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**pm530** · 05-27-2009, 11:00 AM

Daily Sports Roundup

Wednesday, May 27

Today in the Daily Sports Roundup: Carmelo Anthony and the Nuggets head back to Los Angeles, while the Blackhawks try to stave off elimination in Detroit.

Tipping off on the hardwood . . .

The Nuggets and Lakers will break a 2-2 series deadlock on Wednesday night when the Western Conference Finals shifts to Los Angeles for Game 5. Denver cruised to a 120-101 home win over Los Angeles in Game 4 on Monday night, with Chauncey Billups and J.R. Smith each scoring 24 points. Anthony battled a sore ankle and finished with 15 points. Kobe Bryant led the way for the Lakers with a game-high 34 points, and Pau Gasol contributed 21 points and 10 boards.

Meeting up on the diamond . . .

Roy Halladay (8-1, 2.52 ERA) will be gunning for his ninth win of the season on Wednesday afternoon when the Blue Jays close out their road series in Baltimore. The ace righthander was denied a win against the Braves last time out despite throwing seven shutout innings while giving up just five hits. The Orioles will counter Halladay with Rich Hill, who is 1-0 with a 3.18 ERA in his two outings.

The Yankees will be on the road against Texas on Wednesday, while the Twins host Boston. Also on the American League schedule: Detroit at Kansas City, Seattle at Oakland, Tampa Bay at Cleveland, and the White Sox at the Angels. Probable Los Angeles starter Jered Weaver is 3-2 with a 2.52 ERA on the season, and he held the Dodgers to a single run over five innings in his last start.

Over in the NL the Mets will go with ace Johan Santana (6-2, 1.50 ERA) in their home game against the Nationals Wednesday. Santana has picked up the win in each of his last two starts, although he did surrender nine runs (six earned) over 14 innings of work in those outings. Jordan Zimmerman will get the ball for the Nats; the righthander has given up five or more runs in four of his last five starts.

Making up the rest of the Senior Circuit's slate for Wednesday: St. Louis at Milwaukee, Pittsburgh at the Cubs, the Dodgers at Colorado, Florida at Philadelphia, Houston at Cincinnati, Atlanta at San Francisco, and San Diego at Arizona. Padres starter Jake Peavy turned down a trade to the White Sox last week; the righthander has won two straight outings to sit at 4-5 with a 3.48 ERA.

Taking a trip around the rink . . .

The Blackhawks could find themselves bounced from the playoffs on Wednesday night as they play in Detroit in the fifth game of the Western Conference final. Chicago is down 3-1 to the Red Wings in the best-of-seven set after they were blasted 6-1 in Game 4 on Sunday. Hawks starting netminder Nikolai Khabibulin missed Game 4 with a lower-body injury, while Wings goalie Chris Osgood sat out the third period with dehydration. Detroit forward Pavel Datsyuk (foot) and defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom (lower body) both sat out Sunday and are listed as day-to-day. Oddsmakers have listed the Wings as -235 favorites for Wednesday.

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**pm530** · 05-27-2009, 11:00 AM

Six-pack for Wednesday

-- Mets finally put Jose Reyes on DL, called up prize OF prospect Martinez from Buffalo, and got another win from Livan Hernandez.

-- Joe Blanton struck out 11 Marlins in a 5-3 Philadelphia win.

-- Zack Greinke won his 8th game, got his 5th complete game for the 23-23 Royals, who rallied late to beat Detroit, 6-1.

-- Toronto is now 0-8 on their current road trip-- not good.

-- San Diego's long win streak ended 6-5 in Arizona; Kouzmanoff flied out to wall for last out with tying run on third base.

-- Oakland has a new closer in Andrew Bailey, who looked lot like Goose Gossage last night, mowing down Mariners-- all he has to do now is do it about 200 more times, to be just like Gossage.

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Wednesday's List of 13: Random thoughts on a rainy night

13) Orlando beats the Cavaliers in OT, goes up 3-1 in Eastern finals; only eight NBA teams have won a series after being down 3-1.

12) Wish NBA playoffs had shorter series; imagine the drama if the series were best-of-3 or best-of-5? Would be like March Madness.

11) Illinois hoop coach Bruce Weber got a 50% raise and a three-year extension, so he'll make $1.5M a year now; he was getting paid a lot less than many of his peers. Seeing as he has gotten Illini to national title game and has shown loyalty to team that saw previous coaches Lon Kruger, Bill Self skip town, the raise seems justified.

10) Red Sox scored 10+ runs in four of last seven Wakefield starts.

9) Alarming news from Las Vegas, where Jeremy Shockey was at a party at Hard Rock, but got taken out on a stretcher, unconscious. Hopefully he's OK and just got dehydrated from all that sun......

8) Former Florida Gator Nick Calathes is apparently blowing off the NBA Draft to play pro ball in Greece, despite fact Dallas seems to be interested in drafting him. Rumor mill has Calathes' dad behind this very curious decision.

7) A young lady in Maryland is about to graduate high school- she has never missed a single day of school, from K-Grade 12, for total of 2,340 straight days, and she is also a straight-A student, who will be going to Maryland this fall-- she wants to be a doctor. Just hope she doesn't have a nervous breakdown if she gets a B in college.

6) Best commercials on TV right now are the Dos Equus spots with the guy who is "....the most interesting man in the world." They just never get old. Sometimes, unintentional comedy is the best.

5) You know your team is in the soup when your starting pitcher on Opening Day is in the minor leagues before Memorial Day-- ladies nad gentlemen, your 2009 Florida Marlins........

4) I've been killing Jason Giambi all spring for crawling back to the A's after he blew them off eight years ago at the peak of his career, but he just got a huge hit to put A's up 4-3 in 7th inning, so credit is given where it is due. He's still hitting only .218, but it was a big hit.

3) Three nights in a row, I've seen umpire Adrian Johnson involved in a big argument, a red flag that he might be a bad umpire.

2) Orioles are bringing star catching prospect Matt Weiters up this Friday-- he and David Price were the two best prospects in minors.

1) Pat on the back to Manhattan basketball coach Barry Rohrssen; he gave a 6-10 kid from California a basketball scholarship, despite fact kid doesn't have a left hand. He runs well, blocks shots well, and had a 10-point scoring average at Fork Union prep school last year. The coach feels his team needs to work harder, so he's bringing in kid who has overcome a real big obstacle to become a scholarship player. This is a good story-- congrats to the player and kudos to the coach for having some guts to give a hard-working player a chance.

Stay thirsty, my friends........

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**pm530** · 05-27-2009, 11:02 AM

Len’s Top Five

Wednesday, May 27

Len's Top 5

Happy Wednesday everyone, here's my Top 5 for May 27, 2009 from Len Berman Sports.

1. Quick Hits

Orlando beat the Cavs 116-114 in overtime and now leads 3 games to 1. The city of Cleveland has been used to this kind of heartache for nearly half a century.

In hockey, Pittsburgh sweeps Carolina and makes it to the Stanley Cup finals for the second straight year. If they win it they'll become the first team to ever win the Super Bowl and Stanley Cup the same year.

Mike Tyson's 4 year old daughter died a day after her neck accidentally was caught in a treadmill cord while she was playing at home.

It's Christmas Day for soccer fans. Manchester United takes on Barcelona in the Champions League final in Rome today.

2. Armed and Dangerous

A great story from college basketball. Kevin Laue, who played high school ball in a San Francisco suburb, has accepted a scholarship from Manhattan College. Kevin has one hand, his left arm ends at the elbow. He a good shot blocker and at 6-foot-10 he’s the tallest player on the team. You can’t help but think of pitcher Jim Abbott who not only made the big leagues with one hand, he pitched a no-hitter for the Yankees in 1993 against Manny Ramirez and Cleveland. Of course Pete Gray played outfield for the St. Louis Browns in 1945 with only one arm. Talk about overcoming adversity.

3. Second Base Comes After First

The Dodgers are beginning a series of "female friendly" broadcasts on their web site. There will be lots of explaining and instruction about the game of baseball. I proposed a similar broadcast to the New England Patriots back in the 70's. Rather than announcing "first and ten," we'd explain 4 downs and ten yards, etc. The late Pats owner Billy Sullivan thought it was a great idea, but we never quite got it off the ground. I still think it has a good deal of merit especially in football.

4. For the Good of the Game

Just thought you'd like to know that 17-year old Romanian tennis player, Simona Halep is talking about having breast reduction surgery. In tennis, her assets are a hindrance.

5. A Little Traveling Music

Here's my non-sports story of the week. A funeral director in Oxford England is getting lots of flak. He wants to save money. So say goodbye to the organist who plays during crematorium services. He's being replaced by a karaoke machine. I guess it gives the mourners a chance to sing along. Maybe "Killing Me Softly?" Or something by the Grateful Dead.

Today's Birthday: 1987 Wimbledon Winner Pat Cash. 44.
Bonus Birthday: Henry Kissinger. 86.
By the way, Sam Snead, Hubert Humphrey and Wild Bill Hickok were all born on this date.

Today in Sports: San Diego and Montreal are awarded National League franchises. Neither team has ever won the World Series. 1968.

Bonus Event: The Bubonic Plague breaks out in San Francisco. (Other than the 49ers, their sports teams never recover.) 1907.

