The Bum's MLB April's News-Notes-Trends & Best Bets !!

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Royals (10-7) at Tigers (9-9)

Game: 2
Venue: Comerica Park
Date: April 24, 2013 7:05 PM EDT


The Kansas City Royals are in an unfamiliar position atop the AL Central and hope to make a big statement against the two-time defending division champions.

That may be difficult in a place that has given them fits lately, though the Detroit Tigers are hardly playing well.

Wade Davis will try to help the Royals end their seven-game skid in Detroit in the opener of this rain-shortened series Wednesday night when he opposes Max Scherzer, whose Tigers look to avoid a fifth straight loss.

Kansas City (10-7), which hasn't won a division title since 1985, had dropped four of six before coming through with a doubleheader sweep in Boston on Sunday. Following a 4-2 victory in the opener, Billy Butler hit a game-tying homer in the eighth inning and Lorenzo Cain walked with the bases loaded in the 10th of a 5-4 win in the second game.

That was the last time the Royals played. With three scheduled days off and rain Tuesday providing a second postponement since Friday, Kansas City has been off five of the past nine days.

"It feels almost like getting at_bats for the first time in spring again," Butler said. "Except these ones count. I'm sure in their own respect it's affecting the pitchers, too."

Butler's team didn't have many good at_bats in losing its final seven games at Comerica Park last season, hitting .216 with seven walks and 67 strikeouts. Kansas City has lost 12 of 15 in Detroit and now looks to avoid its longest losing streak there since dropping 14 straight between 1987 and 1990.

The Tigers went 13-5 against the Royals last season but enter this three-game set having lost four straight. They've scored six runs in 54 innings over their last five games while batting .191, having suffered a three-game sweep to the Los Angeles Angels over the weekend.

"We have no excuses," said right fielder Torii Hunter, who was hitting .418 before going 1 for 7 in the last two games.

Hunter is 3 for 7 with two doubles against Davis (2-0, 2.25), but the right-hander enters this matchup having thrown 12 scoreless innings over his last two outings while striking out 13.

Scherzer (1-0, 2.84) also is coming off a pair of impressive starts, with 23 strikeouts over 14 innings as he limited Oakland and Seattle to two earned runs.

Scherzer is 12-2 with a 2.58 ERA in his last 23 starts - including the 2012 playoffs - and went 2-0 in three starts against the Royals last season as he gave up four runs over 17 innings.

Should the Tigers (9-9) wind up in a situation where they need a save Wednesday, they'll turn to a familiar face. Detroit on Tuesday agreed to a one-year contract with Jose Valverde, who saved 84 games for the Tigers over the past two seasons.

Detroit was ready to let Valverde leave as a free agent after his poor postseason, but he never signed elsewhere and the Tigers brought him back on a minor league deal. Valverde pitched three scoreless innings at Class-A Lakeland.

Detroit may not need Valverde, whom manager Jim Leyland said would start closing immediately, if Davis pitches like he did in his first career start at Comerica. Davis surrendered home runs to Miguel Cabrera and Alex Avila and gave up five runs over six innings while not receiving a decision in a 7-6 loss for Tampa Bay in 2011.

Cabrera and Avila are a combined 4 for 17 against Davis, but each hit was a homer.

Victor Martinez has gone 1 for 9 against him while Austin Jackson is 1 for 8, and that duo is a combined 1 for 33 during Detroit's four-game skid.

Catcher Salvador Perez is 5 for 7 with a double and two homers versus Scherzer while Alex Gordon has gone 7 for 18.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Pirates (11-9) at Phillies (9-12)

Game: 3
Venue: Citizens Bank Park
Date: April 24, 2013 7:05 PM EDT


Following a rough start to the year, Roy Halladay appears to have recaptured his Cy Young form.

That shouldn't come as much of a surprise to the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Halladay takes the mound for the Philadelphia Phillies looking to continue his dominance of the Pirates as these clubs play the third of four Wednesday night at Citizens Bank Park.

After compiling an uncharacteristic 14.73 ERA in losing his first two starts, Halladay (2-2, 6.04 ERA) has posted a 1.80 ERA and limited opponents to a .143 average in recording back-to-back wins. The two-time Cy Young award winner gave up two hits - both solo homers - and went the distance in Friday's rain-shortened 8-2, seven-inning victory over St. Louis.

"Today was as close as I've felt to where I want to be. When I stay within myself and execute the mechanics the way they should be done, I feel good where I'm at," he said.

"I always felt I was going in the right direction. Once I got a chance to pitch deeper in games, do more bullpens, I felt I was able to take some of that over into the game."

Halladay has to like his chances of keeping things going versus Pittsburgh (11-9). The right-hander, who's won three consecutive starts in the series, has gone 4-1 over six career matchups against the Pirates while compiling a 0.98 ERA - his lowest mark against any opponent.

He's made things difficult on several of their hitters, including Andrew McCutchen (1 for 10), Neil Walker (1 for 9), Clint Barmes (0 for 8) and Pedro Alvarez (0 for 5).

Halladay, though, could find himself in a pitchers' duel with Wandy Rodriguez (2-0, 0.56). Scratched from his previous start due to a strained hamstring, Rodriguez faced the minimum while throwing seven innings of one-hit ball Friday in a 6-0 win over Atlanta.

"When you see a guy twirling like he did today, there's not any team that's going to put up much against him," manager Clint Hurdle said. "It wasn't just the strikes but the location of the strikes. It was like he was throwing darts.

"I don't know if we can afford to throw him every 11th day, but that was pretty special."

The left-hander is 2-2 with a 4.70 ERA against the Phillies (9-12).

After dropping Monday's series opener 3-2, Pittsburgh bounced back with a 2-0 win the following night. Jeff Locke threw six strong innings and Gaby Sanchez hit his second homer.

The Pirates opened 1-5 but have since won 10 of 14, including four of their last five while allowing six total runs.

Pittsburgh catcher Russell Martin extended his hitting streak to eight games with a single Tuesday. He's batting .444 with two homers and six runs scored over that stretch.

McCutchen, though, hasn't been very locked in of late. He's hitless in eight at_bats in the series and is batting .120 in his last seven road games. McCutchen is a career .193 hitter in Philadelphia.

The Phillies, who went 26 for 62 (.419) with runners in scoring position over their first eight home games, have since gone 5 for 34 (.147), including Tuesday's 0-for-5 effort.

"I think they're trying, maybe a little bit too hard," manager Charlie Manuel said. "But you have to get it done. ... We have to improve our game."

Cleanup hitter Ryan Howard left two runners on base Tuesday, and has one RBI in his last 11 games. He is 4 for 12 with a homer lifetime against Rodriguez.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Dodgers (9-10) at Mets (9-9)

Game: 2
Venue: Citi Field
Date: April 24, 2013 7:10 PM EDT


At just 24 years old, the New York Mets' Matt Harvey has taken the game by storm in his first full season in the majors.

The Los Angeles Dodgers, meanwhile, are counting on veteran Ted Lilly to give their injury-plagued rotation a much-needed lift.

Looking to become the first Met to win his first five starts in seven years, Harvey takes the mound opposite Lilly, who's set to make his season debut Wednesday night when these clubs continue a three-game series at Citi Field.

Harvey (4-0, 0.93 ERA) has been lights out thus far, striking out 32 over 29 innings while limiting opponents to a .108 average. He is the first pitcher in baseball's modern era to win his first four starts while yielding a combined 10 hits or fewer.

