Wednesday Trends and Indexes 5/12 (NHL, MLB, Misc.)

[Udog]

MLB
Short Sheet


Wednesday, 5/12/2010

CINCINNATI at PITTSBURGH, 12:35 PM ET
BAILEY: Cincinnati 8-2 SU away off a win
DUKE: Pittsburgh 20-45 SU in day games

WASHINGTON at NY METS, 1:10 PM ET
STAMMEN: Washington 14-42 SU away off a loss by 2 runs or less
PELFREY: 17-6 TSR at home with a total of 7 to 8.5 runs

ATLANTA at MILWAUKEE, 1:10 PM ET
LOWE: Atlanta 28-15 SU off 5+ road games
GALLARDO: Milwaukee 0-9 SU revenging a home loss by 8+ runs

FLORIDA at CHICAGO CUBS, 2:20 PM ET WGN
VOLSTAD: Florida 13-3 SU away off a one-run win
SILVA: Cubs 5-11 SU off an Under

PHILADELPHIA at COLORADO, 3:10 PM ET Game One
HALLADAY: 37-14 TSR in May
COOK: 18-10 Under in May

HOUSTON at ST LOUIS, 8:15 PM ET
RODRIGUEZ: Houston 28-52 SU off an Over
LOHSE: St. Louis 21-6 SU at home on Wednesdays

LA DODGERS at ARIZONA, 9:40 PM ET
KURODA: Dodgers 17-3 SU off 3+ division wins
JACKSON: Arizona 4-14 SU at home in May

SAN DIEGO at SAN FRANCISCO, 10:15 PM ET
RICHARD: San Diego 24-13 Over as an underdog of +150 or higher
CAIN: 11-3 TSR pitching off a team loss

CHI WHITE SOX at MINNESOTA, 1:10 PM ET
DANKS: 7-1 TSR as a road underdog of +125 to +175
PAVANO: Minnesota 12-21 SU after the bullpen allowed 0 runs in BB games

TORONTO at BOSTON, 1:35 PM ET
MARCUM: Toronto 7-19 SU off 6+ road games
WAKEFIELD: Boston 16-3 SU off BB home division wins

TAMPA BAY at LA ANGELS, 7:05 PM ET
PRICE: 10-1 TSR in day games
WEAVER: Angels 43-23 Under in May

NY YANKEES at DETROIT, 7:05 PM ET Game Two
HUGHES: 8-2 Under as a favorite of -125 to -175
BONDERMAN: 1-10 TSR at home after allowing 0 walks

(TC) OAKLAND at TEXAS, 8:05 PM ET
GONZALEZ: Oakland 43-75 SU off a division win as an underdog
HOLLAND: Texas 27-12 SU in May

SEATTLE at BALTIMORE, 7:05 PM ET
ROWLAND-SMITH: Seattle 22-9 SU after allowing 1 or 0 runs
BERGESEN: Baltimore 13-30 SU vs. AL West opponents

CLEVELAND at KANSAS CITY, 8:10 PM ET
CARMONA: 9-1 Over away pitching off a team win
DAVIES: Kansas City 2-12 SU with a line of +125 to -125

NY YANKEES at DETROIT, 1:05 PM ET Game One
VAZQUEZ: 7-14 TSR in the first half of the season
PORCELLO: 5-1 TSR in May

PHILADELPHIA at COLORADO, 8:40 PM ET Game Two
MOYER: 7-2 TSR away with a total of 10 to 10.5 runs
HAMMEL: 8-2 Over vs. NL East opponents

** (TC) Denotes Time Change

[Udog]

NHL
Short Sheet


Wednesday, 5/12/2010

Eastern Conference Playoffs
Second Round, Game Six (Boston Leads, 3-2)
(TC) BOSTON at PHILADELPHIA, 8:05 PM ET
BOSTON: 7-2 SU away after allowing 4+ goals
PHILADELPHIA: 10-18 SU off a combined score of 4 goals or less

