed the importance of protecting and moving the ball at practice on Saturday.

''It's a matter of we have to raise our level of play, no matter who is playing,'' Adelman said. ''We have to play to our strengths, everybody has to play to their strengths and understand what they have to do to help us win. You do it collectively. There's strength in numbers, and that's what we have to understand.''

The Lakers say the Rockets can become a more versatile offense with Yao out.

Artest, not Yao, is Houston's leading scorer in the playoffs, and Aaron Brooks and Scola are both averaging more than 14 points per game. The absence of Yao means more minutes for forward Carl Landry, who's averaging seven points in the playoffs.

''We would anticipate Artest getting a lot more touches and looks, Brooks being more aggressive and Landry and Scola being more in the post and doing damage there,'' Gasol said. ''They're a quality team, no matter what. We've got to go out there with the same mentality and mind-set that we had (in Game 3).''

Pick: Over 194

Boston Celtics at Orlando Magic (-5, 192.5)

Celtics coach Doc Rivers was at home in the wee hours of Saturday morning after his team's playoff loss and started watching a movie, hoping to relax.

Only this film had no drama. No hero. No uplifting end or reason to stay tuned.

The tape of Game 3 against Orlando was simply a nightmare.

''It made me feel worse,'' Rivers said Saturday, a day after Boston's demoralizing 117-96 loss to the Magic. ''I was in an awful mood when I turned it on. What's past awful, I was in that afterward. They played great. They made a lot of great shots. And we played awful.

''Our defense was awful. I thought we were soft. I thought they were more aggressive. I thought we were the retaliators all game. Other than that, it was just a wonderful night of film watching.''

Now the Celtics want to make sure there's no sequel.

Following one of their worst defensive games of the season, the defending champions have plenty to fix if they want to avoid a 3-1 hole in their best-of-seven series against the Magic.

Their defense was sloppy. Their offense was inconsistent, and Boston made mistakes it usually doesn't, with Orlando shooting nearly 60 percent on top of it.

While Sunday's Game 4 is not an elimination game, the Celtics almost surely have to win if they have any chance to advance. Only eight NBA teams have ever come back from a 3-1 deficit to win a series.

''We're not going to panic,'' Celtics forward Paul Pierce said. ''But there's definitely a huge sense of urgency to get this win and try to get our home-court advantage back.''

The Celtics met for about 45 minutes at their hotel Saturday and took the rest of the day off.

Rivers wanted them to get their minds off basketball, to get some time with family in town. But mostly, to rest their tired legs, which may still be recovering from a seven-game series against Chicago - which included an unprecedented seven overtimes - in the first round.

If there was any bright spot for the Celtics the day after their blowout loss, it was that center Kendrick Perkins will not face a suspension for his elbow that hit Mickael Pietrus in the chin and throat and drew a flagrant one foul. A league spokesman said the call stands.

Pick: Boston +5

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**pm530** · 05-10-2009, 06:01 AM

NHL
Long Sheet

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Sunday, May 10
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ANAHEIM (48-36-0-8, 104 pts.) at DETROIT (57-22-0-11, 125 pts.) - 5/10/2009, 5:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
DETROIT is 45-11 ATS (+22.3 Units) in home games after a win by 2 goals or more over the last 3 seasons.
DETROIT is 64-23 ATS (+19.6 Units) after scoring 4 goals or more in their previous game over the last 2 seasons.
ANAHEIM is 21-14 ATS (+37.4 Units) in a road game where where the total is 5.5 this season.
ANAHEIM is 16-12 ATS (+31.7 Units) in road games second half of the season this season.
ANAHEIM is 4-0 ATS (+4.0 Units) in road games on Sunday games this season.
ANAHEIM is 22-15 ATS (+37.2 Units) revenging a loss versus opponent this season.
ANAHEIM is 82-62 ATS (+12.3 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.
ANAHEIM is 15-13 ATS (+33.1 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
ANAHEIM is 11-11 (+0.6 Units) against the spread versus DETROIT over the last 3 seasons
DETROIT is 11-11-0 straight up against ANAHEIM over the last 3 seasons
11 of 21 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+1.5 Units)

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CAROLINA (52-33-0-8, 112 pts.) at BOSTON (58-20-0-12, 128 pts.) - 5/10/2009, 7:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CAROLINA is 52-41 ATS (+6.8 Units) in all games this season.
CAROLINA is 34-21 ATS (+10.6 Units) second half of the season this season.
CAROLINA is 4-0 ATS (+4.0 Units) in road games on Sunday games this season.
CAROLINA is 11-4 ATS (+15.6 Units) in the second round of the playoffs since 1996.
CAROLINA is 25-19 ATS (+47.3 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
CAROLINA is 18-9 ATS (+28.4 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
CAROLINA is 9-7 (+2.0 Units) against the spread versus BOSTON over the last 3 seasons
CAROLINA is 9-7-0 straight up against BOSTON over the last 3 seasons
8 of 14 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+1.6 Units)

