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**Kaptain** · 09-03-2010, 05:45 PM

we're totaly opposite on FB side and total today Bum....gl to ya podna......lock and load

**StarDust Bum** · 09-03-2010, 06:47 PM

Good Luck Kapt......one of will beat the man.....

**StarDust Bum** · 09-03-2010, 06:48 PM

Reds offer value in showdown with Cardinals

The Cardinals have their top three pitchers going in a series that marks their last hope to gain serious ground in the NL Central. Cincinnati enters Friday with an 8-game lead on St. Louis, having gained four games in four days. The Reds are 14-4 in their last 18 games, while the Cards are coming off a dreadful 2-8 road trip against some of the worst teams in the NL -- Pittsburgh, Washington and Houston.
Oddsmakers will expect the Cards to sweep and get back in the Central race with their big three of Jaime Garcia, Adam Wainwright and Chris Carpenter. This trio has a combined 43-20 record and will all be heavily favored against the Reds’ trio of Bronson Arroyo, Travis Wood and Homer Bailey.

The FoxSheets are siding with the Reds to defeat the staggering Cards for Friday night’s game: Play Against - Home teams with a money line of -100 to -150 (ST LOUIS) - after being swept on the road in a 3 game series by a division rival, with a winning percentage of between 45-55% on the season. (32-14 since 1997.) (69.6%, +24.1 units. Rating = 3*).

This stat gives enough reason to pick the Reds for the entire weekend. Play On - All underdogs with a money line of +100 or higher (CINCINNATI) - with a winning record on the season, in September games. (265-237 over the last 5 seasons.) (52.8%, +100.2 units. Rating = 3*).

**StarDust Bum** · 09-03-2010, 06:50 PM

Arizona at Toledo

Arizona head coach Mike Stoops went into the 2008 campaign on the hot seat. In his first five years of a major rebuilding project, the Wildcats had yet to taste a bowl bid.

Fast forward to the present and Stoops has job security after taking his program to back-to-back bowl games. Not only that, but he has his best chance to send Arizona to the Rose Bowl for the first time in school history. That’s right, the Wildcats are the only Pac-10 program that’s never been to Pasadena.

With Oregon’s problems at the quarterback position and USC out of the Rose Bowl mix, there’s no doubt that the Pac-10 is wide open and right there for the taking.

Stoops and Co. open the 2010 campaign on the road Friday night at The Glass Bowl, facing Toledo from out of the Mid-American Conference. As of early Thursday morning, most books had Arizona favored by 16 with a total of 60 or 60 ½. Not all betting shops are offering money-line prices, but the ones that are have the Rockets available to win outright for a plus-600 return (risk $100 to win $600).

Arizona returns eight starters on offense and four on defense. The Wildcats finished 8-5 straight up and 6-5-1 against the spread in 2009, but they were clubbed 33-0 by Nebraska at the Holiday Bowl.

Junior quarterback Nick Foles, a transfer from Michigan St., turned out to be a serious find as the replacement for Arizona’s all-time leading passer, Willie Tuitama. Foles posted a 19/9 touchdown-to-interception ratio in the first 10 starts of his career.

Foles is one of eight starters returning on offense, including just about all of his skill players with the exception of WR Delashaun Dean, who has transferred after making 42 catches in 2009. But Juron Criner (45 receptions for 582 yards and nine TDs) and David Roberts (43 catches) are back, in addition to William ‘Bug’ Wright (23 catches).

The backfield has plenty of experience as well. Nic Grigsby will be the featured back after he missed five games last year with an injury. Grigsby was averaging 7.2 yards per carry before getting banged up in ’09. In 21 career starts, he has netted 1,857 rushing yards. Keola Antolin will get his share of touches behind Grigsby, too. Antolin rushed for more than 600 yards and had four TDs last season.

If Stoops has a concern about this team, it’s on the defensive side of the ball. However, we should note that defense is his area of coaching expertise. But this until returns just four starters and will be without eight of its 11 leading tacklers from last year.

