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**pm530** · 07-03-2009, 02:51 AM

Daily Sports Roundup

Friday, July 3

Today in the Daily Sports Roundup: The Royals send their ace to the mound vs. the ChiSox, the Mariners battle the BoSox, and Manny Ramirez returns to action.

Meeting up in the Junior Circuit . . .

Ten-game winner Zack Greinke (10-3, 1.95 ERA) will be gunning for his third straight victory on Friday night when his Royals play host to the White Sox and John Danks (6-6, 4.08 ERA). Righthander Greinke is coming off back-to-back wins over the Astros and Pirates, surrendering just three earned runs over 14 1-3 innings of work. Lefthander Danks is coming off a stellar outing against the Cubs in which he pitched seven shutout innings and gave up only four hits in a victory.

Also on tap in the American League on Friday: Oakland at Cleveland, Toronto at the Yankees, Tampa Bay at Texas, Detroit at Minnesota, Baltimore at the Angels, and Seattle at Boston. The Mariners will send Felix Hernandez (8-3, 2.54 ERA) to the mound at Fenway Park, while the Red Sox will counter with Tim Wakefield (10-3, 4.18 ERA). Boston is 5-0 in Wakefield's last five trips to the hill.

Taking the field in the Senior Circuit . . .

The Cubs will go with ace Carlos Zambrano (4-3, 3.69 ERA) on Friday afternoon as they continue their home series against the Brewers and Jeff Suppan (5-6, 4.86 ERA). Righthander Zambrano hasn't picked up a win since beating the Reds back on June 5, going 0-1 with three no-decisions in his last four trips to the mound. Righthander Suppan has lost each of his past two outings (vs. the Twins and Giants), surrendering nine earned runs over his 10 2-3 innings pitched.

Rounding out the National League slate for Friday: Pittsburgh at Florida, Atlanta at Washington, the Mets at Philadelphia, St. Louis at Cincinnati, Arizona at Colorado, Houston at San Francisco, and the Dodgers at San Diego. Los Angeles, which will get outfielder Manny Ramirez back from suspension on Friday, sends Hiroki Kuroda (2-4, 3.77 ERA) to the mound against the Padres. San Diego will counter Kuroda with Chad Gaudin (4-6, 4.97 ERA) in that contest.

Rounding out the Roundup . . .

The Canadian Football League closes out the first week of its regular season on Friday night with British Columbia in Saskatchewan to take on the Roughriders. Oddsmakers have the Lions pegged as 1-point road favorites in their season opener, with the total for the contest hovering around 49 points. B.C. was 11-7 straight-up and 8-9-1 ATS last season, while Saskatchewan was 12-6 and 10-8.

Finally, there are a pair of games on the WNBA schedule for Friday, with Chicago at San Antonio and Washington at Atlanta. The Dream fell 91-85 to Minnesota last time out, with forward Tamara Young missing the contest with an ankle injury. The Mystics are coming off an 84-82 win over San Antonio; Washington forward Marissa Coleman is out indefinitely with a high ankle sprain.

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**pm530** · 07-03-2009, 02:52 AM

Six-pack for Friday

-- Braves' sweep of Philly means that top four clubs in NL East are all within two games of each other.

-- Derek Lee knocked in seven runs in the first four innings as Cubs beat Milwaukee 9-5 at Wrigley.

-- Troy Aikman, who owns a small part of the Padres, threw out the first ball at the Houston-San Diego game Thursday afternoon.

-- Anthony Kim shot a 62 at Congressional to lead after the first round of Eldrick Woods' tournament in Bethesda, MD.

-- How does Ben Gordon sign with the Pistons without knowing who their coach is going to be? Strange situation.

-- Ron Artest signs with the Lakers, which makes LA better on paper, but games aren't played on paper. There will be chemistry concerns.

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Quote of the Day

"To avoid situations in which you might
make mistakes may be the biggest mistake of all."
Peter McWilliams

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Friday's List of 13: Our baseball List of 13...........

13) Marlins 41-39-- Tied for first with Phillies, have better pitching, so we'll give them the nod over Philly for this week. 19-10 vs lefties, 22-29 vs righties-- will Florida add a lefty bat (Russell Branyan?) in July?

12) Blue Jays 42-38-- Survived Halladay's injury, but three teams ahead of them in AL East combined to go 22-8 over last ten games, so they're falling further behind. Played most extra inning games in AL (4-5).

