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**pm530** · 06-10-2009, 05:40 AM

Daily Sports Roundup

Wednesday, June 10

Today in the Daily Sports Roundup: San Francisco tries to get a win in Arizona, the Rangers take on the Blue Jays, and the Yankees continue their set in Boston.

Meeting up on the diamond . . .

Giants lefthander Barry Zito will be looking to pick up his second straight victory on Wednesday night when he takes the mound in Arizona. Zito (2-6, 3.86 ERA) held the Marlins to one earned run over five innings in his last outing, snapping his personal four-game losing streak. Countering for the Diamondbacks will be lefthander Doug Davis (3-6, 3.36 ERA), who blanked the Padres on three hits over six innings in his last start. Arizona is just 2-5 over Davis' last seven outings.

Atlanta will host Pittsburgh on Wednesday, while Cincinnati is in Washington. Also on the National League schedule: St. Louis at Florida, Philadelphia at the Mets, Colorado at Milwaukee, San Diego at the Dodgers, and the Cubs at Houston. Chicago will go with Carlos Zambrano (4-2, 3.72 ERA) in that contest; righthander Zambrano last pitched on June 5 when he got a win over the Reds.

Over in the American League on Wednesday the Rangers will turn to Kevin Millwood (5-4, 2.96 ERA) in their home game against the Blue Jays. Righthander Millwood got back into the win column last time out, holding the Red Sox to one run in seven innings; Millwood fell to Toronto on April 23. Taking to the mound for the Blue Jays will be lefthander Ricky Romero (3-2, 4.10 ERA), who beat the Royals in his Friday start. Romero has given up 13 runs in his last 16 1-3 innings.

Wednesday's Yankees/Red Sox clash has Chien-Ming Wang (0-3, 14.46 ERA) taking on Tim Wakefield (7-3, 4.50 ERA). Rounding out the night in the Junior Circuit: Seattle at Baltimore, Kansas City at Cleveland, the Angels at Tampa Bay, Detroit at the White Sox, and Minnesota at Oakland. The Twins will go with Francisco Liriano (2-7, 6.12 ERA) in that one; the lefthander hasn't picked up a win since May 9. The A's will send Dallas Braden (5-5, 3.41 ERA) to the mound.

Rounding out the Roundup . . .

Finally, there are three games on the WNBA's schedule for Wednesday, with Washington at Detroit, New York at Phoenix, and Los Angles at Minnesota. The Sparks split their season-opening home-and-home set with the Shock, getting blasted 81-52 in Detroit on Monday night. The Lynx have started the year with consecutive wins over the Sky and Fever, beating Indiana 96-74 on Sunday night.

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**pm530** · 06-10-2009, 05:42 AM

Six-pack for Wednesday

-- Good rule change in college hoop; no more drawing charges under the basket-- that costs Duke 4-6 points a game right there.

-- Oakland A's are averaging 4,700 fans a game less than any other AL team, but Florida/Pittsburgh are both drawing less in the NL.

-- Johan Santana allowed four HRs in a game for just the second time in his career (2007 at Toronto) Tuesday night.

-- U of Denver signed Princeton's lacrosse coach, and will be playing him a cool $250,000/year. Quarter million for a lacrosse coach? Wow.

-- Bud Selig missed his calling; he would have been just a tremendous undertaker. "We're so sorry for your loss, Mrs Smith. The Washington Nationals are now on the clock."

-- USC hoop coach Tim Floyd quit Tuesday; where do the Trojans go from here? They've got a great arena, but they'll always be second in LA behind UCLA, and they might be going on probation. Tough job for whomever they choose to replace Floyd.

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Wednesday's List of 13: Some of the baseball drafts great steals

Thanks to an interesting article by David Sabino at CNN, we came up with a list of some of the great steals of the baseball amateur draft

13) Rays-- James Shields, 16th round, 2000. With all the high picks they have had, who knew their ace would be a 16th-round pick?

12) Nationals-- Jason Bay, 22nd round, 2000. Montreal Expos struck gold taking a Canadian kid, but its worked out better for the Red Sox.

11) Rangers-- Ian Kinsler, 17th round, 2003. Almost as big a steal as my man Garvey getting him in second round of this year's fantasy draft.

10) Pirates-- Nate McLouth, 25th round, 2003. Drafting isn't the issue; their big problem is re-signing veterans and actually trying to win games.

9) Rockies-- Brad Hawpe, 11th round, 2000. Colorado built core of its World Series team by drafting guys from the major college programs.

8) A's-- Rich Harden, 17th round, 2000. Oakland also drafted Jonathon Papelbon once upon a time, but never signed him. Billy Beane likes to accumulate draft picks after his free agent stars fly the coop.

7) Angels-- Mike Napoli, 16th round, 2000. Halos once drafted Aaron Hill, but couldn't sign him. Four of their five Opening Day starting Ps were Angel draftees. Mr Moreno has baseball's best organization.

6) Padres-- Jake Peavy, 15th round, 1999. Recent drafts haven't been at all good, but not only is Peavy great, he won't let the Padres trade him.

5) Brewers-- Manny Parra, 42nd round, 2001. He hasn't quite panned out yet, but how often do you find a prospect like this in 42nd round?

4) Red Sox-- Kevin Youkilis, 8th round, 2001. Boston has also traded Hanley Ranirez, Freddy Sanchez, but their farm system is really loaded.

3) Phillies-- Ryan Howard, 5th round, 2001. Utley-Hamels-Howard are all homegrown, which has to make their world title a little sweeter.

2) Twins-- Jason Kubel, 12th round, 2000. Justin Morneau was picked 89th in the draft. Joe Mauer turned down a chance to be Florida State's QB. Minnesota contends because they scout very well.

1) Cardinals-- Albert Pujols, 13th round, 1999. Ten years ago, 401 guys were drafted ahead of Pujols, making him the Tom Brady of baseball.

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**pm530** · 06-10-2009, 05:45 AM

MLB
Baseball Today

SCOREBOARD

Wednesday, June 10

Kansas City at Cleveland (7:05 p.m. EDT). Carl Pavano will try to win his fourth straight decision as the Indians host the Royals in the middle game of their series. Pavano pitched a three-hit shutout in his last start.

STARS

Tuesday

-Mike Fontenot, Cubs, had four hits, including a double and a homer, and scored twice in Chicago's 7-1 rout of Houston.

-Brian Tallet, Blue Jays, held hot-hitting Texas to two hits and two walks over seven innings in Toronto's 9-0 win.

-Emilio Bonifacio, Marlins, drove in a career-high three runs in Florida's 4-3 win over St. Louis.

-Josh Beckett, Red Sox, allowed a hit and two walks over six innings, striking out eight in Boston's 7-0 win over the New York Yankees.

-Mark DeRosa, Indians, hit a tie-breaking grand slam in the seventh inning of Cleveland's 8-4 victory over Kansas City.

-Johnny Cueto, Reds, allowed one run and four hits over seven innings, striking out five in Cincinnati's 3-2 win over Washington.

-Brad Bergesen, Orioles, tossed eight shutout innings, allowing five hits and striking out six in Baltimore's 3-1 victory over Seattle.

HISTORIC START

Josh Beckett allowed only an infield hit in six innings as the Red Sox beat the Yankees 7-0 on Tuesday night and improved to 6-0 against New York for the first time since 1912. The Red Sox beat the New York Highlanders in 14 straight to start that season, including the first-ever game in Fenway Park. Fenway is now the oldest ballpark in the major leagues; the original Yankee Stadium, which was replaced this season by a $1.5 billion replica, hadn't even been built yet.

ROYAL MESS

Mark DeRosa's grand slam in the seventh inning gave Cleveland an 8-4 win over Kansas City, the Royals' 10th loss in 11 games. A pair of Kansas City errors contributed to their 22nd loss in their last 28 games overall.

NUMBERS GAME

The Giants' Matt Cain (8-1) won his fifth straight start and pulled into a tie with Colorado's Jason Marquis for the NL lead in victories. ... The Nationals have lost 11 of their last 13 games. The Cubs' 16 hits in a 7-1 win over Houston tied a season high, first set in an 11-6 win in Houston on April 8.

UNDER THE KNIFE

Blue Jays starter Jesse Litsch will have Tommy John surgery and miss the rest of the season, a major blow to a team trying to keep pace in the competitive AL East. ... Rangers outfielder Josh Hamilton had surgery in Philadelphia to repair a partially torn abdominal muscle. ... Mets reliever J.J. Putz had surgery to remove a bone spur and fragments of bone from his right elbow.