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**pm530** · 05-27-2009, 11:03 AM

NBA
Dunkel Index

Denver at LA Lakers
The Nuggets come in 6-0 ATS in their last 6 games as a road underdog and face an LA team that 0-4 ATS in its last 4 playoff games as a favorite between 5 and 10 1/2 points. Denver is the pick (+6) according to Dunkel, which has the Lakers favored by only 4. Dunkel Pick: Denver (+6). Here are all of today's playoff picks.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 27

Game 517-518: Denver at LA Lakers
Dunkel Ratings: Denver 127.569; LA Lakers 131.436
Dunkel Line & Total: LA Lakers by 4; 216
Vegas Line & Total: LA Lakers by 6; 209 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Denver (+6); Over

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NBA
Long Sheet

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Wednesday, May 27
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DENVER (64 - 32) at LA LAKERS (75 - 23) - 5/27/2009, 9:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
LA LAKERS are 106-92 ATS (+4.8 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
LA LAKERS are 16-5 ATS (+10.5 Units) when tied in a playoff series since 1996.
LA LAKERS are 56-40 ATS (+12.0 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.
LA LAKERS are 39-21 ATS (+15.9 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game - 2nd half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
DENVER is 58-37 ATS (+17.3 Units) in all games this season.
DENVER is 28-19 ATS (+7.1 Units) in road games this season.
DENVER is 15-7 ATS (+7.3 Units) against Pacific division opponents this season.
DENVER is 13-1 ATS (+11.9 Units) in all playoff games this season.
DENVER is 54-37 ATS (+13.3 Units) after a win by 10 points or more over the last 3 seasons.
DENVER is 32-19 ATS (+11.1 Units) after scoring 105 points or more this season.
DENVER is 33-20 ATS (+11.0 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
DENVER is 24-7 ATS (+16.3 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season this season.
DENVER is 18-9 ATS (+8.1 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game - 2nd half of the season this season.
LA LAKERS are 15-26 ATS (-13.6 Units) in home games after allowing 105 points or more over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
LA LAKERS is 12-7 against the spread versus DENVER over the last 3 seasons
LA LAKERS is 13-6 straight up against DENVER over the last 3 seasons
13 of 19 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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NBA
Short Sheet

Wednesday, May 27th

Western Conference Finals
Game Five
Series Tied, 2-2
Denver at LA Lakers, 9:05 ET

Denver:
12-1-1 ATS in playoffs
16-5 ATS if home favorite L2 games

LA Lakers:
8-1 Under in Conference Finals games
12-3 Under off road loss

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NBA
Write-up

Wednesday, May 27

NBA playoffs

Nuggets scored 120 points in Game 4 win with Anthony just 3-16 from floor; series has gotten progressively more physical (foul shots so far in each game-- 59-72-76-84). Only one of four Denver losses in playoffs was by more than a hoop- Games 1-2 on this court were split, with four points total margin of victory. 10 of Bryant's 26 shots in Game 4 were behind arc, so they did decent job of keeping him on perimeter. Denver had 20 offensive rebounds, was +18 on boards in Game 4.

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NBA

Wednesday, May 27

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Trend Report
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9:00 PM
DENVER vs. LA LAKERS
Denver is 12-1-1 ATS in its last 14 games
Denver is 19-6 SU in its last 25 games
LA Lakers are 11-3 ATS in their last 14 games when playing at home against Denver
LA Lakers are 15-2 SU in their last 17 games when playing at home against Denver

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NBA

Wednesday, May 27

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

Nuggets: "They've been playing every other day since May and we've had our breaks and the advantage to heal our bodies is better than the Lakers," Chris Andersen said. "Now we're starting to get back in our rhythm that we were at when the playoffs started." He also said, "One of our main focuses (in Game 4) was trying to get the rebound so that way we can do our running game. Our best offense is our defense and rebounding is a big part of that." Denver's trio of Nene, Kenyon Martin and Andersen dominated the boards 42-25 in Game 4.

The Nuggets are 21-5 ATS in their last 26 games overall.
The Under is 20-6 in the Nuggets' last 26 playoff games as an underdog.

Key Injuries - NONE

PROJECTED SCORE: 99

Lakers (-6, O/U 209.5): "When you get behind, you take quick shots and you tend to give those guys some good numbers when it comes to rebounding," Lamar Odom said. "We want to clean up the defensive boards and keep them off the offensive boards." The Lakers were pushed to seven games before escaping against Houston, and the fatigue appears to be showing. Kobe Bryant wouldn't concede fatigue is hurting the Lakers. "I don't think it had anything to do with how we played yesterday, they just played better," he said. "We do a pretty good job of responding to challenges and we certainly have one here tomorrow night. The challenge of the situation re-energizes me."

The Under is 8-1 in the Lakers' last 9 Conference Finals games.
The Lakers are 6-0 ATS in their last 6 games following a SU loss.

Key Injuries - NONE

PROJECTED SCORE: 105 (UNDER - Total Play of the Day)

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NBA

Wednesday, May 27

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Pick ‘n’ Roll: NBA best bets
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Denver Nuggets at Los Angeles Lakers (-6, 209.5)

Pau Gasol wants the ball inside against the Denver Nuggets. Only he's not about to pull a Keyshawn Johnson and order his Los Angeles Lakers teammates to "just give me the damn ball."

That's not the Spaniard's way.

Gasol is all about finesse on and off the court, so he'll leave the angry big man approach alone.

"I just want to go with what's effective and what works out there and what's been working for us and what's a strength of ours," he said after Tuesday's practice. "I think we should explore that a little more."

The mild-mannered Gasol complained about only taking four shots in the second half of a 120-101 loss at Denver on Monday night that left the Western Conference finals tied at two.

Gasol went 8 of 11 for 21 points in Game 4. He's shooting 62 percent in the series, but he had only four free throws in the fourth quarter Monday.

"I don't think there's many people who would say there's something right about it," he said afterward. "I wish we would take more advantage of our inside game, because it's pretty effective. It's unfortunate we don't recognize it enough."

Kobe Bryant knows what's keeping the Lakers from delivering the ball to Gasol in the post.

"They're double-teaming him on the catch. He's got to go a little quicker when he catches it," Bryant said. "That's something I've always told him, 'When you got a shot you got to take it.' At this late in the postseason, teams aren't going to let you back out there and spin and do some of the things he likes to do in the post. He's got to go and go quickly."

Pushed on whether he would demand the ball in Game 5 on Wednesday night, Gasol didn't sound too convincing.

"I'll try, but there's only so much I can do as far as demanding," he said. "I'd rather talk to our coaches and our guys and hopefully we see what's effective and what works and we go to it."

The Lakers' frontcourt of Gasol, Lamar Odom and Andrew Bynum were no match for Denver's trio of Nene, Kenyon Martin and Chris Andersen, who dominated the boards 42-25 in Game 4.

"One of our main focuses was trying to get the rebound so that way we can do our running game," Andersen said. "Our best offense is our defense and rebounding is a big part of that."

The Nuggets practiced in Denver on Tuesday before flying to Los Angeles.

Coach George Karl believes winning Game 5 on the road would be easier than doing so in a Game 7 on the Lakers' home court.

"We right now have made somewhat of a move to challenge them to try and figure us out a little bit more," he said. "Can we win the energy game down there? It would be a big step towards getting a win. My big guys were terrific last night. I don't know if I've had three big guys be so dominant on the boards."

The Nuggets rested for a week after putting Dallas away in five games in the conference semifinals. The Lakers, meanwhile, were pushed to seven games before escaping against Houston, and the fatigue appears to be showing.

"They've been playing every other day since May and we've had our breaks and the advantage to heal our bodies is better than the Lakers," Andersen said. "Now we're starting to get back in our rhythm that we were at when the playoffs started."

Odom said the Lakers need a dose of energy and effort Wednesday night at Staples Center, where the Nuggets won Game 2.

"When you get behind, you take quick shots and you tend to give those guys some good numbers when it comes to rebounding," he said. "We want to clean up the defensive boards and keep them off the offensive boards."

Odom is continuing treatment for a lower back injury, but he declined to specify just how hurt he is.

"For this team to be good, I need to pick it up," he said.

Bryant wouldn't concede fatigue is hurting the Lakers.

"I don't think it had anything to do with how we played yesterday, they just played better," he said. "We do a pretty good job of responding to challenges and we certainly have one here tomorrow night. The challenge of the situation re-energizes me."

The NBA fined Lakers coach Phil Jackson and the team $25,000 on Tuesday for his post-game comments on the officiating in Game 4.

The fines were announced after the Lakers addressed the media, but Jackson was asked whether the Nuggets have shifted their play from physical to dirty.

"There's a sense of how much people want it, how you play when you have to play hard and how aggressive you become and that's a fine line," he said. "I want to keep the topic on a positive note. I don't want to talk about that aspect of it."

Pick: Los Angeles

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NBA

Wednesday, May 27

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Game of the Day: Denver Nuggets at L.A. Lakers
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Denver Nuggets at Los Angeles Lakers (-6, 209.5)

Series So Far

In many ways this series has been almost as competitive as the ultra-hyped Celtics-Bulls first round tilt - minus all the overtimes. Three of the first four games have been decided in the final minute of regulation.

In Game 4, the Nuggets finally earned the first comfortable victory for either team. They also notched the first pointspread cover by a favorite after the underdog had cashed in each of the first three games.

Latest from the trainers' room

Denver was able to win and cover Game 4 despite a subpar showing from Carmelo Anthony. He was suffering from a stomach bug and reportedly was power puking into a garbage can in the locker room 15 minutes before game time. He shot only 3-for-16 from the floor and snared just three rebounds, by far his weakest game of the postseason.

Anthony should be back to full strength on Wednesday against Los Angeles. J.R. Smith and Renaldo Balkman have also battled minor injuries in this series, but both should be at or near 100 percent in Game 5.

