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**pm530** · 06-25-2009, 03:04 AM

Daily Sports Roundup

Thursday, June 25

Today in the Daily Sports Roundup: The Cards and Mets finish off their series, the Yankees take on the Braves, and the PGA Tour goes to TPC River Highlands.

Meeting up on the diamond . . .

The Cardinals and Mets will both send their aces to the mound on Thursday afternoon when the teams close out their four-game series in New York. St. Louis will go with Chris Carpenter (5-1, 1.53 ERA), who has given up three or fewer earned runs in each of his nine starts so far this season; the righthander beat the Royals last time out. New York's Johan Santana (8-5, 3.22 ERA) has been tagged with the loss in his last two starts, surrendering 11 runs in 10 1-3 innings.

Meanwhile, the Red Sox will send John Smoltz (0-0, 0.00 ERA) to the mound on Sunday to take on the Nationals and Jordan Zimmerman (2-3, 5.03 ERA). Righthander Smoltz will be brought back from the disabled list to make his Boston debut in that contest, having spent the last few months recovering from shoulder surgery. Righthander Zimmerman has given up just two earned runs over 10 2-3 innings in his last two starts, but settled for a no-decision both times.

And the Orioles will be trying to get a second straight win from Rich Hill (3-1, 5.18 ERA) on Thursday night when they conclude their series in Florida. Lefthander Hill knocked off the Phillies in his last trip to the mound, holding them to two earned runs on five hits over 6 2-3 innings of work. The Marlins will counter with Sean West (2-2, 3.97 ERA); the lefthander was knocked around for five earned runs on 10 hits over four innings pitched in a loss to the Yankees last Friday night.

Also on the MLB slate for Thursday: the Dodgers at the White Sox, the Cubs at Detroit, Kansas City at Houston, Minnesota at Milwaukee, San Diego at Seattle, Cleveland at Pittsburgh, Cincinnati at Toronto, Philadelphia at Tampa Bay, Texas at Arizona, and the Yankees at Atlanta. That last matchup will see New York's Andy Pettitte (7-3, 4.26 ERA) battle with the Braves' Derek Lowe (7-5, 4.09 ERA).

Rounding out the Roundup . . .

U.S. Open champion Lucas Glover is pegged as 20/1 odds to claim back-to-back victories this week at the Travelers Championship at TPC River Highlands. Sergio Garcia is listed as the 8/1 Vegas favorite for the tournament, with David Toms at 10/1, and Kenny Perry at 12/1. Stewart Cink, who won the Travelers Championship last year, is tied with Zach Johnson, Justin Leonard, and Anthony Kim at 15/1 odds. Hunter Mahan and Vijay Singh are with Glover at 20/1 to win.

Finally, the lone WNBA game on the Thursday schedule has Phoenix at Washington. The Mercury are coming off a 91-87 loss in San Antonio on Tuesday night, with Cappie Pondexter pouring in a game-high 26 points for Phoenix in that win. The Mystics pulled out an 81-72 win over Chicago in their last game; Washington received 31 points from Alana Beard in that home victory.

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**pm530** · 06-25-2009, 03:05 AM

Six-pack for Thursday

-- 83,047 fans jammed Washington's ballpark the last two nights, but problem is, most of them were rooting for the visiting Red Sox.

-- MLB better outlaw maple bats before someone loses an eye-- Nick Green of Boston had ball roll through his legs because he was dodging broken half of a bat that was flying at him. They're not safe.

-- Magglio Ordonez has his $18M option for 2010 kick in if he gets to 540 plate appearances this year, so scumweasel agent Broas wasn't a happy guy when Ordonez recently sat five games in a row. Too bad.

-- LSU won College World Series, beating Texas Longhorns, 9-4.

-- Manny Ramirez went 0-1 with a walk in Albuquerque's 8-3 loss to Nashville, in front off 13,076 fans in the Land of Enchantment. Game wound up going 15 innings-- Manny was probably back in LA before it ended. Profitable couple nights for the Albuquerque franchise.

-- Cliff Lee leads major leagues, getting one-pitch outs 45 times. In the age of pitch counts, one-pitch outs are way better than strikeouts.

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Wednesday's List of 13: Cleaning out a cluttered mind........

Thursday's List of 13: Playing uniform number association.....

This is purely objective, but these are players I associate with certain numbers-- I probably left out some obvious ones. Make your own lists and see what you come up with.........I'll go in numerical order.......

4-- Gehrig, Favre, Orr-- Bobby Orr revolutionized hockey, rushing the puck the length of the ice, through the entire team, to set up chances for the Bruins. Too bad his knees were so bad-- I met him in 1986-- he was in a charity softball game, but his knees were so bad he hit fly balls so he wouldn't have to run them out. A very nice man.

7-- Elway, Mantle, Esposito, Roethlisberger-- Elway somehow survived a summer in Oneonta to become one of the all-time greats. Big Ben shot an 81 at Bethpage Black recently. Must be nice to have skills.

8-- Ripken, Berra, Steve Young, Aikman-- Kids in Baltimore can't wear number 8, because everyone wanted it and there were lot of disputes, so they just retired the number. Now thats quite an honor.

9-- Ted Williams, Howe, Bobby Hull, Brees-- Imagine the numbers Ted Williams would've put up if he didn't miss five years in his prime to go serve in the Korean War? Or if he played home games where right field fence was closer than it is at Fenway?

11-- Messier, IThomas, JRollins, Fitzgerald-- Despite his horrendous record as an executive, Isiah was a great player. Messier is a god in New York because he guaranteed a title, then came through in heroic style.

12-- Staubach, Bradshaw, Brady, Kelly-- The best QB number-- to this day, Elway and Roger Staubach are best QBs I've seen, but Brady has been climbing the list pretty quickly. Don't underestimate Bradshaw, a winner of four Super Bowls-- he only acts dumb.
13-- Wilt Chamberlain, Warner, Marino, Nash-- Wilt got made at people who said he was selfish, so he led the NBA in assists the next year. He was that freakin' good. I love watching Steve Nash play, and now he can play next year without Shaq clogging up the middle.

20-- Barry Sanders, Billy Sims, Lem Barney-- Has one number on the same team ever been worn by three better players? I don't think so.

21-- Clemente, Tomlinson, DWilkins-- If Dominique Wilkins played for a winning team, or in New York, he would be an icon to this day-- thats how good he was. Clemente and Pete Rose are two best baseball players I've ever seen (Hank Aaron, too).

32-- Magic Johnson, Jim Brown, OJ Simpson, Sandy Koufax-- OJ was a great, great player, no matter what he did after football. Koufax pitched a shutout in Game 7 of '65 series, on two days' rest. An amazing feat.

34-- Shaquille O'Neal, Rollie Fingers, Earl Campbell-- Shaq just got dealt to Cleveland as I was typing this. Earl Campbell was an awesome back; look up some of his runs on Youtube-- tough as nails.