The right-hander gave up one run, four hits and struck out seven in as many innings Friday in a 7-1 win over Washington.

"There's going to be a lot of years you're going to talk about this guy," manager Terry Collins said. "He pitched great, but that's the mark of a true ace. Games like that can spread to great seasons."

Harvey, who walked off to a standing ovation after outpitching Stephen Strasburg, improved to 2-2 with a 1.42 ERA over six career home starts.

"He functions on such a high octane already," catcher John Buck told MLB's official website. "To be honest, I really don't think he cares who he's facing."

Harvey has a chance to become the first Met to win his first five starts since Pedro Martinez in 2006. He'll try to get the best of Lilly, who's eager to get back on the hill for the first time since May 23 after recovering from shoulder surgery.

The left-hander, entering his 15th season, will help fill in for the injured Zack Greinke and Chris Capuano.

"I spent plenty of time on the DL last year and I can't wait to get off it," he said. "Unfortunately, to be completely frank, the last thing we needed was something like what happened to Greinke and Cappy going down. I hope they get back as soon as possible."

Lilly's contributions will prove all the more crucial with Chad Billingsley now out, too. Billingsley is set to undergo Tommy John surgery Wednesday.

"We're still in good order," manager Don Mattingly said. "We'll end up with five guys that are accomplished starters (Clayton Kershaw, Hyun-Jin Ryu, Josh Beckett, Lilly and Capuano) and Greinke on top of that. Nobody wants to hear our complaints. A lot of teams would like to have five accomplished major league starters."

Lilly is 2-2 with a 3.72 ERA over six starts versus New York (9-9). He can't be looking forward to facing Marlon Byrd, who's gone 8 for 17 with a homer in their matchups.

After managing 13 runs over a six-game losing streak, Los Angeles (9-10) has scored seven in each of its last two contests, winning both. Mark Ellis did most of the damage in Tuesday's 7-2 series-opening victory, going 4 for 5 with a pair of homers and four RBIs.

"We've been lacking some big hits lately," he said. "We haven't done a great job early on this season."

Matt Kemp, who went 2 for 5 with a double, is a career .370 hitter (20 for 54) at Citi Field.

The Dodgers have outscored the Mets 38-19 during a five-game winning streak. Los Angeles has also won five straight in New York.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Yankees (11-8) at Rays (9-11)

Game: 3
Venue: Tropicana Field
Date: April 24, 2013 7:10 PM EDT


After feeling fine following his most recent outing, Andy Pettitte will try to win his first four starts for the first time during a successful and lengthy major league career.

The New York Yankees left-hander hopes to achieve that feat while continuing his success against the Tampa Bay Rays in Wednesday night's decisive series finale.

Pettitte (3-0, 2.01 ERA) has started 4-0 twice in his previous 17 seasons (1997, 2010), but never through the first four starts. He's in position to do so after allowing three runs in 7 1-3 innings of a 9-4 win at Toronto on Friday.

"Andy is remarkable,' teammate Vernon Wells said of Pettitte, who turns 41 in June. "I've had a chance to see him for a long time and he's the same guy he was 10, 12 years ago. It's fun to watch and it's a pleasure to watch an individual that's been around this long and still continues to have success.'

Pettitte had missed his previous turn in the rotation due to back spasms, but manager Joe Girardi said Pettitte felt fine after beating the Blue Jays.

"Normal soreness, so everything is OK," Girardi told the Yankees' official website Saturday. "You want to see how the back responds after the workload, and it came out OK, so I'm pleased."

Pettitte dominated the Rays (9-11) in his lone chance last season, allowing two hits and striking out 10 over 7 1-3 innings in a 7-0 home win June 5.

He'll look to help the Yankees (11-8) win this series after a 4-3 victory on Tuesday. Ichiro Suzuki had two hits, including a go-ahead two-run single in the ninth as New York improved to 3-2 on a six-game trip.

"I haven't been able to do much, but hopefully things like this will help me get past it,' said the 39-year-old Suzuki, who is hitting .220 with a homer and five RBIs.

Robinson Cano added two hits, and is batting .423 (11 for 26) in the last six games. He's batted .387 (12 for 31) in his last eight at Tropicana Field.

Both hits in nine at_bats against scheduled Rays starter Alex Cobb (2-1, 2.53) have been home runs.

The right-hander allowed three runs and overcame 10 hits to last 7 1-3 innings for an 8-3 win over Oakland on Friday.

"He was more workmanlike (Friday), and that's a great thing," manager Joe Maddon told the Rays' official website.

He is 1-1 with a 3.15 ERA in three starts against the Yankees.

Tampa Bay's four-game winning streak ended Tuesday, but Maddon again plans to keep things lose in the clubhouse Wednesday as he did through the first five games of the homestand. He had a DJ play music, a magician do card tricks and Tuesday a cockatoo made an appearance.

"Snakes are out,' Maddon said. "I will not be in the clubhouse with a snake. Regardless of what people say, I'm not on board with that.'

Teammate Evan Longoria has reached base in all 20 games after homering Tuesday. Half of his 10 hits in 39 at_bats during a 10-game hitting streak have left the park.

He is 2 for 18 with a double and a home run versus Pettitte.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Rangers (13-7) at Angels (8-11)

Game: 3
Venue: Angel Stadium of Anaheim
Date: April 24, 2013 10:05 PM EDT


After the Los Angeles Angels were the victims of late-inning heroics Monday, they appeared to be set for a similar ending Tuesday.

Instead, they'll have a chance to win this three-game series - though the pitching matchup hardly seems to be in their favor.

Yu Darvish looks to continue his impressive start for visiting Texas on Wednesday night while the Angels turn to fill-in rookie starter Michael Roth in what looks to be a tough spot.

A day after Ernesto Frieri surrendered the go-ahead homer in the top of the ninth to A.J. Pierzynski in a 7-6 Rangers win, Texas (13-7) tied the score at 4-all Tuesday with an unearned run in the eighth. Frieri almost suffered a similar fate as Mike Trout - with a Texas runner on third in the ninth - took what would have been extra bases away from Adrian Beltre as he laid out for a diving catch on the warning track.

Howie Kendrick delivered the deciding blow with his second home run of the night in the bottom of the 11th to give the Angels a 5-4 win.

"It's a great feeling to know that you can leave the other team on the field," Kendrick said two days after Mark Trumbo hit a walk-off homer to beat Detroit in 13 innings. "But to get the victory is the most important thing."

Kendrick and the rest of the order now will have to contend with Darvish (3-1, 2.03 ERA), who has struck out 38 in 26 2-3 innings over his four starts. He surrendered season highs of six hits and four walks - resulting in three runs - over five innings against the Angels (8-11) on April 7 in a 7-3 win.

Darvish is coming off his 10th career 10-strikeout game as he threw seven shutout innings against the Mariners on Friday.

While he still could stand to be more efficient - Darvish needed 111 pitches against Seattle - manager Ron Washington won't complain if the wins continue to pile up.

"He's been asserting himself for quite a while now - even when he felt that maybe he wasn't performing the way he should, the results were still being gotten," Washington told the team's official website. "That's what good pitchers do."

The Angels counter with Roth (1-0, 3.60), who will make his first career start. The left-hander is filling in for Tommy Hanson, who was placed on the bereavement list Monday following a death in his family.