11) Brewers 42-39-- Willie Randolph has done good job shoring up what had been horrendous infield defense; they need Manny Parra to bounce back down in AAA-- they don't have a replacement as the fifth starter.

10) Rangers 42-35-- Need Hamilton back healthy so they can outscore their sometimes suspect pitching. Millwood has been super for Texas, but will he wilt in summer heat? Marlon Byrd has been terrific.

9) Rockies 41-37-- Jimenez might be most underrated pitcher in major leagues. Tracy is confounding fantasy league owners with platooning all over place. With all they've been thru, they're game out of Wild Card.

8) Tigers 43-35-- Have scored 36 less runs than Cleveland but lead Tribe by 13 games; they're 13-9 in one-run games, while rest of the division is 35-48. You could make case for Leyland as Manager of the Year.

7) Cardinals 43-37-- Ryan Franklin's 19 saves are just further evidence of Dave Dunca's brilliance; remember, he took washed-up starter named Dennis Eckersley and turned him into Hall of Fame closer 20 years ago.

6) Giants 42-35-- Say Bochy's club wins Wild Card; who is going to be happy facing Lincecum-Cain-Johnson in a short series?

5) Angels 43-34-- Abreu had four HRs all year until he hit a pair off of Guthrie Thursday night-- if they ever get Guerrerro's bat going, they're going to score lot of runs. Their middle relief is still a problem.

4) Rays 44-36-- Only two AL East teams can make playoffs, so as long as Red Sox are pitching-rich and Tampa Bay keeps winning, people in the billion dollar stadium are justifiably going to be nervous.

3) Bronx Bombers 45-33-- Pittsburgh is actually paying half of Hinske's salary to sit on the bench in the Bronx, which seems funny, except that its true. In reality, seems like Bombers have two AAA teams, the one in Scranton, and then the Pirates.

2) Red Sox 48-30-- If Lowell's injury is severe, they'll need to add a bat, but they've got ton of minor league pitching talent, so they can afford to pay the price to make a deadline deal. Rays make them nervous, too.

1) Dodgers 50-29-- Now the great chemistry experiment begins-- Torre did a masterful job during MannyGate but what now, now that he has four quality outfielders who all deserve to play? Ethier hit around .225 while Ramirez was gone; he is the most logical candidate to sit.

From: Armadillo
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**pm530** · 07-03-2009, 02:55 AM

CFL
Dunkel Index

FRIDAY, JULY 3

Game 407-408: BC at Saskatchewan
Dunkel Ratings: BC 115.782; Saskatchewan 111.933
Dunkel Line: BC by 4; 55
Vegas Line: BC by 1; 49 1/2
Dunkel Pick: BC (-1); Over

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**pm530** · 07-03-2009, 02:55 AM

CFL
Long Sheet

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Friday, July 3
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BRITISH COLUMBIA (0 - 0) at SASKATCHEWAN (0 - 0) - 7/3/2009, 9:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
SASKATCHEWAN is 84-52 ATS (+26.8 Units) as an underdog since 1996.
SASKATCHEWAN is 12-2 ATS (+9.8 Units) as a home underdog of 3 points or less since 1996.
SASKATCHEWAN is 36-16 ATS (+18.4 Units) in July games since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
SASKATCHEWAN is 4-4 against the spread versus BRITISH COLUMBIA over the last 3 seasons
BRITISH COLUMBIA is 5-3 straight up against SASKATCHEWAN over the last 3 seasons
6 of 8 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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**pm530** · 07-03-2009, 02:56 AM

CFL
Write-up

Friday, July 3

Canadian Football League starts this weekend; our writeups start right here next week, with Week 2's games.

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**pm530** · 07-03-2009, 02:57 AM

CFL

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Trend Report
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JULY 3

9:00 PM
BRITISH COLUMBIA vs. SASKATCHEWAN
British Columbia is 8-3 SU in its last 11 games
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of British Columbia's last 12 games
Saskatchewan is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against British Columbia
Saskatchewan is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against British Columbia

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**pm530** · 07-03-2009, 02:58 AM

CFL

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CFL Week 1: Analysis and predictions
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Friday, July 3

B.C. Lions (11-7 in 2008) vs Saskatchewan Roughriders (12-6 in 2008)

The Lions will miss defensive end Cam Wake and running back Stefan Logan, who both departed for the riches of the NFL. And that’s without mentioning the losses of tackle Rob Murphy, slotback Jason Clermont or linebacker Otis Floyd. But the Lions still have tremendous passing power and defensively they are still stronger than the Saskatchewan Roughriders. The Riders are a squad who seem condemned to a year of misery, especially with many injuries at key positions for the start of this season. B.C. fans probably won’t have has many reasons to rejoice this season as in the past but at least they should celebrate a victory this week in Regina.

