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**StarDust Bum** · 05-30-2011, 09:34 PM

MLB Odds: White Sox, Red Sox continue series

The Chicago White Sox pitching staff was battered for 22 runs in dropping the final two games of its road series against Toronto and now faces one of the hottest lineups in baseball. Boston has scored 38 runs in its last five contests leading up to this matchup, as the middle game of this three-game set is scheduled to start at 4:10 p.m. (PT) at Fenway Park.

Chicago’s struggles over the weekend added to recent woes at Rogers Centre where the White Sox have won just six of their last 28 games. They've been far more successful at tonight's venue, winning 10 of the last 12 meetings against the Red Sox at Fenway Park before this series began. In fact, the club won six of seven overall contests between the two teams in 2010, including all three in Beantown.

Manager Ozzie Guillen hopes the team will find a spark after destroying a chair and coffee machine in the visiting manager’s office Sunday.

“I wish I don’t feel anything for this game,” Guillen commented. “I wish I didn’t care about the White Sox. I try to put it in my mind that I don’t, but I can’t because I love baseball.”

White Sox scheduled starter Gavin Floyd (5-5, 3.69 ERA) may be just that after appearing in Saturday’s afternoon’s contest in relief in a 14-inning affair. Guillen doesn’t immediately know if the right-hander will make the start. Floyd was used for just one inning on May 28 and gave up a game-winning home run to Blue Jays outfielder Corey Patterson.

He will be making his eighth road appearance (seventh start), posting an even 3-3 mark and 3.27 ERA, issuing just 10 walks and striking out 37 over 41 1/3 innings. The former first-round selection can only hope he gets to appear in this series, toting a perfect 4-0 record and 3.53 ERA in six lifetime outings (five starts) against the Red Sox.

Boston tallied a 5-2 record on its seven-game road trip against American League Central opponents and now settles in for a six-game homestand. The Red Sox open the week having won 16 of their last 21 games and sitting atop the AL East standings.

Right-hander Alfredo Aceves (2-0, 2.22 ERA) will toe the rubber for the 14th time (third start) and will look to improve upon his 2-0 record and 2.21 ERA in May. He picked up his second victory of the season last time out in Detroit, allowing just one run and five hits over six strong innings.

Aceves has enjoyed past success against tonight’s opponent, tallying a 2-0 mark and 4.05 ERA, while holding hitters to a .224 batting average. Chicago infielder Gordon Beckham and outfielder Carlos Quentin are both hitless in four career at-bats against him.

Total players will find that the ‘under’ is 4-0 in Floyd’s last six starts versus the Red Sox, which isn’t surprising with the White Sox falling under the number in 12 of his last 16 outings versus AL East opponents.

Weather forecasts suggest partly cloudy skies in the Boston area and a pleasant game-time temperature in the mid-60s, while a southeasterly wind of 5-10 mph will be blowing from right to left.

**StarDust Bum** · 05-31-2011, 06:34 PM

Rangers bats try to stay hot in Tampa

TEXAS RANGERS (29-25)

at TAMPA BAY RAYS (28-25)

First Pitch: Tuesday, 6:40 p.m. EDT
Line: Texas -130, Tampa Bay +120, Total: 8.5

Texas continues its three-game series at Tampa on Tuesday. The Rangers won 11-5 on Monday to capture their sixth win in eight games.

Texas has now won three straight games, averaging 9.3 runs per game over that span. C.J. Wilson (5-3, 3.25 ERA) gets the start for the Rangers. Wilson has won both his career starts against the Rays, which includes last season’s ALDS when he allowed two hits and no runs in 6.1 innings. Wilson gave up one run in 6.1 innings of a 2-1 win over the White Sox on Wednesday. Wilson has a 2.95 ERA and 1.15 WHIP while going 1-1 over his past three starts.

The Rays have now dropped 10 of 15 games with Monday’s loss. Rays 23-year-old right-hander Alex Cobb (0-0, 8.31 ERA) will make his second career start on Tuesday. Cobb allowed four runs on four hits and four walks in 4.1 innings in his debut on May 1.