MANNY DROPS BY

Manny Ramirez visited his Dodgers teammates before their game against San Diego on Tuesday night, popping into the clubhouse before a home game for the first time since his suspension for violating Major League Baseball's drug policy. The dreadlocked slugger, who also talked to manager Joe Torre, refused to address what led to his 50-game ban, saying it's in the past.

SPEAKING

"They've taken it to us so far this year. But we have 13 more, and hopefully we'll beat them sometime soon.'' - Yankees outfielder Johnny Damon after the Red Sox beat New York 7-0 to improve to 6-0 against New York for the first time since 1912.

SEASONS

June 10

1921 - Babe Ruth of the New York Yankees became baseball's career home run leader by hitting his 120th off Cleveland's Jim Bagby in the third inning. The Indians took the game 8-6.

1944 - Joe Nuxhall, at 15 years, 10 months and 11 days, became the youngest player in major league history when he pitched 2-3 of an inning for the Cincinnati Reds in an 18-0 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals.

1959 - Rocky Colavito of Cleveland hit four consecutive home runs at Baltimore's Memorial Stadium, a tough home run park. Billy Martin and Minnie Minoso also homered in the Indians' 11-8 victory.

1966 - Cleveland's Sonny Siebert threw the only no-hitter of the year as the Indians beat the Washington Senators 2-0.

1972 - Hank Aaron's grand slam pushed the Atlanta Braves to a 15-3 rout over the Philadelphia Phillies. It was Aaron's 649th home run, moving him ahead of Willie Mays into second place on the career home run list. It was also his 14th grand slam, tying Gil Hodges' NL record.

1981 - Pete Rose's single in the first inning off Nolan Ryan gave him 3,630 hits, tying Stan Musial's NL record. Philadelphia beat Houston 5-4 before more than 57,000 at Veterans Stadium.

1997 - Kevin Brown threw a no-hitter and kept himself from a perfect game by hitting a batter in the eighth inning, leading the Florida Marlins over the San Francisco Giants 9-0.

2000 - Darin Erstad hit a double in the Anaheim Angels' 10-3 win over Arizona to give him a major league-leading 100 hits in 61 games. He became the fastest to reach the 100-hit mark since Heinie Manush did it in 60 games for the 1934 Washington Senators.

2005 - Baltimore's 4-3 win over Cincinnati marked the first time that three 500-homer players appeared in the same game - the Orioles' Sammy Sosa (580) and Rafael Palmeiro (559), and the Reds' Ken Griffey Jr., who hit a solo shot in the eighth inning for No. 511.

2006 - Reggie Sanders became the fifth player in major league history with 300 homers and 300 stolen bases when he hit a two-run shot in Kansas City's 9-5 loss to Tampa Bay. Sanders homered off Chad Harville in the ninth to reach the milestone joining Barry Bonds, Willie Mays, Andre Dawson and Bobby Bonds.

2008 - The matchup between Greg Maddux and Dodgers rookie Clayton Kershaw was the largest gap in career wins between two starters since Aug. 25, 1965, when San Francisco's Warren Spahn (361 wins) faced the Mets' Darrell Sutherland (one). Maddux, who was denied his 351st victory, outpitched the rookie. Maddux, 42, was winning 18 games in his second full season in the majors when Kershaw, 20, was born in 1988.

Today's birthdays: Matt Chico 26; Jeff Bennett 29.

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**pm530** · 06-10-2009, 05:45 AM

MLB
This Day in Baseball

On June 10 in Baseball History...

1944 - Pitcher Joe Nuxhall of the Cincinnati Reds is the youngest player in major-league history. Nuxhall, only 15 years, ten months old, pitches one-third of an inning in an 18-0 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals. He manages to give up five walks and two hits before Bill McKechnie takes him out.

1959 - Rocky Colavito hits four consecutive home runs in Baltimore's Memorial Stadium to lead the Indians to an 11-8 win. Colavito joins Lou Gehrig and Bobby Lowe as the only major-league players to hit four consecutive four-baggers.

1966 - Sonny Siebert pitches a no-hitter against the Senators. Leon Wagner homers off loser Phil Ortega as first-place Cleveland wins 2-0.

1968 - A.L. games at Baltimore and Chicago are postponed as mourning for Robert Kennedy continues. Astros Rusty Staub and Bob Aspromonte are fined for not playing. Pittsburgh's Maury Wills also refuses to play and is reportedly punished.

1972 - Hank Aaron hits his 14th career grand slam, tying Gil Hodges's N.L. record, as the Braves defeat the Phillies 15-3. It is career home run 649 for Aaron, enabling him to pass Willie Mays for second place on the all-time list.

1974 - During a 12-0 win over the Astros, Phillies third baseman Mike Schmidt hits a ball off the public address speaker hanging from the Astrodome roof, 117 feet up and 300 feet from the plate. Schmidt must settle for a titanic single.

1975 - The Yankees sponsor Army Day at their temporary home, Shea Stadium (Yankee Stadium is being refurbished). During a ceremonial 21-gun salute, glass is splintered, the park is filled with smoke, part of the fence is blown away, and another part is set afire.

1981 - Phillies first baseman Pete Rose singles off Nolan Ryan in the first inning to tie Stan Musial as the N.L.'s all-time hit leader with 3,630, then strikes out in his next three at-bats. Rose's single is the only hit off Ryan until the eighth inning, when Philadelphia scores five times for a 5-4 win over Houston.

1986 - The N.L. announces that Yale University president A. Bartlett Giamatti will be its next President after Chub Feeney's retirement in December.

1995 - Orioles third baseman Jeff Manto, who had four home runs in his first three years in the major leagues, homers in his fourth consecutive at-bat. In all, he homers five times in six at-bats in three games.

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**pm530** · 06-10-2009, 05:49 AM

MLB
Write-up

Wednesday, June 10

Hot Pitchers
-- Wainwright has 2.45 RA in his last five starts.
-- Mets won last four Pelfrey home starts (2-0, 2.67). Phillies won last three Hamels starts (2-0, 3.43).
-- Jurrjens has 3.15 RA in his last three home starts.
-- Cubs are 4-1 on the road when Zambrano starts (3-1, 2.97).
-- Davis is 1-0, 1.38 in his last two starts.
-- Kershaw is 1-1, 1.23 in his five home starts.

-- Hernandez is 1-0, 2.49 in his last three starts.
-- Meche has 2.07 RA in his last two starts. Indians won last four Pavano starts (3-0, 2.15).
-- Rays won five of last six Niemann starts (3-1, 2.62).
-- Red Sox won eight of last ten Wakefield starts.
-- Millwood is 1-0, 2.89 in his last three starts.
-- Verlander is 6-0, 1.12 in his last eight starts.
-- Oakland won last three Braden starts (2-0, 2.70).

Cold Pitchers
-- Harang is 0-3, 7.58 in his last three road starts. Martis is 0-1, 7.71 in his last four starts.
-- Volstad is 2-5, 4.74 in his last seven starts.
-- Karstens has 5.63 RA in his last four starts; he was also losing hurler in 15-inning game in this park Monday night.
-- Rodriguez is 0-3, 11.85 in his last three starts.
-- de la Rosa is 1-3, 10.12 in his last four starts. Bush is 0-2, 7.02 in his last three starts.
-- Zito is 1-4, 5.51 in his last five starts.
-- LeBlanc was 1-1, 2.49 in his last five AAA starts.

-- Guthrie is 1-3, 6.53 in his last four starts.
-- Lackey is 0-1, 4.22 in his last three starts.
-- Wang is 0-3, 23.62 in four starts this season.
-- Romero is 1-2, 7.16 in his last three starts.
-- Danks has an 8.06 RA in his last five starts.
-- Liriano is 0-3, 8.50 in his last four starts.

Hot Teams
-- Braves won seven of their last ten home games.
-- Marlins won seven of their last ten home games.
-- Phillies won eight of their last eleven games. Mets won 12 of their last 15 home games.
-- Cubs won four of their last five games. Astros won six of their last nine games.
-- Rockies won their last six games, scoring 46 runs. Brewers won ten of their last fourteen home games.
-- Giants are 10-4 in their last fourteen games.
-- Dodgers are 10-5 in their last fifteen games.

-- Angels are 9-5 in their last fourteen road games.
-- Indians won three of their last four games.
-- Red Sox won six of their last eight games. Bronx ix 8-4 in last 12.
-- Blue Jays won four of their last five games.
-- Tigers won four of their last five games.
-- A's won seven of their last eight games.

Cold Teams
-- Nationals lost 11 of their last 13 games. Reds lost eight of their last eleven road games.
-- Cardinals lost their last five games, allowing 36 runs.
-- Pirates lost four of their last five games.
-- Arizona is 5-11 in its last sixteen home games.
-- Padres lost eight of their last eleven games.

