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**pm530** · 07-19-2009, 06:07 AM

Daily Sports Roundup

Sunday, July 19

Today in the Daily Sports Roundup: The Red Sox try to pick up a win in Toronto, the Yankees close out their series with the Tigers, and the Braves host the Mets.

Colliding in the Junior Circuit . . .

Roy Halladay (10-3, 2.85 ERA) will look to block out the trade rumors on Sunday afternoon as he takes the mound at home against the Red Sox and Jon Lester (8-6, 3.87 ERA). Righthander Halladay hasn't been able to get into the win column so far this month, losing to both the Rays and the Yankees; Toronto is just 2-6 in his last eight trips to the mound. Lefthander Lester blanked the Royals over eight innings last time out, and the BoSox are 8-2 in his previous 10 outings.

Rounding out Sunday's American League slate: Seattle at Cleveland, Baltimore at the White Sox, Tampa Bay at Kansas City, the Angels at Oakland, Minnesota at Texas, and Detroit at the Yankees. Edwin Jackson (7-4, 2.52 ERA) will try to pitch the Tigers to a victory at Yankee Stadium; he beat the Indians in his most recent trip to the mound. Joba Chamberlain (4-2, 4.25 ERA) will get the ball for the Yankees after giving up five runs over 4 1-3 innings vs. the Angels last week.

Clashing in the Senior Circuit . . .

The Brewers will send Yovani Gallardo (8-7, 3.22 ERA) to the mound on Sunday afternoon in Cincinnati as they take on the Reds and Johnny Cueto (8-6, 3.62 ERA). Righthander Gallardo will be looking for his first win since June 26 on Sunday, as he's lost consecutive starts against the Mets, Cardinals, and Dodgers (10 earned runs over 17 innings). Righthander Cueto has also been in the tank recently, as he's surrendered 13 earned runs over his last 5 2-3 innings of work.

Elsewhere around the National League on Sunday it'll be Philadelphia at Florida, San Francisco at Pittsburgh, the Cubs at Washington, Arizona at St. Louis, Colorado at San Diego, Houston at the Dodgers, and the Mets at Atlanta. New York will go with Fernando Nieve (3-3, 3.03 ERA) in this week's ESPN matchup, while Atlanta counters with Javier Vazquez (6-7, 2.95 ERA). Righthander Vazquez last took the hill on July 7, holding the Cubs to one run in seven innings.

Rounding out the Roundup . . .

There are five games on the WNBA schedule for Sunday, with Atlanta at New York, San Antonio at Chicago, Minnesota at Seattle, Detroit at Sacramento, and Indiana at Connecticut. The East-leading Fever have been profitable on the road this season, going 3-1 against-the-spread so far through four away games. Indiana and Connecticut met up back on July 2, when the Fever pulled out a 67-53 home win. Tammy Sutton-Brown had 14 points and 14 boards in that victory.

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**pm530** · 07-19-2009, 06:08 AM

Six-pack for Sunday

-- Low scoring day of baseball; 12 of 14 games stayed under the total.

-- Total of five runs scored in 23 innings in first two games of series in Pittsburgh between Giants and Pirates.

-- Cubs are 3-0 since All-Star break, but that could be because they're playing pathetic Nationals; apparently it wasn't Manny Acta's fault.

-- Rangers are starting to fade a little, are now 4.5 games out of Wild Card spot; looks like Rays are only team that can prevent both Bronx and Boston from making the playoffs.

-- You can invest in Tom Watson (+700) to win British Open; faves after third round are Fisher, Westwood (both +400), with Goosen at (+575) and Goggin also at (+700). Odds are courtesy of Canbet.

-- Friend of mine insists that if Watson were to win at Turnberry, it is one of the greatest accomplishments in any sport, ever. I have no idea whether to agree or disagree, but it sure is uncharted territory. Five of six Senior Tour players made the cut at Turnberry this week.

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Sunday's List of 13: Things I learned on my summer vacation......

13) Elvis Presley once got a C in his 8th grade music class.

12) Wayne Gretzky met his wife Janet Jones while they were celebrity judges on that TV classic, Dance Fever.

11) Tokyo is the most expensive city in the world, replacing Moscow, last year's most-expensive city.

10) Ken Griffey Jr has homered in 44 different major league stadiums.

'9) SpongeBob SquarePants lives in a pineapple under the sea; he has a friend named Sandy Cheeks, a squirrel with a waterproof helmet. There has been a movie made about these two that grossed $140M worldwide.

8) Diamondbacks, Brewers are only two teams that haven't had a player homer in the All-Star Game.

7) Texas has more than 600 miles of coastline.

6) Cal Ripken Jr broke his nose at the 1996 All-Star Game, when he got hit in the face by a batted ball while waiting for team picture to be taken.

5) NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell climbed to the top of Mt Rainier this summer-- that is 14,411 feet above sea level.

4) 18 PGA Tour players got their first Tour win at Quad Cities Open.

3) Tim Salmon has the most career home runs in major league history (299), without having played in an All-Star Game.

2) Wilt Chamberlain scored 60+ points in 32 games in his NBA career; he got mad at writers who said he didn't pass enough, so the next year, he led the NBA in assists. He went to Kansas on a track scholarship.

1) Shane Victorino is the first Hawai'ian-born position player to play in the All-Star Game; three Hawai'ian pitchers have also done it.

From: Armadillo
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**pm530** · 07-19-2009, 06:11 AM

MLB
Long Sheet

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Sunday, July 19
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PHILADELPHIA (50 - 38) at FLORIDA (46 - 46) - 1:10 PM
J.A. HAPP (L) vs. ANDREW MILLER (L)
Top Trends for this game.
FLORIDA is 130-123 (+20.3 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
FLORIDA is 76-56 (+27.7 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 over the last 2 seasons.
FLORIDA is 59-43 (+26.0 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
FLORIDA is 40-32 (+15.5 Units) against the money line in day games over the last 2 seasons.
FLORIDA is 126-118 (+19.7 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
FLORIDA is 44-34 (+16.6 Units) against the money line against left-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
FLORIDA is 62-63 (+12.8 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
FLORIDA is 253-268 (+44.9 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season since 1997.
PHILADELPHIA is 153-111 (+17.4 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 24-11 (+11.4 Units) against the money line on the road with a money line of -100 to -125 over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 28-15 (+15.8 Units) against the money line in road games this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 6-0 (+7.1 Units) against the money line in road games when playing on Sunday this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 35-20 (+14.4 Units) against the money line in road games against division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 25-12 (+15.0 Units) against the money line in road games in games played on a grass field this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 55-33 (+15.4 Units) against the money line against left-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
PHILADELPHIA is 6-2 (+3.4 Units) against FLORIDA this season
4 of 8 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=-0.3 Units, Under=-0.7 Units)

J.A. HAPP vs. FLORIDA since 1997
No recent starts.

ANDREW MILLER vs. PHILADELPHIA since 1997
MILLER is 0-2 when starting against PHILADELPHIA with an ERA of 3.00 and a WHIP of 1.375.
His team's record is 1-3 (-1.6 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 3-1. (+1.9 units)

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MILWAUKEE (46 - 44) at CINCINNATI (43 - 46) - 1:10 PM
YOVANI GALLARDO (R) vs. JOHNNY CUETO (R)
Top Trends for this game.
MILWAUKEE is 10-24 (-14.8 Units) against the money line in road games when playing on Sunday over the last 3 seasons.
MILWAUKEE is 11-19 (-10.4 Units) against the money line in day games this season.
MILWAUKEE is 35-23 (+13.9 Units) against the money line in road games against division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
CINCINNATI is 68-92 (-36.4 Units) against the money line in home games when playing on Sunday since 1997.
CINCINNATI is 44-56 (-24.8 Units) against the money line in home games against division opponents over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
MILWAUKEE is 6-4 (+1.1 Units) against CINCINNATI this season
6 of 10 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+1.9 Units)

YOVANI GALLARDO vs. CINCINNATI since 1997
GALLARDO is 2-1 when starting against CINCINNATI with an ERA of 3.75 and a WHIP of 1.333.
His team's record is 2-2 (-0.5 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-3. (-2.1 units)

JOHNNY CUETO vs. MILWAUKEE since 1997
CUETO is 1-1 when starting against MILWAUKEE with an ERA of 3.08 and a WHIP of 0.949.
His team's record is 1-3 (-2.1 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-4. (-4.4 units)

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CHICAGO CUBS (45 - 43) at WASHINGTON (26 - 63) - 1:35 PM
KEVIN HART (R) vs. GARRETT MOCK (R)
Top Trends for this game.
CHICAGO CUBS are 1002-1052 (-192.6 Units) against the money line in all games since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 300-340 (-91.7 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 151-210 (-63.0 Units) against the money line on the road when the total is 9 to 9.5 since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 945-968 (-170.4 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 498-472 (-103.1 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record since 1997.
WASHINGTON is 61-49 (+19.4 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 9 to 9.5 over the last 3 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 26-63 (-32.1 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
WASHINGTON is 13-30 (-15.2 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 this season.
WASHINGTON is 16-28 (-11.9 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
WASHINGTON is 9-29 (-17.0 Units) against the money line in July games over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 26-60 (-29.1 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
WASHINGTON is 19-46 (-23.0 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
WASHINGTON is 13-38 (-20.9 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
CHICAGO CUBS is 2-0 (+2.0 Units) against WASHINGTON this season
2 of 2 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+2.0 Units)

KEVIN HART vs. WASHINGTON since 1997
No recent starts.