The Rangers are on an offensive roll with 10+ hits in four straight games. They have 15 homers, 14 doubles and are batting .329 over this span. I like them to score early and often against the rookie Cobb. I’m taking Texas, which should be much greater than -130.

The FoxSheets show this three-star trend advising to stay away from the Rays:

Play Against - All underdogs with a money line of +100 or higher (TAMPA BAY) - poor offensive team - scoring <=4.7 runs/game on the season (AL), after allowing 10 runs or more. (163-61 over the last 5 seasons.) (72.8%, +72 units. Rating = 3*).

**StarDust Bum** · 05-31-2011, 06:35 PM

Carpenter looks to snap losing skid facing Giants

SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS (29-24)

at ST. LOUIS CARDINALS (32-23)

First Pitch: Tuesday, 7:05 p.m. EDT
Line: St. Louis -160, San Francisco +150, Total: 7

The Giants continue their four-game series at St. Louis after taking the series opener on Monday, 7-3.

Ryan Vogelsong (3-1, 1.77 ERA) will look to continue his strong start to 2011. He is 3-1 with a 2.00 ERA in his six starts this season. Since allowing a season-high five runs against the Mets on May 3, Vogelsong has been untouchable. He has allowed just two runs (one earned) and posted a WHIP of 0.95 in his past four starts, but is just 2-1 over that span. Vogelsong will be making his first start against the Cardinals since he was with the Pirates in 2004. He was 0-4 with an 11.12 ERA in those four starts. Since then, he has made 10 relief appearances (in 2005 and 2006) against the Cardinals, allowing 13 runs and 23 hits in 18 innings.

The Cardinals have taken over first place in the NL Central, winning 10 of their past 14 games. Chris Carpenter (1-5, 4.58 ERA) will look to end a three-game losing streak on Tuesday when he faces the Giants. Carpenter has allowed 14 runs (12 ER) and 26 hits in his past three starts, losing all three. He has also been terrible in night games this year, going 1-2 with a 6.53 ERA and 1.98 WHIP in five starts under the lights. Carpenter has enjoyed facing the Giants though, as he is 4-1 with a 3.56 ERA in seven career starts against the Giants.

The Giants are 5-1 in Vogelsong’s starts and with the way he has dominated batters over his past four starts, I’m taking heavy-underdog San Francisco.

These two highly-rated FoxSheets trends also side with the Giants:

CHRIS CARPENTER is 1-9 (-12.3 Units) against the money line as a favorite of -110 or higher this season. (Team's Record). The average score was CARPENTER 3.7, OPPONENT 5.5 - (Rating = 4*).

SAN FRANCISCO is 64-29 (68.8%, +36.4 Units) against the money line with an on-base percentage of .310 or worse over their last 20 games over the last 2 seasons. The average score was SAN FRANCISCO 4.2, OPPONENT 2.8 - (Rating = 3*).

**StarDust Bum** · 05-31-2011, 06:37 PM

Lee tries pitch Phils to another win over Nats

PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES (34-20)

at WASHINGTON NATIONALS (22-31)

First Pitch: Tuesday, 7:05 p.m. EDT
Line: Philadelphia -165, Washington +155, Total: 7

With the Phillies in town, the heat is on in the nation’s capital, literally and figuratively. Monday the Phils came from behind to defeat the Nationals 5-4 on a sweltering 92-degree day. It was the eighth win in the past 11 games for the Phillies, and it came despite the fact that the Nats got to Roy Halladay, collecting 10 hits and three home runs against the reigning NL Cy Young Award winner. When you face Philly in a series and you lose to Halladay in the opener, you know the next man in line won’t be much easier. Such will be the case Tuesday evening, when Cliff Lee takes the hill trying to improve on his mastery of the Nationals.