The Lakers injury woes continue to mount. Lamar Odom’s bad back is flaring up and remains problematic heading home. Odom has been a non-factor for most of the series and his Game 4 performance was rather ugly, with as many fouls (five) as points scored.

Lakers starting point guard Derek Fisher is ailing as well. The oldest player in either team’s rotation has shot just 5-22 from the floor in the previous three games while dishing out only six assists.

Trevor Ariza is suffering from lingering hip and groin injuries. In Game 4, Ariza was awful, notching only three points, one rebound and one assist in 26 minutes of nearly invisible playing time.

Bench Press

Ariza spent a good portion of the regular season as an energy guy coming off the bench. But Ariza moved into the starting lineup when Andrew Bynum got hurt and has stayed in Phil Jackson’s top five ever since. Right now the Lakers could certainly use some of Ariza’s energy to provide spark off the bench.

Denver’s bench quartet of Smith, Chris Andersen, Anthony Carter and Linas Klieza outscored the Lakers bench 29-15 in Game 3 and followed that up by outscoring L.A.’s bench 42-24 in Game 4. During the regular season, the Purple and Gold consistently saw its role players step up, but that hasn’t happened yet in this series.

Energy and aggression

Look at these two postgame quotes from the Lakers superstars for a classic example of a team that knows they didn’t play well in their last outing.

Kobe Bryant: “They whupped us, period. They whupped us on the glass, they whupped us to loose balls.”

Pau Gasol: “You could sense more their sense of desperation tonight. Their game plan was attack, attack the paint, penetrate, everybody go to the boards. We didn't have quite that aggressiveness that they did.”

Battle of the boards

The Lakers won the rebounding battle by nine in Game 1, nabbing 17 offensive rebounds in the process. In Games 2 and 3 the two teams were virtually even on the glass. But in
Game 4 the Nuggets controlled the glass with a 58-40 rebounding edge that included a whopping 20 offensive boards.

Birdman had a career high 14 rebounds coming off the bench, while Kenyon Martin and Nene grabbed 28 boards between them. That trio outrebounded the Lakers entire team.

It was the first playoff game since Utah’s double overtime loss to Denver in 1994 where three different players on one team got 13 rebounds or more in the same game.

Foul fest

This has been an extremely physical series and the refs haven’t been shy about blowing their whistles. The Nuggets went to the free throw line 49 times in Game 4, leading Phil Jackson to begin his annual ‘whining about the zebras’ postgame tirade.

The Zen-Master was not a happy camper, claiming “not equal refereeing” and “unsportsmanlike basketball” when the Nuggets finished with 14 more free throw attempts than the Lakers on Monday. Funny, Jackson wasn’t complaining when the Lakers got 45 foul shots compared to Denver’s 31 in Game 3.

Both teams have taken at least 31 free throw attempts in each of the last three games. The straight up and against the spread winner in each of those three games was the team that got to the free throw line more often. We can expect whichever team is more aggressive taking the ball to the basket to get more than its fair share of foul calls once again in Game 5

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**pm530** · 05-27-2009, 11:04 AM

NHL
Dunkel Index

Chicago at Detroit
The Red Wings look to close out the series and build on their 16-5 record in their last 21 playoff games as a favorite of -200 or greater. Detroit is the pick (-240) according to Dunkel, which has the Red Wings favored by 2 1/2. Dunkel Pick: Detroit (-240). Here are all of today's playoff picks.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 27

Game 17-18: Chicago at Detroit
Dunkel Ratings: Chicago 11.561; Detroit 14.089
Dunkel Line & Total: Detroit by 2 1/2; 6 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: Detroit (-240); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Detroit (-240); Over

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NHL
Long Sheet

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Wednesday, May 27
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CHICAGO (55-31-0-12, 122 pts.) at DETROIT (62-23-0-12, 136 pts.) - 5/27/2009, 7:35 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
DETROIT is 17-9 (+0.0 Units) against the spread versus CHICAGO over the last 3 seasons
DETROIT is 17-9-0 straight up against CHICAGO over the last 3 seasons
13 of 22 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+3.6 Units)

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NHL
Short Sheet

Wednesday, May 2th7

Western Conference Finals
Game Five
Detroit Leads, 3-1
Chicago at Detroit, 7:35 ET

Chicago:
3-10 SU at Detroit
18-9 Under off BB Overs

Detroit:
9-0 SU off road division win
25-3 SU at home off BB division games

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NHL
Write-up

Wednesday, May 27

NHL Playoffs

Detroit is 7-3 vs Chicago this year, winning 5-2/3-2OT in Games 1-2 in this building; with Penguins clinching their series last night, Detroit could use win here, so Pittsburgh won't have extra rest for Finals. Red Wings scored three goals in 10:18 with man advantage in Game 4 win; they are 5-18 on power play in series. Blackhawks are 3-5 on road in playoffs- if they're 3-6 after this game, their season is over.

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NHL

Wednesday, May 27

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Trend Report
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7:30 PM
CHICAGO vs. DETROIT
Chicago is 15-8 SU in its last 23 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Chicago's last 6 games
Detroit is 8-3 SU in its last 11 games when playing Chicago
Detroit is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Chicago

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NHL

Wednesday, May 27

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

The Detroit Red Wings proved to hockey fans they're no one-trick, or even two-trick pony. Detroit overcame the absence of leading scorer Pavel Datsyuk and top blueliner Niklas Lidstrom in a dominant 6-1 victory at the United Center Sunday.

Datsyuk skated briefly Tuesday morning for the first time since Game 2 while Lidstrom and gritty forward Kris Draper, who is out for Game 5, sat out practice. Red Wings coach Mike Babcock says Lidstrom's injury shouldn't keep him out for long and could see his captain back on the ice in Motown.

Getting back its top talent is important to Detroit but more importantly is wrapping this series and avoiding more injuries before the Stanley Cup final. The Red Wings haven't shown a killer instinct with opponents on the ropes in the past.

"You just got to continue to play your game and focus on yourself, understanding all the time that you've done nothing till this point," Babcock told the Detroit Free Press. "I think that's very, very clear. You're allowed to enjoy today and that, but it's gonna be hard (to close out the series).”

Last year, they failed to pull the trigger with 3-1 series leads at home against Dallas and Pittsburgh before traveling for the series winner. Babcock has drilled that fact into his players' minds heading into Wednesday.

"As soon as you let up for one second, and the other team gets more focused, then they beat you," he said. "So you just got to stay doing what you're doing and try to make the adjustments you need to win the next game. Last year was a great example, we lost two Games 5s at home that, in the end, could have cost us the series."

Detroit is 7-1 at home in the playoffs with the lone loss coming in overtime against Anaheim.

Pick: Detroit -240

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**pm530** · 05-27-2009, 11:05 AM

MLB
Dunkel Index

Atlanta at San Francisco
The Braves look to avoid the sweep and take advantage of San Francisco's 1-5 record in Randy Johnson's last 6 starts as an underdog. Atlanta is the pick (-115) according to Dunkel, which has the Braves favored by 1/2 a run. Dunkel Pick: Atlanta (-115). Here are all of today's picks.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 27

Game 951-952: St. Louis at Milwaukee
Dunkel Ratings: St. Louis (Wellemeyer) 14.942; Milwaukee (Parra) 15.365
Dunkel Line: Milwaukee by 1/2; 7 1/2
Vegas Line: Milwaukee (-135); 9
Dunkel Pick: Milwaukee (-135); Under

Game 953-954: Pittsburgh at Chicago Cubs
Dunkel Ratings: Pittsburgh (Duke) 14.519; Cubs (Zambrano) 13.295
Dunkel Line: Pittsburgh by 1; 9
Vegas Line: Chicago Cubs (-175); No Run Line
Dunkel Pick: Pittsburgh (+165); N/A

Game 955-956: LA Dodgers at Colorado
Dunkel Ratings: LA Dodgers (Kershaw) 15.121; Colorado (Jimenez) 15.459
Dunkel Line: Colorado by 1/2; 9
Vegas Line: Colorado (-130); 10
Dunkel Pick: Colorado (-130); Under

Game 957-958: Florida at Philadelphia
Dunkel Ratings: Florida (Badenhop) 14.697; Philadelphia (Myers) 15.911
Dunkel Line: Philadelphia by 1; 9 1/2
Vegas Line: Philadelphia (-180); 10 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Philadelphia (-180); Under

Game 959-960: Washington at NY Mets
Dunkel Ratings: Washington (Zimmermann) 13.713; NY Mets (Santana) 15.867
Dunkel Line: NY Mets by 2; 9 1/2
Vegas Line: NY Mets (-240); 8
Dunkel Pick: NY Mets (-240); Over

Game 961-962: Houston at Cincinnati
Dunkel Ratings: Houston (Paulino) 14.553; Cincinnati (Arroyo) 15.526
Dunkel Line: Cincinnati by 1; 10 1/2
Vegas Line: Cincinnati (-135); 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Cincinnati (-135); Over

Game 963-964: San Diego at Arizona
Dunkel Ratings: San Diego (Peavy) 16.391; Arizona (Buckner) 14.871
Dunkel Line: San Diego by 1 1/2; 7 1/2
Vegas Line: San Diego (-155); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: San Diego (-155); Under

Game 965-966: Atlanta at San Francisco
Dunkel Ratings: Atlanta (Kawakami) 15.099; San Francisco (Johnson) 14.881
Dunkel Line: Atlanta by 1/2; 7 1/2
Vegas Line: Atlanta (-115); 8
Dunkel Pick: Atlanta (-115); Under

