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[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Athletics (12-6) at Rays (7-10)

Game: 3
Venue: Tropicana Field
Date: April 21, 2013 1:40 PM EDT


The Tampa Bay Rays have cooled off the Oakland Athletics and continue to build some much-needed momentum at the same time.

Looking to complete a three-game sweep, the Rays try to prevent Oakland's Tommy Milone from starting 4-0 on Sunday at Tropicana Field.

Tampa Bay (7-10) has bounced back nicely from a 2-7 road trip by winning the first two of a weekend set versus Oakland (12-6), which carried a three-game winning streak into the series and was 6-0 on the road.

The Rays have not swept a three-game set from the A's at home since 2005.

One night after matching a season high for runs in an 8-3 win, the Rays got seven strong innings from Jeremy Hellickson and a homer by Matt Joyce during Saturday's 1-0 win. All three Oakland hits came off Hellickson, who struck out six and walked one.

"We're going to take a win any way we can get it,' Joyce said.

"To know you can pitch play defense well enough to make one run stand, it's a good confidence builder.'

To help his team unwind and relax, Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon brought a disc jockey into the clubhouse to provide some pregame entertainment.

"I want our guys to chill out a little bit, go out there and play hard and not be afraid of making mistakes - ever,' Maddon said. "This is my way of getting the point across.'

Joyce is batting .316 (6 for 19) in his last five games after going 4 for 30 (.133) in his first 10.

Teammate Evan Longoria did not homer, but had a hit and has reached base safely in all 17 games.

Longoria has never faced Milone (3-0, 3.86 ERA), who allowed two runs and struck out six in 6 2-3 innings of an 11-2 win over Houston on Monday to improve to 5-0 with a 3.11 ERA in his last eight regular-season starts.

"You pretty much know what you're going to get out of Tommy every time he goes out there,' Oakland manager Bob Melvin said. "He works quick, he knows what he wants to do and has conviction in what he's doing. Since the day he's gotten here his first spring training he's been a model of consistency.'

Though the left-hander split his two appearances against the Rays last season, he posted an 8.18 ERA in those starts.

The A's averaged 8.5 runs and 12.7 hits while sweeping Houston and the Los Angeles Angels in their first road trip, but did not have a hit past the fourth inning Saturday.

Coco Crisp went 0 for 4 to snap his 12-game hitting streak, but he's 9 for 22 (.409) with a double and home run against scheduled Tampa Bay starter Roberto Hernandez (0-3, 5.79).

The right-hander allowed five runs - three earned - and walked three while striking out seven in 5 1-3 innings of a 5-4 loss at Baltimore on Tuesday.

Formerly known as Fausto Carmona, Hernandez is 4-7 with a 5.14 ERA in 12 starts versus Oakland.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Twins (7-7) at White Sox (7-10)

Game: 3
Venue: U.S. Cellular Field
Date: April 21, 2013 2:10 PM EDT


Joe Mauer has been locked in at the plate lately for the Minnesota Twins.

Given his history against Chicago White Sox scheduled starter Gavin Floyd, he seems to be in good shape to extend his hitting streak to 11 games Sunday at U.S. Cellular Field.

After Friday's series opener was postponed because of cold and windy conditions, the Twins (7-7) won 2-1 in 10 innings Saturday. Ryan Doumit led off the 10th with a double and came around to score the winning run on Alexei Ramirez's throwing error.

It was the third straight victory for Minnesota, though it hadn't played since Tuesday because of a pair of postponements and a scheduled off day.

"It has been a weird stretch," Ron Gardenhire told the Twins' official website. "You just have to scratch your way through it and get a win one way or another."

Despite three straight days off, Mauer didn't seem to miss a beat Saturday, going 2 for 4 with a pair of walks. The three-time AL batting champ has a 10-game hitting streak and is batting .577 (15 for 26) in the last six.

He enjoys batting at U.S. Cellular, reaching safely in each of his last 13 games there for a .349 average with 16 walks for a .525 on-base percentage. He has also regularly tormented Floyd (0-3, 6.32 ERA).

Mauer is hitting .442 with three homers and four doubles in 43 career at_bats against Floyd - his highest average against any pitcher he has faced at least 35 times. Floyd has also walked Mauer 10 times.

Floyd is having similar trouble getting batters out in his last two games, as opponents have a .480 OBP.

Against Toronto on Monday, the right-hander allowed four runs, nine hits - including two homers - and three walks in a season-low 4 1-3 innings in a 4-3 loss.

Floyd, who is trying to avoid losing four consecutive starts in a single season for the first time in his 10-year career, posted a 1.38 ERA in winning his last two starts against the Twins. He had an 8.86 ERA in losing each of his previous eight starts in the series.

Minnesota counters with Scott Diamond (0-1, 8.31), who yielded four runs and eight hits in 4 1-3 innings in last Saturday's 4-2 loss to the New York Mets - his lone outing of the season. The left-hander went 1-3 with a 5.70 ERA in four starts against the White Sox (7-10) in 2012.

Alejandro De Aza and Alex Rios each went 5 for 11 off Diamond a year ago, while Adam Dunn was 3 for 10 with a home run.

De Aza had a leadoff homer Saturday, but Chicago managed just five other hits while striking out 13 times.

The White Sox lost for just the fourth time in 11 games when hitting a homer. They're 0-6 when they don't go deep.

"All it's going to take is a few big hits here and there to ease the tension, a few big homers,' said Jake Peavy, who allowed a run over seven innings Saturday. "We live and die with the home run and we just haven't hit many of them here of late. In the games we have won, we won it with the long ball.'

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Cubs (5-11) at Brewers (8-8)

Game: 3
Venue: Miller Park
Date: April 21, 2013 2:10 PM EDT


While the streaking Milwaukee Brewers will try to sweep another home series against division rival Chicago, Wily Peralta is hoping a matchup with the Cubs will help him earn his first win of the season.

After a solid performance against Chicago earlier this month, the right-hander will try to duplicate that effort while leading the Brewers to a seventh straight win Sunday afternoon.

A 5-1 victory Saturday was Milwaukee's seventh in a row at Miller Park against the Cubs and 17th in the last 19 matchups there. The hot-hitting Jonathan Lucroy hit an early solo homer, and the Brewers (8-8) took advantage of three errors.

Milwaukee is the first team since the 1977 New York Yankees to reach the .500 mark in its 16th game after dropping eight of its first 10.

"We're making the most of some of the things that have happened the last couple of days," manager Ron Roenicke said. "We're playing better ball, and we're getting some breaks."

Peralta (0-1, 6.19 ERA) will try to follow by earning his first win since Sept. 16. While he's one of the Brewers' top prospects, the right-hander's performance in his most recent start hardly looked promising.

Peralta was charged with a career-high six runs, seven hits and three walks over four-plus innings in Milwaukee's 10-8 win over San Francisco on Tuesday.

"When you have that kind of score and you've got a chance to get a win and you don't get it, that's frustrating," Peralta told the team's website. "But that's going to happen. You forget about it and get ready for the next one."

Peralta, who had a 2.93 ERA in his previous seven major league starts, performed a little better in his only start against Chicago on April 9. He gave up three runs over 6 2-3 innings but the Brewers fell 6-3, their only loss in four games versus the Cubs (5-11) this season.

Peralta is slated to pitch opposite Scott Feldman (0-2, 6.00), who had to skip one start due to tightness in his back. The right-hander hasn't made it through the fifth inning in his first two outings for the Cubs.

He allowed six runs - two earned - over 4 1-3 innings in a 7-6 loss to San Francisco on April 11. Feldman, though, shined in his only start against Milwaukee on June 12, 2010, while with Texas.

He pitched six scoreless innings and struck out six in a 4-3 win at Miller Park, one of his four in 15 starts against NL opponents.

Lucroy will try to keep Feldman from earning another win while adding to his recent turnaround. After batting .167 in his first nine games, the Brewers catcher is 9 for 24 (.375) with three homers and seven RBIs during a six-game hit streak.

Lucroy singled in one of his two at_bats against Feldman while Yuniesky Betancourt is 5 for 16 (.313) with two doubles versus the right-hander.

The Cubs' Starlin Castro, who enters this game with a major league-best 12-game hit streak, went 1 for 4 against Peralta in the win earlier this month.