Lee has a 3-0 lifetime mark against Washington. That’s three wins in three tries. In those starts, Lee has gone seven, nine, and nine innings respectively. His progression in terms of allowing hits has gone from 10 in start number one (back in 2009), to six in start number two (also in 2009), to three hits allowed when he faced them on April 14 of this year. In terms of strikeouts, he mowed down four and nine Nats respectively in ‘09. In April, he struck out 12. Simply put, not only is Lee perfect against the Nats, he’s getting a little more un-hittable with each appearance. If that wasn’t enough, Lee has won his past two starts, striking out 18 while walking only three in those wins, AND in his last start Lee went 2-for-4 with a double and three RBI. For a pitcher, Lee’s bat seems to stay alive (he is hitting .208 on the year), and suddenly so are the bats of his teammates.

Philadelphia has scored 49 runs in its past eight games (6-2). The return of Chase Utley and Domonic Brown to the lineup has provided a nice spark, with Brown hitting .310 after nine games. While Utley is only hitting .208, he had his first two-hit game on Saturday, and has been in the middle of several rallies. Raul Ibanez is going to miss the month of May. During May he has hit .317 with 7 HR, 19 RBI and 18 runs scored. It was his sac fly in the seventh inning on Monday that drove in the game-winning run.

Jason Marquis (5-2, 4.26 ERA) will try and slow down the Philadelphia bats. If history is any barometer, Jason will certainly deliver a “Marquis” effort, but whether the end result is “marquee” is another story. Marquis is 5-8 with a 5.76 ERA and 1.85 WHIP in 16 career starts against Philadelphia, including 0-5 with a 9.49 ERA and 2.19 WHIP in the past six outings versus the Phils. When he faced them on May 4 this year, he allowed 10 hits and seven runs (six earned) over five innings, striking out two and walking two. Marquis is 1-1 with a 5.94 ERA and 1.62 WHIP in his past three starts, as his control has gone south, walking eight and striking out five in 16.2 innings. On the positive side, Marquis is 3-0 with a 1.59 ERA and 0.97 WHIP in three starts at Nationals Park this season, so there’s plenty of room for improvement!

Improvement is what the Nationals are desperate for. Washington has lost eight of its past nine, struggling in tight games. Five of the eight losses during this stretch have been by one run. A bright note during this dismal period has been the play of Michael Morse, who is 10-for-27 (.370) with five home runs and 11 RBI in his past seven games. He homered Monday off of Halladay, and in one of the rare recent wins for the Nats, Morse hit a walk-off, ninth-inning HR last Friday to beat the Padres 2-1. With Ryan Zimmerman and Adam LaRoche both on the shelf with injuries, and Jayson Werth ($126 million contract) producing just eight homers and a .255 BA (both team highs), things are getting heated in DC, and we‘re not just talking about the weather.

　The pick here is for Lee and the Phils to be way too much to handle for Washington and Marquis. The FoxSheets provide two more trends siding with Philadelphia:

Play Against - Any team (WASHINGTON) - poor NL offensive team (<=4.1 runs/game) against a team with a very good bullpen (ERA<=3.33), on a good fielding streak, 15 straight games with one or less errors. (72-32 since 1997.) (69.2%, +38.5 units. Rating = 3*).

CHARLIE MANUEL is 93-49 (65.5%, +30.3 Units) against the money line vs. an NL starting pitcher whose WHIP is 1.350 to 1.450 as the manager of PHILADELPHIA. The average score was PHILADELPHIA 5.4, OPPONENT 3.9 - (Rating = 2*).

**StarDust Bum** · 05-31-2011, 06:38 PM

Greinke tries to lead Brewers to rare win over Reds

MILWAUKEE BREWERS (29-25)

at CINCINNATI REDS (28-27)

First Pitch: Tuesday, 7:10 p.m. EDT
Line: Milwaukee -125, Cincinnati +115, Total: 8.5

The Brewers and Reds continue their three-game series on Tuesday. The Reds won 7-3 on Monday, snapping a two-game losing streak, and increasing their recent dominance in the series. Cincinnati is 25-11 (+16.3 Units) versus Milwaukee in the past three seasons, including 14-4 at home and 6-1 this season.