Eastern Conference Playoffs
Second Round, Game Seven (Series Tied, 3-3)
MONTREAL at PITTSBURGH, 7:05 PM ET VERSUS
MONTREAL: 9-2 Under away after scoring 4+ goals
PITTSBURGH: 30-8 SU at home off a loss

** (TC) Denotes Time Change

[Udog]

MLB


Wednesday, May 12

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

Atlanta Braves at Milwaukee Brewers [1:10 PM ET]

Braves: Atlanta will be looking to end their road trip on a high note by sweeping the Brewers. Atlanta has been terrible away from home this season, going 7-14. 2 of those 7 wins have come in Milwaukee, which proves just how rare the Braves road success has been this year. Atlanta is 6-6 in day games this season. The Braves have done well against losing teams this season, going 7-3 overall. The Braves are 10-11 against right handed pitchers this year, averaging 4.2 runs per game while batting only .231. P Derek Lowe will take the mound for Atlanta today, and he's struggled quite a bit this season. Lowe is 4-3 on the season, yet his numbers show he's been quite hittable. Lowe has an ERA of 6.16 and a WHIP of 1.658 this year. Lowe has had success against the Brewers in his career though, as he's 3-1 with a 3.25 ERA lifetime against them. The Braves are 1-7 in their last 8 games as a road underdog. Atlanta is 16-7 in Lowe's last 23 starts.

Braves are 10-3 last 13 road games vs. a team with a losing record.
Under is 5-0 last 5 games as an underdog of +110 to +150.

Key Injuries - 3B Chipper Jones (groin) is probable.

PROJECTED SCORE: 3

Brewers (-155, O/U 8.5): Milwaukee has lost both of their home games since coming back from an extended road trip. Surprisingly the Brewers are really struggling at home this year, going 4-10 overall. The Brewers offense has been incredibly streaky, as they either score double digits in runs or are held to 3 runs or less. Milwaukee is averaging nearly 6 runs per game against right handed pitchers this season. The Brewers are 5-8 this season in games played during the day. P Yovani Gallardo will take the ball for Milwaukee today. The Brewers always feel more confident with their ace on the mound, and Gallardo is the true definition of an ace. Gallardo is 4-2 with a 3.07 ERA this season, including 50 strikeouts in 41 innings pitched. The Brewers are 5-0 in Gallardo's last 5 home starts vs. a team with a losing record.

Brewers are 1-6 last 7 home games vs. a team with a losing record.
Over is 9-2 last 11 vs. a team with a losing record.

Key Injuries - LF Ryan Braun (elbow) is doubtful.
CF Carlos Gomez (shoulder) is probable.

PROJECTED SCORE: 4 (UNDER - Total of the Day)



Tampa Bay Rays at Anaheim Angels [7:05 PM ET]

Rays (-110, O/U 8): Tampa Bay snapped a rare losing streak, as they had lost 3 consecutive games until last night. The Rays took care of the Angels in easy fashion, tying up their series at 1-1. The rubber match is today, and it also happens to be the final game of a 9 game road trip. Tampa Bay has the best record in Baseball at 23-10. The Rays have proven with their early success that they are the most complete team in the majors. Tampa Bay has outstanding pitching, and a dynamic offense as well. The Rays had been slumping offensively before yesterday, as they had been held to 4 runs or fewer in 4 straight games. Left handed P David Price will take the ball for the Rays today. Price has been spectacular this season, going 4-1 with a 1.91 ERA and a WHIP of 0.992 this year. The Rays are 14-4 on the road this season. The Rays are 4-1 this season on the road with a money line of -100 to -125 this season.

Rays are 6-0 in their last 6 games as a road underdog.
Under is 7-1-1 in Rays last 9 games as a favorite.

Key Injuries - 1B Carlos Pena (rest) is questionable.

