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**pm530** · 05-25-2009, 08:07 AM

**pm530** · 05-25-2009, 08:08 AM

Daily Sports Roundup

Monday, May 25

Today in the Daily Sports Roundup: The Lakers try to go up 3-0 on the Nuggets, MLB stages afternoon games, and the French Open heats up at Roland Garros.

Tipping off on the hardwood . . .

Kobe Bryant and company will be looking to take a stranglehold on the Western Conference Finals on Monday night when they contest Game 4 of the series in Denver. The Lakers surged to a 103-97 victory in Game 3 on Saturday, getting 41 points from Bryant and 16 points (including three 3-pointers) from Trevor Ariza. Carmelo Anthony led the way on offense with 21 points for the Nuggets. Oddsmakers have Denver pegged as a 4.5-point home favorite for Monday night.

Meeting up on the diamond . . .

The holiday Monday offers up plenty of matinee baseball action, including the Cardinals taking on the division-rival Brewers in Milwaukee. Chris Carpenter will get the ball for St. Louis in that contest; the righthander has yet to allow an earned run this season over 15 innings pitched, compiling a 2-0 record. Countering for the Brewers will be Yovani Gallardo, who gave up six earned runs over five innings in his last outing against the Astros to fall to 4-2 with a 3.83 ERA.

Elsewhere on the National League schedule for Monday it'll be Houston at Cincinnati, the Dodgers at Colorado, San Diego at Arizona, Atlanta at San Francisco, Florida at Philadelphia, Washington at the Mets, and Pittsburgh at the Cubs. Chicago starter Ryan Dempster (3-3, 4.40 ERA) has taken the loss in two of his last four starts despite allowing only eight earned runs over 20 1-3 innings.

Over in the American League on Monday the Twins will be looking for a solid outing at home from Francisco Liriano (2-5, 6.04 ERA), who was pounded for seven earned runs on seven hits in just four innings of work vs. the White Sox last time out. The Red Sox will send Brad Penny to the mound on Monday; the righthander is 4-1 on the season despite a 6.07 ERA, and he beat the Twins in April.

Rounding out the Junior Circuit slate for the day: Toronto at Baltimore, the Yankees at Texas, Detroit at Kansas City, Seattle at Oakland, the White Sox at the Angels, and Tampa Bay at Cleveland. The Indians will go with Fausto Carmona (2-4, 5.74 ERA), while David Price makes his season debut for Tampa.

Rounding out the Roundup . . .

Finally, tennis' French Open has Day 2 action on Monday, with matches getting underway early in the morning for those in the Eastern time zone. Taking to the court on Monday are both Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer, who will look to easily dispatch opening opponents Marcos Daniel and Alberto Martin. Andy Roddick will also see the court on Monday, while notable women in action include Venus Williams and Maria Sharapova. Defending women's champion Ana Ivanovic got past Sara Errani in her first match Sunday by scores of 7-6, 6-3.

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**pm530** · 05-25-2009, 08:09 AM

NBA
Long Sheet

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Monday, May 25
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LA LAKERS (75 - 22) at DENVER (63 - 32) - 5/25/2009, 9:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
DENVER is 57-37 ATS (+16.3 Units) in all games this season.
DENVER is 37-24 ATS (+10.6 Units) as a favorite this season.
DENVER is 29-18 ATS (+9.2 Units) in home games this season.
DENVER is 9-1 ATS (+7.9 Units) in home games against Pacific division opponents this season.
DENVER is 22-10 ATS (+11.0 Units) revenging a loss vs opponent this season.
DENVER is 32-20 ATS (+10.0 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
DENVER is 23-7 ATS (+15.3 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season this season.
LA LAKERS are 106-91 ATS (+5.9 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
LA LAKERS are 8-1 ATS (+6.9 Units) as an underdog this season.
LA LAKERS are 56-39 ATS (+13.1 Units) in road games over the last 2 seasons.
LA LAKERS are 16-6 ATS (+9.4 Units) in a road game where where the total is between 205 and 209.5 points over the last 2 seasons.
LA LAKERS are 56-39 ATS (+13.1 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.
LA LAKERS are 39-20 ATS (+17.0 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game - 2nd half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
LA LAKERS are 18-8 ATS (+9.2 Units) in road games versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game - 2nd half of the season over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
LA LAKERS is 12-6 against the spread versus DENVER over the last 3 seasons
LA LAKERS is 13-5 straight up against DENVER over the last 3 seasons
13 of 18 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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**pm530** · 05-25-2009, 08:10 AM