Zack Greinke (3-1, 5.79 ERA) will get the start for Milwaukee. After recording a 6.43 ERA in his first four starts with Milwaukee, Greinke allowed three runs and five hits while striking out a season-high 10 batters in seven innings of Wednesday's 6-4 victory over Washington. The 2009 AL Cy Young award winner has 39 strikeouts and just three walks in 28 innings this season. Greinke’s only other career start against Cincinnati came last June 13. He pitched a complete game, allowing five hits (two Joey Votto homers), while striking out 12 in a 7-3 win for Kansas City.

The Reds are expected to counter with Chad Reineke (NR), who will be called up from the minors to make a spot start for the injured Homer Bailey (shoulder sprain). Reineke is 5-2 with a 2.52 ERA in 10 games for Triple-A Louisville in 2011. This is Reineke's first big league outing since appearing on Oakland's roster for one day Aug. 5, 2009. The right-hander yielded four runs and seven hits in five innings, not factoring in the decision of a 7-5 win over Texas. As a rookie with San Diego in 2008, Reineke went 2-1 with a 5.00 ERA in four games (three starts).

Greinke is starting to turn the corner and I like him and the Brewers to win on Tuesday. I’m taking Milwaukee, which is supported by this FoxSheets managerial trend:

DUSTY BAKER is 23-30 (43.4%, -14.4 Units) against the money line in home games after a win by 4 runs or more as the manager of CINCINNATI. The average score was CINCINNATI 4.4, OPPONENT 4.9 - (Rating = 1*).

**StarDust Bum** · 05-31-2011, 06:39 PM

White Sox go for 6th straight Fenway Park win

CHICAGO WHITE SOX (25-31)

at BOSTON RED SOX (30-24)

First Pitch: Tuesday, 7:10 p.m. EDT
Line: Boston -175, Chicago +165, Total: 9

Is Ozzie Guillen the Red Sox kryptonite?

The Boston Red Sox entered Monday’s series opener against the Pale Hose from Chicago winners of 13 of their past 16, yet Terry Francona’s team had lost 10 of its past 12 meetings to Chicago. After Monday night’s 7-3 defeat, that figure became 11 of its past 13, including five straight losses in Fenway to Chicago. Tuesday Alfredo Aceves, who has been hot as a replacement in the rotation for the injured Daisuke Matsuzaka, will try and break the drought.

Aceves has only started once against the ChiSox in his career, a start that came back in 2008. While he did not earn a decision, he did pitch well, allowing five hits and two runs over six innings. Aceves has appeared in 13 games this season, with Tuesday being his third start. His record stands at 2-0 with an impressive 2.22 ERA an 1.06 WHIP overall. While his K-to-BB ratio is rather pedestrian (17 strikeouts to 10 walks), Aceves hasn’t let the opposing batters hurt him, allowing just 20 hits in 28.1 innings this season. He went six innings in his last start Thursday, giving up just five hits and one run in the game. To be fair, the limited stress level probably played a factor, as the Red Sox scored 14 runs that day to defeat the Tigers going away. The victory was the 12th consecutive winning decision for Aceves, dating back to 2009 when he was with the Yankees. Tuesday he tries to make it 13 straight wins, something that no pitcher in baseball has achieved since Brandon Webb turned the trick from 2007-2008.

The Boston bats have hit a temporary lull in the past two games, losing 3-0 to Detroit Sunday night before Monday’s defeat (veteran pitchers like Justin Verlander and Jake Peavy can do that to a team). That lull is not likely to last, when you consider that in the 15 games leading up to their recent two-game skid, the Red Sox put up a total of 98 runs in that span, as they went 13-2 during that stretch. Carl Crawford has hit .311 in May with 11 extra-base hits and 15 RBI. Adrian Gonzalez is building an MVP-style resume. If his June and July months resemble his May production (.347, 9 HR, 31 RBI) make an appointment with the engravers of the MVP Award and double check the spelling.