The Cubs have committed seven of their 15 errors against the Brewers.

"We just have to make plays when we have a chance," starting pitcher Edwin Jackson said. "It is just a matter of going out and doing it."

Milwaukee hasn't won seven straight since July 26-Aug. 1, 2011, a stretch that began with a three-game home sweep over Chicago.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Indians (6-10) at Astros (5-12)

Game: 3
Venue: Minute Maid Park
Date: April 21, 2013 2:10 PM EDT


The Cleveland Indians are just trying to have fun.

Ubaldo Jimenez looks like he's having anything but fun on the mound.

After snapping their longest slide of the season with an offensive barrage, the Indians may need another big display at the plate Sunday, with Jimenez scheduled to start the finale of a three-game set with the Houston Astros.

Cleveland (6-10) broke out offensively Saturday, collecting 22 hits with seven doubles and three homers to pound the Astros 19-6, ending a five-game losing streak. The Indians, who plated 14 runs in the first two innings, were hitting .206 with 11 runs during that slide, which included Friday's 3-2 defeat to Houston (5-12).

"It was finally nice to go out there and relax and know we were in control of the game and just have some fun," said Mark Reynolds, who had two hits and four RBIs with three coming on a homer. "It's what we talked about before the game was just to have fun."

Jason Giambi was surely enjoying himself Saturday, getting a double, a homer and five RBIs in appearing in just his fourth game.

The Indians' bats may need to be productive again since Jimenez (0-2, 11.25 ERA) is 1-12 with a 7.27 ERA in 17 starts, dating to a win over Tampa Bay on July 7.

Manager Terry Francona doesn't care about what happened before he arrived this season.

"Last year is over," Francona told the team's official website. "You can't pitch for last year. It doesn't work. It just makes it harder. So we need to separate that, first of all. We need to figure out, 'What did he do good? What didn't he do good?'

"If you start going back to last August, then he's got no chance."

There hasn't been a lot going right for Jimenez over his last two starts, giving up seven runs in each while getting charged with the defeats.

The right-hander's latest outing was one of the shortest of his career, getting pulled with two outs in the second while surrendering two hits and five walks in a 7-2 loss to Boston on Tuesday.

"You're going to have challenges throughout the season. We knew that coming in," Francona said. "I just think we'd prefer to tackle them as opposed to running away from them."

Francona may feel better about Jimenez facing Houston since he's 4-0 with a 1.88 ERA in six career starts.

The Astros are hoping to see some improvement from Erik Bedard (0-1, 7.04), who is slated to take the mound for the first time since an 11-2 loss at Oakland on Monday.

The veteran left-hander managed one out while surrendering six runs, one homer and four walks. Manager Bo Porter isn't too worried, and that's due to Bedard tossing 7 1-3 scoreless innings over his first two appearances of 2013.

"He just didn't have it," Porter told the team's official website. "I didn't see anything wrong mechanically and there's nothing wrong physically. It was a classic, 'Just one of those nights.'"

Jose Altuve is among the AL's leaders with a .371 average after getting two hits Saturday. The second baseman is a staggering 8 for 15 over the past four games.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Mariners (7-12) at Rangers (11-6)

Game: 3
Venue: Rangers Ballpark in Arlington
Date: April 21, 2013 3:05 PM EDT


Superb pitching has the Texas Rangers on the brink of sweeping their first series of the season.

Facing the Seattle Mariners' woeful offense is surely helping.

The Rangers are making a bid to shut out an opponent over the course of a three-game series for the first time in 22 years Sunday against the Mariners.

Texas (11-6) is third in the majors with a 2.72 ERA, a vast improvement so far after compiling a 3.99 mark last year.

Pitching has been especially impressive in this series, as the Rangers have struck out 21 and held the Mariners to 10 hits - nine singles.

They followed Friday's 7-0 victory with a 5-0 win Saturday, giving them a chance to sweep the Mariners for the first time since Sept. 23-25, 2011.

The Rangers haven't recorded three straight wins via shutouts since a five-game stretch from April 19-30, 1981. That included blanking Boston during a three-game sweep at home.

Seattle (7-12) has never been shut out for three straight games, but the team is among the worst offensively in baseball. The Mariners are hitting .218 and averaging 3.1 runs per game, getting outscored 20-5 while dropping four of five.

"We're in one of those zones right now where if you do hit it hard, it's right at them," manager Eric Wedge said. "We're going through some tough times offensively right now."

Texas has felt the same way this season, but its standards are much higher. The Rangers are batting .245, a drop of nearly 30 points from last season.

They've collected 15 hits with seven going for extra bases - including three homers - in this series.

"The last two nights have been a step in the right direction," said left fielder David Murphy, who has three hits in two games to spike his season average 32 points to .183. "But I think it's safe to say our offense still has yet to completely click. While we're still trying to find ourselves one through nine, our pitchers are going to keep us in games and our pitchers are going to win games for us."

Justin Grimm is getting another chance to do that in place of injured Matt Harrison. Grimm's first start of the season resulted in a 4-3 win at Seattle on April 11, when he allowed two runs and five hits in four innings.

Aaron Harang is scheduled to make his second start for the Mariners after being acquired in a trade with Colorado earlier this month.

The veteran right-hander replaced an ineffective Blake Beavan in the rotation Tuesday, and allowed three runs and seven hits with six strikeouts in five innings of a 6-2 loss to Detroit.

Harang has a 12.34 ERA in three starts at Texas, but hasn't pitched in Arlington since June 25, 2003, with Cincinnati.

Lance Berkman is the Ranger most familiar with Harang, going 15 for 58 (.259) with seven homers in their matchups.

Kyle Seager continues to be a rare offensive bright spot for Seattle, batting .333 during a nine-game hitting streak. He has three hits in this series, and is batting .452 over his last seven games in Arlington. However, he's 0 for 3 versus Grimm.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Tigers (9-8) at Angels (6-10)

Game: 3
Venue: Angel Stadium of Anaheim
Date: April 21, 2013 3:35 PM EDT


If the Los Angeles Angels are to complete another home sweep of the Detroit Tigers, they'll likely need to be the first opponent this season to get the best of Doug Fister.

The Angels attempt to do both while trying for a sixth consecutive home victory over the Tigers on Sunday.

Mike Trout's first career grand slam highlighted a nine-run first inning and Garrett Richards allowed two hits over seven in Los Angeles' 10-0 win over Detroit (9-8) on Saturday.

"It's always good to help your starter out like that. Then they can pound the strike zone and not have to worry too much,' Trout said. "We're looking better, stating positive, grinding it out and having great at_bats.'

The Angels (6-10) have not won more than two in a row this season, but have outscored the Tigers 18-1 in the first two of this set and 30-6 during a five-game series winning streak in Anaheim.

Trout is 11 for 25 (.440) with two homers and 10 RBIs in six games, and batting .300 (6 for 20) with three home runs and eight RBIs in five career home contests against the Tigers.

Teammate Peter Bourjos is 6 for 8 with four RBIs in the series. He's 3 for 6 with a double against Fister (3-0, 2.70 ERA), who allowed two runs and four hits in seven innings Tuesday of a 6-2 win against his former team in Seattle.

"I look at it as I have a job to do, no matter what team it is," Fister told the Tigers' official website. "That's the focus."

Fister was winless in his previous five starts against the Angels before he allowed a solo homer to Albert Pujols and one other hit while striking out 10 in eight innings of a 7-2 home win July 18.

The Angels counter with C.J. Wilson (1-0, 4.00), who followed a pair of mediocre starts by overcoming four walks to allow a run in six innings of a 4-1 win over Houston last Sunday for his first victory.

"Just happy to go out there and shut the other team down," Wilson told the Angels' official website. "I had a couple innings there with some guys on base, some of that's my fault for getting behind in the count, some of that is circumstance, but I felt like I made some pretty big pitches (last Sunday)."

The left-hander posted a 4.61 ERA while splitting his two starts against the Tigers last season in his first with the Angels. He gave up a run and four hits in 7 2-3 innings of a 6-1 home win Sept. 8.

Detroit's Miguel Cabrera is batting .308 (4 for 13) with two doubles against Wilson.

