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**pm530** · 08-23-2009, 04:17 AM

Daily Sports Roundup

Sunday, August 23

Today in the Daily Sports Roundup: The Yankees and Red Sox send their aces to the mound at Fenway Park, and the drivers of Formula 1 hit the track in Spain.

Meeting up on the diamond . . .

The Yankees and Red Sox close out their series at Fenway Park under the lights on Sunday night, with CC Sabathia (14-7, 3.58 ERA) taking on Josh Beckett (14-4, 3.38 ERA). Lefthander Sabathia beat the Red Sox back on August 8, holding the rival club scoreless on two hits over his 7 2-3 innings of work. Righthander Beckett was stuck with a no-decision in his start against the Yankees on August 7; Beckett tossed seven shutout innings and gave up just four hits in that contest.

Also on the American League schedule for Sunday: the Angels at Toronto, Texas at Tampa Bay, Baltimore at the White Sox, Minnesota at Kansas City, Detroit at Oakland, and Seattle at Cleveland. Felix Hernandez (12-4, 2.66 ERA) will be looking for his 13th win of the season in that matchup; righthander Hernandez held the Tigers to one run in seven innings last time out. The Tribe will send Fausto Carmona (2-8, 6.31 ERA) to the hill; Carmona has not won since May 14.

Ryan Dempster (6-7, 4.28 ERA) will be matched up against Chad Billingsley (12-6, 3.70 ERA) late on Sunday afternoon as the Cubs take on the Dodgers in Los Angeles. Righthander Dempster has lost each of his last two outings, giving up 10 earned runs over 14 innings of work against the Padres and Phillies. Righthander Billingsley beat the Cardinals in his last trip to the mound, holding them to two earned runs on three hits over his six innings of work in that contest.

Rounding out the NL slate for Sunday: Philadelphia at the Mets, Cincinnati at Pittsburgh, Milwaukee at Washington, Florida at Atlanta, Arizona at Houston, St. Louis at San Diego, and San Francisco at Colorado. Giants ace Tim Lincecum (12-3, 2.37 ERA) will be looking to bounce back from a poor outing; the Reds knocked him around for five runs in six innings last time out. The Rockies will go with Ubaldo Jimenez (11-9, 3.41 ERA), who will be seeking his fifth straight win.

Roaring around the track . . .

The drivers of Formula 1 return to action on Sunday in the European Grand Prix in Valencia, Spain. Lewis Hamilton won the circuit's last event, the Hungarian Grand Prix on July 26, and he'll be looking to make it back-to-back wins this weekend. Points leader Jenson Button won six of the first seven races of the season, but he's come up short in each of the past three events. Last year's European Grand Prix was won by Felipe Massa, who won't be racing this week.

Tipping off on the hardwood . . .

Finally, there are three games on tap in the WNBA on Sunday, with Minnesota at New York, San Antonio at Detroit, and Los Angeles at Atlanta. The Dream are coming off a 93-87 home win over San Antonio on Thursday night, with bench player Angel McCoughtry exploding for 34 points in the victory. That result improved Atlanta to 14-11 straight-up and 17-6-2 against-the-spread on the year.

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**pm530** · 08-23-2009, 04:18 AM

Six-pack for Sunday

-- Carlos Pena hit two homers, then singled in winning run in the 10th as Tampa Rays kept pace with Boston, beating the Rangers 5-4.

-- JA Happ threw 118 pitches in beating the Mets, allowing one run in seven IP, yet only got one swing/miss the whole night. Hard to do.

-- Mets pulled Gary Sheffield off waivers, saying they weren't offered enough by whatever team was stupid enough to claim him. Every week the Mets do things that force you to think they have no clue.

-- John Smoltz makes his first start for Cardinals Sunday at Petco.

-- Redskins pulled off a fake punt in the first minute of their game with Steelers, but Jason Campbell had rough night (1-7/10 yards) in the rain in Maryland. Never saw a fake punt in the first minute before.

-- Supposedly, it will cost $2M+ to move the HD screen down at the new Jerry World football stadium in Dallas. What genius planned to put the thing where it is, without thinking about punts hitting it?

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Sunday's List of 13: Looking thru the Quarterback Abstract....

Stumbled across an interesting book this week, a study of 360 QBs and it has a ton of good trivia in it. Its worth the $20 if you like the NFL....

13) Ten years ago, Kurt Warner led the Rams to an unlikely world title; his career NFL stats going into 1999: 4-11, 39 yards, no TDs. His 1999 season-- 325-499 for 4,353 yards with 41 TDs and a Super Bowl ring.

12) Miami Dolphins drafted Bob Greise instead of Heisman winner and Florida legend Steve Spurrier, because they found Greise to be a lot more mature, dedicated than Spurrier. Greise was a great leader for Dolphins. Spurrier was mostly a punter in the NFL but is a great college coach.

11) If you take all the NFL QBs with 10+ starts in their careers, worst winning percentage as a starter goes to Stan Gelbaugh, Tommy Hodson, both of whom lost 11 of their 12 starts. Tyler Thigpen of the Chiefs has a shot to catch them- he's 1-10 as an NFL starter.

10) Dallas helped their team in the summer of '75 by acquiring a versatile RB named Preston Pearson. The player they cut to make room for him was current Redskins' coach Jim Zorn, who wound up as the Seahawks' first quarterback and finished with 21,115 passing yards in the NFL.

9) Sonny Jurgensen passed for 32,224 yards in the NFL, but only threw the ball 59 times as a senior at Duke- he only threw six TD passes in his entire college career. Eagles traded him to Washington, then went 3-12-3 against the Redskins the remainder of Jurgensen's career.

8) Luckily for 49er fans, their scouting department won out over coach Bill Walsh during the 1979 draft. Scouts wanted a kid named Montana, Walsh wanted Steve Dils, who he coached at Stanford. Dils wound up his career with 27 TD passes, 32 INTs. Montana did slightly better.

7) YA Tittle was 54-57-2 as a starter for the 49ers, then got traded to the Giants and went 32-13-3, passing for a then-record 36 TDs in 1963 that stayed the record until Dan Marino threw for 48 TDs 21 years later.

6) Fran Tarkenton threw for 342 TDs in his long career; John Gilliam caught more of them than any other receiver, 25.

5) Vince Ferragamo led the Rams to Super Bowl XIV, threw 30 TDs the next season, then later threw for 509 yards against the Bears in one game, five TDs against the 49ers in another, but his God-awful decision to go to Canada in 1981 (seven TDs, 25 INTs for the Alouettes) put a crimp in what could have been a much glossier career.

4) The '77 Steelers once had to use one of their defensive backs as a QB in an emergency-- that DB was former college QB Tony Dungy.

3) Karl Sweetan played for five years in the NFL, but his career ended after he tried to sell his Rams' playbook to the Saints' head coach. He did once throw a 99-yard TD in the NFL, but after his career ended because of the playbook fiasco, Sweetan became a blackjack dealer in Las Vegas.

2) You wonder why Archie Manning scripted what NFL team his son Eli played for? Archie was a great college QB, leading Ole Miss to Gator Bowl his senior despite a broken left arm, but he got pummeled in NFL, with a career won-lost record of 35-101-3, mostly with the Saints.

1) Terry Bradshaw threw six TDs, 24 INTs in his rookie season, with a meager 38% completion %age. Things eventually got lot better for him, which hopefully will make Matthew Stafford feel better this season.

From: Armadillo
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**pm530** · 08-23-2009, 04:20 AM

Sports news and notes....

Sunday, August 23

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Helpful notes for all of Sunday's betting action
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Who's your favorite?

The finale of the three-game series between the Yankees and Red Sox pits C.C. Sabathia against Josh Beckett. Sabathia has not worked as an underdog this season, while Beckett has not been favored just twice - a pair of road starts against the Yankees.

The early line had both aces at -104. Beckett moved to -110 late Saturday, making Sabathia an underdog for the first time this year.

Dallas do-overs

Are there going to be longer and better punt returns in Dallas Cowboys' home games? It's possible.

The Cowboys played their first game at their new stadium Friday, and in the third quarter Tennessee's A.J. Trapasso hit the monstrous scoreboard that hangs 90 feet above the field with one of his punts. The rule is that any punt hitting the 60-yard wide scoreboard is ruled dead and the down is replayed.

Obviously, only the best punts have a chance of hitting the scoreboard. But Trapasso is Tennessee's second-string punter and said he hit it three times in practice. Starter Craig Hentrich hit it a dozen times. If a punter keeps hitting the scoreboard with his kicks and creating down replays, the coverage team gets tired and eventually the punter has to kick the ball lower, which allows for better returns.

The scoreboard can be raised, although Cowboys owner Jerry Jones says he does not intend to raise it for football. But Titans coach Jeff Fisher, who is on the competition committee, says it is an issue that needs to be addressed because officials are watching for illegal blocks and not whether a punt hits a hanging structure.

Sweet Lou not through

Lou Piniella, who walked away from his last two managerial jobs in Seattle and Tampa Bay, said he will return to manage the Chicago Cubs in 2010. Piniella's announcement could have a positive effect on the rest of the season as the players know they do not have a lame-duck manager and will be expected to perform.

The Cubs are still on the fringes of the National League Central Division and Wild Card races, trailing each by five games in the loss column with about a quarter of the season remaining. They are struggling on their West Coast trip but return home Monday for a nine-game homestand vs. Washington, the New York Mets and Houston. They are +800 to win the Wild Card.

Elite Eighty

Through Friday, the Minnesota Lynx were 10-4 straight up when scoring at least 80 points and 1-10 when scoring less than 80.

Against the spread, the numbers are almost the same - 9-5 ATS when scoring 80 or more and 2-9 ATS when held below 80.

Vote for Pedro

Pedro Martinez will be back in New York for the first time since September, when he went winless in four starts and contributed to the Mets' collapse.