While Aceves has seen very limited action against Chicago (one game) his counterpart, White Sox starting pitcher Philip Humber has never faced the Red Sox. Humber is 3-3 with a 2.85 ERA this season, spanning nine starts and two relief outings. He has 33 K to 13 BB and sports a very impressive 0.93 WHIP. Humber has a win and two no-decisions in his past three outings, yet was very strong in his most recent start at Toronto last Thursday, when he pitched 7.2 innings, allowing six hits, one run, striking out three and walking just one batter. The White Sox eventually won the game 3-1. "I wish we could have given Phil that win," reliever Sergio Santos told the White Sox's official website. "... He did so well. He kept us in the game and he put us in a position to win."

Before Monday’s victory, the White Sox had lost five of their previous seven games, allowing a total of 32 runs in those five losses. With a victory Tuesday, Chicago will have a six-game win streak in Fenway, something that has not happened since they ran off seven straight over two seasons in 1958-59.

The pick here is for Boston to bounce back at home and put a halt to the streak, which is backed up by this three-star FoxSheets trend:

Play Against - Road underdogs with a money line of +150 or more (CHICAGO WHITE SOX) - with a starting pitcher whose gives up 0.5 or less HR's/start, with a team batting average of .255 or worse on the season (AL). (142-42 since 1997.) (77.2%, +63.7 units. Rating = 3*).

**StarDust Bum** · 05-31-2011, 06:41 PM

Bedard looks to stay hot against former team

BALTIMORE ORIOLES (24-28)

at SEATTLE MARINERS (27-26)

First Pitch: Tuesday, 10:10 p.m. EDT
Line: Seattle -130, Baltimore +120, Total: 7

Seattle hosts the Orioles on Tuesday in game number two of a three-game series at Safeco Field. Baltimore has dropped four straight contests, while the Mariners continue to play great baseball.

This season the Orioles have continued the woeful ways of this franchise since winning the AL East in 1997, which was also their last season above .500. They enter Tuesday four games under .500, and are trying to avoid their sixth straight season with at least 90 losses. Jeremy Guthrie (2-6, 3.63 ERA) will look to end the Orioles four-game losing streak. After going 0-6 in seven starts, Guthrie is 1-0 with a 2.57 ERA and 1.07 WHIP in his past two starts. He is 0-2 with a 6.06 ERA in his past three starts against Seattle.

The Mariners have been one of the best teams in baseball over the last few weeks. They have won 10 of 12 and enter Tuesday 1.5 games back of the Rangers in the AL West. Eric Bedard will look to continue his recent hot trend when he takes the mound on Tuesday. Since starting the season 0-4 with a 7.71 ERA and 1.98 WHIP in his first four starts, Bedard is 3-0 with a jaw-dropping 1.09 ERA and 0.85 WHIP in his past five starts. He has not allowed a run in each of his past two outings, allowing just nine hits with 13 K in 14 innings. Bedard is still seeking his first win at Safeco Field since defeating Minnesota on June 7, 2009, a span of seven starts. He beat the Orioles at home five days earlier that year, and is 1-0 with a 2.61 ERA in two games against his former team, striking out 15 in 10 1/3 innings.

Seattle is winning lately without the help of Ichiro, who perhaps for the first time in his soon-to-be-Hall-of-Fame career, is struggling for a lengthy amount of time. Ichiro has just 22 hits this month, and his .216 BA in May is a career low for any month.

Bedard and the Mariners are on a roll and I like them to win on Tuesday. I’m taking Seattle, which is only a slight favorite.

The FoxSheets show this three-star trend in favor of the Mariners:

Play On - Home teams (SEATTLE) - below average hitting team (AVG <=.265) against a good starting pitcher (ERA <=4.20) -AL, with a starting pitcher whose WHIP is 1.300 or better on the season-AL. (264-160 over the last 5 seasons.) (62.3%, +83.7 units. Rating = 3*).