He had one of the four hits Saturday for the Tigers, who have scored one run during a three-game skid that followed a 4-1 start to their nine-game trip.

"We played the game all right, we just got ambushed," Tigers manager Jim Leyland told MLB's official website.

Ex-Angel Torii Hunter went 2 for 4 in the series opener, but his 12-game hitting streak ended with an 0-for-3 effort Saturday. He's still batting .400 on the season.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Padres (5-12) at Giants (11-7)

Game: 3
Venue: AT&T Park
Date: April 21, 2013 4:05 PM EDT


With his lengthy undefeated stretch in the past, San Francisco's Barry Zito is poised to bounce back from one of the worst starts of his career.

The left-hander looks to regroup and help the Giants complete a three-game sweep of the visiting San Diego Padres on Sunday.

Zito (2-1, 4.86 ERA) did not give up a run in his first two outings, and including the postseason, was in the midst of a 16-start stretch where he went 11-0 with a 2.93 ERA before being tagged for nine runs and eight hits in 2 2-3 innings of a 10-8 loss at Milwaukee on Tuesday.

"Baseball's kind of a strange game,' said Zito, who gave up eight of those runs in the third inning. "I actually felt better (Tuesday) than I did my first two games."

While manager Bruce Bochy agreed with Zito's assessment that his stuff was decent, the veteran pitcher was grateful for his own run of success and is eager to take the mound for San Francisco (11-7) in the series finale.

"It's just important to put the past in the past and come out and not take anything for granted," Zito, who went 2-0 with a 1.69 ERA while pitching in all three rounds during the 2012 postseason, told the Giants' official website. "Each day is a new day. That's something I pride myself on, going out (Sunday) and fighting and grinding."

Zito looks to get back on track and improve his 4-9 record and 4.80 ERA in 20 starts against the Padres (5-12).

He'll have a tough task in following up Saturday's effort by teammate Tim Lincecum, who allowed four hits and struck out eight in 6 2-3 innings of a 2-0 win over San Diego.

"(Lincecum's) fastball had good life on it,' said San Diego's Chase Headley, who is 2 for 10 in three games since coming of the disabled list with a broken thumb. "When a guy has a split-finger that really dodges the plate and he has a fastball that's riding through the zone, that makes that pitch better.'

Pablo Sandoval hit a two-run homer for one of three hits for the Giants, who haven't scored more than three runs in any of the last four games but have won two straight after being swept in a three-game set at Milwaukee.

San Francisco has won three straight overall versus San Diego and 14 of 18 at home against the Padres.

Sandoval's homer is his only hit in 11 at_bats over three contests since a 10-game hitting streak. He's 6 for 10 with a double and a triple against scheduled Padres starter Eric Stults (2-1, 3.94), but could be rested Sunday after he fouled a ball off his foot.

"I'm fine,' Sandoval said.

Stults, who is 3-0 with a 3.67 ERA in his last four starts versus San Francisco, allowed three runs and nine hits over six innings in a 6-3 win at Dodger Stadium on Monday.

"I feel like I made a lot of good pitches,' said the left-hander, who also hit a three-run homer.

Everth Cabrera had two hits Saturday for San Diego, which has been held to two runs and 10 hits in two games at San Francisco after totaling 22 and 37 hits during a three-game sweep of Los Angeles this week.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Diamondbacks (9-8) at Rockies (13-4)

Game: 3
Venue: Coors Field
Date: April 21, 2013 4:10 PM EDT


The Colorado Rockies' Juan Nicasio and Arizona Diamondbacks' Brandon McCarthy each have a lofty ERA but the two have experienced differing results.

Nicasio will try to stay unbeaten while leading the surging Rockies to a ninth straight win Sunday against the Diamondbacks and the winless McCarthy.

Nicasio (2-0, 5.63 ERA) is one of the pitchers to benefit from Colorado's longest win streak since a 10-game run Sept. 3-12, 2010. The right-hander gave up four runs for the second straight outing Tuesday but picked up the win in an 8-4 victory over the visiting New York Mets.

"It wasn't his sharpest game, but he kept us in the game and gave us a shot," manager Walt Weiss told the team's website.

The Rockies (13-4) improved to 8-0 at Coors Field by holding on for a 4-3 win over Arizona (9-8) on Saturday. Colorado, the only remaining unbeaten team at home, gave up all the runs in the final two innings.

The Rockies have outscored opponents 55-25 during their franchise-best home start. Colorado will try to extend it while recording its first series sweep over Arizona since Sept. 10-12, 2010, at Coors Field.

Nicasio, who is 0-0 with an 8.59 ERA in two career starts versus the Diamondbacks (9-8), has benefited this season from a run support average of 8.4.

McCarthy (0-2, 7.47) has been backed by an average of 6.3 runs, but has been unable to take advantage.

After giving up six runs in each of his first two outings for Arizona, he yielded only a three-run homer to the New York Yankees' Robinson Cano on Tuesday but needed 102 pitches to get through four innings and took the loss in a 4-2 defeat.

"I was just completely out of sync and just kind of not able to do a whole lot," McCarthy told the team's website. "I felt like I was at least still battling, which is kind of good. I just couldn't get right from the (bullpen) all the way through.

"Even after evaluating, I don't know what it is, mechanically, that I was looking for. Just everything was so off."

Before this season, McCarthy was 3-0 with a 1.11 ERA in five starts against NL opponents. He has never faced Colorado and only two Rockies players have faced the right-hander.

Michael Cuddyer is 3 for 17 (.176) with a solo homer and four strikeouts against McCarthy, while Yorvit Torrealba is 3 for 5 with a double.

Cuddyer hit a key solo homer Saturday and Carlos Gonzalez doubled and drove in a run. Gonzalez has played a big role in the winning streak, batting .481 with 10 runs in his last seven.

Paul Goldschmidt and Cody Ross are both 2 for 3 against Nicasio with both of Ross' hits landing for doubles.

The status of veteran first baseman Todd Helton is uncertain. Helton was held out of Saturday's game because of a strained left forearm. He was batting .268 with 10 RBIs in his first 13 games.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Cardinals (10-7) at Phillies (7-11)

Game: 4
Venue: Citizens Bank Park
Date: April 21, 2013 8:05 PM EDT


The St. Louis Cardinals bounced back, while the Philadelphia Phillies' performance seemed to suggest that the previous game was little more than an aberration.

Philadelphia will turn to Kyle Kendrick as it tries to salvage a four-game split Sunday night at Citizens Bank Ballpark.

The Cardinals (10-7) rebounded from an 8-0 loss Friday for a 5-0 win on Saturday, led by a brilliant start from Lance Lynn and solid production from the heart of the batting order. Jaime Garcia lasted just three innings and allowed eight runs on nine hits Friday, but Lynn picked up the team in a big way, throwing seven innings while yielding one hit.

St. Louis' No 2-3-4-5-6 hitters accounted for all of the team's hits, going 8 for 20. Carlos Beltran homered for the third straight game, continuing to show a fondness for playing the Phillies, particularly on the road. Saturday marked his 30th career homer against Philadelphia and his sixth over his last 13 contests at Citizens Bank Park.

"I don't think about homers, I think about trying to get on base," said Beltran, hitting .268 with four homers and 12 RBIs. "But if you get a good approach and connect with the ball good, sometimes that happens."

Cardinals right-hander Jake Westbrook (1-1, 0.00 ERA) was fortunate that his last start was washed away by rain after he gave up four runs on five hits in two innings Tuesday against Pittsburgh.

"I made some mistakes, and they capitalized on them," Westbrook, who seeks his 100th career victory, told the team's official website. "I missed a few spots. Usually I can get away with (mistakes), but tonight, that wasn't the case. It's just one of those things where I wasn't as sharp as I need to be."

Westbrook is 2-1 with a 4.39 ERA in five starts against Philadelphia.

The Phillies (7-11) seemed to wake up their offense in Friday's 8-2 victory, but it didn't last for long as they managed just three hits Saturday, with John Mayberry Jr.'s fifth-inning double the only one against Lynn. Philadelphia has just seven runs in five losses over its last six games.