PROJECTED SCORE: 5 (Side of the Day)

Angels: Anaheim is really struggling, as they have lost 9 of their past 12 games entering today. Losing is something the Angels are unfamiliar with, as they've been a winning team for most of the past decade. This could be the year a team other than the Angels wins the AL West, considering the poor play of the Angels. The Angels have a losing record at home this season, going 9-10. The Angels are 4-6 against left handed starters this season, scoring only 3.2 runs per game when facing lefties this year. The Angels are 5-6 in day games this year, batting only .234 in the process. P Jered Weaver is pitching like the ace of this Angels staff, as he is 4-1 with a 2.66 ERA and a WHIP of 1.045 this year. Weaver has dominated the Rays in his career, as he is 3-0 lifetime against them. The Angels are 7-1 in Weavers last 8 starts as a favorite.

Angels are 20-6 in their last 26 games as a home underdog.
Over is 6-1 in Angels last 7 games a home underdog.

Key Injuries - SS Maicer Izturis (shoulder) is out.

PROJECTED SCORE: 3


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

[Udog]

Wednesday's six-pack

-- A's outlasted Texas 7-6 in 13 innings, despite blowing three saves in the game, their first three blown saves of the season. Teams are now in a tie for first place atop the AL West.

-- It was first time A's blew three saves in a game since August 17, 2000 when Oakland blew three saves in a game against Colorado.

-- Reliever Tyson Ross got the win, and also batted after Oakland lost its DH; he is first A's pitcher to bat in a non-interleague game since '95, when Todd Stottlemyre hit in a game against the Royals.

-- Johnny Cueto threw a one-hit shutout in front of 9,027 hardy souls in Pittsburgh.

-- Lot of day baseball games Wednesday, with pair of day/night doubleheaders because of rainouts in Detroit, Denver.

-- Epic tank job by the Cavaliers, losing pivotal Game 5 by 32 at home to Boston. Interesting to see how they come out for Game 6.


************************************************** ************************


Wednesday's List of 13: 13 of the greatest inventions ever......


13) Peach baskets-- A Canadian named Naismith nailed peach baskets to a post and basketball was born; decades later, who could have guessed that Naismith would be the only losing basketball coach in Kansas history?

12) Cellphones-- I'm giving Mel Brooks credit here; remember Get Smart, the old TV show? Maxwell Smart was a spy with a phone hidden in his shoe; in effect, the first cellphone, way back in the mid-60's.

11) Zamboni-- Who knew that ice resurfacers were born in Paramount, CA by a man named Frank Zamboni in 1949? Zambonis have become so popular that there is a band called The Zambonis. Buddy of mine had a work/study job at Plattsburgh State where he drove the Zamboni down to get blades sharpened- he said cars were always beeping, waving at him.

10) Calculators-- People are so dependent on them; once I was in Burger King when the computerized cash registers shut down- you would have thought nuclear holocaust had hit. No one had a clue what to do-- took a while to figure out all they needed to do was multiply by .07. Yikes.

9) Labor unions-- My day job is with New York State; the governor of this over-taxed state furloughed all of us one day a week today, so we're down 20% of our salary because the inept/corrupt politicians can't pass a budget for next fiscal year. Luckily, we have unions and they're going to sue the government and they're going to win, and I'm going to get repaid in full, plus interest. Labor unions prevent stronghand tactics by bullies.

8) NFL Sunday Ticket-- Quite possibly the greatest invention ever; you can sit in your living room and watch any NFL game you want. Problem is you need DirecTV to get the Sunday Ticket. Its debatable as to which is better, digital cable or DirecTV. If you like the NFL, its DirecTV.

7) Internet-- Thanks Al Gore, or whoever it is who actually did invent the internet. Its opened up a whole new world of knowledge, and allowed few nitwits like myself to be able to speak our minds whenever we like.

6) Whoever decided that the bases should be 90 feet apart was a genius. How they arrived at 60 feet, six inches is a puzzle, or that home plate is 17.5 inches wide. But 90 feet between the bases is just perfect.

5) Nerf balls-- How many lamps were saved because of these foam balls that are still great fun to play with? Nerf footballs are my favorite.

4) Four-color pens-- You've seen them; pens with blue barrel that have four different color refills in them. Terribly convenient, allows you to do a report with different colors without switching pens every ten seconds.