Roth is just two days removed from being charged with a run without recording an out in Monday's series opener. The 23-year-old gave up a single to Lance Berkman, the only batter he faced in his fourth relief appearance this season.

"My arm feels good," Roth told the Angels' official website. "I haven't thrown out of the 'pen on back-to-back days yet. I think I'll be all right."

Darvish was just fine in Anaheim last season, going 2-1 with a 2.11 ERA and fanning 27 in 21 1-3 innings.

Mike Trout is one of the few Angels to have had some success against Darvish, going 6 for 19 with two homers and five walks.

Kendrick is 0 for 12 with five strikeouts.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Brewers (11-8) at Padres (5-15)

Game: 3
Venue: PETCO Park
Date: April 24, 2013 10:10 PM EDT


The Milwaukee Brewers continue to roll and aren't showing any signs of slowing down.

The slumping San Diego Padres are surely glad to see them leaving town.

Seeking a 10th consecutive win, the Brewers try to sweep the Padres for the first time in 10 seasons Wednesday night.

After winning 7-1 in Monday's series opener, Milwaukee (11-8) jumped all over San Diego starter Clayton Richard, tagging him for six runs over the first two innings of Tuesday's 6-3 victory.

"The Brewers had good at_bats against Clayton," Padres manager Bud Black said. "They had a lot of opposite field hits and they were taking what he was giving them."

Jean Segura had a career high-tying three hits while Jonathan Lucroy and Yuniesky Betancourt both drove in a pair of runs. Ryan Braun, who had homered four times over the previous five days, went 0 for 4 but plated his 14th RBI during the winning streak.

The Brewers, who haven't won 10 in a row since Aug. 19-28, 2003, haven't swept the Padres since taking three straight matchups earlier that same year - May 19-21. Their last sweep in San Diego came May 31-June 2, 2002.

The Padres (5-15), meanwhile, find themselves on the verge of dropping eight straight home games for the first time since a nine-game slide June 21-July 7, 2008.

San Diego has also been handed five consecutive losses overall by a 23-6 margin. The Padres are batting .201 over that stretch, including a 4-for-26 effort with runners in scoring position.

Yonder Alonso has just two hits in his last 21 at_bats. Chase Headley has also struggled, going 4 for 21 over six games since debuting last Wednesday.

The Padres will try to get back on track against Marco Estrada (2-0, 4.50 ERA), who allowed three runs and seven hits over six innings Friday in a 5-4 victory over the Chicago Cubs.

"It felt like my mechanics were just a little off," he told MLB's official website. "By the fifth or the sixth, they were back and I felt much better. It was a grind. Mentally, physically, it was a grind."

While he's yet to lose this season, Estrada continues to be plagued by the long ball. The right-hander, who's been taken deep six times over four outings spanning 24 innings, has given up 1.4 homers per nine innings over 27 starts since the beginning of last year.

Estrada is 0-1 with a 2.70 ERA over three relief appearances versus San Diego.

The Padres counter with Edinson Volquez (0-3, 8.84), who had dropped his first three starts before coming around in Friday's 3-2 walkoff loss at San Francisco. The right-hander allowed two runs and eight hits over six innings.

"I think I've got a better tempo now, a better rhythm between pitches," he said. "I'm trying to keep the ball down and throw more strikes."

Volquez is 0-2 with a 5.84 ERA over his last four matchups against the Brewers. Rickie Weeks has taken him deep twice, going 6 for 14 in their matchups. Braun has also fared well, going 9 for 25 with a homer. Lucroy, though, is just 1 for 10.

Volquez will need to keep a close eye on Segura, who's stolen a base in five straight games. The speedy shortstop is batting .377 on the season.

[StarDust Bum]

Armadillo: Wednesday's six-pack

-- In two losses to the Knicks this week, Celtics have a total of 48 second half points. 48 points in 48:00, not good.

-- Tampa Bay Rays are 0-5 in David Price's starts, 9-6 in all other games, which makes very little sense.

-- Former Boise State/Colorado coach Dan Hawkins is the new coach of the Montreal Alouettes, replacing Marc Trestman, new coach of the Bears.

-- Mark Ellis homered twice, the 100th/101st of his career, as Dodgers beat the Mets 7-2.

-- Charlotte Bobcats are owned and managed by incompetents; next year will be their sixth coach in seven years. Fellas, its not the coach. A college team would be wise to hire Mike Dunlap.

-- Good late night action Tuesday, as games in San Francisco/Anaheim got to extra innings. Howie Kendrick's walk-off homer beat Texas. Arizona got its win at SF when Giants' defense fell apart in 11th inning.


*****

Armadillo: Wednesday's List of 13: Doing some thinking out loud..........

13) New Jersey Jets have the 9th/13th picks in Thursday’s draft, first NFL team since 2000 to have two picks in the top 13; lot of negativity surrounding Gang Green right now, curious to see how they draft this week.

12) Speaking of the Jets, former Jet/new Buccaneer CB Darrelle Revis threw out the first ball at the Rays-Bronx game Monday night; his presence didn’t help attendance. Only 15,331 at The Trop for a quality Sabathia-Moore pitching matchup, 17,544 for Tuesday's game.

11) NFL Network had an interesting piece with USC QB Matt Barkley showing off the USC football facility; amazing how nice it is, especially the lobby area. Obviously designed to impress recruits, one word came to mind; excess. But Trojans recruit well, they know how to play that game well, so the lobby must be an effective tool.

10) Speaking of Barkley, betting over/under on where he gets drafted is 33.5. QB-needy Jacksonville has the 33rd pick.

9) Good news for Central Florida’s football team, which had its NCAA violations overturned by whatever committee does such things.

I’ve lost track, but I think UCF is headed to the new AAC, which is really the old Conference USA, plus Cincinnati/UConn/Temple.

8) Interesting article in USA Today about what it takes to fire a coach; Southern Mississippi went 0-12 with a first-year head coach LY after 16 straight winning seasons, and they wound up selling a home game to Nebraska for $2.1M to raise money to buy his contract out.

Wish someone would give me a couple million to go away.

7) Speaking of going away, big blow to Kansas State’s basketball team, with PG Angel Rodriguez leaving the program, supposedly to be closer to his family. He says it has nothing to do with the coaches, the team or the school, but if he winds up at South Carolina with former K-State coach Frank Martin, you’ll know that was a bunch of bunk.

Bruce Weber is now going to have to pull a point guard out of a rabbit’s hat, or else. Bad time to lose a solid PG with two years left to play, but obviously, there is no good time for that.

6) Stanford is beefing up its basketball schedule; they’ve got home/home with UConn coming up, and are coming to Brooklyn to play Michigan next year. Johnny Dawkins has a veteran team next year, and this aggressive scheduling shows that he thinks he has a very good team.

5) Its painful watching Albert Pujols run; he has plantar fasciitis, same thing Joakim Noah has, and its painful as hell. Not sure how his feet get better, other than rest.

4) I’m in a 16-team, 25-man team keeper league in fantasy baseball; Ichiro Suzuki got released this week and hasn’t been picked up, which could indicate his career is just about shot. I mean, there are kids in Class A ball on rosters in our league. Very few starting OFs are free agents. Ichiro has had a great career, for sure, but it might be over soon.