NBA

Monday, May 25

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Trend Report
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9:00 PM
LA LAKERS vs. DENVER
LA Lakers are 11-4 ATS in their last 15 games when playing Denver
LA Lakers are 12-2 SU in their last 14 games when playing Denver
Denver is 11-1-1 ATS in its last 13 games
Denver is 18-6 SU in its last 24 games

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**pm530** · 05-25-2009, 08:11 AM

NBA

Monday, May 25

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Pick ‘n’ Roll: NBA best bets
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Los Angeles Lakers at Denver Nuggets (-4.5, 208.5)

Did the Nuggets blow their chance at winning the Western Conference finals with a second inconceivably careless pass?

Either you watched live or caught the highlight of Kenyon Martin tossing up a can of corn picked off by Trevor Ariza.

“Trevor, he’s very crafty, he’s long, he’s fast, he’s quick and he’s a ball hog,” Kobe Bryant said after the 103-97 Laker win. “He does a good job of reading those things. It’s a great defensive play.”

The play was particularly heartbreaking for Denver backers not just because it was a near identical play to the steal in Game 1, but also because it was the Nuggets’ first turnover in the fourth quarter.

While we have learned that Denver belongs on the same court with Los Angeles, we’ve also seen that the Nuggets overall inexperience on the big stage has cost them dearly.

Bryant reminded reporters that this Laker group isn’t as tested as some of the other teams he has been a part of in Los Angeles.

“I rank this right up there with some of the biggest road wins we’ve had since I’ve been a Laker,” he said. “Because, in the past we always had guys that had a lot of experience. Robert Horry, Rick Fox, Ron Harper, they’ve been through this before. For our guys this is brand new.”

“Last year we weren’t tested like this. And it goes a long way for us as a ball club.”

Sensing the desperation Denver will be under down 2-1 with the series shifting back to the Staples Center on Wednesday, oddsmakers increased the home line to 4.5.

That’s a big number for a series as tight as this one has been. But after seeing how exhausted Bryant and the rest of his teammates looked following the game, pulling off another victory in Denver’s high altitude might be too much to ask of Phil Jackson’s boys.

Look for the Nuggets to jump out to an early lead and enter the final 12 minutes with a big enough cushion to cover the number.

Pick: Denver

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**pm530** · 05-25-2009, 08:14 AM

MLB

Monday, May 25

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Trend Report
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1:10 PM
HOUSTON vs. CINCINNATI
Houston is 11-1 SU in its last 12 games when playing on the road against Cincinnati
Houston is 18-7 SU in its last 25 games when playing Cincinnati
Cincinnati is 3-6 SU in its last 9 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Cincinnati's last 7 games

1:35 PM
TORONTO vs. BALTIMORE
Toronto is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Baltimore
Toronto is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games when playing Baltimore
Baltimore is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Baltimore's last 12 games

2:05 PM
NY YANKEES vs. TEXAS
NY Yankees are 10-2 SU in their last 12 games
NY Yankees are 6-2 SU in their last 8 games on the road
Texas is 2-12 SU in their last 14 games when playing at home against NY Yankees
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Texas's last 6 games when playing at home against NY Yankees

