All you need to know nlcs+alcs + my best bets !

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Rangers favored in Game 3 behind Cliff Lee

Neither the Texas Rangers nor the New York Yankees can be too happy with the position they are in heading into Monday night’s ALCS Game 3 matchup at Yankee Stadium.

Except for one bad inning, the Rangers have out-played the Yankees yet could only manage a split in two home games.

The Yankees were hoping to have a 2-0 lead facing Cliff Lee instead of being tied 1-1 after losing Game 2. That loss ended New York’s 10-game postseason winning streak versus the Rangers.

Now the Yankees have to deal with Lee, who has been dominating during playoff competition.

The 32-year-old left-hander beat Tampa Bay twice – both by 5-1 scores – during Texas’ first-round series. Lee held the Rays to a combined two earned runs in 16 hits giving up 11 hits with 21 strikeouts and zero walks.

Lee was 4-0 last year in the postseason for the Philadelphia Phillies. He beat the Yankees 6-1 in Game 1 of last year’s World Series not allowing an earned run. He also won Game 5 against New York.

In eight starts against the Yankees, including postseason, Lee is 4-0 with a 1.16 ERA. So it’s not a huge surprise that Lee opened a 115 road favorite against Andy Pettitte with the ‘over/under’ at 7 ½.

This is the first time New York is an MLB money line ‘dog in the postseason. The Yankees have failed to win the past five times they’ve been underdogs since Sept. 15. They are 1-8 the last nine times they haven’t been favored.

Pettitte was 11-3 with a 3.28 ERA during the regular season. The 38-year-old southpaw missed two months due to a groin injury, being sidelined from July 19 to Sept. 19.

He pitched seven strong innings to help New York to a 5-2 victory against Minnesota during its three-game sweep of the Twins in the first-round. This was a huge outing for Pettitte since he hadn’t gone more than four innings since coming off the disabled list.

Pettitte threw 88 pitches against the Twins, while giving up five hits and one walk with four strikeouts. Pettitte did have better numbers on the road, though, going 5-0 with a 2.56 ERA compared to 7-3 at Yankee Stadium with a 3.89 ERA. He also is 4-6 at night with a 4.03 ERA, while during the day he was 8-0 with a 2.64 ERA. Game time is 5 p.m. (PT) with TBS televising.

Lee was 12-9 with a 3.18 EA during the regular season splitting time between Seattle and Texas. He led the league in WHIP with a 1.00 mark concluding the regular season with a phenomenal 185 strikeouts and only 18 walks. Factoring in his two playoff starts against Tampa Bay and Lee’s strikeout-to-walk ratio is a mind-boggling 206-to-18.

"Cliff Lee doesn't beat himself. And he's going to throw a lot of strikes," Yankees manager Joe Girardi was quoted as saying. "The guy that's getting lost in this is Andy Pettitte, and he's pretty good."

Pettitte, of course, is backed by closer Mariano Rivera, who holds the major league record of 42 postseason saves, including one in the Yankees’ 6-5 Game 1 victory this past Friday night.

Lee figures to get tested by Derek Jeter, who has reached base safely in 12 consecutive postseason games, including 22 of his past 23 playoff games.

The ‘over’ is 6-2-1 in the Yankees’ last nine games. The ‘under’ has cashed the past four times Lee has taken the mound.

The weather report for Monday night’s game is cloudy with temperatures in the 50s and a six mph wind blowing west.

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Giants underdogs at home against Phillies


It’s a nice luxury for the San Francisco Giants to have Matt Cain going in Game 3 on Tuesday afternoon against Philadelphia in the National League Championship Series. The problem for the Giants is Cain has to face Cole Hamels and the team hasn’t been scoring nearly enough runs.

San Francisco is averaging 2.6 runs in six playoff games this season. The Giants have yet to score more than four runs in a postseason game.

Going back to their last 13 games, the Giants are averaging a meager three runs per contest.