It will be interesting to see what kind of reaction Mets fans have for Martinez, who is -175 even though he has needed extensive bullpen help in both of his starts for Philadelphia.

No bull: New York can't score

Red Bull New York is hosting Dallas FC and looking to end a pair of long scoring droughts. New York hasn't scored vs. Dallas at home in 262 minutes since May 24, 2006. And it hasn't scored at all in its last two-plus matches.

Since a 4-1 victory at San Jose May 8, New York has led for five minutes in its last 13 matches.

Vlad the Impacter

Designated hitter Vladimir Guerrero had a hot streak that saw him bat .444 (12-for-27) with four homers and eight RBI as the Angels went 5-1. Over the next three games, he was 1-for-12 as the Angels lost twice.

On Saturday, Guerrero snapped out of it with two hits, including a homer, when the Angels beat the Blue Jays. They are +116 at Toronto Sunday.

Roger, over and out

Roger Federer ended a surprising four-match losing streak to Andy Murray with a straight-sets victory as a -125 favorite in the semifinals of the ATP Masters tournament in Cincinnati, improving to just 3-6 in the all-time series.

In the final, Federer will face either Novak Djokovic or nemesis Rafael Nadal, who are playing in Saturday night's semifinal.

Djokovic is +140 and Nadal is -180 in the semifinal.

Federer is 7-4 all-time vs. Djokovic but has lost both matchups this year and four of the last seven. Federer is just 7-13 vs. Nadal, who appears to be working his way through the knee tendinitis that forced him to miss Wimbledon.

Federer ended a five-match losing streak to Nadal by beating him on clay in Madrid earlier this year. He figures to be a slight favorite over Nadal and a bigger favorite over Djokovic.

Sergio needs a surge

Favorite Sergio Garcia is well within striking distance through three rounds of the PGA Tour's Wyndham Championship, but most of the other top picks have fallen off the pace.

Garcia is +1000 to win the tournament, which many top players skipped after last week's PGA Championship. Chris Riley, who is part of the even-money field, is the leader. Justin Rose also is in the hunt at a relatively short +3000.

U.S. Open champion Lucas Glover (+1200) has dropped back, David Toms (+2000) has no chance and K.J. Choi (+2000) missed the cut.

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**pm530** · 08-23-2009, 04:25 AM

MLB
Baseball Today

SCOREBOARD

Sunday, August 23

New York Yankees at Boston (8:05 p.m. EDT). CC Sabathia faces Josh Beckett in the finale of the three-game set between the AL East rivals.

STARS

Saturday

-Kevin Youkilis, Red Sox, homered twice and tied a career high with six RBIs in Boston's 14-1 victory over the New York Yankees.

-Chris Carpenter, Cardinals, struck out six in seven crisp innings and St. Louis won 7-0 at the San Diego Padres.

-Chase Utley, Phillies, hit a two-run homer to help Philadelphia beat the New York Mets 4-1 at Citi Field.

-Carlos Pena, Rays, homered twice and drove in the winning run with an RBI single in the 10th inning as Tampa Bay beat the Texas Rangers 5-4 at Tropicana Field.

-Mike Cameron, Brewers, homered and drove in three runs in Milwaukee's 11-9 victory at the Washington Nationals.

-Ervin Santana, Angels, allowed three runs and seven hits over six innings in Los Angeles' 7-3 victory at Toronto, winning his fourth straight start.

-Ryan Doumit, Pirates, homered, doubled and drove in three runs to power Pittsburgh to a 12-2 win over the Cincinnati Reds.

-Jason Kubel, Twins, drove in three runs and Minnesota won 8-7 at Kansas City.

-Ryan Garko, Giants, hit a pair of two-run homers in San Francisco's 14-11 loss at the Colorado Rockies.

-Charlie Haeger, Dodgers, allowed three hits in seven-plus innings to lead Los Angeles to a 2-0 win over the Chicago Cubs.

-Luis Valbuena, Indians, homered with two outs in the 11th inning to give Cleveland a 4-3 win over Seattle.

ONE BIG WIN

Ian Stewart and Todd Helton homered in Colorado's seven-run sixth inning and the Rockies rallied to beat the San Francisco Giants 14-11 on Saturday night to take a two-game lead in the NL wild-card race. Colorado scored a combined 11 runs in the sixth and seventh to even the important four-game series with San Francisco at a game apiece.

POWERFUL SHOW

Kevin Youkilis homered twice and tied a career high with six RBIs, and Boston snapped a five-game skid against the Yankees with a 14-1 win. The Red Sox roughed up A.J. Burnett and set a team record with their eighth consecutive multihomer game. David Ortiz and Alex Gonzalez also connected for Boston, which has 39 homers in August with eight games left.

ON A ROLL

Chris Carpenter pitched seven crisp innings and Matt Holliday hit a three-run homer in the St. Louis Cardinals' 7-0 win at San Diego. Carpenter (14-3) won his ninth consecutive decision and moved into a tie for the major league lead in victories. He allowed three hits, walked three and struck out six. Holliday connected in the first for his sixth homer since he was acquired from Oakland on July 24. He is hitting .400 with 25 RBIs in 27 games with St. Louis.

JUST LIKE 1979

Ryan Doumit homered, doubled and drove in three runs to give Zach Duke some unaccustomed run support and Pittsburgh pushed Cincinnati into last place in the NL Central with a 12-2 victory. After honoring 22 members of the World Series-winning 1979 Pirates before the game, a team headed for the franchise's 17th consecutive losing season turned back the clock - if only for one night - with '79-like power, pitching and defense to win its fifth in a row.

NOTHING LIKE 1969

The New York Mets celebrated the 40th anniversary of their 1969 World Series championship team, but the presence of former stars such as Tom Seaver and Nolan Ryan wasn't enough to spark the current club. New York lost 4-1 to the Philadelphia Phillies and has dropped 13 of 20.

WORTH NOTING

The Diamondbacks have lost seven straight, their longest skid since dropping seven in a row in June 2006. ... Rookie Tommy Hanson pitched seven innings in Atlanta's 4-3 victory over Florida, improving to 4-0 with a 2.81 ERA in four starts this month. ... Milwaukee recovered after blowing a seven-run lead in an 11-9 victory against the Washington Nationals. Casey McGehee singled in the tiebreaking run in the sixth inning. ... Tampa Bay slugger Carlos Pena has three of his 16 career multihomer games this season, and has eight homers over his last 14 games. ... Second baseman David Eckstein and the Padres agreed to a one-year contract extension.

INJURY UPDATE

Aaron Cook was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a right shoulder strain, a potential blow to the Rockies' playoff hopes. An All-Star last season, Cook is 10-6 with a 4.47 ERA in 25 starts. ... Reds manager Dusty Baker said third baseman Scott Rolen will be activated off the 15-day disabled list and start Sunday against Pittsburgh.

SPEAKING

"I was crushed. He was my right hand in college. He's been battling cancer for 10 years. He was always smiling. The only thing that comforts me is I know he's in a better place, but we're going to miss him greatly.'' - Tampa Bay slugger Carlos Pena after learning early Saturday that his close friend and college teammate, Greg Montalbano, had died of cancer Friday night. Pena homered twice and drove in the winning run with a 10th-inning RBI single in the Rays' 5-4 win over the Rangers on Saturday night.

SEASONS

Aug. 23

1906 - On their way to the American League pennant, the Chicago White Sox beat the Washington Senators 4-1 for their 19th straight victory.

1907 - Pittsburgh's Howie Camnitz pitched a five-inning, no-hitter in the second game of a doubleheader at New York. The Pirates beat the Giants 1-0.

1931 - Lefty Grove of the Philadelphia Athletics was beaten 1-0 by Dick Coffman of the St. Louis Browns, snapping a personal 16-game winning streak. A misjudged fly ball by outfielder Jim Moore led to the winning run.

1936 - In his first major-league start, 17-year-old Bob Feller struck out 15 Browns as the Cleveland Indians beat St. Louis 4-1. Feller gave up six hits and allowed four walks.

1952 - During a game against the Cardinals at the Polo Grounds, the Giants' Bob Elliott complained and kicked dirt arguing over a called strike. Umpire Augie Donatelli ejected him from the game. Bobby Hoffman finished the at-bat by being called out on strikes and was also ejected by Donatelli for arguing the call.

1982 - Seattle pitcher Gaylord Perry was ejected in the seventh inning for allegedly throwing a spitball against the Red Sox. It was the first ejection for Perry, who was subsequently suspended for 10 days.

1989 - Rick Dempsey's leadoff homer in the 22nd inning gave the Los Angeles Dodgers a 1-0 victory against the Montreal Expos in the second-longest shutout in major league history.

1992 - There were no hits in Clearwater's 1-0 victory over Winter Haven in the Class A Florida State League. In what appeared to be the first professional game in 40 years without a hit, Andy Carter and the Clearwater Phillies beat Scott Bakkum and the Winter Haven Red Sox. The only run scored in the seventh inning on a pair of walks and a pair of sacrifice bunts.

1998 - Sammy Sosa of the Chicago Cubs hit his 50th and 51st homers against the Houston Astros. Mark McGwire hit his 53rd at Pittsburgh marking just the second time two National League hitters have 50 homers in the same season. In 1947, Ralph Kiner of Pittsburgh and the New York Giants' Johnny Mize tied for the league lead with 51 each.

1998 - Barry Bonds became the first player in major league history to hit 400 home runs and steal 400 bases when he homered off Florida's Kirt Ojala in the second inning of San Francisco's game at Florida. Bonds, who hit his 26th homer of the season, had 438 steals.

2001 - Randy Johnson struck out 16 in seven innings to become the first pitcher to strike out 300 in four straight seasons, only to see his eight-game winning streak end as Kevin Young's two-run homer led the Pittsburgh Pirates to a 5-1 victory over Arizona.

