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**pm530** · 09-28-2009, 05:44 AM

Daily Sports Roundup

Monday, September 28

Today in the Daily Sports Roundup: The Twins meet the Tigers, the Braves face the Marlins, and the Panthers and Cowboys do battle on Monday Night Football.

Colliding on the gridiron . . .

It's Carolina at Dallas on Monday night as the NFL concludes its Week 3 schedule with the primetime matchup. The Cowboys (1-1 straight-up, 1-1 against-the-spread) fell 33-31 to the Giants in their home opener last time out, with Tony Romo throwing for just 127 yards while getting picked off three times. The Panthers (0-2 SU, 0-2 ATS) are coming off a 28-20 road loss to the Falcons. Jake Delhomme went 25-of-41 for 308 yards with a TD and an INT in that game.

The oddsmakers like Dallas' chances at home on Monday night, as they've been pegged as the 8.5-point favorite. The total for the matchup is sitting at 47.5 points.

Meeting up on the diamond . . .

The Braves will be looking to keep their playoff hopes alive on Monday night when they open a home series against the Marlins. Jair Jurrjens (13-10, 2.70 ERA) will get the ball for Atlanta in that contest, while Anibal Sanchez (3-7, 4.01 ERA) is slated to start for Florida. Righthander Jurrjens has picked up the win in each of his last three starts, allowing just two earned runs over 22 innings of work. Righthander Sanchez blanked the Phillies over eight innings last time out.

Over in the American League the battle for the AL Central crown gets started on Monday night, with Minnesota at Detroit. The Twins send Nick Blackburn (11-11, 4.18 ERA) to the mound to open that crucial series, while the Tigers will turn to Rick Porcello (14-9, 4.14 ERA). Righthander Blackburn pitched seven scoreless innings against the White Sox last time out, allowing eight hits in the win. Righthander Porcello beat the Indians (one run over five innings) in his last start.

Also on the AL slate for Monday: the White Sox at Cleveland, Kansas City at the Yankees, Baltimore at Tampa Bay, Toronto at Boston, and Texas at the Angels. Meanwhile, there are just three other games on tap in the National League on Monday, with the Mets at Washington, the Dodgers at Pittsburgh, and Houston at Philadelphia. Cole Hamels (10-9, 4.11 ERA) will get the ball on Monday for East-leading Philly; lefthander Hamels is 2-0 with a no-decision in his last three starts.

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**pm530** · 09-28-2009, 05:45 AM

Bettor's best friend: Today's helpful tips

Monday, September 28

Barber not too trim

Dallas Cowboys running back Marion Barber, nursing a quadriceps injury, needs a "miraculous" recovery to play Monday Night vs. Carolina, FOX Sports reported. According to the report, Barber did not participate in Sunday's pre-game walkthrough. Felix Jones will get the bulk of the carries and Tashard Choice will spell him. The Cowboys are -9 with a total of 47.5.

For the birds

The Baltimore Orioles have lost 10 straight games as they head to Tampa Bay, where they have lost 10 of their last 12 contests. They are facing Jeff Niemann, who is 5-2 with a 2.63 ERA at home, nearly two runs lower than his ERA on the road. The Orioles are +202 with a total of 9.5.

Can't bear to watch

The Baylor Bears had about the worst 68-13 victory a team can have. Hotshot sophomore quarterback Robert Griffin suffered a knee injury on the opening series vs. Northwestern State and was diagnosed Sunday with a torn ACL, even though he returned to complete the first half. He was replaced by senior Blake Szymanski, who suffered a bruised right shoulder in the fourth quarter. Baylor hosts Kent State (no line) on Saturday before beginning its Big 12 slate.

Greinke sandwich

The Minnesota Twins were stopped by Kansas City's Zack Greinke on Sunday and remained two games behind the first-place Detroit Tigers in the AL Central. They begin a crucial four-game series at Detroit on Monday before finishing up against Kansas City - and probably seeing Greinke again Friday. Despite the loss Sunday, Minnesota has won 11 of 13 and starts Nick Blackburn, who has won his last two starts, allowing two earned runs in 13 1-3 innings. In his only start at Detroit this season on May 5, he gave up nine runs and eight hits in 3 1-3 innings. The Twins are +114.

Losing bucks on this Buc

The Pirates have lost 13 of the last 15 games started by lefthander Zach Duke, who goes against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Duke is 2-10 during that stretch, receiving more than four runs of support just three times. There is no line yet on the afternoon matchup.

Bigger mountain to climb

With its BCS dreams already scuttled, Utah took a blow to its Mountain West Conference title hopes when starting running back Matt Asiata was declared out for the season with a torn ACL. Asiata, who had 330 yards and four TDs in three-plus games despite being slowed by nagging injuries, suffered the tear on a first-quarter TD run Saturday.

Asiata was replaced by Eddie Wide, who had a career-high 129 yards in Utah's 30-14 win over Louisville. The Utes (3-1) open their MWC slate Saturday at UNLV, which has no line.

Gopher it

The Los Angeles Angels are 1-5 in the last six games started by righthander Ervin Santana, with all five losses coming as favorites. In that stretch, Santana is just 0-2 and has pitched at least six innings five times. But he has given up nine homers in 37 2-3 innings, including seven in his last three starts. The Angels are -160 against the Texas Rangers.

A Monday off?

After sweeping the Boston Red Sox to clinch the American League East, the Yankees may rest a bunch of their regulars against Kansas City on Monday. They are pitching fifth starter Chad Gaudin, who doesn't figure in their postseason plans. There is no line yet, but make sure to check the Yankees' lineup before making a decision.

Notable quotable

"We not only got the monkey off our back, we got King Kong off our back. I'm hoping that this gets us over that hump and gives us a winning attitude."

-- Detroit Lions owner William Clay Ford, after his team ended a 19-game losing streak that included a winless season with Sunday's 19-14 win over the Washington Redskins.

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**pm530** · 09-28-2009, 05:46 AM

Six-pack for Monday

New college football rankings are out-- here are top six teams.......

6) Virginia Tech-- Good Lord, there's no way this is the sixth best club in America. Would they beat Nebraska in Lincoln? Ummmm...no.

5) Boise State-- Is there any chance they lose before their bowl?

4) LSU-- Captain Obvious checks in with his thought that since three of the top four teams are in the SEC, thats the best league, right?

3) Alabama-- Hey Bama fans-- You'll be happy to know Jaguars got their first win of the season Sunday, so Mike Shula's happy today.

2) Texas-- Down 47-7 at half to Longhorns Saturday, I bet Mike Price really regretted giving those strippers his Alabama credit card to order breakfast with. The moral: sign your contract before hiring strippers.

1) Florida-- Tim Tebow kept getting up to answer the doorbell at his apartment today, but no one was at the door. Uh-oh.

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Monday's List of 13: Wrapping up an NFL Sunday.........

13) I still don't think Brett Favre will bring Vikings a Lombardi Trophy, but what a home opener he gave them. High drama as he hit on a 32-yard TD pass to Greg Lewis with 0:02 to stun the 49ers, 27-24. That one will be on the highlights for years to come.