**StarDust Bum** · 05-31-2011, 07:14 PM

Tuesday's Tip Sheet

May 31, 2011

**Phillies at Nationals**

--Most betting shops opened Philadelphia (34-20, +789) as a minus-185 favorite with a total of seven ‘over’ (minus-120). Gamblers can avoid the ‘chalky’ straight price and back the Phillies on tThe run line (minus 1 ½ runs) for a minus-115 price.

--Charlie Manuel’s squad won a 5-4 decision as a minus-205 favorite Monday at Washington. Ryan Howard hit a solo homer and then had an RBI single to tie the game in the seventh. Next, Raul Ibanez, who had also hit a solo blast earlier, followed up Howard with an RBI single to give the Phils the lead for good. Roy Halladay went seven innings en route to his seventh victory, while Ryan Madson worked a perfect ninth for his 12th save.

--Cliff Lee (4-4, 3.50) will toe the rubber for the Phillies, who own a 15-10 road record this year. The veteran left-hander is 1-3 with a 4.55 ERA in five road assignments. The ‘under’ is 7-4 in Lee’s 11 overall starts.

--Washington (22-31, -332) has lost eight of its last nine games and fell to 12-12 at home with Monday’s loss to the Phils. Michael Morse, Danny Espinosa and Laynce Nix each popped solo homers in the losing effort.

--The Nationals will turn to Jason Marquis (5-2, 4.26), who has helped his team to seven wins in his 10 outings. The ‘over’ is 8-2 in Marquis’s 10 starts. The veteran right-hander is 3-0 with a 1.59 ERA at home.

--Marquis has been the third-most lucrative starting pitcher to support this season. The Nats have a money total of plus-656 in his 10 assignments.

--The ‘over’ is on a 7-0-1 run for the Phillies, who have seen the ‘over’ go 25-24-5 overall.

--The ‘over’ is 30-22 overall for the Nats, but the ‘under’ has been more prevalent (13-11) in their home games.

--Before Monday’s action, the Phillies bullpen has the majors’ third-best ERA at 2.61.

--Marquis is scheduled to throw the first pitch at 7:05 p.m. Eastern on Tuesday night.

**Yankees at A’s**

--Most books opened Oakland (27-28, -493) as a minus-120 favorite with a total of 7 ½ ‘under’ (minus-115). Bettors can back the A’s on the run line for a payout in the plus-165 range (risk $100 to win $165).

--New York (29-23, -198) improved to 12-10 on the road following Monday’s 5-0 win at Oakland. The Yankees momentarily pulled to within one-half game of Boston for the AL-East lead. Mark Teixeira belted his 16th homer in the first inning and that's all the Yanks would need. Bartolo Colon threw a four-hit shutout for his third win of the year.

--Freddy Garcia (3-4, 3.26) will get Tuesday’s starting nod from Joe Girardi. Garcia, the veteran right-hander, is 0-1 with a 3.21 ERA on the road. The ‘under’ is 6-2 in Garcia’s eight starts and the Yankees are 4-4 when he takes the mound.

--Oakland will counter Garcia with Brett Anderson (3-4, 2.84), who is 2-3 with a 2.35 ERA at home this year. Anderson has seen the ‘over’ go 5-4-2 in his 11 starts. The A’s are 5-6 when he takes the hill.

--Oakland fell to 14-13 at home after losing Monday’s series opener against the Bronx Bombers. The A’s were in third place in the AL West, two games behind division-leading Texas going into Monday's games under the lights.

--The Yankees own a 10-6 record against left-handed pitching.

--The ‘over’ was hitting at a 7-0-1 clip in the Yankees’ eight games previous to Memorial Day afternoon.

--MLB-TV will have the telecast at 10:05 p.m. Eastern.

**StarDust Bum** · 05-31-2011, 07:17 PM

Diamond Trends - Tuesday

May 31, 2011

SU TREND OF THE DAY:

The Marlins are 0-10 since April 13, 2010 within 20 cents of pickem vs a team that has won at least their last two games for a net profit of $1020 when playing against.

