Thursday Trends and Indexes 6/4 (NBA, MLB, NHL, Misc.)

[pm530]

MLB
Write-up


Thursday, June 4

Hot Pitchers
-- Pelfrey is 0-1, 2.28 in his last four starts.
-- Cain is 3-0, 1.27 in his last three starts. RJohnson is 1-0, 1.59 in his last two starts; he goes for win #300 here.
-- Zambrano is 3-1, 3.91 in his last four starts. Braves won last three Jurrjens starts (2-0, 4.00) scoring 25 runs.
-- JJohnson is 2-1, 1.87 in six home starts.
-- Carpenter is 2-0, 0.82 in his last four starts.
-- Kershaw is 2-0, 2.50 in his last three starts.

-- Tallet is 2-2, 2.81 in his last five starts.
-- McCarthy is 2-0, 0.60 in his last two starts.
-- Buehrle is 7-1, 2.79 in his last nine starts.
-- Shields is 1-0, 2.45 in his last three starts.

Cold Pitchers
-- Ohlendorf is 2-3, 5.76 in his last five starts.
-- Zimmermnan is 0-2, 7.27 in his last six starts. Detwiler is 0-1, 5.40 in three starts this season.
-- Reds are 1-4 in Harang road starts (1-3, 6.16).
-- Bush has 7.59 RA in his last two starts, but Brewers won seven of his last eight starts.
-- Hammel is 1-3, 8.28 in his last five starts. Rodriguez is 0-2, 11.42 in his last couple starts.
-- Phillies are 1-5 with Hamels if they score less than eight runs.

-- Lackey is 1-1, 6.05 in his last three starts.
-- Wakefield has 7.33 RA in his last four starts; Red Sox are 7-2 in his last nine outings. Willis is 0-2, 7.71 in his last two starts.
-- Wang allowed 23 runs in six IP in three starts before going on the DL; this is his first start off the DL.
-- Carmona has an 11.34 RA in his last four starts. Baker is 1-2, 5.76 in his last four starts.
-- Anderson is 1-2, 10.42 in his five road starts.
-- Royals lost Meche's last five starts (0-4, 6.04).

Hot Teams
-- Pirates won three of their last four games.
-- Marlins won three of their last four home games.
-- Braves won four of their last five home games.
-- Astros won five of their last six games.
-- Cardinals won six of their last nine home games.
-- Phillies won eleven of their last thirteen road games.

-- Red Sox won their last three games, scoring 23 runs.
-- Bronx won nine of their last twelve home games. Rangers won eight of their last twelve games overall.
-- Blue Jays won seven of their last ten home games. Angels won six of their last nine road games.
-- Rays won nine of their last twelve home games.
-- Twins won nine of their last twelve home games.
-- A's won three of their last four games. White Sox are 9-5 in their last fourteen games.

Cold Teams
-- Mets lost seven of their last nine road games.
-- Nationals lost six of their last seven games. Giants lost six of their last seven games on foreign soil.
-- Brewers lost five of their last six road games.
-- Rockies lost their last four games, scoring total of nine runs.
-- Cubs lost nine of their last eleven road games.
-- Cincinnati lost seven of its last nine road games.
-- Dodgers are 6-7 in last 13 home games after a 13-0 start.

-- Tigers lost their last four home games.
-- Royals lost their last six games, allowing 46 runs.
-- Indians are 4-7 in their last eleven road games.

Totals
-- Under is 6-2-1 in Mets' last nine road games.
-- Seven of last ten San Francisco road games stayed under the total.
-- Seven of last nine Chicago road games stayed under the total.
-- Over is 9-1-1 in Florida's last eleven home games.
-- Five of last six Colorado road games stayed under the total.
-- Five of last seven Cincinnati games stayed under the total.
-- Under is 6-2-1 in Phillies' last nine road games.

-- Six of last eight Boston road games stayed under the total.
-- Nine of last eleven Texas road games stayed under the total.
-- Over is 3-0-1 in Angels' last four road games.
-- Eight of last ten Kansas City road games stayed under the total.
-- Five of last seven Cleveland games stayed under the total.
-- Under is 11-2 in White Sox' last thirteen home games.

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[pm530]

MLB


Thursday, June 4

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Trend Report
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12:35 PM
NY METS vs. PITTSBURGH
NY Mets are 1-3-1 SU in its last 5 games
NY Mets are 1-3-1 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Pittsburgh is 3-6-1 SU in its last 10 games when playing NY Mets

12:37 PM
LA ANGELS vs. TORONTO
LA Angels are 4-2 SU in their last 6 games on the road
LA Angels are 6-3 SU in their last 9 games when playing Toronto
Toronto is 3-6 SU in their last 9 games when playing LA Angels
Toronto is 10-5 SU in their last 15 games when playing at home against LA Angels

1:05 PM
BOSTON vs. DETROIT
Boston is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
Boston is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing Detroit
Detroit is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games when playing Boston
Detroit is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Boston

1:05 PM
TEXAS vs. NY YANKEES
Texas is 15-7 SU in its last 22 games
Texas is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games on the road
NY Yankees are 5-2 SU in their last 7 games when playing Texas
NY Yankees are 2-4 SU in their last 6 games when playing at home against Texas

1:10 PM
CLEVELAND vs. MINNESOTA
Cleveland is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
Cleveland is 2-8 SU in its last 10 games when playing on the road against Minnesota
Minnesota is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
Minnesota is 9-3 SU in its last 12 games at home

2:05 PM
OAKLAND vs. CHI WHITE SOX
Oakland is 7-16 SU in its last 23 games on the road
Chi White Sox are 4-2 SU in their last 6 games

4:08 PM
KANSAS CITY vs. TAMPA BAY
Kansas City is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games when playing on the road against Tampa Bay
Kansas City is 1-9 SU in its last 10 games on the road
Tampa Bay is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
Tampa Bay is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games at home

7:05 PM
SAN FRANCISCO vs. WASHINGTON
San Francisco is 9-2-1 SU in its last 12 games when playing Washington
San Francisco is 1-6-1 SU in its last 8 games on the road
Washington is 2-9-1 SU in its last 12 games when playing San Francisco
Washington is 1-4-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against San Francisco

7:10 PM
CHI CUBS vs. ATLANTA
Chi Cubs are 7-1 SU in their last 8 games when playing Atlanta
Chi Cubs are 1-7 SU in their last 8 games on the road
Atlanta is 3-6 SU in its last 9 games
Atlanta is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home

7:10 PM
MILWAUKEE vs. FLORIDA
Milwaukee is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing Florida
Milwaukee is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Florida is 8-15 SU in its last 23 games
Florida is 6-14 SU in its last 20 games at home

8:00 PM
COLORADO vs. HOUSTON
Colorado is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Houston
Colorado is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
Houston is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Colorado
Houston is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Colorado

8:15 PM
CINCINNATI vs. ST. LOUIS
Cincinnati is 4-13 SU in its last 17 games when playing on the road against St. Louis
Cincinnati is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing St. Louis
St. Louis is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games at home
St. Louis is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games

10:10 PM
PHILADELPHIA vs. LA DODGERS
Philadelphia is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games on the road
Philadelphia is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
LA Dodgers are 6-2 SU in their last 8 games when playing at home against Philadelphia
The total has gone OVER in 10 of LA Dodgers's last 14 games when playing at home against Philadelphia

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[pm530]

MLB


Thursday, June 4

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Hot lines: Today’s best MLB bets
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Kansas City Royals at Tampa Bay Rays (-162, 8.5)

After losing a season-high five straight, the Rays have a 1.80 ERA in winning four of their last five and have a chance to sweep a three-game set for the first time this year. Facing a struggling Kansas City team has certainly helped.