56-- Lawrence Taylor-- I'm not a Giant fan, but when I see number 56 anywhere, I think of LT, who made so many big plays as a pass rushing linebacker from the outside. Even when I see Mark Buehrle pitching for the White Sox, I see his number 56 and I think of LT, maybe because I am from New York and we saw all his games and he was always in the papers. Taylor wore number 98 as a college player at North Carolina.

75-- Deacon Jones, Mean Joe Greene, Howie Long-- If I was a lineman who played defense, I'd damn sure want to wear either 75 or 85 (Jack Youngblood's number). When I was a little kid, Deacon Jones was just the best, crushing opposing QBs. I'd be thrilled if Howie Long's son is close to as good a player as his dad was.

From: Armadillo
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**pm530** · 06-25-2009, 05:01 AM

MLB
Baseball Today

SCOREBOARD

Thursday, June 25

St. Louis at New York Mets (1:10 p.m. EDT). Johan Santana will look for only his second win in five starts when he faces St. Louis ace Chris Carpenter. Santana rebounded from the worst start of his career, but lost to Tampa Bay 3-1 on Sunday. Carpenter hasn't given up more than three runs in any start this season.

Boston at Washington (7:05 p.m. EDT). John Smoltz will make his season debut for the Red Sox as they try and complete a three-game sweep of the Nationals. It will mark the end of a long rehab that has sidelined him for more than a year after shoulder surgery last June.

STARS

Wednesday

-Randy Johnson, Giants, won his 302nd game, allowing one run on six hits in San Francisco's 6-3 win over Oakland.

-David Ortiz, Red Sox, got his 1,000th RBI and Boston won for a second straight night in its first regular-season visit to Washington since 1971 with a 6-4 victory over the Nationals.

-Vladimir Guerrero, Angels, ended a 28-game home run drought and had three RBIs in Los Angeles' 11-3 win over Colorado.

-Josh Fields, White Sox, who entered the game in an 0-for-16 slump, hit two of Chicago's season-high six homers in a 10-7 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers.

-Francisco Cervelli, Yankees, hit his first career homer to break New York's 14-inning scoring drought in an 8-4 win over Atlanta.

-Miguel Olivo, Royals, homered on the first pitch in the 11th inning and Kansas City won its second straight after snapping a five-game losing streak with a 4-3 victory over Houston.

-Fernando Nieve, Mets, pitched six scoreless innings to extend his improbable stint with New York in a 11-0 win over St. Louis.

-Franklin Gutierrez, Mariners, led off the eighth inning with a home run off reliever Edward Mujica, and Seattle won its 19th one-run game of the season with a 4-3 victory over San Diego.

MANNY WATCH

Manny Ramirez played his second minor league game as he prepares for his return to the Dodgers on July 3 after serving a 50-game suspension. Ramirez grounded out and walked, making him hitless in three at-bats during his two games in Albuquerque with the Los Angels Dodgers' top farm club. He also ran to catch a fly and fielded a ball off the left-field wall.

SABATHIA START

New York Yankees ace CC Sabathia threw in the bullpen before Wednesday's game against the Atlanta Braves and said he'll be ready to start the opener of a weekend series against the New York Mets. Sabathia threw 27 pitches after leaving his last start with tightness in his left biceps.

STRANGE ENDING

Jason Kendall's two-out double in the eighth inning tied the game and the Milwaukee catcher hustled on two throwing errors to score, giving the Brewers an unlikely 4-3 victory over the Minnesota Twins.

AILING SHEFF

Gary Sheffield had a cortisone shot behind his right knee Wednesday and was held out of the depleted New York Mets' lineup for the third straight game. Sheffield had already missed the Mets' first two games of their four-game series against the St. Louis Cardinals and will likely be out until Friday when they play the Yankees. Manager Jerry Manuel said Sheffield was available to pinch hit but there was no plan to place the slugging outfielder on the Mets' crowded disabled list.

STATS

Indians starter Carl Pavano gave up 11 hits and eight runs, three earned, in 3 2-3 innings. Pavano appeared to be on his way to a good season after winning six of seven decisions from May 1-June 5, but he has a 12.15 ERA in his last three starts.

SIDELINED

The Florida Marlins placed closer Matt Lindstrom on the 15-day disabled list Wednesday with a sprained right elbow, one day after he blew a three-run lead. ... Reds right-hander Edinson Volquez's plans to throw on Wednesday were shut down after an MRI last week revealed the inflammation in his elbow has not subsided.

SLUMPING

Twins catcher Joe Mauer ended a season-high 12 at-bat hitless streak with a single in the seventh inning of Minnesota's 4-3 loss to Milwaukee. He finished 1 for 3 with two walks, dropping his average to .394.

SPEAKING

"This is not the old or the new or the done. It's just a new chapter in which when I have a baseball in my hand, I feel like I can make a pitch and do the things I have to do to take the sting out of the bat. And if that's the case, we'll progress and keep getting better every time out. But tomorrow is just one rung in the ladder to try and climb as far as I can to see how good I can be, and really at the end of the day to be in position to pitch in the playoffs.''- Red Sox pitcher John Smoltz, who will make his season debut on Thursday against the Nationals after missing more than a year following shoulder surgery.

SEASONS

June 25

1934 - Pitcher John Broaca tied a major league record by striking out five consecutive times but pitched the Yankees to an 11-2 victory over the Chicago White Sox. Lou Gehrig had better luck at the plate, hitting for the cycle.

1937 - Augie Galan of Chicago became the first National League switch-hitter to hit home runs from both sides of the plate as the Cubs beat the Brooklyn Dodgers 11-2.

1950 - Chicago's Hank Sauer hit two home runs and two doubles to pace the Cubs to an 11-8 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies.

1961 - Baltimore and California used a major league record 16 pitchers, eight by each side, as the Orioles edged the Angels 9-8 on Ron Hansen's 14th-inning homer.

1968 - Bobby Bonds, in his first major league game, hit a grand slam off John Purdin to help San Francisco to a 9-0 win over Los Angeles.

1998 - Sammy Sosa broke the major league record for homers in a month, hitting his 19th of June leading off the seventh inning of the Cubs' 6-4 loss to Detroit. Sosa passed the mark set by Detroit's Rudy York in August 1937.

1999 - Jose Jimenez, a rookie right-hander having one of the worst seasons of any NL pitcher, threw St. Louis' first no-hitter in 16 seasons, outdueling Randy Johnson in a 1-0 victory over Arizona.

2002 - History was made when Luis Pujols' Detroit Tigers took the field against Tony Pena's Kansas City Royals. Pujols and Pena became the first Dominican-born managers to oppose each other in a major league game.

2004 - Larry Walker hit three home runs - the third in the 10th inning - in Colorado's 10-8 victory over Cleveland.

2007 - A fan charged at Bob Howry during the Cubs' 10-9 win over Colorado, after the reliever helped blow an 8-3 lead in the ninth inning. Howry gave up back-to-back RBI singles to Garrett Atkins and Brad Hawpe and a three-run homer to Troy Tulowitzki. The fan then jumped onto the field from the roof of the Rockies' dugout and made it a few feet from the mound before security guards tackled him. Howry earned the victory when Alfonso Soriano hit a game-ending two-run single in the bottom of the inning.

