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**StarDust Bum** · 05-03-2010, 04:31 PM

Boston seeks redemption for blowing it

In any seven game series, you only get so many chances to seize opportunity and the Boston Celtics blew a big one in opening contest of their series against Cleveland. Boston was the smarter and more resourceful club and held an 11-point lead past the halfway point of the third quarter. Unfortunately, that turned out to be as worthless as the betting tickets that said Boston +7 or +7.5 by game’s end.

What seemed abundantly clear in the last 14 minutes of the contest, Cleveland was fresh and the Celtics looked their age.

“We had some good looks at it,” Boston coach Doc Rivers said. “(Referee) Jason Phillips blocked Ray’s wide-open 3 one time. It’s not Jason’s fault, but Rondo got it to Ray in a great spot and the official ran into him. Kevin had a point-blank look. Kendrick Perkins bobbled a couple. I’m not that upset late in the game with some of the shots we had. I was just really upset at our guys with the execution and the next pass.

“We were so good in the first half. I just thought we settled. We’ll take those same shots.”

The one player that continued to play thru for Boston was Rajon Rondo, who dismantled the Cavaliers in the first half on the way to 19 points while handing out eight assists in 101-93 defeat. Rondo forced coach Mike Brown to put Anthony Parker on him, which limited him in the second half because of Parker’s length.

The Celtics are 15-26 ATS after playing a road game this season and have to do a better job keeping up with Rondo in transition, which frustrated the coach.

“A lot of it wasn’t Rondo’s fault (referring to late game demise),” Rivers noted. “I thought Rondo kept pushing the ball up the floor, but there were three guys behind him.”

Rasheed Wallace had a mere two points and two rebounds over 13 minutes in Saturday's Game 1 loss; Wallace is now at minus-20 in the plus/minus for the postseason and is averaging 3.5 points on a mere 35 percent shooting and two rebounds per game this postseason.

"[Wallace] has to play better, bottom line," said Rivers, who has given him every chance to succeed this season. "He has to play better defense -- the offense will come -- but he has to be a better defender. And we can't wait for him. He has to be a better defender for us."

The C’s are six-point road underdogs with total of 192.5 at Sportbook.com and are 13-30 ATS when the totals figure is between 190 and 199.5 points. Cleveland knows they dodged the bullet in the opener and is 10-1 ATS in the second round of the playoffs.

Game 2 in on TNT as 8:00 Eastern and the Celtics are 11-0 UNDER after leading their last two games by 10 or more points at the half.

**StarDust Bum** · 05-03-2010, 04:31 PM

San Antonio vs Phoenix Series Betting Preview

This past weekend we heard a great deal about how Boston and Cleveland don’t really like each other. While this information is certainly true it pales in comparison to how Phoenix and San Antonio feel about each other. That is Microsoft and Apple doing battle, this is the real deal like Coke vs. Pepsi, McDonald’s vs. Burger King, Jennifer Aniston vs. Angelina Jolie. What’s more the Suns have been Avis to the Spurs Hertz, with Phoenix having been bounced out of the playoffs four times by the team from southwest Texas since 2003. This is going to be war. Sportsbook.com provided the series odds.

(3)Phoenix vs (7) San Antonio

Steve Nash did not practice the previous two days before this Western Conference semi-final opened, resting his sore right hip. The most obvious question was it a reoccurrence of the infamous hip check former Spur Robert Horry laid on Nash or something completely different.

The Suns have had the home court advantage over San Antonio the last two times these teams have met in the postseason and came up short. They believe this time will be different, not being strictly a running team and being able to play defense for extended periods of time.

"It's like super-transition `D' against these guys," San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich said. "They're really playing well, and the best shooting team ever, basically, from 3. Great chemistry, sharing the ball, playing 'D'. Alvin (Coach Gentry) and his group have done a great job. The players have really bought in, and they do a lot of things really well."

Phoenix will have to use similar formula that allowed them to win four of last five games against Portland. Running a controlled break which leads to layups or find spot up shooters like Jason Richardson and rain down three’s.

The Suns also received bench contributions from a number of players from Goran Dragic and Jared Dudley to Channing Frye and others. The Suns are 26-7 and 23-9-1 ATS since Feb. 19 (have not lost two straight since Jan. 25-26) and this streak coincided when they collectively bought into Gentry’s preaching about team defense and Amare Stoudemire deciding he wanted to be one of the best players in the NBA. Stoudemire loves to see the Spurs coming with 24.6-point playoff average against them (28.8 PPG if rookie season is dropped) and he posted 32.7 points and 11.3 rebounds on San Antonio this season.

Grant Hill might be 37, but he missed so much time over a five year period of his career, his legs are that of a much younger player and he is the Suns best defender. Whether he starts on Manu Ginibili is immaterial, since eventually he will make his way over to him defensively.