2:05 PM
ST. LOUIS vs. MILWAUKEE
St. Louis is 1-10 SU in its last 11 games when playing Milwaukee
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of St. Louis's last 9 games when playing Milwaukee
Milwaukee is 14-6 SU in its last 20 games
Milwaukee is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games

2:10 PM
BOSTON vs. MINNESOTA
Boston is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Boston's last 8 games
Minnesota is 11-4 SU in its last 15 games when playing at home against Boston
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Minnesota's last 10 games when playing at home against Boston

2:10 PM
DETROIT vs. KANSAS CITY
Detroit is 7-2 SU in its last 9 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Detroit's last 5 games
Kansas City is 2-7 SU in its last 9 games when playing at home against Detroit
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Kansas City's last 8 games when playing at home against Detroit

3:10 PM
LA DODGERS vs. COLORADO
LA Dodgers are 4-2 SU in their last 6 games when playing on the road against Colorado
LA Dodgers are 5-1 SU in their last 6 games when playing Colorado
Colorado is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 13 of Colorado's last 18 games at home

3:40 PM
SAN DIEGO vs. ARIZONA
San Diego is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Arizona
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of San Diego's last 6 games when playing on the road against Arizona
Arizona is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
Arizona is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games at home

4:05 PM
ATLANTA vs. SAN FRANCISCO
Atlanta is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
Atlanta is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games on the road
San Francisco is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Atlanta
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of San Francisco's last 5 games when playing at home against Atlanta

4:05 PM
SEATTLE vs. OAKLAND
Seattle is 12-6 SU in its last 18 games when playing on the road against Oakland
Seattle is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games when playing Oakland
Oakland is 3-7 SU in its last 10 games
The total has gone OVER in 9 of Oakland's last 12 games

6:05 PM
TAMPA BAY vs. CLEVELAND
Tampa Bay is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Cleveland
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Tampa Bay's last 14 games when playing on the road against Cleveland
Cleveland is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Cleveland's last 14 games at home

7:05 PM
FLORIDA vs. PHILADELPHIA
Florida is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Florida's last 6 games
Philadelphia is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Florida
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Philadelphia's last 10 games when playing at home against Florida

7:10 PM
WASHINGTON vs. NY METS
Washington is 2-9 SU in its last 11 games
The total has gone OVER in 10 of Washington's last 15 games
NY Mets are 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Washington
NY Mets are 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Washington

8:05 PM
PITTSBURGH vs. CHI CUBS
Pittsburgh is 2-10 SU in their last 12 games when playing on the road against Chi Cubs
Pittsburgh is 4-11 SU in its last 15 games on the road
Chi Cubs are 0-5 SU in their last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Chi Cubs's last 6 games

9:05 PM
CHI WHITE SOX vs. LA ANGELS
Chi White Sox are 12-4 SU in their last 16 games when playing on the road against LA Angels
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Chi White Sox's last 5 games when playing on the road against LA Angels
LA Angels are 5-2 SU in their last 7 games
LA Angels are 6-1 SU in their last 7 games at home

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**pm530** · 05-25-2009, 08:15 AM

MLB

Monday, May 25

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Hot lines: Today’s best MLB bets
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Tampa Bay Rays at Cleveland Indians (-110, 9.5)

David Price will eventually be a big part of the Tampa Bay Rays' future, but for now he's just filling in.

Price will make his season debut for the Rays on Monday night when they try to end a 13-game road losing streak to the Cleveland Indians in the opener of a four-game set.

The No. 1 overall pick in the 2007 draft out of Vanderbilt, Price was dominant at three minor league levels in 2008, going 12-1 with a 2.30 ERA before being called up on Sept. 13. He posted a 1.93 ERA in five appearances - with one start - before shining in the postseason for the Rays.

Price did not give up a hit over 2 1-3 innings in the AL championship series against Boston, including 1 1-3 innings in a Game 7 win. He finished with a 1.59 ERA in five postseason appearances.

