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**StarDust Bum** · 10-27-2010, 04:47 PM

GAME ONE SELECTION:

Wednesday, October 27Game Score Status Pick Amount

Texas - 7:55 PM ET San Francisco +117 500
San Francisco - Over 5.5 500

Good Luck !

**StarDust Bum** · 10-27-2010, 04:49 PM

2010 WORLD SERIES PREVIEW

TEXAS RANGERS
SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS

World Series Pitching Probables:
Game 1: Wednesday, 10/27, 7:55 p.m. EDT at San Francisco
Cliff Lee (TEX) vs. Tim Lincecum (SF)

Game 2: Thursday, 10/28, 7:55 p.m. EDT at San Francisco
TBD vs. Matt Cain (SF)

Game 3: Saturday, 10/30, 6:55 p.m. EDT at Texas
Jonathan Sanchez (SF) vs. TBD

Game 4: Sunday, 10/31, 8:20 p.m. EDT at Texas
Madison Bumgarner (SF) vs. TBD

Game 5 (if necessary) Monday, 11/1, 7:55 p.m. EDT at Texas
Starters TBD

Game 6 (if necessary) Wednesday, 11/3, 7:55 p.m. EDT at San Francisco
Starters TBD

Game 7 (if necessary) Thursday, 11/4, 7:55 p.m. EDT at San Francisco
Starters TBD

The World Series gets underway Wednesday night in San Francisco with two unlikely franchises playing for baseball’s most coveted prize. The Giants haven’t won a World Series since 1954 and Texas is making its first-ever appearance in the Fall Classic. The only pitching matchup set in stone is Game 1 that is scheduled to feature aces Cliff Lee (12-9, 3.18 ERA) and Tim Lincecum (16-10, 3.43 ERA). Lee has been remarkable in his career in the playoffs, going 7-0 with a 1.26 ERA, 0.73 WHIP, 67 K and just seven walks in eight starts. That includes his incredible numbers this postseason against teams with the most (Yankees) and third-highest (Rays) run totals in baseball this year. Lee is 3-0 with a 0.75 ERA in three starts in the 2010 playoffs. The southpaw has given up just two runs on 13 hits in 24 innings while striking out 34 and walking only one. Lincecum has been tremendous as well, compiling a 2-1 record and a 1.96 ERA in three playoff starts.

Wednesday will mark the first meeting between the two teams this year. They met last year as a part of interleague play with the Giants sweeping Texas in a three-game set in San Francisco. Two of the three games went under the total. Matt Cain threw a gem in the middle game of the series, going eight innings and giving up one run on three hits in a 2-1 Giants win. Texas is likely to see Cain in Game 2.

After Lee, San Francisco should see the combination of C.J. Wilson and Colby Lewis. Wilson is 1-1 with a 3.93 ERA so far this postseason while Lewis is 2-0 with a 1.45 ERA. Lewis picked up both wins against the vaunted Yankee offense and limited New York to three runs over 13.2 innings. Meanwhile, the Giants’ rotation behind Lincecum has fared well this postseason with Cain leading the way at 1-0 having yet to give up an earned run. Jonathan Sanchez totes a 2.93 postseason ERA while Madison Bumgarner comes in at 1-0 with a 3.55 ERA in three appearances.

The FoxSheets provide some trends to help with World Series wagering:

SAN FRANCISCO is 42-19 (+23.8 Units) against the money line with an on-base percentage of .310 or worse over their last 20 games this season. The average score was SAN FRANCISCO 4.4, OPPONENT 2.7 - (Rating = 3*).

SAN FRANCISCO is 58-35 (+21.3 Units) against the money line vs. teams averaging 2.75 or less extra base hits per game in the second half of the season this season. The average score was SAN FRANCISCO 4.2, OPPONENT 3.4 - (Rating = 2*).

SAN FRANCISCO is 44-28 (+16.6 Units) against the money line with a hot bullpen whose ERA is under 3.00 the last 15 games this season. The average score was SAN FRANCISCO 4.2, OPPONENT 3.3 - (Rating = 2*).

TEXAS is 25-6 (+16.7 Units) against the money line on a good fielding streak, 10 straight games with one or less errors this season. The average score was TEXAS 5.9, OPPONENT 3.6 - (Rating = 3*).

TEXAS is 57-43 (+16.9 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons. The average score was TEXAS 4.7, OPPONENT 4.0 - (Rating = 1*).

TEXAS is 53-39 (+15.3 Units) against the money line vs. good fielding teams - averaging <=0.6 errors/game in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons. The average score was TEXAS 5.0, OPPONENT 4.3 - (Rating = 1*).