2006 - The Kansas City Royals became the second team in major league history to have a 10-run first inning and not win the game. At Kauffman Stadium, the home team took a 10-1 lead, but were defeated by the Indians in 10 innings, 15-13. On June 8, 1989, Pittsburgh scored 10 runs in the top half of the first against Philadelphia and lost 15-11.

Today's birthdays: Denny Bautista 29; Mark DiFelice 33; Casey Blake 36

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**pm530** · 08-23-2009, 04:26 AM

MLB
This Day in Baseball

On August 23 in Baseball History...

1881 - Boston left fielder Joe Hornung makes ten putouts and one assist as the Reds beat Buffalo 4-3. This one-game record of eleven chances accepted by a left fielder still stands.

1906 - On their way to the American League pennant, the Chicago White Sox beat the Washington Senators for their 19th straight victory.

1907 - Pittsburgh's Howie Camnitz pitched a five-inning no-hitter in the second game of a doubleheader at New York. The Pirates beat the Giants 1-0.

1910 - Fred Clarke makes a record four outfield assists for Pittsburgh against the Phils.

1931 - Lefty Grove is frustrated in his effort to win a record-breaking 17th game in a row. Philadelphia A's outfielder Johnny Moore, in place of regular Al Simmons, misjudges a routine flyball to allow the lone run in a 1-0 loss to the St. Louis Browns.

1936 - Seventeen-year-old Bob Feller makes his first start and strikes out 15, one less than the American League record, as Cleveland beats the St. Louis Browns 4-1.

1942 - Walter Johnson pitching to Babe Ruth is the pregame attraction that draws 69,000 for the New York-Washington game at Yankee Stadium that provides $80,000 for Army-Navy relief. Ruth hits the fifth pitch into the right-field stands, and then adds one more shot before circling the bases.

1952 - At the Polo Grounds, in a Cardinals win over the Giants, New York third baseman Bob Elliott is thrown out of the game for protesting a second strike call by Jocko Conlan. Bobby Hofman replaces Elliott, takes a third strike, and is also thumbed for not liking the umpiring.

1953 - Phil Paine, a former Boston Braves pitcher in military service with the U.S. Air Force in Japan, becomes the first ex-major leaguer to play in Japan. He pitches in nine games for the Nis**tetsu Lions.

1970 - Pirates outfielder Roberto Clemente compiles his second straight five-hit game during an 11-0 pasting of Los Angeles. He is the first major leaguer this century to collect 10 hits in two consecutive games.

1972 - Chicago's Dick Allen becomes the fourth major league player (Jimmie Foxx, Hank Greenberg, and Alex Johnson are the others) to hit one into the center field bleachers in Comiskey Park when he connects off New York's Lindy McDaniel. The ball just misses Harry Caray, announcing the afternoon game from bleachers.

1980 - Oakland A's owner Charlie Finley sells the club for $12.7 million to the Haas family of San Francisco, owners of the Levi Strauss clothing empire, thus keeping the team in Oakland.

1982 - Seattle pitcher Gaylord Perry is ejected in the seventh inning of a 4-3 loss to the Red Sox for doctoring the baseball. It is the first time in his 20 major league seasons that the self-proclaimed spitball king has been bounced for that offense.

1989 - Rick Dempsey's leadoff homer in the 22nd inning gave the Los Angeles Dodgers a 1-0 victory against the Montreal Expos in the second-longest shutout in major league history.

1992 - Dennis Eckersley, who previously set the record for most consecutive saves (40), becomes the first pitcher to record 40 saves in four different seasons.

1992 - There were no hits in Clearwater's 1-0 victory over Winter Haven in the Single-A Florida State League. In what appeared to be the first professional game in 40 years without a hit, Andy Carter and the Clearwater Phillies beat Scott Bakkum and the Winter Haven Red Sox. The only run scored in the seventh inning on a pair of walks and a pair of sacrifice bunts.

1998 - Barry Bonds becomes the first player in major league history to hit at least 400 home runs and steal 400 bases. The Giants' left fielder crushes his 400th home run into the right field seats on a 1-1 pitch from Flordia's Kirt Ojala in the top of the third inning. Bonds entered the game with 438 stolen bases.

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**pm530** · 08-23-2009, 04:28 AM

MLB

Sunday, August 23

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Hot lines: Today’s best MLB bets
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Baltimore Orioles at Chicago White Sox (-230, 9.5)

Will someone tell the Baltimore Orioles they are 27 games out of the American League East and don’t have a prayer at landing the Wild Card spot.

Baltimore has risen from the dead and taken it to its last two opponents. On Thursday, the O’s hung on to an 8-7 win over the Tampa Bay Rays. And Friday, the team won their first back-to-back contests since the end of July with a 5-1 victory against the White Sox.

The catalyst for this sudden offensive jolt is second baseman Brian Roberts, who has an 11-game hit streak going including knocking four home runs in his last three games. Roberts is hitting .354 in August with 15 RBIs.

"I know my job and my role," he said. "It doesn't really change no matter who's on this team. We could add Albert Pujols and Matt Holiday and that wouldn't change what my role is. My job is not to try to pick up the homers that Aubrey left off. That's for sure. I just try to do the same thing every day and see what happens."

Heading into Saturday’s game, Baltimore has a 13-12 record versus the AL Central – it’s only winning record in the American League. The Orioles are 4-3 against Chicago this season.

Pick: Baltimore +212

New York Yankees at Boston Red Sox (-110, 9)

These AL East rivals kept the scoreboards at Fenway working overtime in the first two games of this series. New York and Boston combined for 46 total runs on 62 hits Friday and Saturday.

Now with staff aces C.C. Sabathia and Josh Beckett on the bump, the total for Sunday’s finale is set at an inflated 9 runs. While the BoSox and Bronx Bombers can put runs on the board, these two aces deserve more respect than that. The total opened at 8.5 before Game 2 Saturday but has climbed with the amount of action at the plate influencing total bettors.

Beckett is coming off one of his rockiest starts of the season earlier this week. But in August, the crafty right-hander has been stellar, posting a 3.08 ERA and a strikeout-to-walk count of 22-to-6. Against New York, Beckett hasn’t given up an earned run in his last two starts and has a team win record of 7-3 during his career.

Sabathia is one of the hottest pitchers in baseball. He has a 2.35 ERA this month and hasn’t lost a start since the end of July. In his most recent start, the chunky southpaw struck out seven batters while allowing just two earned runs in eight innings versus Oakland.

Pick: Under 9

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**pm530** · 08-23-2009, 04:29 AM

MLB

Sunday, August 23

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Streaking and Slumping Pitchers
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Streaking

Felix Hernandez (Seattle Mariners)

Despite playing in the pitcher's paradise of Safeco Field, Hernandez continues to perform better and remains a better play on the road, where he has been next to untouchable.

The right-hander is 8-1 with a 1.92 ERA and a 1.03 WHIP on the road. In his last start at Detroit, he allowed one run and five hits in seven innings, but the Mariners lost a road game with him on the hill for the first time since May 14 at Texas.

Hernandez had not been priced higher than -136 on the road until this start.

David Price (Tampa Bay Rays)

Price has been nearly as good at home as Hernandez has been on the road. The left-hander has allowed more than two earned runs just once in eight starts at Tropicana Field.

Overall, Price is 6-1 with a 2.82 ERA at home. In his last five starts at the Trop, he is 5-0 with a 2.07 ERA. And he still believes he can do better.

"I went five innings; that's not what I wanted to do," Prioce told the team's web site after beating Baltimore in his last start. "I thought I had good stuff. I wish I could have commanded the zone a little bit better."

Ubaldo Jimenez (Colorado Rockies)

How does the fireballing right-hander start getting the recognition he deserves? Outpitching Tim Lincecum would help.

It shouldn't be that hard. Jimenez has outpitched just about every National League hurler since the All-Star break. The Rockies are 6-1 in his seven starts and Jimenez has not allowed more than three earned runs in any of them.

Since the break, Jimenez is 5-0 with a 2.49 ERA and a 1.01 WHIP, allowing just three homers in 50 2-3 innings.

Debuting

John Smoltz (St. Louis Cardinals)

Cardinals pitching coach Dave Duncan has fixed a lot of players in his career. This will be one of his true tests.

Smoltz will be making his first start for the Cardinals, who signed him after he was released by the Boston Red Sox. In eight starts for Boston, Smoltz gave up five or more earned runs six times, compiling an 8.32 ERA.

In his last four starts, the former Cy Young Award winner allowed four homers in 20 innings.

Slumping

Jason Berken (Baltimore Orioles)

The Orioles have lost 10 of the last 11 games started by Berken, who could lose his spot in the rotation once September call-ups arrive.

During that span, the righthander has not pitched more than six innings and has worked five frames or less six times. He is 1-8 with a 6.67 ERA.

In his last three outing, Berken has been prone to giving up the long ball, surrendering six in 16 2-3 innings.

Brian Bannister (Kansas City Royals)

Since pitching seven scoreless innings at Tampa Bay on Aug. 2, the right-hander has been absolutely hammered.

In three starts, Bannister has given up 20 earned runs and 26 hits in 17 innings. Throw in seven walks and his WHIP is 1.94.

Bannister has one win in seven starts since the All-Star break.

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**pm530** · 08-23-2009, 04:31 AM

MLB

Sunday, August 23

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Sunday Night Baseball: Yankees at Red Sox
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New York Yankees at Boston Red Sox (-110, 9)

The first-place Yankees conclude their huge series against second-place Boston at Fenway Park in a battle for American League bragging rights.

A matchup of former Cy Young award winners pairs C.C. Sabathia (14-7 3.58 ERA) against Josh Beckett (14-4 3.38 ERA) in a premier pitching matchup Sunday evening.

Hit parade

In the first two games of this series there have been 62 total hits. New York won Game 1 with a 20-run, 23-hit explosion, taking a 20-11 victory.