The 23-year-old left-hander is getting the start because Scott Kazmir has been placed on the 15-day disabled list. This will be Price's first appearance against Cleveland (17-28).

Price went 1-4 with a 3.93 ERA in eight starts this season for Triple-A Durham. He was in the minors because the Rays wanted to limit his workload this year.

The Rays (23-23) haven't won in Cleveland since a 1-0 victory on Sept. 28, 2005. They were outscored 31-8 in a four-game series at Progressive Field last season from July 10-13.

Tampa Bay may have more confidence heading into this series after taking three of four at home against Cleveland from May 14-17. Carl Crawford and Jason Bartlett each went 5 for 13 in that series to lead the Rays.

The red-hot Bartlett is hitting .431 (25 for 58) with 19 RBIs in his last 16 games, but may not be in the lineup Monday since he is hitless in 15 career at-bats against Fausto Carmona (2-4, 5.74 ERA), who will start for the Indians.

Carmona is 2-1 with a 5.51 ERA in his career against Tampa Bay in four appearances, including three starts. He earned Cleveland's lone win over the Rays this year on May 14 by giving up five runs over 5 1-3 innings in an 11-7 victory.

The Indians completed a disappointing 4-6 road trip with a 4-3 loss in 11 innings at Cincinnati on Sunday. Cleveland was 1 for 10 with runners in scoring position.

Tampa Bay second baseman Akinori Iwamura hurt his left knee when he was hit while trying to turn a double play and was carted off the field in Sunday's 5-4 loss in 11 innings at Florida. He will undergo an MRI exam, and Willy Aybar is expected to start in his place.

Pick: Tampa Bay

Detroit Tigers at Kansas City Royals (+120, 8.5)

Justin Verlander's revival has been a big part of the Detroit Tigers' charge to first place in the AL Central.The Tigers are hoping their ace can help them avoid a losing streak, too.

Verlander will be on the mound Monday when the Tigers - coming off back-to-back losses to close their homestand - open a seven-game road trip with a three-game series against the Kansas City Royals.

The right-hander's struggles were one of the reasons the Tigers failed to live up to expectations and lost 88 games. Coming off an 18-win season in 2007, Verlander lost 17 games and had a 4.84 ERA.

He had a 9.00 ERA through four starts this year, but since then Verlander has been dominant. In his last five starts, he is 4-0 with a 1.02 ERA and 52 strikeouts in 35 1-3 innings.

Verlander (4-2, 3.99 ERA) had a chance to become the first Detroit pitcher to strike out at least 10 in four straight starts Wednesday against Texas, but he fanned only eight while allowing one run and three hits in six innings of a 5-3 win.

Detroit (24-18) would like that trend to continue after the team dropped the final two games of its weekend set against Colorado. The Tigers had opened their homestand with seven straight wins after beating the Rockies 4-3 on Friday night, but they managed four total runs in the two defeats.

The Royals' offense has run into much bigger problems. Kansas City (22-22) was shut out in back-to-back 5-0 losses to open its weekend set at St. Louis, and the club is averaging 3.2 runs since May 8, losing 11 of 15 over that span.

But the team salvaged the finale against the Cardinals and got back to .500, as Mike Jacobs' seventh-inning RBI single stood up in a 3-2 victory.

Gil Meche will hope to help the bullpen out with a long outing. Meche (2-4, 4.42) has been dealing with a problematic back and was 1-4 with a 6.33 ERA in his previous five starts before Wednesday.

Pick: Detroit

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**pm530** · 05-25-2009, 08:15 AM

MLB

Monday, May 25

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Streaking and Slumping Pitchers
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Streaking

Wandy Rodriguez, Houston Astros

There haven’t been too many positives for the Astros this season, but at least they know they’ve got a great chance of winning every fifth day when Rodriguez takes the ball.

The lefty carries a nifty 1.83 earned run average along with a 5-2 record for a club under .500. Houston has actually won five straight when the 30-year-old heads to the mound.