Today's birthdays: Paul Maholm 27; Aramis Ramirez 31; Luke Scott 31; Carlos Delgado 37.

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**pm530** · 06-25-2009, 05:01 AM

MLB
This Day in Baseball

On June 25 in Baseball History...

1903 - Boston Beaneater Wiley Piatt becomes the only 20th-century pitcher to lose two complete games in one day, falling to Pittsburgh 1-0 and 5-3.

1968 - San Francisco rookie Bobby Bonds becomes the second player to debut with a grand slam as teammate Ray Sadecki blanks the Dodgers 9-0. Bonds does it on his third at-bat. The only other player to hit a grand slam in his first major-league game was William Duggelby of the Philadelphia Nationals in 1898.

1976 - Ranger Toby Harrah becomes the first shortstop in major-league history to go through an entire doubleheader without a fielding chance. At the plate, Harrah makes up for the inactivity, collecting six hits, including a grand slam in the opener and another round-tripper in the nightcap. The Rangers beat the White Sox in the first game 8-4, but lose the nightcap 14-9.

1986 - The Phillies give 41-year-old Steve Carlton his unconditional release and call up Bruce Ruffin to take his place in the starting rotation.

1988 - Cal Ripken, Jr. plays in his 1,000th consecutive game, a 10-3 loss to Boston. Ripken's streak is the sixth-longest in major-league history.

1989 - The Mets' defense does not record a single assist in a 5-1 win over Philadelphia, tying the major-league record set by the Indians in 1945. New York pitchers retire the Phillies on 13 strikeouts, 12 fly outs, and two ground balls to first base.

1995 - Rockies first baseman Andres Galarraga becomes the fourth player to homer in three consecutive innings in an 11-3 win over the Padres. Galarraga, who had seven RBI in the game, went deep in the sixth, seventh and eighth innings and was on deck when the Rockies were retired in the ninth.

1997 - The Brewers scarcely even sniff a hit before Jose Valentin cues Mike Mussina's first offering of the eighth inning off the end of the bat into short right field for a single in Baltimore's 9-1 win. It marks the second time in less than a month that the Orioles ace righthander flirts with a no-hitter deep into a game. Mussina retired the first 25 Cleveland hitters at Camden Yards on May 30 before Sandy Alomar's one-out single in the ninth.

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**pm530** · 06-25-2009, 05:12 AM

MLB
Long Sheet

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Thursday, June 25
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ST LOUIS (40 - 32) at NY METS (35 - 34) - 1:10 PM
CHRIS CARPENTER (R) vs. JOHAN SANTANA (L)
Top Trends for this game.
ST LOUIS is 126-108 (+12.3 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
ST LOUIS is 126-108 (+12.3 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
NY METS are 18-21 (-14.7 Units) against the money line in home games in day games over the last 2 seasons.
NY METS are 81-80 (-15.4 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
SANTANA is 2-8 (-8.4 Units) against the money line in June games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
ST LOUIS is 4-1 (+2.9 Units) against NY METS this season
3 of 5 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+1.0 Units)

CHRIS CARPENTER vs. NY METS since 1997
CARPENTER is 1-4 when starting against NY METS with an ERA of 5.29 and a WHIP of 1.412.
His team's record is 2-4 (-2.7 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-4. (-2.4 units)

JOHAN SANTANA vs. ST LOUIS since 1997
SANTANA is 1-0 when starting against ST LOUIS with an ERA of 1.00 and a WHIP of 0.778.
His team's record is 1-0 (+1.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-0. (+1.0 units)

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CHICAGO CUBS (34 - 33) at DETROIT (39 - 31) - 1:05 PM
TED LILLY (L) vs. ARMANDO GALARRAGA (R)
Top Trends for this game.
CHICAGO CUBS are 991-1042 (-192.2 Units) against the money line in all games since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 292-335 (-93.7 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 148-207 (-62.8 Units) against the money line on the road when the total is 9 to 9.5 since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 934-958 (-170.0 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field since 1997.
DETROIT is 34-15 (+16.8 Units) against the money line in an inter-league game over the last 3 seasons.
DETROIT is 18-7 (+10.3 Units) against the money line in day games this season.
DETROIT is 38-25 (+10.7 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
DETROIT is 68-43 (+20.8 Units) against the money line against left-handed starters over the last 3 seasons.
GALARRAGA is 13-2 (+10.4 Units) against the money line in day games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
LILLY is 32-16 (+12.3 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
LILLY is 15-4 (+11.2 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
DETROIT is 113-119 (-24.9 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.

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

TED LILLY vs. DETROIT since 1997
LILLY is 2-3 when starting against DETROIT with an ERA of 3.86 and a WHIP of 1.018.
His team's record is 3-3 (-0.6 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-4. (-2.4 units)

ARMANDO GALARRAGA vs. CHICAGO CUBS since 1997
No recent starts.

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LA DODGERS (47 - 24) at CHI WHITE SOX (33 - 37) - 2:05 PM
CHAD BILLINGSLEY (R) vs. CLAYTON RICHARD (L)
Top Trends for this game.
CHI WHITE SOX are 116-90 (+16.7 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
LA DODGERS are 47-24 (+20.5 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
LA DODGERS are 22-14 (+10.2 Units) against the money line in road games this season.
LA DODGERS are 47-24 (+20.5 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
LA DODGERS are 25-12 (+10.5 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
BILLINGSLEY is 7-0 (+8.1 Units) against the money line in road games when playing on Thursday over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
LA DODGERS is 1-0 (+1.1 Units) against CHI WHITE SOX this season
1 of 1 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+1.0 Units)

CHAD BILLINGSLEY vs. CHI WHITE SOX since 1997
No recent starts.

CLAYTON RICHARD vs. LA DODGERS since 1997
No recent starts.

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KANSAS CITY (30 - 39) at HOUSTON (32 - 36) - 2:05 PM
BRIAN BANNISTER (R) vs. BRIAN MOEHLER (R)
Top Trends for this game.
KANSAS CITY is 32-55 (-19.8 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 over the last 2 seasons.
KANSAS CITY is 58-88 (-26.9 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
KANSAS CITY is 12-22 (-12.0 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
HOUSTON is 118-111 (+19.8 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 60-52 (+15.9 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 35-29 (+13.5 Units) against the money line in day games over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 114-109 (+15.6 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 86-83 (+11.7 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 56-40 (+16.5 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
MOEHLER is 22-15 (+12.9 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
MOEHLER is 21-15 (+11.0 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
BANNISTER is 13-6 (+9.5 Units) against the money line in day games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)

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

BRIAN BANNISTER vs. HOUSTON since 1997
No recent starts.