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**pm530** · 05-10-2009, 06:01 AM

NHL
Short Sheet

Sunday, May 10th

Western Conference Playoffs - Semifinals
Game Five
Series Tied, 2-2
Anaheim at Detroit, 5:05 ET

Anaheim:
7-13 SU off loss by 3+ goals
8-25 SU at Detroit

Detroit:
45-11 SU at home off win by 2+ goals
74-28 SU off an Over

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Eastern Conference Playoffs - Semifinals
Game Five
Carolina Leads, 3-1
Carolina at Boston, 7:35 ET

Carolina:
4-0 SU Away on Sunday
11-4 SU in 2nd Round Playoff games

Boston:
11-23 SU at home playing with double revenge
9-20 SU at home vs. Carolina

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**pm530** · 05-10-2009, 06:02 AM

NHL

Sunday, May 10

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Trend Sheet
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5:00 PM
ANAHEIM vs. DETROIT
Anaheim is 16-7 SU in its last 23 games
Anaheim is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games when playing Detroit
Detroit is 11-4 SU in its last 15 games when playing at home against Anaheim
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Detroit's last 14 games when playing at home against Anaheim

7:30 PM
CAROLINA vs. BOSTON
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Carolina's last 5 games on the road
Carolina is 3-6 SU in its last 9 games when playing Boston
Boston is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Boston's last 11 games at home

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**pm530** · 05-10-2009, 06:02 AM

NHL

Sunday, May 10

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Ice Picks: NHL best bets
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Anaheim Ducks at Detroit Red Wings (-240, 5.5)

Marian Hossa had a team-high 40 goals this season and has scored at least 29 times in nine straight seasons with Detroit, Pittsburgh, Atlanta and Ottawa.

After being held pointless in the first three games by the Ducks, Hossa broke a tie with two goals in a 3-minute span to lift the Red Wings to a 6-3, series-evening victory in Game 4.

Ducks defenseman Scott Niedermayer said it was inevitable Hossa was going to find the back of the net in the series.

''He's a talented, gifted guy,'' Niedermayer said. ''But when we look back at those goals, we feel we could've done more in those situations.''

Heading into Game 5 on Sunday in Detroit, Anaheim coach Randy Carlyle would not say who would be in goal trying to stop Hossa.

Carlyle replaced Jonas Hiller, who gave up five goals after making 100-plus saves in two wins, with Jean-Sebastien Giguere on Thursday night.

''We decided to rest Jonas Hiller in that situation,'' Carlyle said. ''Giguere has been working diligently, and we felt it would be best to give him an opportunity to sharpen and hone in playoff-type action.

''With it being a three-goal lead, it made sense to do that and give him an opportunity to get his feet underneath him. If we decide to go in that direction, he's not coming in cold.''

So, who's going to start Sunday?

''You guys better come to the warmup,'' Carlyle said.

Babcock isn't buying it.

''Oh, he'll be back,'' said Babcock, referring to Hiller. ''Giggy's really good. Hiller has been fantastic.''

Pick: Detroit -240

Carolina Hurricanes at Boston Bruins (-210, 5)

Less than 12 hours after returning home in the dead of night, the Bruins were on the ice Saturday, skating hard and searching for the style that made them the Eastern Conference's top seed.

No time for rest now.

If the Bruins don't figure it out soon, they will have plenty of time to relax. Boston has dropped three straight to the Carolina Hurricanes and will be facing elimination from the Eastern Conference semifinal series on Sunday night in Game 5.

Boston dominated the opener at home 4-1 then lost the next three by a combined score of 10-3. Friday night's 4-1 loss at Carolina gave the Hurricanes a commanding edge. The Hurricanes need only one more win - with three chances in front of them - to advance to the conference finals.

''You've got to be frustrated. If not, you don't care,'' Bruins coach Claude Julien said after the hour-long practice. Players are ''probably angry at themselves for the way they've played so far.

''We have to play our game because right now that's what's costing us.''

The Bruins must play the way they did in winning their first five games of the playoffs - beat the opponent to the puck, win battles in the corners and put more shots on net. They had only 20 in Game 4 against goalie Cam Ward.