Rodriguez is successful because he rarely gives out free bases (just 16 walks in 59 innings pitched this season) and almost never surrenders big flies (one home run allowed).

Justin Verlander, Detroit Tigers

This right-hander quieted naysayers after a shaky start to the 2009 campaign. Verlander was charged with 21 earned runs through his first 21 innings pitched, but has yielded just four over his last five starts.

The flamethrower has also struck out 52 batters over his last 35 1-3 innings. The Tigers have taken advantage of Verlander’s improved form winning five of his last six starts.

Slumping

Fausto Carmona, Cleveland Indians

We’re two months deep into the season and through nine starts this former 19-game winner has just two quality starts under his belt.

Carmona consistently gets into trouble because he walks far too many batters. He’s given out 30 free passes to first base – matching his strike out mark for the year.

Cleveland has won three of the righty’s last four starts despite his below average performances. The over has also cashed in four of his last five appearances.

Jamie Moyer, Philadelphia Phillies

It seems like Moyer has been included in the slumping club each time he takes the bump. His latest outing was actually one of his better showings this season. He pitched six innings allowing three runs but still took the loss as the Phillies fell 5-1 to the Reds.

The 46-year-old’s stuff has never been overwhelming but it had always been effective enough to keep balls in play. But batters are teeing off Moyer this season parking 12 homers in 2009 and seven over his last four starts.

Oddsmakers have kept the totals up in Moyer’s outings (10 or higher in the last six) but the over is still 6-1 the last seven times Moyer’s taken the hill.

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**pm530** · 05-25-2009, 08:18 AM

MLB

Baseball Today

SCOREBOARD

Monday, May 25

Tampa Bay at Cleveland (6:05 p.m. EDT). ALCS star David Price is set to be called up from Triple-A to make his first start of the season against Grady Sizemore and the Indians.

STARS

Sunday

-Brandon McCarthy, Rangers, scattered nine hits in his first career complete game and shut out Houston 5-0.

-Adam Dunn, Nationals, hit a grand slam and a two-run homer for a career-high six RBIs in an 8-5 win over Baltimore.

-Torii Hunter, Angels, drove in three runs after a frightening crash into the center-field wall in a 10-7 win at Dodger Stadium.

-Landon Powell, Athletics, hit his first career home run in a 6-2 win over Arizona. The backup catcher connected for a tiebreaking shot in the sixth inning.

-Carlos Fisher, Reds, pitched a hitless 11th inning in his major league debut and got the win as Cincinnati defeated Cleveland 4-3.

-Brian McCann, Braves, homered twice in a 10-2 win over Toronto.

-Scott Baker, Twins, allowed three runs, seven hits and struck out six in 8 1-3 innings in Minnesota's 6-3 win over Milwaukee, his first victory in three starts since May 8.

SOONER OR LATER

Kevin Youkilis hit a three-run homer for Boston in a 12-5 win over the Mets, connecting two innings after his long foul ball was upheld by a video replay at Fenway Park. He thought he'd homered in the fifth and rounded first base in a full trot, but umpires stopped him.

STREAKS

San Diego completed the first 9-0 homestand in team history by defeating the Cubs 7-2 Sunday. ... Boston's Jacoby Ellsbury extended his hitting streak to 19 games.

SLUMPS

Boston slugger David Ortiz, who changed in the middle of the game from his usual black bat to a lighter-colored model, went 0 for 5 and stranded eight runners, dropping his average to .195. He was 0 for 12 in the three-game series against the Mets, and the Red Sox will consider putting him lower in the batting order. ... The Cubs lost their sixth in a row Sunday, and have scored only five runs during the skid. ... Phillies closer Brad Lidge failed to hold a one-run lead in the ninth against the Yankees, blowing a save chance for the second straight day. He was 48 for 48 last year, but has converted only eight of 12 this season.