Prediction: B.C.

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**pm530** · 07-03-2009, 02:59 AM

CFL

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Canadian bacon: CFL season betting preview
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If bettors are looking for something to hold them over until college and NFL football begins, the CFL is a great way to warm up your wagering. Our Canadian Football League insider gives you his predictions for the 2009 season.

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Prediction

1. Edmonton Eskimos 16-2
2. Calgary Stampeders 12-6
3. B.C. Lions 5-13
4. Saskatchewan Roughriders 4-14

EDMONTON ESKIMOS (+200 to win Grey Cup)

Certainties

The acquisition of injury-prone halfback Jesse Lumsden could make a world of difference for this offence. Ricky Ray and slot back Kamaur Peterson are still the pillars of the offence. On the defensive side, the additions of linebacker Maurice Lloyd, defensive halfback Kelly Malveaux and defensive end Kai Ellis beef up the Eskimos depth chart.

Question Marks

The biggest lost is slot back Kelly Campbell, who received an invitation from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFL. But this team has plenty of good receives and his absence should go unnoticed.

CALGARY STAMPEDERS (+175)

Certainties

Henry Burris is still one of the best QBs in the league and he can still rely on slotback Nik Lewis or WR Ken-Yon Rambo. Halfback Joffrey Reynolds is also back, giving Burris a chance to diversify the schemes. The addition of former QB Dave Dickenson as an assistant offensive coordinator should reinforce a very capable coaching staff led by coach of the year John Hufnagel.

Question Marks

The Stampeders defensive front will suffer from the departure of defensive end Charleston Hughes (Philadelphia Eagles). The special teams unit will miss long snapper Pat Macdonald (Carolina Panthers).

B.C. LIONS (+500)

Certainties

The Lions offensive will still be a threat with Buck Pierce at QB and many talented targets around him, including slot backs Geroy Simon and Paris Jackson. The secondary is still solid with the returns of linebacker Barron Miles and defensive backs Korey Bank and Bren Johnson.

Question Marks

Can the Lions replace a defensive end with the skills of Cam Wake (Miami Dolphins) or a fullback like Stefan Logan (Pittsburgh Steelers)? Those two losses alone should hurt the Lions considerably during the course of the season.

SASKATCHEWAN ROUGHRIDERS (+1300)

Certainties

The Roughriders will score plenty of points. There is no doubt about that. Michael Bishop has been fired but Darian Durant is a very efficient QB and will be surrounded by halfback Wes Cates, slotback Andy Fantuz and WR Weston Dressler. The addition of local star Jason Clermont gives even more depth to the offence, despite the loss of good players to free agency and trades made for economical purposes.

Question Marks

Linebacker Scott Gordon left Regina for Edmonton as a free agent. Linebackers Anton MacKenzie and Kitwana Jones also took off. The offensive line was weakened by the departures of Steve Morley and Glen January during free agency.

EASTERN CONFERENCE

Prediction

1. Montreal Alouettes 12-6
2. Winnipeg Blue Bombers 11-7
3. Toronto Argonauts 6-12
4. Hamilton Tiger Cats 4-14

MONTREAL ALOUETTES (+375 to win Grey Cup)

Certainties

The nucleus that took the Als to the Grey Cup final is pretty much intact but training camp showed lots of upcoming players that could soon develop into key elements. Adrian McPherson took over Brad Banks No. 2 spot behind starting QB Anthony Calvillo. Linebacker Shea Emry was so brilliant he stole veteran Reggie Hunt’s job and behind Avon Cobourne, young halfbacks like Brendan Whittaker made a big impression.

Question Marks

The Alouettes will have a much improved defence and will rely more on man-to-man coverage. Still, they have to find a way to concede less rushing yards. If Montreal was the least generous in points allowed, it was far more generous in terms of yards allowed.

WINNIPEG BLUE BOMBERS (+1100)

Certainties

If former Eskimo Stefan LeFors becomes the QB they hope, the Blue Bombers will tail the Alouettes all season long. If not, their season will resemble the last one: a second place finish with a record under .500. The offensive line is improved with the acquisitions of Glenn January from Edmonton and former Alouette Luke Fritz, who showed up in the best physical condition of his career. The Bombers running game will also be very dangerous with the likes of Fred Reid and Lavarius Giles.