Game 967-968: Toronto at Baltimore
Dunkel Ratings: Toronto (Halladay) 14.054; Baltimore (Hill) 13.606
Dunkel Line: Toronto by 1/2; 8 1/2
Vegas Line: Toronto (-165); 9
Dunkel Pick: Toronto (-165); Under

Game 969-970: Detroit at Kansas City
Dunkel Ratings: Detroit (Porcello) 14.412; Kansas City (Davies) 15.418
Dunkel Line: Kansas City by 1; 10 1/2
Vegas Line: Detroit (-110); 9
Dunkel Pick: Kansas City (+100); Over

Game 971-972: Seattle at Oakland
Dunkel Ratings: Seattle (Bedard) 15.097; Oakland (Cahill) 14.641
Dunkel Line: Seattle by 1/2; 7
Vegas Line: Seattle (-120); 8
Dunkel Pick: Seattle (-120); Under

Game 973-974: Tampa Bay at Cleveland
Dunkel Ratings: Tampa Bay (Sonnanstine) 16.054; Cleveland (Jackson) 14.876
Dunkel Line: Tampa Bay by 1; 10 1/2
Vegas Line: No Line
Dunkel Pick: N/a

Game 975-976: NY Yankees at Texas
Dunkel Ratings: NY Yankees (Burnett) 16.487; Texas (Holland) 17.743
Dunkel Line: Texas by 1 1/2; 9 1/2
Vegas Line: NY Yankees (-145); 11
Dunkel Pick: Texas (+135); Under

Game 977-978: Boston at Minnesota
Dunkel Ratings: Boston (Matsuzaka) 16.162; Minnesota (Slowey) 17.797
Dunkel Line: Minnesota by 1 1/2; 8 1/2
Vegas Line: Minnesota (-110); 9
Dunkel Pick: Minnesota (-110); Under

Game 979-980: Chicago White Sox at LA Angels
Dunkel Ratings: White Sox (Floyd) 16.606; LA Angels (Weaver) 15.220
Dunkel Line: White Sox by 1 1/2; 10 1/2
Vegas Line: LA Angels (-200); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Chicago White Sox (+180); Over

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MLB
Long Sheet

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Wednesday, May 27
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ST LOUIS (27 - 19) at MILWAUKEE (27 - 19) - 1:05 PM
TODD WELLEMEYER (R) vs. MANNY PARRA (L)
Top Trends for this game.
WELLEMEYER is 7-15 (-9.1 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
MILWAUKEE is 27-16 (+11.4 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
MILWAUKEE is 15-4 (+11.7 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
MILWAUKEE is 16-8 (+8.5 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 this season.
ST LOUIS is 35-21 (+15.6 Units) against the money line when playing on Wednesday over the last 3 seasons.
ST LOUIS is 113-95 (+14.3 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
ST LOUIS is 113-95 (+14.3 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
MILWAUKEE is 4-1 (+3.5 Units) against ST LOUIS this season
3 of 5 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+0.9 Units)

TODD WELLEMEYER vs. MILWAUKEE since 1997
WELLEMEYER is 0-2 when starting against MILWAUKEE with an ERA of 3.97 and a WHIP of 1.588.
His team's record is 0-4 (-4.1 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-2. (-0.2 units)

MANNY PARRA vs. ST LOUIS since 1997
PARRA is 1-0 when starting against ST LOUIS with an ERA of 3.66 and a WHIP of 1.563.
His team's record is 4-2 (+2.1 units) in these starts. The OVER is 3-2. (+0.9 units)

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PITTSBURGH (21 - 25) at CHICAGO CUBS (22 - 22) - 2:20 PM
ZACH DUKE (L) vs. CARLOS ZAMBRANO (R)
Top Trends for this game.
CHICAGO CUBS are 23-6 (+13.1 Units) against the money line in home games in May games over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO CUBS are 475-502 (-117.4 Units) against the money line after a win since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 486-461 (-101.6 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 979-1031 (-190.7 Units) against the money line in all games since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 526-478 (-109.5 Units) against the money line in home games since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 384-351 (-75.1 Units) against the money line in home games in day games since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 922-947 (-168.4 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field since 1997.
ZAMBRANO is 59-54 (-24.3 Units) against the money line in home games since 1997. (Team's Record)
ZAMBRANO is 9-13 (-12.9 Units) against the money line in home games against division opponents over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
ZAMBRANO is 59-54 (-24.3 Units) against the money line in home games in games played on a grass field since 1997. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
PITTSBURGH is 1-1 (+0.3 Units) against CHICAGO CUBS this season
1 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+0.0 Units)

ZACH DUKE vs. CHICAGO CUBS since 1997
DUKE is 4-5 when starting against CHICAGO CUBS with an ERA of 3.07 and a WHIP of 1.365.
His team's record is 6-7 (+1.2 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 4-7. (-3.8 units)

CARLOS ZAMBRANO vs. PITTSBURGH since 1997
ZAMBRANO is 10-5 when starting against PITTSBURGH with an ERA of 3.76 and a WHIP of 1.388.
His team's record is 13-9 (-2.8 units) in these starts. The OVER is 14-7. (+6.3 units)

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LA DODGERS (32 - 15) at COLORADO (18 - 27) - 3:10 PM
CLAYTON KERSHAW (L) vs. UBALDO JIMENEZ (R)
Top Trends for this game.
COLORADO is 36-22 (+18.1 Units) against the money line when playing on Wednesday over the last 3 seasons.
COLORADO is 96-88 (+21.8 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.
LA DODGERS are 32-15 (+15.0 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
LA DODGERS are 32-15 (+15.0 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
LA DODGERS are 22-8 (+13.5 Units) against the money line against division opponents this season.
COLORADO is 39-57 (-22.2 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
COLORADO is 25-40 (-21.3 Units) against the money line in day games over the last 2 seasons.
COLORADO is 91-116 (-32.3 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
COLORADO is 47-65 (-17.3 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 2 seasons.
COLORADO is 91-116 (-32.3 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
COLORADO is 3-9 (-8.4 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 10 to 10.5 this season.
COLORADO is 19-34 (-16.9 Units) against the money line in May games over the last 2 seasons.
JIMENEZ is 2-11 (-11.6 Units) against the money line in day games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
LA DODGERS is 7-1 (+6.9 Units) against COLORADO this season
5 of 7 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+2.9 Units)

CLAYTON KERSHAW vs. COLORADO since 1997
KERSHAW is 1-3 when starting against COLORADO with an ERA of 8.19 and a WHIP of 2.142.
His team's record is 1-3 (-2.4 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 2-2. (-0.4 units)

UBALDO JIMENEZ vs. LA DODGERS since 1997
JIMENEZ is 4-2 when starting against LA DODGERS with an ERA of 7.25 and a WHIP of 1.805.
His team's record is 5-3 (+2.3 units) in these starts. The OVER is 8-0. (+8.2 units)

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FLORIDA (21 - 26) at PHILADELPHIA (25 - 19) - 7:05 PM
BURKE BADENHOP (R) vs. BRETT MYERS (R)
Top Trends for this game.
FLORIDA is 7-18 (-13.4 Units) against the money line after a loss this season.
FLORIDA is 7-18 (-12.6 Units) against the money line in May games this season.
FLORIDA is 10-20 (-11.6 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 128-92 (+14.9 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 44-20 (+20.0 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 10 to 10.5 over the last 3 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 127-91 (+14.9 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 92-62 (+15.3 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
FLORIDA is 459-515 (+37.0 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record since 1997.
FLORIDA is 105-103 (+13.6 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
FLORIDA is 51-53 (+11.0 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
FLORIDA is 9-2 (+9.2 Units) against the money line in road games against division opponents this season.
FLORIDA is 104-101 (+14.2 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 6-12 (-11.4 Units) against the money line in home games when playing on Wednesday over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 3-11 (-11.9 Units) against the money line in home games against right-handed starters this season.
MYERS is 43-47 (-21.3 Units) against the money line in home games since 1997. (Team's Record)
MYERS is 3-10 (-13.0 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 10 to 10.5 since 1997. (Team's Record)
MYERS is 2-7 (-9.8 Units) against the money line in home games against division opponents over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
MYERS is 31-37 (-22.0 Units) against the money line in home games in games played on a grass field since 1997. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
PHILADELPHIA is 4-1 (+3.4 Units) against FLORIDA this season
3 of 5 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+0.9 Units)

BURKE BADENHOP vs. PHILADELPHIA since 1997
No recent starts.