STUNG

Tampa Bay 2B Akinori Iwamura hurt his left knee when Florida's Chris Coghlan slid into him while trying to turn a double play. Iwamura was carted off the field and will have an MRI exam in St. Petersburg. After the game, Coghlan went into the Rays clubhouse and told Iwamura he was sorry about the injury. ... Reds 2B Brandon Phillips plans on trying to play with a hairline fracture of his right thumb. He had an NL-leading 27 RBIs in May when he was hurt trying to field a grounder Saturday.

STICKING AROUND

The Pittsburgh Pirates finished a weekend series against the Chicago White Sox and start another road series Monday - but don't have to change hotels, as they face the Cubs. Several players brought their entire families to enjoy nearly a full week in Chicago.

SHATTERED

Mark Teixeira homered into the left-field seats at Yankee Stadium on Sunday despite having his bat shatter. He was left holding little more than the handle when the wood split, but the ball still sailed. "Most of the time when you hear a broken bat you think it's a popup,'' Phillies pitcher Cole Hamels said.

BIG BLAST

Milwaukee's Mike Cameron homered in the Brewers' 6-3 loss at Minnesota on Sunday, becoming the 20th player in major league history to have 250 home runs and 250 steals. He has 291 career steals.

SPEAKING

"The 5-2 defense - I'm going to recommend that for the New York Jets.'' - Ross Gload, who singled through a five-man infield in the 11th inning to lift Florida over Tampa Bay 5-4.

SEASONS

May 25

1906 - Jesse Tannehill's 3-0 victory over the Chicago White Sox snapped a 20-game losing streak - 19 at home - for the Boston Red Sox.

1935 - Babe Ruth, winding up his career with the Boston Braves, hit three homers and a single at Pittsburgh, but the Pirates won 11-7. Ruth connected once off Red Lucas and twice off Guy Bush.

1951 - Willie Mays, a highly touted rookie for the Giants, went 0 for 5 in his debut against the Philadelphia Phillies.

1982 - Ferguson Jenkins became the seventh pitcher to strike out 3,000 batters in the Chicago Cubs' 2-1 loss at San Diego. He reached the milestone by striking out Garry Templeton in the third inning.

2001 - Kerry Wood of the Chicago Cubs allowed one hit and struck out 14 in a 1-0 win over the Brewers. He took a no-hit bid into the seventh before giving up a leadoff single to Mark Loretta.

2001 - Hideo Nomo of the Boston Red Sox tossed a one-hitter and struck out 14 in a 4-0 win over Toronto. He faced one batter over the minimum of 27, giving up a leadoff double in the fourth to Shannon Stewart.

2002 - Shawn Green of the Los Angeles Dodgers homered twice in a 10-5 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks, setting a major league record with seven homers in his last three games.

Today's birthdays: Jason Kubel 27; Scott Hairston 29; Chris Young 30; Miguel Tejada 33.

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**pm530** · 05-25-2009, 08:19 AM

MLB

This Day in Baseball

On May 25 in Baseball History...

1906 - Jesse Tannehill snaps the Boston Pilgrims' 20-game losing streak (19 at home, both A.L. records) with a 3-0 win over the White Sox. Both Boston teams will finish last, while both Chicago teams finish first. It's the first time two cities have had two winners and two cellar-dwellers.

1919 - Ever-popular Casey Stengel, now a Pirate, is good-naturedly applauded when he comes to bat in the seventh inning at Brooklyn. He doffs his cap in response and, to everyone's delight, releases a sparrow he had hidden there.

1922 - Babe Ruth is suspended one day and fined $200 for throwing dirt on an ump after being called out on a play at second base, then going into the stands after a heckler. He is also stripped of his title as team captain.

1935 - Babe Ruth has a last hurrah, hitting three home runs at Pittsburgh. The final one, the last of his 714 career home runs, is the first to clear the right field grandstand at Forbes Field and is measured at 600 feet.