Manager Charlie Manuel hopes for a boost with the possible return of Ryan Howard on Sunday, as he's been out of the lineup for two straight games with a sore groin. But even in the 16 games Howard has played, he hasn't been particularly powerful, slugging just .387 with one homer and five RBIs.

"We need to get Ryan going," Manuel said. "We need Ryan's power in the lineup. He's our big RBI guy."

Philadelphia will look for a lift from Kendrick (1-1, 3.38 ERA), who has proven successful against the Cardinals, going 5-1 with a 2.63 ERA in six career starts.

Despite the Phillies' offensive woes, Michael Young continued an 11-game hitting streak with a ninth-inning single Saturday after striking out in his first three at_bats. He is 14 for 38 (.368) during the streak, and 11 for 27 (.407) against Westbrook.

[StarDust Bum]

Armadillo: Sunday's six-pack

-- Musn't be a lot to do in Auburn, AL; they drew 83,401 people to their spring football game. What would they draw if they were good?

-- Toronto is 7-11, Dodgers are 7-10, as two big spenders from last winter continue to struggle. LA lost a twinbill in Baltimore Saturday.

-- Detroit Tigers have been outscored 20-1 in their last three games; rough day for Rick Porcello Saturday- nine of 11 batters he faced scored.

-- Carmelo Anthony shot the ball 23 of first 26 times he had it Saturday, but passed on 15 of 33 touches in second half. What a guy.

-- Mariners got shut out for second day in row at Texas; they've scored five runs in their last fifty innings.

-- Ryan Zimmerman (hamstring) is making his annual spring trip to the DL; baseball players get hurt an awful lot.


*****

Armadillo: Sunday's List of 13: Wrapping up a sports Saturday.........

13) First thing I thought of when Daniel Nava hit his game-winning 8th inning HR Saturday was when Mike Piazza hit a similar game-winner for the Mets after baseball resumed in September of 2001. Just an outburst of emotion from an excited crowd; quite a moment.

12) Astros' starter Philip Humber gave up eight runs in the first inning Saturday, third time this week Houston's starter didn't finish second inning. Going to be a very long summer for Astro skipper Bo Porter.

11) Bad night for Indian starter Scott Kazmir, making his first big league start in two years, and in his hometown; when your team gives you a 14-0 lead in second inning and you don't last five innings to get the win, its a bad night. Kazmir allowed six runs in 3.1 IP, throwing 89 pitches.

10) Knicks 85, Celtics 78-- Boston bench was 0-7 from floor, scored total of four points, had plus/minus of -18; New York bench was 13-32, 33 points, -4. Knicks were -9 in 5:00 Felton was off floor, they miss steady Prigioni. C's scored only eight points in the fourth quarter, 25 in second half.

9) Nuggets 97, Warriors 95-- 37-year old Andre Miller is probably the best player coached by the late Rick Majerus, who would have been proud of his former star Saturday. Miller scored 18 4th quarter points as Denver won for 39th time in 42 home games, including last 24 in row.

8) Nets 106, Bulls 89-- Derrick Rose made $6,993,708 LY; I'm assuming he made more than that this season. Rose has been practicing 5-on-5 for over a month, would be nice if he actually played in a game. Willis Reed he ain't. I actually watched the 19-6 Indians-Astros game instead of this mess.

7) Clippers 112, Grizzlies 91-- Wonder what Mark Cuban thinks when he watches Lamar Odom try? Odom had to go to three high schools before he found one that would give him a diploma, he went to URI for ten days or so, but he's made over $110M in his NBA career. He is very talented, but seems more comfortable as a supporting role player. He helps the Clippers.

6) Made me sick listening to ESPN announcers say that Vinny Del Negro might have to get Clippers to Western Confeence finals in order to keep his job; when have the Clippers won more games? If LA loses to the Thunder in the next round, he's not a good coach? Who will they hire who is better?

5) Memphis coach Lionel Hollins is also a free agent after this season is over, but people seem to think the Grizzlies will bring him back, so at least someone has ounce of sense. Firing Hollins after they traded Rudy Gay would be an example of epic stupidity.

4) Dodgers lost their last six games, have been outscored 33-13.

3) Interleague play is an everyday thing because there are now 15 teams in each league, fueling speculation that the NL will adopt the DH; so far this season, NL teams have an 11-9 edge, with over 5-2 in games without the DH, 6-7 in games with a DH. Go figure.

2) Gonzaga big guy Kelly Olynyk, who started four games in his first two years but blossomed into a 17 ppg scorer this year, is bolting Gonzaga for the NBA- we wish him well, but have seen far too many kids like him leave school and disappear off the basketball map. Is he ready? Is one strong year enough to make him an NBA player?

If the kid is promised a top half of first round selection, then he's guaranteed $10M for three years and has to go, for the most part, but what if he stayed in school and sharpened his skills one more year? We'll never know.

1) Rutgers hired alum/former NBA player/coach Eddie Jordan this week, but his top returning scorer Eli Carter is transferring anyway, making it four of Knights' top six scorers who won't be back next season. Rutgers was 4-9 in Big East play with Carter playing, before he broke a bone in his leg, so not like he's Kevin Durant or something. Lot of these kids get bad advice and always think the grass is greener on the other side. It isn't.
.
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[StarDust Bum]

MLB
Dunkel

Detroit at LA Angels
The Tigers look to salvage a game in the series and build on their 9-1 record in Doug Fister's last 10 starts against teams with a losing record. Detroit is the pick (+100) according to Dunkel, which has the Tigers favored by 1/2 a run. Dunkel Pick: Detroit (+100). Here are all of today's picks.

SUNDAY, APRIL 21

Game 901-902: Washington at NY Mets (1:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Washington (Zimmermann) 14.809; NY Mets (Gee) 15.312
Dunkel Line: NY Mets by 1/2; 8
Vegas Line: Washington (-150); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: NY Mets (+130); Over

Game 903-904: Miami at Cincinnati (1:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Miami (Sanabia) 14.653; Cincinnati (Bailey) 14.189
Dunkel Line: Miami by 1/2; 7 1/2
Vegas Line: Cincinnati (-240); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Miami (+200); Under

Game 905-906: Atlanta at Pittsburgh (1:35 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Atlanta (Medlen) 17.008; Pittsburgh (Sanchez) 15.669
Dunkel Line: Atlanta by 1 1/2; 7
Vegas Line: Atlanta (-185); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Atlanta (-185); Under

Game 907-908: Chicago Cubs at Milwaukee (2:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Cubs (Feldman) 14.514; Milwaukee (Peralta) 16.429
Dunkel Line: Milwaukee by 2; 9 1/2
Vegas Line: Milwaukee (-150); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Milwaukee (-150); Over

Game 909-910: San Diego at San Francisco (4:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: San Diego (Stults) 15.354; San Francisco (Zito) 16.112
Dunkel Line: San Francisco by 1; 9
Vegas Line: San Francisco (-150); 8
Dunkel Pick: San Francisco (-150); Over

Game 911-912: Arizona at Colorado (4:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Arizona (McCarthy) 16.522; Colorado (Nicasio) 16.268
Dunkel Line: Arizona by 1/2; 9 1/2
Vegas Line: Colorado (-145); 10 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Arizona (+125); Under

Game 913-914: St. Louis at Philadelphia (8:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: St. Louis (Westbrook) 15.044; Philadelphia (Kendrick) 15.598
Dunkel Line: Philadelphia by 1/2; 7 1/2
Vegas Line: St. Louis (-115); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Philadelphia (-105); Under

Game 915-916: NY Yankees at Toronto (1:07 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: NY Yankees (Nova) 15.987; Toronto (Johnson) 14.507
Dunkel Line: NY Yankees by 1 1/2; 9 1/2
Vegas Line: Toronto (-140); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: NY Yankees (+120); Over

Game 917-918: Kansas City at Boston (1:35 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Kansas City (Santana) 15.603; Boston (Dempster) 16.832
Dunkel Line: Boston by 1; 7 1/2
Vegas Line: Boston (-150); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Boston (-150); Under

Game 919-920: Oakland at Tampa Bay (1:40 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Oakland (Milone) 16.392; Tampa Bay (Hernandez) 15.407
Dunkel Line: Oakland by 1 1/2; 9
Vegas Line: Tampa Bay (-110); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Oakland (-110); Over