Though both teams have many new faces, Nash knows what to expect and believes the series will come down to "the usual suspects." For San Antonio that is Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Ginobili, especially right now.

Duncan has slowed from his early days, but he is still a crafty veteran and the Suns don’t have that big physical guy that could create more problems for Duncan even if Robin Lopez returns. Duncan should expect to see several combo defenses and will have to find shooters and cutters when the Suns double him.

Parker has accepted his role off the bench, still seeing ample minutes as George Hill takes over as true point guard. This allows Parker to freelance more without the ball and forces defenders to chase.

If it were not for Hill and Ginobili, a reasonable argument could be made the Spurs might not have made the playoffs when Parker was injured. The Argentinean has done everything, scoring literally anywhere on the floor and became the emotional leader. He is the one player in this series that could single-handedly win a game or two by himself.

Richard Jefferson could play a prominent role in this noteworthy conflict. The former Net and Buck didn’t have much of an impact during the regular season, but after being a non-factor in Game 1 loss to Dallas, the rest of the series he was steady contributor and if he can keep the Suns J-Rich busy on defense, it’s shown his point production diminishes.
Most of the confrontations in this series are expected to have totals of 200 or higher and Popovich teams are 53-36 ATS when the number is 200 or higher.

This series really comes down to a test of wills. Can Phoenix keep their poise and not let a few Spurs antics get to them? In the past San Antonio had a size edge over the Suns, they do not this time, will that be a burden? This has the look and feel of seven games and even that might not be enough for regulation play. As long as Nash is healthy, the Suns should finally knock off their nemesis like they did in the regular season (2-1 and 3-0 ATS), however it won’t be easy.

Pick- Phoenix (-145) in seven over San Antonio (+115)

**StarDust Bum** · 05-03-2010, 04:32 PM

Angels and Red Sox look to rebound Monday

As if things weren’t bad enough for the Boston Red Sox after their first losing April in 14 years, they were swept by the worst team in the majors to begin May. Even a return to Fenway Park is not as reassuring as it once was. The Red Sox hope their upcoming 10-game homestand brings better results than their last one - starting Monday night against the Los Angeles Angels, who eliminated Boston from the 2009 playoffs in their last appearance at Fenway.

Los Angeles has faced the Red Sox in an AL division series each of the last three years, and the Angels finally managed to beat Boston with a three-game sweep in October.

The Red Sox (11-14, -8.5 units) will need to climb out of an early hole if they hope to reach the playoffs again. Their first sub-.500 April since 1996 was sealed with Friday night’s 5-4 loss at Baltimore, where Boston then dropped two more over the weekend.

Following their 12-9 win over the Red Sox on Saturday night, the lowly Orioles completed the sweep with a 3-2, 10-inning victory Sunday, scoring the winning run off closer Jonathan Papelbon.

“A sweep’s a sweep. It’s frustrating for us, to go home like that,” starter Josh Beckett said. “We’ve got to go out and win games. It doesn’t matter what month it is.” The Red Sox are only 2-7 at home off a road trip of a week or more.

Boston only won four of 10 on its last homestand, slipping to 5-8 at Fenway. The team went 56-25 at home each of the last two years, the best home record in the majors in that stretch.

This season’s club has had problems in all areas. The Red Sox were held to seven hits Sunday, playing without cleanup hitter Kevin Youkilis (groin). Outfielders Jacoby Ellsbury and Mike Cameron are on the disabled list.
Boston’s pitchers allowed 12 runs for the second time on the road trip Saturday, and the team made four errors in three games against Baltimore. “We’re going to have to regroup in a hurry and figure it out,” manager Terry Francona said.

The Angels (12-14, -3.7) are only one half-game ahead of Boston, but their chances of recovering are much better in the AL West. The Red Sox already trail Tampa Bay by seven games and the New York Yankees by 5 1/2.

Los Angeles, however, will also be trying to rebound from a sweep after beginning its 10-game trip with three straight losses at Detroit. The Angels were limited to four hits in a 5-1 defeat Sunday. It may not be much easier against Clay Buchholz, who has been an early bright spot for the Red Sox.

Buchholz (2-2, 2.19 ERA, 1.297 WHIP) turned in his best outing of the season Tuesday at Toronto, allowing one run in eight innings of a 2-1 victory. The Game 3 starter for Boston in last year’s playoffs, Buchholz held the Angels to two runs in five-plus innings and was in position for a victory until Papelbon blew the save in Los Angeles’ 7-6, series-clinching win.

Buchholz hasn’t found similar success against the Angels in the regular season, going 1-2 with a 6.35 ERA and is 5-13 (-12.9 Units) against the money line vs. teams who strand 6.9 or less runners on-base per game over the last three seasons. (Red Sox Record)

Los Angeles’ Joe Saunders is 4-1 with a 3.24 ERA in his career against Boston and 3-0 with a 2.84 ERA at Fenway, but the left-hander has gotten off to a rough start in 2010. Saunders (1-4, 5.74, 1.575) gave up three runs, nine hits and four walks in five innings of a 9-2 loss to Cleveland on Tuesday and the Halos are just 1-6 in his last seven starts as underdog.