In Game 2, the Yankees put 12 hits on the scoreboard but managed to cash in just one run - a solo home run from Nick Swisher. The Bronx Bombers fell 14-1 to the home-town BoSox, who hit four home runs and scored 13 of their 14 runs with two outs.

In the blink of an eye

At the All-Star break, the Red Sox led the Yankees by three games. Entering this weekend the Yankees were 7.5 games ahead.

That is a 10.5-game swing, in little more than a month.

"They're a really good team feeling real good about themselves." Boston manager Terry Francona said following the Yankees’ four-game sweep in the Bronx two weeks ago.

"This is a race that will go down to the end," countered Yankees manager Joe Girardi. "Is the lead surprising? Yes. Is it comfortable? No, because we have a long way to go."

Here we go again

Like last year with Milwaukee, Sabathia is heating up after the All-Star break.

The big lefty pitched eight strong innings for the second straight start while winning his fourth straight start in Oakland Tuesday. He allowed two runs on five hits, issuing one walk and recording seven strikeouts.

Sabathia has hurled at least seven innings in six of his last seven starts and looks like he's beginning another second-half hot streak.

Prior to Tuesday’s win, Sabathia had struggled throughout his career when returning to his hometown of Oakland, losing four times while posting a sky-high 7.12 ERA.

“C.C.'s just one of those guys who seems to get stronger down the stretch and that's a good thing,” commented Girardi.

S-W-I-S-H!

Yankees 1B Nick Swisher has clubbed 20 homers this season, but unlike many of his teammates, he has not taken advantage of the Yankees' homer-happy ballpark. Swisher has hit the majority of his home runs on the road, with only three coming at the new Yankee Stadium. He registered New York's only score in Game 2 with a solo home run.

Gimme five

There have been only five players in major league history who have hit 20 home runs in back-to-back years while also playing at least 30 games at both first base and third base.

Boston’s Kevin Youkilis gained entry into that club when he hit his 20th home run of the season this month, joining notable sluggers Harmon Killebrew, Mike Schmidt, Dave Kingman and Al Rosen.

Youkilis added two more dingers Saturday and totaled six RBIs in the Red Sox 14-1 victory.

Form and function

Beckett left Tuesday’s game in Toronto after 5.3 innings of work with the game tied at seven. He allowed seven earned runs in the game on nine hits, including three homers and a walk. Beckett gave up two more runs on Tuesday than he had in his previous four starts combined.

Sabathia is just 2-8 with a 4.74 ERA last 10 team starts versus Boston. Conversely, Beckett stands 7-2 with a 3.39 ERA in his last nine team starts against the Pinstripes.

No edge on Sundays: the Yankees are 8-3 last 11; the Red Sox 7-2 last nine home.

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**pm530** · 08-23-2009, 06:53 AM

MLB

Sunday, August 23

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Trend Report
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1:05 PM
SEATTLE vs. CLEVELAND
Seattle is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Cleveland
Seattle is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Cleveland
Cleveland is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games at home
Cleveland is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Seattle

1:07 PM
LA ANGELS vs. TORONTO
LA Angels are 6-2 SU in their last 8 games
LA Angels are 6-2 SU in their last 8 games on the road
Toronto is 3-6 SU in their last 9 games when playing at home against LA Angels
Toronto is 2-4 SU in their last 6 games when playing LA Angels

1:10 PM
PHILADELPHIA vs. NY METS
Philadelphia is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing NY Mets
Philadelphia is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games on the road
NY Mets are 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
NY Mets are 2-4 SU in its last 6 games at home

1:35 PM
CINCINNATI vs. PITTSBURGH
Cincinnati is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games
Cincinnati is 3-13 SU in its last 16 games on the road
Pittsburgh is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
Pittsburgh is 8-17 SU in its last 25 games

1:35 PM
FLORIDA vs. ATLANTA
Florida is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Atlanta
Florida is 10-5 SU in its last 15 games
Atlanta is 10-4 SU in its last 14 games
Atlanta is 16-7 SU in its last 23 games at home

1:35 PM
MILWAUKEE vs. WASHINGTON
Milwaukee is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
Milwaukee is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Washington is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Milwaukee
Washington is 2-9 SU in its last 11 games when playing Milwaukee

1:38 PM
TEXAS vs. TAMPA BAY
Texas is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games when playing on the road against Tampa Bay
Texas is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
Tampa Bay is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games
Tampa Bay is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games at home

2:00 PM
ARIZONA vs. HOUSTON
Arizona is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games
Arizona is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing Houston
Houston is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Arizona
Houston is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games at home

2:05 PM
BALTIMORE vs. CHI WHITE SOX
Baltimore is 5-13 SU in its last 18 games on the road
Baltimore is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games
No trends available

2:10 PM
MINNESOTA vs. KANSAS CITY
Minnesota is 9-2 SU in its last 11 games when playing on the road against Kansas City
Minnesota is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing Kansas City
Kansas City is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
Kansas City is 3-14 SU in its last 17 games at home

3:10 PM
SAN FRANCISCO vs. COLORADO
San Francisco is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
San Francisco is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Colorado is 8-3 SU in its last 11 games at home
Colorado is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games

4:05 PM
DETROIT vs. OAKLAND
Detroit is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games
Detroit is 4-13 SU in its last 17 games on the road
Oakland is 7-2 SU in its last 9 games when playing at home against Detroit
Oakland is 3-6 SU in its last 9 games at home

4:05 PM
ST. LOUIS vs. SAN DIEGO
St. Louis is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against San Diego
St. Louis is 8-2 SU in its last 10 games
San Diego is 1-10 SU in its last 11 games when playing St. Louis
San Diego is 3-7 SU in its last 10 games

4:10 PM
CHI CUBS vs. LA DODGERS
Chi Cubs are 1-5 SU in their last 6 games
Chi Cubs are 1-7 SU in their last 8 games on the road
LA Dodgers are 6-1 SU in their last 7 games when playing at home against Chi Cubs
LA Dodgers are 4-1 SU in their last 5 games when playing Chi Cubs

8:05 PM
NY YANKEES vs. BOSTON
NY Yankees are 1-8 SU in their last 9 games when playing on the road against Boston
NY Yankees are 15-4 SU in their last 19 games
Boston is 10-5 SU in their last 15 games when playing NY Yankees
Boston is 1-5 SU in their last 6 games when playing NY Yankees

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**Udog** · 08-23-2009, 08:39 AM

MLB
Dunkel

St. Louis at San Diego
The Padres look to take advantage of a St. Louis team that is 1-6 in its last 7 road games when the total is set from 9 to 10 1/2. San Diego is the pick (+165) according to Dunkel, which has the Padres favored by 1/2 a run. Dunkel Pick: San Diego (+165). Here are all of today's picks.

SUNDAY, AUGUST 23

Game 901-902: Philadelphia at NY Mets
Dunkel Ratings: Philadelphia (Martinez) 15.602; NY Mets (Perez) 15.821
Dunkel Line: NY Mets by 1/2; 8 1/2
Vegas Line: Philadelphia (-185); 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: NY Mets (+175); Under

Game 903-904: Florida at Atlanta
Dunkel Ratings: Florida (Nolasco) 15.263; Atlanta (Lowe) 15.567
Dunkel Line: Atlanta by 1/2; 7 1/2
Vegas Line: Atlanta (-150); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Atlanta (-150); Under

Game 905-906: Cincinnati at Pittsburgh
Dunkel Ratings: Cincinnati (Bailey) 14.876; Pittsburgh (Hart) 13.961
Dunkel Line: Cincinnati by 1; 9 1/2
Vegas Line: Pittsburgh (-135); 9
Dunkel Pick: Cincinnati (+125); Over

Game 907-908: Milwaukee at Washington
Dunkel Ratings: Milwaukee (Parra) 13.587; Washington (Stammen) 15.131
Dunkel Line: Washington by 1 1/2; 11
Vegas Line: Milwaukee (-115); 10
Dunkel Pick: Washington (+105); Over

Game 909-910: Arizona at Houston
Dunkel Ratings: Arizona (Garland) 14.671; Houston (Norris) 14.332
Dunkel Line: Arizona by 1/2; 7 1/2
Vegas Line: Houston (-145); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Arizona (+135); Under

Game 911-912: San Francisco at Colorado
Dunkel Ratings: San Francisco (Lincecum) 15.475; Colorado (Jimenez) 16.164
Dunkel Line: Colorado by 1/2; 7
Vegas Line: Colorado (-110); 8
Dunkel Pick: Colorado (-110); Under

Game 913-914: St. Louis at San Diego
Dunkel Ratings: St. Louis (Smoltz) 14.713; San Diego (Carrillo) 14.848
Dunkel Line: San Diego by 1/2; 6 1/2
Vegas Line: St. Louis (-170); 9
Dunkel Pick: San Diego (+160); Under

Game 915-916: Chicago Cubs at LA Dodgers
Dunkel Ratings: Cubs (Dempster) 15.571; LA Dodgers (Billingsley) 15.149
Dunkel Line: Chicago Cubs by 1/2; 5 1/2
Vegas Line: LA Dodgers (-175); 8
Dunkel Pick: Chicago Cubs (+165); Under

Game 917-918: Seattle at Cleveland
Dunkel Ratings: Seattle (Hernandez) 16.924; Cleveland (Carmona) 15.866
Dunkel Line: Seattle by 1; 9
Vegas Line: Seattle (-145); 8
Dunkel Pick: Seattle (-145); Over

Game 919-920: LA Angels at Toronto
Dunkel Ratings: LA Angels (Bell) 14.646; Toronto (Romero) 14.714
Dunkel Line: Toronto by 1/2; 8 1/2
Vegas Line: Toronto (-130); 10
Dunkel Pick: Toronto (-130); Under

Game 921-922: Texas at Tampa Bay
Dunkel Ratings: Texas (Feldman) 16.734; Tampa Bay (Price) 15.570
Dunkel Line: Texas by 1; 6 1/2
Vegas Line: Tampa Bay (-165); 9
Dunkel Pick: Texas (+155); Under