**StarDust Bum** · 10-27-2010, 04:50 PM

Giants home underdogs in World Series Game 1

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

TEXAS RANGERS
at SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS

2010 World Series Game 1, Wednesday, 7:55 p.m. EDT
Line: Texas -125, San Francisco +115 Total: 5.5

The World Series starts off with a tremendous pitching matchup slated for Game 1. Cliff Lee (12-9, 3.18 ERA) gets the ball for Texas while Tim Lincecum (16-10, 3.43 ERA) will start for San Francisco. This is the first ever trip to the World Series for Texas while it’s been since 1954 since the Giants last won a championship.

Lee has been remarkable in the playoffs this year and throughout his career. So far this October, Lee is 3-0 with a 0.75 ERA in three starts. In 24 innings, he’s struck out 34 batters while only walking one. His career playoff record now stands at 7-0 with a 1.26 ERA in eight starts. Lee also has great numbers in his career against San Francisco. In three starts against the Giants, Lee is 3-0 with a 1.13 ERA and a WHIP of 0.71. The under has cashed in all three of those starts.

Not to be overshadowed is the performance of Lincecum this postseason. The two-time reigning NL Cy Young Award winner has posted a 2-1 record, a 1.96 ERA and 0.74 WHIP in three playoff starts this year. He has 29 K and just five walks in these 23 innings. His lone loss came in his most recent outing in Game 5 of the NLCS in Philadelphia where he gave up three runs (two earned) on four hits over seven innings. The loss broke up a string of four consecutive wins for Lincecum. Wednesday will mark his first ever start against Texas. Including the playoffs, Lincecum is 10-8 with a 3.36 ERA at home this year.

The FoxSheets have a number of trends backing San Francisco, including:

Play On - Home teams (SAN FRANCISCO) - cold hitting team - batting .240 or worse over their last 10 games against opponent starting a pitcher who gave up <=1 earned runs in his last 2 outings. (133-68 over the last 5 seasons.) (66.2%, +70.8 units. Rating = 4*).

Play Against - Road favorites with a money line of -110 or higher (TEXAS) - with a starting pitcher whose ERA is 3.20 or better on the season (AL), starting a pitcher who walked <=1 hitters each of his last 2 outings. (63-36 over the last 5 seasons.) (63.6%, +44.2 units. Rating = 4*).

**StarDust Bum** · 10-27-2010, 06:01 PM

Rangers vs. Giants

The unlikely World Series matchup between the Rangers and Giants begins on Wednesday in San Francisco as both Western Division champions look to finish off this season hoisting the trophy. The Rangers play in their first-ever Fall Classic, while the Giants go for their first championship since 1954 when the franchise was in New York.

Texas will be a sentimental favorite among baseball fans after knocking out the big bad Yankees in the ALCS, 4-2. The Rangers were great away from Arlington, winning five of six away playoff games, including all three at Tropicana Field in the ALDS against the Rays. Ron Washington's squad wasn't scared in the ALCS against the defending champions, claiming two of three games in the Bronx, while outscoring the Yanks 18-3 in two road victories.

San Francisco wasn't given much of a chance by everyone outside of the Bay Area in the NLCS against Philadelphia. The Phillies were set to make their third straight World Series appearance, but Bruce Bochy's feisty club won two games at Citizens Bank Park, including the Game 6 clincher last Saturday night, 3-2. The Giants have played much better on the road than at home in the postseason, winning four of five away games. San Francisco still owned a respectable 3-2 mark at AT&T Park, but scored three runs or less three times at home.

Each club will send out a former Cy Young winner in the series opener on Wednesday night as Cliff Lee will oppose Tim Lincecum. Lee has been nothing short of tremendous in this postseason with a 3-0 record and ERA of 0.75 in three starts. Past a shaky first inning against the Rays in the ALDS opener, Lee owns an amazing 34/1 strikeout to walk ratio in the postseason. The Rangers' southpaw struck out at least 10 batters in all three playoff starts, and has done so in five of his last six postseason appearances dating back to 2009 with the Phillies.

Lee is no stranger to pitching in the Fall Classic as he won both starts against the Yankees last season as a member of the Phillies. His best outing came on the road in the series opener as nearly a $1.70 underdog, scattering six hits and striking out 10 in a complete game.

Lincecum began the postseason with a complete-game gem against the Braves, striking out 14 and allowing two hits in a 1-0 shutout. The diminutive right-hander split a pair of starts against the Phillies, tossing seven innings each time, but was dealt a loss in Game 5 of the NLCS, 4-2. The Giants are just 10-9 in Lincecum's 19 home starts this season, while five of his last six outings at AT&T Park have finished 'under' the total.

Thursday's Game 2 features C.J. Wilson and Matt Cain on the mound with both starters making their World Series debuts. Wilson had his worst outing of the postseason his last time out, allowing six hits and six runs (five earned) in five innings of a 7-2 loss in Game 5 of the ALCS at New York. Prior to that start, the Texas left-hander put together a pair of quality starts, including a two-hit performance in 6.2 innings of a 6-0 shutout at Tampa Bay. The Rangers have profited in the 'under' department in Wilson's road starts, hitting in 11 of 16 away outings.

