Sunday's Trends and Indexes 10/17 (MLB, NHL, CFL, Misc.)

[Udog]

MLB
Write-Up


Sunday, October 17

Giants are 4-3 against Phillies this year, holding Phils to 3 or less runs in all four wins, 7-8-9 runs in the losses. Cain is 4-1, 1.99 in last six starts; he lost 8-2 here August 18 (five runs/six IP). Oswalt is 7-0, 1.70 in his last 11 starts; he is 1-3, 3.67 against Giants this year, beating them 9-3 with Phils August 17, losing three times while pitching for Houston.

[Udog]

NHL
Write-Up


Sunday, October 17

Hot Teams
-- Hurricanes won two of their first three games.

Cold Teams
-- Ducks lost four of their first five games. Coyotes lost last two games, scoring one goal.
-- Canucks lost three of their first four games.

Totals
-- Last three Anaheim games went over the total.
-- Three of first four Vancouver games stayed under the total.

Series Records
-- Coyotes lost four of last five visits to Anaheim.
-- Home team won last four Carolina-Vancouver games.

[Udog]

Sunday's List of 13: Wrapping up a college football Saturday...

13) Ohio State's loss probably puts Oregon/Boise State 1-2 in college football poll; keep in mind those two teams played last uear, and Boise State beat them pretty easily in the season opener.

12) There were 36 college football games on TV Saturday, and Oklahoma State-Texas Tech wasn't one of them? Hell, Arkansas State-Indiana was on ESPNU. State-Tech are two of the more entertaining teams to watch.

11) South Carolina led 28-10 in 3rd quarter at Kentucky when freshman running back Lattimore hurt his ankle; Gamecocks never scored again, their defense imploded on a 4th-and-7 play for Kentucky's winning TD, and Garcia threw an end zone INT trying for the win, when they had a 37-yard FG to tie game in the last 0:10. Not Steve Spurrier's best day.

10) Nevada's dreams for an unbeaten season died in paradise, as Hawai'i upset the Wolf Pack 27-21. Nevada had only 133 yards rushing, turned the ball over four times.

9) Florida Gators lost three games in a row for the first time since 1988.

8) Minnesota fired its coach Saturday night, and Mike Sherman has to be ont he hot seat after Texas A&M lost 30-9 to Missouri at home.

7) Rice (+9.5) upset crosstown rival Houston 34-31, taking advantage of the Cougars having to play their 3rd-string QB, a freshman.

6) Arkansas' QB Mallett was knocked out (concussion); they still scored 43 points at Auburn, but their defense fell apart, giving up 330 rushing yards as Auburn thrashed the Razorbacks 65-43. Yikes. Wilson kid who came in for Mallett looks like a keeper for the Hogs.

5) Halftime score: USC 42, Cal 0. Golden Bears have been pathetic on the road, losing to Nevada-Arizona-Trojans.

4) Michigan outgained Iowa 522-383, but turned ball over four times (-4) and lost 38-28 at home to Iowa. At any level of football, if you're -4 in turnover ratio, you're probably losing the game.

3) Texas was 4-16 passing for 62 yards........Clemson was 8-21 for 119 yards........Mississippi State 4-9 for 33 yards. Somehow, they all won.

2) Pivotal game in middle of Pac-10 pack late Saturday night; Oregon St. loses 35-34 in OT at Washington, going for two and the win, instead of kicking the PAT and playing on in OT. Both teams had three turnovers and 10 penalties in a hard-fought but sloppy game.

1) Hard for me to explain how much I hate it when teams go for 2 points to end the OT, the only exception being if you have a great running QB. Just trust your team and play on; you're giving the other team a chance to end the game with one play. Not sure I can research it, but guessing it works less than half the time.

[pm530]

MLB

Hot Lines

San Francisco Giants at Philadelphia Phillies (-155, 7)

If I had told you yesterday the Phillies would get three runs off Tim Lincecum you probably would have bet the house on Roy Halladay and Philadelphia taking Game 1.

Unfortunately for Philly baseball fans, some guy named Cody Ross stole the show in what was supposed to be a pitchers’ duel.

The former Marlin knocked out two big flies off the soon-to-be NL Cy Young winner and provided the spark the Giants were looking for.

“[Ross’s] the REAL hero,” Lincecum told ESPN’s Jayson Stark after the game. “He’s the one who put our team in the driver’s seat to get this win… I was just the guy who tried to hold [the Phillies] down. He’s the one who put the runs on the board.”

That’s big praise from a guy who struck out eight batters and allowed just three runs over seven innings.

So now the Phillies have to regroup. Sure, they’re not facing the two-time defending NL Cy Young winner, but Jonathan Sanchez is no slouch either.

He was arguably the Giants' most consistent starter in the season’s second half and he’s a southpaw, which doesn’t help the Phillies’ lefty-heavy batting order.

But the favorites to win the World Series aren’t intimidated by quality pitching. They took Lincecum out of the park twice and stranded a few runners in the game.

“I think we need to hit better,” Phillies manager Charlie Manuel told the Philadelphia Inquirer after the Game 1 loss.

Well, go out and do it fellas.

Pick: Over

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