Now the Giants draw Hamels for the 1 p.m. (PT) start with FOX televising. The left-hander had a strong second half allowing one earned run or none 11 times since July 11. Hamels proved himself in the clutch two years ago when he won MVP honors in both the NLCS and World Series.

MLB odds opened with the Phillies and Hamels 115 road favorites with the 'over/under' at 6 ½.

The Giants, though, are very much in this series having split the first two games in Philadelphia. They are 7-2 in Cain’s past nine home starts. They also have beaten Philadelphia four of the past five times in San Francisco.

San Francisco has proven resilient all season, going 24-9 the past 33 times following a loss.

Until scoring six runs in their Game 2 victory, the Phillies hadn’t been displaying much offense either during the postseason. Philadelphia scored 16 runs in its first five playoff contests, seven of which came in a game when the Reds committed four errors, batting just .212 during this span.

Cain is 13-11 with a 3.14 ERA. He was 8-4 at AT&T Park this season with a 2.93 ERA in 16 home starts. The 26-year-old right-hander was 4-4 in day contests with a 3.00 ERA.

Outfielder Cody Ross is one of the few Giants hitting smacking three home runs during the first two games of this series. All three homers, though, have been solo.

The Giants may not have infielder Juan Uribe. He was scratched from Game 2 due to a wrist contusion.

Hamels was sharp in his lone playoff start this season throwing a complete-game, five-hit shutout against the Reds beating Johnny Cueto, 2-0, as a 130 road favorite. Hamels struck out nine and didn’t walk a batter.

On the season, Hamels is 12-11 with a 3.06 ERA. He finished sixth in the National League in strikeouts with 211. Hamels was 6-6 with a 3.02 ERA in road games.

Hamels, though, struggled in two starts versus the Giants going 0-1 with a 7.36 ERA giving up 16 hits in 11 innings. Hamels is 5-3 in day contests with a 3.34 ERA.

Philadelphia has won 22 of its last 31 playoff games. The Phillies are 22-5 in their last 27 road contests. They have won in six of Hamels’ past eight road outings.

The Phillies got a nice lift in Game 2 from shortstop Jimmy Rollins, who went 2-for-3 with four runs batted in. Rollins was in a 1-for-15 postseason slump until that performance.

The Phillies are 12-4-2 to the ‘over’ in their last 18 postseason games. The ‘under,’ though, has cashed in 21 of Hamels’ past 28 starts.

The ‘under’ is 9-3-1 in San Francisco’s past 13 games. The ‘under’ has cashed in 13 of San Francisco’s last 17 games at AT&T Park. The ‘over,’ however, has cashed in eight of Cain’s last 11 starts and is 4-1-1 the last six times the two teams have met.

Ted Barrett is slated to be the home plate umpire. The home team is 42-18 the past 60 times Barrett has been behind the plate.

The forecast is for clear skies with temperatures in the 60s and the wind blowing out to right field at seven mph.

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Playoff Record:

18-19-3 48.65% -930

Tuesday, October 19Game Score Status Pick Amount

Philadelphia 0 Top 1 Philadelphia -110 500 San Francisco 0 Over 6.5 500


Good Luck !

[bryce]

Good luck Stardust!

[StarDust Bum]

Tuesday, October 19Game Score Status Pick Amount

Texas - 8:00 PM ET Texas +148 500
NY Yankees - Under 9.5 500

[poskid]

BOL Bum...

PK

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Burnett tries to even ALCS at 2-2

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TEXAS RANGERS
at NEW YORK YANKEES

ALCS Game 4, Texas leads series 2-1
Tuesday, 8:05 p.m. EDT, Line: New York -145, Texas +135 Total: 9.5

After being shut down by Cliff Lee on Monday, the Yankees rest their Game 4 hopes on the shoulders of A.J. Burnett (10-15, 5.26 ERA). Tommy Hunter will get the start for Texas (13-4, 3.73 ERA).