BRIAN MOEHLER vs. KANSAS CITY since 1997
MOEHLER is 2-1 when starting against KANSAS CITY with an ERA of 4.62 and a WHIP of 1.795.
His team's record is 4-3 (+1.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 3-2. (+0.6 units)

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MINNESOTA (36 - 36) at MILWAUKEE (37 - 33) - 2:05 PM
SCOTT BAKER (R) vs. MIKE BURNS (R)
Top Trends for this game.
MINNESOTA is 21-4 (+18.8 Units) against the money line when playing with a day off over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 23-8 (+15.7 Units) against the money line in an inter-league game over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
MINNESOTA is 4-0 (+4.0 Units) against MILWAUKEE this season
2 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+0.2 Units)

SCOTT BAKER vs. MILWAUKEE since 1997
BAKER is 3-2 when starting against MILWAUKEE with an ERA of 5.01 and a WHIP of 1.144.
His team's record is 3-2 (+1.2 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-3. (-1.4 units)

MIKE BURNS vs. MINNESOTA since 1997
No recent starts.

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SAN DIEGO (31 - 38) at SEATTLE (35 - 35) - 4:40 PM
WADE LEBLANC (L) vs. JARROD WASHBURN (L)
Top Trends for this game.
SAN DIEGO is 94-136 (-39.7 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
SAN DIEGO is 38-76 (-28.9 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
SAN DIEGO is 6-22 (-17.2 Units) against the money line in an inter-league game over the last 2 seasons.
SAN DIEGO is 94-136 (-39.7 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
SEATTLE is 96-136 (-37.7 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
SEATTLE is 88-125 (-36.6 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
WASHBURN is 12-27 (-14.4 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
WASHBURN is 6-12 (-13.5 Units) against the money line as a home favorite of -150 to -175 since 1997. (Team's Record)
WASHBURN is 8-27 (-19.8 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
SAN DIEGO 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=+1.8 Units)

WADE LEBLANC vs. SEATTLE since 1997
No recent starts.

JARROD WASHBURN vs. SAN DIEGO since 1997
WASHBURN is 2-0 when starting against SAN DIEGO with an ERA of 3.37 and a WHIP of 1.125.
His team's record is 3-1 (+2.3 units) in these starts. The OVER is 3-1. (+1.9 units)

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CINCINNATI (34 - 35) at TORONTO (39 - 33) - 7:07 PM
JOHNNY CUETO (R) vs. BRETT CECIL (L)
Top Trends for this game.
TORONTO is 93-75 (+11.9 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
CINCINNATI is 466-541 (+44.4 Units) against the money line in road games since 1997.
CINCINNATI is 309-352 (+32.4 Units) against the money line in road games in night games since 1997.

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

JOHNNY CUETO vs. TORONTO since 1997
No recent starts.

BRETT CECIL vs. CINCINNATI since 1997
No recent starts.

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CLEVELAND (30 - 42) at PITTSBURGH (31 - 39) - 7:05 PM
CLIFF LEE (L) vs. ROSS OHLENDORF (R)
Top Trends for this game.
CLEVELAND is 30-42 (-13.4 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
CLEVELAND is 10-21 (-14.8 Units) against the money line in an inter-league game over the last 2 seasons.
CLEVELAND is 23-35 (-14.0 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
LEE is 4-10 (-7.5 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season. (Team's Record)
PITTSBURGH is 361-344 (+35.8 Units) against the money line in home games in night games since 1997.
LEE is 31-14 (+16.7 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 since 1997. (Team's Record)
LEE is 52-37 (+18.6 Units) against the money line in road games since 1997. (Team's Record)
LEE is 22-9 (+13.4 Units) against the money line in June games since 1997. (Team's Record)
LEE is 18-5 (+15.7 Units) against the money line when playing on Thursday since 1997. (Team's Record)
LEE is 15-3 (+10.8 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)

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

CLIFF LEE vs. PITTSBURGH since 1997
No recent starts.

ROSS OHLENDORF vs. CLEVELAND since 1997
No recent starts.

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BOSTON (43 - 27) at WASHINGTON (20 - 48) - 7:05 PM
JOHN SMOLTZ (R) vs. JORDAN ZIMMERMANN (R)
Top Trends for this game.
WASHINGTON is 100-100 (+30.1 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 over the last 3 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 58-45 (+20.0 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 9 to 9.5 over the last 3 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 67-44 (+27.7 Units) against the money line in home games in an inter-league game since 1997.
BOSTON is 144-99 (+19.0 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 30-11 (+15.5 Units) against the money line when playing on Thursday over the last 3 seasons.
BOSTON is 10-0 (+10.4 Units) against the money line when playing with a day off this season.
BOSTON is 39-20 (+11.7 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
BOSTON is 103-68 (+17.5 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 60-31 (+20.8 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 20-48 (-24.1 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
WASHINGTON is 12-24 (-12.4 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
WASHINGTON is 20-45 (-21.1 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
WASHINGTON is 14-34 (-18.1 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
WASHINGTON is 14-34 (-16.6 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
WASHINGTON is 12-32 (-16.0 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
BOSTON is 1-0 (+1.0 Units) against WASHINGTON this season
1 of 1 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+1.1 Units)

JOHN SMOLTZ vs. WASHINGTON since 1997
SMOLTZ is 12-5 when starting against WASHINGTON with an ERA of 2.33 and a WHIP of 0.930.
His team's record is 17-7 (+4.1 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 12-12. (-1.1 units)

JORDAN ZIMMERMANN vs. BOSTON since 1997
No recent starts.

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PHILADELPHIA (37 - 31) at TAMPA BAY (37 - 35) - 7:08 PM
ANTONIO BASTARDO (L) vs. ANDY SONNANSTINE (R)
Top Trends for this game.
TAMPA BAY is 142-108 (+24.6 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 83-40 (+30.3 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 84-43 (+27.7 Units) against the money line in games played in a dome over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 88-48 (+27.0 Units) against the money line in games played on artificial turf over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 46-20 (+21.6 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 22-13 (+11.7 Units) against the money line as a road underdog of +100 to +125 over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 24-9 (+17.7 Units) against the money line in road games this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 17-8 (+9.6 Units) against the money line on the road when the total is 10 to 10.5 over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 17-6 (+13.3 Units) against the money line in road games in night games this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 16-5 (+12.6 Units) against the money line in road games against right-handed starters this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 16-6 (+12.7 Units) against the money line in road games when playing against a team with a winning record this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
PHILADELPHIA is 1-0 (+1.6 Units) against TAMPA BAY this season
1 of 1 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+1.1 Units)

ANTONIO BASTARDO vs. TAMPA BAY since 1997
No recent starts.

ANDY SONNANSTINE vs. PHILADELPHIA since 1997
SONNANSTINE is 0-1 when starting against PHILADELPHIA with an ERA of 6.75 and a WHIP of 2.250.
His team's record is 0-1 (-1.1 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 0-1. (-1.3 units)

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NY YANKEES (38 - 32) at ATLANTA (34 - 36) - 7:10 PM
ANDY PETTITTE (L) vs. DEREK LOWE (R)
Top Trends for this game.
NY YANKEES are 222-176 (-31.2 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 3 seasons.
NY YANKEES are 34-30 (-11.8 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
NY YANKEES are 25-25 (-12.2 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
ATLANTA is 34-17 (+17.2 Units) against the money line when playing with a day off over the last 3 seasons.
ATLANTA is 106-126 (-32.4 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 15-23 (-14.5 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 this season.
ATLANTA is 85-83 (-39.3 Units) against the money line in home games in June games since 1997.
ATLANTA is 49-52 (-24.9 Units) against the money line in home games in an inter-league game since 1997.
ATLANTA is 105-124 (-31.5 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 72-86 (-24.4 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.