-- Rays lost their last three games: 4-3/5-3/4-3.
-- Rangers lost their last three home games.
-- Orioles lost five of their last six games, scoring total of eleven runs. Mariners lost 14 of their last 19 road games.
-- Royals lost ten of their last eleven games.
-- White Sox lost seven of their last nine games.
-- Minnesota lost 13 of its last 17 road games.

Totals
-- Seven of last nine Cincinnati games stayed under the total.
-- Under is 4-0-2 in last six Florida home games.
-- Four of last six Met games stayed under the total.
-- Five of last seven Pittsburgh road games went over the total.
-- Ten of last thirteen Cub road games stayed under the total.
-- Under is 8-3 in Milwaukee's last eleven home games.
-- Under is 11-4-1 in Giants' last sixteen road games.
-- Four of last six Dodger games stayed under the total.

-- Last seven games at Tropicana Field stayed under the total.
-- Six of last eight games at Camden Yards stayed under the total.
-- Four of last six Cleveland home games stayed under the total.
-- Nine of last eleven games at Fenway Park stayed under the total.
-- Under is 8-2-1 in last eleven Texas home games.
-- Seven of of last ten Detroit games stayed under the total.
-- Eleven of last fourteen Minnesota games stayed under the total.

Umpires
-- Cin-Wsh-- Favorite won six of last seven Hernandez games.
-- StL-Fla-- Three of last four Holbrook games went over the total.
-- Phil-NY-- Underdog is 7-4 in Marsh games this season.
-- Pitt-Atl-- Three of last four Eddings games stayed under the total.
-- Chi-Hst-- Over is 5-3 when Schrieber works an NL game.
-- Col-Mil-- Under is 6-2-1 in last nine Cuzzi games.
-- SF-Az-- Last four Tichenor games stayed under the total.
-- SD-LA-- Six of last seven Reynolds games went over the total.

-- Sea-Balt-- Under is 5-2-1 in last eight Wolf games.
-- LA-TB-- Four of last five Drake games went over the total.
-- KC-Clev-- Favorite won seven of last eight Diaz ggmes.
-- NY-Bos-- Last four Davis games stayed under total; four of his last five games were won by the underdog.
-- Tor-Tex-- Over is 4-1-1 in last six Hohn games.
-- Det-Chi-- Last four Runge games stayed under the total.
-- Min-A's-- Six of last nine Fairchild games stayed under the total.

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**pm530** · 06-10-2009, 05:52 AM

MLB

Wednesday, June 10

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Trend Report
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7:05 PM
CINCINNATI vs. WASHINGTON
Cincinnati is 3-8 SU in its last 11 games on the road
Cincinnati is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Washington
Washington is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Cincinnati
Washington is 2-11 SU in its last 13 games

7:05 PM
KANSAS CITY vs. CLEVELAND
Kansas City is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Cleveland
Kansas City is 1-10 SU in its last 11 games
Cleveland is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
Cleveland is 7-3 SU in its last 10 games at home

7:05 PM
SEATTLE vs. BALTIMORE
Seattle is 4-10 SU in its last 14 games when playing Baltimore
Seattle is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Baltimore
Baltimore is 10-4 SU in its last 14 games when playing Seattle
Baltimore is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games at home

7:08 PM
LA ANGELS vs. TAMPA BAY
LA Angels are 4-2 SU in their last 6 games on the road
LA Angels are 4-2 SU in their last 6 games when playing Tampa Bay
Tampa Bay is 5-2 SU in their last 7 games when playing at home against LA Angels
Tampa Bay is 2-4 SU in their last 6 games when playing LA Angels

7:10 PM
NY YANKEES vs. BOSTON
NY Yankees are 0-5 SU in their last 5 games when playing Boston
NY Yankees are 0-5 SU in their last 5 games when playing on the road against Boston
Boston is 5-0 SU in their last 5 games when playing NY Yankees
Boston is 18-6 SU in its last 24 games at home

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

7:10 PM
PITTSBURGH vs. ATLANTA
Pittsburgh is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games when playing on the road against Atlanta
Pittsburgh is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing Atlanta
Atlanta is 7-3 SU in its last 10 games at home
Atlanta is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing Pittsburgh

7:10 PM
ST. LOUIS vs. FLORIDA
St. Louis is 9-3 SU in its last 12 games when playing on the road against Florida
St. Louis is 15-6 SU in its last 21 games when playing Florida
Florida is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
Florida is 7-3 SU in its last 10 games at home

8:00 PM
CHI CUBS vs. HOUSTON
Chi Cubs are 4-1 SU in their last 5 games
Chi Cubs are 4-1 SU in their last 5 games on the road
Houston is 1-8 SU in their last 9 games when playing at home against Chi Cubs
Houston is 1-5 SU in their last 6 games when playing Chi Cubs

8:05 PM
COLORADO vs. MILWAUKEE
Colorado is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
Colorado is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Milwaukee is 10-4 SU in its last 14 games when playing at home against Colorado
Milwaukee is 3-8 SU in its last 11 games when playing Colorado

8:05 PM
TORONTO vs. TEXAS
Toronto is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Texas
Toronto is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games when playing on the road against Texas
Texas is 12-5 SU in its last 17 games at home
Texas is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games

8:11 PM
DETROIT vs. CHI WHITE SOX
Detroit is 3-6 SU in their last 9 games when playing Chi White Sox
Detroit is 3-9 SU in their last 12 games when playing on the road against Chi White Sox
Chi White Sox are 2-7 SU in their last 9 games
Chi White Sox are 2-7 SU in their last 9 games at home

9:40 PM
SAN FRANCISCO vs. ARIZONA
San Francisco is 8-16 SU in its last 24 games when playing on the road against Arizona
San Francisco is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Arizona
Arizona is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing San Francisco
Arizona is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games

10:05 PM
MINNESOTA vs. OAKLAND
Minnesota is 4-14 SU in its last 18 games on the road
Minnesota is 5-10 SU in its last 15 games when playing on the road against Oakland
Oakland is 10-5 SU in its last 15 games when playing at home against Minnesota
Oakland is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games

10:10 PM
SAN DIEGO vs. LA DODGERS
San Diego is 0-5 SU in their last 5 games when playing on the road against LA Dodgers
San Diego is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games
LA Dodgers are 5-0 SU in their last 5 games when playing San Diego
LA Dodgers are 5-2 SU in their last 7 games at home

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**pm530** · 06-10-2009, 05:54 AM

MLB

Wednesday, June 10

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Hot lines: Today’s best MLB bets
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Seattle Mariners at Baltimore Orioles (-108, 8.5)

Compared to other sports’ so-called Kings, like LeBron, Richard Petty and Jerry Lawler, Seattle Mariners starter Felix Hernandez still has a ways to go before truly earning that moniker.

However, with the way “King Felix” has performed in his recent outings, the young right-hander is on the right path to a proper coronation. Hernandez has been regal in his past three starts, allowing only two earned runs in just under 22 innings of work.

This impressive stretch came after Mariners manager Don Wakamatsu blasted his staff ace following a dismal performance on May 19. Hernandez gave up six runs in under six innings and walked three batters in that 6-5 loss to the Los Angeles Angels.

Since that loss, Hernandez has walked just five total batters while striking out 23 hitters in his past three games.

Pick: Seattle

Colorado Rockies at Milwaukee Brewers (NA)

The Rockies’ recent surge at the plate has snapped the team’s season-long funk, picking up five straight wins heading into Tuesday’s series opener with the Milwaukee Brewers. Colorado is averaging almost nine runs per game during this span and batted .290 last week.

"We earned this and we deserve this," said manager Jim Tracy, who is 7-4 since replacing Clint Hurdle. "It's not easy."

But while the bats get the fanfare, the Rockies’ pitchers have been just as hot during this recent streak. The team has allowed just 12 total runs over the past five games, getting good work out of the rotation – including Jorge De La Rosa, who will start Wednesday’s game vs. the Brewers.

De La Rosa got his first win of the season with a seven-hit, three-run showing over 6 2-3 innings versus St. Louis on Friday. However, the left-hander served up two home runs in that game and has allowed four dingers in his past four appearances.

Now he faces the National League’s second-best long ball team in Milwaukee, which has totaled 67 home runs this season. De La Rosa is 1-6 on the season and tows a beefy 5.28 ERA. De La Rosa posts less-than encouraging numbers in Miller Park, going 2-5 with an ERA over 8.00.