Burnett’s disappointing season has been well documented. The right-hander has struggled with his control for the better part of the 2010 season and was left out of the ALDS rotation. As a result, Burnett hasn’t pitched since October 2. His last three starts of the regular season were ones to forget, as he went 0-2 with a 7.94 ERA. The Yankees have lost five of Burnett’s past six starts and went 13-20 (.394) in games he started this year. He’s pitched fairly well in his career against Texas, going 4-2 with a 3.45 ERA in 11 starts. In 2010, he went 1-0 with a 2.50 ERA in three starts against the Rangers.

Hunter comes into the matchup after taking the loss in Game 4 of the ALDS against Tampa Bay. He went four innings and allowed three runs (two earned) on six hits while striking out seven. Hunter started the season on fire, winning his first nine decisions before finishing out 4-4. Texas has dropped three of his last four starts. Hunter faced the Yankees only once this year, a September 11 matchup against Burnett in Arlington. Hunter gave up two runs over five innings as the Rangers prevailed 7-6.

The FoxSheets give the edge to the Yankees:

Play Against - Road teams (TEXAS) - with a starting pitcher whose WHIP is 1.300 or better on the season-AL, starting a over rested pitcher who is working on 7 or more days rest. (72-33 over the last 5 seasons.) (68.6%, +38.7 units. Rating = 3*).

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Yankees MLB money line chalk in Game 5

We last saw left-handers CC Sabathia and CJ Wilson in the opener of this year's ALCS, a strange game that was really one of those baseball affairs that was two games in one.

New York was a mid-140s MLB money line favorite on the road against Texas with an amped-up crowd behind the Rangers. Sabathia labored through four innings unable to find the strike zone. When he did, Rangers batters made him pay. Wilson, meanwhile, had it all going on early in his first-ever postseason appearance.

Then came the top of the eighth when Texas pitchers couldn't find the plate and Yankees base runners did. Final: New York 6, Texas 5.

Despite the stunning loss, Texas managed to bounce back in Game 2 for a 7-2 triumph, then took a 2-1 series lead Monday night in Game 3 behind the left arm belonging to Cliff Lee. With Game 4's results still pending, this rematch of southpaws in Game 5 could find the Yankees facing elimination.

Regardless of what happens in Game 4, Sabathia (25-11, 3.34) gets a shot to redeem himself on his own mound following his poor Game 1 performance. It will be the third time this season he and Wilson (25-10, 3.27) have met, with New York winning the first two battles.

The mindset of the two hurlers couldn't be any different heading into Game 5. Sabathia knows that his team bailed him out despite his shoddy effort. Wilson, on the other hand, could be thinking too much about not turning the game over to his bullpen and leaving the outcome up to that group.

Though Josh Hamilton is clearly the stud in the Texas lineup, the two critical hitters for Sabathia in Game 5 will be Rangers infielders Michael Young and Ian Kinsler. Young has a career .341 average (14-for-41) versus the New York ace after collecting a pair of hits off Sabathia in Game 1. Kinsler is only 2-for-10 against Sabathia, but both hits have gone into the bleachers and he's hitting .333 (9-for-27) with three homers in the postseason heading into Game 4.

Wilson has several Yankees batters to be careful with, including Nick Swisher and Derek Jeter who have each taken him deep.

Behind the plate for Game 5 should be Fieldin Culbreth who is working his fifth LCS and making his fourth appearance south of the dish in this round of the playoffs. The 18-year vet also worked the plate in Game 5 of last year's ALCS, a 7-6 Angels win over the Yankees in Anaheim.

Just like that game went 'over,' the majority of Culbreth's 2010 plate assignments ended above the total. High-side bettors were paid off 20-12-2 overall, 11-6-1 in an 8½- to 10-run span. He was fairly level on totals wagers until the final six weeks of the season when eight of his final 10 games went 'over.' His lone Yankee Stadium appearance during that time jumped the 9½-run figure (Sept. 5).

All signs point to decent weather in the Bronx on Wednesday. Always check closer to game time for the most accurate predictions, but we should see partly cloudy skies, the thermometer climbing to the mid-60s during the game, set for a 1:07 p.m. PT first pitch, and very little chance of rain.