Question Marks

The Blue Bombers defence lost many key elements. Linebacker Zeke Moreno was traded to Toronto, defensive end Kelly Malveaux has been shipped to Edmonton, tackle Jerome Haywood and cornerback Stanford Samuels chose to sign with Montreal as free agents and defensive end is now with the Eskimos.

TORONTO ARGONAUTS (+875)

Certainties

New head coach Bart Andrus has the hefty job of leading these Argos to victory and respectability. The Argos did replenish during the offseason and certain acquisitions will have an immediate impact. The offensive line is solid with the arrivals of free agents Rob Murphy and Dominic Picard.

Question Marks

The defensive front of the Argos is a cause for concern – and so is the secondary. Unless newcomers start emerging quickly, Toronto will continue to give up too much yardage.

HAMILTON TIGER CATS (+1600)

Certainties

Quinton Porter will be the No. 1 QB but Kevin Glenn, acquired through free agency, will be ready to take over if that should prove necessary. The offensive line has improved with the acquisitions of tackles Alexandre Gauthier and Dan Goodspeed. Former Alouette Dave Stala is an experienced WR that will prove useful to Porter.

Question Marks

The question marks are so numerous with the Tiger Cats that one wonders where to start. Their excellent but fragile HB Jesse Lumsden is gone to Edmonton, leaving Terry Caulley’s responsible for the running game. If the offensive line crumbles, he won’t be able to do much.

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**pm530** · 07-03-2009, 04:18 AM

MLB
Baseball Today

SCOREBOARD

Friday, July 3

Detroit at Minnesota (8:10 p.m. EDT). Kevin Slowey goes for his 11th win when the contending Twins host the AL Central-leading Tigers in the opener of a weekend series. Left-hander Lucas French is scheduled to make his first major league start for Detroit.

STARS

Thursday

-Derrek Lee, Cubs, hit a grand slam and a three-run homer for a career-high seven RBIs, and Chicago opened an 11-game homestand by beating the Brewers 9-5.

-Bobby Abreu, Angels, hit two home runs and Los Angeles beat the Orioles 5-2.

- Todd Wellemeyer, Cardinals, rebounded from his shortest start of the season with 7 1-3 solid innings and St. Louis beat the Giants 5-2.

-Geoff Blum, Astros, hit a three-run homer and finished with four RBIs as Houston beat San Diego 7-2.

-Fernando Tatis, Mets, hit a two-run homer among his three hits and scored four times in New York's 9-8 victory over the Pirates in 10 innings.

UN-BEE-LIEVABLE

The Astros beat the San Diego Padres 7-2, but only after waiting out a 52-minute delay in the top of the ninth inning caused when a swarm of bees took over part of left field at Petco Park. A beekeeper was called to the downtown ballpark and sprayed a chair and a ballgirl's jacket that had attracted the bees. The swarm first appeared along the warning track. Later, fans were cleared out of several sections down the left-field line.

FINDING THE PLATE

Barry Zito threw 26 pitches before recording an out in the Giants' 5-2 loss to St. Louis.

BONUS BABIES

The St. Louis Cardinals gave a $3.1 million signing bonus to 16-year-old outfielder Wagner Mateo, considered to be among the top amateur free agents from Latin America. The New York Yankees on Thursday also gave a $3 million bonus to a 16-year-old Dominican prospect, catcher Gary Sanchez.

HE LOVES KC

The White Sox's Mark Buehrle improved to 20-8 against the Royals, allowing six hits and a run in 8 1-3 innings of a 4-1 win.

TEXAS DIP

Major League Baseball has loaned millions to Rangers owner Tom Hicks, Yahoo! reported. The league would not go into details about any borrowing, but said it was assisting Rangers owner Tom Hicks with the sale of the franchise. Yahoo!, citing a major league source, first reported that a loan was made to Hicks Sports Group and that the amount was believed to be for less than $15 million.

A WIN IN NEW YORK

Seattle beat New York 8-4, winning in the Bronx for the first time since Sept. 3, 2007, and ending a 10-game road losing streak against the Yankees.

CITIZEN BAY

Red Sox left fielder Jason Bay has long played America's pastime and will now be able to call himself an American. The 30-year-old player from Canada becomes a U.S. citizen in a ceremony at Boston's Faneuil Hall.