Cain outdueled Cole Hamels in his lone NLCS start, beating the Phillies, 3-0 in Game 3. The San Francisco right-hander gave up two hits in seven innings, while escaping several jams to pick up his ninth home victory of the season. Cain has not allowed an earned run in three of his previous four home outings, while beating the Rangers in his lone career start against Texas last June.

Exact Games Props from Sportsbook.com
Giants 4 Games - Win +1500
Giants 5 Games - Win +600
Giants 6 Games - Win +450
Giants 7 Games - Win +400
Rangers 4 Games - Win +800
Rangers 5 Games - Win +400
Rangers 6 Games - Win +350
Rangers 7 Games - Win +500

VI's Chris David believes that digging deeper there are better opportunities to cash, "Rather than look at the series price, gamblers could have more value looking at the Exact Game Props. Pro baseball enthusiasts that have followed the “Fall Classic” haven’t been exactly treated to classics. Over the last seven years, none of the World Series has seen a decisive Game 7 and five of them were over in five games ore less, which includes three sweeps. Ironically, the last World Series to go seven games was in 2004 when the Anaheim Angels beat the San Francisco Giants 4-3."

David says there is good value in taking this series to go back to San Francisco, "Does this year’s matchup go the distance? As per the above table, the odds are a lot higher than taking the Rangers or Giants on the series price. Even taking Texas or San Francisco to win in six has value. The biggest longshot is the sweep by either club, but as mentioned above, they’re very doable."

"If you’re looking to strike it big with another WS prop, then look at the World Series Most Valuable Player wager. Position players usually get more notice but this postseason has been all about pitching and the value on players like Lee (+500) and Lincecum (+800) seem juicy. Also, closer Brian Wilson (+1000) of the Giants could be worth a look as well," David notes from the individual awards perspective.

The Rangers are listed as a $1.25 road favorite in the series opener on Wednesday, while the total is set at 5 ½. The game will be televised nationally on FOX at 8:00 PM EDT.

**StarDust Bum** · 10-27-2010, 06:08 PM

Lee-Lincecum: Marquee matchup in Game 1
October 27, 2010

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Cliff Lee marvels at Tim Lincecum's motion. So much torque, so much power. So darn unusual.

``The way he does it, no one else does it that way. I like that,'' Lee said Tuesday, a day before the Texas Rangers ace pitches against the San Francisco Giants star in Game 1 of the World Series.

``I like when unorthodox works and it works to that kind of an extent, back-to-back Cy Young winner. He throws in a way that you probably wouldn't want to show your kid how to throw,'' Lee said. ``He definitely is doing something right. He's different.''

There's something unique about Lee, too: He never loses in the biggest games. The lefty is 7-0 with a 1.26 ERA in eight lifetime postseason starts.

``Cliff Lee, superhero,'' summed up Giants third baseman Pablo Sandoval.

Watch Lee from the center-field camera and it's difficult to tell exactly what makes him so special.

David Price brings more heat. Andy Pettitte brought more October experience. But Lee beat them both in the playoffs.

Maybe it's the way he throws any of his pitches for strikes on any count. At any speed, too. A real-life version of a video game - try to duplicate that in ``Major League Baseball 2K10.''

``Confidence, relying on my routine,'' Lee said. ``Going out there and expecting to be successful.''

It makes for an intriguing matchup of opposite artisans. The lanky Lincecum throws pitches with dizzying movement, while Lee is able to adjust his pinpoint control for an umpire's strike zone.

``He works in and out on both sides of the plate, which allows him a lot of freeze strike threes, guys looking. He paints his slider-cutter kind of thing,'' Lincecum said.

Rangers pitching coach Mike Maddux said Lee reminds him of someone he knows well - namely his brother, four-time Cy Young winner Greg Maddux. A left-handed version, naturally.

``If you can command your fastball and change speeds, you're going to have good results,'' Maddux said.

Lee went 3-0 this year in the AL playoffs, striking out 34 and walking just one. That severe ratio has prompted many to suggest the best strategy is to hit the first strike he throws.

``You fall behind 0-1 or 1-2, it becomes a battle up there for any hitter,'' Texas catcher Matt Treanor said.

A win over the Giants will tie Lee for the best start in postseason history - Orlando ``El Duque'' Hernandez, with all his quirky gyrations and deliveries, won his first eight decisions.

To Lee, it's all rather routine. In fact, there was a neat picture of him during the playoffs, yawning in the dugout at Yankee Stadium.

Sure doesn't look like someone pitching in huge games.

``I don't really look at it like that,'' Lee said a few days ago. ``Some people might, I don't feel any more pressure.''

Lee has been equally perfect against the Giants - three starts, three wins and a 1.13 ERA. He last faced them in 2009 in his first start after being traded from Cleveland to Philadelphia, and breezed at AT&T Park.

Call it superstition or just being comfortable, Lee doesn't like to change his hat, glove or cleats during the season. Sometimes he has to - he's been traded four times in his career, most recently from Seattle to Texas before the All-Star break.