“Joe hasn’t quite found his balance of command and movement,” manager Mike Scioscia told the Angels’ official website. “There are some mechanical things he is trying to figure out.”

Sportsbook.com has Boston as -160 ML choice with total at 9.5. The Red Sox are 11-4 when Buchholz is the starting hurler and is 6-2 OVER when he takes the ball. The Angels are 25-17 (+18.7 Units) as an underdog of +125 to +175 and is 13-3 UNDER vs. teams with losing record.
This is the ESPN Monday telecast which begins at 7:00 Eastern with Los Angeles 8-4 at Fenway since 2008.

**hokie99** · 05-03-2010, 04:36 PM

Good luck StarDust! Hope the doggies bark!

**jt4545** · 05-03-2010, 04:46 PM

thanks and good luck

**rcmcd** · 05-03-2010, 04:50 PM

bol tonight

**StarDust Bum** · 05-03-2010, 05:22 PM

Playoff Results - Second Round

Second Round Results

Favorites have gone 4-2
Home teams have gone 4-2
The 'over' is 5-1 after six games
Favorites that have won are 1-3 on the puck-line
First Round|

Home Visitor Time/Final Score ATS OVER/UNDER

Thu Apr 29, 2010
Sharks (-145) Red Wings 4-3 FAVORITE OVER 5.5

Fri Apr 30, 2010
Penguins (-270) Canadiens 6-3 FAVORITE OVER 5.5

Sat May 1, 2010
Bruins (-155) Flyers 5-4 (OT) FAVORITE OVER 5
Blackhawks Canucks (+145) 5-1 UNDERDOG OVER 5.5

Sun May 2, 2010
Penguins Canadiens (+240) 3-1 UNDERDOG UNDER 5.5
Sharks (-135) Red Wings 4-3 FAVORITE OVER 5.5

Mon May 3, 2010
Bruins Flyers 7:00 p.m. EDT - -
Blackhawks Canucks 9:00 p.m. EDT - -

Tue May 4, 2010
Canadiens Penguins 7:00 p.m. EDT - -
Red Wings Sharks 7:30 p.m. EDT -

**StarDust Bum** · 05-03-2010, 05:25 PM

Playoff Results - Second Round

Second Round Results

Home teams are 2-0
Favorites are 2-0 straight up
Favorites are 1-1 against the spread
The 'over/under' tally is 2-0

Home Visitor Final Score ATS OVER/UNDER

Saturday May 1, 2010
Cleveland (-7.5) Boston 101-93 FAVORITE OVER 191.5

Sunday May 2, 2010
L.A. Lakers (-7) Utah 104-99 UNDERDOG OVER 198

Monday May 3, 2010
Cleveland Boston
Phoenix San Antonio

Tuesday May 4, 2010
Orlando Atlanta
L.A. Lakers Utah

Wednesday May 5, 2010
Phoenix San Antonio

Thursday May 6, 2010
Orlando Atlanta

Friday May 7, 2010
Boston Cleveland
San Antonio Phoenix

Saturday May 8, 2010
Atlanta Orlando
Utah L.A. Lakers

Sunday May 9, 2010
Boston Cleveland
San Antonio Phoenix

**StarDust Bum** · 05-03-2010, 05:26 PM

Spurs-Suns Outlook

No. 3 Phoenix Suns vs. No. 7 San Antonio Spurs

Series Price: Phoenix -145, San Antonio +125

Series Format: Phoenix, 2-2-1-1-1

Game 1 - Monday (5/3)
Game 2 - Wednesday (5/5)
Game 3 - Friday (5/7)
Game 4 - Sunday (5/9)
Game 5 - Tuesday (5/11)
Game 6 - Thursday (5/13)
Game 7 - Sunday (5/16)

HEAD TO HEAD COMPARISONS
TEAM SU ATS HOME AWAY OVER/UNDER PPG DPPG
54-34 47-39-2 32-12 22-22 37-48-3 101.4 96.3
58-30 52-35-1 34-10 24-20 38-47-3 110.2 105.3

2009-10 Head to Head Meetings
Date Results Total
04/07/10 San Antonio 101 @ Phoenix 112 (-6) OVER 209
02/28/10 Phoenix 110 @ San Antonio 113 (-4) OVER 206
12/15/09 San Antonio 104 @ Phoenix 116 (-2) OVER 209.5

Skinny: These two veteran squads get together for the fourth time in postseason play since 2005, as the Spurs have eliminated the Suns in the last three meetings in the playoffs. Each team needed six games to advance on to this round, but Phoenix and San Antonio went down different roads to get to this point.