12) Tennessee's Ryan Mouton fumbled a kickoff, muffed a punt, giving the Jets two short-field TDs, as they held on to beat the Titans 24-17, giving them a 3-0 record. The muffed punt really hurt, as Tennessee had all the momentum and a 21-17 lead when it happened.

11) Bad day to be the Bucs: 36 plays, 86 yards in a dreadful 24-0 home loss to the Giants, who had 14 first downs in first half, while Bucs ran a total of just 14 first half plays.

10) Bucs-49ers-Chiefs combined to convert 0 of 31 on third down.

9) No team has ever won the Super Bowl after losing to Tampa Bay in the regular season; not many teams may get into that category this year.

8) Congrats to the Lions, who snapped their losing streak in front of 40,896 loyalists. Detroit has won one playoff game since 1957.

7) So the Redskins lose in Detroit, after an uninspiring 9-7 win against a offensively-challenged St Louis team. Tough times for Coach Zorn.

6) Sunday was first time in almost four years all four NFC North teams won in the same week. Week 10 of 2005, I do believe.......

5) Can someone explain to me why Peyton Manning is throwing passes with 3:10 left and the Colts leading 31-10?

4) Interesting to hear Troy Aikman say he dreaded rainy games, since he wasn't good at throwing wet footballs.

3) I'm so confused; Jets beat the Tennessee Titans wearing New York Titan uniforms; Tennessee was wearing Houston Oiler uniforms, while the Houston Texans lost to Jacksonville while wearing all red unis that Boog Powell once described as "looking like human blood clots" when he wore similar duds for late-70's Cleveland Indians. Bad uniform day.....

2).......especially in Seattle, where the Seahawks wore lime green jerseys that looked like roller hockey uniforms. They rivaled Florida A&M for the worst uniforms in the history of sports. Rattlers sport orange and bright green unis with an orange helmet. Clowns wouldn't wear them.

1) Favre's heroics overshadowed a 49er team that scored TD off blocked FG on the last play of the first half. Minnesota outgained SF 377-246, but were very lucky to win, thanks to the heroics of their new QB. So far, so good for #4 in the Twin Cities. Long trip home for the 49ers.

From: Armadillo
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**pm530** · 09-28-2009, 05:49 AM

MLB
Dunkel Index

Chicago White Sox at Cleveland
The Indians look to take advantage of a Chicago team that is 3-12 in its last 15 road games when the total is set between 9 ant 10 1/2 runs. Cleveland is the pick (+130) according to Dunkel, which has the Indians favored by 1. Dunkel Pick: Cleveland (+130). Here are all of today's picks.

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 28

Game 901-902: LA Dodgers at Pittsburgh
Dunkel Ratings: LA Dodgers (Kuroda) 14.110; Pittsburgh (Duke) 14.904
Dunkel Line: Pittsburgh by 1; 8
Vegas Line: No Line
Dunkel Pick: N/A

Game 903-904: NY Mets at Washington
Dunkel Ratings: NY Mets (Figueroa) 14.673; Washington (Detwiler) 13.715
Dunkel Line: NY Mets by 1; 10
Vegas Line: Washington (-110); 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: NY Mets (+100); Over

Game 905-906: Houston at Philadelphia
Dunkel Ratings: Houston (Lopez) 13.781; Philadelphia (Hamels) 15.481
Dunkel Line: Philadelphia by 1 1/2; 7 1/2
Vegas Line: No Line
Dunkel Pick: N/A

Game 907-908: Florida at Atlanta
Dunkel Ratings: Florida (Sanchez) 14.107; Atlanta (Jurrjens) 16.232
Dunkel Line: Atlanta by 2; 6 1/2
Vegas Line: Atlanta (-175); 8
Dunkel Pick: Atlanta (-175); Under

Game 909-910: Kansas City at NY Yankees
Dunkel Ratings: Kansas City (Hochevar) 16.396; NY Yankees (Gaudin) 16.121
Dunkel Line: Kansas City by 1/2; 10 1/2
Vegas Line: No Line
Dunkel Pick: N/A

Game 911-912: Chicago White Sox at Cleveland
Dunkel Ratings: White Sox (Danks) 13.951; Cleveland (Laffey) 15.140
Dunkel Line: Cleveland by 1; 10 1/2
Vegas Line: Chicago White Sox (-140); 9
Dunkel Pick: Cleveland (+130); Over

Game 913-914: Minnesota at Detroit
Dunkel Ratings: Minnesota (Blackburn) 15.329; Detroit (Porcello) 16.049
Dunkel Line: Detroit by 1/2; 10
Vegas Line: Detroit (-130); 9
Dunkel Pick: Detroit (-130); Over

Game 915-916: Baltimore at Tampa Bay
Dunkel Ratings: Baltimore (Hendrickson) 12.661; Tampa Bay (Niemann) 15.042
Dunkel Line: Tampa Bay by 2 1/2; 10 1/2
Vegas Line: Tampa Bay (-230); 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Tampa Bay (-230); Over

Game 917-918: Toronto at Boston
Dunkel Ratings: Toronto (Richmond) 15.837; Boston (Beckett) 17.166
Dunkel Line: Boston by 1 1/2; 8
Vegas Line: Boston (-260); 9
Dunkel Pick: Boston (-260); Under

Game 919-920: Texas at LA Angels
Dunkel Ratings: Texas (Hunter) 15.437; LA Angels (Santana) 15.717
Dunkel Line: LA Angels by 1/2; 8 1/2
Vegas Line: LA Angels (-165); 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: LA Angels (-165); Under

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**pm530** · 09-28-2009, 05:49 AM

MLB
Write-up

Monday, September 28

Hot Pitchers
-- Kuroda is 3-0, 2.25 in his last three starts.
-- Hamels is 3-1, 2.01 in his last six starts.
-- Jurrjens is 3-0, 1.23 in his last three starts. Sanchez has 1.90 RA in his last four starts.

-- Danks has a 3.38 RA in his last seven starts.
-- Bronx is 5-0 when Gaudin starts (0-0, 3.33).
-- Porcello is 5-0, 3.03 in his last six starts. Blackburn is 2-0, 1.35 in his last two starts.
-- Beckett is 2-0, 2.84 in his last three starts.

Cold Pitchers
-- Duke is 0-4, 9.23 in his last five starts.
-- Bazardo is 0-2, 11.74 in four starts this season.
-- Detwiler is 0-4, 7.83 in his last five starts. Figueroa is 0-4, 5.40 in his last four starts.

-- Laffey is 1-3, 5.57 in his last seven starts.
-- Hochevar is 1-4, 8.04 in his last five starts.
-- Hendrickson is 0-1, 7.15 in his last three starts. Niemann is 1-1, 4.42 in his last six starts.
-- Richmond has a 10.07 RA in his last nine starts.
-- Hunter has a 5.63 RA in his last five starts. Santana is 0-2, 5.61 in his last four starts.

Hot Teams
-- Braves won 14 of their last 16 games.
-- Florida won 11 of its last 17 games.
-- Dodgers won 11 of their last 15 games.