1937 - After hitting a home run against the Yankees in his prior at bat, Mickey Cochrane suffers a skull fracture from a Bump Hadley pitch. Coach Del Baker will run the team for the hospitalized Detroit leader, who will never return to active play.

1941 - Ted Williams raises his batting average over .400 for the first time during the season. His run to be the first since Bill Terry in 1930 to exceed the magic number will be marked in newspapers throughout the season, although it will often give way to the batting streak by Joe DiMaggio.

1951 - Giants rookie Willie Mays, who was hitting .477 with Minneapolis, goes 0-for-5 in his major league debut against the Phils.

1953 - Max Surkont of the Braves fans eight Reds in a row, establishing a new major league mark, as the Braves win 10-3 in the second game of a doubleheader. Surkont strikes out seven in a row before rain delays the game, then strikes out Andy Seminick to start the fifth inning. Surkont fans 13 on the way to his sixth straight win.

1960 - George Crowe's major league-record 11th pinch-hit home run, off Don McMahon, gives the Cardinals a 5-3 win over the Braves. Crowe began the season tied with Smoky Burgess and Gus Zernial in career pinch home runs.

1964 - Ground is broken for a new stadium in St. Louis.
1975 - Cleveland's Dennis Eckersley, in his first major league start, hurls a three-hit shutout in beating Oakland 6-0.

1981 - Carl Yastrzemski plays in his 3,000th major league game, scoring the winning run in Boston's 8-7 triumph over Cleveland. Yaz joins Ty Cobb, Stan Musial, and Hank Aaron as the only major leaguers to appear in 3,000 games.

1982 - Fergie Jenkins of the Cubs fans Garry Templeton in the third inning of a 2-1 loss to the Padres to become the seventh pitcher in major league history to record 3,000 career strikeouts.

1984 - The Red Sox trade pitcher Dennis Eckersley and minor leaguer Mike Brumley to the Cubs for veteran Bill Buckner, who had been benched in Chicago in favor of Leon Durham but will immediately become Boston's starting first baseman.

1989 - After shopping him for several months, the Mariners finally trade star pitcher Mark Langston to Montreal for pitchers Randy Johnson, Brian Holman, and Gene Harris.

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**Udog** · 05-25-2009, 09:02 AM

NBA

Monday, May 25

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LAKERS / NUGGETS TRENDS
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LA LAKERS at DENVER
Play On - Any team (DENVER) after beating the spread by 48 or more points total in their last ten games against opponent after going under the total by 54 or more points total in their last ten games
90-52 over the last 5 seasons. ( 63.4% | 32.8 units )
15-14 this year. ( 51.7% | -0.4 units )

LA LAKERS at DENVER
Play On - Any team vs the money line (DENVER) after beating the spread by 54 or more points total in their last ten games against opponent after going under the total by 36 or more points total in their last five games
75-49 over the last 5 seasons. ( 60.5% | 34.5 units )
16-12 this year. ( 57.1% | 0.5 units )

LA LAKERS at DENVER
Play Under - All teams where the first half total is greater than 100 revenging a straight up loss vs opponent as a home favorite, good team, winning 60-75% or more of their games on the season
71-35 over the last 5 seasons. ( 67.0% | 32.5 units )
6-3 this year. ( 66.7% | 2.7 units )

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**Udog** · 05-25-2009, 09:28 AM

MLB

Monday, May 25

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Tips and Trends
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St. Louis Cardinals at Milwaukee Brewers [2:05 PM ET]

Cardinals: In his second start back from his most recent stint on the disabled list, Chris Carpenter takes the mound for the Cardinals. Because of his long injury history, the Cardinals are being extra cautious with Carpenter since he came off the 15-day disabled list last week. He made just 67 pitches over five scoreless innings of a 2-1 win over the Chicago Cubs last Wednesday, scattering three hits while striking out four. Carpenter has allowed only one unearned run, but he said he understands the team's conservative approach. Carpenter is 2-3 with a 5.30 ERA in six lifetime starts against the Brewers.