BRETT MYERS vs. FLORIDA since 1997
MYERS is 6-9 when starting against FLORIDA with an ERA of 5.39 and a WHIP of 1.619.
His team's record is 7-16 (-12.4 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 9-14. (-7.1 units)

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WASHINGTON (13 - 32) at NY METS (25 - 20) - 7:10 PM
JORDAN ZIMMERMANN (R) vs. JOHAN SANTANA (L)
Top Trends for this game.
WASHINGTON is 42-91 (-38.9 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 5-18 (-11.8 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
WASHINGTON is 13-32 (-17.6 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
WASHINGTON is 20-47 (-19.3 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 31-72 (-23.6 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 7-27 (-15.4 Units) against the money line on the road when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 5-21 (-14.2 Units) against the money line against division opponents this season.
WASHINGTON is 13-32 (-17.6 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
WASHINGTON is 9-23 (-13.3 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
NY METS are 25-7 (+14.4 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 2 seasons.
SANTANA is 148-70 (+41.3 Units) against the money line in all games since 1997. (Team's Record)
SANTANA is 98-41 (+34.7 Units) against the money line in night games since 1997. (Team's Record)
SANTANA is 82-29 (+37.5 Units) against the money line after a win since 1997. (Team's Record)
SANTANA is 76-23 (+34.6 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record since 1997. (Team's Record)
NY METS are 42-43 (-27.5 Units) against the money line in home games against division opponents over the last 3 seasons.
SANTANA is 17-19 (-14.4 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
NY METS is 4-1 (+2.4 Units) against WASHINGTON this season
4 of 4 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+4.0 Units)

JORDAN ZIMMERMANN vs. NY METS since 1997
ZIMMERMANN is 1-0 when starting against NY METS with an ERA of 1.69 and a WHIP of 1.501.
His team's record is 1-0 (+1.6 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-1. (-1.0 units)

JOHAN SANTANA vs. WASHINGTON since 1997
SANTANA is 5-1 when starting against WASHINGTON with an ERA of 2.36 and a WHIP of 1.071.
His team's record is 5-1 (+0.7 units) in these starts. The OVER is 3-3. (-0.2 units)

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HOUSTON (18 - 26) at CINCINNATI (25 - 20) - 7:10 PM
FELIPE PAULINO (R) vs. BRONSON ARROYO (R)
Top Trends for this game.
HOUSTON is 171-192 (-49.4 Units) against the money line in May games since 1997.
HOUSTON is 9-19 (-10.6 Units) against the money line against division opponents this season.
CINCINNATI is 20-7 (+12.9 Units) against the money line in home games in May games over the last 2 seasons.
CINCINNATI is 16-9 (+8.8 Units) against the money line against division opponents this season.
HOUSTON is 104-101 (+14.2 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 102-100 (+12.0 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
CINCINNATI is 223-258 (-66.2 Units) against the money line in home games after a win since 1997.
CINCINNATI is 71-94 (-31.6 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
CINCINNATI is 6-3 (+3.4 Units) against HOUSTON this season
6 of 9 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+2.6 Units)

FELIPE PAULINO vs. CINCINNATI since 1997
PAULINO is 1-1 when starting against CINCINNATI with an ERA of 3.24 and a WHIP of 1.320.
His team's record is 1-2 (-0.7 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 2-1. (+0.9 units)

BRONSON ARROYO vs. HOUSTON since 1997
ARROYO is 5-6 when starting against HOUSTON with an ERA of 5.70 and a WHIP of 1.411.
His team's record is 7-8 (-0.8 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 6-9. (-4.1 units)

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SEATTLE (21 - 26) at OAKLAND (18 - 25) - 3:35 PM
ERIK BEDARD (L) vs. TREVOR CAHILL (R)
Top Trends for this game.
SEATTLE is 50-77 (-25.4 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 2 seasons.
SEATTLE is 82-127 (-42.8 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
SEATTLE is 35-54 (-23.2 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 2 seasons.
SEATTLE is 35-69 (-26.9 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
SEATTLE is 8-17 (-10.2 Units) against the money line in May games this season.
SEATTLE is 32-48 (-20.1 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
SEATTLE is 74-116 (-41.7 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
SEATTLE is 51-90 (-39.6 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
OAKLAND is 120-56 (+45.2 Units) against the money line in home games after 3 or more consecutive wins since 1997.
OAKLAND is 163-190 (-51.9 Units) against the money line in May games since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
SEATTLE is 5-3 (+2.0 Units) against OAKLAND this season
4 of 8 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+0.0 Units)

ERIK BEDARD vs. OAKLAND since 1997
BEDARD is 3-3 when starting against OAKLAND with an ERA of 3.07 and a WHIP of 1.108.
His team's record is 3-6 (-4.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 4-5. (-1.3 units)

TREVOR CAHILL vs. SEATTLE since 1997
CAHILL is 0-1 when starting against SEATTLE with an ERA of 1.38 and a WHIP of 1.154.
His team's record is 1-1 (+0.2 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-2. (-2.0 units)

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TAMPA BAY (23 - 25) at CLEVELAND (19 - 28) - 7:05 PM
ANDY SONNANSTINE (R) vs. ZACH JACKSON (L)
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
CLEVELAND is 3-3 (+0.6 Units) against TAMPA BAY this season
4 of 6 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+1.8 Units)

ANDY SONNANSTINE vs. CLEVELAND since 1997
SONNANSTINE is 1-2 when starting against CLEVELAND with an ERA of 7.41 and a WHIP of 1.529.
His team's record is 1-2 (-1.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 0-3. (-3.4 units)

ZACH JACKSON vs. TAMPA BAY since 1997
No recent starts.

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NY YANKEES (26 - 20) at TEXAS (27 - 18) - 8:05 PM
A.J. BURNETT (R) vs. DEREK HOLLAND (L)
Top Trends for this game.
NY YANKEES are 18-32 (-24.2 Units) against the money line in road games against left-handed starters over the last 3 seasons.
TEXAS is 26-16 (+10.7 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
TEXAS is 17-10 (+8.3 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
TEXAS is 75-65 (+20.7 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
TEXAS is 17-9 (+9.6 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
TEXAS is 27-18 (+10.6 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
TEXAS is 102-82 (+17.7 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 3 seasons.
TEXAS is 17-7 (+11.2 Units) against the money line in May games this season.

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

A.J. BURNETT vs. TEXAS since 1997
BURNETT is 1-1 when starting against TEXAS with an ERA of 4.32 and a WHIP of 1.170.
His team's record is 3-2 (+0.6 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 4-1. (+2.8 units)

DEREK HOLLAND vs. NY YANKEES since 1997
No recent starts.

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BOSTON (27 - 19) at MINNESOTA (23 - 24) - 8:10 PM
DAISUKE MATSUZAKA (R) vs. KEVIN SLOWEY (R)
Top Trends for this game.
BOSTON is 10-22 (-14.0 Units) against the money line in games played on artificial turf over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 6-17 (-12.5 Units) against the money line in games played in a dome over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 80-63 (+15.8 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 73-43 (+21.4 Units) against the money line in games played on artificial turf over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 35-14 (+19.4 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 22-9 (+11.8 Units) against the money line at home with a money line of -100 to -125 over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 71-38 (+24.0 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 37-19 (+16.0 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 9 to 9.5 over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 73-40 (+24.5 Units) against the money line in games played in a dome over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 55-28 (+20.2 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 3-1 (+2.0 Units) against MINNESOTA this season
3 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+2.0 Units)

DAISUKE MATSUZAKA vs. MINNESOTA since 1997
MATSUZAKA is 2-0 when starting against MINNESOTA with an ERA of 1.61 and a WHIP of 1.164.
His team's record is 3-0 (+3.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-3. (-3.1 units)

KEVIN SLOWEY vs. BOSTON since 1997
SLOWEY is 0-1 when starting against BOSTON with an ERA of 6.35 and a WHIP of 1.235.
His team's record is 0-1 (-1.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-0. (+1.0 units)

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CHI WHITE SOX (21 - 24) at LA ANGELS (23 - 22) - 10:05 PM
GAVIN FLOYD (R) vs. JERED WEAVER (R)
Top Trends for this game.
CHI WHITE SOX are 27-47 (-18.5 Units) against the money line in road games against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
CHI WHITE SOX are 13-31 (-15.5 Units) against the money line in road games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
LA ANGELS are 118-77 (+27.0 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
LA ANGELS are 159-112 (+25.8 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 3 seasons.
LA ANGELS are 54-31 (+21.1 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 2 seasons.
LA ANGELS are 124-87 (+22.6 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
CHI WHITE SOX are 104-77 (+18.1 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
LA ANGELS are 17-24 (-18.3 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
CHI WHITE SOX is 2-0 (+3.1 Units) against LA ANGELS this season
1 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=-0.1 Units, Under=-0.2 Units)

GAVIN FLOYD vs. LA ANGELS since 1997
FLOYD is 0-1 when starting against LA ANGELS with an ERA of 4.50 and a WHIP of 1.000.
His team's record is 1-1 (-0.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-1. (-0.1 units)

JERED WEAVER vs. CHI WHITE SOX since 1997
WEAVER is 3-0 when starting against CHI WHITE SOX with an ERA of 0.34 and a WHIP of 0.712.
His team's record is 4-0 (+4.1 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-4. (-4.5 units)

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MLB
Short Sheet

Wednesday, May 27th

National League

ST LOUIS at MILWAUKEE, 1:05 PM ET
WELLEMEYER: 7-15 TSR against division opponents
PARRA: MIL 14-4 UNDER after a team loss

PITTSBURGH at CHICAGO CUBS, 2:20 PM ET
DUKE: PIT 8-1 UNDER after 5+ consecutive road games
ZAMBRANO: CHC 7-14 after 1+ consecutive unders

LA DODGERS at COLORADO, 3:10 PM ET
KERSHAW: LAD 16-4 when the total is 8.5 to 10
JIMENEZ: COL 7-13 as a favorite

FLORIDA at PHILADELPHIA, 7:05 PM ET
BADENHOP: FLA 9-2 AWAY against division opponents
MYERS: 3-11 TSR at home when the total is 10+

WASHINGTON at NY METS, 7:10 PM ET
ZIMMERMANN: WAS 5-16 after having lost 2 of their last 3
SANTANA: 50-9 TSR as a favorite of -200 or more

HOUSTON at CINCINNATI, 7:10 PM ET
PAULINO: HOU 27-15 after a loss by 2 runs or less
ARROYO: CIN 27-13 OVER at home