-- Indians won their last three games, scoring 22 runs.
-- Bronx is 13-3 in last sixteen home games.
-- Tigers won five of their last seven games. Twins won 11 of their last 13 games.
-- Rays won four of their last five home games.
-- Toronto won six of its last seven games.
-- Rangers won four of their last six games.

Cold Teams
-- Pirates lost 25 of their last 29 games.
-- Nationals lost ten of their last twelve games. Mets lost 19 of their last 26 road games.
-- Astros lost 11 of their last 13 games. Phillies lost four of their last six games.

-- White Sox lost last eight of last nine games not started by Peavy.
-- Royals lost four of their last five games.
-- Orioles lost their last ten games in a row.
-- Red Sox lost five of their last seven games.
-- Angels lost four of their last five games.

Totals
-- Over is 7-1-1 in Dodgers' last nine games.
-- Five of last six Jurrjens starts stayed under the total.
-- Seven of last eight Hamels starts stayed under the total.
-- Under is 4-1-1 in last six Figueroa starts.

-- Four of last five White Sox games went over the total.
-- Four of last five Hochevar starts went over the total.
-- Last four Porcello starts went over the total.
-- Over is 9-3-1 in last thirteen Baltimore road games.
-- Seven of last nine Beckett starts went over the total.
-- Last eight Texas games went over the total.

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**pm530** · 09-28-2009, 05:50 AM

MLB

Monday, September 28

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Trend Report
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12:35 PM
LA DODGERS vs. PITTSBURGH
LA Dodgers are 8-4 SU in their last 12 games
The total has gone OVER in 7 of LA Dodgers's last 9 games
Pittsburgh is 7-17 SU in their last 24 games when playing at home against LA Dodgers
The total has gone OVER in 15 of Pittsburgh's last 19 games when playing at home against LA Dodgers

7:05 PM
CHI WHITE SOX vs. CLEVELAND
Chi White Sox are 3-8 SU in their last 11 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Chi White Sox's last 5 games
Cleveland is 1-4 SU in their last 5 games when playing at home against Chi White Sox
Cleveland is 3-6 SU in their last 9 games when playing Chi White Sox

7:05 PM
HOUSTON vs. PHILADELPHIA
Houston is 2-11 SU in its last 13 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Houston's last 6 games
Philadelphia is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Houston
Philadelphia is 5-11 SU in its last 16 games when playing at home against Houston

7:05 PM
KANSAS CITY vs. NY YANKEES
Kansas City is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Kansas City's last 5 games
NY Yankees are 21-4 SU in their last 25 games when playing at home against Kansas City
NY Yankees are 4-1 SU in their last 5 games when playing Kansas City

7:05 PM
MINNESOTA vs. DETROIT
Minnesota is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Detroit
The total has gone OVER in 10 of Minnesota's last 15 games when playing on the road against Detroit
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Detroit's last 7 games at home
Detroit is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games

7:05 PM
NY METS vs. WASHINGTON
NY Mets are 15-8 SU in its last 23 games when playing on the road against Washington
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of NY Mets's last 5 games when playing on the road against Washington
Washington is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games
Washington is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games at home

7:08 PM
BALTIMORE vs. TAMPA BAY
Baltimore is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Baltimore's last 8 games
Tampa Bay is 10-2 SU in its last 12 games when playing at home against Baltimore
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Tampa Bay's last 10 games when playing at home against Baltimore

7:10 PM
FLORIDA vs. ATLANTA
Florida is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Atlanta
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Florida's last 8 games when playing on the road against Atlanta
Atlanta is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Atlanta's last 5 games

7:10 PM
TORONTO vs. BOSTON
Toronto is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Boston
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Toronto's last 7 games when playing on the road against Boston
Boston is 12-6 SU in its last 18 games
Boston is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games

10:05 PM
TEXAS vs. LA ANGELS
Texas is 4-1 SU in their last 5 games when playing on the road against LA Angels
Texas is 10-5 SU in their last 15 games when playing LA Angels
LA Angels are 1-4 SU in their last 5 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of LA Angels's last 10 games at home

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**pm530** · 09-28-2009, 05:51 AM

MLB

Monday, September 28

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Hot lines: Today’s best MLB bets
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Minnesota Twins at Detroit Tigers (-130, 9)

This is the race no one thought would happen, not after the Twins lost their 2006 American League MVP for the season. But Minnesota isn’t backing down even without Justin Morneau’s services. The Twinkies are 11-1 (entering Sunday’s game against Kansas City since Morneau’s season came to an end.

If the Tigers hope to extinguish the Twins’ flame, they’ll need lefty help out of the bullpen. Veteran southpaw Bobby Seay has a strained pectoral muscle and his availability against Minny is in question.

That spells trouble for Detroit fans. The Twins best bat, Joe Mauer, eats up righties and leadoff lefty hitter Denard Span has been a Tiger killer.

Pick: Twins

Texas Rangers at Los Angeles Angels (-165, 9.5)

Halo backers would feel a lot better if their team starting playing like a division champ rather than an AL West chump.

Los Angeles has dropped four straight including a demoralizing one on Saturday night. The Angels blew a seven-run lead in the fourth inning and fell to the A’s 15-10.

“Sometimes a team with nothing to lose is pretty dangerous,” starter John Lackey told the Los Angeles Times after the game. “[The A’s] are playing good baseball. But we’ve got to play better baseball.”

LA shouldn’t have the same problem on Monday. The Rangers suddenly have everything to play for. The club should have been eliminated from the playoffs a long time ago but the Halos’ skid has breathed life back into Texas.

Look for the Angels to snap out of their funk with a big win on Monday.

Pick: Angels

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**pm530** · 09-28-2009, 05:52 AM

MLB

Monday, September 28

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Streaking and Slumping Pitchers
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Streaking

Jair Jurrjens (13-10, 2.70 ERA), Atlanta Braves

The Braves pitching staff is set for years as long as Tommy Hanson and this 23-year-old Dutchman stay put. Atlanta backers got another beauty performance from Jurrjens last week against the Mets.

He allowed one run over seven innings in the 3-1 win over New York dropping his September ERA to a miniscule 1.55.

“It’s really a shame [Jurrjens’] had some bad luck this year and suffered from a lack of run support,” Braves third baseman Chipper Jones told reporters after the game. “Or else he could definitely be in the running for a Cy Young Award. It’s not a stretch to say that with a little luck this year he could have 18 wins right now.”

Atlanta has won all of his last three starts and the under is 6-1 in his last seven trips to the mound.

Hiroki Kuroda (8-6, 3.65), Los Angeles Dodgers

This righty has quality starts in seven of his last nine appearances and the Dodgers are 8-2 in his last 10 outings. He was the winning pitcher in the Dodgers 14-2 win over the Nats last week, pitching six innings without allowing an earned run.

He’s 3-1 with a 2.16 ERA and a 0.88 WHIP (walks + hits per inning) in September and the under is 7-3 in his last 10 trips to the bump.

Slumping

Luke Hochevar (7-11, 5.98), Kansas City Royals

This guy has one stunning performance smack in the middle of a terrible six-start stretch. Ten days ago Hochevar pitched a complete game shutout against the White Sox a nice payout for the Royals who were +202 road dogs.