Tim Beckman’s first team at Toledo went 5-7 both SU and ATS, losing four of their last five games both SU and ATS. As a home underdog on Beckman’s watch, the Rockets twice won outright against Colorado and Northern Illinois.

Toledo bring back six starters on each side of the ball. QB Aaron Opelt has run out of eligibility and sophomore Austin Dantin beat out Alex Pettee for the starting job in August.

Dantin made three starts as a true freshman, completing 79-of-119 attempts (66.4%) for 962 yards with four touchdown passes and four interceptions. He is a product of Tallahassee Leon High School, the same program that produced former NFL players like Tony Lomack, Brad Culpepper, Terry Mickens, Clifford Charlton and Tamarick Vanover.

Dantin might have the best WR in the MAC in Eric Page, a sophomore who had more receptions and receiving yards that any other freshman wideout last season. Page hauled in 82 receptions for 1,159 yards and seven touchdowns.

Morgan Williams will get the bulk of the work on the ground for Toledo. Williams was a third-team All-MAC selection as a redshirt freshman in ’08, rushing for more than 1,000 yards and averaging 6.0 YPC. However, injuries slowed him down last year when he got just a pair of starts and 74 carries. Williams is hoping to return to the form he showed in ’08.

The ‘under’ cashed at a 6-1 clip for Arizona in its last seven of games of last season.

Arizona has only been a road favorite seven times in Stoops’ six previous years on the job. The Wildcats are 2-4-1 ATS in those seven situations.

ESPN will provide television coverage at 8:00 p.m. Eastern.

**B.E.’s Bonus Nuggets**

--After this season-opening road game at Toledo, Arizona won’t go on the road again until an Oct. 16 trip to Washington St. The Wildcats have four straight home games against The Citadel, Iowa, California and Oregon St., not to mention an open date on Oct. 2.

--Toledo cornerback Daxton Swanson enjoyed an excellent freshman year last season, making 31 tackles and leading the team in passes broken up with seven. However, after off-season shoulder surgery, Swanson didn’t report to training camp and will apparently transfer to another school.

--Toledo has thrived when hosting BCS schools since 2001. In fact, the Rockets have won five of six games outright with the lone loss coming to Purdue in 2007. They demolished Colorado by a 54-38 count on ESPN in a Friday game last year that wasn’t nearly as close as the final score indicated. They also knocked off Kansas in double overtime back in ’06. I remember because I was on the Jayhawks plus 4 ½, only to suffer a chafe loss after a pair of extra sessions.

--UNC finally announced the suspensions of 12 players, including seven starters, for Saturday night's showdown against LSU at the Ga. Dome in Atlanta. Many books had re-posted the number yesterday with the Tigers favored by 6 1/2 and a total of 42. Following the announcement Friday morning, most books adjusted to 7 1/2 with the total at eight 43 1/2 or 44.

**StarDust Bum** · 09-03-2010, 06:51 PM

Betting Moves

The first week of betting College Football games didn’t have the same impact that a normal week has with the sports books. For the most part, all the action on the games have already been done because the opening week lines have been out for over a month now with some places like the Golden Nugget having lines up for key games since April.

Only three games saw significant action over the course of the last week with Clemson being the biggest mover from an opener this week of 23 ½-points to 26 ½. Because Clemson is playing North Texas and it’s an added board game, there hasn’t been much interest other than from a few sharp plays at lower limits.

The M Resort and Spa saw some action on Connecticut taking 3-points at the big house of Michigan. The consensus around town is that most places have seen small action on Michigan which has added up to be large enough to offset any large money on U-Conn. The M currently sits at Michigan as a 2 ½-point favorite.

One of the moves that occurred a month ago that has lost some steam is Nebraska on the added board that shot the line up from Nebraska being a 35 ½-point favorite to 38 against Western Kentucky. As of Thursday night, there had been no buy back on plus money at the higher number.

Anytime there’s a movement on games involving MAC teams, you should always take notice. The Akron Zips have got some sharp play in their home opener against Syracuse getting 9-points dropping the line to Syracuse -7 ½. With no historical records to go by, but just commentating on past line movements I have seen, whenever a MAC team has a line move, it seems more times than not that the side that moves gets there thanks to some friendly reporting information betting syndicates get from the Ohio-Kentucky region.