The Suns were able to grab a pair of road victories at the Rose Garden, including a Game 6 triumph over the Blazers to oust Portland, 4-2. The key to Phoenix's success in this series was hitting its shots from downtown, as Alvin Gentry's squad drilled at least 10 treys in four games. The scoring load was shared by several different Suns, led by Jason Richardson's 23.5 ppg. J-Rich put up a career playoff-high of 42 points in the Game 3 blowout, as the Suns hit a series-best 13 three-pointers.

The Spurs avenged last season's first round loss to the Mavs by eliminating their cross-state rivals, 4-2. San Antonio won all three games at home, including the series-clinching 97-87 triumph in Game 6. The Spurs held the struggling Dallas offense to just eight points in the opening quarter, while Manu Ginobili scored 20+ points for the third time in the series with a team-high 26 points. The point guard duo of Tony Parker (15.8 ppg) and George Hill (14.3 ppg) was the right amount support for the Spurs, as opposed to the one-man wrecking crew of the Mavs in Dirk Nowitzki (26.7 ppg).

What Phoenix did extremely well against Portland is something San Antonio needs to contain in this series. The Suns shot a league-best 41% from long distance in the regular season, while nailing 60 of 153 three-point tries against the Blazers (39.2%). On the flip side, the Spurs limited the Mavs to just 32.7% shooting from downtown (38 of 116), while Dallas' best game from three-point range was the 8 of 20 effort in Game 3.

The home team won all three games this season, with two of the meetings coming in the Valley. The Suns were in control from start to finish in a 116-104 victory as two-point favorites on December 15. Phoenix lit up San Antonio from long distance by knocking down 11 of 18 treys, including four from Goran Dragic. The Suns were paced by Steve Nash (23 points) and Amare Stoudemire (28 points), while Tim Duncan led all scorers with 34 points.

The Spurs avenged that loss with a 113-110 victory on February 28 at the AT&T Center, as both teams shot over 50% from the floor. San Antonio failed to cover as four-point 'chalk,' but received strong showings from Antonio McDyess (12 points) and DeJuan Blair (14 points). Stoudemire tallied his second-best scoring game of the season with 41 points in the defeat.

Alvin Gentry's team picked up the series victory by downing the Spurs on April 7 at home, 112-101 as six-point favorites. Stoudemire dominated once again with 29 points, while Nash contributed 18 points and 12 assists. Phoenix returned home from a five-game road trip that ended with a loss at Milwaukee, snapping a ten-game winning streak. The Suns caught the Spurs on a back-to-back as San Antonio was coming off a victory at Sacramento.

Gambling Notes: The 'over' hit in all three regular season meetings, as the Spurs are coming off five straight 'unders' in the Mavs series. The Suns compiled a 27-15-1 ATS mark as a home favorite, while going 34-9 SU. Phoenix has been streaking in the Valley, putting together a 14-3-1 ATS mark the last 18 at home.

San Antonio has been less than stellar as a road underdog, owning a 10-13 SU/ATS ledger. However, the Spurs have won and covered eight of the last 14 when receiving points on the highway. Heading into the series opener on Monday, the Spurs are 6-4 SU/ATS as a road 'dog off a home win, while finishing 'under' the total seven of ten times.

The Spurs are an impressive 6-2 SU and 5-2-1 ATS at Phoenix in the last eight postseason matchups. San Antonio has also dominated at the AT&T Center the previous eight meetings with Phoenix in the playoffs, going 6-2 SU and 4-3-1 ATS.

Series Outlook: The Suns haven't been able to figure out the Spurs in the postseason, but Phoenix's defense stepped up against Portland by allowing 96 points or less in each of the last five games. San Antonio has clicked with Parker coming off the bench, but the inability to slow down Stoudemire in this series may be the Spurs' demise. I'll take the Suns to advance to the conference finals in seven games.

**StarDust Bum** · 05-03-2010, 05:28 PM

Cavs-Celtics Outlook

**No. 1 Cleveland Cavaliers vs. 4 Boston Celtics**

Series Price: Cleveland -500 Boston +400

Series Format: Cleveland 2-2-1-1-1

Game 1 - Saturday (5/1)
Game 2 - Monday (5/3)
Game 3 - Friday (5/7)
Game 4 - Sunday (5/9)
Game 5 - Tuesday (5/11)
Game 6 - Thursday (5/13)
Game 7 - Sunday (5/16)

Head to Head Comparisons
Team SU ATS Home Away O/U PPG DPPG
65-22 40-46 38-6 27-16 42-41 102.1 95.6
54-33 36-49 27-17 27-16 43-43 99.2 95.6

2009-10 Head to Head Meetings
Oct. 27, 2009 Boston (+5) 95 at Cleveland 89 OVER 183.5
Feb. 25, 2009 Cleveland (-2.5) 108 at Boston 88 OVER 192
Mar. 14, 2010 Cleveland (-7) 104 vs. Chicago 93 OVER 193.5
Apr. 4, 2010 Boston (+1.5) 117 vs. Cleveland 113 OVER 193