The Royals, who have tied a season high by losing six straight, are 5-18 over the past four weeks while batting .229 and scoring two runs or fewer 10 times.

"It's just a lack of production that leads to a lack of confidence," Kansas City manager Trey Hillman said. "We need some good at-bats back-to-back."

Now the Royals are faced with trying to beat Shields (4-4, 3.53 ERA) for the first time. Shields has won all four of his starts versus Kansas City, posting a 2.57 ERA with three walks and 24 strikeouts in 28 innings.

Pick: Under 8.5


Philadelphia Phillies at Los Angeles Dodgers (+100, 7.5)

Shane Victorino didn't endear himself to Los Angeles Dodgers fans in last year's NL championship series. The Philadelphia Phillies' speedy center fielder may not get the chance to inflame them further.

With Victorino's status in doubt, the Phillies travel to Los Angeles for the first time since the postseason matchup, opening a three-game set with the major league-leading Dodgers on Thursday night.

This will be Philadelphia's first game at Dodger Stadium since it won the pennant in five games before beating Tampa Bay in five games for the second title in club history.

A second straight postseason matchup between the Phillies and Dodgers could happen. While Philadelphia (31-20) has a three-game lead in the NL East, the Dodgers (37-18) have a 9 1/2-game bulge in the NL West over second-place San Francisco - the largest in any division so far.

But Philadelphia could be without Victorino after he strained his left hip and left in the sixth inning against San Diego on Wednesday. The Phillies went on to win their season-high sixth straight with a 5-1 victory.

Victorino, batting .300 with 27 RBIs and nine stolen bases, will be reevaluated before this series' opener.

Pick: Los Angeles +100

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[pm530]

MLB


Thursday, June 4

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Streaking and Slumping Pitchers
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Streaking

Michael Pelfrey (New York Mets)

Injuries and illnesses appear to be taking a toll on the New York Mets' lineup. Mike Pelfrey, though, hasn't received much help from it recently.

He'll try to help the Mets overcome those key absences on Thursday when they wrap up a rain-shortened road series against the Pittsburgh Pirates, who will play their first game after trading center fielder Nate McLouth.

The Mets have lost three of their last five while hitting .224 and getting outscored 21-14. Overall, though, their .279 average ranks among the best in the majors.

But Pelfrey (4-1, 3.88 ERA) has become accustomed to getting little help of late. Over his last four starts, the right-hander has gone 0-1 with a 2.28 ERA and has received only four runs to work with.

On Friday, he yielded one run and five hits with struck out six in 7 2-3 innings of a 2-1, 11-inning win over the Marlins.

"My command was good but it wasn't as down as I'd like," Pelfrey said. "I know if I can pound the strike zone I can go deep into games and not walk guys."

Pelfrey, who hasn't won since beating Philadelphia 7-5 on May 7, has put together a stretch of five quality starts. He's also given up three runs or less in his last seven, going 3-1 with a 2.96 ERA.

He won his only career start against the Pirates on Aug. 15, scattering seven hits in seven scoreless innings of a 2-1 win at PNC Park.

Chris Carpenter (St. Louis Cardinals)

Injuries have plagued Chris Carpenter over the last two years, and he landed on the disabled list for a month already this season. The ace, though, appears to be doing just fine now.

Carpenter looks to continue his career-best start Thursday to help the St. Louis Cardinals earn a split of a four-game series against the Cincinnati Reds.

Carpenter (3-0, 0.62 ERA) was limited to five games over the last two seasons due to a pair of elbow surgeries and a shoulder injury. That came after he helped the Cardinals (30-23) to the 2006 World Series title and winning the 2005 NL Cy Young Award.

The right-hander started this season in strong fashion, allowing one run and one hit in seven innings of a 2-1 win over Pittsburgh on April 9. However, his next outing was cut short after three innings of a loss at Arizona due to a rib muscle injury that sidelined him until May 20.

Since returning, Carpenter has been outstanding, going 2-0 in three starts with a 0.95 ERA while striking out 19 in 19 innings.

The two-time All-Star was impressive again Saturday, yielding two runs and six hits in six innings of a 6-2 win at San Francisco. Carpenter has had to be that good since the Cardinals have given him only nine runs of support in his five starts.

"When you have a guy like Carp going out there every fifth start, always giving us a chance to win, our job is to score runs for him," Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols said. "When we're driving the ball, we can score runs from every part of the lineup."

Carpenter is making his first start against the Reds (28-24) since throwing a four-hit shutout in 2006. Overall, he's 2-2 with a 1.96 ERA in five home meetings versus the Reds and 3-3 with a 2.47 ERA in nine lifetime starts.


Slumping

John Lackey (Los Angeles Angels)

John Lackey's season hasn't gotten much better since the Los Angeles Angels right-hander made his 2009 debut and was ejected after two pitches.

After his worst start of the year, Lackey takes the mound Thursday when the Angels try to clinch a series victory in their three-game set with the Toronto Blue Jays.

Coming off a 12-5 record in 2008 with Los Angeles (26-25), Lackey (1-1, 6.05 ERA) missed the first month of this season with a strained right forearm. It was the second straight year he would miss the opening month after a right triceps strain sidelined him in 2008.

Lackey had just one win in his first four starts last year, but much of that was due to a lack of run support, as he had a 1.80 ERA during that stretch. Control problems seem to be Lackey's biggest issue thus far. He gave up five runs and a season-high 10 hits in 7 1-3 innings of a 5-2 loss to the Mariners on Friday.

It was Lackey's longest start of the season after going just five innings his previous two outings following his shortened debut May 16.

The veteran right-hander, though, doesn't see any issue with his mechanics.

"My stuff tonight felt as good as it's been in a couple of years, honestly," he said. "I had a really good two-seamer. I'm still not really sure how I gave up three in that one inning, but that's baseball. You've just got to keep making pitches and try to give your team a chance to win."

Lackey is 3-3 with a 3.39 ERA in 10 starts against the Blue Jays (30-25). He was 1-1 in three starts last season, with the Angels winning two.

Tim Wakefield (Boston Red Sox)

Pitchers on the Boston Red Sox have enjoyed their time at Comerica Park this week. Given his struggles on the road recently, Tim Wakefield hopes his start there goes just as well.

On Thursday, Wakefield looks to help the Red Sox look to complete a three-game sweep of the Tigers in Detroit for the first time in almost 13 years.

Boston has won five of six in Detroit. It's outscored the Tigers 31-10 and the starting rotation has a 0.83 ERA in those victories.

Now, Wakefield (6-3, 4.55 ERA) will try to help the Red Sox cap their first three-game sweep at Detroit since Sept 17-19, 1996. The knuckleballer, though, is 1-2 with an 11.30 ERA in his last three road starts.

Wakefield went 4-2 in May, but posted a 6.82 ERA. He gave up six runs and nine hits in 4 2-3 innings of a 6-3 loss to the Blue Jays on Friday, matching his shortest start of the season.

Wakefield is 15-10 with a 4.20 ERA in his career against the Tigers. He won both starts against them last season, allowing one earned run over 13 innings.


Returning

Chien-Ming Wang (New York Yankees)

Chien-Ming Wang put up some astonishing numbers during his first stint in the New York Yankees' starting rotation this season. Not the kind to be proud of, though.

After spending time on the disabled list and in the bullpen, Wang tries to put a disastrous early portion of the season behind him as he makes his first start in nearly seven weeks Thursday when the Yankees' conclude their three-game series against the Texas Rangers

Yankees staff ace CC Sabathia was originally scheduled to start Thursday, but he's been given an extra day off, which allows Wang (0-3, 16.07 ERA) to get back in the rotation.