GARRETT MOCK vs. CHICAGO CUBS since 1997
No recent starts.

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SAN FRANCISCO (49 - 40) at PITTSBURGH (39 - 50) - 1:35 PM
MATT CAIN (R) vs. ZACH DUKE (L)
Top Trends for this game.
PITTSBURGH is 13-6 (+7.9 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 49-40 (+10.2 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 49-40 (+10.2 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 66-58 (+12.8 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
CAIN is 13-5 (+8.2 Units) against the money line in all games this season. (Team's Record)
CAIN is 13-5 (+8.2 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
PITTSBURGH is 1-0 (+1.3 Units) against SAN FRANCISCO this season
1 of 1 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+1.1 Units)

MATT CAIN vs. PITTSBURGH since 1997
CAIN is 0-2 when starting against PITTSBURGH with an ERA of 5.63 and a WHIP of 1.667.
His team's record is 2-2 (-0.3 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-3. (-2.6 units)

ZACH DUKE vs. SAN FRANCISCO since 1997
DUKE is 2-1 when starting against SAN FRANCISCO with an ERA of 3.82 and a WHIP of 1.370.
His team's record is 3-2 (+0.5 units) in these starts. The OVER is 3-2. (+0.8 units)

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ARIZONA (38 - 52) at ST LOUIS (50 - 42) - 2:15 PM
YUSMEIRO PETIT (R) vs. JOEL PINEIRO (R)
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
ST LOUIS is 3-1 (+1.7 Units) against ARIZONA this season
2 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=-0.1 Units, Under=-0.3 Units)

YUSMEIRO PETIT vs. ST LOUIS since 1997
PETIT is 1-1 when starting against ST LOUIS with an ERA of 5.40 and a WHIP of 1.400.
His team's record is 1-1 (-0.1 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-1. (-0.1 units)

JOEL PINEIRO vs. ARIZONA since 1997
PINEIRO is 2-0 when starting against ARIZONA with an ERA of 6.35 and a WHIP of 1.471.
His team's record is 2-1 (+1.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 3-0. (+3.0 units)

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COLORADO (49 - 41) at SAN DIEGO (36 - 54) - 4:05 PM
JASON MARQUIS (R) vs. MAT LATOS (R)
Top Trends for this game.
COLORADO is 50-113 (-49.8 Units) against the money line in road games in July games since 1997.
COLORADO is 45-63 (-23.9 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
MARQUIS is 57-64 (-32.7 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record since 1997. (Team's Record)
MARQUIS is 25-39 (-30.7 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season since 1997. (Team's Record)
COLORADO is 49-41 (+8.6 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
COLORADO is 26-22 (+10.3 Units) against the money line in road games this season.
COLORADO is 49-41 (+8.6 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
COLORADO is 36-27 (+10.0 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
MARQUIS is 48-31 (+14.9 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
MARQUIS is 28-10 (+15.8 Units) against the money line in day games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
SAN DIEGO is 99-152 (-49.5 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
SAN DIEGO is 11-28 (-16.3 Units) against the money line in July games over the last 2 seasons.
SAN DIEGO is 99-152 (-49.5 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
SAN DIEGO is 18-35 (-16.0 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
SAN DIEGO is 38-72 (-29.1 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
COLORADO is 7-3 (+3.2 Units) against SAN DIEGO this season
6 of 10 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+1.8 Units)

JASON MARQUIS vs. SAN DIEGO since 1997
MARQUIS is 5-3 when starting against SAN DIEGO with an ERA of 3.38 and a WHIP of 1.406.
His team's record is 6-3 (+2.1 units) in these starts. The OVER is 4-5. (-1.3 units)

MAT LATOS vs. COLORADO since 1997
No recent starts.

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HOUSTON (46 - 44) at LA DODGERS (56 - 34) - 4:10 PM
RUSS ORTIZ (R) vs. HIROKI KURODA (R)
Top Trends for this game.
LA DODGERS are 56-34 (+15.6 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
LA DODGERS are 22-6 (+16.3 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 this season.
LA DODGERS are 56-34 (+15.6 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
LA DODGERS are 39-23 (+12.5 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
HOUSTON is 132-119 (+25.1 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 65-54 (+18.2 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 61-63 (+15.1 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 27-23 (+13.9 Units) against the money line on the road when the total is 9 to 9.5 over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 27-13 (+19.7 Units) against the money line when playing on Sunday over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 40-32 (+15.3 Units) against the money line in day games over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 128-117 (+20.8 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 96-89 (+15.0 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 60-60 (+13.7 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 21-15 (+14.3 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
ORTIZ is 27-12 (+17.0 Units) against the money line in July games since 1997. (Team's Record)
LA DODGERS are 72-58 (-35.3 Units) against the money line as a home favorite of -175 to -200 since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
HOUSTON is 4-1 (+4.5 Units) against LA DODGERS this season
3 of 5 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+0.7 Units)

RUSS ORTIZ vs. LA DODGERS since 1997
ORTIZ is 9-9 when starting against LA DODGERS with an ERA of 5.12 and a WHIP of 1.634.
His team's record is 12-10 (+1.5 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 9-13. (-5.0 units)

HIROKI KURODA vs. HOUSTON since 1997
KURODA is 1-0 when starting against HOUSTON with an ERA of 0.66 and a WHIP of 0.732.
His team's record is 1-1 (-0.4 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-1. (+0.0 units)

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NY METS (42 - 47) at ATLANTA (45 - 45) - 6:00 PM
FERNANDO NIEVE (R) vs. JAVIER VAZQUEZ (R)
Top Trends for this game.
NY METS are 131-120 (-13.6 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
NY METS are 131-120 (-13.6 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
NY METS are 87-89 (-17.2 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 35-17 (+18.2 Units) against the money line when playing with a day off over the last 3 seasons.
ATLANTA is 117-135 (-31.0 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 19-27 (-15.1 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 this season.
ATLANTA is 116-133 (-30.1 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 81-91 (-20.1 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 27-32 (-10.4 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
ATLANTA is 16-21 (-10.5 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
ATLANTA is 4-3 (+1.7 Units) against NY METS this season
4 of 7 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+0.9 Units)

FERNANDO NIEVE vs. ATLANTA since 1997
NIEVE is 1-0 when starting against ATLANTA with an ERA of 2.46 and a WHIP of 0.819.
His team's record is 1-0 (+1.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-1. (-1.2 units)

JAVIER VAZQUEZ vs. NY METS since 1997
VAZQUEZ is 8-8 when starting against NY METS with an ERA of 3.47 and a WHIP of 1.108.
His team's record is 12-10 (+1.8 units) in these starts. The OVER is 8-12. (-5.1 units)

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SEATTLE (47 - 43) at CLEVELAND (36 - 55) - 1:05 PM
ERIK BEDARD (L) vs. AARON LAFFEY (L)
Top Trends for this game.
SEATTLE is 239-225 (-74.0 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season since 1997.
SEATTLE is 47-43 (+6.3 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
SEATTLE is 12-6 (+7.7 Units) against the money line on the road when the total is 8 to 8.5 this season.
SEATTLE is 44-39 (+6.7 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
CLEVELAND is 36-55 (-23.6 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
CLEVELAND is 20-26 (-12.7 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
CLEVELAND is 30-50 (-24.8 Units) against the money line in day games over the last 2 seasons.
CLEVELAND is 33-49 (-21.0 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
CLEVELAND is 19-30 (-11.8 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
CLEVELAND is 1-1 (+0.0 Units) against SEATTLE this season
2 of 2 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+2.0 Units)

ERIK BEDARD vs. CLEVELAND since 1997
BEDARD is 2-0 when starting against CLEVELAND with an ERA of 3.51 and a WHIP of 1.122.
His team's record is 5-2 (+3.3 units) in these starts. The OVER is 3-3. (-0.1 units)