Skinny: Cleveland and Boston were expected to clash in the postseason last year but the Celtics were unseated in the Eastern Conference semifinals to Orlando in seven games. The Magic eventually beat the Cavaliers in the conference finals as well before losing to the Lakers in the NBA Finals.
This year, the Cavaliers and Celtics will square off and even though the circumstances are a little bit different since it's just the second round of the playoffs, the rivalry is still heated. These two teams met in the conference semifinals in 2008, which was the same year Boston won the NBA Finals over the L.A. Lakers. The series was a classic slugfest where defense was prominently featured. The home team won all of the contests in the best-of-seven series and was highlight by a great Game 7 battle. LeBron James (45 points) and Paul Pierce (41 points) went back and forth in the finale but the Celtics had too much in the end.

Cleveland will be looking for revenge and fortunately for LeBron, his supporting cast is much improved for this go 'round against Boston. You won't see names like Ben Wallace, Wally Szcerbiak, Joe Smith and Sasha Pavlovic on this year's roster, rather more talented players in Mo Williams (15.8 PPG), Antawn Jamison (15.8 PPG, 7.7 RPG) and an improved Anderson Varejao (8.6 PPG, 7.6 PPG).

Plus we didn't mention center Shaquille O'Neal (12 PPG), who wasn't effective in the Cavs' first round victory over the Bulls but he can still have his moments. It's also hard not to touch on solid role players off the bench like Delonte West, J.J. Hickson, Anthony Parker and even Jamario Moon. The bottom line is that head coach Mike Brown has the best player in LeBron plus his team is deep.

Boston is still a very talented team and it showed in the first round when it outclassed Miami in five games last week. However, their age has shown this year and the depth is questionable. Even though Pierce (19.6 PPG), Kevin Garnett (15.8 PPG) and Ray Allen (19.4 PPG) garner a lot of the attention in Boston, most would argue that the best player for the Celtics has been point guard Rajon Rondo, who destroyed whatever the Heat threw at him in the first round.

Unfortunately for Rondo, he won't be facing Carlos Arroyo or Mario Chalmers in the second round, rather a slew of quicker more talented backcourt players in West and Williams. Another factor for this series will be the bench play for Doc Rivers' team. Glen Davis played well against Miami as did Tony Allen, but the offseason acquisition of Rasheed Wallace hasn't worked out well. Boston needs big minutes in this series from him, plus Kendrick Perkins as well since LeBron loves to attack and the Cavs will go to Shaq as the series progresses. Don't be surprised to see often used Shelden Williams in this series if the previous pair gets caught in foul trouble.

During the regular season, the Celtics and Cavaliers split the four-game series with each team winning one game on the road. As expected, LeBron went nuts in every game (38, 36, 30, 42) but he came up short in the fourth installment from the free throw line (14-of-22). Pierce sat out the second battle for Boston, which turned out to be a 20-point setback (88-108).

Gambling Notes: The Celtics covered all four of their wins against the Heat in the first round, which included three winning tickets at TD Garden, which comes as a surprise considering they were an automatic fade (12-28-1 ATS) at home during the regular season. The 'over' went 3-2 but Game 2 (106-77) could've gone either way and was helped with a big second-half (101 points). Cleveland only produced a 2-3 ATS mark against Chicago in its opening best-of-seven battle, even though it did win three of the games by double digits. The 'over' went 3-2.

Cleveland has been listed as a healthy 7 ½-point home favorite for Game 1, which is comparable to the number in the mid-March meeting. The second installment will see the line go up or down depending on what transpires in the opener. Game 3 has always been defined as the pivotal matchup in any best-of-seven and this contest will be tough to gauge, since both clubs will be playing on three days of rest. Boston (6-2 SU, 3-5 ATS) and Cleveland (4-2 SU, 3-3 ATS) have both put forth decent marks in these scenarios.

Since the "Big Three" was put together, Boston has won nine of its last 10 battles against Cleveland at home. At the same time, the Cavaliers have captured nine of 10 at home versus the Celtics as well.

The total on the Game 1 is listed as 191 .5, which is similar to a few of the encounters this season, which happened to see all four encounters go 'over' the number. If you go back to the aforementioned conference semifinals matchup two years ago, the series was all about defense. The highest total in that series was 181 and the 'under' went 4-3 in the seven games. Both units have dropped off a bit on the defensive end and the firepower for each club has improved as well.