To say Wang got off to a slow start would be an understatement.

The right-hander was knocked around for 23 runs in just six innings in losing his first three starts, yielding at least seven runs in each outing. After being tagged for eight runs in 1 1-3 innings in a 22-4 loss to Cleveland on April 18, Wang was placed on the DL with weakness in the adductor muscles in his hips.

Since being activated May 22, Wang has pitched well out of the bullpen. In three relief appearances, he's allowed two runs and nine hits in eight innings to lower his ERA by more than 18 runs.

Wang threw two scoreless innings at Texas on May 27 and followed that with three shutout innings against Cleveland on Sunday, convincing the Yankees he was back to the form that helped him win 19 games each in 2006 and 2007.

"We weren't just going to move him to move him,'' manager Joe Girardi said. "We had to feel that his stuff was back and watching him these last two times has made us feel that his stuff is back.''

In his last start against the Rangers on May 10, 2007, Wang permitted seven runs and 11 hits in 6 1-3 innings of a 14-2 loss.

Carlos Zambrano (Chicago Cubs)

Chicago Cubs ace Carlos Zambrano had an eventful week - and he didn't even pitch.

After serving a suspension and missing a team flight, Zambrano is slated to make his first start in eight days for the Cubs, who try to build off an extra-inning victory and take two of three from the new-look Atlanta Braves on Thursday night.

Zambrano (3-2, 4.22 ERA) was suspended for six games by Major League Baseball last Thursday, a day after his meltdown in a 5-2 home win over Pittsburgh.

The excitable Zambrano, who allowed two runs and seven hits with six strikeouts in 6 1-3 innings, was ejected after arguing a call at the plate. The right-hander then threw a baseball into left field, slammed his glove against the dugout fence and took a bat to a dugout drink dispenser before heading to the clubhouse.

Bob Watson, baseball's vice president in charge of discipline, cited Zambrano for "inappropriate and violent actions on the field and in the dugout.''

In addition, Zambrano missed the team flight to Atlanta. Manager Lou Piniella has not said if Zambrano was disciplined and the three-time All-Star refused to talk about the incident.

"I don't have anything to say," he told the team's official Web site. "What do you want me to say?"

Zambrano, who was on the disabled list in mid-May due to a left hamstring strain, hasn't earned a victory since May 3. He's one win away from reaching 100 in his career, but hasn't defeated the Braves (26-26) since July 15, 2002 - a span of nine starts.

He pitched well enough to get a victory in his only appearance against Atlanta last season, yielding two runs and eight hits in seven innings of a 3-2, 11-inning victory on June 12.

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[pm530]

NHL
Long Sheet

Updated

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Thursday, June 4
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DETROIT (65-24-0-12, 142 pts.) at PITTSBURGH (58-34-0-10, 126 pts.) - 6/4/2009, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
PITTSBURGH is 119-85 ATS (-14.1 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 22-7 ATS (+12.4 Units) in a home game where where the total is 5.5 this season.
PITTSBURGH is 80-49 ATS (+1.4 Units) second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 66-52 ATS (-1.6 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 28-15 ATS (+11.0 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season this season.
DETROIT is 18-4 ATS (+11.7 Units) in the Stanley Cup finals since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
DETROIT is 8-4 (+1.1 Units) against the spread versus PITTSBURGH over the last 3 seasons
DETROIT is 8-4-0 straight up against PITTSBURGH over the last 3 seasons
7 of 10 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+3.9 Units)

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[pm530]

MLB
Long Sheet


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Thursday, June 4
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NY METS (28 - 23) at PITTSBURGH (24 - 28) - 12:35 PM
MIKE PELFREY (R) vs. ROSS OHLENDORF (R)
Top Trends for this game.
NY METS are 8-22 (-17.5 Units) against the money line on the road with a money line of -100 to -125 over the last 2 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 254-268 (+30.5 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a winning record since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
NY METS is 3-2 (+0.6 Units) against PITTSBURGH this season
4 of 5 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+2.9 Units)

MIKE PELFREY vs. PITTSBURGH since 1997
PELFREY is 1-0 when starting against PITTSBURGH with an ERA of 0.00 and a WHIP of 1.000.
His team's record is 1-0 (+1.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-0. (+1.0 units)

ROSS OHLENDORF vs. NY METS since 1997
No recent starts.

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SAN FRANCISCO (25 - 25) at WASHINGTON (14 - 36) - 7:05 PM
MATT CAIN (R) vs. ROSS DETWILER (L)
Top Trends for this game.
CAIN is 30-46 (-18.9 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
CAIN is 10-22 (-15.9 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
CAIN is 30-46 (-18.9 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
SAN FRANCISCO is 674-571 (+79.0 Units) against the money line in night games since 1997.
WASHINGTON is 14-36 (-20.2 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
WASHINGTON is 30-83 (-39.7 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 3 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 19-42 (-19.0 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 3 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 14-36 (-20.2 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
WASHINGTON is 10-26 (-14.9 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
WASHINGTON is 10-25 (-14.0 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
WASHINGTON is 2-2 (+0.6 Units) against SAN FRANCISCO this season
3 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+2.0 Units)

MATT CAIN vs. WASHINGTON since 1997
CAIN is 3-2 when starting against WASHINGTON with an ERA of 2.76 and a WHIP of 1.000.
His team's record is 5-2 (+2.4 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 5-2. (+2.8 units)

ROSS DETWILER vs. SAN FRANCISCO since 1997
No recent starts.

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CHICAGO CUBS (26 - 25) at ATLANTA (26 - 26) - 7:10 PM
CARLOS ZAMBRANO (R) vs. JAIR JURRJENS (R)
Top Trends for this game.
CHICAGO CUBS are 983-1034 (-190.2 Units) against the money line in all games since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 926-950 (-167.9 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 477-504 (-118.1 Units) against the money line after a win since 1997.
ZAMBRANO is 66-43 (+21.6 Units) against the money line in road games since 1997. (Team's Record)
ZAMBRANO is 15-4 (+11.0 Units) against the money line on the road when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
ZAMBRANO is 25-10 (+14.1 Units) against the money line in road games in games played on a grass field over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
ZAMBRANO is 19-6 (+11.2 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
ATLANTA is 98-116 (-27.4 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 80-79 (-37.8 Units) against the money line in home games in June games since 1997.
ATLANTA is 97-114 (-26.5 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 66-79 (-21.0 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.

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

CARLOS ZAMBRANO vs. ATLANTA since 1997
ZAMBRANO is 2-2 when starting against ATLANTA with an ERA of 4.63 and a WHIP of 1.514.
His team's record is 4-7 (-3.4 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 5-5. (-0.1 units)

JAIR JURRJENS vs. CHICAGO CUBS since 1997
No recent starts.