SWING BATTER

Russell Branyan struck out seven straight times in two nights before drawing a walk in the sixth inning of the Mariners' 8-4 win over the Yankees.

STATS

The Mets beat Pittsburgh 9-8 in 10 innings after trailing by five runs. The 5-0 deficit was the biggest overcome by the Mets for a win this season. ... Arizona lost - 3-2 to the Reds - for the 10th time in 12 games, falling a season-high 17 games under .500. ... Philadelphia has lost 12 of 15 and is only two games over .500.

SPEAKING

"I kind of saw one or two floating around my head. Then I turned around and there was a wall. I started to walk in and tried to get Everth (Cabrera) to call time. ... It was a pretty thick wall of bees and I really didn't want a piece of it.'' - San Diego left fielder Kyle Blanks after the Padres game against the Astros was delayed 52 minutes by a swarm of bees.

SEASONS

July 3

1912 - Rube Marquard of the New York Giants raised his season record to 19-0 with a 2-1 victory over the Brooklyn Dodgers. His winning streak ended five days later against the Chicago Cubs.

1939 - Johnny Mize of St. Louis hit two home runs, a triple and a double, leading the Cardinals to a 5-3 victory over the Chicago Cubs.

1947 - The Cleveland Indians purchased Larry Doby from the Newark Eagles of the Negro National League, making him the first black player in the American League.

1966 - Atlanta pitcher Tony Cloninger became the first National League player to hit two grand slams in one game. He added a single for nine RBIs in a 17-3 triumph over San Francisco.

1968 - Cleveland's Luis Tiant struck out 19, walked none in a six-hit 1-0, 10-inning triumph over Minnesota.

1970 - California's Clyde Wright threw 98 pitches to no-hit the Oakland A's 4-0 at Anaheim Stadium.

1973 - Jim Perry of the Detroit Tigers and brother Gaylord of the Cleveland Indians faced each other for the only time as opposing pitchers. Neither finished the game. Gaylord took the loss, 5-4.

2001 - D'Angelo Jimenez hit San Diego's fourth sacrifice fly of the game - tying the NL record - to lift the Padres over Colorado 6-5. Ryan Klesko, Wiki Gonzalez and Woody Williams also had sacrifice flies.

2002 - Cleveland Indians slugger Jim Thome homered in his seventh straight game, leaving him one shy of the major league record. Thome hit a solo shot off David Wells of the New York Yankees.

2006 - Manager Felipe Alou picked up his 1,000th career victory in San Francisco's 9-6 win over Colorado.

2007 - Brad Wilkerson hit three homers and had six RBIs to help Texas beat the Los Angeles Angels 8-3.

Today's birthdays: Edinson Volquez 26; Logan Kensing 27; Dan Meyer 28; Juan Rivera 31.

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**pm530** · 07-03-2009, 04:19 AM

MLB
This Day in Baseball

On July 3 in Baseball History...

1912 - The Giants' Rube Marquard nips Nap Rucker and the Dodgers 2-1 to capture his 19th straight game of the season. With two end-of-year wins in 1911, he has 21 in a row in regular season play. Both marks are records.

1950 - With rookie Joe Collins not hitting and Tommy Henrich injured, Casey Stengel asks Joe DiMaggio to play first base in an experiment. In the 7-2 loss he handles 13 chances cleanly.

1965 - Horseplay between Phillies teammates Frank Thomas and Dick Allen turns serious when Thomas swings a bat at Allen. Thomas hits a pinch-homer to tie the game in the eighth inning, but the Reds prevail, 10-8. Following the game, Thomas is released and signs with Houston.

1966 - Pitcher Tony Cloninger hits two grand slams and drives in nine runs as the Braves rout the Giants at Candlestick Park 17-3. Cloninger is the first National League player to hit two grand slams in a game, and his nine RBI set a Major League record for pitchers.

1968 - Luis Tiant registers nineteen strikeouts in ten innings as Cleveland beats Minnesota 1-0. Tiant sets two modern major-league records: most strikeouts in a ten-inning game and 32 strikeouts in consecutive games. He also ties the modern major league record of 41 strikeouts in three successive appearances.

1970 - In pre-game ceremonies, California's Clyde Wright is inducted into the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Hall of Fame for his pitching while at Carson-Newman College. He then hurls a no-hitter against Oakland, winning 4-0. Reggie Jackson's 400-foot shot to dead center in the seventh is caught.