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

ANDY PETTITTE vs. ATLANTA since 1997
PETTITTE is 6-1 when starting against ATLANTA with an ERA of 3.72 and a WHIP of 1.301.
His team's record is 10-1 (+9.8 units) in these starts. The OVER is 7-3. (+3.9 units)

DEREK LOWE vs. NY YANKEES since 1997
LOWE is 7-9 when starting against NY YANKEES with an ERA of 6.11 and a WHIP of 1.584.
His team's record is 9-10 (+0.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 9-9. (-0.8 units)

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BALTIMORE (32 - 38) at FLORIDA (36 - 36) - 7:10 PM
RICH HILL (L) vs. SEAN WEST (L)
Top Trends for this game.
FLORIDA is 120-113 (+21.4 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
FLORIDA is 71-54 (+25.4 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 over the last 2 seasons.
FLORIDA is 126-101 (+32.9 Units) against the money line in an inter-league game since 1997.
FLORIDA is 116-111 (+17.8 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
FLORIDA is 84-82 (+8.9 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
FLORIDA is 17-8 (+10.4 Units) against the money line against left-handed starters this season.
BALTIMORE is 81-84 (+7.7 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.

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

RICH HILL vs. FLORIDA since 1997
No recent starts.

SEAN WEST vs. BALTIMORE since 1997
No recent starts.

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TEXAS (37 - 32) at ARIZONA (30 - 41) - 9:40 PM
SCOTT FELDMAN (R) vs. JON GARLAND (R)
Top Trends for this game.
TEXAS is 116-115 (+12.4 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
TEXAS is 109-107 (+10.7 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
TEXAS is 85-79 (+14.6 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
TEXAS is 80-73 (+17.4 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
ARIZONA is 30-41 (-13.2 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
ARIZONA is 15-23 (-13.0 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
ARIZONA is 30-41 (-13.2 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
ARIZONA is 8-17 (-12.1 Units) against the money line in home games in night games this season.
ARIZONA is 9-16 (-9.8 Units) against the money line in home games against right-handed starters this season.
ARIZONA is 33-49 (-20.5 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.

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

SCOTT FELDMAN vs. ARIZONA since 1997
No recent starts.

JON GARLAND vs. TEXAS since 1997
GARLAND is 5-8 when starting against TEXAS with an ERA of 6.24 and a WHIP of 1.528.
His team's record is 7-12 (-7.3 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 11-7. (+3.3 units)

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**pm530** · 06-25-2009, 05:13 AM

MLB
Write-up

Thursday, June 25

With interleague play here, remember there are DHs in games played in the American League parks, no DHs in National League parks. Under is 55-39-3 in NL parks, 51-41-5 in AL, As far as wins/losses go, the AL leads the NL, 106-91.

Hot Pitchers
-- Carpenter is 5-1, 1.69 in his nine starts this season.
-- Lilly is 2-0, 2.10 in his last five starts.
-- Billingsley is 3-1, 3.41 in his last five starts.
-- Astros won six of last eight Moehler starts. Bannister has a 2.25 RA in his last couple starts.
-- Baker is 2-0, 3.49 in his last four starts.
-- Reds are 6-2 on the road when Cueto starts.
-- Pirates won five of Ohlendorf's last six home starts. Lee is 2-0, 2.40 in his last four starts.
-- Zimmerman has a 2.16 RA in his last three starts.
-- Rays won last four Sonnanstine home starts, scoring 27 runs.
-- Bronx Bombers won six of last eight Pettitte starts.
-- Orioles won six of seven Hill starts (3-1, 5.45). .

Cold Pitchers
-- Santana is 1-3, 7.33 in his last four starts.
-- Galarraga is 0-7, 7.85 in his last ten starts.
-- Richard is 0-2, 7.00 in his last four starts.
-- 30-year old Burns was 7-2, 2.55 in 12 starts at AAA; he's pitched in 46 big league games for four teams, but this is his first big league start.
-- Washburn is 0-5, 5.55 in his last ten starts. Leblanc allowed three runs in three IP in his first 2009 start.
-- Cecil is 2-3, 6.58 in five starts this season.
-- Bastardo is 0-2, 10.13 in his last two starts.
-- Smoltz makes first Boston stsrt, his first start since early last year-- he made 466 starts for Atlanta, before signing with the Red Sox.
-- Lowe is 1-3, 6.07 in his last five starts.
-- West is 1-2, 5.81 in his last three home starts.
-- Garland has 1.93 RA in his last two starts, but Arizona lost his last five starts (0-4, 5.83). Rangers lost last three Feldman starts (0-2, 4.76).

Hot Teams
-- Cardinals won six of their last nine games.
-- Tampa Bay won nine of its last thirteen games.
-- Blue Jays won their last four games, scoring 31 runs.
-- Red Sox won eight of their last nine road games.
-- Tigers won last six games, scoring 38 runs.
-- Marlins won five of their last six games. Orioles won five of their last seven games, but lost last two.
-- Dodgers won seven of their last ten games.
-- Mariners won eight of their last ten home games.

Cold Teams
-- Mets lost nine of their last fourteen games.
-- Phillies lost seven of their last eight games.
-- Nationals lost their last three games, allowing 26 runs.
-- Cubs lost their last four road games.
-- Pirates lost five of their last six games. Indians lost seven of their last eight games.
-- Reds lost 14 of their last 18 road games.
-- Braves are 5-9 in their last 14 games. Bronx Bombers lost six of their last eight road games.
-- Brewers lost six of their last eight home games. Minnesota is 8-17 in its last 25 road games.
-- Royals lost five of their last seven games, but won last two. Astros lost their last two games, but are 9-6 in their last fifteen.
-- White Sox lost nine of their last thirteen home games.
-- Arizona lost 15 of its last 21 home games. Rangers lost four of their last six games.
-- Padres lost eight of their last eleven games.

Totals
-- Over is 5-1-1 in Cardinals' last seven games.
-- Five of last seven Tampa Bay games stayed under the total.
-- Nine of last twelve Washington home games stayed under total.
-- Six of last eight Cleveland games went over the total.
-- Under is 10-5-1 in last sixteen Cincinnati road games.
-- Eight of last ten Cub road games stayed under the total.
-- Six of last eight Atlanta games stayed under the total.
-- Eight of last twelve Florida games went over the total.
-- Under is 17-7-1 in last 25 games at Miller Park.
-- Seven of last eight Houston games stayed under the total.
-- Eight of last twelve Dodger road games stayed under the total.
-- Six of last eight Arizona home games went over the total.
-- Four of last five Washburn starts stayed under the total.