3) If Montreal-Toronto square off in the NHL playoffs, it would be the first time since 1979, and it would be a very big deal in Canada.

2) I just got an e-mail asking if I wanted tickets for a Denver-Clipper NBA preseason game next October at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. I have no clue what I’m doing after work today, much less six months from now.

It is something to think about, though.

1) Three most expensive tickets so far for the ’13 season at NFL Ticket Exchange: Broncos @ Colts, Giants @ Dallas, Giants @ Bears.
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[StarDust Bum]

MLB
Dunkel

St. Louis at Washington
The Cardinals look to follow up last night's 2-0 win over the Nationals and build on their 5-1 record in Jaime Garcia's last 6 starts after scoring 2 runs or less in the previous game. St. Louis is the pick (+140) according to Dunkel, which has the Cardinals favored by 1/2 a run. Dunkel Pick: St. Louis (+140). Here are all of today's picks.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 24

Game 951-952: Chicago Cubs at Cincinnati (12:35 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Cubs (Samardzija) 15.951; Cincinnati (Latos) 15.440
Dunkel Line: Chicago Cubs by 1/2; 7
Vegas Line: Cincinnati (-170); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Chicago Cubs (+150); Under

Game 953-954: St. Louis at Washington (1:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: St. Louis (Garcia) 15.529; Washington (Strasburg) 14.951
Dunkel Line: St. Louis by 1/2; 7 1/2
Vegas Line: Washington (-160); 7
Dunkel Pick: St. Louis (+140); Over

Game 955-956: Atlanta at Colorado (3:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Atlanta (Hudson) 16.898; Colorado (Chatwood) 15.865
Dunkel Line: Atlanta by 1; 8 1/2
Vegas Line: No Line
Dunkel Pick: N/A

Game 957-958: Arizona at San Francisco (3:45 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Arizona (Kennedy) 16.562; San Francisco (Bumgarner) 16.421
Dunkel Line: San Francisco by 1; 8
Vegas Line: San Francisco (-160); 7
Dunkel Pick: San Francisco (-160); Over

Game 959-960: Pittsburgh at Philadelphia (7:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Pittsburgh (Rodriguez) 16.327; Philadelphia (Halladay) 15.691
Dunkel Line: Pittsburgh by 1/2; 6
Vegas Line: Philadelphia (-125); 7
Dunkel Pick: Pittsburgh (+105); Under

Game 961-962: LA Dodgers at NY Mets (7:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: LA Dodgers (Lilly) 15.101; NY Mets (Harvey) 16.670
Dunkel Line: NY Mets by 1 1/2; 7 1/2
Vegas Line: NY Mets (-165); 6 1/2
Dunkel Pick: NY Mets (-165); Over

Game 963-964: Milwaukee at San Diego (10:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Milwaukee (Estrada) 15.620; San Diego (Volquez) 15.947
Dunkel Line: San Diego by 1/2; 8
Vegas Line: Milwaukee (-130); 7
Dunkel Pick: San Diego (+110); Over

Game 965-966: Toronto at Baltimore (12:35 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Toronto (Morrow) 14.515; Baltimore (Stinson) 15.615
Dunkel Line: Baltimore by 1; 7 1/2
Vegas Line: Baltimore (-125); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Baltimore (-125); Under

Game 967-968: Cleveland at Chicago White Sox (2:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Cleveland (McAllister) 14.598; White Sox (Quintana) 14.874
Dunkel Line: Chicago White Sox by 1/2; 7 1/2
Vegas Line: No Line
Dunkel Pick: N/A

Game 969-970: Seattle at Houston (2:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Seattle (Saunders) 13.704; Houston (Harrell) 13.925
Dunkel Line: Houston by 1/2; 9
Vegas Line: Seattle (-115); 8
Dunkel Pick: Houston (-105); Over

Game 971-972: Oakland at Boston (4:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Oakland (Anderson) 15.634; Boston (Lester) 16.675
Dunkel Line: Boston by 1; 9
Vegas Line: Boston (-175); 8
Dunkel Pick: Boston (-175); Over

Game 973-974: Kansas City at Detroit (7:08 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Kansas City (Davis) 16.149; Detroit (Scherzer) 15.579
Dunkel Line: Kansas City by 1/2; 7
Vegas Line: Detroit (-260); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Kansas City (+220); Under

Game 975-976: NY Yankees at Tampa Bay (7:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: NY Yankees (Pettitte) 15.466; Tampa Bay (Cobb) 16.633
Dunkel Line: Tampa Bay by 1; 6 1/2
Vegas Line: Tampa Bay (-130); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Tampa Bay (-130); Under

Game 977-978: Texas at LA Angels (10:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Texas (Darvish) 16.692; LA Angels (Roth) 15.780
Dunkel Line: Texas by 1; 9
Vegas Line: No Line
Dunkel Pick: N/A

[StarDust Bum]

MLB
Long Sheet

Wednesday, April 24

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CHICAGO CUBS (5 - 13) at CINCINNATI (12 - 8) - 12:35 PM
JEFF SAMARDZIJA (R) vs. MAT LATOS (R)
Top Trends for this game.
CHICAGO CUBS are 66-114 (-33.2 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO CUBS are 25-66 (-29.6 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO CUBS are 136-169 (-52.9 Units) against the money line when playing with a day off since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 14-42 (-23.7 Units) against the money line in road games in day games over the last 3 seasons.
CHICAGO CUBS are 66-114 (-33.2 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO CUBS are 48-84 (-24.3 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
CINCINNATI is 111-76 (+16.9 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
CINCINNATI is 111-76 (+16.9 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
CINCINNATI is 97-86 (-39.7 Units) against the money line as a home favorite of -150 to -175 since 1997.
CINCINNATI is 329-298 (-69.1 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a losing record since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
CINCINNATI is 1-0 (+1.0 Units) against CHICAGO CUBS this season
1 of 1 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+1.0 Units)

JEFF SAMARDZIJA vs. CINCINNATI since 1997
SAMARDZIJA is 1-1 when starting against CINCINNATI with an ERA of 3.55 and a WHIP of 0.868.
His team's record is 1-1 (+0.5 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-1. (-0.1 units)

MAT LATOS vs. CHICAGO CUBS since 1997
LATOS is 2-2 when starting against CHICAGO CUBS with an ERA of 3.16 and a WHIP of 1.213.
His team's record is 3-2 (+0.4 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-3. (-2.1 units)

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ST LOUIS (11 - 8) at WASHINGTON (10 - 9) - 1:05 PM
JAIME GARCIA (L) vs. STEPHEN STRASBURG (R)
Top Trends for this game.
WASHINGTON is 110-76 (+20.4 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 23-7 (+15.7 Units) against the money line when playing on Wednesday over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 33-13 (+16.9 Units) against the money line in home games against left-handed starters over the last 3 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 91-76 (+23.2 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
ST LOUIS is 1-0 (+1.0 Units) against WASHINGTON this season
1 of 1 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+1.0 Units)

JAIME GARCIA vs. WASHINGTON since 1997
GARCIA is 2-1 when starting against WASHINGTON with an ERA of 3.80 and a WHIP of 1.817.
His team's record is 3-2 (+0.7 units) in these starts. The OVER is 4-1. (+3.0 units)

STEPHEN STRASBURG vs. ST LOUIS since 1997
STRASBURG is 0-0 when starting against ST LOUIS with an ERA of 0.00 and a WHIP of 0.500.
His team's record is 1-0 (+1.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-0. (+1.0 units)

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ATLANTA (13 - 5) at COLORADO (13 - 5) - 3:10 PM
TIM HUDSON (R) vs. TYLER CHATWOOD (R)
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.