But outside of that one day, Hochevar has been predictably awful. The 6-foot-5 righty has allowed five or more runs in each of those other five starts.

He owns a 7.71 ERA over his last six starts and the Royals have won just one of his last 11 games pitched. The over is also 8-3 over that same stretch.

Debuting

Wilton Lopez (0-0, 8.44), Houston Astros

This unimpressive rookie reliever will make his first Major League start on Monday. He takes the rotation spot of rookie right-hander Bud Morris.

Astros interim manager Dave Clark shut Morris down for the remainder of the season because he’s worried about over working the kid. Morris owns a 6-3 record and has just 55 2-3 innings under his belt this season.

Lopez has made six relief appearances and has given up a run in all but one. His longest outing was his first, way back on Aug. 28. He pitched four innings and was tagged for six runs.

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**pm530** · 09-28-2009, 05:57 AM

MLB
Baseball Today

SCOREBOARD

Monday, September 28

Minnesota at Detroit (7:05 p.m. EDT). The Twins and Tigers open a four-game series that will likely decide the AL Central title. Nick Blackburn (11-11, 4.18 ERA) pitches for Minnesota against rookie Rick Porcello (14-9, 4.14).

STARS

Sunday

-Huston Street, Rockies, earned his first six-out save in three years to help Colorado beat St. Louis 4-3.

-Matt Cain, Giants, struck out eight in eight scoreless innings to lead San Francisco to a 5-1 win over the Chicago Cubs.

-Kendry Morales, Angels, went 3 for 3 with a homer and three RBIs as Los Angeles snapped its first four-game losing streak of the season with a 7-4 victory over Oakland.

-Carlos Quentin, White Sox, hit a three-run homer in his second straight game to help Chicago beat Detroit 8-4.

-Pat Misch, Mets, pitched an eight-hitter for his first career complete game and New York beat Florida 4-0 to spoil the Marlins' home finale.

-Jimmy Rollins, Phillies, homered to power Philadelphia to a 6-5 victory at Milwaukee.

-Wandy Rodriguez, Astros, pitched six solid innings and Houston beat Cincinnati 3-2 to snap the Reds' six-game winning streak.

-Augie Ojeda, Diamondbacks, had three hits and three RBIs in Arizona's 7-4 victory over San Diego.

ALL WRAPPED UP

Andy Pettitte and the New York Yankees clinched the AL East title and home-field advantage throughout the postseason by beating Boston 4-2 for their 100th win of the year. Mariano Rivera closed it out for his 44th save and the Yankees won their first division title since 2006. After missing the playoffs last year, they let loose with a wild champagne celebration in the locker room. All alone in first place since July 21, the team with the best record in the majors can now spend the final week resting its players and setting up the playoff rotation. The Yankees finished 9-9 against Boston this year after losing the first eight matchups.

MR. ZERO

Kansas City ace Zack Greinke pitched out of trouble for seven innings to bolster his AL Cy Young Award chances with a 4-1 victory over Minnesota. Greinke (16-8) worked out of a bases-loaded jam with no outs in the third and escaped two other tight spots to drop his major league-best ERA to 2.06. The Twins went 1 for 12 with runners in scoring position against Greinke, who beat Minnesota for the first time in seven starts. He is 5-0 with a 0.73 ERA over his last seven outings and has allowed one run or less in 17 of 32 starts this season.

WHAT A PLAY

Second baseman Clint Barmes made a diving catch to start a game-ending double play, preserving Colorado's 4-3 victory over St. Louis. With runners on first and third and one out, Barmes sprinted out to the outfield grass on Ryan Ludwick's flair. He dove headfirst for the ball, snaring it and firing to first base to double up Albert Pujols, who ran on contact. The Rockies remained 2 1/2 games ahead of Atlanta in the NL wild-card race.

HERE WE COME

Atlanta scored three in the top of the 10th inning, keeping up its late-season surge and completing a three-game sweep of Washington with a 6-3 victory. The Braves, who are 2 1/2 games back of wild card-leading Colorado, have won six straight and 14 of 16. They've also won 10 in a row on the road - their longest such streak in more than 15 years - and are a season-high 15 games over .500. Atlanta now gets to finish the season at home with three against Florida and four more against the lowly Nationals.

READY TO PARTY

The Angels' 7-4 victory over Oakland coupled with Texas' loss to Tampa Bay reduced Los Angeles' magic number to two for clinching its third straight AL West title. Texas arrives in Anaheim on Monday night for the opener of a four-game series, and the Angels can wrap up their fifth division crown in six years with one victory.

NOT DONE YET

Omar Vizquel wants to extend his term as the oldest position player in the major leagues. The 42-year-old Rangers infielder said he plans to play another season. An 11-time Gold Glove winner, Vizquel is wrapping up his 21st major league season - and first in Texas. He signed with the Rangers last winter knowing he would serve primarily as a mentor to rookie shortstop Elvis Andrus. Vizquel's 2,680 games at shortstop are a major league record, but he has played errorless ball this year at shortstop, second base and third.

SIDELINED

Mariners first baseman Russell Branyan is still experiencing pain in his lower back and might not play again this season. Branyan, who leads Seattle with a career-high 31 homers, has been out since Aug. 29 with a herniated disk. He took batting practice Thursday and Friday and hit off a tee Saturday and Sunday because the Mariners did not take BP. Seattle had hoped to get Branyan back sometime in the final week of the season, but manager Don Wakamatsu said there may not be enough time for him to return.

RALLY SQUAD

Fernando Perez drove home the go-ahead run with a safety squeeze in the ninth inning and Tampa Bay overcame a late five-run deficit to beat Texas 7-6 and spoil the Rangers' home finale. The Rangers led 5-0 when Brandon McCarthy threw his last pitch with two outs in the eighth, after an error by third baseman Chris Davis extended the inning. Four relievers faltered after that. Ben Zobrist hit a two-run single in the eighth and another in the ninth for the Rays, who avoided their second sweep in Texas this season.

BALTIMORE SLUMP

Kelly Shoppach hit a three-run homer, David Huff pitched eight strong innings and Cleveland extended Baltimore's skid to 10 games with a 9-0 victory. The Orioles have scored 29 runs during the losing streak, which matches their 10-game slide last September. Shoppach's drive capped Cleveland's six-run first off Chris Tillman (2-5).

SO CLOSE

Right fielder Andre Ethier misplayed Lastings Milledge's two-run single for an error that allowed the winning run to score, and Pittsburgh rallied for four in the ninth inning to beat the Dodgers 6-5 and prevent Los Angeles from clinching the NL West title. The Dodgers, already assured a playoff spot, went into the game with a magic number of two for clinching the division, but it essentially was one because Colorado would lose any tiebreaker with them. The Rockies won 4-3, meaning the Dodgers must win Monday afternoon if they want to leave Pittsburgh as division champions. The Rockies are off Monday.