UCLA opened as a slight road favorite at Kansas State when the initial lines came out, but upon news of starting quarterback Kevin Prince possibly not playing, the line moved to Kansas State being a 2-point favorite. Over the last two days, news has come out that Prince has been practicing at full speed for the Bruins which has gotten some money their way. Currently, Kansas State is a 1 ½-point favorite.

In other good match-ups, TCU has moved from a 12 ½-point favorite over Oregon State to 13 ½ while Oklahoma State has moved up to 17-point favorites from 15 ½. Alabama, without Mark Ingram, has dropped a point and a half from the opener of -39 against San Jose State.

The big air move of the week has been LSU jumping to a 6 ½-point favorite over North Carolina amid all the suspensions from the UNC side. The game had been basically a pick ’em from the start prior to the announcements. No serious action has come either way since as some Las Vegas sports books still have the game in a circle with limited action being taken.

The two new quarterbacks at the powerhouses of Texas and Florida have seen the public shift their lines up a full point from their openers. It doesn’t take much to move a line once the game is past 20 points, but the sheer volume on those sides from small money has dictated moves. Las Vegas odds-maker Kenny White said earlier this week that Florida’s new quarterback John Brantley has the strongest arm in college football and that the Gators could even be better this year than they were last year with Tim Tebow which is pretty strong praise

**StarDust Bum** · 09-03-2010, 06:52 PM

Diamond Trends - Friday

Angels at Athletics – The Angels are 0-6 since July 02, 2010 after a win and it is the first game of the series for a net profit of $705 when playing against. The Athletics are 7-0 since April 15, 2010 as a favorite after a loss in which they were shut out in the last 6 innings for a net profit of $700. The Athletics are 6-0 since August 31, 2009 when Gio Gonzalez starts as a favorite vs a team that lost their starters last two starts for a net profit of $600.

Reds at Cardinals – The Reds are 8-0 since August 01, 2010 when they are off a win in which they came back from a deficit for a net profit of $810. The Reds are 8-0 since August 13, 2009 when Bronson Arroyo starts after his team scored a total of fewer than three runs in his last start for a net profit of $910. The Reds are 0-6 since July 08, 2010 after a win in which they allowed 1 or fewer walks for a net profit of $730 when playing against.

Mets at Cubs – The Mets are 6-0 since May 30, 2010 when R.A. Dickey starts within 20 cents of pickem after throwing more than 100 pitches and they won in his previous start for a net profit of $630. The Mets are 0-6 since April 18, 2010 on the road after a win in which they used 5+ pitchers for a net profit of $620 when playing against. The Cubs are 0-12 since May 28, 2010 after a win and it is the first game of the series for a net profit of $1355 when playing against.

Astros at Diamondbacks – The Diamondbacks are 0-7 since April 13, 2010 after a win in which they left fewer than 10 men on base for a net profit of $715 when playing against.

Giants at Dodgers – The Giants are 7-0 since May 28, 2010 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 $740. The Dodgers are 0-5 since July 20, 2010 as a favorite when they lost the last time they faced this starting pitcher for a net profit of $565 when playing against.

Indians at Mariners – The Indians are 0-8 since May 13, 2010 as a road dog vs a team that has lost at least their last two games for a net profit of $800 when playing against. The Indians are 0-7 since September 09, 2009 when Fausto Carmona starts as a dog after the team lost his last two starts for a net profit of $700 when playing against. The Mariners are 0-7 since April 12, 2010 as a home favorite after allowing 6+ runs for a net profit of $795 when playing against.

Braves at Marlins – The Braves are 0-8 since April 11, 2010 when Kenshin Kawakami starts on the road for a net profit of $825 when playing against. The Braves are 6-0 since April 30, 2010 as a favorite 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. The Marlins are 7-0 since May 02, 2010 at home after a win in which they allowed 1 or fewer walks for a net profit of $710.