Game 923-924: Baltimore at Chicago White Sox
Dunkel Ratings: Baltimore (Berken) 14.727; White Sox (Buehrle) 16.002
Dunkel Line: Chicago White Sox by 1 1/2; 7 1/2
Vegas Line: Chicago White Sox (-240); 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Chicago White Sox (-240); Under

Game 925-926: Minnesota at Kansas City
Dunkel Ratings: Minnesota (Pavano) 14.215; Kansas City (Bannister) 15.509
Dunkel Line: Kansas City by 1 1/2; 11
Vegas Line: Minnesota (-120); 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Kansas City (+110); Over

Game 927-928: Detroit at Oakland
Dunkel Ratings: Detroit (Porcello) 15.013; Oakland (Tomko) 16.049
Dunkel Line: Oakland by 1; 9 1/2
Vegas Line: Detroit (-145); 9
Dunkel Pick: Oakland (+135); Over

Game 929-930: NY Yankees at Boston
Dunkel Ratings: NY Yankees (Sabathia) 17.430; Boston (Beckett) 16.352
Dunkel Line: NY Yankees by 1; 11 1/2
Vegas Line: NY Yankees (-110); 9
Dunkel Pick: NY Yankees (-110); Over

**Udog** · 08-23-2009, 09:13 AM

MLB
Long Sheet

Sunday, August 23

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PHILADELPHIA (70 - 50) at NY METS (57 - 66) - 1:10 PM
PEDRO MARTINEZ (R) vs. OLIVER PEREZ (L)
Top Trends for this game.
MARTINEZ is 68-63 (-51.1 Units) against the money line against division opponents since 1997. (Team's Record)
PHILADELPHIA is 8-1 (+7.6 Units) against the money line in road games when playing on Sunday this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 39-22 (+15.6 Units) against the money line in road games against division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 67-47 (+8.3 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 59-36 (+14.3 Units) against the money line against left-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 44-25 (+14.7 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 70-50 (+9.1 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 38-21 (+17.7 Units) against the money line in road games this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 34-22 (+11.9 Units) against the money line on the road when the total is 9 to 9.5 over the last 2 seasons.
NY METS are 146-139 (-14.7 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
NY METS are 146-139 (-14.7 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
NY METS are 52-68 (-29.9 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 over the last 2 seasons.
NY METS are 27-33 (-19.2 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 9 to 9.5 over the last 2 seasons.
NY METS are 48-49 (-26.3 Units) against the money line in home games against division opponents over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
PHILADELPHIA is 7-5 (+1.0 Units) against NY METS this season
7 of 11 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+2.4 Units)

PEDRO MARTINEZ vs. NY METS since 1997
MARTINEZ is 1-3 when starting against NY METS with an ERA of 3.48 and a WHIP of 1.323.
His team's record is 2-3 (-2.5 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 2-2. (-0.4 units)

OLIVER PEREZ vs. PHILADELPHIA since 1997
PEREZ is 2-3 when starting against PHILADELPHIA with an ERA of 3.55 and a WHIP of 1.549.
His team's record is 6-7 (-2.4 units) in these starts. The OVER is 4-9. (-5.7 units)

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FLORIDA (65 - 58) at ATLANTA (65 - 58) - 1:35 PM
RICKY NOLASCO (R) vs. DEREK LOWE (R)
Top Trends for this game.
FLORIDA is 45-35 (+16.9 Units) against the money line in day games over the last 2 seasons.
FLORIDA is 62-55 (+6.7 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
FLORIDA is 101-97 (+10.1 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
FLORIDA is 75-60 (+23.0 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 2 seasons.
FLORIDA is 36-33 (+8.8 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
FLORIDA is 36-31 (+13.6 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.
FLORIDA is 65-58 (+7.9 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
FLORIDA is 25-16 (+8.6 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 this season.
FLORIDA is 70-71 (+15.4 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
FLORIDA is 25-18 (+10.0 Units) against the money line against division opponents this season.
NOLASCO is 35-20 (+19.7 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
NOLASCO is 21-10 (+16.5 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
NOLASCO is 33-20 (+16.4 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
NOLASCO is 20-8 (+16.0 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
NOLASCO is 18-10 (+12.7 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
ATLANTA is 136-146 (-26.0 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 39-40 (-8.6 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
ATLANTA is 105-115 (-25.4 Units) against the money line after a win over the last 3 seasons.
ATLANTA is 12-22 (-13.6 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 137-148 (-26.9 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 32-35 (-11.9 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
FLORIDA is 6-4 (+4.3 Units) against ATLANTA this season
5 of 9 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+0.4 Units)

RICKY NOLASCO vs. ATLANTA since 1997
NOLASCO is 1-4 when starting against ATLANTA with an ERA of 5.00 and a WHIP of 1.622.
His team's record is 2-6 (-4.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 4-4. (-0.4 units)

DEREK LOWE vs. FLORIDA since 1997
LOWE is 5-4 when starting against FLORIDA with an ERA of 5.35 and a WHIP of 1.431.
His team's record is 6-5 (-1.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 5-6. (-2.3 units)

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CINCINNATI (51 - 71) at PITTSBURGH (51 - 70) - 1:35 PM
HOMER BAILEY (R) vs. KEVIN HART (R)
Top Trends for this game.
CINCINNATI is 50-69 (-15.6 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
CINCINNATI is 82-112 (-30.8 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
CINCINNATI is 54-70 (-23.8 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
CINCINNATI is 3-10 (-9.6 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season this season.
CINCINNATI is 51-71 (-16.5 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
BAILEY is 3-16 (-12.6 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
BAILEY is 3-16 (-12.6 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
PITTSBURGH is 33-27 (+6.0 Units) against the money line in home games in games played on a grass field this season.
PITTSBURGH is 33-27 (+6.0 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
CINCINNATI is 474-559 (+38.1 Units) against the money line in road games since 1997.
PITTSBURGH is 12-31 (-17.2 Units) against the money line when playing on Sunday over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
PITTSBURGH is 4-3 (+1.0 Units) against CINCINNATI this season
4 of 7 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+0.5 Units)

HOMER BAILEY vs. PITTSBURGH since 1997
No recent starts.

KEVIN HART vs. CINCINNATI since 1997
HART is 1-0 when starting against CINCINNATI with an ERA of 1.50 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)

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MILWAUKEE (60 - 62) at WASHINGTON (43 - 80) - 1:35 PM
MANNY PARRA (L) vs. CRAIG STAMMEN (R)
Top Trends for this game.
MILWAUKEE is 43-47 (-9.0 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
MILWAUKEE is 27-39 (-17.9 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
MILWAUKEE is 250-289 (-66.5 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season since 1997.
MILWAUKEE is 60-62 (-7.0 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
MILWAUKEE is 5-14 (-10.7 Units) against the money line when playing on Sunday this season.
MILWAUKEE is 14-24 (-12.9 Units) against the money line in day games this season.
WASHINGTON is 92-94 (+20.9 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 3 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 50-45 (+15.7 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season over the last 3 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 25-24 (+11.6 Units) against the money line in August games over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 43-77 (-25.5 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
WASHINGTON is 13-27 (-16.1 Units) against the money line in home games against left-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 7-22 (-15.8 Units) against the money line after allowing 10 runs or more over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 22-57 (-32.4 Units) against the money line after a loss this season.
WASHINGTON is 18-32 (-15.3 Units) against the money line in home games after 3 or more consecutive losses over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 43-80 (-28.5 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
WASHINGTON is 26-38 (-10.8 Units) against the money line in home games this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
MILWAUKEE is 4-2 (+0.9 Units) against WASHINGTON this season
6 of 6 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+6.0 Units)

MANNY PARRA vs. WASHINGTON since 1997
PARRA is 1-0 when starting against WASHINGTON with an ERA of 6.23 and a WHIP of 1.731.
His team's record is 2-1 (+0.9 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 0-3. (-3.3 units)

CRAIG STAMMEN vs. MILWAUKEE since 1997
STAMMEN is 0-0 when starting against MILWAUKEE with an ERA of 9.64 and a WHIP of 1.927.
His team's record is 1-0 (+1.4 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-0. (+1.0 units)

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ARIZONA (54 - 70) at HOUSTON (61 - 62) - 2:05 PM
JON GARLAND (R) vs. BUD NORRIS (R)
Top Trends for this game.
ARIZONA is 13-21 (-10.6 Units) against the money line in day games this season.
ARIZONA is 54-70 (-19.2 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
ARIZONA is 97-107 (-24.9 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
ARIZONA is 54-70 (-19.2 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
ARIZONA is 60-82 (-22.9 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
ARIZONA is 16-28 (-16.4 Units) against the money line when playing on Sunday over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 43-38 (+12.8 Units) against the money line in day games over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 143-135 (+19.4 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 49-47 (+4.6 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
HOUSTON is 78-68 (+14.9 Units) against the money line after a win over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 68-50 (+16.4 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 61-62 (+2.0 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
HOUSTON is 50-41 (+13.3 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 82-60 (+16.5 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 31-19 (+18.4 Units) against the money line in August games over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 13-6 (+9.7 Units) against the money line when playing on Sunday this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
HOUSTON is 4-1 (+3.4 Units) against ARIZONA this season
3 of 5 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+0.9 Units)

JON GARLAND vs. HOUSTON since 1997
GARLAND is 0-1 when starting against HOUSTON with an ERA of 3.81 and a WHIP of 1.462.
His team's record is 2-2 (+0.3 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-3. (-2.4 units)

BUD NORRIS vs. ARIZONA since 1997
No recent starts.