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MILWAUKEE (31 - 22) at FLORIDA (25 - 29) - 7:10 PM
DAVE BUSH (R) vs. JOSH JOHNSON (R)
Top Trends for this game.
BUSH is 21-48 (-24.8 Units) against the money line in road games since 1997. (Team's Record)
BUSH is 19-43 (-22.1 Units) against the money line in road games in games played on a grass field since 1997. (Team's Record)
FLORIDA is 109-106 (+15.4 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
FLORIDA is 108-104 (+16.1 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
FLORIDA is 57-49 (+14.1 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 2 seasons.
FLORIDA is 51-49 (+14.3 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
JOHNSON is 19-6 (+14.0 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
JOHNSON is 19-6 (+14.0 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
JOHNSON is 10-3 (+8.9 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
MILWAUKEE is 31-19 (+12.0 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
FLORIDA is 5-12 (-9.2 Units) against the money line in home games against right-handed starters this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
MILWAUKEE is 4-2 (+2.0 Units) against FLORIDA this season
5 of 6 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+4.3 Units)

DAVE BUSH vs. FLORIDA since 1997
BUSH is 2-2 when starting against FLORIDA with an ERA of 5.63 and a WHIP of 1.292.
His team's record is 2-2 (+0.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-2. (-0.1 units)

JOSH JOHNSON vs. MILWAUKEE since 1997
JOHNSON is 1-0 when starting against MILWAUKEE with an ERA of 4.07 and a WHIP of 1.415.
His team's record is 2-1 (+1.2 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-1. (+1.1 units)

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COLORADO (20 - 32) at HOUSTON (23 - 28) - 8:05 PM
JASON HAMMEL (R) vs. WANDY RODRIGUEZ (L)
Top Trends for this game.
COLORADO is 4-17 (-12.0 Units) against the money line in road games after 3 or more consecutive losses over the last 2 seasons.
COLORADO is 5-14 (-10.9 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
COLORADO is 20-32 (-13.0 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
COLORADO is 20-32 (-13.0 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
COLORADO is 48-69 (-21.2 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 52-36 (+17.4 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 109-103 (+17.8 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 107-102 (+15.5 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 60-47 (+18.1 Units) against the money line after a win over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
HOUSTON is 5-1 (+4.7 Units) against COLORADO this season
3 of 6 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=-0.1 Units, Under=-0.6 Units)

JASON HAMMEL vs. HOUSTON since 1997
HAMMEL is 0-1 when starting against HOUSTON with an ERA of 1.69 and a WHIP of 1.313.
His team's record is 0-1 (-1.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-0. (+1.0 units)

WANDY RODRIGUEZ vs. COLORADO since 1997
RODRIGUEZ is 4-1 when starting against COLORADO with an ERA of 3.35 and a WHIP of 1.279.
His team's record is 6-2 (+4.7 units) in these starts. The OVER is 4-4. (-0.4 units)

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CINCINNATI (28 - 24) at ST LOUIS (30 - 23) - 8:15 PM
AARON HARANG (R) vs. CHRIS CARPENTER (R)
Top Trends for this game.
HARANG is 3-14 (-11.7 Units) against the money line in road games in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
ST LOUIS is 116-99 (+12.8 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
ST LOUIS is 116-99 (+12.8 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
ST LOUIS is 78-64 (+12.2 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
CINCINNATI is 227-242 (+41.7 Units) against the money line in road games after a win since 1997.
CINCINNATI is 464-535 (+48.6 Units) against the money line in road games since 1997.
CINCINNATI is 403-482 (+32.4 Units) against the money line in road games in games played on a grass field since 1997.
CINCINNATI is 307-348 (+34.4 Units) against the money line in road games in night games since 1997.
CINCINNATI is 341-395 (+33.8 Units) against the money line in road games against right-handed starters since 1997.
HARANG is 54-37 (+20.1 Units) against the money line after a win since 1997. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
CINCINNATI is 4-2 (+2.2 Units) against ST LOUIS this season
4 of 6 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+2.0 Units)

AARON HARANG vs. ST LOUIS since 1997
HARANG is 7-9 when starting against ST LOUIS with an ERA of 4.62 and a WHIP of 1.278.
His team's record is 9-10 (+1.5 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 11-7. (+3.2 units)

CHRIS CARPENTER vs. CINCINNATI since 1997
CARPENTER is 3-3 when starting against CINCINNATI with an ERA of 2.47 and a WHIP of 0.883.
His team's record is 5-4 (-1.9 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 7-2. (+4.6 units)

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PHILADELPHIA (31 - 20) at LA DODGERS (37 - 18) - 10:10 PM
COLE HAMELS (L) vs. CLAYTON KERSHAW (L)
Top Trends for this game.
LA DODGERS are 24-12 (+10.7 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
LA DODGERS are 37-18 (+17.1 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
LA DODGERS are 20-6 (+11.1 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
LA DODGERS are 37-18 (+17.1 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
LA DODGERS are 27-12 (+12.9 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 11-3 (+10.1 Units) against the money line in road games when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 134-93 (+19.2 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 21-9 (+10.8 Units) against the money line on the road with a money line of -100 to -125 over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 19-6 (+15.1 Units) against the money line in road games this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 19-6 (+15.1 Units) against the money line in road games in games played on a grass field this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 13-4 (+10.7 Units) against the money line in road games in night games this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 13-4 (+8.7 Units) against the money line against left-handed starters this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 14-5 (+10.3 Units) against the money line in road games after a win this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
LA DODGERS is 2-1 (+1.3 Units) against PHILADELPHIA this season
1 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=-0.1 Units, Under=-0.1 Units)

COLE HAMELS vs. LA DODGERS since 1997
HAMELS is 3-0 when starting against LA DODGERS with an ERA of 2.06 and a WHIP of 1.029.
His team's record is 3-2 (+0.6 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 2-1. (+0.9 units)

CLAYTON KERSHAW vs. PHILADELPHIA since 1997
KERSHAW is 0-2 when starting against PHILADELPHIA with an ERA of 7.80 and a WHIP of 1.667.
His team's record is 1-2 (-1.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-1. (-0.1 units)

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LA ANGELS (26 - 25) at TORONTO (30 - 25) - 12:37 PM
JOHN LACKEY (R) vs. BRIAN TALLET (L)
Top Trends for this game.
TORONTO is 10-2 (+7.9 Units) against the money line at home with a money line of -100 to -125 this season.
TORONTO is 15-6 (+9.0 Units) against the money line in day games this season.
TORONTO is 22-9 (+11.7 Units) against the money line in games played on artificial turf this season.
TORONTO is 86-69 (+11.5 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
LA ANGELS are 127-90 (+21.8 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
LA ANGELS are 57-28 (+24.9 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 over the last 2 seasons.
LA ANGELS are 63-45 (+21.6 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
LA ANGELS are 15-5 (+10.3 Units) against the money line when playing on Thursday over the last 2 seasons.
LA ANGELS are 39-17 (+23.3 Units) against the money line in day games over the last 2 seasons.
LA ANGELS are 22-13 (+10.9 Units) against the money line in road games against left-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
LA ANGELS are 39-24 (+17.4 Units) against the money line in road games after a win over the last 2 seasons.
LA ANGELS are 59-43 (+14.6 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
TORONTO is 2-2 (+0.0 Units) against LA ANGELS this season
2 of 3 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+1.0 Units)

JOHN LACKEY vs. TORONTO since 1997
LACKEY is 3-3 when starting against TORONTO with an ERA of 3.39 and a WHIP of 1.055.
His team's record is 4-6 (-3.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 6-4. (+1.6 units)

BRIAN TALLET vs. LA ANGELS since 1997
No recent starts.