AARON LAFFEY vs. SEATTLE since 1997
LAFFEY is 0-1 when starting against SEATTLE with an ERA of 4.59 and a WHIP of 1.532.
His team's record is 2-1 (+1.5 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-1. (-0.2 units)

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BOSTON (55 - 34) at TORONTO (44 - 47) - 1:07 PM
JON LESTER (L) vs. ROY HALLADAY (R)
Top Trends for this game.
BOSTON is 6-14 (-10.7 Units) against the money line in road games when playing on Sunday over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 13-25 (-14.2 Units) against the money line in games played on artificial turf over the last 2 seasons.
TORONTO is 52-38 (+13.2 Units) against the money line in day games over the last 2 seasons.
HALLADAY is 21-5 (+15.1 Units) against the money line at home with a money line of -100 to -125 since 1997. (Team's Record)
HALLADAY is 92-42 (+27.1 Units) against the money line in home games since 1997. (Team's Record)
HALLADAY is 109-49 (+35.8 Units) against the money line in games played on artificial turf since 1997. (Team's Record)
BOSTON is 156-106 (+20.8 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 10-1 (+9.3 Units) against the money line when playing with a day off this season.
BOSTON is 23-9 (+12.6 Units) against the money line against division opponents this season.
BOSTON is 71-36 (+24.8 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
LESTER is 46-21 (+20.6 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
LESTER is 12-0 (+12.0 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
TORONTO is 9-20 (-12.2 Units) against the money line against division opponents this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
BOSTON is 5-2 (+2.8 Units) against TORONTO this season
5 of 7 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+2.7 Units)

JON LESTER vs. TORONTO since 1997
LESTER is 3-2 when starting against TORONTO with an ERA of 3.25 and a WHIP of 1.241.
His team's record is 4-3 (+0.4 units) in these starts. The OVER is 3-4. (-1.2 units)

ROY HALLADAY vs. BOSTON since 1997
HALLADAY is 12-11 when starting against BOSTON with an ERA of 4.14 and a WHIP of 1.260.
His team's record is 15-19 (-6.8 units) in these starts. The OVER is 15-18. (-4.3 units)

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BALTIMORE (40 - 49) at CHI WHITE SOX (46 - 43) - 2:05 PM
JEREMY GUTHRIE (R) vs. JOSE CONTRERAS (R)
Top Trends for this game.
BALTIMORE is 8-31 (-23.6 Units) against the money line when playing on Sunday over the last 2 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 20-50 (-28.6 Units) against the money line in day games over the last 2 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 78-135 (-38.8 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 30-68 (-27.7 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season over the last 3 seasons.
CHI WHITE SOX are 136-119 (+10.1 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
CHI WHITE SOX are 78-49 (+15.6 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons.
CHI WHITE SOX are 128-94 (+25.9 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
CHI WHITE SOX are 75-48 (+23.5 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
CHI WHITE SOX are 26-9 (+14.9 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
CHI WHITE SOX is 2-2 (-0.1 Units) against BALTIMORE this season
3 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+2.0 Units)

JEREMY GUTHRIE vs. CHI WHITE SOX since 1997
GUTHRIE is 0-3 when starting against CHI WHITE SOX with an ERA of 6.97 and a WHIP of 1.790.
His team's record is 1-3 (-2.4 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-3. (-2.4 units)

JOSE CONTRERAS vs. BALTIMORE since 1997
CONTRERAS is 5-5 when starting against BALTIMORE with an ERA of 5.19 and a WHIP of 1.457.
His team's record is 7-5 (+1.2 units) in these starts. The OVER is 5-5. (-0.5 units)

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DETROIT (48 - 40) at NY YANKEES (52 - 37) - 2:05 PM
EDWIN JACKSON (R) vs. JOBA CHAMBERLAIN (R)
Top Trends for this game.
DETROIT is 122-128 (-25.2 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
DETROIT is 55-74 (-18.1 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
DETROIT is 78-96 (-32.5 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
NY YANKEES are 80-47 (+18.8 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 over the last 2 seasons.
DETROIT is 21-10 (+10.1 Units) against the money line in day games this season.
DETROIT is 46-32 (+10.8 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
NY YANKEES is 3-1 (+1.8 Units) against DETROIT this season
2 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=-0.1 Units, Under=-0.4 Units)

EDWIN JACKSON vs. NY YANKEES since 1997
JACKSON is 2-4 when starting against NY YANKEES with an ERA of 5.12 and a WHIP of 1.530.
His team's record is 3-7 (-1.6 units) in these starts. The OVER is 6-4. (+2.0 units)

JOBA CHAMBERLAIN vs. DETROIT since 1997
CHAMBERLAIN is 1-0 when starting against DETROIT with an ERA of 1.29 and a WHIP of 0.857.
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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TAMPA BAY (49 - 41) at KANSAS CITY (37 - 52) - 2:10 PM
MATT GARZA (R) vs. LUKE HOCHEVAR (R)
Top Trends for this game.
TAMPA BAY is 5-13 (-10.2 Units) against the money line in road games in July games over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 6-16 (-12.3 Units) against the money line in road games when playing on Sunday over the last 2 seasons.
GARZA is 8-18 (-10.9 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
GARZA is 1-8 (-9.1 Units) against the money line when playing on Sunday over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
GARZA is 6-16 (-11.0 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
GARZA is 6-15 (-13.4 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
KANSAS CITY is 58-54 (+13.9 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 154-114 (+28.1 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 111-67 (+37.2 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
KANSAS CITY is 37-52 (-15.0 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
KANSAS CITY is 64-95 (-26.1 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
TAMPA BAY is 4-0 (+4.0 Units) against KANSAS CITY this season
2 of 3 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+0.8 Units)

MATT GARZA vs. KANSAS CITY since 1997
GARZA is 0-4 when starting against KANSAS CITY with an ERA of 4.02 and a WHIP of 1.404.
His team's record is 0-5 (-8.1 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 3-2. (+0.8 units)

LUKE HOCHEVAR vs. TAMPA BAY since 1997
HOCHEVAR is 0-1 when starting against TAMPA BAY with an ERA of 9.00 and a WHIP of 1.667.
His team's record is 0-2 (-2.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-1. (-0.2 units)

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LA ANGELS (50 - 38) at OAKLAND (38 - 50) - 4:05 PM
JOHN LACKEY (R) vs. BRETT ANDERSON (L)
Top Trends for this game.
LA ANGELS are 50-38 (+11.7 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
LA ANGELS are 74-52 (+27.5 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
LA ANGELS are 10-2 (+9.5 Units) against the money line on the road when the total is 8 to 8.5 this season.
LA ANGELS are 27-11 (+14.8 Units) against the money line in July games over the last 2 seasons.
LA ANGELS are 27-13 (+14.4 Units) against the money line when playing on Sunday over the last 2 seasons.
LA ANGELS are 16-7 (+12.7 Units) against the money line in day games this season.
LA ANGELS are 47-32 (+14.5 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
LA ANGELS are 50-28 (+16.3 Units) against the money line against left-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
LA ANGELS are 38-22 (+16.3 Units) against the money line in road games when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
LACKEY is 14-3 (+9.8 Units) against the money line in road games when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
OAKLAND is 23-41 (-20.5 Units) against the money line in July games over the last 3 seasons.
OAKLAND is 59-79 (-25.4 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 3 seasons.
OAKLAND is 15-32 (-15.3 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
LA ANGELS is 4-3 (+1.1 Units) against OAKLAND this season
4 of 7 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+0.6 Units)

JOHN LACKEY vs. OAKLAND since 1997
LACKEY is 14-4 when starting against OAKLAND with an ERA of 2.80 and a WHIP of 1.168.
His team's record is 16-10 (+4.6 units) in these starts. The OVER is 10-16. (-7.4 units)

BRETT ANDERSON vs. LA ANGELS since 1997
ANDERSON is 0-1 when starting against LA ANGELS with an ERA of 9.64 and a WHIP of 2.141.
His team's record is 0-1 (-1.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-0. (+1.0 units)

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MINNESOTA (46 - 44) at TEXAS (48 - 40) - 8:05 PM
FRANCISCO LIRIANO (L) vs. DEREK HOLLAND (L)
Top Trends for this game.
MINNESOTA is 2-11 (-9.2 Units) against the money line in road games against left-handed starters this season.
TEXAS is 48-40 (+9.6 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
TEXAS is 115-93 (+17.0 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 3 seasons.
TEXAS is 19-8 (+9.1 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 10 to 10.5 this season.
TEXAS is 47-38 (+9.7 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
TEXAS is 36-27 (+10.6 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
TEXAS is 41-26 (+15.3 Units) against the money line in home games against left-handed starters over the last 3 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 21-6 (+16.2 Units) against the money line when playing with a day off over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 92-74 (+14.2 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.