Outlook: Cleveland opened up as a healthy $5.00 favorite (Bet $500 to win $100) on the series, with Boston listed at plus-400 (Bet $100 to win $400) as the underdog. Laying 1/5 with the Cavs wouldn't be deemed as a smart wager in terms of risk versus reward, but it's hard to imagine them losing unless LeBron goes down with a series-ending injury. Some pundits, including this writer, expected the Celtics to struggle with the Heat in the first round. Boston took care of business and the public perception has definitely swayed in its favor, but Miami isn't Cleveland. If this best-of-seven series was a game of four-on-four, Doc Rivers' team might have a chance, even then a slim one. Look for the Cavs to use their depth, homecourt edge and consistent scoring to claim this series in six games, but don't be surprised to see it end much sooner.

**StarDust Bum** · 05-03-2010, 08:19 PM

Monday on the Diamond

Monday’s card in Major League Baseball has a pair of series starting up between clubs we know as modern powers. The Cards make the trip to Philadelphia to begin a four-game series. Meanwhile, the Angels and Red Sox start a four-game set of their own at Fenway Park. Let’s look at the first tilts of those series.

Cardinals at Phillies – 7:05 p.m. EDT

Most sportsbooks have listed the Cardinals as $1.35 road favorites (risk $135 to win $100) with a total of nine.

St. Louis (17-8, +624) comes into this contest having won six of its last seven games. That strong play has helped them push out to a four-game lead over the Reds in the National League Central.

The Cardinals were able to avenge its series opening loss to Cincinnati with a 6-3 decision on Saturday as $1.60 home favorites. St. Louis used a three-run eighth inning to pull ahead for good because of Cincy’s tired bullpen. Albert Pujols and Matt Holliday were both walked with the bases loaded to pick up some easy runs batted in.

Jaime Garcia (2-1, 1.04) gets the nod from Tony LaRussa to get the series off on the right foot. The young left-hander has performed quite well as the No. 5 starting pitcher. Garcia has lasted no fewer than six innings in all four of his starts, while allowing only three earned runs.

What gamblers should be worried about with the southpaw on the mound for St. Louis is that run support has always been there for him. Sure they posted six runs for Garcia in a 6-0 win over Atlanta on April 28. Yet the Cards’ offense crossed the plate twice in his starts prior to facing the Braves. Incidentally, both of those starts were losses for St. Louis.

Philadelphia (14-10, +7) might not be playing fair with the gamblers that have backed them all season long. But they are in a good spot to repeat as NL East champs after beating New York 11-5 to regain the division lead.

The Phils’ old ace, Cole Hamels, was supposed to be on the mound for this game. Philadelphia has opted to hold him off for a day, replacing Hamels with Joe Blanton for Game 1. Blanton has been on the disabled list since March 26 with a strained left oblique.

It makes good sense for Philadelphia to bring Blanton back into the fold on Monday night. That’s because he’s 3-0 with a 1.71 ERA in three career starts against the Cards.

The Phillies have not fared all that well as home pups against lefties recently, losing four of their last five contests under these conditions.

The ‘over’ is 5-3 in the Phillies’ eight home tests this season.

The Cardinals have been road faves against right-handers 40 times over the last two seasons. In those tilts, they are 23-17. That number includes the fact that they’ve won four straight in this role.

St. Louis has watched the ‘under’ go 7-5 away from home in 2010.

Angels at Red Sox – 7:10 p.m. EDT

The Red Sox have been installed as a $1.55 home faves with a total of nine.

The Angels lost a fair amount of talent over the winter that many experts felt would hinder their shot at winning the American League West crown once more. After just one month of regular season play, Los Angeles (12-14, -369) could be considered to be in some trouble. As bad as things seem right now, the Halos are still just one game behind the division leading Athletics.

LA might not make it past the A’s or anyone for that matter if they can get Joe Saunders (1-4, 5.74) back on track. Saunders has not been effective at all in his last two starts, lasting 7.2 innings and allowing eight earned runs. You can argue that he’s just not finding the strike zone right now either as he has six walks to just two strikeouts in his last two appearances.

There is reason to believe that Saunders will get out of his funk on Monday night. He has a 4-1 record with a 3.24 ERA in eight starts against the Red Sox. At Fenway Park, the Angels’ No. 3 starter is 3-0 with a 2.84 ERA.

Boston (11-13, -752) was supposed to be in the thick of a three-way race to win the AL East, but they’re sitting six games behind the Rays. We could harp on the Red Sox hitting as an issue, but their pitching has been atrocious.

The Red Sox are 25th in team ERA (4.89) with teams hitting .266 against their hurlers. When the opposition has runners in scoring position, they are hitting .270 this season. Not the type of numbers you expected out of Boston after a month.

Luckily for Boston, Clay Buchholz (2-2, 2.19) will get the starting nod on Monday. Buchholz has arguably been the BoSox’s best pitcher this year. He tossed eight innings, giving up just one run on seven hits en route to a 2-1 win for Boston as a $1.05 road “chalk” on April 27 against the Blue Jays.

One of the few clubs that has had Buchholz’s number in his short career is the Halos. He is just 1-2 with a 6.35 ERA in three career starts against Los Angeles.