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BOSTON (31 - 22) at DETROIT (28 - 23) - 1:05 PM
TIM WAKEFIELD (R) vs. DONTRELLE WILLIS (L)
Top Trends for this game.
DETROIT is 14-4 (+9.4 Units) against the money line in day games this season.
DETROIT is 27-17 (+8.3 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
BOSTON is 120-69 (+29.3 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
DETROIT is 102-111 (-27.3 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
DETROIT is 66-84 (-31.4 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
DETROIT is 50-59 (-17.7 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
BOSTON is 2-0 (+2.2 Units) against DETROIT this season
1 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+0.0 Units)

TIM WAKEFIELD vs. DETROIT since 1997
WAKEFIELD is 10-6 when starting against DETROIT with an ERA of 4.15 and a WHIP of 1.202.
His team's record is 11-6 (+4.1 units) in these starts. The OVER is 7-8. (-1.9 units)

DONTRELLE WILLIS vs. BOSTON since 1997
WILLIS is 1-0 when starting against BOSTON with an ERA of 2.57 and a WHIP of 1.143.
His team's record is 1-0 (+1.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-1. (-1.2 units)

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TEXAS (31 - 21) at NY YANKEES (31 - 22) - 1:05 PM
BRANDON MCCARTHY (R) vs. CHIEN-MING WANG (R)
Top Trends for this game.
TEXAS is 31-21 (+11.7 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
TEXAS is 52-54 (+14.0 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
TEXAS is 73-62 (+21.8 Units) against the money line on the road when the total is 11 to 11.5 since 1997.
TEXAS is 30-19 (+11.9 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
TEXAS is 76-67 (+19.7 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
NY YANKEES are 20-23 (-13.6 Units) against the money line in home games after a loss over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
NY YANKEES is 3-2 (+0.0 Units) against TEXAS this season
2 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=-0.3 Units, Under=-0.3 Units)

BRANDON MCCARTHY vs. NY YANKEES since 1997
MCCARTHY is 1-0 when starting against NY YANKEES with an ERA of 1.69 and a WHIP of 1.313.
His team's record is 1-0 (+2.3 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-0. (+1.0 units)

CHIEN-MING WANG vs. TEXAS since 1997
WANG is 2-1 when starting against TEXAS with an ERA of 5.31 and a WHIP of 1.279.
His team's record is 2-1 (-0.6 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-2. (-1.4 units)

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CLEVELAND (23 - 32) at MINNESOTA (26 - 28) - 1:10 PM
FAUSTO CARMONA (R) vs. SCOTT BAKER (R)
Top Trends for this game.
CLEVELAND is 31-44 (-18.4 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 over the last 2 seasons.
CLEVELAND is 28-41 (-16.5 Units) against the money line in day games over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 28-13 (+13.8 Units) against the money line in home games after a loss over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 73-40 (+24.0 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 39-20 (+17.0 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 9 to 9.5 over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 76-44 (+24.0 Units) against the money line in games played in a dome over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 76-47 (+20.9 Units) against the money line in games played on artificial turf over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
MINNESOTA is 3-2 (+1.4 Units) against CLEVELAND this season
4 of 5 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+2.8 Units)

FAUSTO CARMONA vs. MINNESOTA since 1997
CARMONA is 3-3 when starting against MINNESOTA with an ERA of 4.06 and a WHIP of 1.376.
His team's record is 4-3 (+3.2 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-4. (-2.0 units)

SCOTT BAKER vs. CLEVELAND since 1997
BAKER is 3-5 when starting against CLEVELAND with an ERA of 3.86 and a WHIP of 1.492.
His team's record is 5-6 (-0.8 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 6-5. (+0.4 units)

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OAKLAND (21 - 30) at CHI WHITE SOX (25 - 27) - 2:05 PM
BRETT ANDERSON (L) vs. MARK BUEHRLE (L)
Top Trends for this game.
OAKLAND is 8-26 (-16.7 Units) against the money line in road games in day games over the last 2 seasons.
CHI WHITE SOX are 65-40 (+21.7 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
CHI WHITE SOX are 68-40 (+16.2 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons.
CHI WHITE SOX are 108-80 (+19.2 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
BUEHRLE is 19-4 (+12.9 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
BUEHRLE is 19-4 (+12.9 Units) against the money line in home games in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
OAKLAND is 190-135 (+53.1 Units) against the money line in June games since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
OAKLAND is 2-1 (+1.5 Units) against CHI WHITE SOX this season
3 of 3 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+3.0 Units)

BRETT ANDERSON vs. CHI WHITE SOX since 1997
No recent starts.

MARK BUEHRLE vs. OAKLAND since 1997
BUEHRLE is 3-11 when starting against OAKLAND with an ERA of 4.09 and a WHIP of 1.403.
His team's record is 4-15 (-13.2 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 13-5. (+7.6 units)

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KANSAS CITY (23 - 29) at TAMPA BAY (27 - 28) - 4:08 PM
GIL MECHE (R) vs. JAMES SHIELDS (R)
Top Trends for this game.
KANSAS CITY is 53-81 (-24.9 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
MECHE is 12-26 (-16.1 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
TAMPA BAY is 132-101 (+21.9 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 30-7 (+18.6 Units) against the money line as a home favorite of -150 to -175 over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 77-38 (+27.3 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 30-9 (+16.8 Units) against the money line in home games in day games over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 78-41 (+24.7 Units) against the money line in games played in a dome over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 82-46 (+24.0 Units) against the money line in games played on artificial turf over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 97-60 (+31.2 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
SHIELDS is 15-2 (+11.9 Units) against the money line as a home favorite of -150 to -175 over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
KANSAS CITY is 51-40 (+21.2 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 2 seasons.
KANSAS CITY is 24-21 (+14.8 Units) against the money line on the road when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 2 seasons.
KANSAS CITY is 31-25 (+15.2 Units) against the money line in June games over the last 3 seasons.
MECHE is 53-34 (+27.7 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 since 1997. (Team's Record)
MECHE is 22-16 (+15.8 Units) against the money line on the road when the total is 8 to 8.5 since 1997. (Team's Record)
TAMPA BAY is 70-81 (-22.3 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 3 seasons.
SHIELDS is 0-6 (-7.9 Units) against the money line after a win this season. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
TAMPA BAY is 2-0 (+2.0 Units) against KANSAS CITY this season
1 of 1 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+1.0 Units)

GIL MECHE vs. TAMPA BAY since 1997
MECHE is 2-4 when starting against TAMPA BAY with an ERA of 4.72 and a WHIP of 1.428.
His team's record is 4-6 (-3.7 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 4-5. (-1.7 units)

JAMES SHIELDS vs. KANSAS CITY since 1997
SHIELDS is 4-0 when starting against KANSAS CITY with an ERA of 2.57 and a WHIP of 0.857.
His team's record is 4-0 (+4.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-1. (+1.0 units)

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SAN FRANCISCO (25 - 25) at WASHINGTON (14 - 36) - 4:35 PM
MATT CAIN (R) vs. ROSS DETWILER (L)
Top Trends for this game.
CAIN is 30-46 (-18.9 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
CAIN is 10-22 (-15.9 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
CAIN is 30-46 (-18.9 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
WASHINGTON is 14-36 (-20.2 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
WASHINGTON is 30-83 (-39.7 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 3 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 19-42 (-19.0 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 3 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 14-36 (-20.2 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
WASHINGTON is 10-25 (-14.0 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
WASHINGTON is 2-2 (+0.6 Units) against SAN FRANCISCO this season
3 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+2.0 Units)

MATT CAIN vs. WASHINGTON since 1997
CAIN is 3-2 when starting against WASHINGTON with an ERA of 2.76 and a WHIP of 1.000.
His team's record is 5-2 (+2.4 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 5-2. (+2.8 units)

ROSS DETWILER vs. SAN FRANCISCO since 1997
No recent starts.

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[pm530]

MLB


Thursday, June 4

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

Texas Rangers at New York Yankees

Rangers: "We're playing so good as a team right now," pitcher Scott Feldman told the Rangers' official Web site. "But we're really not surprised that we're winning games because we're getting great defense and timely hitting. Our pitching has been better, too." After allowing nine hits while striking out six in a 5-0 win over Houston on May 24 for his first career complete game, Brandon McCarthy gave up one run and three hits in six innings of Saturday's 14-1 win over Oakland. In his only career start against the Yankees, McCarthy yielded one run and five hits in 5 1-3 innings to defeat Wang in 2007.