TIM HUDSON vs. COLORADO since 1997
HUDSON is 5-2 when starting against COLORADO with an ERA of 4.34 and a WHIP of 1.275.
His team's record is 6-4 (+1.2 units) in these starts. The OVER is 6-3. (+2.9 units)

TYLER CHATWOOD vs. ATLANTA since 1997
CHATWOOD is 1-1 when starting against ATLANTA with an ERA of 5.40 and a WHIP of 1.500.
His team's record is 1-1 (+0.2 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-2. (-2.0 units)

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ARIZONA (10 - 9) at SAN FRANCISCO (13 - 7) - 3:45 PM
IAN KENNEDY (R) vs. MADISON BUMGARNER (L)
Top Trends for this game.
SAN FRANCISCO is 118-80 (+32.0 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 188-91 (+42.2 Units) against the money line as a home favorite of -150 to -175 since 1997.
SAN FRANCISCO is 54-28 (+23.1 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 118-80 (+32.0 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 46-36 (+12.8 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
KENNEDY is 45-27 (+14.9 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
KENNEDY is 24-7 (+16.9 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
KENNEDY is 45-27 (+14.9 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
SAN FRANCISCO is 1-0 (+1.0 Units) against ARIZONA this season
1 of 1 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+1.2 Units)

IAN KENNEDY vs. SAN FRANCISCO since 1997
KENNEDY is 6-2 when starting against SAN FRANCISCO with an ERA of 2.38 and a WHIP of 1.026.
His team's record is 8-5 (+3.5 units) in these starts. The OVER is 8-5. (+2.7 units)

MADISON BUMGARNER vs. ARIZONA since 1997
BUMGARNER is 3-3 when starting against ARIZONA with an ERA of 3.91 and a WHIP of 1.345.
His team's record is 4-4 (-0.9 units) in these starts. The OVER is 4-4. (-0.3 units)

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PITTSBURGH (10 - 9) at PHILADELPHIA (9 - 11) - 7:05 PM
WANDY RODRIGUEZ (L) vs. ROY HALLADAY (R)
Top Trends for this game.
PITTSBURGH is 118-182 (-47.3 Units) against the money line as a road underdog of +100 to +125 since 1997.
PITTSBURGH is 300-534 (-114.0 Units) against the money line in road games in night games since 1997.
HALLADAY is 25-7 (+16.7 Units) against the money line at home with a money line of -100 to -125 since 1997. (Team's Record)
PHILADELPHIA is 90-92 (-20.3 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 46-46 (-15.1 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 90-89 (-17.3 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 44-54 (-18.9 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
PHILADELPHIA is 1-0 (+1.1 Units) against PITTSBURGH this season
1 of 1 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+1.0 Units)

WANDY RODRIGUEZ vs. PHILADELPHIA since 1997
RODRIGUEZ is 2-2 when starting against PHILADELPHIA with an ERA of 4.70 and a WHIP of 1.348.
His team's record is 2-2 (+0.9 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-2. (-1.0 units)

ROY HALLADAY vs. PITTSBURGH since 1997
HALLADAY is 4-1 when starting against PITTSBURGH with an ERA of 0.98 and a WHIP of 0.804.
His team's record is 4-2 (-0.7 units) in these starts. The OVER is 3-3. (-0.1 units)

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LA DODGERS (8 - 10) at NY METS (9 - 8) - 7:10 PM
TED LILLY (L) vs. MATT HARVEY (R)
Top Trends for this game.
NY METS are 76-95 (-32.8 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 3 seasons.
NY METS are 76-95 (-32.8 Units) against the money line in home games in games played on a grass field over the last 3 seasons.
NY METS are 44-64 (-19.9 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
NY METS are 23-42 (-18.3 Units) against the money line against left-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.

TED LILLY vs. NY METS since 1997
LILLY is 2-2 when starting against NY METS with an ERA of 3.72 and a WHIP of 1.404.
His team's record is 3-3 (-0.8 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-3. (-1.3 units)

MATT HARVEY vs. LA DODGERS since 1997
No recent starts.

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MILWAUKEE (10 - 8) at SAN DIEGO (5 - 14) - 10:10 PM
MARCO ESTRADA (R) vs. EDINSON VOLQUEZ (R)
Top Trends for this game.
MILWAUKEE is 18-28 (-15.2 Units) against the money line in road games when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
SAN DIEGO is 12-31 (-15.9 Units) against the money line in April games over the last 2 seasons.
SAN DIEGO is 92-137 (-32.3 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
MILWAUKEE is 1-0 (+1.0 Units) against SAN DIEGO this season
1 of 1 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+1.1 Units)

MARCO ESTRADA vs. SAN DIEGO since 1997
No recent starts.

EDINSON VOLQUEZ vs. MILWAUKEE since 1997
VOLQUEZ is 3-3 when starting against MILWAUKEE with an ERA of 5.64 and a WHIP of 1.474.
His team's record is 7-3 (+4.8 units) in these starts. The OVER is 7-2. (+5.0 units)

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TORONTO (8 - 12) at BALTIMORE (11 - 8) - 12:35 PM
BRANDON MORROW (R) vs. JOSH STINSON (R)
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
BALTIMORE is 1-0 (+1.0 Units) against TORONTO this season
1 of 1 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+1.0 Units)

BRANDON MORROW vs. BALTIMORE since 1997
MORROW is 3-3 when starting against BALTIMORE with an ERA of 4.58 and a WHIP of 1.245.
His team's record is 5-4 (-0.5 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 3-6. (-3.7 units)

JOSH STINSON vs. TORONTO since 1997
No recent starts.

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CLEVELAND (8 - 10) at CHI WHITE SOX (7 - 12) - 2:10 PM
COREY KLUBER (R) vs. CHRIS SALE (L)
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
CLEVELAND is 3-1 (+2.2 Units) against CHI WHITE SOX this season
3 of 4 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+1.7 Units)

COREY KLUBER vs. CHI WHITE SOX since 1997
KLUBER is 1-1 when starting against CHI WHITE SOX with an ERA of 4.26 and a WHIP of 1.105.
His team's record is 1-1 (+0.8 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-1. (-0.2 units)

CHRIS SALE vs. CLEVELAND since 1997
SALE is 2-1 when starting against CLEVELAND with an ERA of 4.88 and a WHIP of 1.292.
His team's record is 3-1 (+1.8 units) in these starts. The OVER is 3-1. (+2.0 units)

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SEATTLE (8 - 13) at HOUSTON (5 - 14) - 2:10 PM
JOE SAUNDERS (L) vs. LUCAS HARRELL (R)
Top Trends for this game.
SEATTLE is 110-95 (+29.5 Units) against the money line in road games in April games since 1997.
HOUSTON is 60-120 (-36.9 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 54-105 (-36.6 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 3 seasons.
HOUSTON is 101-107 (-37.4 Units) against the money line in home games in April games since 1997.
HOUSTON is 28-74 (-36.6 Units) against the money line in day games over the last 3 seasons.
HOUSTON is 60-120 (-36.9 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
HOUSTON is 2-2 (+1.0 Units) against SEATTLE this season
3 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+2.0 Units)

JOE SAUNDERS vs. HOUSTON since 1997
SAUNDERS is 1-0 when starting against HOUSTON with an ERA of 3.26 and a WHIP of 1.293.
His team's record is 2-1 (+0.6 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-1. (+1.1 units)

LUCAS HARRELL vs. SEATTLE since 1997
No recent starts.