1974 - Pitching in his record 13th consecutive game for the Dodgers, Mike Marshall saves Tommy John's 4-1 win over the Reds in the first game of a doubleheader.

1983 - The Rangers explode for 12 runs in the 15th inning of a 16-4 win over the A's, setting a new major-league record for runs in a single extra inning.

1988 - Oakland's Gene Nelson steals a base while pinch-running for Don Baylor in a 9-8, 16-inning win over Toronto, becoming the first American League pitcher to steal a base since Blue Moon Odom in 1973.

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**pm530** · 07-03-2009, 04:24 AM

MLB
Write-up

Friday, July 3

Hot Pitchers
-- Cubs are 7-1 with Zambrano if they score two or more runs.
-- Kawakami is 1-0, 2.57 in his last three starts.
-- Scherzer has a 2.03 RA in his seven road starts.
-- Gaudin is 2-0, 1.20 in his last two starts (3 walks, 20 strikeouts).
-- Paulino has a 2.45 RA n his last three starts. Sadowski shut out the Brewers for six innings in his first major league start, at Milwaukee.

-- Burnett is 2-1, 0.89 in his last three starts.
-- Oakland won four of Cahill's last five starts. Huff is 3-1, 4.75 in his last five starts.
-- FHernandez is 2-0, 1.22 in his last five starts. Red Sox are 7-0 at Fenway when Wakefield starts.
-- Danks is 2-2, 1.91 in his last four starts (Chi 5-2 in his road starts). Greinke is 2-0, 1.88 in his last couple starts.
-- Minnesota won Slowey's last seven home starts.

Cold Pitchers
-- Suppan is 0-2, 8.10 in his last three starts, but Milwaukee won seven of his last eight road starts.
-- Volstad is 1-4, 6.29 in his last six starts. Morton is 0-1, 4.09 in his three starts for the Pirates.
-- Detwiler is 0-4, 5.44 in eight starts this season.
-- LHernandez is 0-2, 4.79 in his last four starts. Lopez was 5-4, 3.91 in his 13 starts at AAA this year; he is 65-65, 4.80 in 161 big league starts, but the last one was two years ago.
-- Pineiro is 2-9, 4.44 in his last eleven starts.
-- Bailey has an 8.68 RA in two starts this season.
-- de la Rosa has a 12.12 RA in his last four home starts.
-- Kuroda is 1-3, 5.47 in his last four starts.

-- Tallet is 1-2, 6.20 in his last four starts.
-- Kazmir is 1-3, 10.61 in his last six starts. Hunter allowed three runs in 5.1 IP in his first '09 start, a 6-3 win vs. Oakland.
-- French was 4-4, 2.98 in 13 starts at AAA.
-- DHernandez is 1-2, 4.86 in his first three big league starts. Santana is 1-3, 7.86 in his last give starts.

Hot Teams
-- Cubs won three of their last four games. Brewers won five of seven.
-- Marlins won their last eight home games.
-- Braves won their last four games, allowing eight runs.
-- Reds won four of their last five games.
-- Rockies won ten of their last twelve home games.
-- Dodgers were 29-21 without Manny; are 6-6 in last 12 road games.
-- Giants are 12-4 in their last 16 home games. Astros won six of their last eight games.

-- Bronx Bombers won seven of their last eight games.
-- Red Sox won eight of their last eleven games. Seattle is 10-5 in its last fifteen games, but 2-9 in last eleven road series openers.
-- Rays won nine of their last eleven games.
-- White Sox won their last six road games.
-- Twins won five of their last seven games.
-- Angels won eight of their last eleven home games.

Cold Teams
-- Pirates lost 13 of their last 19 road games.
-- Nationals lost eight of their last ten games.
-- Mets are 7-19 in their last 26 road games. Phillies lost 14 of their last 18 games overall.
-- Cardinals lost seven of last eight road series openers.
-- Arizona lost five of its last six road games.
-- Padres lost 12 of their last 17 home games.

-- Blue Jays lost four of their last five games.
-- Indians lost their last five games, scoring 11 runs. A's are 6-12 in their last 18 games.
-- Rangers lost eight of last nine when they scored less than nine runs.
-- Royals lost five of their last seven games.
-- Detroit lost eight of its last eleven road games.
-- Orioles lost four of their last five games.