The Angels have not been scared by the vexatious crowds in Beantown, evidenced by a 6-3 record in their last nine regular season games at Fenway.

Boston has watched the ‘over’ go 12-9-2 this season. At home for the Sox, the ‘over’ is 8-4.

The ‘under’ is 13-12 for the Angels after just a month of regular season play and 5-3 in their road tests.

**StarDust Bum** · 05-03-2010, 08:20 PM

Diamond Trends - Monday

Diamondbacks at Astros – The Diamondbacks are 1-8 since June 25, 2009 within 20 cents of pickem when they are off a loss in which they never led for a net profit of $695 when playing against. The League is 11-0 since October 07, 2009 at home vs a team that has lost at least their last three games and it is the first game of a series for a net profit of $1175. The Astros are 0-7 since August 04, 2009 when Felipe Paulino starts at home for a net profit of $785 when playing against.

Rangers at Athletics – The Rangers are 0-9 since May 09, 2009 on the road when they won by one run in their starter's last start for a net profit of $920 when playing against. The Athletics are 7-0 since July 31, 2009 as a home favorite after allowing 6+ runs for a net profit of $700

Blue Jays at Indians – The Blue Jays are 0-7 since April 27, 2009 within 20 cents of pickem after a win and it is the first game of the series for a net profit of $710 when playing against. The Blue Jays are 0-6 since July 08, 2009 as a road dog when they scored two or fewer runs for their starter in his last start for a net profit of $600 when playing against. The Indians are 0-6 since September 11, 2009 when they are off a loss in which they never led and it is the first game of a series for a net profit of $600 when playing against.

Rockies at Padres – The Padres are 4-0 since September 06, 2009 as a 140+ dog when they won the last two games their starter started for a net profit of $645.

Cardinals at Phillies – The Phillies are 0-4 since June 12, 2009 when Joe Blanton starts at home vs a team that has won at least their last two games for a net profit of $510 when playing against.

Angels at Red Sox – The Angels are 8-1 since June 05, 2009 on the road vs a team that has lost at least their last two games and it is the first game of a series for a net profit of $830. The Angels are 0-6 since October 17, 2009 when Joe Saunders starts vs a team that has hit more grounders than fly balls season-to-date for a net profit of $700 when playing against. The Angels are 5-0 since April 10, 2010 when they are off a loss in which they never led for a net profit of $615. The Red Sox are 10-0 since June 09, 2009 when they are off a loss in which they never led and it is the first game of a series for a net profit of $1000.

Mets at Reds – The Mets are 1-8 since June 12, 2009 as a road dog vs a team that has lost at least their last two games for a net profit of $675 when playing against. The Reds are 0-7 since April 24, 2009 at home within 20 cents of pickem when they won the last two games their starter started for a net profit of $725 when playing against. The Reds are 6-0 since April 26, 2009 at home within 20 cents of pickem after a loss in which they were shut out in the last 6 innings for a net profit of $630.

Tigers at Twins – The Tigers are 0-10 since April 17, 2009 as a road dog after a win and it is the first game of the series for a net profit of $1000 when playing against.

Royals at White Sox – The Royals are 0-7 since May 10, 2009 on the road after a loss in which they allowed 6 or fewer hits for a net profit of $715 when playing against. The Royals are 0-6 since May 23, 2009 as a 140+ dog after being shutout for a net profit of $600 when playing against. The White Sox are 0-7 since April 24, 2009 after a loss in which they drew 1 or fewer walks and it is the first game of a series for a net profit of $780 when playing against.

Orioles at Yankees – The Orioles are 0-13 since April 09, 2009 as a 140+ dog when they are off a win in which they never trailed for a net profit of $1300 when playing against. The Orioles are 0-7 since September 19, 2009 as a 170+ dog when they lost the last two games their starter started for a net profit of $700 when playing against. The Yankees are 11-0 since April 17, 2009 as a 200+ favorite vs a team that has won at least their last two games for a net profit of $1100.

**StarDust Bum** · 05-03-2010, 08:21 PM

Best and Worst against RHP

With one month in the books of the 2010 baseball season, several teams are starting to trend either positively or negatively in various situations. We'll take a look at which clubs have performed great and not-so-great against right-handed starting pitchers, and if this will keep up in the long run.

Good:

Tampa Bay Rays (13-3)

The Rays own not only the best record in baseball, but the top mark on this list. Tampa Bay ranks third in batting average against right-handed pitchers (.280), while Carl Crawford (.377) and Evan Longoria (.333) have each feasted versus righties. The Rays are a league-best 9-1 on the highway, including a perfect 6-0 ledger against right-handed starters. Only twice in this stretch have been the Rays been favored by more than $1.40 on the road, with both games coming against the dreadful Orioles.