LENDING A HAND

Cardinals slugger Albert Pujols recorded his 181st assist of the season in the fourth inning Sunday at Colorado, setting a National League mark for first basemen. Pujols broke Mark Grace's record when he flipped the ball to pitcher Kyle Lohse, who was covering first on a grounder. Grace had 180 assists with the Chicago Cubs in 1990. Bill Buckner holds the major league record with 184 assists in 1985 for the Boston Red Sox.

SPEAKING

"There's been pitches of the year, innings of the year - that's the defensive play of the year.'' - Colorado manager Jim Tracy after second baseman Clint Barmes made a diving catch in shallow right field to start a game-ending double play that preserved a 4-3 victory over St. Louis.

SEASONS

Sept. 28

1919 - In the shortest nine-inning game in major league history, 51 minutes, the New York Giants beat the Philadelphia Phillies 6-1.

1920 - A grand jury indicted eight members of the Chicago White Sox on charges of fixing the 1919 World Series in the "Black Sox Scandal.''

1938 - Gabby Hartnett hit his famous "Homer in the Gloamin''' in the ninth inning against Mace Brown to give the Chicago Cubs a 6-5 victory, their ninth straight, at Wrigley Field. It was a key triumph en route to the Cubs' NL pennant.

1941 - Ted Williams went 6-for-8 in a doubleheader against the Philadelphia A's to finish the season with a .406 average. No player has batted .400 since.

1951 - Allie Reynolds pitched his second no-hitter of the season as the New York Yankees defeated the Boston Red Sox, 8-0, in the opener of a doubleheader. The Yankees clinched the AL pennant with an 11-3 victory in the nightcap.

1974 - Nolan Ryan pitched his third of seven career no-hitters, striking out 15 batters and beating the Minnesota Twins, 4-0, at Anaheim Stadium.

1975 - Vida Blue, Glenn Abbott, Paul Lindblad and Rollie Fingers of the Oakland A's combined to no-hit the California Angels, 5-0, on the final day of the season.

1995 - Greg Harris of the Montreal Expos became the first pitcher in major league history to pitch with both hands. Harris faced four batters, two from his usual right side and two from the left, in the ninth inning of a 9-7 loss to Cincinnati.

1997 - San Diego's Tony Gwynn tied Honus Wagner's record by winning his eighth NL batting title. Gwynn finished at .372, becoming the first player to win four consecutive NL batting titles since Rogers Hornsby won six straight from 1920-25.

2001 - Alex Rodriguez of Texas hit his 50th homer in an 11-2 victory over Anaheim and became the 20th player to hit 50 homers in a season.

2006 - James Loney tied a franchise record with nine RBIs, including a grand slam and a two-run homer, to lead the Los Angeles Dodgers to a 19-11 victory at Colorado.

2007 - Alfonso Soriano hit his sixth leadoff homer in September during Chicago's 6-0 win over Cincinnati, the most by any major leaguer in any month.

Today's birthdays: Ryan Zimmerman 25; Micah Owings 27

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**pm530** · 09-28-2009, 05:58 AM

MLB
This Day in Baseball

On September 28 in Baseball History...

1905 - In a game that helps decide the pennant, the A's beat the White Sox 3-2 as Topsy Hartsel scores from second base with the winning run in the seventh inning. An RBI single by Harry Davis to short left hits Hartsel's mitt, which the left fielder had left in the outfield when he came off the field.

1919 - In the shortest nine-inning game in Major League history, 51 minutes, the New York Giants beat the Philadelphia Phillies, 6-1.

1920 - A grand jury indicted eight members of the Chicago White Sox on charges of fixing the 1919 World Series in the "Black Sox Scandal."

1930 - The Cubs bring down the season's curtain as Hack Wilson has his 189th and 190th RBI in a 12-11 victory over the Reds. Wilson's Major League RBI record will remain untouched. With Riggs Stephenson and Kiki Cuyler each driving in 100 runs, the Cubs have the first all-100 RBI outfield in the 20th century. The Boston outfield in 1894 also had the same credentials.

1932 - In the opening game of the World Series, Lou Gehrig's home run leads the Yankees to a 12-6 win over the Cubs.

1935 - With nothing on the line, the pennant winning Cubs finally lose to the Cardinals and snap their 21-game win streak. The skein is the longest in the majors since the Giants of 1916 when New York won 26 games and tied one. However, Chicago's win streak is the longest without a tie since 1880.

1938 - Gabby Hartnett hit his famous "Homer in the Gloamin" as darkness descended at Wrigley Field in the ninth inning to give the Chicago Cubs a 6-5 victory, their ninth straight. It was a key victory en route to the Cubs' National League pennant.

1941 - Ted Williams went 6-for-8 in a doubleheader against the Philadelphia A's to finish the season with a .406 average. No player has batted .400 since.

1947 - On the season's last day, the St. Louis Browns, desperate for a ticket seller, bring announcer Dizzy Dean in to pitch against the White Sox. Diz gives up only three hits in four innings and laces a clean single in his only at bat, but a pulled leg muscle forces his retirement. The White Sox score all their runs in the ninth to win 5-2. Even with Diz, the game draws less than 16,000, and the Browns finish the year with only 320,000 attendance, less than half that of 1946.

1951 - Allie Reynolds pitched his second no-hitter of the season as the New York Yankees defeated the Boston Red Sox, 8-0, in the opener of a doubleheader. The Yankees clinched the American League pennant with an 11-3 victory in the second game.

1955 - The Yanks win the first game of the World Series as Whitey Ford beats Don Newcombe, 6-5. In a controversial play with Frank Kellert at bat, Jackie Robinson steals home in the eighth to bring the Dodgers to within a run of a tie.

1959 - In the first game of a best-of-three playoff, the Dodgers beat the Braves 3-2 in a cold Milwaukee drizzle. Rookie Larry Sherry pitches 7 2/3 innings of scoreless relief. In a losing cause, Eddie Mathews hits his 46th home run to win the title. Ernie Banks finishes with 45.

1960 - In his final major-league plate appearance, against Baltimore's Jack Fisher, Ted Williams picks out a 1-1 pitch and drives it 450 feet into the right-center field seats behind the Boston bullpen. It is Williams' 521st and last home run, putting him third on the all-time list. The blast gives the seventh-place Red Sox a 5-4 victory. Williams stays in the dugout, ignoring the crowd's cheers, but when he trots out to left field in the ninth, he is replaced immediately by Carroll Hardy. He retires as a standing crowd roars.

1965 - In his 2,000th career game, Willie Mays hits his 51st home run of the year, but the Giants lose to St. Louis 8-6.

1971 - Baltimore achieves 108 wins for the season with a doubleheader sweep at Boston, 10-2, and 5-4. The Orioles become only the third team to win 100 games in three straight seasons.

1974 - Nolan Ryan pitched his third of seven career no-hitters, striking out 15 as the California Angels beat the Minnesota Twins, 4-0, at Anaheim Stadium.

1975 - Vida Blue, Glenn Abbott, Paul Lindblad and Rollie Fingers of the Oakland A's combined to no-hit the California Angels, 5-0, on the final day of the season.

1979 - Switch-hitting Cardinals shortstop Garry Templeton collects three hits against the Mets and becomes the first player to get 100 hits from each side of the plate. During the last nine games, he batted exclusively righthanded to set the record.