OU TREND OF THE DAY:

The Angels are 0-13-2 OU since May 29, 2010 as a favorite when they lost by one run in their starter’s last start for a net profit of $1300 when playing the under.

STARTER TREND OF THE DAY:

The Marlins are 0-11-1 OU since June 25, 2006 when Anibal Sanchez starts on the road vs a team that has won at least their last two games for a net profit of $1100 when playing the under.

MLB BIBLE TREND OF THE DAY:

The Mariners are 18-0 (+3.7 rpg) since June 7th, 2009 as a 130+ home favorite when they are off a win in which they scored in at most two separate innings.

TODAY’S TRENDS:

The Phillies are 14-0 since August 01, 2010 as a road 140+ favorite vs a divisional foe that is behind them in the divisional standings for a net profit of $1400.

The Pirates are 0-10 since August 01, 2010 on the road after a loss in which they drew 1 or fewer walks for a net profit of $1000 when playing against.

The Rockies are 0-6 since May 19, 2010 on the road when they are off two losses in which they never led for a net profit of $700 when playing against.

**StarDust Bum** · 05-31-2011, 07:21 PM

June Pitchers Report

May 30, 2011

If it’s June, school is out. And so too will be the NBA (we think). It’s also the time of the season when MLB pitchers look to ace exams in hopes of keeping their teams in the pennant chase. To get a better feel on what to expect, let’s examine their results from exams in the past.

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 June. On the flip side, we’ve also listed pitchers that struggle in June 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 June over the last three years. I’ll be back next month with July’s Good Month Pitchers. Until then, enjoy…

GOOD MONTH PITCHERS:

Floyd, Gavin • 13-5
The White Sox right-hander is a rock solid middle of the rotation hurler, who is on pace to break previous career lows in ERA, WHIP and batting average allowed. If Chicago can start to score runs, Floyd should produce another super June.

Galarraga, Armando • 14-3
Because Galarraga could not command his fastball (22 walks in 42 1/3 innings) and hit too many bats otherwise, Arizona designated him for assignment and his next move is the minors or being waived.

Harden, Rich • 8-4
Was transferred to the 60-day DL on April 18 and is restricted to strengthening exercises for his shoulder injury. His season is very much in doubt and is on the DL for the 10th time in his career.

Hernandez, Felix • 11-3
When doesn’t King Felix pitch well, especially considering some of Seattle teams he’s played for. Hernandez can be expected to match previous June’s since he’s really gotten the feel for his changeup, which he’s used increasingly more as an out-pitch to compliment his other filthy stuff.

Kazmir, Scott 8-4
The Angels left-hander is attempting to return from back problems and his most recent rehab start in Triple-A did not go well (24 strikes in 50 pitches), allowing six earned runs. Kazmir is a shadow of the pitcher he was at Tampa Bay.

Kendrick, Kyle • 7-3
Now a relief pitcher for Philadelphia because of their strong starting staff, Kendrick has been a spot starter on two occasions this season with mixed results.

Lackey, John • 12-4
The Red Sox hurler went on the DL on May 12 with a right elbow strain. Lackey’s been throwing bullpen sessions and was tentatively scheduled for minor league rehab start on May 31. If that goes well, the former Angels chucker could be recalled as soon as June 5. Another pitcher whose lost velocity and snap on his breaking pitches.

Lee, Cliff • 12-5
The Phillies lefty has been a little off this season, mostly because he’s on target to permit the most walks since 2004 when he was still in Cleveland. Maybe the warmer temperatures will get Lee back on his game and lead Philadelphia to more victories.

Lester, Jon • 11-4
One of the finest pitchers in baseball from May thru September and dependable as they come. Lester has the classic left-hander delivery, likes to establish strike one with all hitters and prefers to cut his low to mid-90’s fastball to right hand hitters and build around it.