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

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

DEREK HOLLAND vs. MINNESOTA since 1997
No recent starts.

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**pm530** · 07-19-2009, 06:15 AM

MLB
Write-up

Sunday, July 19

Hot Pitchers
-- Happ is 2-0, 1.80 in his last four starts.
-- Pirates won five of Duke's last six home starts. Cain is 3-1, 2.29 in his last seven outings.
-- Hart allowed one run in five IP in his first '09 start for the Cubs.
-- Pineiro is 2-1, 2.56 in his last four starts.
-- Marquis is 2-1, 1.17 in his last three starts.
-- Vazquez is 2-1, 1.35 in his last four starts.

-- Bedard is 3-0, 2.60 in his last five starts.
-- Red Sox won last four Lester starts (3-0, 2.28).
-- Jackson is 1-0, 2.96 in his last four starts.
-- Royals won Hochevar's last four starts (3-0, 3.81).
-- Contreras is 4-2, 2.27 since coming back from minor leagues.
-- Oakland won last four Anderson starts (2-0, 1.54). Lackey is 2-0, 2.57 in his last two road starts.

Cold Pitchers
-- Cueto is 1-3, 8.90 in his last six starts. Gallardo is 0-3, 5.29 in his last three starts- Brewers scored four runs in the three games.
-- Miller is 1-1, 8.04 in his last three starts.
-- Mock was 5-1, 2.65 in eight AAA starts; he is 1-5, 4.83 in 54 major league innings-- he started three games for Washington LY.
-- Petit is 0-3, 7.84 in seven starts this season.
-- Latos was 5-1, 1.91 in nine starts at AA San Antonio; this is his big league debut for the Padres.
-- Ortiz is 0-3, 5.65 in his last seven starts. Kuroda is 2-4, 6.17 in his last six starts.
-- Nieve is 0-3, 6.00 in his last three starts.

-- Laffey has a 6.32 RA in his last three starts.
-- Toronto lost last four Halladay starts (0-2, 4.30).
-- Chamberlain is 1-1, 7.71 in his last five starts.
-- Guthrie has a 6.91 RA in his last three starts.
-- Rays lost six of last seven Garza road starts.
-- Liriano has a 5.06 RA in his last six starts. Holland is 1-4, 6.69 in his seven starts this season.

Hot Teams
-- Cubs won five of their last six games.
-- Braves won six of their last seven home games.
-- Phillies won 11 of their last 12 games. Marlins won ten of their last thirteen home games, but lost last two.
-- Arizona won eight of its last eleven games. Cardinals won nine of 14.
-- Rockies are 29-10 in their last 39 games, 15-5 in last 20 on road.
-- Astros won eight of their last eleven games.

-- Mariners won four of their last five games.
-- Red Sox won six of their last eight games.
-- Bronx Bombers won seven of last nine home games.
-- Twins won seven of their last nine road games.
-- White Sox won eight of their last ten home games.
-- Rays won six of their last eight games.
-- Angels won nine of their last thirteen games.

Cold Teams
-- Nationals lost ten of their last eleven games.
-- Pirates lost seven of their last ten games, but won last two. Giants lost their last four road games, scoring total of four runs.
-- Reds lost eight of their last 11 games. Brewers lost nine of last 14.
-- Mets lost nine of their last twelve road games.
-- Padres lost twelve of their last fifteen games.
-- Dodgers scored six runs in losing two of their last three games.

-- Indians lost seven of their last ten games.
-- Blue Jays lost six of their last seven home games.
-- Tigers lost 12 of their last 16 road games.
-- Rangers lost their last four games, scoring total of eight runs.
-- Orioles lost nine of their last twelve road games.
-- Royals lost 11 of their last 14 home games.
-- Oakland lost of its last home games.

Totals
-- Under is 13-5-1 in Cubs' last nineteen road games.
-- Nine of last ten games at PNC Park stayed under the total.
-- Ten of last fourteen Cincinnati home games stayed under the total.
-- Nine of last thirteen Philly games stayed under the total.
-- Nine of last twelve Atlanta games stayed under the total.
-- Ten of last eleven Arizona road games stayed under the total.
-- Six of last seven games at Petco Park went over the total.
-- Eight of last ten games at Dodger Stadium stayed under the total.

-- Under is 20-6-2 in Seattle's last 28 road games.
-- Seven of last nine Boston games stayed under the total.
-- Nine of last ten Detroit road games stayed under the total.
-- Last eight Minnesota road games stayed under the total.
-- Under is 6-2-1 in Royals' last nine home games.
-- Six of last eight White Sox games went over the total.
-- 13 of Oakland's last 18 home games stayed under the total.

Umpires
-- Phil-Fla-- Nine of last 12 Kellogg games stayed under the total.
-- Mil-Cin-- There isn't enough data to analyze umpire Causey.
-- Chi-Wsh-- Visitor won five of seven Estabrook games.
-- SF-Pitt-- Under is 8-3 in Reliford's last eleven games behind dish.
-- Az-StL-- Under is 8-3 in Hirschbeck's last eleven games, with the favorite winning his last five games behind the plate.
-- Col-SD-- Barrett's last four games behind plate stayed under total.
-- Hst-LA--Both Moser games this season stayed under the total.
-- NY-Atl-- Five of last seven Hudson games went over total, with the home team winning six of the seven.

-- Sea-Clev-- Underdog won three of last four Fairchild games.
-- Bos-Tor-- 10 of last 13 Cooper games went over the total.
-- Blt-Chi-- Home team is 15-4 in Knight's games this season.
-- Det-NY-- Last four Nelson games went over the total.
-- TB-KC-- Under is 7-3-1 in last eleven Tichenor games.
-- LA-A's-- Road team won both Muchlinski games this season.
-- Min-Tex-- Under is 8-4 in Cederstrom's last twelve games.

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**pm530** · 07-19-2009, 06:16 AM

MLB

Sunday, July 19

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Trend Report
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1:05 PM
DETROIT vs. NY YANKEES
Detroit is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Detroit is 1-6 SU in their last 7 games when playing NY Yankees
NY Yankees are 6-1 SU in their last 7 games when playing Detroit
NY Yankees are 16-8 SU in their last 24 games when playing at home against Detroit

1:05 PM
SEATTLE vs. CLEVELAND
Seattle is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing Cleveland
Seattle is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Cleveland
Cleveland is 7-18 SU in its last 25 games
Cleveland is 4-11 SU in its last 15 games at home

1:07 PM
BOSTON vs. TORONTO
Boston is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
Boston is 13-5 SU in its last 18 games on the road
Toronto is 4-9 SU in its last 13 games when playing Boston
Toronto is 4-13 SU in its last 17 games

1:10 PM
MILWAUKEE vs. CINCINNATI
Milwaukee is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Cincinnati
Milwaukee is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing Cincinnati
Cincinnati is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing Milwaukee
Cincinnati is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games

1:10 PM
PHILADELPHIA vs. FLORIDA
Philadelphia is 7-0-1 SU in its last 8 games when playing on the road against Florida
Philadelphia is 7-0-1 SU in its last 8 games
Florida is 2-8-1 SU in its last 11 games when playing Philadelphia
Florida is 1-4-1 SU in its last 6 games

1:35 PM
CHI CUBS vs. WASHINGTON
Chi Cubs are 5-1 SU in their last 6 games on the road
Chi Cubs are 5-0 SU in their last 5 games when playing Washington
Washington is 1-4 SU in their last 5 games when playing at home against Chi Cubs
Washington is 1-9 SU in its last 10 games

1:35 PM
SAN FRANCISCO vs. PITTSBURGH
San Francisco is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Pittsburgh
San Francisco is 4-16 SU in its last 20 games when playing Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh is 16-4 SU in its last 20 games when playing San Francisco
Pittsburgh is 12-6 SU in its last 18 games at home

2:05 PM
BALTIMORE vs. CHI WHITE SOX
Baltimore is 3-9 SU in its last 12 games on the road
Baltimore is 1-4 SU in their last 5 games when playing on the road against Chi White Sox
Chi White Sox are 4-1 SU in their last 5 games when playing at home against Baltimore
Chi White Sox are 6-1 SU in their last 7 games at home

2:10 PM
TAMPA BAY vs. KANSAS CITY
Tampa Bay is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Kansas City
Tampa Bay is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Kansas City
Kansas City is 3-11 SU in its last 14 games at home
Kansas City is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games