1985 - Cincinnati's Tom Browning becomes the first rookie since Bob Grim in 1954 to win 20 games, raising his record to 20-9 with a 5-2 win over Houston. He is the first Reds pitcher to win 20 since Jim Merritt in 1970.

1987 - Kevin Seitzer becomes the first rookie since Tony Oliva and Dick Allen in 1964 to collect 200 hits.

1988 - In his last start of the regular season, Orel Hershiser pitches ten shutout innings to extend his consecutive-scoreless-inning streak to 59, breaking Dodger Don Drysdale's Major League record by one. San Diego's Andy Hawkins also pitches ten shutout innings and the Padres eventually win 2-1 on Mark Parent's home run in the bottom of the 16th.

1995 - Greg Harris of the Montreal Expos became the first Major Leaguer to pitch with both arms. Harris faced four batters, two from his usual right side and two from the left, in the ninth inning of a 9-7 loss to Cincinnati.

1997 - San Diego's Tony Gwynn tied Honus Wagner's record by winning his eighth National League batting title. Gwynn finished at .372, becoming the first to win four consecutive National League batting titles since Rogers Hornsby won six straight from 1920-25.

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**Udog** · 09-28-2009, 10:55 AM

MLB
Long Sheet

Monday, September 28

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LA DODGERS (93 - 63) at PITTSBURGH (58 - 96) - 12:35 PM
HIROKI KURODA (R) vs. ZACH DUKE (L)
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
LA DODGERS is 4-2 (+0.4 Units) against PITTSBURGH this season
3 of 6 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=-0.1 Units, Under=-0.4 Units)

HIROKI KURODA vs. PITTSBURGH since 1997
KURODA is 2-0 when starting against PITTSBURGH with an ERA of 1.89 and a WHIP of 0.895.
His team's record is 2-1 (+0.3 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-1. (+1.1 units)

ZACH DUKE vs. LA DODGERS since 1997
DUKE is 1-3 when starting against LA DODGERS with an ERA of 6.64 and a WHIP of 1.643.
His team's record is 3-4 (-0.2 units) in these starts. The OVER is 5-1. (+4.1 units)

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NY METS (67 - 89) at WASHINGTON (52 - 103) - 7:05 PM
NELSON FIGUEROA (R) vs. ROSS DETWILER (L)
Top Trends for this game.
NY METS are 67-89 (-15.1 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
NY METS are 58-78 (-31.0 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 over the last 2 seasons.
NY METS are 12-22 (-14.9 Units) against the money line when playing on Monday over the last 2 seasons.
NY METS are 103-110 (-36.2 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 3 seasons.
NY METS are 67-89 (-15.1 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
NY METS are 39-64 (-23.1 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
NY METS are 26-42 (-16.6 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
WASHINGTON is 123-132 (+27.0 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 over the last 3 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 72-64 (+17.4 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 9 to 9.5 over the last 3 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 94-100 (+17.2 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 3 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 31-17 (+16.0 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.
WASHINGTON is 52-103 (-37.1 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
WASHINGTON is 30-48 (-15.3 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
WASHINGTON is 18-47 (-23.2 Units) against the money line against division opponents this season.
WASHINGTON is 52-100 (-34.1 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
WASHINGTON is 33-77 (-34.7 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
WASHINGTON is 42-80 (-25.4 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
WASHINGTON is 30-72 (-35.2 Units) against the money line after a loss this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
NY METS is 10-5 (+4.1 Units) against WASHINGTON this season
12 of 14 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+9.6 Units)

NELSON FIGUEROA vs. WASHINGTON since 1997
FIGUEROA is 1-2 when starting against WASHINGTON with an ERA of 3.34 and a WHIP of 1.221.
His team's record is 2-4 (-3.3 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 3-3. (-0.3 units)

ROSS DETWILER vs. NY METS since 1997
No recent starts.

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HOUSTON (72 - 83) at PHILADELPHIA (90 - 65) - 7:05 PM
YORMAN BAZARDO (R) vs. COLE HAMELS (L)
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
HOUSTON is 4-0 (+5.4 Units) against PHILADELPHIA this season
3 of 4 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+1.9 Units)

YORMAN BAZARDO vs. PHILADELPHIA since 1997
No recent starts.

COLE HAMELS vs. HOUSTON since 1997
HAMELS is 3-1 when starting against HOUSTON with an ERA of 4.65 and a WHIP of 1.138.
His team's record is 5-1 (+3.1 units) in these starts. The OVER is 3-2. (+1.1 units)

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FLORIDA (83 - 73) at ATLANTA (85 - 70) - 7:10 PM
ANIBAL SANCHEZ (R) vs. JAIR JURRJENS (R)
Top Trends for this game.
ATLANTA is 47-35 (+9.5 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
FLORIDA is 83-73 (+4.6 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
FLORIDA is 31-20 (+10.1 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 this season.
FLORIDA is 40-34 (+11.5 Units) against the money line in road games this season.
FLORIDA is 20-10 (+13.7 Units) against the money line in road games against division opponents this season.
FLORIDA is 80-70 (+3.3 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
FLORIDA is 60-50 (+6.5 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
FLORIDA is 116-108 (+10.6 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
FLORIDA is 84-66 (+24.9 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 2 seasons.
FLORIDA is 42-38 (+10.8 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
FLORIDA is 42-36 (+15.6 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.
ATLANTA is 157-160 (-23.9 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 45-42 (-9.4 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 this season.
ATLANTA is 39-35 (-12.4 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
ATLANTA is 23-25 (-13.5 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 8 to 8.5 this season.
ATLANTA is 39-35 (-12.4 Units) against the money line in home games in games played on a grass field this season.
ATLANTA is 110-111 (-17.9 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 23-25 (-15.7 Units) against the money line in home games against right-handed starters this season.
ATLANTA is 14-24 (-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.

Head-to-Head Series History
FLORIDA is 8-7 (+3.1 Units) against ATLANTA this season
7 of 14 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=-0.2 Units, Under=-1.1 Units)

ANIBAL SANCHEZ vs. ATLANTA since 1997
SANCHEZ is 3-4 when starting against ATLANTA with an ERA of 4.63 and a WHIP of 1.455.
His team's record is 3-5 (-1.4 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-6. (-5.4 units)

JAIR JURRJENS vs. FLORIDA since 1997
JURRJENS is 2-1 when starting against FLORIDA with an ERA of 5.46 and a WHIP of 1.464.
His team's record is 3-2 (+0.7 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 3-2. (+0.8 units)

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KANSAS CITY (64 - 92) at NY YANKEES (100 - 56) - 7:05 PM
LUKE HOCHEVAR (R) vs. CHAD GAUDIN (R)
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
NY YANKEES is 2-1 (+0.8 Units) against KANSAS CITY this season
2 of 3 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+0.8 Units)

LUKE HOCHEVAR vs. NY YANKEES since 1997
HOCHEVAR is 0-0 when starting against NY YANKEES with an ERA of 3.00 and a WHIP of 0.667.
His team's record is 1-0 (+2.1 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-1. (-1.1 units)