Game 921-922: Cleveland at Houston (2:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Cleveland (Jimenez) 14.420; Houston (Bedard) 13.759
Dunkel Line: Cleveland by 1/2; 10
Vegas Line: Houston (-110); 9
Dunkel Pick: Cleveland (-110); Over

Game 923-924: Minnesota at Chicago White Sox (2:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Minnesota (Diamond) 15.991; White Sox (Floyd) 15.265
Dunkel Line: Minnesota by 1/2; 7 1/2
Vegas Line: Chicago White Sox (-155); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Minnesota (+135); Under

Game 925-926: Seattle at Texas (3:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Seattle (Harang) 13.954; Texas (Grimm) 15.938
Dunkel Line: Texas by 2; 8 1/2
Vegas Line: Texas (-175); 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Texas (-175); Under

Game 927-928: Detroit at LA Angels (3:35 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Detroit (Fister) 15.269; LA Angels (Wilson) 14.744
Dunkel Line: Detroit by 1/2; 9
Vegas Line: LA Angels (-120); 8
Dunkel Pick: Detroit (+100); Over

Game 929-930: LA Dodgers at Baltimore (1:35 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: LA Dodgers (Billingsley) 13.423; Baltimore (Arrieta) 16.338
Dunkel Line: Baltimore by 3; 8
Vegas Line: LA Dodgers (-115); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Baltimore (-105); Under

Game 931-932: Kansas City at Boston (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Kansas City (Guthrie) 15.783; Boston (Webster) 15.209
Dunkel Line: Kansas City by 1/2; 9
Vegas Line: No Line
Dunkel Pick: N/A
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[StarDust Bum]

MLB
Long Sheet

Sunday, April 21

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WASHINGTON (10 - 7) at NY METS (8 - 8) - 1:10 PM
JORDAN ZIMMERMANN (R) vs. DILLON GEE (R)
Top Trends for this game.
WASHINGTON is 110-74 (+22.7 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 17-4 (+11.7 Units) against the money line as a road favorite of -125 to -150 over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 53-38 (+13.9 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 43-34 (+18.4 Units) against the money line in road games against division opponents over the last 3 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 107-74 (+18.8 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 41-24 (+17.4 Units) against the money line in road games against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
NY METS are 75-95 (-34.0 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 3 seasons.
NY METS are 270-279 (-77.8 Units) against the money line in home games against division opponents since 1997.
NY METS are 75-95 (-34.0 Units) against the money line in home games in games played on a grass field over the last 3 seasons.
NY METS are 19-29 (-16.5 Units) against the money line in home games after a loss over the last 2 seasons.
NY METS are 25-47 (-23.1 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
NY METS is 1-1 (+0.0 Units) against WASHINGTON this season
2 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+2.2 Units)

JORDAN ZIMMERMANN vs. NY METS since 1997
ZIMMERMANN is 3-2 when starting against NY METS with an ERA of 3.00 and a WHIP of 1.217.
His team's record is 8-3 (+5.9 units) in these starts. The OVER is 7-4. (+2.8 units)

DILLON GEE vs. WASHINGTON since 1997
GEE is 3-1 when starting against WASHINGTON with an ERA of 3.37 and a WHIP of 1.178.
His team's record is 3-3 (-0.4 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 3-3. (-0.4 units)

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MIAMI (4 - 14) at CINCINNATI (10 - 8) - 1:10 PM
ALEX SANABIA (R) vs. HOMER BAILEY (R)
Top Trends for this game.
MIAMI is 66-110 (-31.1 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.
MIAMI is 73-107 (-32.9 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
MIAMI is 12-28 (-16.4 Units) against the money line in April games over the last 2 seasons.
MIAMI is 22-39 (-18.5 Units) against the money line in day games over the last 2 seasons.
MIAMI is 72-105 (-32.0 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
MIAMI is 48-70 (-20.5 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
CINCINNATI is 109-76 (+14.9 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
CINCINNATI is 109-76 (+14.9 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
CINCINNATI is 313-337 (-79.5 Units) against the money line in home games after a win since 1997.
CINCINNATI is 327-298 (-71.1 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a losing record since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
MIAMI is 1-2 (+0.3 Units) against CINCINNATI this season
2 of 3 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+1.0 Units)

ALEX SANABIA vs. CINCINNATI since 1997
No recent starts.

HOMER BAILEY vs. MIAMI since 1997
BAILEY is 1-1 when starting against MIAMI with an ERA of 2.84 and a WHIP of 0.987.
His team's record is 1-3 (-2.3 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 3-1. (+1.9 units)

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ATLANTA (13 - 4) at PITTSBURGH (9 - 8) - 1:35 PM
KRIS MEDLEN (R) vs. JONATHAN SANCHEZ (L)
Top Trends for this game.
PITTSBURGH is 320-338 (+41.5 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a winning record since 1997.
ATLANTA is 28-18 (+15.2 Units) against the money line in road games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 107-73 (+24.1 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 53-37 (+18.7 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 32-20 (+14.9 Units) against the money line in road games in day games over the last 3 seasons.
ATLANTA is 105-72 (+22.6 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
MEDLEN is 29-6 (+22.9 Units) against the money line in all games since 1997. (Team's Record)
MEDLEN is 14-3 (+12.2 Units) against the money line in road games since 1997. (Team's Record)
MEDLEN is 29-6 (+22.9 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field since 1997. (Team's Record)
MEDLEN is 14-1 (+13.9 Units) against the money line after a loss since 1997. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
PITTSBURGH is 2-1 (+1.3 Units) against ATLANTA this season
2 of 3 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+1.0 Units)

KRIS MEDLEN vs. PITTSBURGH since 1997
MEDLEN is 1-0 when starting against PITTSBURGH with an ERA of 3.86 and a WHIP of 1.714.
His team's record is 1-1 (-0.3 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-1. (-1.0 units)

JONATHAN SANCHEZ vs. ATLANTA since 1997
SANCHEZ is 1-2 when starting against ATLANTA with an ERA of 4.35 and a WHIP of 1.170.
His team's record is 3-5 (-2.2 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 2-6. (-5.4 units)

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CHICAGO CUBS (5 - 11) at MILWAUKEE (8 - 8) - 2:10 PM
SCOTT FELDMAN (R) vs. WILY PERALTA (R)
Top Trends for this game.
CHICAGO CUBS are 66-112 (-31.2 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO CUBS are 25-64 (-27.6 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO CUBS are 14-41 (-22.7 Units) against the money line in road games in day games over the last 3 seasons.
CHICAGO CUBS are 66-112 (-31.2 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO CUBS are 920-1014 (-184.8 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 16-44 (-21.1 Units) against the money line in road games after a loss over the last 2 seasons.
FELDMAN is 7-16 (-15.8 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
FELDMAN is 7-16 (-15.8 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
MILWAUKEE is 64-22 (+30.5 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 3 seasons.
MILWAUKEE is 117-63 (+34.8 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 3 seasons.
MILWAUKEE is 60-25 (+25.1 Units) against the money line in home games against division opponents over the last 3 seasons.
MILWAUKEE is 117-63 (+34.8 Units) against the money line in home games in games played on a grass field over the last 3 seasons.
MILWAUKEE is 89-43 (+32.0 Units) against the money line in home games against right-handed starters over the last 3 seasons.
MILWAUKEE is 29-37 (-14.6 Units) against the money line in day games over the last 2 seasons.