2:15 PM
ARIZONA vs. ST. LOUIS
Arizona is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games when playing St. Louis
Arizona is 8-3 SU in its last 11 games
St. Louis is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Arizona
St. Louis is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games when playing Arizona

4:05 PM
COLORADO vs. SAN DIEGO
Colorado is 9-4 SU in its last 13 games when playing San Diego
Colorado is 15-5 SU in its last 20 games on the road
San Diego is 2-9 SU in its last 11 games
San Diego is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games at home

4:05 PM
LA ANGELS vs. OAKLAND
LA Angels are 9-3 SU in their last 12 games on the road
LA Angels are 4-1 SU in their last 5 games when playing Oakland
Oakland is 1-5 SU in their last 6 games when playing at home against LA Angels
Oakland is 1-4 SU in their last 5 games when playing LA Angels

4:10 PM
HOUSTON vs. LA DODGERS
Houston is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games
Houston is 8-4 SU in its last 12 games on the road
LA Dodgers are 1-5 SU in their last 6 games when playing at home against Houston
LA Dodgers are 2-4 SU in their last 6 games when playing Houston

6:00 PM
NY METS vs. ATLANTA
NY Mets are 4-10 SU in its last 14 games when playing on the road against Atlanta
NY Mets are 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing Atlanta
Atlanta is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
Atlanta is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games at home

8:05 PM
MINNESOTA vs. TEXAS
Minnesota is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
Minnesota is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Texas is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Minnesota
Texas is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Minnesota

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**pm530** · 07-19-2009, 06:19 AM

MLB

Sunday, July 19

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

Baltimore Orioles at Chicago White Sox (-135, 9.5)

The White Sox have been one of the best under plays at home this season, posting an over/under record of 15-29. Meantime, the Orioles are one of the worst road teams in baseball and have an over/under road record of 25-15-2.

So which side of the total will the number fall on this afternoon?

Take a look at the starting pitchers. The Orioles Jeremy Guthrie and the White Sox Jose Contreras combine to go under in five of their past six starts as each has done enough to keep opponents off the scoreboard. Guthrie and Contreras each struggled in earlier matchups against the others' teams, but should have a better idea of how to attack the lineups this time around.

Guthrie has scuffled early in games, but if he keeps the White Sox off the board heading into the third, they will struggle to score runs all day.

Pick: Under

Boston Red Sox at Toronto Blue Jays (-125, 8)

How often do you see a money line involving the Red Sox that is actually in the black? There is, however, a very simple reason for the high line: Roy Halladay.

The Red Sox have yet to face the elite hurler this season. But Boston is one of the better road-hitting teams in baseball as they are batting .258 BA with 50 HR and 80 RBI away from Fenway Park. And they do have an ace of their own up their sleeve. An ace by the name of Jon Lester.

"He's got an incredible fastball, a good cutter, a sinker, curveball,” The Orioles Aubrey Huff said of Lester to the Associated Press. “When he's on, he's tough."

Halladay should keep Boston’s lineup in check, but look for Lester to do even more to win this showdown of elite AL pitchers.

Pick: Red Sox +117

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**pm530** · 07-19-2009, 06:21 AM

MLB

Sunday, July 19

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Streaking and Slumping Pitchers
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Streaking

Javier Vasquez (Atlanta Braves)

The right-hander has done more than enough to overcome a nagging abdominal strain in his past four starts.

Vasquez (6-7, 2.95 ERA) has allowed two runs or less in each of those outings and has lasted at least 5 1-3 innings each time out. The key for Vasquez has been his ability to keep the ball in the yard. The Braves have lost five of the six starts in which he has given up a gopher ball this season.

In Vasquez’s most recent start, a 2-1 win over the Cubs in Chicago, he allowed only one run on five hits over seven innings as he struck out six.

"He just pitched like he's been pitching all year,” Braves catcher Brian McCann told the Associated Press. “We were making a joke about it, one [run] should be enough for him. That's basically what he's been getting this year.”

Jason Marquis (Colorado Rockies)

The National League leader in wins continues to do what he does best: rack up the victories.

Marquis (11-6, 3.65 ERA) has been fantastic in his past three starts, allowing just three earned runs over a combined 23 innings. The ground ball pitcher has done a fantastic job at keeping the ball down and forcing teams to hit into an athletic defense.

In his most recent start, a 4-3 loss to the Braves, Marquis allowed just three runs and struck out four batters over six innings. But don’t expect the Padres to even get that much. In his only other start against San Diego this season, he threw eight shutout innings.

"Sometimes you have to tip your hat to the other guy,” San Diego pitcher Chris Young told the Associated Press. “You have to tip your hat to Marquis.”

Slumping

Yovani Gallardo (Milwaukee Brewers)

The 23 year old entered the season as a dark horse to win the Cy Young award. But in his past two outings, the right-hander has looked more like a donkey.

Gallardo (8-7, 3.22 ERA) hasn’t made it past the fifth inning in either of his past two starts, combing to allow nine earned run on 12 hits with nine walks in just 10 innings. Milwaukee’s ace is fourth in the league with 123 strikeouts, but has issued far too many free passes (53).

"Something mechanically is a little off,” Gallardo told the Associated Press. "Mistakes that I left up in the zone, they put a bat on it."

Derek Holland (Texas Rangers)

The 22 year old may have been the only one happy to hear he was getting reinserted into the starting lineup after the All-Star break.

Holland (3-5, 5.97) was a train wreck as a starter last month, giving up 19 runs over a five-start stretch extending to July 4. After that, he was demoted to the bullpen, where apparently giving up two runs on six hits in five innings was enough to get him his starting job back.

"I have to have more than just a fastball," Holland told the Associated Press. "When you fall behind, you need your off-speed pitch as well."

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**pm530** · 07-19-2009, 06:23 AM

MLB

Sunday, July 19

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sunday Night Baseball: Mets at Braves
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

New York Mets at Atlanta Braves (-250, 8)

Sunday night baseball resumes after the All-Star break when the Braves host the Mets in the finale of a four-game series at Turner Field in Atlanta.

Hard-luck Javier Vazquez (6-7 2.95 ERA) toes the rubber for the Braves against former Houston Astro Fernando Nieve (3-3 3.03 ERA) in a matchup of right-handers.

Trading places

Looking to add some spark into listless lineups, the Mets and Braves swapped outfielders Ryan Church and Jeff Francoeur on July 10. Both players were stunned upon hearing the news.

“It's definitely disappointing. I never wanted it to happen this way. You can imagine getting traded, but you never imagine getting traded to your biggest rival," Francoeur told the media.

Church was not in the starting lineup Thursday for his first home game as a Brave. Atlanta manager Bobby Cox used the right-handed hitting of OF Matt Diaz against Mets LHP Oliver Perez. Cox assured left-hand hitting Church that he would get the starts against right-handed pitchers.

OMG

Both teams entered this series looking like an over packed MASH unit.

On the DL for the Mets: closer Billy Wagner (elbow – Tommy John surgery, out until at least August) along fellow relief pitchers J.J. Putz (elbow – out 10-12 weeks) and Fernando Martinez (knee – out until September) join starting pitcher John Maine (shoulder) on a crowded Mets DL. Adding to their woes has been the loss of All-Star performers 1B Carlos Delgado (hip – out until mid-August), CF Carlos Beltran (knee) and SS Jose Reyes (calf).

Simply put, these are not the same Mets that were heavily favored to win a National League pennant prior to the start of the 2009 season.

Thanks to the loss of Tim Hudson and Jorge Campillo, the Braves have had to forge a new starting rotation.

Hudson pitched real batting practice Thursday. It was his final step before beginning a six-game rehab assignment before being activated. He began at Class-A Myrtle Beach this weekend. If he has no setbacks he could be activated in mid-August, more than a year after he had Tommy John surgery on his right elbow.

Campillo (right shoulder tendinitis) went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to May 29, and he was transferred to the 60-day DL in June.

It’s been said that a team can never have too much pitching. But we’re not sure how the Braves will fit Hudson into the rotation when he's ready. But these things do have a way of working themselves out.

As former Atlanta Hawks coach Lenny Wilkens used to say when asked about roster moves more than a day away, "Someone could get hit by a truck."

In arms way

Nieve is a middle relief pitcher turned starter for the Mets. He began the season 3-0 with a 0.96 ERA. He has since dropped each of his last three starts while compiling a 5.40 ERA in those efforts. In addition, Nieve is winless, 0-2 with a 4.65 ERA, in the month of July for his career.

Vazquez missed his last scheduled start Sunday with a strained lower-abdominal muscle. He is having a terrific season in 2009 with a 2.95 ERA and 1.05 WHIP, but owns a losing record because of the Braves’ poor offense. His walk-to-strikeout ratio (23-to-136 in 18 starts) this season is among the best in the big leagues.