The Rangers are 1-7 in McCarthy's last 8 starts as an underdog.
The Under is 10-2-1 in the Rangers' last 13 games as an underdog.

Key Injuries - OF Josh Hamilton (abdominal) is on the 15-day DL.

PROJECTED SCORE: 4

Yankees (-160, O/U 11.5): After spending time on the disabled list and in the bullpen, Chien-Ming Wang makes his first start in nearly seven weeks. Wang was knocked around for 23 runs in just six innings in losing his first three starts, yielding at least seven runs in each outing. After being tagged for eight runs in 1 1-3 innings in a 22-4 loss to Cleveland on April 18, Wang was placed on the DL with weakness in the adductor muscles in his hips. Since being activated May 22, Wang has pitched well out of the bullpen. In three relief appearances, he's allowed two runs and nine hits in eight innings.

The Yankees are 7-0 in their last 7 games following a loss.
The Under is 17-5-1 in the Yankees' last 23 home games with the total set at 11 or higher.

Key Injuries - 1B Mark Teixeira (ankle) is QUESTIONABLE.
OF Xavier Nady (elbow) is on the 15-day DL.

PROJECTED SCORE: 7 (Side Play of the Day)

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

[pm530]

NBA


Thursday, June 4

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

Orlando Magic at Los Angeles Lakers [ABC | 9:05 PM ET]

Magic: No team has ever beaten three 60-win teams in the same postseason. Superman doesn't mind his role as Underdog. "We've always been overlooked," Dwight Howard said. "We were overlooked in the first series against Philly. We were overlooked against Boston. We were overlooked against the Cavs, and we're still overlooked. We don't want to be a team that everybody picks to win, because I think as a young team, once everybody starts saying, 'OK, you're this or you're that,' sometimes you tend to forget what got you there. Everybody picking against us motivates us. It drives us to do something greater."

The Underdog is 6-0 ATS in the last 6 meetings.
The Magic are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 games playing on 3 or more days rest.

Key Injuries - G Jameer Nelson (shoulder) is QUESTIONABLE.

PROJECTED SCORE: 98

Lakers (-6, O/U 206): Los Angeles would seem to have everything - history, experience, star power, coaching, A-List celebrities - over Orlando. The Lakers have won 14 titles. Orlando, 0. The Lakers have won 61 finals games. Orlando, 0. Los Angeles coach Phil Jackson has nine championship rings. "They've beaten us three of the last four times," Kobe Bryant said. "So we're very, very concerned." "We're upset about losing in the finals," forward Pau Gasol said. "We should have given it a better shot than we did. It didn't happen, and now we're here again and we can give it a much better shot and really get it done."

The Lakers are 1-10-1 ATS in their last 12 NBA Championship games.
The Under is 7-0 in the Lakers' last 7 playoff games as a favorite.

Key Injuries - NONE

PROJECTED SCORE: 104 (UNDER - Total Play of the Day)

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[pm530]

MLB
Short Sheet


Thursday, June 4

National League

NY METS at PITTSBURGH, 12:35 PM ET
PELFREY: NYM 23-9 OVER when the total is 8 to 8.5
OHLENDORF: PIT 21-47 after having won 2 of their last 3

SAN FRANCISCO at WASHINGTON, 7:05 PM ET- *** Doubleheader Game #2
CAIN: 34-15 UNDER in night games
DETWILER: WAS 4-13 at home when the money line is +125 to -125

CHICAGO CUBS at ATLANTA, 7:10 PM ET
ZAMBRANO: 17-4 TSR AWAY when the total is 8.5 to 10
JURRJENS: ATL 19-36 against NL Central

MILWAUKEE at FLORIDA, 7:10 PM ET
BUSH: 8-24 TSR AWAY in the first half of the season
JOHNSON: 15-4 TSR when the total is 8.5 to 10

COLORADO at HOUSTON, 8:05 PM ET
HAMMEL: COL 7-19 after one or more consecutive overs
RODRIGUEZ: HOU 10-2 against NL West

CINCINNATI at ST LOUIS, 8:15 PM ET
HARANG: 3-14 TSR AWAY on grass
CARPENTER: STL 14-4 after 3+ consecutive home games

PHILADELPHIA at LA DODGERS, 10:10 PM ET
HAMELS: PHI 6-0 AWAY when the total is 7 to 8.5
KERSHAW: LAD 95-65 OVER as a home underdog

SAN FRANCISCO at WASHINGTON, 4:35 PM ET - ** Doubleheader Game #1
CAIN: SF 8-1 OVER AWAY after one or more consecutive overs
DETWILER: WAS 4-13 at home when the money line is +125 to -125


American League

LA ANGELS at TORONTO, 12:37 PM ET
LACKEY: LAA 15-5 when playing on Thursday
TALLET: TOR 41-25 UNDER when the total is 9 to 9.5

BOSTON at DETROIT, 1:05 PM ET
WAKEFIELD: BOS 10-1 after scoring 8+ runs
WILLIS: DET 26-51 as an underdog

TEXAS at NY YANKEES, 1:05 PM ET
MCCARTHY: TEX 11-4 after having lost 2 of their last 3
WANG: NYY 5-1 OVER when playing on Thursday

CLEVELAND at MINNESOTA, 1:10 PM ET
CARMONA: CLE 2-11 after scoring 8+ runs
BAKER: MIN 20-5 at home after having lost 4 or 5 of their last 6

OAKLAND at CHI WHITE SOX, 2:05 PM ET
ANDERSON: OAK 4-15 after having won 2 of their last 3
BUEHRLE: CHW 18-4 at home after 2+ consecutive losses

KANSAS CITY at TAMPA BAY, 4:10 PM ET
MECHE: 10-2 TSR as a road underdog of +150 to +200
SHIELDS: 0-6 TSR after a team win

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[pm530]

MLB


Baseball Today

SCOREBOARD

Thursday, June 4

Texas at New York Yankees (1:05 p.m. EDT). New York sends ace CC Sabathia(notes) to the mound for the finale of its three-game series against AL West-leading Texas. Brandon McCarthy(notes) is scheduled to start for the Rangers.

San Francisco at Washington (4:35 p.m. EDT). Randy Johnson goes for career victory No. 300 in the opener of a doubleheader after Wednesday night's game was rained out.

STARS

Wednesday

-Ryan Howard, Phillies, hit a two-run homer to lead Philadelphia to a 5-1 win over San Diego.

-Hunter Pence, Astros, had four hits, including a homer and a triple, in Houston's 6-4 win over Colorado.

-Jhonny Peralta, Indians, hit a three-run homer to back Cliff Lee as Cleveland topped Minnesota 10-1.

-Jered Weaver, Angels, had a career-high 10 strikeouts and Los Angeles beat Toronto 8-1.

-Josh Beckett, Red Sox, did not allow a hit until there were two outs in the seventh inning and helped Boston beat Detroit 10-5.

-Jeff Niemann, Rays, took a perfect game into the fifth inning and wound up with a two-hitter as Tampa Bay beat Kansas City 9-0.

SAYING GOODBYE

The Atlanta Braves released longtime pitcher Tom Glavine just when it seemed he was ready to return to the big leagues. The 43-year-old Glavine, who was coming back from shoulder and elbow surgery, threw six scoreless innings in a rehab start for Class-A Rome on Tuesday night and proclaimed himself ready to pitch in the majors again.

SENT PACKING

The Braves acquired All-Star center fielder Nate McLouth from the Pittsburgh Pirates for three minor leaguers on Wednesday, a move to beef up Atlanta's offense in hopes of contending in the NL East. The 27-year-old McLouth set career highs last season with a .276 batting average, 26 homers and 94 RBIs. The Braves desperately needed more offense from an outfield that produced only 10 homers through the first 51 games.