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

SCOTT FELDMAN vs. MILWAUKEE since 1997
FELDMAN is 1-0 when starting against MILWAUKEE with an ERA of 0.00 and a WHIP of 1.167.
His team's record is 1-0 (+1.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-1. (-1.1 units)

WILY PERALTA vs. CHICAGO CUBS since 1997
PERALTA is 0-0 when starting against CHICAGO CUBS with an ERA of 2.70 and a WHIP of 1.199.
His team's record is 0-1 (-1.1 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 0-1. (-1.3 units)

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SAN DIEGO (5 - 12) at SAN FRANCISCO (11 - 7) - 4:05 PM
ERIC STULTS (L) vs. BARRY ZITO (L)
Top Trends for this game.
SAN DIEGO is 22-50 (-20.5 Units) against the money line as a road underdog of +125 to +150 over the last 3 seasons.
SAN DIEGO is 12-29 (-13.9 Units) against the money line in April games over the last 2 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 67-36 (+19.3 Units) against the money line in home games after a win over the last 3 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 116-80 (+30.0 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 52-28 (+21.1 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 116-80 (+30.0 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 43-20 (+24.1 Units) against the money line against left-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 67-35 (+24.7 Units) against the money line in home games after shutting out their opponent since 1997.
ZITO is 26-12 (+19.0 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
ZITO is 13-2 (+13.2 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
ZITO is 26-12 (+19.0 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
ZITO is 19-7 (+14.6 Units) against the money line after a win over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
SAN DIEGO is 60-54 (+18.4 Units) against the money line in day games over the last 3 seasons.
STULTS is 12-6 (+10.6 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
STULTS is 16-8 (+14.6 Units) against the money line in road games since 1997. (Team's Record)
STULTS is 10-3 (+10.8 Units) against the money line in road games against division opponents since 1997. (Team's Record)
STULTS is 12-6 (+10.6 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
STULTS is 9-3 (+9.7 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
SAN FRANCISCO is 2-0 (+2.0 Units) against SAN DIEGO this season
2 of 2 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+2.0 Units)

ERIC STULTS vs. SAN FRANCISCO since 1997
STULTS is 4-2 when starting against SAN FRANCISCO with an ERA of 5.10 and a WHIP of 1.573.
His team's record is 6-3 (+4.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 6-2. (+3.7 units)

BARRY ZITO vs. SAN DIEGO since 1997
ZITO is 4-9 when starting against SAN DIEGO with an ERA of 4.84 and a WHIP of 1.509.
His team's record is 9-11 (-2.5 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 11-8. (+1.9 units)

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ARIZONA (9 - 8) at COLORADO (13 - 4) - 4:10 PM
BRANDON MCCARTHY (R) vs. JUAN NICASIO (R)
Top Trends for this game.
COLORADO is 13-4 (+9.7 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
COLORADO is 8-0 (+8.0 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
COLORADO is 13-4 (+9.7 Units) against the money line in April games this season.
COLORADO is 13-4 (+9.7 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
COLORADO is 10-2 (+8.7 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
COLORADO is 11-1 (+10.3 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
ARIZONA is 128-100 (+26.4 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 3 seasons.
MCCARTHY is 10-2 (+9.7 Units) against the money line in day games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
COLORADO is 7-22 (-15.2 Units) against the money line when playing on Sunday over the last 2 seasons.
COLORADO is 20-40 (-19.8 Units) against the money line in day games over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
COLORADO is 2-0 (+2.0 Units) against ARIZONA this season
2 of 2 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+2.0 Units)

BRANDON MCCARTHY vs. COLORADO since 1997
No recent starts.

JUAN NICASIO vs. ARIZONA since 1997
NICASIO is 0-0 when starting against ARIZONA with an ERA of 8.58 and a WHIP of 2.316.
His team's record is 1-1 (-0.2 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 0-2. (-2.2 units)

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ST LOUIS (10 - 7) at PHILADELPHIA (7 - 11) - 8:05 PM
JAKE WESTBROOK (R) vs. KYLE KENDRICK (R)
Top Trends for this game.
PHILADELPHIA is 40-49 (-17.6 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 42-54 (-20.9 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 88-92 (-22.3 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 44-46 (-17.1 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 96-97 (-30.2 Units) against the money line in home games in April games since 1997.
PHILADELPHIA is 25-30 (-15.6 Units) against the money line when playing on Sunday over the last 3 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 88-89 (-19.3 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 28-33 (-15.7 Units) against the money line in home games against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
ST LOUIS is 2-1 (+1.1 Units) against PHILADELPHIA this season
1 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+0.0 Units)

JAKE WESTBROOK vs. PHILADELPHIA since 1997
WESTBROOK is 2-1 when starting against PHILADELPHIA with an ERA of 4.39 and a WHIP of 1.575.
His team's record is 2-3 (-0.7 units) in these starts. The OVER is 3-2. (+0.8 units)

KYLE KENDRICK vs. ST LOUIS since 1997
KENDRICK is 5-1 when starting against ST LOUIS with an ERA of 2.63 and a WHIP of 1.195.
His team's record is 5-1 (+4.7 units) in these starts. The OVER is 4-2. (+1.9 units)

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NY YANKEES (10 - 6) at TORONTO (7 - 11) - 1:05 PM
IVAN NOVA (R) vs. JOSH JOHNSON (R)
Top Trends for this game.
NY YANKEES are 81-40 (+27.6 Units) against the money line in day games over the last 3 seasons.
TORONTO is 2-9 (-8.9 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 this season.
TORONTO is 98-111 (-39.8 Units) against the money line in home games in April games since 1997.
JOHNSON is 1-7 (-8.5 Units) against the money line in April games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
NY YANKEES is 2-0 (+2.2 Units) against TORONTO this season
1 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=-0.2 Units, Under=-0.2 Units)

IVAN NOVA vs. TORONTO since 1997
NOVA is 3-1 when starting against TORONTO with an ERA of 3.82 and a WHIP of 1.245.
His team's record is 4-2 (+1.7 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-5. (-4.3 units)

JOSH JOHNSON vs. NY YANKEES since 1997
JOHNSON is 1-0 when starting against NY YANKEES with an ERA of 1.29 and a WHIP of 0.714.
His team's record is 1-0 (+1.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-1. (-1.0 units)

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KANSAS CITY (8 - 7) at BOSTON (12 - 4) - 1:35 PM
ERVIN SANTANA (R) vs. RYAN DEMPSTER (R)
Top Trends for this game.
BOSTON is 12-4 (+8.1 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
BOSTON is 10-1 (+9.7 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 this season.
BOSTON is 12-4 (+8.1 Units) against the money line in April games this season.
DEMPSTER is 60-46 (+18.8 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 since 1997. (Team's Record)
BOSTON is 39-49 (-24.2 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 69-88 (-34.6 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 52-69 (-27.3 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 42-61 (-22.9 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.

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

ERVIN SANTANA vs. BOSTON since 1997
SANTANA is 3-3 when starting against BOSTON with an ERA of 4.46 and a WHIP of 1.203.
His team's record is 7-5 (+3.8 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-9. (-7.7 units)

RYAN DEMPSTER vs. KANSAS CITY since 1997
DEMPSTER is 2-0 when starting against KANSAS CITY with an ERA of 4.00 and a WHIP of 1.500.
His team's record is 3-0 (+3.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 3-0. (+3.0 units)

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OAKLAND (12 - 6) at TAMPA BAY (7 - 10) - 1:40 PM
TOM MILONE (L) vs. ROBERTO HERNANDEZ (R)
Top Trends for this game.
OAKLAND is 49-26 (+24.6 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
OAKLAND is 108-77 (+42.9 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
OAKLAND is 28-17 (+13.8 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 2 seasons.
OAKLAND is 50-41 (+20.7 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
OAKLAND is 72-48 (+32.8 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
MILONE is 23-12 (+12.8 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
MILONE is 17-6 (+11.7 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
TAMPA BAY is 2-0 (+2.0 Units) against OAKLAND this season
1 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=-0.1 Units, Under=-0.2 Units)

TOM MILONE vs. TAMPA BAY since 1997
MILONE is 1-1 when starting against TAMPA BAY with an ERA of 8.18 and a WHIP of 1.545.
His team's record is 1-1 (+0.5 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-0. (+2.0 units)

ROBERTO HERNANDEZ vs. OAKLAND since 1997
HERNANDEZ is 4-7 when starting against OAKLAND with an ERA of 5.29 and a WHIP of 1.598.
His team's record is 4-8 (-5.2 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 8-3. (+4.3 units)