Rays at Orioles – The Rays are 8-0 since May 04, 2010 after scoring 3 runs or less and winning as a favorite for a net profit of $800. The Rays are 0-6 since May 26, 2009 when Matt Garza starts as a road favorite after the team won his last two starts for a net profit of $790 when playing against. The Orioles are 5-0 since August 03, 2010 at home and it is the first game of the series for a net profit of $640.

Rockies at Padres – The Rockies are 0-9 since May 19, 2010 on the road vs a team that has lost at least their last two games for a net profit of $900 when playing against.

Brewers at Phillies – The Brewers are 6-0 since April 20, 2010 vs a team that has won at least their last three games and it is the first game of a series for a net profit of $730. The Phillies are 10-0 since April 05, 2010 as a 200+ favorite and it is the first game of the series for a net profit of $1000.

Nationals at Pirates – The Nationals are 0-6 since September 16, 2009 when Livan Hernandez starts on the road after his team won the last time he started for a net profit of $620 when playing against. The Pirates are 0-10 since July 10, 2009 when Zach Duke starts as a dog after losing as an away dog in his last start for a net profit of $1000 when playing against.

White Sox at Red Sox– The White Sox are 6-0 since June 11, 2010 as a dog after a win and it is the first game of the series for a net profit of $700. The Red Sox are 8-0 since May 03, 2010 when Clay Buchholz starts as a home favorite for a net profit of $800.

Tigers at Royals – The Tigers are 0-8 since April 23, 2010 within 20 cents of pickem when they came back from a deficit to win in their starter's last start for a net profit of $810 when playing against. The Royals are 6-0 since June 25, 2010 at home when they lost by one run in their starter's last start for a net profit of $720.

Angels at Athletics – The Angels are 0-6 since July 02, 2010 after a win and it is the first game of the series for a net profit of $705 when playing against. The Athletics are 7-0 since April 15, 2010 as a favorite after a loss in which they were shut out in the last 6 innings for a net profit of $700. The Athletics are 6-0 since August 31, 2009 when Gio Gonzalez starts as a favorite vs a team that lost their starters last two starts for a net profit of $600.

Reds at Cardinals – The Reds are 8-0 since August 01, 2010 when they are off a win in which they came back from a deficit for a net profit of $810. The Reds are 8-0 since August 13, 2009 when Bronson Arroyo starts after his team scored a total of fewer than three runs in his last start for a net profit of $910. The Reds are 0-6 since July 08, 2010 after a win in which they allowed 1 or fewer walks for a net profit of $730 when playing against.

Mets at Cubs – The Mets are 6-0 since May 30, 2010 when R.A. Dickey starts within 20 cents of pickem after throwing more than 100 pitches and they won in his previous start for a net profit of $630. The Mets are 0-6 since April 18, 2010 on the road after a win in which they used 5+ pitchers for a net profit of $620 when playing against. The Cubs are 0-12 since May 28, 2010 after a win and it is the first game of the series for a net profit of $1355 when playing against.

Astros at Diamondbacks – The Diamondbacks are 0-7 since April 13, 2010 after a win in which they left fewer than 10 men on base for a net profit of $715 when playing against.

Giants at Dodgers – The Giants are 7-0 since May 28, 2010 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 $740. The Dodgers are 0-5 since July 20, 2010 as a favorite when they lost the last time they faced this starting pitcher for a net profit of $565 when playing against.

Indians at Mariners – The Indians are 0-8 since May 13, 2010 as a road dog vs a team that has lost at least their last two games for a net profit of $800 when playing against. The Indians are 0-7 since September 09, 2009 when Fausto Carmona starts as a dog after the team lost his last two starts for a net profit of $700 when playing against. The Mariners are 0-7 since April 12, 2010 as a home favorite after allowing 6+ runs for a net profit of $795 when playing against.

Braves at Marlins – The Braves are 0-8 since April 11, 2010 when Kenshin Kawakami starts on the road for a net profit of $825 when playing against. The Braves are 6-0 since April 30, 2010 as a favorite 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. The Marlins are 7-0 since May 02, 2010 at home after a win in which they allowed 1 or fewer walks for a net profit of $710.