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SAN FRANCISCO (67 - 56) at COLORADO (69 - 54) - 3:10 PM
TIM LINCECUM (R) vs. UBALDO JIMENEZ (R)
Top Trends for this game.
COLORADO is 131-108 (+16.6 Units) against the money line after a win over the last 3 seasons.
COLORADO is 116-101 (+29.7 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.
COLORADO is 62-44 (+23.6 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.
COLORADO is 69-54 (+12.0 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
COLORADO is 69-54 (+12.0 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
COLORADO is 49-35 (+12.3 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 34-22 (+12.9 Units) against the money line after a loss this season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 67-56 (+11.2 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 30-24 (+6.9 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 this season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 67-56 (+11.2 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 49-42 (+7.0 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
COLORADO is 51-67 (-23.4 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
JIMENEZ is 5-13 (-10.9 Units) against the money line in day games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
SAN FRANCISCO is 5-5 (+0.8 Units) against COLORADO this season
5 of 9 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+0.3 Units)

TIM LINCECUM vs. COLORADO since 1997
LINCECUM is 3-2 when starting against COLORADO with an ERA of 4.40 and a WHIP of 1.489.
His team's record is 3-5 (-3.2 units) in these starts. The OVER is 5-3. (+2.1 units)

UBALDO JIMENEZ vs. SAN FRANCISCO since 1997
JIMENEZ is 2-2 when starting against SAN FRANCISCO with an ERA of 2.44 and a WHIP of 1.015.
His team's record is 3-4 (-2.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 5-2. (+2.4 units)

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ST LOUIS (71 - 54) at SAN DIEGO (52 - 73) - 4:05 PM
JOHN SMOLTZ (R) vs. CESAR CARRILLO (R)
Top Trends for this game.
ST LOUIS is 157-130 (+16.8 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
ST LOUIS is 107-84 (+17.9 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
ST LOUIS is 157-130 (+16.8 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
SAN DIEGO is 115-171 (-50.0 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
SAN DIEGO is 75-113 (-32.5 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
SAN DIEGO is 67-102 (-31.4 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 2 seasons.
SAN DIEGO is 43-82 (-33.0 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
SAN DIEGO is 115-171 (-50.0 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
ST LOUIS is 5-1 (+3.7 Units) against SAN DIEGO this season
4 of 6 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+1.9 Units)

JOHN SMOLTZ vs. SAN DIEGO since 1997
SMOLTZ is 6-1 when starting against SAN DIEGO with an ERA of 2.06 and a WHIP of 1.115.
His team's record is 9-4 (+1.2 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 9-4. (+4.8 units)

CESAR CARRILLO vs. ST LOUIS since 1997
No recent starts.

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CHICAGO CUBS (61 - 60) at LA DODGERS (74 - 50) - 4:10 PM
RYAN DEMPSTER (R) vs. CHAD BILLINGSLEY (R)
Top Trends for this game.
CHICAGO CUBS are 61-60 (-10.5 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
CHICAGO CUBS are 22-30 (-11.4 Units) against the money line in road games against right-handed starters this season.
CHICAGO CUBS are 26-32 (-10.1 Units) against the money line after a loss this season.
CHICAGO CUBS are 25-34 (-12.8 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
CHICAGO CUBS are 8-16 (-8.8 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season this season.
CHICAGO CUBS are 61-60 (-10.5 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
CHICAGO CUBS are 19-25 (-10.3 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 this season.
CHICAGO CUBS are 26-38 (-16.3 Units) against the money line in road games this season.
CHICAGO CUBS are 9-16 (-9.9 Units) against the money line on the road when the total is 8 to 8.5 this season.
CHICAGO CUBS are 157-204 (-66.0 Units) against the money line in August games since 1997.
DEMPSTER is 7-15 (-10.7 Units) against the money line in all games this season. (Team's Record)
DEMPSTER is 1-8 (-8.6 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 this season. (Team's Record)
DEMPSTER is 2-11 (-10.7 Units) against the money line in road games this season. (Team's Record)
DEMPSTER is 7-15 (-10.7 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season. (Team's Record)
LA DODGERS are 74-50 (+14.1 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
LA DODGERS are 53-37 (+10.6 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
LA DODGERS are 74-50 (+14.1 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
DEMPSTER is 60-52 (+14.6 Units) against the money line after a loss since 1997. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
LA DODGERS is 5-2 (+3.5 Units) against CHICAGO CUBS this season
5 of 6 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+3.8 Units)

RYAN DEMPSTER vs. LA DODGERS since 1997
DEMPSTER is 5-3 when starting against LA DODGERS with an ERA of 2.81 and a WHIP of 1.330.
His team's record is 8-3 (+5.2 units) in these starts. The OVER is 5-6. (-1.0 units)

CHAD BILLINGSLEY vs. CHICAGO CUBS since 1997
BILLINGSLEY is 1-2 when starting against CHICAGO CUBS with an ERA of 3.28 and a WHIP of 1.297.
His team's record is 1-3 (-2.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 2-2. (-0.5 units)

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

SEATTLE (63 - 60) at CLEVELAND (53 - 69) - 1:05 PM
FELIX HERNANDEZ (R) vs. FAUSTO CARMONA (R)
Top Trends for this game.
SEATTLE is 246-231 (-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.
CLEVELAND is 28-19 (+14.1 Units) against the money line in August games over the last 2 seasons.
SEATTLE is 36-24 (+14.1 Units) against the money line after a loss this season.
SEATTLE is 63-60 (+6.5 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
SEATTLE is 17-8 (+11.8 Units) against the money line on the road when the total is 8 to 8.5 this season.
SEATTLE is 22-15 (+9.2 Units) against the money line in day games this season.
SEATTLE is 60-56 (+7.0 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
SEATTLE is 42-37 (+7.8 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
HERNANDEZ is 18-7 (+8.8 Units) against the money line in all games this season. (Team's Record)
HERNANDEZ is 11-3 (+8.0 Units) against the money line in road games this season. (Team's Record)
HERNANDEZ is 17-6 (+8.5 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season. (Team's Record)
CLEVELAND is 17-35 (-18.0 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
CLEVELAND is 13-25 (-14.5 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
CLEVELAND is 53-69 (-16.2 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
CLEVELAND is 27-35 (-13.6 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
CLEVELAND is 70-85 (-32.5 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 8 to 8.5 since 1997.
CLEVELAND is 46-61 (-16.6 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
CLEVELAND is 36-54 (-19.2 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
CLEVELAND is 5-4 (+1.5 Units) against SEATTLE this season
5 of 8 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+1.4 Units)

FELIX HERNANDEZ vs. CLEVELAND since 1997
HERNANDEZ is 3-1 when starting against CLEVELAND with an ERA of 3.58 and a WHIP of 1.354.
His team's record is 4-2 (+1.6 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-4. (-2.5 units)

FAUSTO CARMONA vs. SEATTLE since 1997
CARMONA is 1-0 when starting against SEATTLE with an ERA of 2.63 and a WHIP of 1.390.
His team's record is 1-1 (-0.8 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-0. (+2.0 units)

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LA ANGELS (74 - 47) at TORONTO (56 - 65) - 1:07 PM
TREVOR BELL (R) vs. RICKY ROMERO (L)
Top Trends for this game.
LA ANGELS are 45-28 (+14.4 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
LA ANGELS are 36-18 (+15.7 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
LA ANGELS are 24-11 (+10.8 Units) against the money line in road games when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
LA ANGELS are 74-47 (+25.1 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
LA ANGELS are 38-25 (+17.0 Units) against the money line in road games this season.
LA ANGELS are 30-15 (+14.2 Units) against the money line when playing on Sunday over the last 2 seasons.
LA ANGELS are 27-9 (+21.1 Units) against the money line in day games this season.
LA ANGELS are 27-12 (+14.8 Units) against the money line against left-handed starters this season.
TORONTO is 28-36 (-12.6 Units) against the money line after a loss this season.
TORONTO is 56-65 (-14.9 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
TORONTO is 143-166 (-55.6 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 10 to 10.5 since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
LA ANGELS is 4-3 (+1.0 Units) against TORONTO this season
4 of 6 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+2.1 Units)

TREVOR BELL vs. TORONTO since 1997
No recent starts.

RICKY ROMERO vs. LA ANGELS since 1997
No recent starts.

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TEXAS (68 - 54) at TAMPA BAY (67 - 55) - 1:38 PM
SCOTT FELDMAN (R) vs. DAVID PRICE (L)
Top Trends for this game.
TEXAS is 13-31 (-15.9 Units) against the money line in road games against left-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 29-11 (+12.6 Units) against the money line in home games against right-handed starters this season.
TAMPA BAY is 66-32 (+19.6 Units) against the money line in home games after a win over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 57-22 (+30.7 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 125-141 (+20.7 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season since 1997.
TAMPA BAY is 172-128 (+27.2 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 31-13 (+13.3 Units) against the money line as a home favorite of -125 to -150 over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 104-47 (+39.1 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 43-19 (+16.5 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 9 to 9.5 over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 36-11 (+18.4 Units) against the money line in home games in day games over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 105-50 (+36.5 Units) against the money line in games played in a dome over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 113-57 (+38.1 Units) against the money line in games played on artificial turf over the last 2 seasons.
TEXAS is 74-63 (+17.2 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 2 seasons.
TEXAS is 108-114 (+18.2 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.
TEXAS is 55-54 (+16.6 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.
TEXAS is 68-54 (+16.1 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
TEXAS is 66-72 (+12.6 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
FELDMAN is 15-7 (+8.0 Units) against the money line in all games this season. (Team's Record)
FELDMAN is 9-1 (+9.2 Units) against the money line in road games this season. (Team's Record)
TAMPA BAY is 21-27 (-14.6 Units) against the money line when playing on Sunday over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
TEXAS is 3-2 (+1.7 Units) against TAMPA BAY this season
3 of 4 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+1.9 Units)

SCOTT FELDMAN vs. TAMPA BAY since 1997
FELDMAN is 1-0 when starting against TAMPA BAY with an ERA of 2.08 and a WHIP of 1.077.
His team's record is 1-1 (+0.2 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-2. (-2.3 units)