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OAKLAND (12 - 8) at BOSTON (13 - 6) - 4:05 PM
BRETT ANDERSON (L) vs. JON LESTER (L)
Top Trends for this game.
OAKLAND is 108-79 (+40.8 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
OAKLAND is 50-43 (+18.6 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
OAKLAND is 21-9 (+14.5 Units) against the money line when playing on Wednesday over the last 2 seasons.
OAKLAND is 102-73 (+38.6 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
OAKLAND is 53-43 (+20.3 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 82-99 (-31.6 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 6-11 (-11.6 Units) against the money line as a home favorite of -150 to -175 over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 40-51 (-26.2 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 20-32 (-20.8 Units) against the money line when playing on Wednesday over the last 3 seasons.
BOSTON is 70-90 (-36.6 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 43-63 (-24.9 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
LESTER is 34-35 (-18.5 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
LESTER is 6-13 (-13.5 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
LESTER is 6-13 (-13.5 Units) against the money line in home games in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
LESTER is 5-14 (-13.2 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
BOSTON is 1-0 (+1.0 Units) against OAKLAND this season
1 of 1 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+1.0 Units)

BRETT ANDERSON vs. BOSTON since 1997
ANDERSON is 5-2 when starting against BOSTON with an ERA of 2.70 and a WHIP of 1.140.
His team's record is 6-2 (+5.4 units) in these starts. The OVER is 5-3. (+2.0 units)

JON LESTER vs. OAKLAND since 1997
LESTER is 3-3 when starting against OAKLAND with an ERA of 4.15 and a WHIP of 1.438.
His team's record is 5-5 (-1.6 units) in these starts. The OVER is 6-4. (+1.8 units)

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KANSAS CITY (10 - 7) at DETROIT (9 - 9) - 7:05 PM
WADE DAVIS (R) vs. MAX SCHERZER (R)
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.

WADE DAVIS vs. DETROIT since 1997
DAVIS is 0-0 when starting against DETROIT with an ERA of 2.86 and a WHIP of 0.955.
His team's record is 1-2 (-1.2 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-2. (-1.2 units)

MAX SCHERZER vs. KANSAS CITY since 1997
SCHERZER is 6-4 when starting against KANSAS CITY with an ERA of 3.48 and a WHIP of 1.369.
His team's record is 8-5 (+1.2 units) in these starts. The OVER is 5-8. (-3.6 units)

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NY YANKEES (10 - 8) at TAMPA BAY (9 - 10) - 7:10 PM
ANDY PETTITTE (L) vs. ALEX COBB (R)
Top Trends for this game.
TAMPA BAY is 479-569 (+21.8 Units) against the money line against division opponents since 1997.
TAMPA BAY is 64-45 (+19.2 Units) against the money line against left-handed starters over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
TAMPA BAY is 1-0 (+1.0 Units) against NY YANKEES this season
1 of 1 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+1.0 Units)

ANDY PETTITTE vs. TAMPA BAY since 1997
PETTITTE is 17-6 when starting against TAMPA BAY with an ERA of 4.01 and a WHIP of 1.453.
His team's record is 21-10 (+2.3 units) in these starts. The OVER is 10-21. (-12.9 units)

ALEX COBB vs. NY YANKEES since 1997
COBB is 1-1 when starting against NY YANKEES with an ERA of 3.15 and a WHIP of 0.900.
His team's record is 1-2 (-1.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-2. (-1.1 units)

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TEXAS (13 - 6) at LA ANGELS (7 - 11) - 10:05 PM
YU DARVISH (R) vs. JEROME WILLIAMS (R)
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
TEXAS is 3-1 (+1.8 Units) against LA ANGELS this season
3 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+2.0 Units)

YU DARVISH vs. LA ANGELS since 1997
DARVISH is 4-1 when starting against LA ANGELS with an ERA of 4.36 and a WHIP of 1.315.
His team's record is 5-2 (+3.2 units) in these starts. The OVER is 5-2. (+3.1 units)

JEROME WILLIAMS vs. TEXAS since 1997
WILLIAMS is 1-0 when starting against TEXAS with an ERA of 2.57 and a WHIP of 1.286.
His team's record is 1-0 (+1.2 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-1. (-1.2 units)

[StarDust Bum]

MLB
Armadillo's Write-Up

Wednesday, April 24

Hot pitchers
-- Latos is 0-0, 2.63 in his last two starts.
-- Giants are 4-0 in Bumgarner starts (3-0, 2.05).
-- Pirates are 3-0 in WRodriguez starts (2-0, 1.13). Halladay is 2-0, 1.80 in his last couple starts.
-- Harvey is 4-0, 0.93 in four starts this season.
-- Milwaukee won last three Estrada starts (2-0, 3.79).

-- Quintana is 1-0, 0.00 (13.2 IP) in his last two starts.
-- Davis is 3-0, 2.25 in three starts this season. Scherzer is 0-0, 1.93 in his last couple starts.
-- Lester is 2-0, 1.29 in his last three starts.
-- Harrell is 1-0, 2.38 in his last couple starts.
-- Pettitte is 3-0, 2.01 in three starts this season. Cobb is 2-1, 2.95.
-- Darvish is 3-1, 2.28 in four starts this season.

Cold pitchers
-- Samardzija is 0-3, 5.30 in his last three starts.
-- Strasburg is 0-3, 6.23 in his last three starts. Cardinals lost last three Garcia starts (0-1, 6.06).
-- Chatwood is making his first '13 start; he is 1-3, 7.03 in his last six starts, last of which was last September. Hudson has a 4.50 RA in four starts this season.
-- Kennedy is 0-2, 6.62 in his last three starts.
-- Lilly is making first '13 start; he was 1-1, 9.20 in his last three starts, last of which was May 23, 2012.
-- Padres are 0-4 in Volquez starts (0-3, 9.33).

-- Morrow is 0-2, 5.52 in his last three starts. Stinson allowed one run in four IP (60 PT) in his only MLB start October 3, 2012; he's allowed one earned run in 11.2 IP in two AAA starts in '13.
-- McAllister is 1-2, 5.19 in three starts this season.
-- Anderson is 0-2, 14.85 in his last couple starts.
-- Saunders is 0-2, 11.42 in his two road starts this season.
-- Williams is making first '13 start; he's made 96 career starts, 15 LY; his last game was Sunday, throwing three scoreless innings in extra-inning win.

Totals
-- Six of last seven Pittsburgh games stayed under total.
-- Last three Washington games stayed under the total.
-- Seven of last ten Cub games stayed under the total.
-- Nine of last eleven Met games went over the total.
-- Five of last seven Atlanta games stayed under the total.
-- Four of last five San Diego home games went over total.
-- Seven of last nine Arizona games stayed under the total.