The Cardinals are 3-13 in the last 16 meetings.
The Over is 9-2 in Carpenter's last 11 road starts.

Key Injuries - OF Ryan Ludwick (hamstring) is on the 15-day DL.

PROJECTED SCORE: 3

Brewers (-115, O/U 7.5): The Brewers are 17-8 against NL Central opponents while winning all seven series. Yovani Gallardo (4-2, 3.83) will try to help Milwaukee bounce back (from being swept at Minnesota) as he looks to regroup from a subpar outing. The 23-year-old right-hander suffered his first loss since April 13 on Wednesday after allowing six runs and seven hits over five innings of a 6-4 loss to the Astros. Gallardo, went 0-1 with a 9.28 ERA against the Cardinals in 2007, allowing 11 runs and 13 hits over 10 2-3 innings. The Brewers have won 10 of the last 11 against the Cardinals.

The Brewers are 9-1 in their last 10 during game 1 of a series.
The Brewers are 17-5 in their last 22 games as a home favorite.

Key Injuries - SS J.J. Hardy (back) is QUESTIONABLE.
2B Rickie Weeks (wrist) is OUT for the season.

PROJECTED SCORE: 5 (Side Play of the Day)

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**Udog** · 05-25-2009, 09:31 AM

NBA

Monday, May 25

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Tips and Trends
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Los Angeles Lakers at Denver Nuggets [ESPN | 9:05 PM ET]

Lakers: The Lakers have issues, including Trevor Ariza's sore hip and groin and Kobe Bryant's banged-up body. And they got off to a slow start Saturday night. The Lakers know if not for the Nuggets' bad shot selection, they could very well be the ones facing a 2-1 hole. "We've got to come out with more focus, more energy and really just execute a lot better in the defensive end of the floor," said Bryant, who characterized the team mood as "still a little edgy, a little upset." Bryant needed an IV after the game Saturday night and said that was the most exhausted he'd ever been after a playoff game.

The Lakers are 7-2 SU and 8-1 ATS as an underdog this season.
The Under is 8-0 in the Lakers' last 8 Conference Finals games.

Key Injuries - NONE

PROJECTED SCORE: 105

Nuggets (-4.5, O/U 208.5): Chauncey Billups said the Nuggets "shot some bad 3-point shots at bad points of the game, just taking chances, trying to hit the dagger," and vowed that would change for Game 4. "I think we got caught up in the emotion of the moment of a great crowd, a great challenge," Nuggets coach George Karl said. "I think we tried to hit too many home runs rather than just take a single here, a double here and win the game that way. We tried to hit too many bombs. We've got to challenge the Lakers to play defense on every possession. I think we took too many shots where they didn't have to play defense."

The Nuggets are 10-2 ATS in their last 12 games as a favorite.
The Under is 9-1 in the last 10 meetings.

Key Injuries - NONE

PROJECTED SCORE: 109 (OVER - Total Play of the Day)

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**Udog** · 05-25-2009, 10:08 AM

NBA
Dunkel

LA Lakers at Denver
After losing Game Three at home, Denver looks to bounce back and take advantage of LA's 1-5 ATS record in its last 6 games following an ATS win. The Nuggets are the pick (-4 1/2) according to Dunkel, which has Denver favored by 5 1/2. Dunkel Pick: Denver (-4 1/2). Here are all of today's playoff picks.

MONDAY, MAY 25

Game 513-514: LA Lakers at Denver
Dunkel Ratings: LA Lakers 126.149; Denver 131.732
Dunkel Line & Total: Denver by 5 1/2; 215
Vegas Line & Total: Denver by 4 1/2; 208 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Denver (-4 1/2); Over

Announcement

Monday Trends and Indexes 5/25 (NBA, MLB, Misc.)

Monday Trends and Indexes 5/25 (NBA, MLB, Misc.)

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