The Bruins were 4-0 against the Hurricanes in the regular season, but plenty has changed. Carolina benefited from the acquisition of Jussi Jokinen and Erik Cole and was 17-5-2 in its final 24 regular-season games.

''We knew they were going to come out hard and play hard,'' Boston forward Milan Lucic said of the sixth-seeded Hurricanes. ''We knew they were a different team than what we faced in the season.''

Pick: Boston -210

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**pm530** · 05-10-2009, 06:06 AM

MLB

Sunday, May 10

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Trend Sheet
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12:35 PM
ATLANTA vs. PHILADELPHIA
Atlanta is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Philadelphia
Atlanta is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games on the road
Philadelphia is 18-7 SU in its last 25 games when playing Atlanta
Philadelphia is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games when playing Atlanta

1:05 PM
DETROIT vs. CLEVELAND
Detroit is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Detroit's last 6 games
Cleveland is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Detroit
Cleveland is 8-4 SU in its last 12 games when playing Detroit

1:10 PM
PITTSBURGH vs. NY METS
Pittsburgh is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing NY Mets
The total has gone OVER in 11 of Pittsburgh's last 15 games when playing NY Mets
NY Mets are 8-3 SU in its last 11 games when playing at home against Pittsburgh
The total has gone OVER in 8 of NY Mets's last 9 games when playing at home against Pittsburgh

1:10 PM
ST. LOUIS vs. CINCINNATI
St. Louis is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing Cincinnati
The total has gone OVER in 5 of St. Louis's last 5 games when playing Cincinnati
Cincinnati is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Cincinnati's last 5 games

1:35 PM
NY YANKEES vs. BALTIMORE
NY Yankees are 1-6 SU in their last 7 games
NY Yankees are 9-3 SU in their last 12 games when playing Baltimore
Baltimore is 3-6 SU in their last 9 games when playing at home against NY Yankees
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Baltimore's last 6 games when playing at home against NY Yankees

2:00 PM
SAN DIEGO vs. HOUSTON
San Diego is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing Houston
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of San Diego's last 11 games when playing Houston
The total has gone UNDER in 17 of Houston's last 25 games at home
Houston is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing San Diego

2:05 PM
CHI CUBS vs. MILWAUKEE
Chi Cubs are 2-4 SU in their last 6 games when playing on the road against Milwaukee
The total has gone OVER in 14 of Chi Cubs's last 20 games when playing on the road against Milwaukee
Milwaukee is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Milwaukee's last 6 games

2:05 PM
TEXAS vs. CHI WHITE SOX
Texas is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games
The total has gone UNDER in 11 of Texas's last 16 games
Chi White Sox are 5-2 SU in their last 7 games when playing at home against Texas
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Chi White Sox's last 5 games when playing Texas

2:10 PM
SEATTLE vs. MINNESOTA
Seattle is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Seattle's last 7 games
Minnesota is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Seattle
The total has gone OVER in 10 of Minnesota's last 12 games when playing at home against Seattle

3:10 PM
FLORIDA vs. COLORADO
Florida is 6-13 SU in its last 19 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Florida's last 6 games
Colorado is 4-8 SU in its last 12 games when playing at home against Florida
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Colorado's last 9 games when playing at home against Florida

3:35 PM
KANSAS CITY vs. LA ANGELS
Kansas City is 15-8 SU in its last 23 games on the road
Kansas City is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games on the road
LA Angels are 15-8 SU in their last 23 games when playing at home against Kansas City
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of LA Angels's last 5 games when playing at home against Kansas City

4:05 PM
TORONTO vs. OAKLAND
Toronto is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Toronto's last 6 games
Oakland is 3-6 SU in its last 9 games when playing at home against Toronto
Oakland is 2-9 SU in its last 11 games when playing Toronto

4:10 PM
SAN FRANCISCO vs. LA DODGERS
San Francisco is 7-15 SU in its last 22 games on the road
San Francisco is 12-6 SU in its last 18 games
LA Dodgers are 8-2 SU in their last 10 games
LA Dodgers are 14-2 SU in their last 16 games at home

4:10 PM
WASHINGTON vs. ARIZONA
Washington is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
Washington is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Arizona is 11-5 SU in its last 16 games when playing Washington
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Arizona's last 7 games when playing Washington

8:05 PM
TAMPA BAY vs. BOSTON
Tampa Bay is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
Tampa Bay is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games when playing Boston
Boston is 3-7 SU in its last 10 games when playing at home against Tampa Bay
Boston is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games when playing Tampa Bay

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**pm530** · 05-10-2009, 06:07 AM

MLB

Sunday, May 10

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Hot lines: Today’s best MLB bets
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Toronto Blue Jays at Oakland Athletics (-115, 8.5)

The Toronto Blue Jays rebounded from two subpar hitting performances to even their series with the Oakland Athletics.