Lee found himself with mixed emotions watching Philadelphia, where he won twice in the World Series last year, play San Francisco in the NLCS.

Sure, he was friendly with many of his former Phillies teammates. But there was the other side of the baseball business.

``I didn't mind seeing them get beat because they got rid of me,'' he said.

Several of the Giants have faced Lee many times.

Juan Uribe is 11 for 37 (.297) with two homers against him. Jose Guillen is 9 for 25 (.360) with two homers. Aaron Rowand is 7 for 25 (.280) with four doubles and a home run. Aubrey Huff is 5 for 19 (.263).

Then there's Cody Ross.

Many years ago, before he blossomed into the MVP of the NL championship series, Ross was a struggling rookie with the Detroit Tigers. Just so happens he hit his first major league home run off Lee. A grand slam, at that.

Ross had played a handful of games in the majors and had only two career hits when he faced Lee on Sept. 2, 2003. Ross struck out looking his first time up, but got more than even in his next at-bat, launching the first grand slam ever allowed by the young Cleveland pitcher.

The game was memorable for Ross because of something else. In the late innings, he tripped over first base beating out a bunt, tore his knee, was carted off the field and done for the season.

Both Ross and Lee have come quite a way since then. They haven't faced each other since the slam, either. Ross promises his team will be ready for baseball's No. 1 postseason ace, having already solved the supposedly unbeatable Roy Halladay in the NLCS opener.

``It was the Halladay show a week ago after he threw the no-hitter against the Reds,'' Ross said. ``We're not surprising anybody, believe me. Everybody knows how good our pitching staff is. But I think we prefer for everyone to talk about everybody else.''

Lee figures to be focused squarely on the Giants, and Ross.

``He's just had a good couple of weeks. He's put together some good at_bats and hit some tough pitches. I mean, two home runs off Roy Halladay, hit a ball off of Cole Hamels that wasn't even a strike,'' Lee said.

``Hopefully he has a little bit of time to cool off before this one starts,'' he said.

**StarDust Bum** · 10-27-2010, 06:11 PM

Ross, Giants ready for Lee in WS opener

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Buster Posey, Pablo Sandoval and the rest of the San Francisco Giants can study the scouting reports and videotape all they want, trying to find the secret to getting a hit against Cliff Lee.

Or, they can just ask Cody Ross.

Because many years ago, before he blossomed into the MVP of the NL championship series, Ross was a struggling rookie with the Detroit Tigers. Who happened to hit his first major league home run off Lee. A grand slam, at that.

Of course, Lee was early in his career, too. He hardly had become Mr. Perfect in the postseason, the left-hander who will pose a giant challenge for San Francisco when it faces the Texas Rangers in Game 1 of the World Series on Wednesday night.

``Cliff Lee, superhero,'' summed up Sandoval.

Watch Lee from the center-field camera and it's difficult to tell exactly what makes him so dominant.

David Price brings more heat. Andy Pettitte brought more October experience. But Lee beat them in the playoffs.

Maybe it's the way he throws any of his pitches for strikes on any count. At any speed, too. A real-life version of a video game - try to duplicate that in ``Major League Baseball 2K10.''

``Confidence, relying on my routine,'' Lee said Tuesday before the Rangers worked out. ``Going out there and expecting to be successful.''

Lee is 7-0 with a 1.26 ERA in eight lifetime postseason starts heading into his matchup with two-time NL Cy Young winner Tim Lincecum in the opener. Lee went 3-0 this year in the AL playoffs, striking out 34 and walking just one.

Lincecum and Lee pose an intriguing matchup of opposite artisans. The Giants' lanky ace's pitches have dizzying movement, while Lee is able to adjust his pinpoint control for an umpire's strike zone.

Rangers pitching coach Mike Maddux said Lee reminds him of someone he knows well - namely his brother, four-time Cy Young winner Greg Maddux. A left-handed version, naturally.

``If you can command your fastball and change speeds, you're going to have good results,'' Maddux said.

Lee's severe strikeout-to-walk ratio has prompted many to suggest the best strategy is to hit the first strike he throws, rather than risk falling behind in the count.

``People love to talk about Cliff throwing strikes but it's not like he's just gunning balls down the middle of the plate,'' Texas third baseman Michael Young said. ``There's a big difference between throwing strikes and throwing quality strike after quality strike.''

A win over the Giants will tie Lee for the best start in postseason history - Orlando ``El Duque'' Hernandez, with all his quirky gyrations and deliveries, won his first eight decisions.

To Lee, it's all rather routine. In fact, there was a neat picture of him during the playoffs, yawning in the dugout at Yankee Stadium.

Sure doesn't look like someone pitching in huge games.

``I don't really look at it like that,'' Lee said a few days ago. ``Some people might, I don't feel any more pressure.''

Lee has been equally perfect against the Giants - three starts, three wins and a 1.13 ERA. He last faced them in 2009 in his first start after being traded from Cleveland to Philadelphia, and breezed at AT&T Park.