SAN DIEGO at ARIZONA, 9:40 PM ET
PEAVY: SD 11-3 OVER AWAY against right-handed starters
BUCKNER: ARI 7-14 after 2+ consecutive home games

ATLANTA at SAN FRANCISCO, 10:15 PM ET
KAWAKAMI: ATL 10-18 as a road favorite
JOHNSON: 14-4 UNDER when the money line is +125 to -125

American League

TORONTO at BALTIMORE, 1:35 PM ET
HALLADAY: TOR 14-4 in day games
HILL: BAL 1-12 after allowing 3 runs or less in BB games

DETROIT at KANSAS CITY, 2:10 PM ET
PORCELLO: DET 21-41 as a road underdog
DAVIES: 16-5 OVER as a favorite

SEATTLE at OAKLAND, 3:35 PM ET
BEDARD: SEA 19-40 after a one run loss
CAHILL: OAK 52-34 after 2+ consecutive home games

TAMPA BAY at CLEVELAND, 7:05 PM ET
SONNANSTINE: TB 4-14 AWAY when the money line is +125 to -125
JACKSON: CLE 10-0 at home against Tampa Bay

NY YANKEES at TEXAS, 8:05 PM ET ESPN2
BURNETT: NYY 18-32 AWAY against left-handed starters
HOLLAND: TEX 17-10 in night games

BOSTON at MINNESOTA, 8:10 PM ET
MATSUZAKA: BOS 30-13 against AL Central
SLOWEY: 1-11 TSR against AL East

CHI WHITE SOX at LA ANGELS, 10:05 PM ET
FLOYD: CHW 25-12 OVER in the first half of the season
WEAVER: LAA 17-24 at home when the total is 8 to 8.5

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MLB
Write-up

Wednesday, May 27

Hot Pitchers
-- Wellemeyer is 1-2, 6.19 in his last three starts.
-- Arroyo is 1-1, 2.40 in his last two starts.
-- Myers is 2-0, 2.57 in his last two starts.
-- Santana is 3-1, 1.35 in five starts at Citi Field.
-- Duke is 3-3, 2.70 in his last six starts.
-- Kershaw is 1-0, 1.50 in his last couple starts. Jimenez is 2-1, 2.00 in his last four starts.
-- Peavy is 2-2, 1.50 in his last five starts. Buckner allowed one run in 7.1 IP in his first '09 start, at Oakland.
-- Kawakami has 2.63 RA in his last four starts.

-- Hill is 1-0, 3.18 in two starts for the Orioles. Halladay is 3-0, 1.71 in his last four starts.
-- Porcello is 4-0, 1.13 in his last four starts.
-- Cahill is 2-1, 2.21 in his last three home starts. Bedard has 2.70 RA in his last three starts.
-- Davies has an 2.84 RA in his last three starts.
-- Slowey is 2-0, 2.66 in his last three starts.
-- Weaver is 1-0, 1.86 in his last four starts.

Cold Pitchers
-- Parra has an 8.22 RA in his last three starts.
-- Zambrano has a 5.58 RA in his last five starts.
-- Zimmermann is 0-1, 6.98 in his last five starts.
-- Badenhop allowed seven runs in 9.1 IP in two minor league starts; he was 2-3, 6.08 in eight major league starts LY.
-- Paulino is 0-3, 7.71 in his last four starts.
-- Johnson is 1-2, 8.55 in his last four starts.

-- ZJackson was 3-2, 3.09 at AAA this season; he is 4-5, 5.51 in his 16 career big league starts. Sonnanstine is 1-4, 7.80 in six road starts.
-- Matsuzaka is 0-2, 10.33 in three starts this season.
-- Burnett is 0-1, 7.36 in his last seven starts. Holland allowed three runs in 5.2 IP in his first major league start.
-- Floyd has a 7.67 RA in five road starts.

Hot Teams
-- Cardinals won six of their last eight games.
-- Reds won four of their last five games.
-- Mets won four of their last five games.
-- Dodgers won six of their last seven road games.
-- Phillies won nine of their last twelve games.
-- Pirates won seven of their last eleven games.
-- Giants won three of their last four games.
-- Arizona won seven of its last ten games. San Diego had 10-game win streak snapped last night; they're 1-12 in last 13 road games.

-- Bronx Bombers won eleven of their last fourteen games. Rangers won nine of their last ten home games.
-- Orioles won four of their last five games.
-- Indians won three of their last four games.
-- Twins won five of their last six games.
-- Oakland won its last three games, scoring 16 runs.
-- White Sox won four of their last five games.

Cold Teams
-- Cubs lost eight of their last nine games.
-- Brewers lost five of their last seven games.
-- Rockies lost seven of their last nine home games.
-- Nationals lost 15 of their last 17 games.
-- Astros lost seven of their last eight games.
-- Braves lost first two games of San Francisco series, 8-2/4-0.
-- Florida is 4-11 in its last fifteen games.

-- Toronto lost its last eight games, scoring total of 14 runs.
-- Royals are 5-12 in their last seventeen games. Detroit lost four of its last five road games, allowing 33 runs.
-- Mariners lost 16 of their last 22 games.
-- Rays lost last three games; their starting SS/2B are both on DL.
-- Red Sox lost five of their last seven road games.
-- Angels lost three of their last four games.

Totals
-- Eight of last ten Cincinnati home games went over the total.
-- Under is 10-3 in last thirteen games at Miller Park.
-- Over is 12-6-1 in Colorado home games.
-- Over is 6-2-1 in last nine San Francisco home games.
-- Over is 6-3-1 in Florida's last ten games.
-- Under is 6-2-1 in Santana starts this season.
-- Five of last seven Cub games stayed under the total.
-- Eight of last eleven Arizona home games went over the total.

-- Four of last five Oriole games stayed under the total.
-- Seven of last nine Texas games stayed under the total.
-- Under is 8-3-1 in last twelve Red Sox games.
-- Seven of last eight Detroit games stayed under the total.
-- Three of last four Cahill starts went over the total.
-- Over is 8-2-1 in last eleven Tampa Bay games.
-- All five Floyd road starts went over the total.

Umpires
-- Fla-Phil-- Last three Bell games stayed under the total.
-- Hst-Cin-- Road team won all three Estabrook games.
-- Wsh-NY-- Four of last five Holbrook games stayed under the total.
-- Pitt-Chi-- Four of last five Carlson games went over the total.
-- StL-Mil-- Six of nine Schrieber games went over the total.
-- LA-Colo-- Last six Barry games stayed under the total.
-- SD-Az-- Last four Meriwether games went over the total.
-- Atl-SF-- Six of last seven Miller games stayed under the total.

-- TB-Cle-- Underdog is 5-3 in last eight TWelke games.
-- Tor-Balt-- Six of last nine Drake games went over the total.
-- NY-Tex-- There isn't enough data to analyze umpire Muchinski
-- Bos-Min-- Home team won last six Guccione games.
-- Det-KC-- Under is 5-2-1 in Hohn games this season.
-- Chi-LA-- Three of last four O'Nora games stayed under the total.
-- Sea-A's-- Six of last eight Eddings games went over the total.

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**pm530** · 05-27-2009, 11:07 AM

MLB

Wednesday, May 27

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Trend Report
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2:10 PM
DETROIT vs. KANSAS CITY
Detroit is 8-3 SU in its last 11 games when playing on the road against Kansas City
Detroit is 8-3 SU in its last 11 games
Kansas City is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games
Kansas City is 10-5 SU in its last 15 games at home

2:20 PM
PITTSBURGH vs. CHI CUBS
Pittsburgh is 3-11 SU in their last 14 games when playing on the road against Chi Cubs
Pittsburgh is 1-6 SU in their last 7 games when playing Chi Cubs
Chi Cubs are 1-8 SU in their last 9 games
Chi Cubs are 9-3 SU in their last 12 games at home

3:10 PM
LA DODGERS vs. COLORADO
LA Dodgers are 4-1 SU in their last 5 games when playing on the road against Colorado
LA Dodgers are 7-1 SU in their last 8 games when playing Colorado
Colorado is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games at home
Colorado is 1-7 SU in their last 8 games when playing LA Dodgers

3:35 PM
SEATTLE vs. OAKLAND
Seattle is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Seattle is 6-16 SU in its last 22 games
Oakland is 3-8 SU in its last 11 games when playing Seattle
Oakland is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games when playing at home against Seattle

7:05 PM
FLORIDA vs. PHILADELPHIA
Florida is 4-12 SU in its last 16 games
Florida is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Philadelphia is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Florida
Philadelphia is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing Florida

7:05 PM
TAMPA BAY vs. CLEVELAND
Tampa Bay is 7-18 SU in its last 25 games when playing Cleveland
Tampa Bay is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Cleveland
Cleveland is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games
Cleveland is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home

7:10 PM
HOUSTON vs. CINCINNATI
Houston is 17-4 SU in its last 21 games when playing on the road against Cincinnati
Houston is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games when playing Cincinnati
Cincinnati is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home
Cincinnati is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games

MAY 27, 7:10 PM
WASHINGTON vs. NY METS
Washington is 2-11 SU in its last 13 games
Washington is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games when playing NY Mets
NY Mets are 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Washington
NY Mets are 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing Washington

8:05 PM
NY YANKEES vs. TEXAS
NY Yankees are 17-8 SU in their last 25 games when playing Texas
NY Yankees are 13-3 SU in their last 16 games when playing on the road against Texas
Texas is 9-1 SU in its last 10 games at home
Texas is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games

8:10 PM
BOSTON vs. MINNESOTA
Boston is 5-12 SU in its last 17 games when playing on the road against Minnesota
Boston is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games on the road
Minnesota is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games at home
Minnesota is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games