RAIN, RAIN, GO AWAY

Randy Johnson's bid to become the 24th pitcher to win 300 games was postponed Wednesday night after a series of thunderstorms left the field at Nationals Park unplayable for Johnson's San Francisco Giants and the Washington Nationals. Because of the significance of the game, officials waited until 10:47 p.m. EDT - more than 3 1/2 hours after the scheduled 7:05 p.m. first pitch - before calling it a night.

MINIMUM SCORE

Chad Billingsley scattered four hits over six innings in his matchup with Jon Garland and Casey Blake hit a sacrifice fly, leading the Los Angeles Dodgers to a 1-0 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Wednesday night.

SPEAKING

"It would have been a storybook ending if he got it here. Emotionally, we all wanted to see Glav come in here and finish up. He's not going to be allowed to do that.'' - Atlanta third baseman Chipper Jones on the Braves releasing 305-game winner Tom Glavine.

SEASONS

June 4

1940 - The Pirates beat the Boston Bees 14-2 in the first night game at Pittsburgh's Forbes Field.

1940 - The St. Louis Cardinals play their first night game at Sportsman's Park, beating the Brooklyn Dodgers 10-1.

1951 - Pittsburgh's Gus Bell hit for the cycle to lead the Pirates to a 12-4 victory over the Phillies at Philadelphia.

1964 - Sandy Koufax pitched his third no-hitter, striking out 12, as the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Phillies 3-0 in Philadelphia.

1968 - Don Drysdale of the Dodgers blanked the Pirates 5-0 for his sixth straight shutout en route to a record 58 2-3 scoreless innings.

1974 - The game between the Cleveland Indians and the Texas Rangers at Cleveland's Municipal Stadium was forfeited to Texas. Umpire Nestor Chylak had problems with the fans throughout the evening - primarily because it was 10-cent beer night. They got out of control when the Tribe tied the score 5-5 in the bottom of the ninth.

1990 - Ramon Martinez struck out 18 batters and pitched a three-hitter as the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Atlanta Braves 6-0.

1996 - Pamela Davis pitched one inning of scoreless relief and got the win in a minor league exhibition game. She is believed to be the first woman to pitch for a major league farm club under the current structure of the minor league system. Davis, a 21-year-old right-hander, pitched for the Jacksonville Suns, a Double-A affiliate of the Detroit Tigers, against the Australian Olympic team.

2000 - Tampa Bay's Esteban Yan became the 77th major leaguer to homer in his first at-bat. Yan was the fourth American League pitcher to do so and the first since California's Don Rose in 1972, the year before the DH rule took the bat out of AL pitchers' hands.

2005 - Rafael Palmeiro and Melvin Mora each hit grand slams to help Baltimore rally for a 14-7 win over Detroit.

2007 - Mark Ellis hit for the cycle and Eric Chavez hit a two-out homer in the 11th inning to lift Oakland to a 5-4 win over Boston.

2008 - Atlanta's Chipper Jones went 4-for-5 and hit his 400th home run in a 7-5 victory over Florida. Jones, who raised his batting average to a major league-leading .418, became the third switch-hitter to reach 400 homers, following Mickey Mantle (536) and Eddie Murray (504).

Today's birthdays: Cla Meredith 26; Darin Erstad 35.

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[pm530]

MLB


This Day in Baseball

[b]On June 4 Baseball History ]

* 1943 - Mort Cooper of the St. Louis Cardinals pitches back-to-back one-hitters, beating the Brooklyn Dodgers on May 31 and the Philadelphia Phillies on June 4. Hits by Billy Herman on May 31 and by Jimmy Wasdell of the Phils deprive him of no-hitters.

* 1953 - Pittsburgh trades outfielder Ralph Kiner, catcher Joe Garagiola, pitcher Howie Pollet, and outfielder Catfish Metkovich to the Cubs for catcher Toby Atwell, pitcher Bob Schultz, first baseman Preston Ward, third baseman George Freese, outfielder Bob Addis, outfielder Gene Hermanski, and $150,000.

* 1964 - Sandy Koufax becomes the fourth pitcher to hurl three no-hitters by blanking the N.L.-leading Phillies 3-0 at Connie Mack Stadium. Koufax strikes out 12 and walks one.

* 1967 - Curt Flood's record string of 568 straight chances without an error ends when he drops a fly ball during a 4-3 win over the Cubs at St. Louis. The Cardinals center fielder had played an N.L.-record 227 straight games without an error beginning Sept. 3, 1965.

* 1970 - In the June draft, the Padres select high school catcher Mike Ivie as the number one pick. Choosing next, the Indians take Stanford pitcher Steve Dunning. The Pirates wait till the 15th round to take Dave Parker.

* 1972 - A major-league record eight shutouts are pitched in the day's 16 games — five in the A.L., three in the N.L..

* 1974 - On Ten-Cent Beer Night at Cleveland, unruly fans stumble onto the field and cause the Indians to forfeit the game to the Rangers with the score tied 5-5 in the ninth inning.

* 1975 - Danny Goodwin, picked first in the June 1971 free-agent draft, is picked first again, this time by the Angels. The next four picks fail to make the major leagues. Montreal picks future hall of famer Andre Dawson during the tenth round.

* 1988 - Rickey Henderson steals two bases in New York's 7-6, 14-inning loss to the Orioles, giving him a club-record 249 steals.

* 1989 - Toronto beats Boston 13-11 in 12 innings after trailing 10-0 after six innings. It is the biggest lead the Red Sox have ever blown and is also their 12th consecutive loss to the Blue Jays at Fenway.

* 1990 - Ramon Martinez, 22, strikes out 18 Braves in a 2-0 Dodgers win. He ties Sandy Koufax's club record and is one short of the N.L. mark. Martinez whiffed none in the ninth inning.

* 1992 - San Jose voters tell the Giants they don't want them by rejecting a plan to build a new stadium in their town. Then the Astros add insult to injury by swatting the ball every which way in a 12-6 drubbing at Candlestick Park in front of just 8,850.

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[pm530]

Daily Sports Roundup


Thursday, June 4

Today in the Daily Sports Roundup: The NBA Finals start in Los Angeles, the Stanley Cup final continues in Pittsburgh, and Tiger Woods gets back in action.

Tipping off on the hardwood . . .

The oddsmakers have Kobe Bryant and company pegged as 6-point home favorites for Thursday night's opening contest of the NBA Finals (with the total at 206 points). The Lakers dispatched the Nuggets in six games in the Western Conference Finals, with Bryant tossing in 35 points in the series clincher last week. The Magic, meanwhile, got past the Cavaliers in six games in the Eastern Conference Finals, as Dwight Howard powered his way to 40 points in that set's finale. Tipoff for Thursday night is 8pm ET; Game 2 is set for Sunday night in L.A.

Meeting up on the diamond . . .

Cardinals ace Chris Carpenter will try to continue his impressive comeback on Thursday night when his team closes out their home series with the Reds. Righthander Carpenter has allowed just two earned runs over 29 innings of work so far this season, putting him at 3-0 with an 0.62 ERA. Taking to the mound for the Reds will be Aaron Harang, who is 5-5 with a 4.19 ERA on the season. Harang gave up eight runs in 4 1-3 innings in a loss to the Brewers last time out.

Also on the National League schedule for Thursday: the Mets at Pittsburgh, San Francisco at Washington, the Cubs at Atlanta, Milwaukee at Florida, Colorado at Houston, and Philadelphia at the Dodgers. Meanwhile, the American League offers up the Angels at Toronto, Boston at Detroit, Texas at the Yankees, Cleveland at Minnesota, Kansas City at Tampa Bay, and Oakland at the White Sox. ChiSox ace Mark Buehrle (6-1, 2.71 ERA) will get the ball in that matchup.