``Weather and clubhouse and the bullpens'' are different, he said. ``Once you get on the mound, it's 60 feet, 6 inches and you've still got a professional hitter in there trying to do damage off of you. To me, that doesn't really matter that much.''

Call it superstition or just being comfortable, Lee doesn't like to change his hat, glove or cleats during the season. Sometimes he has to - he's been traded four times in his career, most recently from Seattle to Texas before the All-Star break.

Lee found himself with mixed emotions watching Philadelphia, where he won twice in the World Series last year, play San Francisco in the NLCS.

Sure, he was friendly with many of his former Phillies teammates. But there was the other side of the baseball business.

``I didn't mind seeing them get beat because they got rid of me,'' he said.

Now, the Texas pitchers are the ones who benefit from Lee's presence.

``I've become more like Cliff in my preparation since he's been here,'' starter C.J. Wilson said. ``I watch what he does through an order, and if they don't adapt he doesn't have to. Whereas I used to get into trouble before, where I would adapt maybe before the hitters showed me an adjustment, and I would basically turn into their strengths. But Cliff trusts his strengths to the degree that he doesn't think he has to do anything different from game to game.''

Several of the Giants have faced Lee many times.

Juan Uribe is 11 for 37 (.297) with two homers against him. Jose Guillen is 9 for 25 (.360) with two homers. Aaron Rowand is 7 for 25 (.280) with four doubles and a home run. Aubrey Huff is 5 for 19 (.263).

Rowand is willing to give any advice he can.

``You can watch video. You can talk to them about what his out pitches are, what he likes to do when he's ahead, and with runners on,'' he said.

Then there's Ross.

Ross had played a handful of games in the majors and had only two career hits when he faced Lee on Sept. 2, 2003. Ross struck out looking his first time up, but got more than even in his next at-bat, launching the first grand slam ever allowed by the young Cleveland lefty.

The game was memorable for Ross because of something else. In the late innings, he tripped over first base beating out a bunt, tore his knee, was carted off the field and done for the season.

Both Ross and Lee have come quite a way since then. They haven't faced each other since the slam, either. Ross promises his team will be ready for baseball's No. 1 postseason ace, having already solved the supposedly unbeatable Roy Halladay in the NLCS opener.

``It was the Halladay show a week ago after he threw the no-hitter against the Reds,'' Ross said. ``We're not surprising anybody, believe me. Everybody knows how good our pitching staff is. But I think we prefer for everyone to talk about everybody else.''

**jt4545** · 10-27-2010, 06:33 PM

Thanks and good luck

**StarDust Bum** · 10-27-2010, 11:39 PM

Giants and Rangers prep for Game 2
By: Adam Markowitz |
Wednesday, October 27, 2010

The second game of World Series betting action goes off on Thursday night, and here at Don Best we have the first look at what could be one of the more interesting games in this entire series.

The bats for both teams are probably going to be relieved to not see LHP Cliff Lee or RHP Tim Lincecum any longer, as this is the lowest total ever posted in an MLB betting affair in Game 1 at a flat 5 ½.

However, before any of the bats start to take their licks in Game 2, Mother Nature might have her say. There is the potential for rain in the weather forecast for Thursday afternoon in the Bay area, and if there is a washout on Thursday, this game will be pushed back to Friday and make travel plans difficult on both squads.

Manager Ron Washington had an easy time slotting Lee into his rotation for Game 1 of the Fall Classic, but beyond that he had some real decisions to make. Instead of going with the up-and-down RHP Colby Lewis, Washington has kept to his guns and is handing the ball to LHP CJ Wilson.

The move to use Wilson here on the road is a risky one, especially after he was lit up against the New York Yankees in the Bronx for six runs, five of which were earned in Game 5 of the ALCS. However, it was Wilson and not Lewis that was called upon for Game 1 of that series, and the two will remain in this order.

Part of the reason for using the southpaw here is because he had a stellar 2.91 ERA on the road in the regular season despite just a 4-5 record. Washington also knows that Wilson had the best stuff on his staff late in games until Lee came over from the Seattle Mariners. This left-hander has just a 0.47 ERA when he is throwing pitches No. 91 through 105 this season, and he has only allowed one earned run all season in that situation.

This will be Wilson's first appearance against the Giants in his career.

Manager Bruce Bochy had a similar situation that he had to face as Washington. Bochy knew that he had to give the baseball over to his former Cy Young Award winner on Wednesday night, but Game 2 was a more interesting predicament. In the ALDS against the Atlanta Braves, he used Cain over LHP Jonathan Sanchez, but he flip flopped the two in the ALCS against the Philadelphia Phillies, perhaps because of all of the lefty hitters in the Philly lineup.