Rays at Orioles – The Rays are 8-0 since May 04, 2010 after scoring 3 runs or less and winning as a favorite for a net profit of $800. The Rays are 0-6 since May 26, 2009 when Matt Garza starts as a road favorite after the team won his last two starts for a net profit of $790 when playing against. The Orioles are 5-0 since August 03, 2010 at home and it is the first game of the series for a net profit of $640.

Rockies at Padres – The Rockies are 0-9 since May 19, 2010 on the road vs a team that has lost at least their last two games for a net profit of $900 when playing against.

Brewers at Phillies – The Brewers are 6-0 since April 20, 2010 vs a team that has won at least their last three games and it is the first game of a series for a net profit of $730. The Phillies are 10-0 since April 05, 2010 as a 200+ favorite and it is the first game of the series for a net profit of $1000.

Nationals at Pirates – The Nationals are 0-6 since September 16, 2009 when Livan Hernandez starts on the road after his team won the last time he started for a net profit of $620 when playing against. The Pirates are 0-10 since July 10, 2009 when Zach Duke starts as a dog after losing as an away dog in his last start for a net profit of $1000 when playing against.

White Sox at Red Sox – The White Sox are 6-0 since June 11, 2010 as a dog after a win and it is the first game of the series for a net profit of $700. The Red Sox are 8-0 since May 03, 2010 when Clay Buchholz starts as a home favorite for a net profit of $800.

Tigers at Royals – The Tigers are 0-8 since April 23, 2010 within 20 cents of pickem when they came back from a deficit to win in their starter's last start for a net profit of $810 when playing against. The Royals are 6-0 since June 25, 2010 at home when they lost by one run in their starter's last start for a net profit of $720.

Rangers at Twins – The Rangers are 14-0 since May 02, 2010 after a win in which they allowed 5+ walks for a net profit of $1490. The Rangers are 0-6 since June 14, 2009 when Derek Holland starts as a dog when he is off a start in which he needed more than 4 pitches per batter for a net profit of $600 when playing against.

Blue Jays at Yankees – The Blue Jays are 0-9 since April 25, 2010 as a road dog when they are off a loss in which they held the lead for a net profit of $900 when playing against.

**StarDust Bum** · 09-03-2010, 06:53 PM

Friday Tips

The first Friday of September provides baseball bettors with a full card of games, including three key contests out west. The Angels and A's are fighting it out for second place in the AL West, while the Giants and Dodgers renew acquaintances in Los Angeles. We'll start in Southern California with the Rockies looking to keep the Padres in a slump at Petco Park.

Rockies at Padres - 10:05 PM EST

Colorado's offense dried up when it traveled to San Francisco, scoring just five runs in a series loss to the Giants. The Rockies' woes at the plate don't compare to San Diego's problems in general, as the Padres have lost seven straight games. Bud Black's squad was on a 13-3 run before dropping seven in a row, including four games to the last-place Diamondbacks.

The Padres will look to end their struggles with a rookie on the mound. Cory Luebke makes his Major League debut, as the former Ohio State Buckeye compiled a 5-0 mark with an ERA of 2.97 at Triple-A Portland. The Rockies are 1-4 in their last five road games against left-handed starting pitchers, while scoring just four runs combined those contests.

Aaron Cook (4-8, 5.31 ERA) returns to the Rockies' rotation for the first time in nearly a month after suffering a right toe injury on August 3. In that horrendous start against the Giants, Cook allowed five earned runs in three innings, the third straight outing the right-hander had given up five runs. Pitching away from Coors Field has turned the Rockies into an automatic 'fade' with Cook on the mound, as Colorado owns a 3-8 mark in his 11 road starts. However, that mindset does change a bit when Cook pitches in San Diego, as the Rockies are 3-1 in his previous four trips to the mound at Petco Park.

Colorado owns an 8-4 mark against San Diego this season, including a 4-2 record at Petco Park. The 'over' has profited nicely in Southern California, hitting in five of the six matchups.