If there is a Game 6, it will be Friday back in Texas and we'll have the preview for you here at DonBest.com. The starting pitching matchup should be a Game 2 sequel with Phil Hughes taking on Colby Lewis. First pitch is scheduled for 5:07 p.m. PT.

NOTE: W-L records displayed for starting pitchers are team records in games the pitchers start, including the postseason.

[StarDust Bum]

Phillies and Giants meet for Game 4

Before this National League Championship Series between the Philadelphia Phillies and San Francisco Giants began, most MLB bettors were of the opinion that scoring runs would be more difficult than an advanced calculus class.

Unfortunately, the people who make the betting line haven’t given the ‘players’ any breaks when making the ‘over/under’ numbers on the first three games of this series.

Sports Club owner Pete Korner, who makes the betting line for the majority of Nevada sports books, didn’t have much difficulty making totals for any of the games in this series.

“It’s not like making a total on a Colorado Rockies game where the range could be three of four runs,” reported Korner. “This series will see very small variances as far as totals are concerned, depending on who is on the hill.”

The lowest ‘over/under’ in the first three games of this series has been on Game 1 when Korner sent out a 5 ½-run total in a matchup between Philadelphia’s Roy Halladay and San Francisco’s Tim Lincecum.

“That’s the lowest total we have put out in a long time,” stated Korner. “Yet, bettors still wagered on the ‘under’ and wound up losing when the Giants defeated the Phils as 150 road underdogs, 4-3.”

Sunday’s Game 2 saw the total open at seven runs, with Roy Oswalt on the hill for the Phils against San Francisco’s Jonathan Sanchez.

“Once again, ‘under’ bettors were in the majority because of the pitching matchup,” said Korner. “The game certainly was headed in that direction until the Phillies scored four runs in the bottom of the seventh to change their 2-1 lead into a 6-1 victory.”

The combined seven runs landed directly on the seven-run closing total.

The series shifted to the West Coast for three games at San Francisco’s AT&T Park where the Giants have seen the ‘under’ go 13-4 in their last 17 home encounters.

“Checking the weather forecast will be a bit more important in games at San Francisco,” said Korner. "The wind could be a factor, as well as the time the game is played."

Tuesday’s game was played during the day, while the Wednesday and Thursday contests will start in the late afternoon. The weather forecast for the Wednesday game, which starts at 5 p.m. Pacific Time, calls for clear skies with the wind out to right-center at 10 to 15 miles per hour. The temperature should start out at 64 degrees and get chillier from there.

“Don’t forget there could be some shadows between the pitchers mound and home plate during those late afternoon starts,” noted Korner. “It may be a bit difficult for batters to pick up the ball early in the game.”

The total on Wednesday’s Game 4 in San Francisco will depend on who the starting pitchers are, but it won’t be much of a difference.

Philadelphia manager Charlie Manuel has named Joe Blanton as his starter, unless the Phils lose Tuesday’s game. If that’s the case, Manuel could call on Roy Halladay to start on three days’ rest.

“We would make the total seven ('over,' minus 130) if Blanton starts for the Phils against San Francisco’s Madison Bumgarner,” reported Korner. “It would probable go down to 6 ½ (under, minus 110) if Halladay gets the start.”

The opening line on the ‘side’ would change quite a bit.

“We made San Francisco a 140 home favorite with Bumgarner pitching against Blanton in Wednesday’s Game 4,” said Korner. “But Halladay would be a 140 road favorite if he got the start instead of Blanton.”

Blanton, 9-6 with a 4.82 ERA, did not pitch in the NLDS. The Phils are 17-11 in Blanton’s 28 starts this season, with the ‘over’ going 18-9-1.

The 6-foot-3 right-hander started against the Giants once this season (Aug.18) and registered an 8-2 victory as a 108 home favorite. Blanton limited the Giants to two runs on eight hits in 6 1/3 innings spanning 97 pitches. He did not walk a batter and fanned seven.