The All-Star break should have given Vazquez some much-needed time off and the Braves will benefit as a result.

Karnac says

As poorly as both clubs have performed in 2009, Atlanta's record at the All-Star break this season was 43-45. The Braves were five games under the .500 mark at the break last year.

With the anticipated return of Hudson to the starting staff and a reversal of fortune possibly in store for Vazquez, look for Atlanta to make a move the second half of the season.

Entering Saturday night’s game, New York had dropped 11 of its previous 14 games at Turner Field. The Mets are also just 4-12 on Sundays, including 1-6 their last seven away.

With Vazquez owning a sharp 3.18 ERA in nine career starts against the Mets, along with a 9-to-72 walk-to-strikeout ratio in those games, it would be no surprise for the Braves to improve to 14-6 at home on Sundays.

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**Udog** · 07-19-2009, 09:25 AM

MLB
Dunkel

San Francisco at Pittsburgh
The Pirates look to build on their 5-1 record in Zach Duke's last 6 starts. Pittsburgh is the pick (+115) according to Dunkel, which has the Pirates favored by 1/2 a run. Dunkel Pick: Pittsburgh (+115). Here are all of today's picks.

SUNDAY, JULY 19

Game 951-952: Philadelphia at Florida
Dunkel Ratings: Philadelphia (Happ) 16.2601; Florida (Miller) 15.738
Dunkel Line: Philadelphia by 1/2; 7 1/2
Vegas Line: Philadelphia (-135); 9
Dunkel Pick: Philadelphia (-135); Under

Game 953-954: Milwaukee at Cincinnati
Dunkel Ratings: Milwaukee (Gallardo) 14.320; Cincinnati (Cueto) 13.353
Dunkel Line: Milwaukee by 1; 7 1/2
Vegas Line: Milwaukee (-125); 8
Dunkel Pick: Milwaukee (-125); Under

Game 955-956: Chicago Cubs at Washington
Dunkel Ratings: Cubs (Hart) 15.548; Washington (Mock) 14.155
Dunkel Line: Chicago Cubs by 1 1/2; 8 1/2
Vegas Line: Chicago Cubs (-135); 9
Dunkel Pick: Chicago Cubs (-135); Under

Game 957-958: San Francisco at Pittsburgh
Dunkel Ratings: San Francisco (Cain) 14.319; Pittsburgh (Duke) 14.789
Dunkel Line: Pittsburgh by 1/2; 8
Vegas Line: San Francisco (-125); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Pittsburgh (+115); Over

Game 959-960: Arizona at St. Louis
Dunkel Ratings: Arizona (Petit) 15.508; St. Louis (Pineiro) 16.592
Dunkel Line: St. Louis by 1; 7
Vegas Line: No Line
Dunkel Pick: N/A

Game 961-962: Colorado at San Diego
Dunkel Ratings: Colorado (Marquis) 14.479; San Diego (Latos) 15.498
Dunkel Line: San Diego by 1; 7 1/2
Vegas Line: Colorado (-150); 8
Dunkel Pick: San Diego (+140); Under

Game 963-964: Houston at LA Dodgers
Dunkel Ratings: Houston (Ortiz) 15.774; LA Dodgers (Kuroda) 15.101
Dunkel Line: Houston by 1/2; 7 1/2
Vegas Line: LA Dodgers (-180); 9
Dunkel Pick: Houston (+170); Under

Game 965-966: NY Mets at Atlanta
Dunkel Ratings: NY Mets (Nieve) 15.452; Atlanta (Vazquez) 14.244
Dunkel Line: NY Mets by 1; 7
Vegas Line: Atlanta (-240); 8
Dunkel Pick: NY Mets (+220); Under

Game 967-968: Seattle at Cleveland
Dunkel Ratings: Seattle (Bedard) 14.904; Cleveland (Laffey) 15.114
Dunkel Line: Cleveland by 1/2; 7 1/2
Vegas Line: Seattle (-115); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Cleveland (+105); Under

Game 969-970: Boston at Toronto
Dunkel Ratings: Boston (Lester) 16.615; Toronto (Halladay) 15.584
Dunkel Line: Boston by 1; 6 1/2
Vegas Line: Toronto (-130); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Boston (+120); Under

Game 971-972: Baltimore at Chicago White Sox
Dunkel Ratings: Baltimore (Guthrie) 14.784; White Sox (Contreras) 15.176
Dunkel Line: Chicago White Sox by 1/2; 11
Vegas Line: Chicago White Sox (-145); 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Chicago White Sox (-145); Over

Game 973-974: Detroit at NY Yankees
Dunkel Ratings: Detroit (Jackson) 15.023; NY Yankees (Chamberlain) 15.677
Dunkel Line: NY Yankees by 1/2; 9
Vegas Line: NY Yankees (-140); 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: NY Yankees (-140); Under

Game 975-976: Tampa Bay at Kansas City
Dunkel Ratings: Tampa Bay (Garza) 13.890; Kansas City (Hochevar) 14.871
Dunkel Line: Kansas City by 1; 9 1/2
Vegas Line: Tampa Bay (-155); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Kansas City (+145); Over

Game 977-978: LA Angels at Oakland
Dunkel Ratings: LA Angels (Lackey) 15.866; Oakland (Anderson) 16.736
Dunkel Line: Oakland by 1; 9 1/2
Vegas Line: LA Angels (-125); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Oakland (+115); Over

Game 979-980: Minnesota at Texas
Dunkel Ratings: Minnesota (Liriano) 15.334; Texas (Holland) 16.178
Dunkel Line: Texas by 1; 9 1/2
Vegas Line: Minnesota (-125); 10 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Texas (+115); Under

**pm530** · 07-19-2009, 10:28 AM

MLB
Short Sheet

Sunday, July 19

National League

PHILADELPHIA at FLORIDA, 1:10 PM ET
HAPP: PHI 6-0 Away on Sunday
MILLER: 10-2 Over at home when the total is 9 to 9.5

MILWAUKEE at CINCINNATI, 1:10 PM ET
GALLARDO: MIL 11-19 in day games
CUETO: CIN 14-3 off loss by 4+ runs

CHICAGO CUBS at WASHINGTON, 1:35 PM ET
HART: CUBS 121-67 when favored
MOCK: WAS 8-25 playing with triple revenge

SAN FRANCISCO at PITTSBURGH, 1:35 PM ET
CAIN: 10-1 TSR when favored
DUKE: PIT 26-14 Under in home games

ARIZONA at ST LOUIS, 2:15 PM ET
PETIT: 0-5 TSR off team win
PINEIRO: 0-6 TSR working on 7+ days rest

COLORADO at SAN DIEGO, 4:05 PM ET
MARQUIS: 28-10 TSR in day games
LATOS: SD 19-35 vs. righties

HOUSTON at LA DODGERS, 4:10 PM ET
ORTIZ: HOU 18-8 vs. NL West
KURODA: 1-6 TSR as a home favorite of -150 to -200

NY METS at ATLANTA, 6:00 PM ET ESPN
NIEVE: NYM 20-6 Under off 3+ road games
VAZQUEZ: ATL 4-14 off loss by 4+ runs

American League

SEATTLE at CLEVELAND, 1:05 PM ET
BEDARD: SEA 20-9 Under in day games
LAFFEY: CLE 28-9 Under on Sunday

BOSTON at TORONTO, 1:07 PM ET
LESTER: 12-0 TSR vs. losing teams 2nd half of season
HALLADAY: 21-5 TSR at home with a money line of -100 to -125

BALTIMORE at CHI WHITE SOX, 2:05 PM ET
GUTHRIE: BAL 2-15 Away with double revenge
CONTRERAS: CWS 30-15 Under in home games

DETROIT at NY YANKEES, 2:05 PM ET
JACKSON: 9-1 Under in road starts
CHAMBERLAIN: NYY 17-3 after allowing 1 run or less

TAMPA BAY at KANSAS CITY, 2:10 PM ET
GARZA: TB 56-13 as a favorite of -150 or more
HOCHEVAR: KC 6-24 as a home underdog of +125 or more

LA ANGELS at OAKLAND, 4:05 PM ET
LACKEY: LAA 14-3 Away when the total is 7 to 8.5
ANDERSON: OAK 25-10 Under after allowing 10+ runs

MINNESOTA at TEXAS, 8:05 PM ET
LIRIANO: MIN 2-11 Away vs. lefties
HOLLAND: TEX 11-4 as home underdog

TSR = Team Start Record
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**pm530** · 07-19-2009, 11:00 AM

MLB

Sunday, July 19

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Tips and Trends
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Minnesota Twins at Texas Rangers [8:05 PM ET]

Twins (-$1.20 O/U 10.5): The Minnesota Twins extended their winning streak to three games and also recorded their fifth straight series win away from home Saturday night when they defeated the slumping Texas Rangers, 4-1. The combined five runs dipped well ‘under’ the 10 ½-run closing total, enabling the ‘under’ to cash in the first two games of this series. Though the Twins had seven victories in their first 26 games away from home, they have since won 12 of 17. Francisco Liriano, Sunday’s starter, had seen improvement in his last two starts prior to his last outing against the Yankees. But the lefty's progression seemed to take a step backwards against the Yankees, as he lasted 5 1/3 innings and allowed six hits. He also surpassed the 100-pitch count for the fourth time in five starts. Liriano is 1-0 in three appearances (one start) against Texas. The Twins are 8-10 in Liriano’s first 18 starts and 14-17 against southpaw starters.