Pick: Over

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**pm530** · 06-10-2009, 07:51 AM

MLB
Dunkel Index

Seattle at Baltimore
The Mariners look to bounce back from yesterday's loss and take advantage of a Baltimore team that is just 2-8 in Jeremy Guthrie's last 10 starts. Seattle is the pick (+105) according to Dunkel, which has the Mariners favored by 1. Dunkel Pick: Seattle (+105). Here are all of today's picks.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 10

Game 951-952: Cincinnati at Washington
Dunkel Ratings: Cincinnati (Harang) 14.079; Washington (Martis) 14.573
Dunkel Line: Washington by 1/2; 7
Vegas Line: Cincinnati (-115); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Washington (+105); Under

Game 953-954: St. Louis at Florida
Dunkel Ratings: St. Louis (Wainwright) 14.800; Florida (Volstad) 15.048
Dunkel Line: Florida by 1/2; 7 1/2
Vegas Line: Florida (-115); 8
Dunkel Pick: Florida (-115); Under

Game 955-956: Philadelphia at NY Mets
Dunkel Ratings: Philadelphia (Hamels) 15.158; NY Mets (Pelfrey) 15.551
Dunkel Line: NY Mets by 1/2; 7 1/2
Vegas Line: Philadelphia (-130); 8
Dunkel Pick: NY Mets (+120); Under

Game 957-958: Pittsburgh at Atlanta
Dunkel Ratings: Pittsburgh (Morton) 14.277; Atlanta (Jurrjens) 15.794
Dunkel Line: Atlanta by 1 1/2; 9 1/2
Vegas Line: No Line
Dunkel Pick: N/A

Game 959-960: Chicago Cubs at Houston
Dunkel Ratings: Cubs (Zambrano) 14.775; Houston (Rodriguez) 15.026
Dunkel Line: Houston by 1/2; 8
Vegas Line: Chicago Cubs (-115); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Houston (+105); Under

Game 961-962: Colorado at Milwaukee
Dunkel Ratings: Colorado (De La Rosa) 15.545; Milwaukee (Bush) 16.756
Dunkel Line: Milwaukee by 1; 8
Vegas Line: No Line
Dunkel Pick: N/A

Game 963-964: San Francisco at Arizona
Dunkel Ratings: San Francisco (Zito) 14.525; Arizona (Davis) 14.781
Dunkel Line: Arizona by 1/2; 7 1/2
Vegas Line: Arizona (-135); 9
Dunkel Pick: Arizona (-135); Under

Game 965-966: San Diego at LA Dodgers
Dunkel Ratings: San Diego (Correia) 14.358; LA Dodgers (Kershaw) 15.463
Dunkel Line: LA Dodgers by 1; 8 1/2
Vegas Line: No Line
Dunkel Pick: N/A

Game 967-968: Seattle at Baltimore
Dunkel Ratings: Seattle (Hernandez) 15.359; Baltimore (Guthrie) 14.421
Dunkel Line: Seattle by 1; 8
Vegas Line: Baltimore (-115); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Seattle (+105); Under

Game 969-970: LA Angels at Tampa Bay
Dunkel Ratings: LA Angels (Lackey) 15.011; Tampa Bay (Niemann) 16.709
Dunkel Line: Tampa Bay by 1 1/2; 8
Vegas Line: LA Angels (-120); 9
Dunkel Pick: Tampa Bay (+110); Under

Game 971-972: Kansas City at Cleveland
Dunkel Ratings: Kansas City (Meche) 14.027; Cleveland (Pavano) 15.133
Dunkel Line: Cleveland by 1; 10
Vegas Line: Cleveland (-150); 9
Dunkel Pick: Cleveland (-150); Over

Game 973-974: NY Yankees at Boston
Dunkel Ratings: NY Yankees (Wang) 16.185; Boston (Wakefield) 16.951
Dunkel Line: Boston by 1; 9 1/2
Vegas Line: Boston (-135); 11
Dunkel Pick: Boston (-135); Under

Game 975-976: Toronto at Texas
Dunkel Ratings: Toronto (Romero) 14.911; Texas (Millwood) 15.830
Dunkel Line: Texas by 1; 10 1/2
Vegas Line: Texas (-160); 10
Dunkel Pick: Texas (-160); Over

Game 977-978: Detroit at Chicago White Sox
Dunkel Ratings: Detroit (Verlander) 14.709; White Sox (Danks) 15.793
Dunkel Line: Chicago White Sox by 1; 9 1/2
Vegas Line: Detroit (-130); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Chicago White Sox (+120); Over

Game 979-980: Minnesota at Oakland
Dunkel Ratings: Minnesota (Liriano); 17.348; Oakland (Braden) 15.785
Dunkel Line: Minnesota by 1 1/2; 9 1/2
Vegas Line: Oakland (-135); 8
Dunkel Pick: Minnesota (+125); Over

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**pm530** · 06-10-2009, 10:31 AM

MLB
Long Sheet

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Wednesday, June 10
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CINCINNATI (30 - 27) at WASHINGTON (15 - 41) - 7:05 PM
AARON HARANG (R) vs. SHAIRON MARTIS (R)
Top Trends for this game.
CINCINNATI is 73-94 (-29.6 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 3 seasons.
HARANG is 4-15 (-11.1 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
HARANG is 3-15 (-12.7 Units) against the money line in road games in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
HARANG is 2-12 (-10.1 Units) against the money line in road games in night games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
CINCINNATI is 404-483 (+32.4 Units) against the money line in road games in games played on a grass field since 1997.
CINCINNATI is 308-349 (+34.4 Units) against the money line in road games in night games since 1997.
CINCINNATI is 341-396 (+32.8 Units) against the money line in road games against right-handed starters since 1997.
CINCINNATI is 227-243 (+40.7 Units) against the money line in road games after a win since 1997.
CINCINNATI is 465-536 (+48.6 Units) against the money line in road games since 1997.
HARANG is 18-8 (+12.6 Units) against the money line when playing on Wednesday since 1997. (Team's Record)
HARANG is 54-38 (+19.1 Units) against the money line after a win since 1997. (Team's Record)
WASHINGTON is 15-41 (-24.6 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
WASHINGTON is 11-29 (-17.0 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
WASHINGTON is 11-29 (-17.0 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
WASHINGTON is 11-28 (-15.6 Units) against the money line after a loss this season.
WASHINGTON is 7-26 (-17.5 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
WASHINGTON is 15-41 (-24.6 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
WASHINGTON is 21-50 (-21.2 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 9-21 (-12.5 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
WASHINGTON is 19-45 (-22.3 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
CINCINNATI is 1-0 (+1.0 Units) against WASHINGTON this season
1 of 1 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+1.0 Units)

AARON HARANG vs. WASHINGTON since 1997
HARANG is 0-1 when starting against WASHINGTON with an ERA of 6.75 and a WHIP of 2.045.
His team's record is 2-1 (+1.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 2-1. (+0.8 units)

SHAIRON MARTIS vs. CINCINNATI since 1997
No recent starts.

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ST LOUIS (31 - 28) at FLORIDA (29 - 31) - 7:10 PM
ADAM WAINWRIGHT (R) vs. CHRIS VOLSTAD (R)
Top Trends for this game.
FLORIDA is 113-108 (+16.8 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
FLORIDA is 112-106 (+17.4 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
FLORIDA is 55-51 (+15.6 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
ST LOUIS is 36-22 (+15.7 Units) against the money line when playing on Wednesday over the last 3 seasons.
WAINWRIGHT is 41-23 (+13.5 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
WAINWRIGHT is 16-5 (+9.0 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
WAINWRIGHT is 12-3 (+9.7 Units) against the money line on the road when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
WAINWRIGHT is 41-23 (+13.5 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
FLORIDA is 1-0 (+1.0 Units) against ST LOUIS this season
0 of 0 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+0.0 Units)

ADAM WAINWRIGHT vs. FLORIDA since 1997
WAINWRIGHT is 1-0 when starting against FLORIDA with an ERA of 1.93 and a WHIP of 1.286.
His team's record is 2-0 (+2.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-2. (-2.0 units)

CHRIS VOLSTAD vs. ST LOUIS since 1997
VOLSTAD is 1-0 when starting against ST LOUIS with an ERA of 5.40 and a WHIP of 1.600.
His team's record is 1-0 (+1.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-0. (+1.0 units)