9:40 PM
SAN DIEGO vs. ARIZONA
San Diego is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Arizona
San Diego is 1-12 SU in its last 13 games on the road
Arizona is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games
Arizona is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games at home

10:05 PM
CHI WHITE SOX vs. LA ANGELS
Chi White Sox are 5-1 SU in their last 6 games when playing LA Angels
Chi White Sox are 3-10 SU in their last 13 games on the road
LA Angels are 1-4 SU in their last 5 games when playing at home against Chi White Sox
LA Angels are 6-3 SU in their last 9 games at home

10:15 PM
ATLANTA vs. SAN FRANCISCO
Atlanta is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games when playing San Francisco
Atlanta is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against San Francisco
San Francisco is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Atlanta
San Francisco is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing Atlanta

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MLB

Wednesday, May 27

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Tips and Trends
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New York Yankees at Texas Rangers [ESPN2 | 8:05 PM ET]

Yankees (-135, O/U 11): A.J. Burnett (2-2, 5.28) hasn't won since April 14. He's 0-2 with a 6.04 ERA in his last seven starts after winning his first two starts with a 2.70 ERA. "It's a matter of executing every pitch," Burnett told the Yankees' official Web site about a flaw in his delivery. "We'll work on it in the bullpen and be consistent, and take care of it. The good thing is I know how to fix it. ... If I didn't know what was the problem, I'd be worried." Burnett is 1-2 with a 4.72 ERA in six games - five starts - against Texas, including 1-1 with a 5.21 ERA in three starts at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington.

The Yankees are 11-3 in their last 14 overall.
The Yankees are 32-13 in the last 45 meetings in Texas.

Key Injuries - OF Xavier Nady (elbow) is on the 15-day DL.
C Jorge Posada (hamstring) is on the 15-day DL.
OF Melky Cabrera (shoulder) is QUESTIONABLE.

PROJECTED SCORE: 7 (Side Play of the Day)

Rangers: Texas will give rookie Derek Holland (1-1, 4.82 ERA) a second turn in the rotation in place of the injured Vicente Padilla (shoulder). Making his first career start on Friday, the 22-year-old Holland threw five scoreless innings and got two outs in the sixth before giving up a three-run homer to Lance Berkman in the 6-5, 10-inning win over Houston. "I felt very good," Holland said. "I didn't run out of gas. Just one pitch took me out of the game. It was a slider and I left it up." The left-hander went 1-1 with a 4.85 ERA in seven relief outings prior to being inserted into the rotation.

The Rangers are 9-1 in their last 10 home games.
The Under is 8-2 in the Rangers' last 10 games vs. a right-handed starter.

Key Injuries - NONE

PROJECTED SCORE: 4

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MLB

Wednesday, May 27

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Hot lines: Today’s best MLB bets
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Chicago White Sox at Los Angeles Angels (-210, 9)

Jered Weaver and the Angels will try to avoid being swept in a three-game home series for the first time in nearly two years when they face the White Sox on Wednesday night.

Weaver (3-2, 2.52 ERA) is winless in his last three starts, but a matchup with Chicago (21-24) could be coming at the perfect time. The right-hander is 3-0 with a 0.34 ERA in four starts against the White Sox - all wins for the Angels (23-22). He pitched 15 scoreless innings against Chicago in 2008, allowing four hits in two Los Angeles victories.

Weaver has given up five runs over 20 innings in his last three starts, but the Angels have lost two of those games. He allowed one run and eight hits over five innings of a 3-1 loss to the Dodgers on Friday.

The Angels hope to avoid their second three-game skid this month after following Monday's 17-3 loss with a 4-2 defeat on Tuesday.

Los Angeles' bullpen took a big hit Tuesday when Scot Shields was placed on the 15-day disabled list with patella tendinitis in his left knee. Shields, whose 42 wins as a reliever are the most in franchise history, has given up runs in eight of his 20 appearances, and has three losses and three blown saves.

The White Sox, meanwhile, have won six of eight thanks to some vastly improved pitching. Excluding a 20-1 loss to Minnesota last Thursday, the starters are 6-1 with a 1.68 ERA during that stretch after going 0-5 with a 7.88 ERA in the previous eight games.

Gavin Floyd (3-4, 6.54) takes the mound after snapping a five-game winless streak with his best start of the season. Floyd was 0-2 with a 12.00 ERA over his previous three starts before giving up two hits in eight innings of a 2-0 win over Pittsburgh on Friday.

Pick: White Sox

San Diego Padres at Arizona Diamondbacks (+145, 8.5)

The way the San Diego Padres have played of late, Jake Peavy might want to seriously consider staying with the only team he's ever pitched for during his stellar major league career.

With the latest trade talks behind him, Peavy tries for a third straight victory while looking to help the Padres bounce back from their first loss in almost two weeks in Wednesday night's series finale against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field.

Peavy (4-5, 3.48 ERA) allowed two hits and struck out 10 while walking four in six innings of a 4-0 victory over the Chicago Cubs on Friday.

It came one day after the 2007 Cy Young Award winner vetoed a trade to the White Sox. He reiterated after the game that staying with the Padres (23-23), who lost 6-5 Tuesday to snap their 10-game winning streak, is the right thing to do "right now."

Peavy, who gave up a run and struck out eight in a complete-game 3-1 win over Cincinnati on May 17, is 11-12 with a 4.71 ERA in 27 starts against the Diamondbacks (20-26). He yielded two runs while striking out a season-high 12 in seven innings of a 3-1 loss to them on May 6.

Billy Buckner (1-0, 6.35) takes the ball after allowing one run and five hits in 7 1-3 innings of a 2-1 victory at Oakland on Friday in his first start since 2007.

The right-hander made 10 relief appearances for Arizona in 2008, and three this season before being sent to the minors.

Pick: Padres

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MLB

Wednesday, May 27

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Streaking and Slumping Pitchers
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Streaking

Roy Halladay (Toronto Blue Jays)

Roy Halladay has had plenty of success against the Baltimore Orioles during his career, but there's an added sense of urgency when he next faces them.

Halladay will try to help the Toronto Blue Jays salvage one victory during this nine-game road trip as he looks to win his 10th consecutive decision and 20th overall against the Orioles in the finale of a three-game set on Wednesday.

The eight-game slide has dropped the Blue Jays (27-22) from first to third in the AL East. They have a good chance of getting back in the win column with Halladay (8-1, 2.52 ERA).

The 2003 AL Cy Young Award winner improved to 19-4 with a 2.88 ERA against the Orioles (20-26) on May 1 after allowing four runs - three earned - and 10 hits over eight innings of an 8-4 victory.

"I think everybody would like to have about 10 Docs around," Blue Jays manager Cito Gaston said after that start. "But that's impossible. We do have one, so we've got to enjoy him."

Overall, Halladay, who is tied with Kansas City's Zack Greinke for the major league lead in victories, has won his last five decisions. The Toronto right-hander failed to earn one, though, against Atlanta on Friday despite pitching seven scoreless innings.

He gave up five hits and struck out six, but the Jays fell 1-0.

Halladay has benefited from a lot of run support when he's pitched against the Orioles, but he might not have that advantage in this game. Toronto, which averaged 7.5 runs in his last 11 starts against Baltimore, has been held to 13 during this road trip after a 7-2 loss Tuesday.

Rick Porcello (Detroit Tigers)

It only took a handful of games for Detroit Tigers rookie Rick Porcello to become comfortable pitching in the majors.

Porcello looks to win his fifth straight start Wednesday in the finale of a three-game series with the Kansas City Royals.

After spending 2008 at Class-A Lakeland in the Florida State league, Porcello (5-3 3.55 ERA) overcame a rough start to his first season in the majors - 1-3 with a 6.23 ERA in April - to dominate during this month. He's won his last four starts while posting a 1.13 ERA, allowing three runs over 24 innings.

Porcello gave up one run and six hits over six innings of a 4-3 victory over Colorado on Friday to match Dave Rozema's 1977 team record for consecutive wins by a pitcher 20 years and under. Porcello doesn't turn 21 until December.

"I still think there's a lot of things I can improve on," he said.

A win Wednesday would make Porcello the first major leaguer 20 years old or younger to win five consecutive starts since Dwight Gooden in 1985 with the Mets.

Porcello, though, struggled against Kansas City in his third big-league start on April 24, surrendering five runs over six innings of a 6-1 loss. He gave up two home runs in that start as he was beaten by Zach Greinke.

Porcello at least won't have to worry about outdoing Greinke, who notched his eighth victory and fifth complete game in the Royals' 6-1 win over Detroit on Tuesday.

Slumping

A.J. Burnett (New York Yankees)

The Yankees, who are one game behind East-leading Boston, look to rebound from their third loss in five games and hope A.J. Burnett (2-2, 5.28) can win for the first time since April 14.

The right-hander joined New York in December after signing an $82.5 million, five-year contract, but has struggled recently. He's 0-2 with a 6.04 ERA in his last seven starts after winning his first two starts with a 2.70 ERA.

Burnett saw his first pitch go leave the yard on Friday, as he matched his career high by serving up two more while surrendering five runs and eight hits with seven strikeouts in six innings of a 7-3 loss to Philadelphia.

"It's a matter of executing every pitch," Burnett told the Yankees' official Web site about a flaw in his delivery. "We'll work on it in the bullpen and be consistent, and take care of it. The good thing is I know how to fix it. ... If I didn't know what was the problem, I'd be worried."