Umpires
-- StL-NY-- Three of last four Kulpa games stayed under the total.
-- Cin-Tor-- There isn't enough data to analyze minor league ump Beal
-- Phil-TB-- Seven of last nine Cederstrom games stayed under total.
-- Clev-Pitt-- Underdog won three of Layne's last five games.
-- Bos-Wsh-- Five of last seven Nelson games stayed under the total.
-- Chi-Det-- Home side won nine of last eleven Barrett games.
-- NY-Atl-- Underdogs are 7-6 in last thirteen BWelke games.
-- Blt-Fla-- Under is 10-5 Hirschbeck games this season.
-- Min-Mil-- Visiting team won last five Wendelstedt games.
-- KC-Hst-- Both Colon games this season stayed under the total.
-- LA-Chi-- Home team won four of last five Schrieber games, with the under 3-1-2 in his last six.
-- Tex-Az-- Underdog is 5-3 in last eight Davis games.
-- SD-Sea-- Home team won seven of last nine Hudson games.

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**pm530** · 06-25-2009, 05:15 AM

MLB

Thursday, June 25

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Trend Report
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1:05 PM
CHI CUBS vs. DETROIT
Chi Cubs are 0-5 SU in their last 5 games on the road
Chi Cubs are 0-5 SU in their last 5 games when playing Detroit
Detroit is 5-0 SU in their last 5 games when playing Chi Cubs
Detroit is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home

1:10 PM
ST. LOUIS vs. NY METS
St. Louis is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against NY Mets
St. Louis is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games on the road
NY Mets are 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing St. Louis
NY Mets are 15-8 SU in its last 23 games at home

2:00 PM
KANSAS CITY vs. HOUSTON
Kansas City is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Houston
Kansas City is 5-14 SU in its last 19 games on the road
Houston is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing Kansas City
Houston is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Kansas City

2:05 PM
LA DODGERS vs. CHI WHITE SOX
LA Dodgers are 7-3 SU in their last 10 games
LA Dodgers are 5-2 SU in their last 7 games on the road
Chi White Sox are 4-1 SU in their last 5 games when playing at home against LA Dodgers
Chi White Sox are 8-2 SU in their last 10 games when playing LA Dodgers

2:05 PM
MINNESOTA vs. MILWAUKEE
Minnesota is 8-4 SU in its last 12 games when playing on the road against Milwaukee
Minnesota is 8-17 SU in its last 25 games on the road
Milwaukee is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
Milwaukee is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games at home

4:40 PM
SAN DIEGO vs. SEATTLE
San Diego is 2-8 SU in its last 10 games when playing Seattle
San Diego is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Seattle is 9-4 SU in its last 13 games when playing at home against San Diego
Seattle is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games at home

7:05 PM
BOSTON vs. WASHINGTON
Boston is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Washington
Boston is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
Washington is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Boston
Washington is 7-18 SU in its last 25 games

7:05 PM
CLEVELAND vs. PITTSBURGH
Cleveland is 2-8 SU in its last 10 games when playing on the road against Pittsburgh
Cleveland is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games
Pittsburgh is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing Cleveland
Pittsburgh is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games at home

7:07 PM
CINCINNATI vs. TORONTO
Cincinnati is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing Toronto
Cincinnati is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games
Toronto is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Cincinnati
Toronto is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games

7:08 PM
PHILADELPHIA vs. TAMPA BAY
Philadelphia is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games
Philadelphia is 16-6 SU in its last 22 games on the road
Tampa Bay is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games when playing at home against Philadelphia
Tampa Bay is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Philadelphia

7:10 PM
BALTIMORE vs. FLORIDA
Baltimore is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Florida
Baltimore is 1-8 SU in its last 9 games when playing Florida
Florida is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home
Florida is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games

7:10 PM
NY YANKEES vs. ATLANTA
NY Yankees are 5-2 SU in their last 7 games when playing on the road against Atlanta
NY Yankees are 2-6 SU in their last 8 games on the road
Atlanta is 5-11 SU in their last 16 games when playing NY Yankees
Atlanta is 2-5 SU in their last 7 games when playing at home against NY Yankees

9:40 PM
TEXAS vs. ARIZONA
Texas is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Texas is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing Arizona
Arizona is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
Arizona is 3-6 SU in its last 9 games at home

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**pm530** · 06-25-2009, 05:18 AM

MLB

Thursday, June 25

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hot lines: Today’s best MLB bets
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chicago Cubs at Detroit Tigers (+112, 9)

The Chicago Cubs don’t score runs on the road.

The Cubbies are a wretched 13-20 away from Wrigley Field this season, with the majority of their problems attributed to leaving their bats back in the Windy City.

Chicago is hitting a meager .235 BA in opponents’ ballparks and has topped four runs just three times in their past 15 road games. The Cubs also have gone under the total in 14 of their past 20 games and have an O/U road record of 13-18-2.

The Tigers do have the ninth-best home offense in baseball, scoring 181 runs at Comerica Park and hitting .274 as a team, but overall are 14-16-2 against the number at home.

Neither pitchers – Chicago’s Ted Lilly or Detroit’s Armando Galarraga - will be unhittable, but look for both to keep runs off the board.

Pick: Under 9

Cleveland Indians at Pittsburgh Pirates (+143, 8.5)

The Indians have rocked opposing pitchers on the road this season. And the Pirates have been on a roll at home.

Cleveland has the fourth-best road offense in baseball, scoring a major-league best 211 roads away from home. The Tribe are batting .277 BA and have mashed 45 home runs. They are one of the few consistent over plays this season, topping the number in 24 of 37 road games.

The Pirates, however, are killing it at home and post a 17-13 record and hit .291 BA as a team at PNC Park - the second-best home average in the majors.

Pittsburgh has been struggling to score runs, but the majority of its struggles have come on the road as it figures to take a scalp off the Indians.

Pick: Pirates +143

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**pm530** · 06-25-2009, 05:20 AM

MLB

Thursday, June 25

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Streaking and Slumping Pitchers
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Streaking

Ted Lilly (Chicago Cubs)

Ted Lilly is heating up under the June sun. In four starts this month, the Cubbies left-hander is posting a 1.98 ERA and has struck out 23 batters while walking just six.

Despite these stellar performances, Lilly has just one win to show for his efforts. He’s settled for three no-decisions in June including his most recent start against the Cleveland Indians. He went six innings, allowing three runs on six hits against the Tribe, recording his 11th quality start of the season.

Chris Carpenter (St. Louis Cardinals)

The inspiring return of Chris Carpenter continues to play out in Disney-like proportions. In his most recent trip to the bump, Carpenter pitched just under eight innings, giving up only one run on three hits.

That gem improved the right-hander’s record to 5-1 on the year and was Carpenter’s fifth quality start in a row. He has a 2-1 record and an ERA of 2.43 this month, helping St. Louis capture first place in the National League Central.