DAVID PRICE vs. TEXAS since 1997
PRICE is 0-1 when starting against TEXAS with an ERA of 40.60 and a WHIP of 6.015.
His team's record is 0-1 (-1.2 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 0-1. (-1.2 units)

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BALTIMORE (50 - 73) at CHI WHITE SOX (63 - 60) - 2:05 PM
JASON BERKEN (R) vs. MARK BUEHRLE (L)
Top Trends for this game.
BALTIMORE is 84-153 (-46.7 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 22-56 (-24.9 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.
BALTIMORE is 10-34 (-23.8 Units) against the money line when playing on Sunday over the last 2 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 23-58 (-33.0 Units) against the money line in day games over the last 2 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 257-347 (-101.0 Units) against the money line against left-handed starters since 1997.
BERKEN is 2-12 (-10.6 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season. (Team's Record)
CHI WHITE SOX are 59-50 (+6.8 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
CHI WHITE SOX are 62-38 (+15.8 Units) against the money line in home games against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
CHI WHITE SOX are 82-55 (+21.1 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
CHI WHITE SOX are 63-60 (+1.9 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
CHI WHITE SOX are 91-57 (+18.9 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons.
BUEHRLE is 24-8 (+11.8 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
BUEHRLE is 24-8 (+11.8 Units) against the money line in home games in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
BUEHRLE is 25-5 (+15.8 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season since 1997. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
BALTIMORE is 4-4 (+1.0 Units) against CHI WHITE SOX this season
4 of 8 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=-0.2 Units, Under=-0.9 Units)

JASON BERKEN vs. CHI WHITE SOX since 1997
BERKEN is 0-1 when starting against CHI WHITE SOX with an ERA of 12.47 and a WHIP of 2.079.
His team's record is 0-1 (-1.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 0-1. (-1.3 units)

MARK BUEHRLE vs. BALTIMORE since 1997
BUEHRLE is 5-2 when starting against BALTIMORE with an ERA of 2.52 and a WHIP of 1.067.
His team's record is 8-3 (+4.5 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 4-6. (-2.4 units)

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MINNESOTA (60 - 63) at KANSAS CITY (47 - 75) - 2:10 PM
CARL PAVANO (R) vs. BRIAN BANNISTER (R)
Top Trends for this game.
MINNESOTA is 60-63 (-10.0 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
MINNESOTA is 16-27 (-13.5 Units) against the money line in day games this season.
BANNISTER is 9-2 (+9.6 Units) against the money line when playing on Sunday over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
BANNISTER is 15-7 (+11.9 Units) against the money line in day games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
MINNESOTA is 69-50 (+11.4 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
PAVANO is 111-90 (+23.7 Units) against the money line in all games since 1997. (Team's Record)
PAVANO is 54-35 (+20.9 Units) against the money line against division opponents since 1997. (Team's Record)
PAVANO is 13-8 (+8.3 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season. (Team's Record)
KANSAS CITY is 28-46 (-15.2 Units) against the money line after a loss this season.
KANSAS CITY is 9-20 (-11.5 Units) against the money line after 3 or more consecutive losses this season.
KANSAS CITY is 19-32 (-13.2 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
KANSAS CITY is 47-75 (-25.3 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
KANSAS CITY is 70-121 (-35.5 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 over the last 3 seasons.
KANSAS CITY is 25-38 (-17.3 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
KANSAS CITY is 23-39 (-17.6 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 9 to 9.5 over the last 2 seasons.
KANSAS CITY is 23-39 (-17.6 Units) against the money line in home games against division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
KANSAS CITY is 41-65 (-24.8 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
KANSAS CITY is 15-22 (-9.6 Units) against the money line in home games against right-handed starters this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
KANSAS CITY is 5-6 (+1.4 Units) against MINNESOTA this season
5 of 10 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=-0.7 Units, Under=-0.5 Units)

CARL PAVANO vs. KANSAS CITY since 1997
PAVANO is 1-4 when starting against KANSAS CITY with an ERA of 8.07 and a WHIP of 1.517.
His team's record is 1-4 (-4.8 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-3. (-2.4 units)

BRIAN BANNISTER vs. MINNESOTA since 1997
BANNISTER is 3-3 when starting against MINNESOTA with an ERA of 4.03 and a WHIP of 1.259.
His team's record is 5-4 (+1.6 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-6. (-4.4 units)

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DETROIT (65 - 57) at OAKLAND (54 - 68) - 4:05 PM
RICK PORCELLO (R) vs. BRETT TOMKO (R)
Top Trends for this game.
DETROIT is 139-145 (-30.7 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
DETROIT is 25-37 (-12.4 Units) against the money line in road games this season.
DETROIT is 34-44 (-23.2 Units) against the money line in August games over the last 3 seasons.
DETROIT is 16-27 (-11.9 Units) against the money line in road games against right-handed starters this season.
OAKLAND is 217-144 (+67.1 Units) against the money line in August games since 1997.
DETROIT is 27-15 (+9.8 Units) against the money line in day games this season.
DETROIT is 63-49 (+5.3 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
PORCELLO is 14-6 (+7.7 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season. (Team's Record)
OAKLAND is 26-46 (-14.3 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
DETROIT is 5-3 (+1.6 Units) against OAKLAND this season
5 of 8 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+1.5 Units)

RICK PORCELLO vs. OAKLAND since 1997
PORCELLO is 1-1 when starting against OAKLAND with an ERA of 5.23 and a WHIP of 1.549.
His team's record is 1-1 (-0.1 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-1. (+0.0 units)

BRETT TOMKO vs. DETROIT since 1997
No recent starts.

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NY YANKEES (77 - 46) at BOSTON (70 - 52) - 1:35 PM
C.C. SABATHIA (L) vs. JOSH BECKETT (R)
Top Trends for this game.
NY YANKEES are 25-35 (-20.4 Units) against the money line in road games in day games over the last 3 seasons.
BOSTON is 155-95 (+29.2 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 97-47 (+23.6 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 19-5 (+12.6 Units) against the money line in home games against division opponents this season.
BECKETT is 31-8 (+19.1 Units) against the money line in home games in day games since 1997. (Team's Record)
NY YANKEES are 40-19 (+13.2 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 this season.
SABATHIA is 17-8 (+11.0 Units) against the money line as a road underdog of +100 to +125 since 1997. (Team's Record)
BOSTON is 5-13 (-9.0 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season this season.
BECKETT is 5-11 (-12.4 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. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
BOSTON is 9-5 (+4.7 Units) against NY YANKEES this season
7 of 12 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+1.1 Units)

C.C. SABATHIA vs. BOSTON since 1997
SABATHIA is 3-7 when starting against BOSTON with an ERA of 4.54 and a WHIP of 1.295.
His team's record is 3-8 (-5.8 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 8-2. (+5.8 units)

JOSH BECKETT vs. NY YANKEES since 1997
BECKETT is 10-5 when starting against NY YANKEES with an ERA of 4.47 and a WHIP of 1.369.
His team's record is 11-7 (+5.1 units) in these starts. The OVER is 10-8. (+1.8 units)

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**Udog** · 08-23-2009, 11:09 AM

MLB
Short Sheet

Sunday, 8/23/2009

National League

PHILADELPHIA at NY METS, 1:10 PM ET
MARTINEZ: PHI 8-1 AWAY on Sunday
PEREZ: NYM 14-5 OVER after 3 or more consecutive unders

FLORIDA at ATLANTA, 1:35 PM ET
NOLASCO: 21-10 TSR in road games
LOWE: 12-3 UNDER at home after a team win

CINCINNATI at PITTSBURGH, 1:35 PM ET
BAILEY: CIN 9-2 after allowing 12+ runs
HART: PIT 12-31 on Sunday

MILWAUKEE at WASHINGTON, 1:35 PM ET
PARRA: MIL 10-17 after allowing 8+ runs
STAMMEN: WAS 19-8 UNDER after 5+ consecutive home games

ARIZONA at HOUSTON, 2:05 PM ET
GARLAND: ARI 13-21 in day games
NORRIS: HOU 21-11 against NL West

SAN FRANCISCO at COLORADO, 3:10 PM ET
LINCECUM: SF 6-0 AWAY after scoring 8+ runs
JIMENEZ: 5-13 TSR in day games

ST LOUIS at SAN DIEGO, 4:05 PM ET
SMOLTZ: STL 25-6 as a favorite of -150 or more
CARRILLO: SD 10-25 after a loss by 4+ runs

CHICAGO CUBS at LA DODGERS, 4:10 PM ET
DEMPSTER: CHC 6-12 with triple revenge
BILLINGSLEY: LAD 39-18 as a home favorite

American League

SEATTLE at CLEVELAND, 1:05 PM ET
HERNANDEZ: SEA 15-4 AWAY with a money line of -100 to -150
CARMONA: 1-8 TSR against AL West

LA ANGELS at TORONTO, 1:05 PM ET
BELL: LAA 22-8 OVER after a win by 4+ runs
ROMERO: TOR 37-51 when the total is 8.5 to 10

TEXAS at TAMPA BAY, 1:40 PM ET
FELDMAN: 9-1 TSR in road games
PRICE: TB 13-7 OVER at home with a money line of -100 to -150

BALTIMORE at CHI WHITE SOX, 2:05 PM ET
BERKEN: 2-12 TSR in games played on grass
BUEHRLE: 9-1 TSR when working on 5 or 6 days rest

MINNESOTA at KANSAS CITY, 2:10 PM ET
PAVANO: MIN 15-6 after scoring 8+ runs
BANNISTER: KC 9-20 after 3+ consecutive losses

DETROIT at OAKLAND, 4:05 PM ET
PORCELLO: DET 19-9 UNDER AWAY when the total is 9 to 9.5
TOMKO: OAK 12-4 at home after allowing 2 runs or less

NY YANKEES at BOSTON, 8:05 PM ET
SABATHIA: NYY 13-5 OVER in road day games
BECKETT: 31-8 TSR in home day games

** (TC) Denotes Time Change

**Udog** · 08-23-2009, 11:10 AM

MLB

Sunday, August 23

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

Chicago Cubs at Los Angeles Dodgers [4:10 PM ET]

Cubs: The scuffling Cubs have lost 12 of their last 16 games, including seven of their past eight road contests. They are 2-8 in their last 10 games versus the Dodgers. Chicago has failed to step up, especially away from Wrigley Field. The Cubs are 8-23 in their last 31 away matchups. Ryan Dempster (6-7, 4.28 ERA) hasn’t matched his solid pitching of the first half. Opponents are batting .296 off Dempster since the All-Streak compared to .258 off Dempster during the first half. The right-hander is 1-2 with a 4.15 ERA in four starts this month. Chicago has dropped nine of Dempster’s last 11 starts. The Cubs are 8-20 in Dempster’s past 28 road outings. Dempster struck out a season-high 10 Padres during his last start, but allowed four runs on eight hits in seven innings. The Cubs have dropped six of their last seven at Dodger Stadium.