Angels at Athletics - 10:05 PM EST

Two teams that are just looking to finish above .500 and second in the AL West begin a three-game set in Oakland. The Halos bounced back from an ugly three-game sweep at home by the Orioles to take two of three at Seattle. The A's return to the East Bay after finishing their road trip at 4-6, topped off by four consecutive losses to the Yankees.

Gio Gonzalez (12-8, 3.23 ERA) has been one of the nice surprises in this Oakland rotation, owning a 6-3 record at home. Gonzalez shut down the Rangers in his last outing, cashing as a $1.35 road underdog in an 8-2 victory. The A's southpaw has delivered five straight quality outings, including home wins over Texas and Toronto in this span. Gonzalez beat the Angels in Anaheim back in April, scattering six hits and two earned runs in six innings of a 10-4 drubbing.

The Angels send out the struggling Scott Kazmir (8-12, 6.34 ERA), who is winless in his last four trips to the mound. The former Rays' lefty has allowed 13 earned runs in those four defeats, including home setbacks to Tampa Bay, Baltimore, and Toronto. Kazmir has two contrasting starts at the Oakland Coliseum this season, looking like a different pitcher in each one. The southpaw gave up five hits and one earned run in 6.1 innings of a 4-2 victory on June 7. Things were dramatically different in his next trip to the Bay a month later, allowing 11 hits and 13 earned runs in five innings of a 15-1 whipping by the A's.

This series has been nearly even this season, with the Angels going 7-6 in the first 13 meetings. However, the Halos have won just one of four series against the A's, including a series loss at the Coliseum in mid-July. Oakland owns a subpar 16-27 mark in series openers, as the A's are 7-14 in this situation at home.

Giants at Dodgers - 10:10 PM EST

Now that the Manny Ramirez era is done in Los Angeles, the Dodgers try to pick up the pieces for a lost season against their arch-rivals from San Francisco. The Giants bounced back from a late meltdown in a series opening loss to the Rockies by grabbing the final two games. San Francisco trails Philadelphia by 1 ½ games in the NL Wild Card race, as the Giants play their next 10 games on the road.

Barry Zito (8-10, 4.07 ERA) has tapered off a bit following a strong start to the season, losing each of his last three outings. The former Cy Young Award winner hasn't lasted past the fifth inning in three straight defeats, while allowing 14 runs (12 earned) and 13 hits in lob-sided setbacks to the D-Backs and Cardinals. Zito has been involved in four low-scoring contests against the Dodgers, as the Giants are 1-3 versus their division rivals. However, the San Francisco southpaw has given up six earned runs in those four starts, but the Giants plated only five runs in support of Zito.

The Dodgers send out Chad Billingsley (10-8, 3.73 ERA), who was on the winning side of two of those three starts opposite Zito this season. Billingsley has put together quality starts in seven of his last eight trips to the mound, but Los Angeles is 1-5 in his previous six starts. The 'under' is extremely profitable in this quality start stretch for Billingsley, going on a 6-1-1 run. Only four of Billingsley's last 12 outings have come at Chavez Ravine, with the Dodgers owning a 3-1 mark.

The rivals have split 12 meetings this season, as the Giants evened the score with a three-game sweep at AT&T Park in late July. Six of Los Angeles' last eight home series openers have finished 'under' the total, including three shutouts by the Dodgers.

**StarDust Bum** · 09-03-2010, 06:55 PM

Pitchers Report - September

Like our waistlines after a finger good lickin’ Labor Day barbeque, MLB rosters have expanded to accommodate the final month of the season. And as College Football and the NFL barge onto the scene, MLB pitchers take the final spotlight in hopes of leading their teams on to the playoff trail. Which ones can we count on and which ones figure to belly up? Check it out.