The Rays head out on the road for a nine-game trip through the AL West that starts in Seattle on Tuesday. Tampa Bay will miss Felix Hernandez in this series, as King Felix pitched against the Rangers this past Saturday. The Rays will be favored in at least five of the first six games on this trip that takes Tampa Bay to Oakland on Friday. In fact, the Rays will see four straight southpaws before facing Ben Sheets on Saturday afternoon.

New York Yankees (10-4)

It's obvious that the Bronx Bombers would be near the top of any offensive category, but the Yanks have taken care of business with 67% of their victories against righties. The Yanks are averaging 5.2 runs a contest in these 14 games, but aren't getting much help from two of their big bats as Mark Teixiera (.121) and Alex Rodriguez (.246) have struggled versus right-handers.

The Bombers have plenty of opportunities to face righties this week, starting with a pair of matchups against the Orioles (Monday - Jeremy Guthrie, Wednesday - David Hernandez). The Yanks head to Fenway Park this weekend and will see Josh Beckett on Friday night followed by a Saturday afternoon matchup against Clay Buchholz.

St. Louis Cardinals (15-5)

The Redbirds have cleaned up on their latest homestand, winning six of seven against the Braves and Reds. Since getting shut out by Barry Zito and the Giants, 2-0 on April 24, the Cards are 7-1 the last eight games, all coming against right-handed starters. St. Louis ranks in the middle of baseball in batting average versus righties, but the Cards have scored at least six runs on nine occasions against right-handers.

The Cardinals play four of the next six games against righty starters, including three of four against the Phillies. The Redbirds see Joe Blanton (Monday), Kyle Kendrick (Wednesday), and Roy Halladay (Thursday) before a weekend set in Pittsburgh. St. Louis heads west to then battle the Pirates, as the Cards will face righty Jeff Karstens on Saturday after seeing southpaw Zach Duke on Friday.

Philadelphia Phillies (12-6)

The most powerful offense in the National League has had its ups and downs since losing lead-off man Jimmy Rollins to a right calf strain. The Phillies are 7-9 overall since the former MVP went down, but are averaging 4.9 runs a game the last 11 against right-handed starters. Granted, the Phillies scored six runs at San Francisco after Tim Lincecum held the NL Champs to one run in eight innings of work. Philadelphia has tallied just two runs in the last three games against left-handed starters, while losing each time.

The Phillies will get a healthy dose of righties after facing rookie southpaw Jamie Garcia on Monday. St. Louis will trot out Adam Wainwright (Tuesday), Brad Penny (Wednesday), and Kyle Lohse (Thursday) the final three games at Citizens Bank Park. Philadelphia welcomes in Atlanta this weekend with Derek Lowe (Friday) and Jair Jurrjens (Saturday) on the mound, as the Phillies look to put together some consistency through the month of May.

Bad:

Houston Astros (6-13)

It never helps any team to start 0-8 out of the chute, but the Astros did have a valid excuse. Houston faced Lincecum, Zito, and Matt Cain in the opening series against the Giants, followed by Philadelphia and the brilliance of Halladay. The Astros went on a 6-2 run against righties, but have currently dropped six straight, including three each to the Reds and Braves. Houston tallied just 12 runs in this six-game funk, while putting up just four runs at Atlanta.

The Astros will be seeing plenty of righties this week, including all four in a home set against the D-Backs. Cesar Valdez will be called up from Triple-A to start on Monday at Minute Maid Park for Arizona, followed by Ian Kennedy (Tuesday), Rodrigo Lopez (Wednesday), and Dan Haren (Thursday). The Padres invade Houston this weekend, starting with Mat Latos on Friday, followed by veteran Jon Garland on Saturday.

Baltimore Orioles (6-12)

Similarly to the Astros, the Orioles began the season slowly, affecting all their numbers. Baltimore started the season 1-11 against right-handed starters, but is performing better in this situation by winning five of the last six. The O's love facing Red Sox pitching, as Baltimore put up 33 runs in the previous five games against Boston.

The Orioles head to the Bronx for a three-game set with the Yankees, but see only one right-hander in A.J. Burnett on Tuesday. It doesn't get easier for Baltimore as it heads to Minnesota on Thursday, facing Carl Pavano in the series opener and Scott Baker on Saturday.

Boston Red Sox (6-11)

Is it too early to say the Sox are in trouble? Not yet, but Boston has nine of its wins against Kansas City, Texas, Baltimore, and Toronto. Terry Francona's team is 1-4 the last five against right-handed starters, and hasn't faced elite pitchers by any stretch (D. Hernandez twice, Kevin Millwood, and Brad Bergesen). Boston has burned many backers in this span by being listed as a $1.50 favorite or higher in the four losses to Baltimore.

This week will no doubt test the Sox as they face the Angels and Yankees. Boston will see a pair of right-handers when the Halos invade Fenway Park with Ervin Santana (Tuesday) and Joel Pineiro (Wednesday), followed by Javier Vazquez (Friday) and Phil Hughes (Saturday) this weekend in New York.

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