Taking a trip around the rink . . .

The Penguins doubled up the Red Wings 4-2 on Tuesday night, and they now head into Game 4 of the Stanley Cup final at home on Thursday trailing just 2-1 in the best-of-seven series. Max Talbot scored twice for the Pens in Game 3 (once into an empty net), while Kris Letang and Sergei Gonchar had singles. Evgeni Malkin had three assists in the win, and Sidney Crosby picked up his first point of the series. Henrik Zetterberg and Johan Franzen replied in the loss for the Wings, who were once again without the services of forward Pavel Datsyuk.

Rounding out the Roundup . . .

Finally, Tiger Woods will be a part of the field at this week's PGA Tour stop, The Memorial Tournament at Muirfield. Woods won this event three consecutive times from 1999 to 2001, and Vegas oddsmakers have him pegged as the 5/2 favorite to get a fourth title. Kenny Perry has also won the Memorial three times (including last year), but he's back at 20/1 odds this time around. Paul Casey is behind Tiger at 12/1 odds, with both Padraig Harrington and Jim Furyk at 15/1 odds. Zach Johnson and Ian Poulter are then tied with Perry at 20/1 odds to win.

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[pm530]

Six-pack for Thursday

Thanks to on an interesting website, hittrackeronline, here are the seven longest home runs so far this season.......

T6) Adam Dunn, May 9 @ Arizona-- 467 feet

T6) Seth Smith, April 6 @ Arizona-- 467 feet

5) Adam Dunn, May 10 @ Arizona-- 469 feet

T2) Chris Iannetta, April 6 @ Arizona-- 471 feet

T2) Adrian Gonzalez, April 26 vs Pittsburgh-- 471 feet

T2) Josh Hamilton, May 15 vs LA Angels-- 471 feet

1) Raul Ibanez, May 22 @ Bronx-- 477 feet

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Thursday's List of 13: Nobody asked me, but..........

13) If anyone from Burger King Corporation is reading this, the fastest service I've ever gotten at a fast food place was Monday at lunchtime at the BK at corner of Fuller and Western Aves. Tremendous service, so I highly recommend that place for lunch.

12) 11 of the 32 NFL teams will have a different coach this season than they did in Week 1 of the 2008 season.

11) Dodgers are now 16-10 without Manny Ramirez and lead NL West by 9.5 games. The other four NL West teams aren't very good, with two already firing their managers this season.

10) Five of the Lakers' six assistant coaches played in the NBA. Patrick Ewing is only Orlando assistant (out of four) who played in the league.

9) Since Rams' domed stadium opened in 1995, 21 of the other 31 teams have gotten either new or significantly refurbished stadiums; eventually, the Jones Dome will have to be refurbished for Rams to stay in St Louis.

8) In his last three starts, Francisco Liriano has allowed 16 runs in just 12 IP; if the Marlins could send Ricky Nolasco to the minors for being terrible (and it has helped, with two excellent AAA starts) what stops Minnesota from doing the same thing with Liriano?

7) What were Nationals doing waiting until 10:55pm to postpone their game with Randy Johnson and the Giants? Game was scheduled for 7:00 start-- who would have been there to see the end, had they played? The game is now part of a 4:35 Thursday doubleheader, with Big Unit going for his 300th win against Washington.

6) Another depressing day to be a Pirate fan, as Nate McLouth got dealt to Atlanta for three minor league guys. Pittsburgh will bring its prospect McCutchen up from AAA to play CF, but not like they couldn't stand to have a few good players on the field at the same time. Pretty sad.

5) Ichiro Suzuki has now hit in 27 straight games-- of all guys in major leagues now, I've always given him the best shot at challenging the record of 56; thought he might have done it when he was a little faster. .

4) Padres now have two Princeton basketball players on their team, as Will Venable was called up from Portland; he scored over 1,000 points for the Tigers, and is son of former Giant OF Max. Pitcher Chris Young is the other former Tiger on the San Diego roster.

3) A's won last two nights in Chicago, but these are batting averages of #'s 5-9 hitters in their lineup Wednesday: .219-.205-.213-.125-.182. It is going to be tough sledding in Oakland until they get better hitting.

2) This will never happen, but would have been fun to see Phil Jackson coach a major college program for 5-6 years and see how he would have done. He's very smart, so he probably would have done well, but doubt recruiting side of things would have been appealing to the Zen Master.

1) Toughest job at NBA Finals is Jeff Van Gundy broadcasting while his brother is coaching Orlando; Jeff has already said he is rooting for Magic to win, and volunteered not to work the Finals if ABC execs thought it would be inappropriate. I love his TV work, so I'm glad he'll be on air.

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[pm530]

Len’s Top Five


Thursday, June 4

Len's Top 5

Happy Thursday everyone, here's my Top 5 for June 4, 2009 from Len Berman Sports.

1. Quick Hits

The NBA Finals start tonight, the Lakers hosting Orlando. The President is picking the Lakers. Hey, he correctly picked North Carolina to win the NCAA tournament when 65 teams were alive, not just two.

Pitcher Randy Johnson and the Giants were rained out last night in Washington. Johnson will try for his 300th win this afternoon.

The Atlanta Braves released 305 game winner Tom Glavine.

Serena Williams was beaten by Svetlana Kuznetsova in the French Open quarterfinals. Wonder if Serena still thinks "everyone knows who the real #1 is in women's tennis?"

10 horses will run in Saturday's Belmont Stakes. Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird is the 2-1 favorite.

2. Numb Skulls

Let's hear it for National Hockey League's general managers. They have no interest in automatic penalties for hits to the head. They don't want to penalize players for "legal hits." This is the same sport which does little to discourage fighting. But on the bright side, they will hand out a "General Manager of the Year" award starting in 2010-11. I'd vote for the guy who tries to make the sport a little safer and less violent.

3. Every Last Nickel

The other day we talked about the Phoenix Mercury placing ads, instead of their team name, on the front of their jerseys. Now the Houston Texans will sell advertising space on their practice jerseys. All NFL teams are allowed to. NFL team news conferences have advertising logos on the wall behind the players and coaches. Let's plaster the goalposts with ads..... paint them on the field...... how about the tops of the helmets? Sell, sell, sell. Those personal seat licenses just don't pay the freight these days.

4. I'm Going to.......

Reader Ruben O. points that that the Lakers playing the Magic is the "Disney Series." Disneyland takes on Disney World . So when they ask the MVP, "Hey you just won the NBA Championship, what are you going to do now?" He can answer, " I"m going down the block."

5. The Bare Facts

Here's a first, you can't change bathing suits at the swimming pool. At the World Championships in Rome next month, swimmers will be "scanned" to make sure they're wearing legal swimsuits. It's to prevent swimmers from saying they'll wear one suit, and then quickly change into a technically illegal suit. Easy solution to the problem.
Do away with swimsuits altogether!

Today's Birthday: The harmonica playing Yankee shortstop Phil Linz. 70.
Bonus Birthdays: Two babes, Angelina Jolie. 34. And Dr. Ruth. 81.

Today in Sports: 10-cent beer night in Cleveland. Drunken fans riot, and the Indians have to forfeit the game to Texas. 1974.
Bonus Event: Boston beats Phoenix in triple overtime 128-126 in game 5 of the NBA Finals in Boston Garden. One of the wildest sports events I've ever seen. It was my parents first NBA game in person. They thought they were all like that. 1976.

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[kbsooner21]

Thanks guys! Great stuff