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PHILADELPHIA (33 - 23) at NY METS (31 - 25) - 7:10 PM
COLE HAMELS (L) vs. MIKE PELFREY (R)
Top Trends for this game.
PHILADELPHIA is 136-96 (+18.2 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 21-9 (+14.1 Units) against the money line in road games this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 31-17 (+13.5 Units) against the money line in road games against division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 21-9 (+14.1 Units) against the money line in road games in games played on a grass field this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 14-6 (+9.7 Units) against the money line in road games in night games this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 14-5 (+10.6 Units) against the money line in road games against right-handed starters this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 50-34 (+18.2 Units) against the money line in road games after a loss over the last 3 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 13-6 (+9.1 Units) against the money line in road games when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
NY METS are 46-44 (-24.5 Units) against the money line in home games against division opponents over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
NY METS is 4-1 (+3.0 Units) against PHILADELPHIA this season
3 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+2.0 Units)

COLE HAMELS vs. NY METS since 1997
HAMELS is 1-3 when starting against NY METS with an ERA of 3.79 and a WHIP of 1.447.
His team's record is 2-4 (-2.3 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-5. (-4.8 units)

MIKE PELFREY vs. PHILADELPHIA since 1997
PELFREY is 3-2 when starting against PHILADELPHIA with an ERA of 4.19 and a WHIP of 1.515.
His team's record is 3-3 (-0.5 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-3. (-1.2 units)

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PITTSBURGH (26 - 32) at ATLANTA (29 - 28) - 7:10 PM
CHARLIE MORTON (R) vs. JAIR JURRJENS (R)
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
ATLANTA is 3-2 (+1.0 Units) against PITTSBURGH this season
3 of 5 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+1.0 Units)

CHARLIE MORTON vs. ATLANTA since 1997
No recent starts.

JAIR JURRJENS vs. PITTSBURGH since 1997
JURRJENS is 1-2 when starting against PITTSBURGH with an ERA of 3.18 and a WHIP of 1.176.
His team's record is 1-2 (-1.4 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 2-1. (+1.0 units)

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CHICAGO CUBS (29 - 26) at HOUSTON (25 - 31) - 8:05 PM
CARLOS ZAMBRANO (R) vs. WANDY RODRIGUEZ (L)
Top Trends for this game.
CHICAGO CUBS are 986-1035 (-188.5 Units) against the money line in all games since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 929-951 (-166.2 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 479-505 (-117.4 Units) against the money line after a win since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 488-461 (-99.6 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record since 1997.
HOUSTON is 111-106 (+15.5 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 109-105 (+13.3 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
ZAMBRANO is 25-11 (+12.9 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons. (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 17-4 (+12.0 Units) against the money line in road games against division opponents over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
ZAMBRANO is 14-4 (+9.8 Units) against the money line in road games in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
ZAMBRANO is 20-6 (+12.2 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
HOUSTON is 13-23 (-10.9 Units) against the money line against division opponents this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
CHICAGO CUBS is 6-2 (+2.8 Units) against HOUSTON this season
4 of 7 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+0.7 Units)

CARLOS ZAMBRANO vs. HOUSTON since 1997
ZAMBRANO is 12-7 when starting against HOUSTON with an ERA of 2.68 and a WHIP of 1.126.
His team's record is 16-9 (+5.2 units) in these starts. The OVER is 6-18. (-13.7 units)

WANDY RODRIGUEZ vs. CHICAGO CUBS since 1997
RODRIGUEZ is 4-4 when starting against CHICAGO CUBS with an ERA of 4.39 and a WHIP of 1.416.
His team's record is 6-5 (+1.3 units) in these starts. The OVER is 4-7. (-3.7 units)

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COLORADO (26 - 32) at MILWAUKEE (33 - 25) - 8:05 PM
JORGE DE LA ROSA (L) vs. DAVE BUSH (R)
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
COLORADO is 1-0 (+1.3 Units) against MILWAUKEE this season
1 of 1 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+1.0 Units)

JORGE DE LA ROSA vs. MILWAUKEE since 1997
DE LA ROSA is 0-2 when starting against MILWAUKEE with an ERA of 14.53 and a WHIP of 2.653.
His team's record is 0-2 (-2.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 0-2. (-2.6 units)

DAVE BUSH vs. COLORADO since 1997
BUSH is 2-1 when starting against COLORADO with an ERA of 2.50 and a WHIP of 0.833.
His team's record is 2-1 (+1.1 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-2. (-1.2 units)

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SAN FRANCISCO (30 - 27) at ARIZONA (25 - 34) - 9:40 PM
BARRY ZITO (L) vs. DOUG DAVIS (L)
Top Trends for this game.
DAVIS is 61-60 (+16.4 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record since 1997. (Team's Record)
SAN FRANCISCO is 677-573 (+80.6 Units) against the money line in night games since 1997.
ZITO is 74-43 (+29.1 Units) against the money line against division opponents since 1997. (Team's Record)
ZITO is 9-4 (+10.5 Units) against the money line in road games after a win over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
ARIZONA is 25-34 (-10.9 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
ARIZONA is 12-20 (-12.2 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
ARIZONA is 13-22 (-13.5 Units) against the money line when playing on Wednesday over the last 2 seasons.
ARIZONA is 11-19 (-10.0 Units) against the money line against division opponents this season.
ARIZONA is 25-34 (-10.9 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
ARIZONA is 6-15 (-11.7 Units) against the money line in home games in night games this season.
ARIZONA is 31-48 (-21.1 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
SAN FRANCISCO is 5-2 (+3.1 Units) against ARIZONA this season
5 of 6 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+3.8 Units)

BARRY ZITO vs. ARIZONA since 1997
ZITO is 2-6 when starting against ARIZONA with an ERA of 4.37 and a WHIP of 1.559.
His team's record is 4-6 (-1.2 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 6-4. (+1.5 units)

DOUG DAVIS vs. SAN FRANCISCO since 1997
DAVIS is 4-5 when starting against SAN FRANCISCO with an ERA of 4.08 and a WHIP of 1.575.
His team's record is 7-8 (-1.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 8-7. (+0.6 units)

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SAN DIEGO (27 - 31) at LA DODGERS (40 - 20) - 10:10 PM
KEVIN CORREIA (R) vs. CLAYTON KERSHAW (L)
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
LA DODGERS is 7-2 (+4.5 Units) against SAN DIEGO this season
6 of 9 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+2.4 Units)

KEVIN CORREIA vs. LA DODGERS since 1997
CORREIA is 2-1 when starting against LA DODGERS with an ERA of 5.73 and a WHIP of 1.545.
His team's record is 4-2 (+3.7 units) in these starts. The OVER is 4-2. (+2.1 units)

CLAYTON KERSHAW vs. SAN DIEGO since 1997
KERSHAW is 2-0 when starting against SAN DIEGO with an ERA of 2.70 and a WHIP of 1.200.
His team's record is 4-1 (+2.7 units) in these starts. The OVER is 3-2. (+1.0 units)

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SEATTLE (28 - 30) at BALTIMORE (25 - 33) - 7:05 PM
FELIX HERNANDEZ (R) vs. JEREMY GUTHRIE (R)
Top Trends for this game.
SEATTLE is 89-131 (-39.7 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
SEATTLE is 38-56 (-22.1 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 2 seasons.
SEATTLE is 38-71 (-25.2 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
SEATTLE is 81-120 (-38.6 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
SEATTLE is 56-91 (-34.5 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
SEATTLE is 58-92 (-33.9 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
SEATTLE is 53-78 (-23.6 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 2 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 76-79 (+8.1 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
BALTIMORE is 2-2 (+0.1 Units) against SEATTLE this season
3 of 4 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+1.9 Units)

FELIX HERNANDEZ vs. BALTIMORE since 1997
HERNANDEZ is 3-3 when starting against BALTIMORE with an ERA of 4.23 and a WHIP of 1.608.
His team's record is 5-4 (-0.6 units) in these starts. The OVER is 5-4. (+0.9 units)

JEREMY GUTHRIE vs. SEATTLE since 1997
GUTHRIE is 2-2 when starting against SEATTLE with an ERA of 3.47 and a WHIP of 1.158.
His team's record is 3-2 (+1.6 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-3. (-1.0 units)

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LA ANGELS (29 - 27) at TAMPA BAY (29 - 31) - 7:08 PM
JOHN LACKEY (R) vs. JEFF NIEMANN (R)
Top Trends for this game.
TAMPA BAY is 134-104 (+21.5 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 78-39 (+27.0 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 79-42 (+24.4 Units) against the money line in games played in a dome over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 83-47 (+23.7 Units) against the money line in games played on artificial turf over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 98-62 (+29.9 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 30-12 (+15.5 Units) against the money line in home games after a loss over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 44-19 (+21.3 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
LA ANGELS are 130-92 (+23.5 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
LA ANGELS are 57-30 (+22.9 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 over the last 2 seasons.
LA ANGELS are 66-47 (+23.3 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
LA ANGELS are 49-34 (+16.8 Units) against the money line in road games in night games over the last 2 seasons.
LA ANGELS are 163-116 (+26.5 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 3 seasons.
LA ANGELS are 41-25 (+18.9 Units) against the money line in road games after a win over the last 2 seasons.
LA ANGELS are 34-19 (+15.0 Units) against the money line in road games when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
LACKEY is 13-2 (+9.8 Units) against the money line in road games when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
LA ANGELS is 1-0 (+1.2 Units) against TAMPA BAY this season
1 of 1 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+1.0 Units)

JOHN LACKEY vs. TAMPA BAY since 1997
LACKEY is 9-1 when starting against TAMPA BAY with an ERA of 2.36 and a WHIP of 1.013.
His team's record is 10-1 (+8.3 units) in these starts. The OVER is 5-6. (-1.9 units)

JEFF NIEMANN vs. LA ANGELS since 1997
No recent starts.