The Over is 6-2-1 in the Cubs’ last eight games versus a right-handed starter.

Key Injuries - Carlos Zambrano (back) is on the DL.

PROJECTED SCORE: 3

Dodgers (-$1.70, O/U 8): Judging by his last start, Dodgers ace Chad Billingsley looks healthy after being on the DL because of a hamstring injury. Billingsley allowed two runs on three hits in six innings against the Cardinals last Tuesday in his first outing since Aug. 7. Billingsley gave up just one hit and no walks during the first five innings. He ended up throwing just 77 pitches. Career-wise, Billingsley is 1-2 with a 3.27 ERA in five appearances (three starts) versus the Cubs. Billingsley presents quite a contrast to knuckleball specialist Charlie Haeger, who the Cubs faced on Saturday. The Dodgers have crushed lesser competition at home this season, going 36-17 in their last 53 games at Dodger Stadium versus teams with a losing road mark. Dodgers closer Jonathan Broxton’s ERA the past two months is above 4.50. The Dodgers have allowed three or fewer runs in seven straight games.

The Over is 20-8-5 in Billingsley’s last 33 starts

Key Injuries - Hiroki Kuroda (head) is on the DL.

PROJECTED SCORE: 5 (Side of the Day)

New York Yankees at Boston Red Sox [ESPN | 8:05 PM ET]

Yankees: The Yankees have won five of their past six games against the Red Sox. New York has been on fire since the All-Star break going 26-9, including winning 15 of its last 19 games. C.C. Sabathia (14-7, 3.58 ERA) looks to go 5-0 in August. Sabathia has a 2.35 ERA this month, holding foes to a .185 batting average. Sabathia shut out the Red Sox for 7 2/3 innings on Aug. 8, giving up two hits in a 5-0 victory. This will be Sabathia’s first start at Fenway Park since June 11, when he gave up four runs on six hits in seven innings during a 4-3 loss. The over has cashed in seven of Sabathia’s last eight road starts. The Yankees have lost nine of their last 10 at Fenway Park. The Red Sox are averaging 9.8 runs in their last five games.

The Yankees are 72-34 in their last 106 games during Game 3 of a series.

Key Injuries - Johnny Damon (knee) is day-to-day.

PROJECTED SCORE: 4

Red Sox (-$1.15, O/U 9 under -$1.20): Josh Beckett is having a Cy Young-type season with a 14-4 record and 3.38 ERA. However, his last start wasn’t good. Beckett surrendered seven earned runs, including three homers, in 5 1/3 innings on Tuesday in a road game against Toronto. It was the most earned runs and fewest innings Beckett pitched since April. The right-hander’s 15-inning scoreless streak on the road was snapped by the Blue Jays in the second inning. Previously, Beckett had allowed three or fewer runs in 15 of his last 18 starts with a 2.17 ERA during this span. The Boston ace is 2-0 in four starts versus the Yankees this season with a 4.13 ERA. Boston is 10-1 in Beckett’s last 11 home starts. The Red Sox are 38-17 in their last 55 home games, including going 15-3 against foes with a winning record. Boston is 19-7 in Beckett’s last 26 starts.

The Over has cashed in 9 of Boston’s last 10 home games.

Key Injuries - Jed Lowrie (arm) is on the DL.

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

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**Udog** · 08-23-2009, 12:16 PM

MLB
Write-Up

Sunday, August 23

Hot Pitchers
-- Former Met Martinez is 1-0, 4.50 in two starts for the Phillies.
-- Jimenez is 4-0, 1.80 in his last four starts.
-- Nolasco is 3-0, 1.77 in his last three road starts. Lowe is 3-0, 3.00 in his last three home starts.
-- Lincecum is 2-0, 2.79 in his last five starts.
-- Billingsley is 2-0, 2.12 in his last three starts.

-- Mariners are 13-3 in last 16 Hernandez starts (1-0, 2.67 last four).
-- Price is 5-0, 2.08 in his last five home starts. Feldman is 3-0, 4.38 in his last four outings.
-- Porcello is 1-0, 2.21 in his last four starts. Tomko blanked Bronx for five innings in his first start for Oakland.
-- Sabathia is 4-0, 2.40 in his last four starts.

Cold Pitchers
-- Perez has a 5.82 RA in his last seven starts.
-- Bailey is 0-2, 9.53 in his last four starts. Hart is 1-1, 6.23 in his three starts for the Pirates.
-- Parra has a 6.75 RA in his last six starts. Stammen is 0-1, 9.15 in his last five starts.
-- Garland is 0-1, 6.75 in his last three starts. Norris has an 8.44 RA in his last couple starts.
-- Carrillo is 1-1, 11.88 in two starts for San Diego. Smoltz was 2-5 in eight starts for Boston, with an 8.33 RA.
-- Dempster is 1-2, 6.75 in his last three starts.

-- Bell has a 6.09 RA in his first two starts for Angels. Romero is 0-1, 7.47 in his last three starts.
-- Carmona is 0-4, 7.96 in his last eight starts.
-- Orioles are 2-13 in Berken's last 15 starts. Buehrle is 0-3, 6.12 in five starts since pitching his perfect game (0-0, 2.57 last two).
-- Bannister is 0-2, 11.12 in his last three starts. Pavano is 1-1, 5.00 in three starts for Minnesota.
-- Beckett is 6-0, 1.39 in his last seven starts.

Hot Teams
-- Pirates won their last five games, scoring 34 runs.
-- Phillies won five of their last six games.
-- Braves won three of their last four games.
-- Astros won five of their last six games.
-- Rockies won seven of their last ten games. Giants won four of six.
-- Cardinals won eight of their last ten games.
-- Dodgers won their last three games, allowing three runs.

-- Angels won six of their last eight games.
-- Bronx won nine of its last 12 road games. Red Sox won four of last five games, but lost five of last six to Bronx.
-- Tampa Bay won six of its last seven games.
-- Minnesota won four of its last five games.
-- Tigers won six of their last nine games.

Cold Teams
-- Reds lost seven of their last eight games.
-- Brewers lost four of their last six games. Nationals lost eight of their last eleven games.
-- Marlins lost three of their last four games.
-- Arizona lost its last seven games, allowing 48 runs.
-- Mets lost three of their last four games.
-- Padres lost seven of their last ten games.
-- Cubs lost five of their last six games.

-- Indians lost five of last seven home games. Mariners lost six of their last nine games.
-- Blue Jays lost six of their last seven games.
-- Rangers lost four of their last five games.
-- Royals lost 23 of their last 29 home games.
-- Orioles lost five of their last seven road games. White Sox lost last game in five of their last six home series.
-- Oakland lost six of its last nine home games.

Totals
-- Under is 6-2-2 in Cincinnati's last ten road games.
-- Five of last seven Washington home games stayed under the total.
-- Last five Perez starts went over the total.
-- Under is 8-2-1 in Nolasco's last 11 starts.
-- Six of last eight Garland starts stayed under the total.
-- Under is 10-2 in last dozen Jimenez starts.
-- Four of five Smoltz road starts went over the total.
-- Five of last seven Dempster starts went over the total.

-- Seven of last nine Cleveland home games stayed under total.
-- Over is 16-8-2 in Angels' last 26 road games.
-- Nine of last ten games at Fenway Park went over the total.
-- 11 of last 16 Tampa Bay home games stayed under the total.
-- Over is 13-2-2 in Minnesota's last seventeen road games.
-- Under is 10-5-1 in Berken's starts.
-- Six of last nine Porcello road starts stayed under the total.

Umpires
-- Cin-Pitt-- Under is 2-0-1 in Causey games this season.
-- Mil-Wsh-- Last four Meriwether games went over the total.
-- Az-Hst-- Underdog is 8-6 in last fourteen Hernandez games.
-- Fla-Atl-- Five of last six Nelson games went over the total.
-- Phil-NY-- Five of last six Wegner games stayed under the total.
-- SF-Colo-- Under is 10-4 in last 14 Cousins games, favorites 10-2 in his last dozen games.
-- StL-SD-- Favorite won eight of last ten Tichenor games.
-- Chi-LA-- Seven of last ten Carlson games stayed under the total.

-- LA-Tor-- Five of last seven Knight games went over the total.
-- NY-Bos-- Nine of last 12 Holbrook games stayed under the total.
-- Balt-Chi-- Under is 6-2-1 in last nine Kulpa games.
-- Sea-Clev-- Four of last five O'Nora games went over the total.
-- Tex-TB-- Underdog won four of last five Fletcher games.
-- Min-KC-- Favorite won six of last seven Dreckman games.
-- Det-A's-- Last five Wolf games all went over the total.

Announcement

Sunday Trends and Indexes 8/23 (MLB, WNBA, Misc.)

Sunday Trends and Indexes 8/23 (MLB, WNBA, Misc.)

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