The Under is 28-8-2 in Minnesota’s last 38 road games.

Key Injuries - None

PROJECTED SCORE: 6 (Side of the Day)

Rangers: The Rangers have now lost four in a row and have not scored more than three runs during the skid. Not surprisingly, all four outings ducked ‘under’ the closing total. Losing the first two games of this series has lowered the Rangers’ home record to 28-19 and has dropped their record against Minnesota to 6-14 in the last 20 meetings. Texas is 18-14 against southpaw starters. Derek Holland (3-5, 5.97 ERA) will try to salvage the finale of this series. The lefty is 2-1 with a 4.91 ERA in his last six appearances, including three starts. He is 1-4 with a 6.23 ERA in seven starts this season and 2-1 with a 5.48 ERA in 12 relief appearances. Though the Rangers prefer him in the bullpen, he is going to stay in the rotation for the next couple of weeks while the club looks to trade for a starting pitcher. This will be his first appearance against the Twins.

The Under is 22-6-1 in the Rangers’ last 29 home games.

Key Injuries - None

PROJECTED SCORE: 5

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**Udog** · 07-19-2009, 11:03 AM

WNBA
Dunkel

San Antonio at Chicago
The Silver Stars look to take advantage of a Chicago team that is 2-10 ATS in its last 12 games against the Western Conference. San Antonio is the pick (+2) according to Dunkel, which has the Silver Stars favored by 4. Dunkel Pick: San Antonio (+2). Here are all of today's picks.

SUNDAY, JULY 19

Game 651-652: Indiana at Connecticut
Dunkel Ratings: Indiana 116.893; Connecticut 111.953
Dunkel Line & Total: Indiana by 5; 147 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: Connecticut by 1 1/2; 139 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Indiana (+1 1/2); Over

Game 653-654: Atlanta at New York
Dunkel Ratings: Atlanta 110.955; New York 110.379
Dunkel Line & Total: Atlanta by 1; 139 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: New York by 3; 148
Dunkel Pick: Atlanta (+3); Under

Game 655-656: San Antonio at Chicago
Dunkel Ratings: San Antonio 108.458; Chicago 104.506
Dunkel Line & Total: San Antonio by 4; 141 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: Chicago by 2; 147 1/2
Dunkel Pick: San Antonio (+2); Under

Game 657-658: Minnesota at Seattle
Dunkel Ratings: Minnesota 107.091; Seattle 110.540
Dunkel Line & Total: Seattle by 3 1/2; 139
Vegas Line & Total: Seattle by 4 1/2; 147
Dunkel Pick: Minnesota (+4 1/2); Under

WNBA
Long Sheet

Sunday, July 19

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INDIANA (11 - 2) at CONNECTICUT (7 - 6) - 7/19/2009, 3:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
INDIANA is 64-92 ATS (-37.2 Units) as an underdog since 1997.
INDIANA is 67-94 ATS (-36.4 Units) in road games since 1997.
INDIANA is 18-33 ATS (-18.3 Units) in road games in July games since 1997.
INDIANA is 36-60 ATS (-30.0 Units) in road games after a division game since 1997.
INDIANA is 7-16 ATS (-10.6 Units) after scoring 75 points or more over the last 2 seasons.
INDIANA is 3-12 ATS (-10.2 Units) in road games after 3 or more consecutive wins since 1997.
CONNECTICUT is 54-35 ATS (+15.5 Units) after a non-conference game since 1997.
CONNECTICUT is 11-21 ATS (-12.1 Units) as a favorite over the last 2 seasons.
CONNECTICUT is 16-28 ATS (-14.8 Units) in home games over the last 3 seasons.
CONNECTICUT is 11-21 ATS (-12.1 Units) vs. division opponents over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
CONNECTICUT is 6-5 against the spread versus INDIANA over the last 3 seasons
CONNECTICUT is 6-5 straight up against INDIANA over the last 3 seasons
6 of 11 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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ATLANTA (7 - 9) at NEW YORK (4 - 7) - 7/19/2009, 4:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NEW YORK is 16-6 ATS (+9.4 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 77+ points/game after 15+ games over the last 3 seasons.
ATLANTA is 6-0 ATS (+6.0 Units) in July games this season.
ATLANTA is 12-4 ATS (+7.6 Units) in road games revenging a loss versus opponent over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
ATLANTA is 3-2 against the spread versus NEW YORK over the last 3 seasons
NEW YORK is 5-0 straight up against ATLANTA over the last 3 seasons
3 of 5 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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SAN ANTONIO (6 - 7) at CHICAGO (7 - 8) - 7/19/2009, 6:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
SAN ANTONIO is 13-4 ATS (+8.6 Units) in road games against Eastern conference opponents over the last 3 seasons.
SAN ANTONIO is 13-4 ATS (+8.6 Units) in road games in non-conference games over the last 3 seasons.
CHICAGO is 4-11 ATS (-8.1 Units) in all games this season.
CHICAGO is 4-11 ATS (-8.1 Units) in May, June, or July games this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
SAN ANTONIO is 3-2 against the spread versus CHICAGO over the last 3 seasons
SAN ANTONIO is 3-2 straight up against CHICAGO over the last 3 seasons
3 of 5 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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MINNESOTA (9 - 6) at SEATTLE (9 - 6) - 7/19/2009, 8:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MINNESOTA is 9-19 ATS (-11.9 Units) in July games over the last 3 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 43-68 ATS (-31.8 Units) in road games vs. division opponents since 1997.
SEATTLE is 7-0 ATS (+7.0 Units) as a home favorite of 3.5 to 6 points over the last 2 seasons.
SEATTLE is 18-8 ATS (+9.2 Units) in home games over the last 2 seasons.
SEATTLE is 15-6 ATS (+8.4 Units) in home games in May, June, or July games over the last 2 seasons.
SEATTLE is 22-12 ATS (+8.8 Units) vs. division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
SEATTLE is 11-2 ATS (+8.8 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
SEATTLE is 8-1 ATS (+6.9 Units) in home games versus good offensive teams - scoring 77+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.
SEATTLE is 16-31 ATS (-18.1 Units) off an upset win as an underdog since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
SEATTLE is 7-2 against the spread versus MINNESOTA over the last 3 seasons
SEATTLE is 7-2 straight up against MINNESOTA over the last 3 seasons
7 of 9 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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DETROIT (4 - 7) at SACRAMENTO (3 - 12) - 7/19/2009, 9:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
SACRAMENTO is 135-88 ATS (+38.2 Units) as a favorite since 1997.
SACRAMENTO is 22-7 ATS (+14.3 Units) in home games on Sunday games since 1997.
SACRAMENTO is 46-26 ATS (+17.4 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a losing record since 1997.
SACRAMENTO is 4-11 ATS (-8.1 Units) in all games this season.
SACRAMENTO is 4-11 ATS (-8.1 Units) in May, June, or July games this season.
SACRAMENTO is 2-9 ATS (-7.9 Units) after a division game this season.

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

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WNBA

Sunday, July 19

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Lady Luck: Today's WNBA best bets
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Indiana Fever at Connecticut Sun (-2, 139.5)

The Fever is starting to spread. The hottest team in the WNBA ran its franchise-record win streak to 11 games following an 84-79 win over Atlanta.

But now the Fever must face the Sun, who are picking the right time to shine. Connecticut, the only other team in the Eastern Conference to have a winning record, is flying high after posting a 72-64 win at San Antonio. The Sun are paced by star guard Asjha Jones, who has led the team in scoring eight of the past 10 games.

"They can trap me in the post, but they can't really trap me in the perimeter, so I tried to get out more where I had a little more room to work," Jones told the Associated Press. "From there it was more one-on-one, and I got a couple of open looks."