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KANSAS CITY (24 - 33) at CLEVELAND (26 - 34) - 7:05 PM
GIL MECHE (R) vs. CARL PAVANO (R)
Top Trends for this game.
KANSAS CITY is 54-83 (-25.4 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
KANSAS CITY is 9-19 (-11.3 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
MECHE is 12-27 (-17.1 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
PAVANO is 105-84 (+23.2 Units) against the money line in all games since 1997. (Team's Record)
PAVANO is 51-32 (+21.0 Units) against the money line against division opponents since 1997. (Team's Record)
PAVANO is 58-40 (+17.1 Units) against the money line after a win since 1997. (Team's Record)
KANSAS CITY is 51-43 (+18.2 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 2 seasons.
MECHE is 53-35 (+26.7 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 since 1997. (Team's Record)
CLEVELAND is 82-81 (-35.6 Units) against the money line in home games in June games since 1997.
CLEVELAND is 7-18 (-11.3 Units) against the money line after a win this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
CLEVELAND is 6-4 (+1.7 Units) against KANSAS CITY this season
6 of 10 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+1.8 Units)

GIL MECHE vs. CLEVELAND since 1997
MECHE is 4-9 when starting against CLEVELAND with an ERA of 4.99 and a WHIP of 1.417.
His team's record is 6-14 (-6.7 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 11-9. (+0.5 units)

CARL PAVANO vs. KANSAS CITY since 1997
PAVANO is 1-2 when starting against KANSAS CITY with an ERA of 6.23 and a WHIP of 1.385.
His team's record is 1-2 (-1.8 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-2. (-1.3 units)

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NY YANKEES (34 - 24) at BOSTON (34 - 24) - 7:10 PM
CHIEN-MING WANG (R) vs. TIM WAKEFIELD (R)
Top Trends for this game.
BOSTON is 77-36 (+21.2 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 123-71 (+29.2 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 54-25 (+15.6 Units) against the money line in home games in night games over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
BOSTON is 6-0 (+6.1 Units) against NY YANKEES this season
3 of 5 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+0.5 Units)

CHIEN-MING WANG vs. BOSTON since 1997
WANG is 6-5 when starting against BOSTON with an ERA of 4.88 and a WHIP of 1.550.
His team's record is 7-6 (-1.6 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 7-5. (+1.9 units)

TIM WAKEFIELD vs. NY YANKEES since 1997
WAKEFIELD is 10-15 when starting against NY YANKEES with an ERA of 4.80 and a WHIP of 1.335.
His team's record is 14-17 (-0.4 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 17-13. (+2.3 units)

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TORONTO (34 - 27) at TEXAS (33 - 25) - 8:05 PM
RICKY ROMERO (L) vs. KEVIN MILLWOOD (R)
Top Trends for this game.
TORONTO is 36-70 (-33.3 Units) against the money line in road games after 3 or more consecutive wins since 1997.
TEXAS is 33-25 (+10.0 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
TEXAS is 57-36 (+20.1 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 10 to 10.5 over the last 3 seasons.
TEXAS is 32-23 (+10.1 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
TEXAS is 81-74 (+16.6 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
TEXAS is 59-49 (+16.5 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 2 seasons.
TORONTO is 90-71 (+13.7 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
TORONTO is 4-1 (+2.4 Units) against TEXAS this season
3 of 5 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+0.8 Units)

RICKY ROMERO vs. TEXAS since 1997
No recent starts.

KEVIN MILLWOOD vs. TORONTO since 1997
MILLWOOD is 1-4 when starting against TORONTO with an ERA of 6.25 and a WHIP of 1.567.
His team's record is 3-5 (-4.2 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 5-3. (+1.6 units)

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DETROIT (32 - 26) at CHI WHITE SOX (27 - 32) - 8:11 PM
JUSTIN VERLANDER (R) vs. JOHN DANKS (L)
Top Trends for this game.
DETROIT is 106-114 (-26.3 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
DETROIT is 40-55 (-25.9 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
DETROIT is 65-76 (-21.6 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
VERLANDER is 8-15 (-12.1 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
CHI WHITE SOX are 12-2 (+10.8 Units) against the money line as a home underdog of +100 to +125 over the last 2 seasons.
CHI WHITE SOX are 37-16 (+16.1 Units) against the money line in home games against division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
CHI WHITE SOX are 110-85 (+14.5 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
DETROIT is 31-20 (+9.3 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
DETROIT is 13-5 (+8.8 Units) against the money line against left-handed starters this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
DETROIT is 3-3 (+0.3 Units) against CHI WHITE SOX this season
4 of 6 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+1.7 Units)

JUSTIN VERLANDER vs. CHI WHITE SOX since 1997
VERLANDER is 2-9 when starting against CHI WHITE SOX with an ERA of 5.90 and a WHIP of 1.368.
His team's record is 3-11 (-10.8 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 10-4. (+5.5 units)

JOHN DANKS vs. DETROIT since 1997
DANKS is 2-1 when starting against DETROIT with an ERA of 4.00 and a WHIP of 1.222.
His team's record is 5-1 (+4.8 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-4. (-2.2 units)

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MINNESOTA (29 - 31) at OAKLAND (26 - 31) - 10:05 PM
FRANCISCO LIRIANO (L) vs. DALLAS BRADEN (L)
Top Trends for this game.
MINNESOTA is 19-39 (-18.4 Units) against the money line as a road underdog of +100 to +125 over the last 3 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 1-10 (-9.2 Units) against the money line in road games against left-handed starters this season.
LIRIANO is 10-16 (-12.0 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
OAKLAND is 195-136 (+57.6 Units) against the money line in June games since 1997.
MINNESOTA is 84-66 (+17.2 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
MINNESOTA is 1-1 (+0.0 Units) against OAKLAND this season
1 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=-0.2 Units, Under=-0.2 Units)

FRANCISCO LIRIANO vs. OAKLAND since 1997
LIRIANO is 1-2 when starting against OAKLAND with an ERA of 6.38 and a WHIP of 1.690.
His team's record is 1-4 (-4.2 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 3-2. (+0.8 units)

DALLAS BRADEN vs. MINNESOTA since 1997
BRADEN is 0-1 when starting against MINNESOTA with an ERA of 3.08 and a WHIP of 1.542.
His team's record is 1-1 (+0.4 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-2. (-2.1 units)

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**pm530** · 06-10-2009, 10:39 AM

MLB

Wednesday, June 10

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Streaking and Slumping Pitchers
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Streaking

Carl Pavano (Cleveland Indians)

Pavano looks to continue his astonishing turnaround and build off his best start in years when he takes the ball for the Indians on Wednesday against the slumping Kansas City Royals.

Following a career-best 18-win season for Florida in 2004, Pavano (6-4, 4.63 ERA) signed a four-year $39.95 million deal with the Yankees. Between several stints on the disabled list and Tommy John surgery in 2007, Pavano made just 26 starts for the Yankees, going 9-8 with a 5.00 ERA.

The right-hander signed a one-year deal with Cleveland (26-34) in the offseason. After going 0-3 with a 9.50 ERA in four April starts, Pavano has gone 6-1 with a 3.00 ERA in his last eight outings.

On Friday, Pavano pitched a three-hitter with two walks and six strikeouts in a 6-0 win over the Chicago White Sox for his fifth career shutout and first since May 17, 2005.

"I think every year is a new year. Obviously I had a good year in '04 but this is a new year for me,'' said Pavano, who leads the Indians in victories and has twice as many as reigning AL Cy Young Award winner Cliff Lee. "I just want to build off of what I've been doing. I've learned from the success that I've had in the past but not dwell too much on it.''