It's Cain that will get the call on Thursday, and for fantastic reason. Cain has yet to give up a run in these playoffs, pitching 13 2/3 spotless innings of ball. Opposing hitters are only batting .170 against him, and he has 11 Ks against five walks in the playoffs. Cain is coming off of a start in which he outdueled LHP Cole Hamels. He allowed just two hits in seven scoreless frames in Game 3 of the NLCS, earning his first win of the playoffs.

Cain has only faced the Rangers once, holding them to three hits and one earned run in eight innings. He struck out eight and only walked three.

Since the formation of interleague play in baseball, the Giants have absolutely dominated this series, going 11-4 overall and winning all nine games played here at Candlestick Park. Three of those wins came last season in a sweep at home in which San Fran outscored the Rangers 11-7.

In regards to the total, the 'under' has gone 10-5 in the 15 outings. It cashed in two of the three in the regular season meeting last year.

**StarDust Bum** · 10-29-2010, 07:13 PM

MLB odds now stacked against Rangers
By: Michael Robinson | Friday, October 29, 2010

The Texas Rangers are in a must-win situation Saturday night against the San Francisco Giants. They’re down 0-2 and no team has ever recovered from an 0-3 deficit in World Series history.

Bookmaker.com has Texas as 152 home favorites with a total of 8 ½-runs (‘under’ minus 120). San Francisco is now 290 ‘chalk’ to win the series, with Texas 240 underdogs.

The Giants are finding different ways to win. The opener was an 11-7 offensive outburst, getting to starter Cliff Lee for six earned runs in 4 2/3 innings. Lee was thought to be invincible heading in at 7-0 (1.26 ERA) lifetime in the playoffs and 3-0 (.75 ERA) this year.

San Francisco won with pitching in Game 2. Starter Matt Cain allowed no runs over 7 2/3 innings, increasing his playoff streak without an earned run allowed to 21 1/3 innings. Texas’ C.J. Wilson lasted into the seventh, allowing two earned, but San Fran scored seven runs in the eighth for a 9-0 final.

The ‘over’ is 2-0 in the series. The Giants are scoring 10 runs per game after averaging 3.0 in the first two rounds. They’re 13-1 in the last 14 games versus Texas.

The Rangers hope their fortunes change at home. They went 51-30 in the regular season and have won the last two playoff games there after dropping the first three. The Game 6 closeout of the Yankees was a 6-1 gem.

Colby Lewis finished the Bronx Bombers by throwing eight innings and surrendering just one run (three hits). He’ll start Saturday and is 2-0 with a 1.45 ERA in three postseason starts. All were at home.

Lewis spent the last two seasons in Japan and had a solid regular season (12-13, 3.72 ERA) in his return. His home splits were 6-4 with a 3.41 ERA, with run support lacking in many games.

The 31-year-old righty last pitched over a week ago (Oct. 22). Texas is 4-0 in Lewis’ last four starts on seven days rest or more.

The Giants went 43-38 on the road in the regular season. They’re 4- 1 away in the postseason, with every victory coming by one run.

San Francisco’s Jonathan Sanchez will try to keep the team hot. His three playoff starts have all come on the road (0-1, 2.93 ERA). The first two were quality starts at Atlanta and Philadelphia.

The last one came in Game 6 at Philly, with Sanchez getting pulled in the third inning (allowing two earned runs). The bullpen got out of the jam and proceeded to throw seven scoreless innings. The Giants rallied for a 3-2 win and took the series.

The 27-year-old lefty was 13-9 with a 3.07 ERA in the regular season. Opponents hit just .204 off him, although walks were a problem with an MLB-leading 96. He’s walked six in 15 1/3 postseason innings.

Sanchez’ ERA was lower on the road (2.86) in the regular season than at home (3.26). The Giants are 10-3 in his last 13 road starts. Texas is 7-2 in its last nine games against a left-handed starter (3-2 in the playoffs).

Texas’ Vladimir Guerrero will be the DH after sitting in Game 2. San Francisco manager Bruce Bochy has three main DH options (Pat Burrell, Pablo Sandoval, Aubrey Huff), depending on his preference for the defensive alignment.

First pitch on Saturday is earlier at 3:57 p.m. (PT). Weather will be clear and in the upper 60s, low 70s.

Sunday’s Game 4 has Madison Bumgarner and Tommy Hunter as the scheduled starters. However, Lee could come back on short rest. San Fran ace Tim Lincecum has never gone on short rest in his career and won’t with the series lead

**StarDust Bum** · 10-29-2010, 07:15 PM

NHL betting slate finds Oilers in Chicago
By: Adam Markowitz | Thursday, October 28, 2010

Western Conference foes will collide in the Windy City for an NHL betting battle, as the Chicago Blackhawks meet the Edmonton Oilers.

This is a big game for Chicago, which finally logged its first regulation victory since October 16 on Wednesday night against the Los Angeles Kings by the count of 3-1. This is the last home game before hitting the road for the next two and 10 of the next 14.

The Blackhawks enter Thursday night's action with six wins, the most in the Central Division. However, they are only even with the Nashville Predators at 13 points and have played three more games than the Preds have.