Totals
-- Four of last five games at Wrigley went over the total.
-- Five of last seven Florida home games went over the total.
-- Four of last five Atlanta road games stayed under the total.
-- Over is 5-2-1 in Mets' last eight road games.
-- Seven of last eight Cincinnati home games stayed under the total.
-- Last six Arizona road games stayed under the total.
-- Last five Dodger games stayed under the total.
-- Eight of last ten Houston road games stayed under the total.

-- Under is 15-7 in Toronto's last 22 road games.
-- Under is 3-1-1 in Cleveland's last five games.
-- Under is 11-3-1 in last fifteen games at Fenway Park.
-- Seven of last nine Tampa Bay road games stayed under the total.
-- Four of White Sox' last five road games stayed under the total.
-- Detroit's last five road games stayed under the total.
-- Three of last four Santana starts went over the total.

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**pm530** · 07-03-2009, 04:44 AM

MLB

Friday, July 3

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Trend Report
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1:05 PM
TORONTO vs. NY YANKEES
Toronto is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Toronto's last 6 games
NY Yankees are 4-2 SU in their last 6 games when playing Toronto
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of NY Yankees's last 6 games when playing Toronto

2:20 PM
MILWAUKEE vs. CHI CUBS
Milwaukee is 2-4 SU in their last 6 games when playing Chi Cubs
Milwaukee is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Chi Cubs are 5-0 SU in their last 5 games at home
Chi Cubs are 4-2 SU in their last 6 games when playing Milwaukee

7:05 PM
ATLANTA vs. WASHINGTON
Atlanta is 1-8 SU in its last 9 games when playing on the road against Washington
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Atlanta's last 13 games when playing on the road against Washington
Washington is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 17 of Washington's last 25 games

7:05 PM
NY METS vs. PHILADELPHIA
NY Mets are 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Philadelphia
NY Mets are 2-4 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Philadelphia is 3-12 SU in its last 15 games
Philadelphia is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games at home

7:05 PM
OAKLAND vs. CLEVELAND
Oakland is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Oakland's last 6 games
Cleveland is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Oakland
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Cleveland's last 5 games when playing at home against Oakland

7:10 PM
PITTSBURGH vs. FLORIDA
Pittsburgh is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing Florida
Pittsburgh is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
Florida is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
Florida is 8-3 SU in its last 11 games

7:10 PM
SEATTLE vs. BOSTON
Seattle is 8-4 SU in its last 12 games
Seattle is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games when playing Boston
Boston is 17-5 SU in its last 22 games when playing at home against Seattle
Boston is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games when playing Seattle

7:10 PM
ST. LOUIS vs. CINCINNATI
St. Louis is 3-6 SU in its last 9 games
The total has gone OVER in 8 of St. Louis's last 11 games when playing Cincinnati
Cincinnati is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against St. Louis
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Cincinnati's last 5 games when playing at home against St. Louis

8:05 PM
TAMPA BAY vs. TEXAS
Tampa Bay is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Texas
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Tampa Bay's last 5 games when playing on the road against Texas
The total has gone UNDER in 13 of Texas's last 16 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 18 of Texas's last 24 games

8:10 PM
ARIZONA vs. COLORADO
Arizona is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Arizona is 18-6 SU in its last 24 games when playing Colorado
Colorado is 20-5 SU in its last 25 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Colorado's last 6 games

8:10 PM
CHI WHITE SOX vs. KANSAS CITY
Chi White Sox are 4-1 SU in their last 5 games when playing Kansas City
Chi White Sox are 5-0 SU in their last 5 games
Kansas City is 1-8 SU in its last 9 games at home
Kansas City is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games

8:10 PM
DETROIT vs. MINNESOTA
Detroit is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Minnesota
Detroit is 9-4 SU in its last 13 games
Minnesota is 13-6 SU in its last 19 games at home
Minnesota is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games

10:05 PM
BALTIMORE vs. LA ANGELS
Baltimore is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Baltimore is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
LA Angels are 5-1 SU in their last 6 games when playing at home against Baltimore
LA Angels are 5-1 SU in their last 6 games when playing Baltimore

10:05 PM
LA DODGERS vs. SAN DIEGO
LA Dodgers are 5-1 SU in their last 6 games when playing San Diego
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of LA Dodgers's last 10 games when playing San Diego
San Diego is 6-13 SU in its last 19 games
San Diego is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games at home

10:15 PM
HOUSTON vs. SAN FRANCISCO
Houston is 7-15 SU in its last 22 games when playing on the road against San Francisco
Houston is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing San Francisco
San Francisco is 12-4 SU in its last 16 games at home
San Francisco is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Houston

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**pm530** · 07-03-2009, 04:46 AM

MLB

Friday, July 3

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Hot lines: Today’s best MLB bets
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Baltimore Orioles at Los Angeles Angels (-147, 10)

Road games in the American League West have been nothing but hell for the Orioles this season.