Pavano is 1-1 with a 5.25 ERA in two starts against the Royals (24-33) this season, allowing seven runs while striking out 16 in 12 innings.

Justin Verlander (Detroit Tigers)

After a rough start to the season, Justin Verlander is performing like the guy who was one of the best young pitchers in baseball a few years ago.

On Wednesday night, the right-hander looks to win his seventh straight decision while trying to help the Detroit Tigers to a second consecutive victory over the Chicago White Sox at U.S. Cellular Field.

After finishing 11-17 in 2008, Verlander (6-2, 3.26 ERA) opened this season 0-2 with a 9.00 ERA in his first four starts. Since then, however, he appears back to the form that enabled him to go 35-15 over his first two full seasons in 2006-2007.

The 2006 AL Rookie of the Year is 6-0 with a 1.12 ERA over his last eight outings and earned AL pitcher of the month honors after posting a 5-0 record in six May starts. Verlander is in the midst of his best stretch since going 7-0 with a 1.93 ERA in eight starts from June 17-Aug. 1, 2006.

Verlander gave up four hits while striking out seven and walking four in eight scoreless innings of a 2-1 loss to the Los Angeles Angels on Friday.

"He did everything you could ask and more," manager Jim Leyland told the Tigers' official Web site.

Though Verlander's been stellar this season, he's lost his last three starts against Chicago and is 2-9 with a 5.90 ERA in 14 career starts versus the White Sox.

Slumping

Wandy Rodriguez (Houston Astros)

After an outstanding start to the season, Wandy Rodriguez (5-5, 2.97 ERA) looks to break out of his recent slump.

On May 20, Rodriguez's 1.83 ERA was second-best in the NL, but he's since dropped to 10th. He's yielded 18 runs - 12 earned - in 13 2-3 innings in losing his last three starts after allowing only 13 runs over 59 innings in his first nine.

On Thursday, the left-hander was tagged for a season-high seven runs and 10 hits - including four home runs - in five innings of a 10-3 loss to Colorado.

"I'm missing location, I'm getting behind in the count, I need to throw first strikes,'' Rodriguez said. "My arm is all right. Everything feels strong. I don't know what's happening.''

Rodriguez made his first start of the season against the Cubs on April 7, permitting one run and four hits in six innings of a 3-2, 10-inning win. He's 2-0 with a 0.98 ERA in four home starts versus Chicago since 2006.

Chien-Ming Wang (New York Yankees)

Wang returned from a month on the disabled list with weakness in his hips and delivered three solid relief outings before giving up five runs in 4 2-3 innings of an 8-6 win over Texas on Thursday.

Wang's first start since April 18 was also his best of the year, but it was still a long way from the kind of performance the Yankees have come to expect after Wang went 46-15 with a 3.74 ERA from 2006-08.

Wang said he felt OK on Thursday and was excited to get back into the rotation. Manager Joe Girardi also had good things to say about the right-hander's return.

"I thought he pitched better than his numbers indicated," Girardi said. "I'm not making excuses. I was happy with what I saw. I know people are going to say, 'Oh boy, he gave up five runs.'"

Wang is 6-5 with a 4.82 ERA in his career against the Red Sox. The Yankees have won five of his last six starts in the series.

Debuting

Wade LeBlanc (San Diego Padres)

In the finale at Dodger Stadium, Wade LeBlanc is set to make his first start of the season after being recalled from Triple-A Portland.

Chad Gaudin was originally scheduled to start, but after throwing two innings in Sunday's 18-inning, 9-6 loss to Arizona just two days after making 98 pitches, manager Bud Black announced the right-hander would be pushed back.

"It's a little too much for a fellow to pitch on Friday, Sunday, Wednesday, so we're going to back him off," Black said.

LeBlanc will make his first appearance of the season for the Padres after going 1-3 with a 4.29 ERA in 10 games for the Beavers.

Although the left-hander made only four starts for San Diego last season, he should be familiar with the Dodgers. LeBlanc made three starts against Los Angeles in 2008, going 0-2 with a 9.24 ERA.

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**pm530** · 06-10-2009, 10:58 AM

MLB
Short Sheet

Wednesday, June 10

National League

CINCINNATI at WASHINGTON, 7:05 PM ET
HARANG: CIN 8-1 after scoring 3 or less in BB games
MARTIS: WAS 1-11 after their bullpen allowed zero runs

ST LOUIS at FLORIDA, 7:10 PM ET
WAINWRIGHT: 16-5 TSR when the total is 8 to 8.5
VOLSTAD: FLA 13-4 UNDER after having won 2 of their last 3

PHILADELPHIA at NY METS, 7:10 PM ET
HAMELS: PHI 10-2 AWAY with a money line of -100 to -150
PELFREY: 6-14 TSR after 2+ consecutive wins

PITTSBURGH at ATLANTA, 7:10 PM ET
KARSTENS: PIT 5-1 revenging 2 straight one run losses
JURRJENS: ATL 2-8 at home when the money line is +125 to -125

CHICAGO CUBS at HOUSTON, 8:05 PM ET
ZAMBRANO: 18-4 TSR AWAY when the total is 8.5 to 10
RODRIGUEZ: HOU 13-23 against division opponents

COLORADO at MILWAUKEE, 8:05 PM ET
DE LA ROSA: COL 10-3 after 6+ consecutive wins
BUSH: MIL 18-6 UNDER after a team loss

SAN FRANCISCO at ARIZONA, 9:40 PM ET
ZITO: SF 18-9 when the money line is +125 to -125
DAVIS: ARI 5-12 at home with a money line of -100 to -150

SAN DIEGO at LA DODGERS, 10:10 PM ET
LEBLANC: SD 5-15 after having lost 2 of their last 3
KERSHAW: LAD 26-9 against division opponents

American League

SEATTLE at BALTIMORE, 7:05 PM ET
HERNANDEZ: 15-5 TSR as an underdog
GUTHRIE: BAL 13-34 after having lost 4 of their last 5

LA ANGELS at TAMPA BAY, 7:08 PM ET
LACKEY: LAA 57-30 when the total is 9 to 9.5
NIEMANN: TB 6-20 when the money line is +125 to -125

KANSAS CITY at CLEVELAND, 7:05 PM ET
MECHE: 16-5 UNDER as a road underdog of +100 to +150
PAVANO: 51-32 TSR against division opponents

NY YANKEES at BOSTON, 7:10 PM ET
WANG: NYY 16-4 UNDER AWAY with double revenge
WAKEFIELD: BOS 31-8 at home when the total is 10+

TORONTO at TEXAS, 8:05 PM ET
ROMERO: TOR 36-70 AWAY after 3+ consecutive wins
MILLWOOD: TEX 13-6 after having lost 2 of their last 3

DETROIT at CHI WHITE SOX, 8:11 PM ET
VERLANDER: DET 13-5 against left-handed starters
DANKS: CHW 22-7 UNDER at home when the total is 8.5 to 10

MINNESOTA at OAKLAND, 10:05 PM ET
LIRIANO: MIN 1-10 AWAY against left-handed starters
BRADEN: OAK 23-9 UNDER after allowing 10+ runs

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**pm530** · 06-10-2009, 11:17 AM

MLB

Wednesday, June 10

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Tips and Trends
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New York Yankees at Boston Red Sox [7:10 PM ET]

Yankees: Based on the history of the two starting pitchers, Chien-Ming Wang and Tim Wakefield, expect a lot of runs. Wang returned to the Yankees’ rotation last week after being on the DL. That may not be a good thing for New York considering Wang is 0-3 with a 14.46 ERA. He is 3-3 with a 5.11 ERA when pitching at Fenway Park during his career. Wang is 6-5 with a 4.82 ERA in his career against the Red Sox. The Yankees have won 20 of their last 27 games, but are 0-6 versus Boston this season. The last time the Red Sox opened the season beating New York six straight was 1912. The Yankees’ relief pitchers have a combined 4.88 ERA, compared to Boston’s bullpen that has a major-league best 2.76 ERA. The Yankees are missing injured setup men Brian Bruney – expected to return next week – and Damaso Marte.

The Yankees are 5-1 in Chien-Ming Wang’s last six starts versus Boston.
The Over is 11-4-1 in Wang’s last 16 road starts against a team with a winning record.

Key Injuries - Relief pitchers Brian Bruney (elbow) and Damaso Marte (shoulder) are on the DL.