If Halladay gets the starting nod, it should be noted that he is 4-2 with a 2.79 ERA in six career starts on three days’ rest. Halladay allowed four runs on eight hits in seven innings during the Game 1 loss against the Giants as a 160 home favorite.

Bumgarner was 7-6 with a 3.00 ERA in 111 innings during the regular season, but did not face the Phillies. The southpaw was 1-3 with a 3.81 ERA in eight home starts compared to 7-3 with a 2.00 ERA in 11 road assignments. The ‘under’ is 7-1 in Bumgarner’s eight starts at AT&T Park.

[StarDust Bum]

Playoff Record:

19-22-3 46.34% -1840



Wednesday, October 20Game Score Status Pick Amount

Philadelphia - 7:55 PM ET San Francisco -103 500
San Francisco - Under 7.5 500

Didn't have time to post but i like the Rangers and Under 8 in the first game......

[StarDust Bum]

Giants favored to grab 3-1 series advantage

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PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES
at SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS

NLCS Game 4, San Francisco leads series 2-1, Wednesday, 7:55 p.m. EDT
Line: San Francisco -115, Philadelphia +105, Total: 8

San Francisco looks to take a commanding three-games-to-one lead when it sends Madison Bumgarner (7-6, 3.00) to the mound in Game 4. Philadelphia counters with Joe Blanton (9-6, 4.82 ERA).

Bumgarner picked up the win in the series-clinching Game 4 of the NLDS against Atlanta, throwing six innings and allowing two runs on six hits while striking out five. The southpaw is 3-0 with a 1.50 ERA over his past three starts. Bumgarner struggled a bit at home this year, going 1-3 with a 4.60 ERA. By contrast, his ERA on the road during the regular season was 1.91. Wednesday marks his first career start against Philadelphia.

Blanton makes his first playoff start of the year in Game 4. The right-hander hasn’t pitched since September 29 where he went seven innings, surrendering only an unearned run and three hits in a 7-1 win over the Nationals. The Phillies have won Blanton’s past seven starts and 10 of his past 11 outings. He struggled a bit on the road this year, going 4-4 with a 5.31 ERA. Blanton hasn’t fared very well against the Giants in his career either, taking a 2-3 mark and a 4.73 ERA into Wednesday’s matchup. However, his lone 2010 start against San Francisco was encouraging. Blanton picked up the win after scattering eight hits and two runs over 6.1 innings.

The FoxSheets continue to like San Francisco:

Play On - Home teams when the money line is +125 to -125 (SAN FRANCISCO) - cold hitting team - batting .225 or worse over their last 5 games against opponent starting a pitcher who gave up <=2 earned runs in his last 2 outings. (125-78 over the last 5 seasons.) (61.6%, +49.3 units. Rating = 3*).

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Wednesday LCS Tips

Each LCS heats up on Wednesday as both series continue with the underdogs throwing out left-handers. The Giants are putting a scare into the two-time defending NL Champs as the Phillies look to rebound in Game 4 following San Francisco's 3-0 shutout on Tuesday. Meanwhile, the Rangers are one win away from their first ever World Series appearance. We'll start in the Bronx to see what the Bombers have left against another difficult southpaw.

Rangers at Yankees - 4:05 PM EST

Texas is proving that it belongs in the ALCS after grabbing a commanding 3-1 series lead over the defending World Champions. By all right, the Rangers should have taken all four if the bullpen didn't squander a 5-1 lead in the 6-5 series opening defeat in Arlington. The Rangers get another shot at racking CC Sabathia, while C.J. Wilson looks for his second road win of the postseason.

Sabathia (1-0, 7.20 ERA in playoffs) was knocked out in Game 1 at Texas after just four innings of work, allowing five earned runs and six hits. The big blow was Josh Hamilton's three-run homer in the first inning, but that wasn't enough to put down the Yankees in the series opener. Sabathia fell behind early in his first postseason start at Minnesota, giving up three runs the first three innings. However, the former Cy Young winner allowed one run over his next three innings as the Yankees rallied for a 6-4 victory.