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CLEVELAND (6 - 10) at HOUSTON (5 - 12) - 2:10 PM
UBALDO JIMENEZ (R) vs. ERIK BEDARD (L)
Top Trends for this game.
CLEVELAND is 74-104 (-23.5 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
CLEVELAND is 68-97 (-24.8 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
JIMENEZ is 26-40 (-19.4 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
JIMENEZ is 38-60 (-25.3 Units) against the money line in road games since 1997. (Team's Record)
JIMENEZ is 6-18 (-16.3 Units) against the money line in day games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
JIMENEZ is 25-38 (-19.0 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
HOUSTON is 37-79 (-27.0 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 60-118 (-34.9 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 28-73 (-35.6 Units) against the money line in day games over the last 3 seasons.
HOUSTON is 60-118 (-34.9 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 79-166 (-59.7 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
HOUSTON is 1-1 (+0.1 Units) against CLEVELAND this season
1 of 2 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+0.0 Units)

UBALDO JIMENEZ vs. HOUSTON since 1997
JIMENEZ is 4-0 when starting against HOUSTON with an ERA of 1.88 and a WHIP of 1.174.
His team's record is 4-2 (+1.6 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-4. (-2.3 units)

ERIK BEDARD vs. CLEVELAND since 1997
BEDARD is 2-2 when starting against CLEVELAND with an ERA of 4.53 and a WHIP of 1.335.
His team's record is 6-5 (-0.2 units) in these starts. The OVER is 6-4. (+2.1 units)

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MINNESOTA (7 - 7) at CHI WHITE SOX (7 - 10) - 2:10 PM
SCOTT DIAMOND (L) vs. GAVIN FLOYD (R)
Top Trends for this game.
CHI WHITE SOX are 35-43 (-14.0 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 2 seasons.
CHI WHITE SOX are 18-24 (-11.8 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 2 seasons.
FLOYD is 24-39 (-21.1 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 since 1997. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
MINNESOTA is 1-0 (+1.6 Units) against CHI WHITE SOX this season
1 of 1 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+1.0 Units)

SCOTT DIAMOND vs. CHI WHITE SOX since 1997
DIAMOND is 2-4 when starting against CHI WHITE SOX with an ERA of 5.19 and a WHIP of 1.471.
His team's record is 2-4 (-0.8 units) in these starts. The OVER is 3-3. (-0.3 units)

GAVIN FLOYD vs. MINNESOTA since 1997
FLOYD is 6-11 when starting against MINNESOTA with an ERA of 5.71 and a WHIP of 1.586.
His team's record is 6-12 (-7.4 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 7-11. (-5.5 units)

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SEATTLE (7 - 12) at TEXAS (11 - 6) - 3:05 PM
AARON HARANG (R) vs. JUSTIN GRIMM (R)
Top Trends for this game.
SEATTLE is 290-413 (-98.2 Units) against the money line in road games after a loss since 1997.
SEATTLE is 109-94 (+29.5 Units) against the money line in road games in April games since 1997.
HARANG is 72-68 (+23.0 Units) against the money line in road games since 1997. (Team's Record)
TEXAS is 52-51 (-21.9 Units) against the money line after a win over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
TEXAS is 4-2 (+1.6 Units) against SEATTLE this season
5 of 5 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+5.0 Units)

AARON HARANG vs. TEXAS since 1997
HARANG is 1-0 when starting against TEXAS with an ERA of 9.35 and a WHIP of 2.020.
His team's record is 2-2 (-0.4 units) in these starts. The OVER is 4-0. (+4.0 units)

JUSTIN GRIMM vs. SEATTLE since 1997
GRIMM is 0-0 when starting against SEATTLE with an ERA of 4.50 and a WHIP of 2.000.
His team's record is 1-0 (+1.4 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-0. (+0.0 units)

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DETROIT (9 - 8) at LA ANGELS (6 - 10) - 3:35 PM
DOUG FISTER (R) vs. C.J. WILSON (L)
Top Trends for this game.
DETROIT is 9-20 (-14.8 Units) against the money line on the road with a money line of -100 to -125 over the last 2 seasons.
DETROIT is 46-53 (-17.8 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
DETROIT is 42-50 (-18.3 Units) against the money line in road games in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
DETROIT is 10-18 (-12.1 Units) against the money line in road games against left-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
FISTER is 12-30 (-17.5 Units) against the money line in road games in games played on a grass field since 1997. (Team's Record)
LA ANGELS are 397-328 (+51.9 Units) against the money line in day games since 1997.
DETROIT is 40-19 (+16.2 Units) against the money line when playing on Sunday over the last 3 seasons.
LA ANGELS are 14-25 (-20.0 Units) against the money line in April games over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
LA ANGELS is 2-0 (+2.1 Units) against DETROIT this season
2 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+2.0 Units)

DOUG FISTER vs. LA ANGELS since 1997
FISTER is 2-3 when starting against LA ANGELS with an ERA of 3.49 and a WHIP of 1.163.
His team's record is 3-4 (-0.7 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 4-1. (+2.7 units)

C.J. WILSON vs. DETROIT since 1997
WILSON is 1-2 when starting against DETROIT with an ERA of 5.51 and a WHIP of 1.612.
His team's record is 2-3 (-1.3 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-1. (-0.1 units)

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LA DODGERS (7 - 10) at BALTIMORE (10 - 7) - 1:35 PM
CHAD BILLINGSLEY (R) vs. JAKE ARRIETA (R)
Top Trends for this game.
LA DODGERS are 48-84 (-34.5 Units) against the money line in road games in an inter-league game since 1997.
LA DODGERS are 39-47 (-15.9 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 2 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 106-79 (+41.3 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 41-27 (+18.2 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 2 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 53-38 (+11.6 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 26-15 (+10.9 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 2 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 24-16 (+10.3 Units) against the money line in April games over the last 2 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 36-18 (+22.3 Units) against the money line in day games over the last 2 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 96-68 (+38.7 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 75-56 (+30.4 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 58-47 (+16.7 Units) against the money line after a win over the last 2 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 38-22 (+15.2 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 167-249 (-79.8 Units) against the money line when playing on Sunday since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
BALTIMORE is 2-0 (+2.0 Units) against LA DODGERS this season
1 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+0.0 Units)

CHAD BILLINGSLEY vs. BALTIMORE since 1997
No recent starts.

JAKE ARRIETA vs. LA DODGERS since 1997
No recent starts.

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

KANSAS CITY (8 - 7) at BOSTON (12 - 4) - 7:10 PM
JEREMY GUTHRIE (R) vs. ALLEN WEBSTER (R)
Top Trends for this game.
BOSTON is 12-4 (+8.1 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
BOSTON is 12-4 (+8.1 Units) against the money line in April games this season.
GUTHRIE is 12-6 (+9.1 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
BOSTON is 28-41 (-19.0 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 39-49 (-24.2 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 17-28 (-17.7 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 9 to 9.5 over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 69-88 (-34.6 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 51-70 (-30.6 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 52-69 (-27.3 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 42-61 (-22.9 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.

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

JEREMY GUTHRIE vs. BOSTON since 1997
GUTHRIE is 3-7 when starting against BOSTON with an ERA of 4.96 and a WHIP of 1.661.
His team's record is 6-12 (-4.7 units) in these starts. The OVER is 11-4. (+6.6 units)

ALLEN WEBSTER vs. KANSAS CITY since 1997
No recent starts.

[StarDust Bum]

MLB
Armadillo's Write-Up

Sunday, April 21

Hot pitchers
-- Zimmerman is 3-0, 2.45 in three starts this season.
-- Bailey is 1-0, 0.00 (14 IP) in two home starts this season. Sanabia is 2-1, 4.24 in three starts this season.
-- Medlen is 1-1, 2.37 in three starts this season.
-- Nicasio is 2-0, 5.63 in three starts; Colorado scored 21 runs in three games.
-- Westbrook is 1-1, 2.55 in three starts this year; he was rained out of his last start, down 4-2 in third inning. Kendrick is 1-0, 1.38 in his last two starts.

-- Billingsley is 1-0, 3.00 in two starts this season. Orioles are 3-0 in Arrieta starts (1-0, 5.40), scoring 22 runs.

-- Santana is 1-0, 1.69 in his last two starts. Guthrie is 2-0, 3.20 in three starts this year. Red Sox won first two Doubront starts (1-0, 4.50) scoring 13 runs.
-- Milone is 3-0, 3.86 in three starts this season.
-- Fister is 3-0, 2.61 in three starts this season. Wilson is 1-0, 4.50 in three starts this season.