Slumping

Armando Galarraga (Detroit Tigers)

The Tigers’ youngster appeared to be turning over a new leaf in June, posting an ERA under 4.00 in his first two appearances of the month. However, in his past two starts Galarraga has pitched only six innings while allowing seven earned runs on 16 hits.

His most recent outing was a rain-shortened showing versus the Milwaukee Brewers. While he was able to throw just four innings, Galarraga did manage to give up a home run – making it the 10th straight game an opponent has gone yard off the right-hander. He has allowed 14 dingers during that stretch.

Sean West (Florida Marlins)

The Marlins’ rookie hurler blew through seven batters when he faced the New York Yankees in his most recent start. Unfortunately, he also gave up five runs on five hits and lasted just four innings.

West has dropped his past two trips to the mound since pitching an eight-inning shutout against the San Francisco Giants. The 6-foot-8 southpaw has good stuff but sometimes gets caught going after batters, leading to the three home runs he’s allowed in the past two games. He’s served five round trippers during his six starts in 2009.

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**Udog** · 06-25-2009, 07:19 AM

MLB
Dunkel

Cincinnati at Toronto
The Blue Jays go for the sweep against a Cincinnati team that is 0-6 in its last 6 games as a road underdog. Toronto is the pick (-110) according to Dunkel, which has the Blue Jays favored by 1. Dunkel Pick: Toronto (-110). Here are all of today's picks.

THURSDAY, JUNE 25

Game 901-902: St. Louis at NY Mets
Dunkel Ratings: St. Louis (Carpenter) 15.763; NY Mets (Santana) 14.577
Dunkel Line: St. Louis by 1; 6
Vegas Line: St. Louis (-120); 7
Dunkel Pick: St. Louis (-120); Under

Game 903-904: Chicago Cubs at Detroit
Dunkel Ratings: Cubs (Lilly) 16.005; Detroit (Galarraga) 14.765
Dunkel Line: Chicago Cubs by 1; 9 1/2
Vegas Line: Chicago Cubs (-130); 9
Dunkel Pick: Chicago Cubs (-130); Over

Game 905-906: LA Dodgers at Chicago White Sox
Dunkel Ratings: LA Dodgers (Billingsley) 16.895; White Sox (Richard) 15.645
Dunkel Line: LA Dodgers by 1 1/2; 9 1/2
Vegas Line: LA Dodgers (-160); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: LA Dodgers (-160); Over

Game 907-908: Kansas City at Houston
Dunkel Ratings: Kansas City (Bannister) 14.767; Houston (Moehler) 13.589
Dunkel Line: Kansas City by 1; 8 1/2
Vegas Line: Houston (-120); 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Kansas City (+110); Under

Game 909-910: Minnesota at Milwaukee
Dunkel Ratings: Minnesota (Baker) 14.341; Milwaukee (Burns) 15.520
Dunkel Line: Milwaukee by 1; 8 1/2
Vegas Line: Minnesota (-120); 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Milwaukee (+110); Under

Game 911-912: San Diego at Seattle
Dunkel Ratings: San Diego (Leblanc) 15.531; Seattle (Washburn) 15.019
Dunkel Line: San Diego by 1/2; 10
Vegas Line: Seattle (-185); 9
Dunkel Pick: San Diego (+175); Over

Game 913-914: Cincinnati at Toronto
Dunkel Ratings: Cincinnati (Cueto) 14.240; Toronto (Cecil) 15.215
Dunkel Line: Toronto by 1; 9 1/2
Vegas Line: Toronto (-110); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Toronto (-110); Over

Game 915-916: Cleveland at Pittsburgh
Dunkel Ratings: Cleveland (Lee) 15.286; Pittsburgh (Ohlendorf) 14.301
Dunkel Line: Cleveland by 1; 9 1/2
Vegas Line: Cleveland (-155); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Cleveland (-155); Over

Game 917-918: Boston at Washington
Dunkel Ratings: Boston (Smoltz) 15.525; Washington (Zimmermann) 15.185
Dunkel Line: Boston by 1/2; 10
Vegas Line: Boston (-130); 9
Dunkel Pick: Boston (-130); Over

Game 919-920: Philadelphia at Tampa Bay
Dunkel Ratings: Philadelphia (Bastardo) 15.883; Tampa Bay (Sonnanstine) 15.214
Dunkel Line: Philadelphia by 1/2; 9
Vegas Line: Tampa Bay (-130); 10
Dunkel Pick: Philadelphia (+120); Under

Game 921-922: NY Yankees at Atlanta
Dunkel Ratings: NY Yankees (Pettitte) 14.463; Atlanta (Lowe) 15.772
Dunkel Line: Atlanta by 1 1/2; 7 1/2
Vegas Line: Atlanta (-110); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Atlanta (-110); Under

Game 923-924: Baltimore at Florida
Dunkel Ratings: Baltimore (Hill) 16.276; Florida (West) 14.924
Dunkel Line: Baltimore by 1 1/2; 8 1/2
Vegas Line: Florida (-130); 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Baltimore (+120); Under

Game 925-926: Texas at Arizona
Dunkel Ratings: Texas (Feldman) 15.478; Arizona (Garland) 13.812
Dunkel Line: Texas by 1 1/2; 8 1/2
Vegas Line: Arizona (-115); 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Texas (+105); Under

**pm530** · 06-25-2009, 10:25 AM

MLB
Short Sheet

Thursday, June 25

National League

ST LOUIS at NY METS, 1:10 PM ET
CARPENTER: STL 21-12 OVER when the total is 7 to 8.5
SANTANA: 2-8 TSR in June

Interleague

CHICAGO CUBS at DETROIT, 1:05 PM ET
LILLY: 9-0 OVER when playing on Thursday
GALARRAGA: DET 18-7 in day games

LA DODGERS at CHI WHITE SOX, 2:05 PM ET
BILLINGSLEY: 7-0 TSR AWAY when playing on Thursday
RICHARD: CHW 25-8 UNDER at home when the total is 8.5 to 10

KANSAS CITY at HOUSTON, 2:05 PM ET
BANNISTER: 13-6 TSR in day games
MOEHLER: HOU 10-1 UNDER after 6 consecutive interleague games

MINNESOTA at MILWAUKEE, 2:05 PM ET
BAKER: MIN 23-9 in interleague play
BURNS: MIL 2-8 at home after having lost 3 of their last 4

SAN DIEGO at SEATTLE, 4:40 PM ET
LEBLANC: SD 16-5 OVER AWAY after a one run loss
WASHBURN: 9-17 TSR as a favorite

CINCINNATI at TORONTO, 7:07 PM ET
CUETO: CIN 8-0 after a loss by 6+ runs
CECIL: TOR 20-8 OVER when the total is 7 to 8.5

CLEVELAND at PITTSBURGH, 7:05 PM ET
LEE: 18-5 TSR when playing on Thursday
OHLENDORF: PIT 53-32 OVER as an underdog of +125 to +175

BOSTON at WASHINGTON, 7:05 PM ET
SMOLTZ: BOS 72-33 as a favorite of -125 to -175
ZIMMERMANN: WAS 5-26 after one or more consecutive overs