Baltimore is one of the top hitting clubs in the majors at home this season, but has struggled to generate much of any offense away from Camden Yards, let alone on the road. The Orioles are 3-6 in AL West road games and dropped their only two games against the Angels earlier this season back in Charm City.

But then again, Baltimore hasn’t been able to beat anybody on the road, as its 11-23 road mark is easily the second-worst in all of baseball. Not even a rusty Ervin Santana taking the mound for the Angels will be enough to help the birds.

Pick: Angels

Seattle Mariners at Boston Red Sox (-114, 8.5)

Fans at Fenway Park will expect to see plenty of fireworks this weekend, but they shouldn’t get their hopes up about seeing the scoreboard light up Friday.

The Red Sox have an over/under record of 13-18-4 at home this season and Seattle has struggled to score runs away from the Pacific Northwest. The Mariners are a meager 15-25-1 over/under this year on the road. When the teams met in Seattle in May, they averaged just over a combined seven runs a game and went 2-0-1 o/u in the three-game set.

Add into the equation Mariners’ ace Felix Hernandez is expected to duel Red Sox standout Tim Wakefield, and most hitters will be lucky just to make contact.

Pick: Under 8.5

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**pm530** · 07-03-2009, 04:47 AM

MLB

Friday, July 3

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Streaking and Slumping Pitchers
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Streaking

Scott Kazmir (Tampa Bay Rays)

You’d think a pitcher who has allowed at least seven earned runs in two of his past three starts wouldn’t be featured under streaking. But those two debacles were last month before the Rays ace went on the DL.

In his first start back on June 27, he struck out five and allowed only two runs in five innings of a 3-2 win over the Marlins. More importantly, Kazmir, who has struggled with control problems this season, walked only one batter.

"The repetition of his delivery, I really like that a lot," Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon told the Associated Press. "I just thought he had a better feeling that if he needed to throw a strike he could, whereas in the past I don't think he necessarily had that feeling."

Zack Greinke (Kansas City Royals)

The early AL Cy Young favorite fell back to earth after several pedestrian starts to begin the month, but Greinke appears to be heating up with the weather.

Greinke yielded a combined 12 earned runs in his first three starts of the month and appeared to be reverting back to the form that had kept him off most casual fans’ radar the past few seasons. But after giving up only one run over eight innings in a win against Houston on June 23, he built on the strong showing by allowing just two runs in 6 1-3 innings in a 3-2 win over Pittsburgh last week.

"He's got a fastball that he can throw from 93 [mph] and he can hump it up to close to 100 if he wants to," Detroit's Brandon Inge told the Associated Press. "He has a sinker if he wants to throw it. He has a changeup. The fun part comes when he has a slow curve and he can make it a little faster."

Slumping

Ross Detwiler (Washington Nationals)

The 23-year-old left-hander suffered from a huge problem in June – keeping runners off base.

In 29 2-3 innings last month, Detwiler allowed a staggering 36 hits to go along with 12 walks. Those numbers are a strong reflection of why he has struggled to an 0-4 record with a 5.24 ERA. And his last start did nothing to inspire confidence, as he yielded five runs in five innings of an 11-1 loss to the Orioles.

"I was Terrible. I left the ball up all game,” Detwiler told the Associated Press. “That's why they had nine hits and were hitting it hard all night."

Jeff Suppan (Milwaukee Brewers)

The Brew Crew’s right-hander is need of a break, but don’t look for the Chicago Cubs to cut him any slack.

Suppan (5-6, 4.86 ERA) has a mediocre fastball and relies on location and making hitters out-think themselves. Instead, they have been out-thinking him. The hurler has gotten tagged in each of his past three starts, yielding a combined 12 earned runs in 16 2-3 innings.

And facing the Cubs only makes things harder. Two of Suppan’s losses have come against Chicago. In those defeats he combined to allow eight runs and walked eight batters in just 9 2-3 innings.

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Friday Trends and Indexes 7/3 (MLB, WNBA, CFL, Misc.)

Friday Trends and Indexes 7/3 (MLB, WNBA, CFL, Misc.)

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