3) Silicone breast implants-- In 2007, there were 307,230 breast implants done in this country, so to whomever invented this procedure, the men of America say simply, thanks.

2) Pizza-- I hope the inventor of pizza got really rich. The greatest food ever, no doubt. People are passionate about which type of pizza they prefer-- I like the thinner type best, myself.

1) Remote controlled TV-- I'm old enough to remember a time when you had to get up to turn the channel; of course, back then there were only three or four channels too. Progress is a wonderful thing.

[Udog]

Len's Top 5

Happy Wednesday everyone, here's my Top 5 for May 12, 2010 from Len Berman.

1. Quick Hits

LeBron James and Cleveland come up small, their worst ever home playoff loss. Boston wins 120-88 to take a 3 games to 2 lead in their NBA playoff series.
Russian billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov has been approved by the NBA as the new owner of the New Jersey Nets. He says he plans to give Nets fans "plenty to cheer about."
The Chicago Blackhawks eliminate Vancouver in 6 games and advance to play San Jose in the Western Conference Finals in the Stanley Cup playoffs.
C'mon, get your priorities straight. A 3 game series scheduled for June in Toronto has been moved to Philadelphia because of security concerns. The G20 Summit will be taking place near the ballpark.
Oakland's perfect game pitcher Dallas Braden's Top 10 on Letterman last night (or at least 3 of the Top 10.)
Number 1. "Maybe I can give Kate Hudson a call."

2. Backsies

Interesting precedent. The AP is revoking the Defensive Rookie of the Year award that was won by Houston linebacker Brian Cushing. He failed a drug test. Does that mean that steroid users in baseball can have their home run records rescinded? How about OJ Simpson? Can he now be thrown out of the Hall of Fame? Can we go about revising sports history based on legal issues? Can't wait to hear from the lawyers among you. Just don't bill me for your time!

3. Political Football

One of my core beliefs, is that sports and politics don't mix. Just watch the people squirming in their seats when all the local politicos take their bows at championship sports parades. The other day, while unveiling a statue of Bobby Orr's iconic Stanley Cup winning goal, Boston Mayor Tom Menino talked about some of the great moments in Boston sports. "Havlicek stole the ball. Fisk waved the ball fair. Flutie launched the Hail Mary pass. Varitek split the uprights." Yup, Jason Varitek, the Red Sox catcher, kicked the winning field goal in the Super Bowl. And if I'm not mistaken, the Yankees won the 2004 World Series as well.

4. Sleepless in Seattle

Why didn't Ken Griffey, Jr. pinch hit last week for Seattle? He wasreportedly asleep in the clubhouse. He denies it. But interesting stuff goes on in locker rooms. Mets fans well remember Rickey Henderson playing cards during a playoff game. Then there was pitcher Nuke LaLoosh and the groupie in Bull Durham. By comparison, Griffey catching a few Z's is ho hum.

5. It's Not Over Til It's Over

The other day my Mom was telling me that Dublin has had a Jewish mayor. So of course I quoted Yogi Berra. When Yogi heard that the mayor of Dublin was Jewish he said, "Only in America." Too bad Yogi hasn't gotten royalties over the years every time he's quoted. He has to be unique. Not only a world champion a record 10 times over, but genuinely beloved. In this era of sports criminals, you've never heard a bad word about Yogi personally or professionally....ever! I would always end my interviews with Yogi the same way. "Hey Yogi, it's not over til it's over? Well, this interview is over." He would laugh every time as if he had never heard my dumb joke before. Happy 85th birthday Yogi. You're the best!

Happy Birthday: The one and only Yogi Berra. 85.
Bonus Birthday: American Pie actor Jason Biggs. 32.

Today in Sports: There were only 7 no-hitters in the National League in the 50's, 2 of them by Oisk. Carl Erskine of the Dodgers pitches his 2nd no-hitter against the Giants. 1956.
Bonus Event: Mick Jagger married Bianca. She later said "My marriage ended on my wedding day." It officially ended 7 years later. 1971.