PHILADELPHIA at TAMPA BAY, 7:08 PM ET
BASTARDO: PHI 8-3 as a road underdog of +125 to +175
SONNANSTINE: TB 50-31 UNDER against left-handed starters

NY YANKEES at ATLANTA, 7:10 PM ET
PETTITTE: 16-3 UNDER AWAY when the total is 8.5 to 10
LOWE: ATL 4-12 after a loss by 4+ runs

BALTIMORE at FLORIDA, 7:10 PM ET
HILL: 9-1 TSR when the total is 8.5 to 10
WEST: TOR 18-8 OVER in interleague play

TEXAS at ARIZONA, 9:40 PM ET
FELDMAN: TEX 14-2 UNDER after scoring 2 runs or less
GARLAND: 14-5 TSR after a team loss

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**pm530** · 06-25-2009, 11:16 AM

MLB

Thursday, June 25

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Tips and Trends
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Philadelphia Phillies at Tampa Bay Rays [7:05 PM ET]

Phillies: The Phillies have won 69 percent of their past 52 road contests going 36-16. But they have dropped nine of their last 11 interleague matchups. Rookie Antonio Bastardo looks to avoid a third straight loss after giving up four runs and five hits during a career-high seven inning stint in a 7-2 loss to the Orioles on Friday. The rookie left-hander has regressed in his last two starts after being sharp in his first two major league outings. Bastardo opened 2-0 beating the Padres and Dodgers. He held those two clubs to a combined three runs in 11 innings. Both victories came on the road in two extreme pitcher’s parks. But in his last two starts – home outings versus Boston and Baltimore – Bastardo has given up eight earned runs in eight innings. The Phillies are expected to activate closer Brad Lidge off the DL today.

The Under is 7-2 in the Phillies’ last nine games during Game 3 of a series.
The Under has cashed in 7 of the last 9 games umpire Gary Cederstrom has been behind home plate.

Key Injuries - Raul Ibanez (groin) is on the DL.

PROJECTED SCORE: 4

Rays (-$1.35, O/U 10 under -$1.15): Andy Sonnanstine is having a tough season with a 5-7 mark and 6.60 ERA. He has been better at Tropicana Field, though, than on the road. He’s 4-0 with a 4.15 ERA in five home outings, compared to 1-7 with an 8.22 ERA in nine road starts. The Rays are 9-2 in Sonnanstine’s last 11 home starts versus a team with a winning record. Sonnanstine is 12-9 with a 5.01 ERA in 30 career starts at Tropicana Field. Sonnanstine surrendered four runs and seven hits in six innings during his past start, a 5-3 loss to the Mets on Friday. The last time the right-hander faced the Phillies was in Game 4 of the World Series last year when the Phillies won, 10-2. The Phillies scored three earned runs off Sonnanstine in four innings. Jason Bartlett is batting .382 with 20 RBIs during a franchise record-tying 18-game hitting streak.

The Under is 13-5-1 in the Rays’ last 19 games as a favorite.

Key Injuries - Evan Longoria is questionable with a hamstring injury.

PROJECTED SCORE: 5 (UNDER - Total of the Day)

New York Yankees at Atlanta Braves [7:10 PM ET]

Yankees (-$1.10, O/U 8.5 over -$1.20): Left-hander Andy Pettitte has a good history versus Atlanta with a 5-1 lifetime mark and 3.13 ERA in nine regular-season starts. But until scoring eight runs on Wednesday, the Yankees were averaging just 2.5 runs in their previous seven games. The Yankees also have lost their last four games versus a right-handed starter. Pettitte is coming off a brilliant road victory against Florida. Pettitte limited the Marlins to one run in seven innings, giving up three hits, no walks and fanning seven in a 5-1 Yankees victory. Pettitte, however, has yet to put together consecutive good pitching efforts this season. He has yielded at least four earned runs following every strong performance. The Yankees are 17-6 in Pettitte’s last 23 starts versus National League East opponents. The under has cashed 10 of the last 11 times Pettitte has started against a National League East Division team.

The Under is 16-5-1 in Pettitte’s last 22 interleague starts.
The Yankees are 19-4 in their last 23 games when Tim Welke has been the home plate umpire.

Key Injuries - None

PROJECTED SCORE: 4

Braves: The Braves have won 13 of their last 20 games against teams with a winning record. They have held their opponent scoreless in 23 of their last 27 innings. Veteran right-hander Derek Lowe goes for Atlanta after losing a second consecutive start for the first time this season. The 36-year-old sinkerball specialist allowed three runs in 6 1/3 innings to the Red Sox on Saturday in a 3-0 loss. In his previous start, Lowe was lit up for a season-high seven runs in just 2 1/3 innings in an 11-2 road defeat to Baltimore. In his last three starts, Lowe has been tagged for 13 earned runs, 22 hits and five walks in 15 1/3 innings. The under has cashed in six of Lowe’s past seven starts. The last time Lowe faced the Yankees was when he beat them in Game 7 of the 2004 American League Championship Series.

The Braves are 3-9 in their last 12 interleague homes games against a left-handed starter.

Key Injuries - None

PROJECTED SCORE: 5 (Side of the Day)

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**pm530** · 06-25-2009, 11:19 AM

WNBA
Dunkel Index

Phoenix at Washington
The Mercury look to bounce back from their defeat at San Antonio on Tuesday and build on their 5-2 ATS record in their last 7 games following an ATS loss. Phoenix is the pick (+3 1/2) according to Dunkel, which has the Mystics favored by only 1. Dunkel Pick: Phoenix (+3 1/2). Here are all of today's picks.

THURSDAY, JUNE 25

Game 601-602: Phoenix at Washington
Dunkel Ratings: Phoenix 111.313; Washington 111.870
Dunkel Line & Total: Washington by 1; 170 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: Washington by 3 1/2; 176
Dunkel Pick: Phoenix (+3 1/2); Under

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**pm530** · 06-25-2009, 11:23 AM

WNBA
Long Sheet

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Thursday, June 25
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PHOENIX (5 - 3) at WASHINGTON (4 - 1) - 6/25/2009, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
PHOENIX is 3-14 ATS (-12.4 Units) as an underdog over the last 2 seasons.
PHOENIX is 0-7 ATS (-7.7 Units) as a road underdog of 3 points or less over the last 2 seasons.
PHOENIX is 0-9 ATS (-9.9 Units) in road games after a division game over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 162-210 ATS (-69.0 Units) in all games since 1997.
WASHINGTON is 0-7 ATS (-7.7 Units) as a home favorite of 3 points or less over the last 3 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 5-13 ATS (-9.3 Units) in home games over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 1-8 ATS (-7.8 Units) when playing with 3 or more days rest over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 101-133 ATS (-45.3 Units) after a division game since 1997.

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

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Announcement

Thursday Trends and Indexes 6/25 ( MLB, WNBA, Misc.)

Thursday Trends and Indexes 6/25 ( MLB, WNBA, Misc.)

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