Edmonton has the lowest point total in the NHL at this point with just five through seven games. This duel in Chicago on Friday marks the final stop on a grueling three-game road trip. The first game of that stretch resulted in a shootout loss on Tuesday against the Calgary Flames. The Columbus Blue Jackets are on tap Thursday before the Oilers head to the United Center for their duel with the defending champs.

Whatever is going on with the Edmonton penalty kill had better stop if the Oilers don't want to finish with one of the worst records in the league this year. They rank dead last in the league, as they are only killing 65.6 percent of their kills on the season. That's the biggest reason why Edmonton ranks just No. 28 in scoring average at 3.6 GPG.

Goaltending hasn't helped out one bit either. Net minder Nikolai Khabibulin just isn't himself anymore. He is 37 years old, and is clearly struggling in what really should be one of the last seasons of his career. The man they call the "Bulin Wall" has had a lot of holes this season, as he is just 2-5 with a 3.28 GAA and a .900 save percentage.

We have yet to see backup goaltender Devan Dubnyk this year after he went 4-10-2 last season for the Oilers, but with this being the second game in a back to back, there is a good chance that he'll play either Thursday or Friday night.

The good news for the Blackhawks was that they put together one of their best performances of the season on Wednesday night. The bad news is that Marian Hossa suffered an undisclosed injury that was only classified as an "upper body injury." It is unknown whether Hossa will be able to strap on the skates on Friday night.

Hossa was second on the team in goals this year with seven, but he pales in comparison to the production on his line mate, Patrick Sharp. Sharp has nine goals and three helpers this year, including three strikes on the power play. He has scored one goal in three straight games and has tallied at least once in six of the last seven for the Blackhawks.

Chicago knows that Marty Turco is going to have to be big between the pipes on Friday night against the Edmonton offense as well. Turco improved to 5-3 on the season after allowing just a first period goal against the Kings. His GAA of 2.44 and save percentage of .927 are both rock solid.

We fully expect to see the Blackhawks open up on Friday morning as hefty favorites, and for good reason. They were minus 400 'chalk' in the final encounter against Edmonton last year at home, winning 5-2 in March. The Oilers were swept for four games and have dropped seven of the last eight matchups against Chicago as well.

In that stretch of games, the Blackhawks are averaging scoring 4.67 GPG, which is why seven of the nine have exceeded the 'total.'

**StarDust Bum** · 10-30-2010, 09:06 AM

WORLD SERIES RECORD:

4-0-0 100.00% +2085

Saturday, October 30Game Score Status Pick Amount

San Francisco - 6:55 PM ET San Francisco +149 500
Texas - Over 8.5 500

Good Luck !

**StarDust Bum** · 10-30-2010, 09:12 AM

Lewis looks to stay hot in Saturday's Game 3

SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS
at TEXAS RANGERS

World Series Game 3 - San Francisco leads series 2-0
Saturday, 6:55 p.m. EDT, Line: Texas -145, San Francisco +135 Total: 8.5

Desperate to avoid a 3-0 hole, the Rangers return home Saturday and give the ball to Colby Lewis (12-13, 3.72 ERA) who has been quite effective for Texas this postseason. San Francisco will counter by sending Jonathan Sanchez (13-9, 3.07 ERA) to the mound.

Sanchez started Game 6 of the NLCS but was pulled in the third inning after he hit Chase Utley with a pitch, causing the benches to clear. The left-hander had struggled since the outset of that game, giving up two runs on three hits in his two-plus innings of work. His previous two outings this postseason saw him give up three earned runs over 13.1 innings (2.03 ERA) while striking out 18 in starts against Atlanta and Philadelphia. All three of his playoff starts have come on the road where he has gone 5-6 with a 2.87 ERA this year, including postseason. Saturday will be his first career start against Texas.

Lewis has come up huge for Texas this postseason, going 2-0 with a 1.45 ERA in three starts. Unlike Sanchez, all of Lewis’ playoff starts have come at home where the right-hander is 8-4 with a 3.15 ERA, including playoffs. Lewis tossed eight innings of one-run ball in the series-clinching Game 6 win against New York in the ALCS. After losing seven decisions in a row, Lewis has now won five of his past six. He has never faced San Francisco but did go 3-1 this year against the National League, posting a 2.57 ERA and 0.86 WHIP in the process.

The FoxSheets like San Francisco to extend its series lead in Game 3:

Play On - All underdogs with a money line of +100 or higher (SAN FRANCISCO) - poor baserunning team - averaging 0.5 or less SB's/game on the season, in October games. (49-31 over the last 5 seasons.) (61.2%, +39.2 units. Rating = 4*).

Play On - All underdogs with a money line of +100 or higher (SAN FRANCISCO) - where team's hitters draw 3 walks or less/game on the season, after 2 straight wins by 4 runs or more. (52-37 over the last 5 seasons.) (58.4%, +31.9 units. Rating = 2*).