Burnett is 1-2 with a 4.72 ERA in six games - five starts - against Texas, including 1-1 with a 5.21 ERA in three starts at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington.

Daisuke Matsuzaka (Boston Red Sox)

Matsuzaka was instrumental to Boston's success last season by going 18-3 with a 2.90 ERA, but has struggled through three starts this year.

In his first start since coming off the disabled list because of right arm fatigue, Matsuzaka allowed four runs and five hits while throwing 80 pitches in five innings of a 5-3 loss to the New York Mets on Friday. The right-hander was placed on the DL on April 15, one day after he was tagged for five runs and five hits in one inning at Oakland.

While the Red Sox have lost all three of Matsuzaka's starts this season, they've won all three of his outings against the Twins. Matsuzaka is 2-0 with a 1.61 ERA in those games.

Debuting

Zach Jackson (Cleveland Indians)

The Rays will try to end their slide against Zach Jackson (0-0, 5.79 ERA), who was recalled Tuesday and will make his first start of the season. The left-hander made two relief outings for the Indians before being optioned to Triple-A Columbus on April 21.

In seven appearances, including four starts with the Clippers, Jackson went 3-2 with a 3.09 ERA. He's 4-5 with a 5.58 ERA in 16 career major league starts.

This will be Jackson's first appearance against the Rays.

Burke Badenhop (Florida Marlins)

Florida could use steady play from whoever is on the field Wednesday with Burke Badenhop (2-2, 5.75) set to make his first start since June 3. Badenhop, who has made 11 relief appearances this season, is getting a start with injuries and inconsistency hurting the Marlins' rotation.

The right-hander went 1-3 with a 6.75 ERA as a starter last year. He's faced the Phillies twice - both in relief - surrendering one run and two hits in 3 2-3 innings.

Badenhop will face a Phillies lineup that is batting .281 with 20 home runs while averaging 6.0 runs over its last 12 games, winning nine.

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MLB

Baseball Today

SCOREBOARD

Wednesday, May 27

Toronto at Baltimore (1:35 EDT). Roy Halladay (8-1) will go for his major league-leading ninth victory. The Blue Jays ace has won his last five decisions and is coming off seven shutout innings against Atlanta on May 22. He beat the Orioles 8-4 on May 1 and is 19-4 in his career against Baltimore.

STARS

Tuesday

-Zack Greinke, Royals, struck out eight while pitching his fifth complete game and saw his miniscule ERA rise from 0.82 to 0.84 in Kansas City's 6-1 win over Detroit.

-Livan Hernandez, Mets, pitched New York's first complete game of the season in a 6-1 win over Washington.

-Joe Blanton, Phillies, had a career-high 11 strikeouts in seven scoreless innings, and Philadelphia held on to beat Florida 5-3.

-Adam Wainwright, Cardinals, hit one of four St. Louis homers and struck out a career-high nine in seven innings of an 8-1 win over Milwaukee.

-Jayson Nix, White Sox, homered twice to help Chicago beat the Los Angeles Angels 4-2. He had been hitless in seven at-bats on the current road trip.

-Justin Morneau, Twins, hit a three-run homer to cap a five-run fifth inning as Minnesota beat Boston 5-2.

-Max Scherzer, Diamondbacks, struck out 10 and drove in two runs to help Arizona stop San Diego's 10-game winning streak with a 6-5 victory.

-Chris Davis, Rangers, homered twice to help send Texas to a 7-3 victory over the New York Yankees.

FINALLY WINNING AGAIN

Eric Milton allowed one run in five innings for his first win in nearly three years as the Los Angeles Dodgers beat Colorado. He hadn't won since beating St. Louis on Aug. 8, 2006, with the Cincinnati Reds. A former All-Star who pitched a no-hitter a decade ago for Minnesota, Milton had reconstructive surgery on his left elbow in June 2007 and missed all of 2008 before joining the Dodgers as a free agent in February.

SLUMPING SLUGGER

The Boston Red Sox dropped David Ortiz to sixth in the batting order as the latest remedy to try and get the slugger out of his slump. Manager Terry Francona made the change before Tuesday's 5-2 loss at Minnesota, moving Ortiz out of the No. 3 spot for the first time since May 13, 2005. The last time he batted lower than fourth in the lineup was May 18, 2004. He had a double in three at-bats with a walk.

SIDELINED

New York Yankees center fielder Melky Cabrera left Tuesday night's game against Texas with a strained right shoulder after running into the wall while trying to make a catch in the first inning. Preliminary X-rays showed no further damage. ... The Tampa Bay Rays placed shortstop and leading hitter Jason Bartlett on the 15-day disabled list with a sprained left ankle, giving the team five injured regulars. ... The Seattle Mariners placed Kenji Johjima on the 15-day disabled list Tuesday with a broken big toe, an injury that could sideline the Japanese catcher for two months. ... Pittsburgh Pirates closer Matt Capps likely will miss at least a few games with a bruised pitching elbow after being struck by a line drive during Monday's game against the Chicago Cubs.

STREAKS

Jacoby Ellsbury extended his hitting streak to 21 games, the longest run by a Red Sox player since Kevin Youkilis had a hit in 23 consecutive games two years ago. ... Ichiro Suzuki extended his hitting streak to 20 games with a run-scoring single in the seventh of the Mariners' 4-3 loss to the A's.

SNAPPED

Arizona snapped San Diego's 10-game winning streak with a 6-5 victory that was preserved by Chris Young's leaping catch at the wall in the ninth inning. The Diamondbacks nearly blew a six-run lead for the second straight day. On Monday, they let the Padres rally from a 7-1 deficit in the eighth for a 9-7 victory in 10 innings.

STRUGGLING BIRDS

The Toronto Blue Jays have lost eight straight - their longest skid since a nine-game run in May 2007. With three losses in Boston, three more in Atlanta and two in Baltimore, Toronto is mired in its longest road losing streak since an eight-game slide in 2002.

FALTERING ACE

Roy Oswalt had dominated Cincinnati since 2001, when he beat the Reds as a rookie for his first big league victory. He's 23-1 in his career against the Reds, who have never scored more than four earned runs off him in a game. This season, he has lost his touch. In three starts against the Reds, Oswalt has failed to get even one win, including getting a no-decision in Tuesday's 6-4 loss.

SPEAKING

"That would be the hope, that he doesn't feel like he has to carry the team. There are times when I've said it publicly, 'We're going to jump on his back and let him carry us for a couple weeks.' That's the kind of player he can be.'' - Red Sox manager Terry Francona on moving David Ortiz down to sixth in the batting order to take more pressure off the slumping slugger.

SEASONS

May 27

1904 - Dennis McGann of the New York Giants stole five bases in one game to set a major league record.

1937 - Carl Hubbell, working in relief for the New York Giants, won his 24th straight game over two seasons. Hubbell pitched two innings and Mel Ott hit a ninth-inning home run to beat the Cincinnati Reds 3-2. Hubbell's string started July 17, 1936.

1955 - Norm Zauchin of the Boston Red Sox knocked in 10 runs with three home runs and a double in the first five innings of a 16-0 victory over the Washington Senators.

1960 - Baltimore catcher Clint Courtney used the "big mitt'' for the first time to catch knuckleball pitcher Hoyt Wilhelm. The mitt, designed by Paul Richards, was 50 percent larger than the standard. Nothing got by Courtney as the Orioles beat the New York Yankees 3-2.

1968 - Montreal and San Diego were awarded National League franchises as the league expanded for the first time in seven years.

1997 - Seattle's Ken Griffey Jr. broke his own major league record for home runs hit through May by connecting for his 23rd of the season in an 11-10 loss to Minnesota. Griffey's homer broke the mark he set in 1994.

2004 - Carlos Pena was 6-for-6 with two home runs, five RBIs and four runs in Detroit's 17-7 victory over Kansas City.

Today's birthdays: Frank Thomas 40.

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MLB

This Day in Baseball

On May 27 in Baseball History...

1948 - Recently retired slugger Hank Greenberg buys an interest in the Cleveland club, becoming the Indians' second-largest stockholder.

1960 - Baltimore manager Paul Richards combats the passed-ball problem while catching Hoyt Wilhelm (38 in 1959, 11 so far this year) by devising an oversized mitt to gather in Wilhelm's fluttering knuckler. Wilhelm goes the distance in beating New York 3-2 at Yankee Stadium.

1968 - Montreal and San Diego are awarded N.L. franchises after a ten-hour meeting of league owners.

1974 - The Pirates Ken Brett no-hits the Padres until the ninth inning, settling for a two-hit 6-0 shutout in the first game of the doubleheader. In the second game, Brett's two-run pinch triple gives the Bucs an 8-7 win.

1993 - Dale Murphy calls it a career. Just two home runs shy of 400, the former two-time N.L. MVP announces his retirement as a member of the Colorado Rockies. He is hitting .143 with no home runs and seven RBI as a backup for the expansion club.

1997 - Cheeky play helps the Braves win 9-2. With runners on second and third and one out in the fifth inning in San Diego, Braves speedster Kenny Lofton slices a one-hopper into the Padres bullpen. A Padres reliever tries to get out of the way, but the ball bounces off the seat of his pants and falls onto a small ledge between the outfield fence and the bullpen seating area. Left fielder Greg Vaughn, expecting a ground-rule double to be called, stands a few feet away and watches as Lofton touches all the bases.

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Announcement

Wednesday Trends and Indexes 5/27 (NBA, NHL, MLB, Misc.)

Wednesday Trends and Indexes 5/27 (NBA, NHL, MLB, Misc.)

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