Wilson (1-0, 2.03 ERA in playoffs) left the series opener with a 5-2 lead until the Rangers' bullpen gave up four runs, resulting in a New York win. The former closer owned a better ERA on the road (2.72) than at home (3.71) this season, even though Wilson finished with a 5-5 record on the highway. In the southpaw's previous start at Yankee Stadium in April, the Southern California native gave up five runs (three earned) in six innings as the Rangers fell, 5-1 as nearly $2.00 underdogs.

After getting swept in April up in the Bronx, the Rangers have won seven of the last nine meetings, while scoring five runs or more seven times. The 'over' has turned into a profitable play between these teams, cashing at a 6-1-1 run, including Tuesday's 10-3 whipping by Texas. Things don't get easier today for New York as first baseman Mark Teixiera is out for the rest of the postseason with a hamstring injury.

Phillies at Giants - 7:55 PM EST

San Francisco got what it wanted with a split of the first two games at Citizens Bank Park with Philadelphia. The Phillies had no problems with the Reds in the NLDS, but the story is different this time around with the Giants giving Charlie Manuel's team all it can handle. Matt Cain tossed a gem in Tuesday's Game 3 to give San Francisco a 2-1 series lead going into Wednesday's pivotal Game 4.

Joe Blanton (9-6, 4.82 ERA) makes his first start of the postseason, as the former Oakland A's righty has saved his best outings for the end. The Phillies are 7-0 in Blanton's last seven starts, and 9-1 his previous 10 dating back to mid-August. Blanton may be a bit cold as he last took the mound in a one-inning relief appearance at Atlanta on October 3, allowing four hits and two earned runs. The veteran turned in a terrific effort against the Giants on August 18, scattering eight hits and two earned runs in 6.1 innings of an 8-2 triumph.

The Giants counter with rookie Madison Bumgarner (1-0, 3.00 ERA in playoffs), who picked up the series-clinching win over the Braves in the NLDS. Bumgarner allowed six hits and two earned runs in six innings to eliminate Atlanta, while Cody Ross added a pair of RBI's to lift San Francisco to the NLCS. The 21-year old fared better on the road (7-3, 2.00 ERA) than at AT&T Park (1-3, 4.60 ERA), which will be a point of concern for Giants' backers in Game 4.

The Phillies own a spectacular 9-0 record their last nine road games against left-handed starting pitchers since the start of August. Philadelphia is not prone to losing consecutive games, going 8-2 the previous 10 games off a defeat. San Francisco has fared well when facing right-handed starters, winning eight of the last 11 in this spot.

[StarDust Bum]

Lincecum tries to close out NLCS

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PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES
at SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS

NLCS Game 5, San Francisco leads series 3-1, Thursday, 7:55 p.m. EDT
Line: Philadelphia -115, San Francisco +105 Total: 5.5

Coming into the year, Roy Halladay (21-10, 2.44 ERA) had never pitched in a postseason game. Thursday he starts the biggest game of his career as the Phillies try to stave off elimination and send the series back to Philadelphia. Tim Lincecum (16-10, 3.43 ERA) goes for San Francisco in what becomes a rematch of Game 1, a 4-3 Giants victory.

San Francisco tagged Halladay for four runs on eight hits, including two home runs in the series opener. The loss dropped Halladay to 0-3 lifetime against San Francisco. His ERA against the Giants now stands at 6.66 and his WHIP is a hefty 1.48. It was Halladay’s first loss since August 30, breaking up a streak of six consecutive wins. The right-hander pitched well on the road this year, going 10-5 with a 2.57 ERA. With the total posted at just 5.5, it’s interesting to note that only one of Halladay’s last seven starts have gone under the total (five over, one push).

Lincecum comes into the matchup after picking up the win in Game 1, giving up three runs on six hits over seven innings. He allowed two home runs for just the second time this year. With the win, Lincecum is now 3-0 with a 1.57 ERA over his last three starts. Including the postseason, he is 10-7 with a 3.40 ERA at home this year. The Game 1 victory improved his career record against Philadelphia to 3-1. His ERA in those starts in 3.09 with a WHIP of 1.03.