Indiana took the team’s only other meeting in Indianapolis, but the Sun are 4-3 at home and appear to have the right remedy to cure the Fever.

Pick: Sun -2

Minnesota Lynx at Seattle Storm (-4.5, 147.5)

The Storm has had no trouble caging the Lynx this season.

Twice last month Seattle handled Minnesota, posting wins by a combined 45 points. And it wasn’t even that close. In fact, the Lynx haven’t beaten the Storm since August of 2007 and have never won in the state of Washington.

Seattle likely will be missing stud center Lauren Jackson who is nursing a strained Achilles tendon, but in each victory the Storm showed their depth by putting multiple players in double figures.

"They've proven they can score and they do a good job in transition," Seattle guard Sue Bird told the Associated Press. "Early on, we sent three, four players back at time. We didn't want them to get off to a good start."

Pick: Storm -4.5

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**pm530** · 07-19-2009, 11:13 AM

MLB
Baseball Today

SCOREBOARD

Sunday, July 19

Detroit at New York Yankees (2:05 p.m. EDT). All-Star right-hander Edwin Jackson gets the ball for Detroit as the Tigers face New York on Old Timers' Day at the new Yankee Stadium. Joba Chamberlain is scheduled to start for the Yankees.

STARS

Saturday

-CC Sabathia, Yankees, tossed seven shutout innings and New York beat the Tigers 2-1.

-Willy Aybar, Rays, was 4 for 4, including an RBI double for the go-ahead run in the eighth, and Tampa Bay beat the Royals 4-2.

-Johan Santana, Mets, threw seven scoreless innings and New York beat the Braves 5-1.

-Mark Buehrle, White Sox, allowed one run while pitching into the eighth inning and Chicago beat the Orioles 4-3.

-Erick Aybar, Angels, drove in a career-high four runs in Los Angeles' 11-6 victory over Oakland.

- Scott Baker, Twins, allowed a run in eight innings and Minnesota handed Texas its fourth straight loss, 4-1.

-Alfonso Soriano, Cubs, hit a go-ahead three-run homer in the sixth and Chicago held on for a 6-5 victory over the Nationals.

-Charlie Morton, Pittsburgh, allowed three hits over seven innings, and the Pirates beat the Giants 2-0.

-Miguel Montero, Diamondbacks, homered and had four hits, and Arizona beat St. Louis 4-2.

-Clayton Kershaw, Dodgers, allowed two hits over seven scoreless innings to win his fifth straight decision and Los Angeles beat Houston 5-2.

SCARY INJURY

San Diego's Edgar Gonzalez was hit in the head with a pitch and carted off the field of the Padres' 3-1 win over Colorado. Gonzalez left the game after he was beaned by a fastball from Jason Hammel in the sixth inning. Gonzalez was hit near the left ear hole on his batting helmet and immediately fell to the ground clutching his head. After several minutes, he was helped to a cart and driven off the field. Edgar's brother, All-Star Adrian Gonzalez, was pulled from the game when the inning ended to go to the hospital where Edgar was being treated.

FIRST

Making his third career start, Toronto's Marc Rzepczynski (1-1) allowed one run and four hits in six innings for his first career win, a 6-2 decision over Boston. He walked four, struck out four and lowered his ERA to 2.50. He is 1-1.

THE A-ROD AFFECT

The Yankees beat Detroit 2-1 and are 40-22 since Rodriguez came off the disabled list on May 8 - the best record in the majors.

HOMER

The White Sox's Mark Buehrle improved to 14-1 with a 2.47 ERA in 20 home starts dating back to 2008 All-Star break. He allowed eight hits over 7 1-3 innings without issuing a walk, reaching double-digit victories for the ninth straight year, in a 4-3 win over the Orioles.

COST EFFECTIVE?

Boosted by stadium renovations costing more than $250 million, the Royals have had 15 crowds of 30,000 or more, seven more than the entire 2008 season.

STATS

The Twins beat Texas 4-1 and have won 12 of 17 on the road after starting 7-19. ... Alfonso Soriano hit a go-ahead three-run homer in the sixth inning of the Cubs' 6-5 win. It was his first homer since June 7, a span of 121 at-bats. ... The Dodgers' Clayton Kershaw is 5-0 with a 0.63 ERA over his last seven starts, and has not allowed a run in five of those outings.

PALTRY PRODUCTION

The Mets scored two runs in the sixth inning of their 5-1 win over Atlanta to snap a streak of 19 consecutive scoreless innings. It's only the seventh time in the last 23 games that the Mets have scored more than four runs.

RAISE THAT ROOF

Only hours after the Florida Marlins held a groundbreaking ceremony for a new ballpark that will include a retractable roof, their game against the Philadelphia Phillies was rained out. The new ballpark is scheduled to open for the 2012 season.

SPEAKING

"I told him, 'I'm going to make you a star.' It seems like every time I pitch, he makes an awesome play.'' - Seattle's Jarrod Washburn on Franklin Gutierrez, who slammed into the center-field fence in the first inning to make a leaping catch and help the Mariners beat the Indians 3-1.

SEASONS

July 19

1909 - Cleveland shortstop Neal Ball pulled off the first unassisted triple play in modern major league history.

1910 - Cy Young registered his 500th career victory as the Cleveland Indians beat the Washington Senators 5-4 in 11 innings.

1933 - Rick Ferrell of the Boston Red Sox hit a home run off brother Wes, pitching for the Cleveland Indians. Wes also homered in that game, marking the only time the two connected in the same contest.

1960 - Juan Marichal broke in with the San Francisco Giants by pitching a one-hit, 2-0 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies.

1974 - Dick Bosman of the Cleveland Indians pitched a 4-0 no-hitter over the world champion Oakland A's.

1982 - In the first Old-timer's All-Star Classic, played at Washington's RFK Stadium before 29,000 fans, the AL won 7-2. Luke Appling, 75, led off for the AL and hit a home run over the shortened left-field fence off Warren Spahn.

1989 - Cleveland's Joe Carter had the fourth three-home run game of his career, tying Lou Gehrig's AL record, and drove in six runs, powering the Indians past the Minnesota Twins 10-1.

1994 - The Kingdome, home of the Seattle Mariners, was closed after four ceiling tiles fell nearly 180 feet into the stands behind home plate. The Mariners were forced into a 22-day road trip before the season was cut short by the players' strike.

2001 - Randy Johnson struck out 16, a major league record for a reliever, and came within four outs of combining with Curt Schilling on a no-hitter as Arizona beat San Diego 3-0 in the completion of their suspended game. Wiki Gonzalez hit an opposite-field single to right with two outs in the eighth for the Padres.

2005 - Boston won its second straight 1-0 game, holding Kansas City to four hits. The last time the Red Sox won two straight 1-0 games at Fenway was 1916, when the ballpark was only 4 years old. Babe Ruth beat the New York Yankees on June 22 and Ernie Shore edged the Philadelphia Athletics the next day.

Today's birthdays: Phil Coke 27; Jimmy Gobble 28; Rick Ankiel 30; Yorvit Torrealba 31.

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**pm530** · 07-19-2009, 11:13 AM

MLB
This Day in Baseball

On July 19 in Baseball History...

1909 - Cleveland shortstop Neal Ball pulled off the first unassisted triple play in modern Major League history.

1910 - Cy Young registered his 500th career victory as the Cleveland Indians beat the Washington Senators 5-4 in eleven-innings.

1927 - Ty Cobb of the Philadelphia Athletics doubled for his 4,000th hit.

1933 - Rick Ferrell of the Boston Red Sox hit a home run off brother Wes, pitching for the Cleveland Indians. Wes also homered in that game, marking the only time the two connected in the same contest.

1960 - Juan Marichal broke in with the San Francisco Giants by pitching a one-hit, 2-0 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies.

1974 - Dick Bosman of the Cleveland Indians pitched a no-hit, 4-0 victory over the world champion Oakland A's.

1982 - In the first Old-timer's All-Star Classic, played at Washington's RFK Stadium before 29,000 fans, the American League won 7-2. Luke Appling, 75, led off for the American League and hit a home run over the shortened left-field fence off Warren Spahn.

1989 - Cleveland's Joe Carter had the fourth three-home run game of his career, tying Lou Gehrig's American League record, and drove in six runs, powering the Indians past the Minnesota Twins 10-1.

1994 - The Kingdome, home of the Seattle Mariners, was closed after four ceiling tiles fell nearly 180 feet into the stands behind home plate. The Mariners were forced into a 22-day road trip before the season was cut short by the players' strike.

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Announcement

Sunday Trends and Indexes 7/19 (MLB, WNBA, Misc.)

Sunday Trends and Indexes 7/19 (MLB, WNBA, Misc.)

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