In their attempt to win the three-game set in Oakland on Sunday, the Blue Jays will face a starter who proved effective against them last month.

Toronto, which leads the majors in runs (199) and batting average (.292), came into Saturday having produced a combined four runs and 11 hits in consecutive losses. In a 6-4 victory, the Blue Jays jumped on the A's early with single runs in four of the first five innings and added two in the eighth while reaching 15 hits for the ninth time this season.

"We ran into pitchers who made good pitches," outfielder Adam Lind told Toronto's official Web site. "I don't think we were down. We just lost a couple of games. This shows we can bounce back."

With six wins in nine games, the Blue Jays (21-12) moved back into sole possession of first in the AL East - a game ahead of Boston - and maintained their league-best record.

After batting 1 for 14 with runners in scoring position during its slide, Toronto had four hits in 16 opportunities Saturday. The Blue Jays needed that performance as reliever Scott Downs allowed three runs in the ninth before getting Landon Powell to pop out with the bases loaded.

Toronto will look to make it two straight wins as it matches up against Oakland's Dallas Braden (3-3, 2.50 ERA), but the left-hander yielded only five singles in a 1-0 loss at Rogers Centre on April 19 - his first career start against the Blue Jays.

Braden, who has allowed three earned runs or fewer in each of his six outings this season, gave up a season-high five runs - three earned - over six innings in Tuesday night's 5-3 loss to the visiting Los Angeles Angels.

Pick: Over 8.5

Tampa Bay Rays at Boston Red Sox (-130, 9.5)

The Red Sox, who are 12-4 at Fenway but 2-3 against the Rays there, can at least take consolation that Sunday's meeting is the last between the teams until Aug. 4.

While Garza was cruising on April 30, the Rays were pounding Josh Beckett (3-2, 6.75) for seven runs and 10 hits in 4 2-3 innings - a loss he'll look to avenge Sunday.

Beckett dominated Tampa Bay on opening day, allowing two hits and one run in seven innings and striking out 10 in Boston's 5-3 win. But since then, he is 2-2 with an 8.13 ERA.

He's hoping Tuesday's start at Yankee Stadium was a good sign, as he allowed 10 hits in six innings but held the Yankees to three runs in a 7-3 win.

"Some laboring times, but I made pitches when I had to," Beckett said.

One player not looking forward to Beckett's start is Carlos Pena, who is 0-for-5 with five strikeouts against the right-hander this season. Pena, who went to high school and college in Massachusetts, enters the game leading the majors with 13 homers.

Pick: Boston -130

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**pm530** · 05-10-2009, 06:09 AM

MLB

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MLB weekend cheat sheet
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In the MLB Cheat Sheet, a guide designed to help you isolate the best bets, we focus on two top series in both leagues on this weekend’s schedule. Keep in mind that all pitcher records are ‘team starts’ unless noted otherwise.

NATIONAL LEAGUE

Atlanta Braves at Philadelphia Phillies

Most Recent Series Result: Phillies 14-5 last 19 games vs. Braves

Most Recent Series Result at the Site: Braves 4-1 last five games away vs. Phillies

Key Day/Month Stat: Phillies 16-3 on Sundays; Braves 5-15 away on Sundays

Best Arm in the Series: Phillies’ Hamels 7-1, 3.32 ERA last eight starts vs. Braves

Worst Arm in the Series: Myers 0-6, 4.65 ERA last 6 home vs. Braves; Vazquez 0-4, 7.13 ERA last four away vs. Phillies

San Francisco Giants at Los Angeles Dodgers

Most Recent Series Result: Dodgers 4-2 last six games vs. Giants

Most Recent Series Result at the Site: Dodgers 6-2 last eight home vs. Giants

Key Day/Month Stat: Dodgers 10-0 on Saturdays; Giants 1-5 on Saturdays

Best Arm in the Series: Dodgers’ Billingsley 4-0, 3.54 ERA home lifetime vs. Giants

Worst Arm in the Series: Giants’ Cain 1-4, 2.82 ERA last five away vs. Dodgers

AMERICAN LEAGUE

Tampa Bay Rays at Boston Red Sox

Most Recent Series Result: Rays 15-7 last 22 games vs. Red Sox

Most Recent Series Rays 6-2 last 8 away vs. Red Sox

Key Day/Month Stat: Red Sox 5-0 on Saturdays; Rays 0-6 on Saturdays

Best Arm in the Series: Rays’ Garza 9-1, 2.54 ERA lifetime vs. Red Sox

Worst Arm in the Series: Red Sox’ Penny 0-3, 6.35 ERA last three starts vs. Rays; Wakefield 1-5, 7.20 ERA last six starts vs Rays