CHAD GAUDIN vs. KANSAS CITY since 1997
GAUDIN is 2-1 when starting against KANSAS CITY with an ERA of 3.00 and a WHIP of 1.143.
His team's record is 2-1 (+0.5 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-1. (+1.0 units)

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CHI WHITE SOX (75 - 81) at CLEVELAND (64 - 91) - 7:05 PM
JOHN DANKS (L) vs. AARON LAFFEY (L)
Top Trends for this game.
CHI WHITE SOX are 31-43 (-13.7 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
CLEVELAND is 20-11 (+12.9 Units) against the money line after 3 or more consecutive wins over the last 2 seasons.
CHI WHITE SOX are 156-127 (+16.5 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
CHI WHITE SOX are 84-59 (+16.1 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
DANKS is 15-7 (+9.5 Units) against the money line in road games in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
CLEVELAND is 64-91 (-27.1 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
CLEVELAND is 58-80 (-26.4 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 over the last 2 seasons.
CLEVELAND is 34-44 (-15.3 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
CLEVELAND is 6-19 (-13.2 Units) against the money line in September games this season.
CLEVELAND is 57-80 (-24.6 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
CLEVELAND is 40-58 (-20.7 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
CLEVELAND is 20-31 (-22.7 Units) against the money line in home games after shutting out their opponent since 1997.
CLEVELAND is 22-42 (-20.2 Units) against the money line after a win this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
CHI WHITE SOX is 8-7 (+0.4 Units) against CLEVELAND this season
8 of 15 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+0.6 Units)

JOHN DANKS vs. CLEVELAND since 1997
DANKS is 1-5 when starting against CLEVELAND with an ERA of 5.62 and a WHIP of 1.333.
His team's record is 3-6 (-2.7 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 5-4. (+0.7 units)

AARON LAFFEY vs. CHI WHITE SOX since 1997
LAFFEY is 2-2 when starting against CHI WHITE SOX with an ERA of 4.01 and a WHIP of 1.338.
His team's record is 2-2 (+0.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-2. (+0.1 units)

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MINNESOTA (81 - 74) at DETROIT (83 - 72) - 7:05 PM
NICK BLACKBURN (R) vs. RICK PORCELLO (R)
Top Trends for this game.
MINNESOTA is 3-13 (-11.9 Units) against the money line in road games when playing on Monday over the last 2 seasons.
BLACKBURN is 10-25 (-16.4 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
BLACKBURN is 4-11 (-8.7 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season. (Team's Record)
BLACKBURN is 0-12 (-12.3 Units) against the money line in road games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
DETROIT is 48-26 (+12.3 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
DETROIT is 48-26 (+12.3 Units) against the money line in home games in games played on a grass field this season.
DETROIT is 36-28 (+7.9 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
PORCELLO is 18-8 (+9.1 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season. (Team's Record)
MINNESOTA is 169-149 (+7.1 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 40-25 (+11.0 Units) against the money line against division opponents this season.
MINNESOTA is 58-42 (+11.0 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
MINNESOTA is 55-42 (+7.7 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
DETROIT is 157-160 (-30.1 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
DETROIT is 12-22 (-14.6 Units) against the money line when playing on Monday over the last 2 seasons.
DETROIT is 63-74 (-27.2 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
DETROIT is 100-104 (-20.9 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
DETROIT is 104-118 (-33.2 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
MINNESOTA is 9-5 (+3.5 Units) against DETROIT this season
6 of 12 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=-0.5 Units, Under=-1.2 Units)

NICK BLACKBURN vs. DETROIT since 1997
BLACKBURN is 2-2 when starting against DETROIT with an ERA of 3.66 and a WHIP of 1.188.
His team's record is 2-3 (-1.1 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 4-1. (+2.9 units)

RICK PORCELLO vs. MINNESOTA since 1997
PORCELLO is 1-2 when starting against MINNESOTA with an ERA of 3.71 and a WHIP of 1.471.
His team's record is 1-2 (-1.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 3-0. (+3.0 units)

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BALTIMORE (60 - 95) at TAMPA BAY (79 - 76) - 7:08 PM
MARK HENDRICKSON (L) vs. JEFF NIEMANN (R)
Top Trends for this game.
BALTIMORE is 60-95 (-24.2 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
BALTIMORE is 24-53 (-16.8 Units) against the money line in road games this season.
BALTIMORE is 11-37 (-21.5 Units) against the money line in September games over the last 2 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 42-95 (-37.4 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 135-250 (-106.4 Units) against the money line after 3 or more consecutive losses since 1997.
BALTIMORE is 91-164 (-46.3 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 29-67 (-24.4 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.
TAMPA BAY is 109-54 (+34.4 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 82-62 (+21.7 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 110-57 (+31.8 Units) against the money line in games played in a dome over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 120-65 (+34.5 Units) against the money line in games played on artificial turf over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 69-36 (+17.1 Units) against the money line in home games after a win over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 79-76 (-13.2 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
TAMPA BAY is 8-17 (-12.0 Units) against the money line in September games this season.
TAMPA BAY is 55-53 (-10.0 Units) against the money line in night games this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
BALTIMORE is 7-7 (+2.8 Units) against TAMPA BAY this season
7 of 13 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+0.9 Units)

MARK HENDRICKSON vs. TAMPA BAY since 1997
HENDRICKSON is 3-5 when starting against TAMPA BAY with an ERA of 5.33 and a WHIP of 1.461.
His team's record is 4-6 (-3.2 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 6-4. (+1.6 units)

JEFF NIEMANN vs. BALTIMORE since 1997
NIEMANN is 3-2 when starting against BALTIMORE with an ERA of 5.14 and a WHIP of 1.715.
His team's record is 3-2 (+0.6 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-3. (-1.1 units)

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TORONTO (72 - 84) at BOSTON (91 - 64) - 7:10 PM
SCOTT RICHMOND (R) vs. JOSH BECKETT (R)
Top Trends for this game.
TORONTO is 72-84 (-16.6 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
TORONTO is 28-40 (-14.2 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 this season.
TORONTO is 9-23 (-12.8 Units) against the money line on the road when the total is 9 to 9.5 this season.
TORONTO is 23-43 (-23.2 Units) against the money line against division opponents this season.
TORONTO is 41-55 (-16.6 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
TORONTO is 1-11 (-10.4 Units) against the money line after 3 or more consecutive wins this season.
BOSTON is 52-22 (+18.7 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
BOSTON is 45-24 (+19.5 Units) against the money line against division opponents this season.
BOSTON is 52-22 (+18.7 Units) against the money line in home games in games played on a grass field this season.
BOSTON is 39-15 (+16.0 Units) against the money line in home games in night games this season.
BOSTON is 38-13 (+17.5 Units) against the money line in home games against right-handed starters this season.
BOSTON is 43-15 (+17.9 Units) against the money line in home games after a loss over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 53-17 (+31.8 Units) against the money line in home games after 3 or more consecutive losses since 1997.
BOSTON is 92-47 (+31.4 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
BOSTON is 11-4 (+7.4 Units) against TORONTO this season
10 of 15 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+4.2 Units)