Listed below are hurlers that have enjoyed a two-to-one or better success ratio in team starts the last three seasons during the month of September. On the flip side, we’ve also listed pitchers that struggle in September team starts, winning 33% percent or less of their efforts. To qualify pitchers must have made a minimum of 10 starts, with at least one start each September over the last three years. Enjoy…

GOOD MONTH PITCHERS:

Blanton, Joe 10-5
It’s not so much Blanton is incredibly effective in the last month of the season, instead it is more of a function of the right-hander keeping his team in the game, especially with Philadelphia finding a way to win in the late innings. To his credit Blanton has lowered ERA 1.25 in last 10 starts.

Correia, Kevin 8-3
The San Diego hurler has been among the better pitchers in the National League since the All-Star break. Mostly a journeyman in his career, when his pitching coach or the catcher see his slumping shoulders, they get on him to stand taller, which increases his velocity and movement on his pitches, making Correia more effective.

Greinke, Zack 10-5
Not as dominate this season, lacking the late movement on fastball which led to more strikeouts, last year’s AL Cy Young winner could still create havoc, with Kansas City having 14 games against playoff contenders this month, providing Grienke and Royals to be in spoiler role.

Johnson, Josh 7-3
The 6’7 righty is closing in on career high in innings pitched and still could tie or better previous total of season wins (15) and exceed previous high marks in ERA and WHIP with a typical strong finish.

Jurrjens, Jair 10-3
This sturdily built right-hander has been pitching better month by month since coming off the DL in late June. If he throws like usual this September, Atlanta could hold off Philadelphia and win the division.

Lester, Jon 12-3
The talented left-hander has been a big game pitcher late in the season and in the playoffs and is one of the best home field hurlers in baseball and will look to extend his dominance yet again.

Lilly, Ted 11-5
This is Lilly’s sixth stop in his career and he is making a case for hanging around L.A. with how well he’s pitched in Dodgers uniform. He’s on pace to have career lows in batting average allowed and WHIP, with the former occurring in 2002, ironically the last time he was traded in-season.

Padilla, Vicente 9-3
Most baseball fans and sports bettors for that matter wouldn’t list Padilla as a clutch pitcher, yet late in the season, this Nicaraguan continues to come up big.

Rodriguez, Wandy 8-4
For a solid portion of last year, Rodriquez was arguably the best LH chucker in the National League. After a very slow 2010 beginning, Rodriguez has scouts talking again about his command and averaging over a strikeout per inning in past 10 starts. Houston might be going nowhere, but Wandy’s stock is rising again.

Sabathia, C.C. 14-2
Try this, Google “late season clutch MLB pitchers” and guaranteed Sabathia’s name will be at the top of the first page. Off being the first pitcher in 41 years to win five or more games in August three years in a row, the left-hander wants the ball in the big games and is on track for best year of a very solid career.

Saunders, Joe 10-5
Not certain if this lefty will be able to match previous numbers pitching for Arizona club, but has bulldog mentality in the clutch.

BAD MONTH PITCHERS:

Cain, Matt 5-10
San Francisco is losing ground to San Diego and in the wild card chase and cannot afford another mediocre month from Cain when it matters most.

Duke, Zach 3-8
A near fixture on this list month after month. If Duke were right-handed, he would be in the minor leagues since opposing teams have hit over .300 against him in his career.

Garza, Matt 5-10
Strictly a matter of maintaining focus and not letting emotions overcome him, as Garza has the ability to be a big winner. Fastball command will leave him and tries to steer pitches to correct accuracy and heater straightens out, making him more hittable.

Lincecum, Tim 4-9
It’s not like the two-time Cy Young winner is having a season like Tiger Woods, but with slight build and losing MPH on fastball this year, Lincecum is not noted finisher late in the year. Questions abound about his long term future.

Maholm, Paul 3-7
Another Pirates lefty that would lucky to break glass with his fastball. What makes Maholm better than Duke is plus changeup he can work in or out on right-hand hitters. Nevertheless, has to be near perfect most of the time and pitching for Pittsburgh further narrows margin of error.

**jt4545** · 09-03-2010, 07:01 PM

Good luck bum

**st bobby** · 09-03-2010, 07:51 PM

gl bum. I want to thank you for your info posted on the preseason. I made some good money using that info!!

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