PROJECTED SCORE: 5

Red Sox (-$1.40, O/U 11 under -$1.15): Tim Wakefield has been strong pitching at Fenway Park this season going 4-0 with a 3.00 ERA. However, he is 10-17 lifetime versus the Yankees with a 5.03 ERA. Boston is 8-17 in Wakefield’s past 25 starts against foes with a winning mark. Wakefield is 0-5 with a 7.56 ERA during his past seven home starts against the Yankees. Wakefield was tough in his last start, giving up three runs in 6 2/3 innings in a victory over Detroit. Wakefield struck out three and didn’t walk a batter. David Ortiz is batting just .198, but has hit two homers in the last three games. Ortiz is 7-for-23 (.304) with seven RBI’s against New York. He has a .444 batting average against Wang. Boston is averaging 7.5 runs against the Yankees. If you discount the 11 runs New York scored in a 16-11 loss, the Yankees are averaging 2.4 runs versus Boston.

The Under has cashed in the Red Sox’s last 8 games against a right-handed starter.

Key Injuries - Jacob Ellsbury is day-to-day with a shoulder injury.
Jed Lowrie (wrist) is on the DL.

PROJECTED SCORE: 6 (Side of the Day)

Chicago Cubs at Houston Astros [8:05 PM ET]

Cubs (-$1.15, O/U 8.5): After averaging just three runs in their last five games, the Cubs have scored 13 runs in their last two games. A key factor has been Derrek Lee, who is batting .375 during a season-high eight-game hitting streak. Lee should stay hot based on his history against Astros starter Wandy Rodriguez. Career-wise, Lee is 12-for-24 versus Rodriguez with five extra base hits and six walks. The Cubs are 7-1 in their past eight games in Houston. Cubs starter Carlos Zambrano has a strong history versus Houston. Zambrano has yielded one run or fewer in nine of his last 13 starts against the Astros. He is 8-2 with a 1.96 ERA during this span versus Houston. Zambrano no-hit the Astros last Sept. 14. He also beat them opening day of this season, 4-2, allowing one run on five hits in six innings. The Cubs are 40-15 in Zambrano’s last 55 away starts.

The Under has cashed 10 of the last 11 times in Zambrano’s last 11 road starts against Houston.
The Cubs are 3-8 in their past 11 away matchups.

Key Injuries - Aramis Ramirez (shoulder) and Rich Harden (back) are on the DL.

PROJECTED SCORE: 5

Astros: Wandy Rodriguez always has been a top home pitcher, but lately the Astros lefty is struggling. After giving up only 12 earned runs in his first 63 innings this season, Rodriguez has been roughed up. He’s 0-3 in his last three starts, while allowing 18 runs on 29 hits and five walks in 14 2/3 innings. In his last home start, which was Thursday against Colorado, Rodriguez surrendered a season-high seven earned runs on 10 hits in five innings. The Rockies tagged him for four home runs in the Astros’ 10-3 loss. In the last three weeks, Rodriguez’s ERA has gone from 1.83 to 2.97. “I’m missing location,” Rodriguez said. “I’m getting behind in the count, I need to throw first strikes. My arm is all right. Everything feels strong. I don’t know what’s happening.” The Astros have lost 13 of the past 19 times as a home ‘dog.

The Under has cashed 8 of the past 10 times in Rodriguez’s home starts.
The Under is 5-0 in Rodriguez’s last five home starts versus the Cubs.

Key Injuries - Kaz Matsui (hamstring) and Jose Valverde (calf) are on the DL.

PROJECTED SCORE: 4 (OVER - Total of the Day)

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**pm530** · 06-10-2009, 11:20 AM

WNBA
Long Sheet

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Wednesday, June 10
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WASHINGTON (2 - 0) at DETROIT (1 - 1) - 6/10/2009, 7:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
WASHINGTON is 160-209 ATS (-69.9 Units) in all games since 1997.
WASHINGTON is 97-133 ATS (-49.3 Units) as an underdog since 1997.
WASHINGTON is 79-107 ATS (-38.7 Units) in road games since 1997.
WASHINGTON is 116-149 ATS (-47.9 Units) in May, June, or July games since 1997.
WASHINGTON is 15-30 ATS (-18.0 Units) on Wednesday since 1997.
WASHINGTON is 1-8 ATS (-7.8 Units) when playing with 2 days rest over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 101-133 ATS (-45.3 Units) vs. division opponents since 1997.
WASHINGTON is 99-132 ATS (-46.2 Units) after a division game since 1997.
DETROIT is 6-0 ATS (+6.0 Units) off an upset win as an underdog over the last 3 seasons.
DETROIT is 4-17 ATS (-14.7 Units) after allowing 55 points or less since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
DETROIT is 5-2 against the spread versus WASHINGTON over the last 3 seasons
DETROIT is 7-1 straight up against WASHINGTON over the last 3 seasons
5 of 7 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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LOS ANGELES (1 - 1) at MINNESOTA (2 - 0) - 6/10/2009, 8:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
LOS ANGELES is 8-19 ATS (-12.9 Units) after a non-conference game over the last 3 seasons.
LOS ANGELES is 18-9 ATS (+8.1 Units) as a favorite over the last 2 seasons.
LOS ANGELES is 16-7 ATS (+8.3 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 2-9 ATS (-7.9 Units) after a win by 10 points or more over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
MINNESOTA is 4-3 against the spread versus LOS ANGELES over the last 3 seasons
LOS ANGELES is 4-3 straight up against MINNESOTA over the last 3 seasons
5 of 7 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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NEW YORK (0 - 1) at PHOENIX (1 - 0) - 6/10/2009, 10:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
PHOENIX is 116-83 ATS (+24.7 Units) in home games since 1997.
PHOENIX is 47-29 ATS (+15.1 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a losing record since 1997.
NEW YORK is 60-38 ATS (+18.2 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
NEW YORK is 3-1 against the spread versus PHOENIX over the last 3 seasons
NEW YORK is 3-1 straight up against PHOENIX over the last 3 seasons
2 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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**pm530** · 06-10-2009, 11:21 AM

WNBA

Wednesday, June 10

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Lady Luck: WNBA best bets
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Washington Mystics at Detroit Shock (-5.5, 145)

The Detroit Shock will have to wait a little while longer to start playing with their full roster. If they perform like they did in their home opener, though, the defending WNBA champions should be just fine.

Detroit looks for another dominating performance at The Palace on Wednesday night when it goes for its seventh straight victory over the Washington Mystics.

After flashing their championship rings and watching the banner raised to the rafters above their home floor Monday night, the Shock (1-1) put on a fitting performance, pounding Los Angeles 81-52. Detroit bounced back from a 78-58 defeat to the Sparks on Saturday that was the franchise's worst-ever season-opening loss.

"I think we all got a lot of energy from the ring ceremony," guard Deanna Nolan said. "We were angry after the way we played out there, and we fixed a lot of those things tonight."

Nolan scored a team-high 27 points for the Shock, who were without Cheryl Ford, Kara Braxton and Plenette Pierson.

Braxton is serving a six-game suspension for pleading guilty to a drunken driving charge, Ford is recovering from offseason ACL surgery and Pierson's right shoulder was injured in the season opener.

"We'd gone through the exhibition games with Plenette and Kara, and then we suddenly had a different roster," veteran forward Katie Smith said after scoring 17 points Monday.

Washington, off to the first 2-0 start in franchise history, tries for its first win at The Palace since a 69-55 victory June 24, 2005.

The Mystics defeated Atlanta 77-71 on Sunday behind Alana Beard's 27 points. Washington also received solid play from reserves Matee Ajavon, Tasha Humphrey and Marissa Coleman, who each hit a pair of 3s to help the Mystics outscore the Dream 30-8 in the second quarter.

Pick: Under

New York Liberty at Phoenix Mercury (-6.5, 168)

The Mercury, who led the league in scoring the past three seasons, had just 10 first-quarter points Saturday but made 53.3 percent from the field in the final three quarters.

"We started off shooting the ball bad - pitiful," Phoenix coach Corey Gaines said of his team's 20 percent first-quarter shooting. "But I knew that wouldn't last."

Cappie Pondexter, who finished second in the league in scoring to Taurasi last season, had 23 points, while rookie DeWanna Bonner added 16 and 11 rebounds off the bench.

New York (0-1) is coming off Sunday's 66-57 loss to Connecticut at Madison Square Garden. The Liberty fell to 3-10 in season openers as they shot 16.7 percent (4 of 24) from 3-point range, including 0 for 9 in the third quarter.

"We were 3-point shot happy," New York coach Pat Coyle said. "We have to do something differently."

Coyle also was annoyed by her team getting outrebounded 47-33 by the Sun.

Pick: Phoenix

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Announcement

Wednesday Trends and Indexes 6/10 (MLB, WNBA, Misc.)

Wednesday Trends and Indexes 6/10 (MLB, WNBA, Misc.)

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