Detroit Tigers at Cleveland Indians

Most Recent Series Result: Indians 8-2 last 10 games vs. Tigers

Most Recent Series Result at the Site: Indians 10-3 last 13 games home vs. Tigers

Key Day/Month Stat: Tigers 5-0 on Saturdays; Indians 1-7 home on Saturday

Best Arm in the Series: Indians’ Carmona 8-1, 3.43 ERA lifetime vs. Tigers (5-0 home)

Worst Arm in the Series: Indians’ Lee 0-7, 8.28 last eight home vs. Tigers; Tigers’ Verlander 1-7, 10.24 ERA last eight away vs. Indians

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**pm530** · 05-10-2009, 06:10 AM

MLB

Sunday, May 10

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Sunday Night Baseball
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Tampa Bay Rays at Boston Red Sox (-130, 9.5)

Meeting for a third time this season, the Rays and Red Sox put the wraps on this series at Fenway Park.

Prior to capturing last weekend’s series with the Red Sox at Tropicana Park, Tampa Bay had dropped six consecutive series since taking two of three from Boston when the teams met at Fenway Park the opening week of the season.

The Red Sox took Friday's series opener 7-3 but dropped Saturday's game 14-5, giving up 17 hits and committing two errors. Rays third baseman Evan Longoria picked up two hits including a home run and had five RBI in the win.

There goes Carl

Rays outfielder Carl Crawford tied a major league record when he swiped six bases against the Red Sox in a 5-3 win last Sunday.

Everybody in the ballpark knew what had happened, except Crawford, who was aware of how many steals he had but had no clue that just three other players had accomplished the same feat since 1900.

"I found that out late. I wish I had known during the game," Crawford told reporters. "I probably would have broken it if I knew. I'd have definitely tried," he added. "I didn't even try. I don't know if that will ever happen again."

Crawford was 4-for-4 with an RBI and joined Eddie Collins, Otis Nixon and Eric Young as the only players to steal six bases in a game.

"We don't really talk stats during the game. Everybody's focused on the game, so nobody said nothing," Crawford said.

Rest assured Boston catcher Jason Varitek will be on the lookout and out for revenge Sunday. Crawford has just one stolen base in the first two games of this series.

The long and short of it

A pair of all-star arms will be featured under the ESPN lights when Matt Garza (3-2 3.51 ERA) matches serves with Josh Beckett (3-2 6.75 ERA).

Garza earned the victory over the Orioles in his most recent start, going eight strong innings and allowing just two earned runs on four hits. Garza has now won back-to-back decisions for the Rays. He's allowed two earned runs and five hits over his last 15 2/3 innings with 12 strikeouts.

Beckett rebounded by limiting the Yankees to only three runs, issuing one walk and five strikeouts when he recorded his third victory of the season in a 7-3 win at New York Tuesday. He had allowed a combined 15 earned runs in his previous two starts.

Interestingly, while Garza’s numbers are equal or superior to Beckett’s, he’ll earn $433,000 for his efforts this season. Compared to the $11,166.666 Beckett will haul down in 2009, Garza is a bargain by anyone’s standard.

Check the lineups

Red Sox manager Terry Francona had to tinker his lineup with OF Jacoby Ellsbury and IF Kevin Youkilis missing games due to injuries this week. Ellsbury was back in the lineup for the start of this series Friday. Youkilis was not.

"We're just looking for a little bit of balance and healthy bodies," Francona told the press. "Some nights, there's not a lot of guys available. Pedey (MVP Dustin Pedroia) in my opinion would be great in the leadoff spot, but then all of a sudden you're moving everybody, and who's going to hit second?

"One thing leads to the other. When you start moving people, the word 'balance' is what we're always trying to come to."

The history book says…

Entering this weekend the Rays had the upper hand in this series, winning 15 of the previous 22 encounters, including six of the last eight at Fenway Park.

Garza has owned the Sox, going 9-1 with a 2.54 ERA in his 10 career team starts, including 2-0 this season. Beckett stands 7-7 with a 4.21 ERA in his lifetime starts, including 1-1 in 2009, against the Rays.

Boston is 2-3 on Sundays this year, but 14-4 in its last 18 games at Fenway on Sunday. On the flip side, Tampa is 2-2 on Sundays this season, but just 5-12 in its last 17 games away from home on Sundays.

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