The FoxSheets list a number of trends in favor of San Francisco, including:

Play On - Home underdogs with a money line of +100 or higher (SAN FRANCISCO) - cold hitting team - batting .240 or worse over their last 10 games against opponent with a hot starting pitcher- ERA less than 2.50 over his last 3 starts. (112-87 over the last 5 seasons.) (56.3%, +55.3 units. Rating = 3*).

Play On - Home teams (SAN FRANCISCO) - with a starting pitcher whose ERA is 3.70 or better on the season (NL) against opponent with a starting pitcher whose WHIP is 1.050 or better on the season-NL. (172-99 since 1997.) (63.5%, +77.4 units. Rating = 3*).

[StarDust Bum]

Playoff Record:

20-23-3 46.51% -1890



Thursday, October 21Game Score Status Pick Amount

Philadelphia - 7:55 PM ET San Francisco +113 500
San Francisco - Over 5.5 500

[StarDust Bum]

Giants take another crack at Halladay

Will the San Francisco Giants be playing Game 5 of the NLCS with a 3-1 lead and trying to punch their ticket into the World Series, or will the Philadelphia Phillies have drawn even in the series and out to take a 3-2 advantage back home to the City of Brotherly Love?

We won't know those answers until the two teams complete the fourth game of the series Wednesday evening just about the time this article goes to press. What we do know, however, is that baseball fans and bettors are in for another treat as far as Thursday's pitching matchup in San Francisco. The rematch from Game 1 will find soon-to-be NL Cy Young winner Roy Halladay (23-12, 2.42) taking on the two-time defending NL CY honoree Tim Lincecum (23-12, 3.31).

One more thing we know about Game 5: Halladay won't be carrying a minus 160 MLB money line into the contest like he did in Game 1 on his home mound. Lincecum and the Giants came away winners thanks in large part to closer Brian Wilson's 4-out, 4-K save and Cody Ross' two solo shots.

Thursday's opening line will be interesting. Halladay has been an MLB odds underdog once this season when the Phillies closed plus 105 in a June road game at Yankee Stadium against C.C. Sabathia. Lincecum was a home 'dog just one time with the Giants also closing on the plus 105 number Sept. 1 versus Ubaldo Jimenez and the visiting Rockies. I'm expecting a pick 'em by the close for Thursday's line setting.

Halladay served up 24 long balls during the regular season before Ross took him deep twice in Game 1. Both shots gave the Giants the lead with the second blast coming with one out in the fifth to make it 2-1 and San Francisco staying in front the rest of the way. Ross was barely a blip on the transactions page when the Giants claimed him off the waiver wire from Florida in late August. Now he leads San Fran's postseason ledger with four of the team's five home runs and seven runs batted in.

Phillies hitters have been cold for the most part this October, batting a collective .203 through their first six playoff games and scoring just 22 times. Seven of those 22 runs came in Game 2 of the NLDS versus Cincinnati, with five of those plate crossings unearned.

Weathermen are calling for a 20 percent shot at rain in the Bay Area on Thursday with a game-time temp in the upper-50s and not falling off by much after the first pitch (4:57 p.m. PT). Winds are currently expected to be out of the southwest around 10 mph (1B dugout out to left). Check closer to the game for any changes to that forecast.

Fourteen-year veteran umpire Jeff Nelson is in line to call the balls and strikes in Game 5. This marks his third LCS, first since 2004, with his previous LCS plate assignments – Game 2, 2002 NLCS and Game 2, 2004 ALCS – both finishing 'under' the totals. Home favorites went 9-12 with Nelson behind the dish during the 2010 regular season, with the 'under' holding a small 16-13-4 advantage. Games lined at eight runs or less went 4-3-2 to the low side.

If the series does move back to Philadelphia for a Game 6, we're looking at a rematch from the Game 2 mound battle between San Fran's Jonathan Sanchez and the Phils' Roy Oswalt. The game is currently scheduled for a 12:57 p.m. PT first pitch on Saturday.