**StarDust Bum** · 10-30-2010, 09:16 AM

Preview: Giants (92-70) at Rangers (90-72)
Game: 3
Venue: AT&T Park
Date: October 30, 2010 6:57 PM EDT

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) - A half-hour after Jeff Francoeur hit an easy fly ball to end Game 2, a most curious sight began to unfold in front of the San Francisco dugout.

General manager Brian Sabean and maybe 100 members of the Giants staff gathered on the grass Thursday night at AT&T Park, posing for a group picture around a huge trophy.

Moments later, the party picked up. Family members joined in. Adults ran the bases, a toddler made a headfirst dive toward home plate. Hugs and high-fives for all. Hundreds of fans cheered from the box seats, horns honked outside the ballpark.

Sure looked like the Giants had just won the World Series.

They will, too, unless the Texas Rangers can reverse their fortunes at home. Down 2-0, the hitters are slumping, the bullpen is a wreck and the manager is being criticized. A team that did so well in the AL playoffs got battered 11-7 in the opener, then embarrassed 9-0.

``What you do is you just try to analyze what went wrong and just try to correct it,' Texas manager Ron Washington said before Friday's workout.

``Now that we're home, we feel comfortable back in this place. Not taking anything away from the Giants, they beat us soundly,' he said. ``We've just got to come back here, get focused and win a game. We win a game, everything will be fine.'

Colby Lewis is set to start Game 3 Saturday night against Giants lefty Jonathan Sanchez. It will be the first Series game in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

Signs around Rangers Ballpark proclaimed, ``It's Time!' Francoeur and his teammates hope so.

``I think it's important for us to come out, play well early, get guys on and put pressure on them. Make them feel uncomfortable,' Francoeur said. ``They did a good job of making us seem uncomfortable in their park. Hopefully we can turn around and do the same to them.'

Lewis, who closed out the Yankees in the AL championship series, will try to stop San Francisco's scoring spree. Texas has been tagged for 20 runs, the most allowed in a franchise's first two World Series games, STATS LLC said. Colorado set the previous record of 15 runs in 2007.

``If you try to get too amped or too overly confident, I think you get yourself in trouble,' Lewis said.

Vladimir Guerrero will rejoin the Texas lineup as the designated hitter. He drove in the first run of this World Series with a single off Tim Lincecum's leg, but also made two errors in right field and sat out Game 2.

Giants manager Bruce Bochy said Pablo Sandoval will be his DH.

``We get to get all of our weapons in that lineup,' Washington said. ``It's just comfortable to be back home in front of our fans. We can draw energy from them, and that's what we need.'

They certainly need some sort of boost.

``We're not playing the same. I don't know what it is,' Texas slugger Nelson Cruz said. ``I wish I could tell you. The way we're playing, it's different. It's not us.'

Neither is San Francisco, apparently. The week began with many fans wondering whether the Giants could hit enough to win - so far, they've become the first NL team to score at least nine runs in back-to-back World Series games.

Bochy and the Giants were merely going about their business inside the clubhouse while the postgame festivities took place on the field at AT&T Park, so nobody could accuse them of celebrating too early.

``There's baseball left,' Bochy said Friday. ``Two wins doesn't get you anything.'

Outside, members of the Giants organization whooped it up. They stood around the NL championship trophy - the official picture might've been a matter of logistics since there's no guarantee the Series will return to San Francisco.

``See you next year,' some giddy fans told ushers on their way out of the stadium. Others chanted ``Sweep! Sweep!'

About 400 Giants employees and guests were set to come to Texas.

``If anything to see how these fans have come out and brought the enthusiasm, energy, it's been a lot of fun here playing down the stretch,' Bochy said after the win.

Texas was one of baseball's best home teams this year, the Giants were among the top road clubs. The Rangers also had been doing well on the road - 5-1 in the AL playoffs - before San Francisco stopped them.

``Obviously they're more comfortable where they play. That's their home ballpark. They're used to having the DH,' Giants second baseman Freddy Sanchez said.

**StarDust Bum** · 10-30-2010, 09:17 AM

Sandoval to start at designated hitter for Giants
By: Staff Writer - AP
Published: 10/29/2010 at 7:19:00 PM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) - Pablo Sandoval is set to be the San Francisco Giants' designated hitter in Game 3 of the World Series on Saturday night.

With the Series shifting to the home of the American League champion Texas Rangers, Bochy had to decide who would DH. While Sandoval struggled through a down year, batting .268 with 13 home runs and 63 RBIs, using him will not disrupt a lineup that has been working. The Giants scored 20 runs in the first two games at home for a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven Series.

Sandoval - nicknamed ``Kung Fu Panda'' - has played in five games this postseason, making two starts in the NL division series against Atlanta and two more in the NLCS versus the Phillies.

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2010 World Series News Notes + Best Bets !

2010 World Series News Notes + Best Bets !

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