-- 17 of last 20 Oakland games went over the total.
-- Five of last seven Kansas City games stayed under total.
-- Nine of last eleven Toronto games stayed under the total.
-- Nine of last eleven Bronx games stayed under the total.
-- Over is 8-4-1 in last thirteen Cleveland games.
-- Eight of last eleven Seattle games stayed under the total.
-- Under is 9-3-1 in last thirteen Texas games; 12 of last 14 Angel games went over the total.

Hot teams
-- Pirates won 10 of their last 14 games.
-- Cardinals won nine of their last thirteen games.
-- Reds won seven of their last nine games.
-- Mets won four of their last six home games.
-- Atlanta won 13 of its last 17 games. Rockies won eight of their last eleven games.
-- Brewers won their last nine games, scoring 52 runs.
-- Giants won seven of their last eight home games.

-- Red Sox won eight of their last eleven games.
-- Orioles won five of their last six games.
-- Royals won three of their last four games.
-- Rays won five of their last seven games. Bronx won 10 of its last 14.
-- Cleveland won its last three games, scoring 27 runs.
-- Texas won five of its last seven games. Angels won four of their last five.

Cold teams
-- Nationals lost eight of their last eleven games.
-- Phillies lost six of their last nine games.
-- Cubs lost 11 of their last 15 games.
-- Dodgers lost six of their last eight games.
-- Padres lost ten of their last thirteen games.
-- Arizona is 6-8 in its last fourteen games..

-- Oakland lost four of its last five games.
-- Detroit lost its last four games, outscored 24-4.
-- Blue Jays lost six of their last eight games.
-- White Sox lost nine of their last thirteen games.
-- Mariners lost ten of their last fourteen games. Houston lost seven of its last nine games.

Umpires
-- StL-Wsh-- Four of last five Joyce games stayed under the total.
-- Pitt-Phil-- Underdogs are 10-7 in last seventeen Iassogna games.
-- Chi-Cin-- Last four Baker games went over the total.
-- Atl-Col-- Favorites won 12 of last 16 Everitt games.
-- LA-NY-- Over is 11-4-1 in last sixteen Wegner games.
-- Mil-SD-- Over is 29-6-3 in last 38 Emmel games.
-- Az-SF-- Home side won seven of last ten Cooper games.

-- A's-Bos-- Eight of last eleven Layne games stayed under total.
-- Tor-Balt-- Over is 8-5 in last thirteen Dimuro games.
-- NY-TB-- Over is 6-3-2 in last 11 Holbrook games; visitor won eight of his last ten games behind plate.
-- Clev-Chi-- Underdogs are 7-5 in last dozen Conroy games.
-- Sea-Hst-- Favorites won 11 of last 15 Hallion games.
-- Tex-LA-- Favorites won last four Hirschbeck games.
Reply With Quote

[StarDust Bum]

MLB

Wednesday, April 24

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Trend Report
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12:35 PM
CHI CUBS vs. CINCINNATI
Chi Cubs are 1-5 SU in their last 6 games when playing Cincinnati
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Chi Cubs's last 5 games when playing Cincinnati
Cincinnati is 8-3 SU in their last 11 games when playing at home against Chi Cubs
Cincinnati is 5-1 SU in their last 6 games when playing Chi Cubs

12:35 PM
TORONTO vs. BALTIMORE
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Toronto's last 6 games when playing on the road against Baltimore
Toronto is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
Baltimore is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games at home
Baltimore is 9-2 SU in its last 11 games when playing at home against Toronto

1:05 PM
ST. LOUIS vs. WASHINGTON
The total has gone OVER in 12 of St. Louis's last 17 games when playing Washington
St. Louis is 7-3 SU in its last 10 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Washington's last 6 games when playing at home against St. Louis
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Washington's last 12 games when playing at home against St. Louis

2:10 PM
CLEVELAND vs. CHI WHITE SOX
The total has gone OVER in 11 of Cleveland's last 14 games when playing on the road against Chi White Sox
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Cleveland's last 6 games when playing Chi White Sox
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Chi White Sox's last 6 games when playing Cleveland
Chi White Sox are 2-5 SU in their last 7 games at home

2:10 PM
SEATTLE vs. HOUSTON
Seattle is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Houston
Seattle is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Houston's last 7 games when playing Seattle
Houston is 8-2 SU in its last 10 games when playing Seattle

3:10 PM
ATLANTA vs. COLORADO
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Atlanta's last 5 games
Atlanta is 13-4 SU in its last 17 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Colorado's last 5 games
Colorado is 8-3 SU in its last 11 games

3:45 PM
ARIZONA vs. SAN FRANCISCO
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Arizona's last 8 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Arizona's last 6 games when playing San Francisco
San Francisco is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 5 of San Francisco's last 6 games when playing Arizona

4:05 PM
OAKLAND vs. BOSTON
Oakland is 8-17 SU in its last 25 games when playing on the road against Boston
The total has gone OVER in 15 of Oakland's last 18 games when playing on the road against Boston
Boston is 1-9 SU in its last 10 games when playing Oakland
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Boston's last 5 games when playing Oakland

7:05 PM
KANSAS CITY vs. DETROIT
Kansas City is 0-4-1 SU in its last 5 games ,when playing on the road against Detroit
Kansas City is 1-6-1 SU in its last 8 games ,when playing Detroit
Detroit7-0-1 SU in its last 8 games when playing at home against Kansas City
Detroit12-4-1 SU in its last 17 games at home

7:05 PM
PITTSBURGH vs. PHILADELPHIA
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Pittsburgh's last 5 games
Pittsburgh is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Philadelphia's last 12 games
Philadelphia is 3-6 SU in its last 9 games

7:10 PM
NY YANKEES vs. TAMPA BAY
NY Yankees are 4-2 SU in their last 6 games when playing Tampa Bay
NY Yankees are 6-2 SU in their last 8 games on the road
Tampa Bay is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home
Tampa Bay is 2-4 SU in their last 6 games when playing NY Yankees

7:10 PM
LA DODGERS vs. NY METS
LA Dodgers are 5-0 SU in their last 5 games when playing on the road against NY Mets
LA Dodgers are 5-0 SU in their last 5 games when playing NY Mets
The total has gone OVER in 8 of NY Mets's last 11 games at home
NY Mets are 2-5 SU in its last 7 games

10:05 PM
TEXAS vs. LA ANGELS
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Texas's last 8 games when playing LA Angels
Texas is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
LA Angels are 4-1 SU in their last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of LA Angels's last 7 games when playing at home against Texas

10:10 PM
MILWAUKEE vs. SAN DIEGO
Milwaukee is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing San Diego
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Milwaukee's last 6 games when playing San Diego
San Diego is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 4 of San Diego's last 5 games at home

[StarDust Bum]

MLB

Wednesday, April 24

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Wednesday's streaking and slumping MLB starting pitchers
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A phenom in New York and a wily veteran highlight Wednesday's streaking and slumping report to help you with your capping.

Streaking

Wandy Rodriguez, Pittsburgh Pirates (2-0, 0.56 ERA)

The veteran Rodriguez has a career 4.15 ERA in eight seasons, coming into this campaign. He has been throwing smoke as if he was 24 and not 34. Rodriguez has given up only one earned run and five hits in 16 innings pitched. The under is 3-0 in his starts.

Matt Harvey, New York Mets (4-0, 0.93 ERA)

The 24-year-old flame thrower has been one of the biggest revelations in baseball this season. He has given up three earned runs in four starts this season, with 32 strikeouts in 29 innings, and has walked only nine batters. The over is 3-1 in Harvey's starts due to the Mets offense. Harvey has gone at least seven innings in each of his starts.