SCOTT RICHMOND vs. BOSTON since 1997
RICHMOND is 0-1 when starting against BOSTON with an ERA of 7.20 and a WHIP of 1.600.
His team's record is 0-2 (-2.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-1. (+0.1 units)

JOSH BECKETT vs. TORONTO since 1997
BECKETT is 3-5 when starting against TORONTO with an ERA of 6.62 and a WHIP of 1.414.
His team's record is 5-7 (-5.6 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 4-8. (-5.4 units)

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TEXAS (85 - 70) at LA ANGELS (91 - 64) - 10:05 PM
TOMMY HUNTER (R) vs. ERVIN SANTANA (R)
Top Trends for this game.
LA ANGELS are 91-64 (+17.8 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
LA ANGELS are 85-54 (+17.5 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 over the last 2 seasons.
LA ANGELS are 84-56 (+17.8 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
LA ANGELS are 126-94 (+17.0 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
LA ANGELS are 53-37 (+9.8 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
LA ANGELS are 89-66 (+19.1 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
SANTANA is 27-13 (+15.4 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season since 1997. (Team's Record)
TEXAS is 85-70 (+15.3 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
TEXAS is 37-37 (+7.5 Units) against the money line in road games this season.
TEXAS is 58-49 (+12.5 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
TEXAS is 82-64 (+17.2 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
TEXAS is 63-51 (+10.4 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
TEXAS is 56-44 (+13.2 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
TEXAS is 41-31 (+10.6 Units) against the money line after a loss this season.
TEXAS is 44-41 (+8.3 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
TEXAS is 23-17 (+10.0 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season this season.
LA ANGELS are 100-94 (-51.3 Units) against the money line as a home favorite of -150 to -175 since 1997.
LA ANGELS are 24-26 (-10.8 Units) against the money line against division opponents this season.
SANTANA is 11-15 (-11.6 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
SANTANA is 11-15 (-11.6 Units) against the money line in home games in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
SANTANA is 6-12 (-12.3 Units) against the money line in home games in night games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
TEXAS is 10-5 (+6.7 Units) against LA ANGELS this season
7 of 15 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=-1.5 Units, Under=-0.3 Units)

TOMMY HUNTER vs. LA ANGELS since 1997
HUNTER is 0-1 when starting against LA ANGELS with an ERA of 3.60 and a WHIP of 1.800.
His team's record is 0-1 (-1.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-0. (+1.0 units)

ERVIN SANTANA vs. TEXAS since 1997
SANTANA is 7-6 when starting against TEXAS with an ERA of 6.67 and a WHIP of 1.461.
His team's record is 8-7 (+0.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 10-4. (+5.6 units)

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**Udog** · 09-28-2009, 11:24 AM

MLB
Short Sheet

Monday, 9/28/2009

National League

LA DODGERS at PITTSBURGH, 12:35 PM ET
KURODA: LAD 17-3 after a one run loss
DUKE: PIT 5-19 in September

NY METS at WASHINGTON, 7:05 PM ET
FIGUEROA: NYM 13-5 after allowing 1 run or less
DETWILER: WAS 11-23

HOUSTON at PHILADELPHIA, 7:05 PM ET
BAZARDO: HOU 9-15 in September
HAMELS: PHI 7-1 revenging 3 straight losses of 2 runs or less

FLORIDA at ATLANTA, 7:10 PM ET
SANCHEZ: 8-1 TSR when the total is 7 to 8.5
JURRJENS: ATL 18-8 UNDER in night games

American League

KANSAS CITY at NY YANKEES, 7:05 PM ET
HOCHEVAR: KC 9-19 after allowing 1 run or less
GAUDIN: NYY 7-3 at home when the money line is +125 to -125

CHI WHITE SOX at CLEVELAND, 7:05 PM ET
DANKS: CHW 11-3 UNDER as a road favorite of -110 or higher
LAFFEY: CLE 6-19 in September

MINNESOTA at DETROIT, 7:05 PM ET
BLACKBURN: MIN 40-25 against division opponents
PORCELLO: DET 12-22 when playing on Monday

BALTIMORE at TAMPA BAY, 7:08 PM ET
HENDRICKSON: BAL 16-8 OVER as a road underdog of +175 to +250
NIEMANN: TBH 8-17 in September

TORONTO at BOSTON, 7:10 PM ET
RICHMOND: TOR 1-11 after 3+ consecutive wins
BECKETT: BOS 16-2 at home after 2+ consecutive losses

TEXAS at LA ANGELS, 10:05 PM ET
HUNTER: TEX 41-31 after a loss
SANTANA: 2-7 TSR as a home favorite of -110 or higher

** (TC) Denotes Time Change

**Udog** · 09-28-2009, 12:11 PM

MLB

Monday, September 28

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Tips and Trends
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Minnesota Twins at Detroit Tigers [7:05 PM ET]

Twins: Minnesota heads into its AL Central Division showdown against Detroit with momentum, having won 11 of its last 13 games. Until being held by one run on Sunday by Zach Greinke, the Twins had scored 43 runs in their previous five games despite not having injured slugger Justin Morneau. He’s out for the rest of the season. Trailing Detroit by two games, the Twins are counting on right-hander Nick Blackburn (11-11, 4.18 ERA). He blanked the White Sox, 7-0, in his last start on Monday, scattering eight hits with six strikeouts in seven innings. Blackburn has been sharp in four of his past five outings, winning three of them. Blackburn is 1-1 with a 5.11 ERA in two starts against Detroit this season. Minnesota is 5-12 in Blackburn’s last 17 starts versus a team with a winning mark. The Twins have lost 20 of Blackburn’s last 27 road starts.

The Twins are 0-12 in Blackburn’s last 12 road starts against a team with a winning record.
The Under is 19-6-4 in Minnesota’s last 29 overall games.

Key Injuries - Justin Morneau (back) is out.

PROJECTED SCORE: 4

Tigers (-$1.30, O/U 9): Detroit is glad to be hosting Minnesota having won 33 of its last 48 games at Comerica Park. The Tigers just finished a nine-game road trip where they went 5-4. Right-hander Rick Porcello (14-9, 4.14 ERA) held Cleveland to one run on six hits in five innings on Wednesday in his last start. Porcello, though, struck out just one batter and gave up three bases on balls. Since the beginning of August, Porcello is 5-2 with a 3.23 ERA spanning 11 starts. Detroit has won in each of Porcello’s last five home starts. The Tigers are 17-8 during Porcello’s past 25 overall starts. Porcello faced the Twins at the Metrodome on Sept. 18. The rookie gave up three earned runs and eight hits in six innings taking the loss in a 3-0 Minnesota victory. The under is 8-3 in Porcello’s last 11 AL Central Division games.

The Over is 6-1 in Detroit’s last seven home games.
The Tigers are 10-21 in their last 31 Monday games.

Key Injuries - Jarrod Washburn (knee) is out.

PROJECTED SCORE: 5 (Side of the Day)

Total of the Day is in NFL. Click the first Matchup Link in post #1.

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Announcement

Monday Trends and Indexes 9/28 (MLB, Misc.)

Monday Trends and Indexes 9/28 (MLB, Misc.)

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