Lilly, Ted • 12-6
After a deplorable start, Lilly has lowered his ERA more than a run and half. Make sure to watch what time of day the Dodger port-sider is pitching, since he has huge disparity. (6.33 ERA in day games and 2.97 at night)

Lincecum, Tim • 12-5
Because San Francisco can’t score, Lincecum’s record does not belie how well he’s thrown. “The Freak” coasts in low the 90’s with fastball, has improved power slider and Lincecum’s throwing motion on his change-up is virtually indiscernible.

Nolasco, Ricky • 11-5
The Florida starter has a sound repeatable delivery and throws a few different fastballs that match almost perfectly with tightly-spun curveball that he will throw on any count. Watch for Nolasco on the road since he and Marlins mates are 15-4 when he toes the rubber and 11-2 away from home when the money line is +125 to -125 the last two seasons.

Sabathia, CC • 11-4
In the same mold as Lester, manager Joe Girardi knows what to count on from his big southpaw game in game out. Once again Sabathia is a nightmare to left hand batters who are hitting just .197 against him.

Wakefield, Tim • 10-5
With all the injuries to Boston starting pitchers, the old knuckleballer is there to give skipper Terry Francona a reliable fifth starter when called upon. To date Wakefield is conceding his lowest batting average allowed in three years.

Weaver, Jered • 10-5
It’s been a crazy campaign for the Anaheim ace, being the first pitcher since 1884 (that’s correct 127 years ago) to start the year with six straight wins and lose the next four times. With any run support, Weaver should return to winning ways this month.

BAD MONTH PITCHERS:

Blanton, Joe • 5-11
The Phillies fifth starter is on the DL for a second time this season with his right elbow. Blanton is prohibited from throwing until at least June 10 and his exact return is uncertain.

Garland, Jon • 5-11
Strictly a back of the rotation starter at this point of his career. Garland is on pace to surrender a .270 or higher batting average allowed for the fifth time in the past six seasons.

Hudson, Tim • 4-8
Back stiffness again bothered Hudson at the end May, however this was expected to be a temporary setback. Has pitched more to contact this season with strikeouts down and prefers Turner Field (3.10 ERA) to the road (5.33).

Santana, Johan • 4-13

Still recovering from shoulder surgery last September, Santana has been throwing at the Mets spring training complex and is on pace for a late July return to New York barring no setbacks.

**StarDust Bum** · 05-31-2011, 08:01 PM

Tuesday, May 31

Game Score Status Pick Amount

Texas - 6:40 PM ET Texas -124 500
Tampa Bay - Over 8 500

Minnesota - 7:05 PM ET Detroit -182 500
Detroit - Over 8.5 500

Philadelphia - 7:05 PM ET Washington +152 500
Washington - Over 7.5 500

San Francisco - 7:05 PM ET San Francisco +152 500
St. Louis - Under 7 500

Cleveland - 7:07 PM ET Toronto -159 500
Toronto - Over 8.5 500

Chi. White Sox - 7:10 PM ET Chi. White Sox +169 500
Boston - Over 9 500

San Diego - 7:10 PM ET San Diego +107 500
Atlanta - Over 7 500

Pittsburgh - 7:10 PM ET Pittsburgh -103 500
NY Mets - Over 7.5 500

Milwaukee - 7:10 PM ET Cincinnati +122 500
Cincinnati - Under 9 500

Houston - 8:05 PM ET Houston +155 500
Chi. Cubs - Over 10.5 500

LA Angels - 8:10 PM ET Kansas City -103 500
Kansas City - Under 8.5 500

Florida - 9:40 PM ET Florida +126 500
Arizona - Under 8.5 500

NY Yankees - 10:05 PM ET Oakland -125 500
Oakland - Over 7 500

Baltimore - 10:10 PM ET Seattle -132 500
Seattle - Over 6.5 500

Colorado - 10:10 PM ET LA Dodgers -115 500
LA Dodgers - Over 7 500

**Dat Boi E** · 05-31-2011, 08:24 PM

good luck, stardust!

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