Slumping

Brett Anderson, Oakland Athletics (1-3, 5.95 ERA)

Anderson has been roughed up for 11 earned runs in his past two starts. He lasted only one inning in his last start against Tampa after getting rocked for four runs and then left with a sprained ankle. He is expected to start Wednesday against the Red Sox.

Ian Kennedy, Arizona Diamondbacks (1-2, 5.47 ERA)

Kennedy hasn't won a start since Opening Day and has given up a home run in each of his last three trips to the bump. He also hasn't made it to the seventh inning since his first start.

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MLB

Wednesday, April 24

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Hot under pitchers headline Wednesday's starters
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Wednesday features a number of starting pitchers that have satisfied under bettors so far this season. Here is a look at three that take the bump.

(Team over/under record in pitcher's starts indicated in italics)

Madison Bumgarner, San Francisco Giants (3-0, 2.05 ERA)

0-4 over/under

The under is 4-0 in all four of Bumgarner's starts this season. San Francisco's offense supplies him with just 3.25 runs per game, tying him for 17th in the National League.

The Arizona Diamondbacks visit the Giants Wednesday. It will mark the first time that Bumgarner has faced Arizona this season. Bumgarner was 0-3 with an ERA of 6.71 versus Arizona in 2012. The over went 3-0 in those games.

Yu Darvish, Texas Rangers (3-1, 2.03 ERA)

1-3 over/under

Yu Darvish is off to a tremendous start in 2013. Opponents are batting a dismal .144 versus Darvish. He is second in WHIP with 0.79 and is first in strikeouts with 38. He has given up just six earned runs and has yet to surrender a home run in 2013.

The Rangers continue their series with the Los Angeles Angels Wednesday. Darvish pitched five innings and gave up three earned runs en route to the win over the Angels back on April 7. The Rangers won 7-3. It was the only start that went over the total for Darvish this season.

Joe Saunders, Seattle Mariners (1-2, 4.50 ERA)

1-3 over/under

The under is 3-0 in Saunders' last three starts. His ERA is high at 4.50 and he has just two quality starts on the season. The big lefty is last in the AL in run support with just 1.50 runs supplied to him per game. Seattle has scored just four runs in his last three starts.

Seattle is on the road to face the Houston Astros Wednesday. Saunders shutout the Astros 3-0 back on April 8. He went 6 1-3 innings giving up six hits and striking out a season-high five batters.

[StarDust Bum]

Top four hottest bets in sports

The Pittsburgh Penguins and Milwaukee Brewers headline some of the hottest bets in sports. Here is a look at four of the best plays around:

(All stats going into Tuesday's action)

Pittsburgh Penguins

The Pens have been without Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, James Neal, Paul Martin and Kris Letang at various times over the past few weeks. But Pittsburgh has still won 22 of 24 games, including the last seven, scoring 3.5 goals a game and holding opponents to an average of 2.1 goals a night during the streak. A $100 bettor would be up $601.80 if they picked Pittsburgh the last seven games.

Milwaukee Brewers

The Brewers have won eight games in a row after starting the season 2-8. Milwaukee has $100 bettors up $760.19 if they picked the last eight contests. The Brewers have cut its ERA almost by half over the streak, collecting a 2.83 ERA in the last eight and 5.20 ERA in the previous 10.

Oakland Athletics over

The over is 16-4 in Oakland's 20 games this season. The A's are mashing the ball. They are second in baseball in runs scored (106, 5.3 per game), sixth in hits (171) and sixth in OPS (.763). Combine this with a pitching staff giving up a 4.02 ERA and a ninth-worst 80 earned runs, you have a recipe for a lot of high scoring games.

Chicago White Sox under

The opposite of Oakland, the under is 14-4-1 in the White Sox's 19 games this season. Chicago is 27th in baseball in runs per game with 3.32 and batting average with .229. But the White Sox can pitch, with a fifth-best ERA of 3.33 and the staff has struck out 158 batters, good for eighth in baseball.

[StarDust Bum]

Date WLT Pct Net Units Record

04/23/13 14-*12-*1 53.85% +*790 Detail
04/22/13 12-*10-*0 54.55% +*720 Detail
04/21/13 16-*15-*1 51.61% -*265 Detail
04/20/13 17-*15-*0 53.13% +*555 Detail
04/19/13 9-*3-*0 75.00% +*3030 Detail
04/18/13 11-*6-*1 64.71% +*2720 Detail
04/17/13 10-*13-*1 43.48% -*1265 Detail
04/16/13 14-*11-*1 56.00% +*1560 Detail
04/15/13 12-*4-*0 75.00% +*3650 Detail
04/14/13 15-*13-*0 53.57% +*530 Detail
04/13/13 14-*16-*0 46.67% -*1510 Detail
04/12/13 10-*6-*0 62.50% +*2555 Detail
04/11/13 5-*6-*1 45.45% -*460 Detail
04/10/13 15-*10-*1 60.00% +*2240 Detail
04/09/13 14-*14-*0 50.00% -*440 Detail
04/08/13 12-*7-*1 63.16% +*2080 Detail
04/07/13 15-*13-*2 53.57% +*840 Detail
04/06/13 11-*18-*0 37.93% -*4805 Detail
04/05/13 17-*12-*0 58.62% +*2035 Detail
04/04/13 15-*7-*0 68.18% +*4160 Detail
04/03/13 15-*15-*0 50.00% -*350 Detail
04/02/13 8-*6-*0 57.14% +*1305 Detail
04/01/13 10-*13-*0 43.48% -*1935 Detail

Totals 291-*245-*10 54.29% +17740



Wednesday, April 24

Game Score Status Pick Amount

Toronto - 12:35 PM ET Toronto -125 500
Baltimore - Under 8.5 500

Chi. Cubs - 12:35 PM ET Chi. Cubs +153 500 POD # 5
Cincinnati - Under 7 500

St. Louis - 1:05 PM ET St. Louis +134 500 POD # 1
Washington - Under 7 500

Cleveland - 2:10 PM ET Cleveland +115 500 POD # 6
Chi. White Sox - Under 8 500 POD # 2

Seattle - 2:10 PM ET Seattle -109 500
Houston - Over 8 500

Atlanta - 3:10 PM ET Atlanta -120 500
Colorado - Under 9.5 500 POD # 3

Arizona - 3:45 PM ET San Francisco -152 500
San Francisco - Under 7 500

Oakland - 4:05 PM ET Oakland +143 500 POD # 4
Boston - Over 8 500

[StarDust Bum]

Evening Best Bets:

Pittsburgh - 7:05 PM ET Pittsburgh +101 500 POD # 3
Philadelphia - Under 7 500 POD # 4

Kansas City - 7:08 PM ET Kansas City +156 500 POD # 2
Detroit - Under 7.5 500

LA Dodgers - 7:10 PM ET NY Mets -165 500
NY Mets - Over 7 500

NY Yankees - 7:10 PM ET Tampa Bay -130 500
Tampa Bay - Under 7 500

Texas - 10:05 PM ET LA Angels +134 500 POD # 1
LA Angels - Under 8 500

Milwaukee - 10:10 PM ET Milwaukee -113 500
San Diego - Over 7.5 500