Cold pitchers
-- Gee is 0-3, 9.00 so far this season.
-- JSanchez is 0-2, 11.81 in three starts this season.
-- Feldman is 0-2, 10.00 in two starts this season. Peralta is 0-1, 7.31 in three starts this season.
-- McCarthy is 0-2, 8.62 in his first three Arizona starts.
-- Stults is 1-1, 5.73 in his last couple starts. Zito allowed nine runs in 2.1 IP his last start, after throwing 14 scoreless IP in his first two.

-- Nova is 1-1, 5.59 in two starts this season. JJohnson is 0-1, 7.54 in three starts this season.
-- Dempster is 0-1, 3.71 in his first three Boston starts.
-- RHernandez is 0-3, 7.23 in three starts this season.
-- Floyd is 0-3, 6.89 in three starts this season. Diamond is 1-4, 5.14 in his last six starts.
-- Harang is 1-4, 3.89 in his last eight starts. Grimm is 1-1, 9.00 in his last three starts.
-- Bedard is 0-1, 12.46 in two starts this season. Jimenez allowed 14 runs in 6.1 IP in losing his last two starts.

Totals
-- Three of last four Pittsburgh games stayed under total.
-- Under is 6-2-1 in last nine Philly games.
-- Six of last nine Miami games stayed under total.
-- Nine of last twelve Washington games went over total.
-- Five of last seven Cub games stayed under the total.
-- Last six Arizona games stayed under the total.
-- Over is 6-2-1 in last nine Stults starts.

-- Five of last seven Dodger games went over the total.

-- Seven of last eight Bronx games stayed under the total.
-- Three of last four Boston games went over the total.
-- 14 of last 17 Oakland games went over the total.
-- Under is 9-0-1 in last ten Texas games.
-- Eight of last eleven Cleveland games went over the total.
-- Last six White Sox games stayed under the total.
-- Ten of last twelve Angel games went over the total.

Hot teams
-- Pirates won eight of their last eleven games.
-- Cardinals won seven of their last ten games.
-- Reds won five of their last six games.
-- Brewers won their last six games, scoring 35 runs.
-- Colorado won its last eight games, scoring 53 runs.
-- Giants won their last five home games.

-- Orioles won their last three games, scoring 23 runs.

-- Bronx won nine of its last eleven games.
-- Red Sox won their last seven games, allowing 13 runs.
-- Rays won three of their last four games. Oakland won 12 of its last 16 games, but lost last two, scoring three runs.
-- Rangers won five of their last six home games.
-- Angels outscored Detroit 18-1 in first two games of series.

Cold teams
-- Braves lost three of their last four games.
-- Phillies lost five of their last six games.
-- Marlins lost 14 of their first 18 games.
-- Nationals lost five of their last eight games. Mets lost four of their last five games.
-- Cubs lost nine of their last twelve games.
-- Arizona is 4-7 in its last eleven games.
-- Padres lost seven of their last ten games.

-- Dodgers lost last six games, outscored 33-13.

-- Blue Jays lost four of their last five games.
-- Royals lost four of their last six games.
-- Mariners lost eight of their last eleven games- they didn't score in their last two games.
-- Astros lost five of their last six games. Cleveland lost its last five games, allowing 25 runs.
-- Minnesota lost six of its last eight games. White Sox lost seven of their last eleven games.
-- Detroit lost its last three games, outscored 20-1.

Umpires
-- Mia-Cin-- Underdogs are 19-11 in Johnson's last 30 games.
-- Wsh-NY-- Under is 6-0-1 in last seven Carlson games.
-- StL-Phil-- Last four Gibson games stayed under the total.
-- Atl-Pitt-- Under is 8-3-1 in last twelve Nauert games.
-- Chi-Mil-- Six of last eight Cuzzi games stayed under total.
-- Az-Col-- Over is 4-1-1 last six (***************.com) Reyburn games.
-- SD-SF-- Six of last nine Davidson games stayed under the total.

-- LA-Balt-- Favorites won six of last eight TWelke games.

-- NY-Tor-- Underdogs are 7-4 in last eleven Timmons games.
-- KC-Bos-- Over is 10-4-1 in last fifteen Vanover games. Five of last seven Randazzo games went over the total.
-- A's-TB-- Underdogs won nine of last thirteen Nelson games.
-- Min-Chi-- Last four Tichenor games stayed under the total.
-- Cle-Hst-- Six of last seven Bellino games stayed under total.
-- Sea-Tex-- Last five Hernandez games went over the total.
-- Det-LA-- Last three Dreckman games stayed under the total.
Reply With Quote

[StarDust Bum]

MLB

Sunday, April 21

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Trend Report
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1:07 PM
NY YANKEES vs. TORONTO
The total has gone OVER in 6 of NY Yankees's last 8 games on the road
NY Yankees are 5-1 SU in their last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Toronto's last 8 games
Toronto is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games

1:10 PM
MIAMI vs. CINCINNATI
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Miami's last 13 games
Miami is 4-15 SU in its last 19 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Cincinnati's last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Cincinnati's last 6 games at home

1:10 PM
WASHINGTON vs. NY METS
Washington is 9-1 SU in its last 10 games when playing on the road against NY Mets
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Washington's last 9 games on the road
NY Mets are 1-9 SU in its last 10 games when playing at home against Washington
NY Mets are 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing Washington

1:35 PM
KANSAS CITY vs. BOSTON
Kansas City is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Boston
Kansas City is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
Boston is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Kansas City
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Boston's last 6 games when playing at home against Kansas City

1:35 PM
LA DODGERS vs. BALTIMORE
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of LA Dodgers's last 6 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of LA Dodgers's last 6 games when playing Baltimore
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Baltimore's last 6 games when playing LA Dodgers
Baltimore is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games

1:35 PM
ATLANTA vs. PITTSBURGH
Atlanta is 8-2 SU in its last 10 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Atlanta's last 13 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Pittsburgh's last 8 games when playing at home against Atlanta
Pittsburgh is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games at home

1:40 PM
OAKLAND vs. TAMPA BAY
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Oakland's last 9 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 12 of Oakland's last 18 games when playing Tampa Bay
Tampa Bay is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home
Tampa Bay is 4-8 SU in its last 12 games

2:10 PM
MINNESOTA vs. CHI WHITE SOX
Minnesota is 2-7 SU in their last 9 games when playing on the road against Chi White Sox
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Minnesota's last 5 games when playing Chi White Sox
Chi White Sox are 4-1 SU in their last 5 games when playing Minnesota
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Chi White Sox's last 7 games at home

2:10 PM
CHI CUBS vs. MILWAUKEE
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Chi Cubs's last 7 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Chi Cubs's last 6 games when playing on the road against Milwaukee
The total has gone OVER in 12 of Milwaukee's last 17 games
Milwaukee is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games

2:10 PM
CLEVELAND vs. HOUSTON
Cleveland is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Cleveland's last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Houston's last 5 games at home
Houston is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games at home

3:05 PM
SEATTLE vs. TEXAS
Seattle is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games when playing Texas
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Seattle's last 8 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Texas's last 5 games
Texas is 11-5 SU in its last 16 games

3:35 PM
DETROIT vs. LA ANGELS
The total has gone OVER in 11 of Detroit's last 15 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Detroit's last 7 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of LA Angels's last 9 games when playing Detroit
LA Angels are 5-0 SU in their last 5 games when playing Detroit

4:05 PM
SAN DIEGO vs. SAN FRANCISCO
San Diego is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing San Francisco
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of San Diego's last 9 games on the road
San Francisco is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
San Francisco is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against San Diego

4:10 PM
ARIZONA vs. COLORADO
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Arizona's last 5 games on the road
Arizona is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Colorado is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Colorado's last 10 games

7:10 PM
KANSAS CITY vs. BOSTON
Kansas City is 1-4-1 SU in its last 6 games ,when playing on the road against Boston
Kansas City is 1-4-1 SU in its last 6 games ,when playing Boston
Boston4-1-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing Kansas City
Boston7-0-1 SU in its last 8 games

8:05 PM
ST. LOUIS vs. PHILADELPHIA
St. Louis is 7-3 SU in its last 10 games
St. Louis is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 9 of Philadelphia's last 12 games at home
Philadelphia is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games

[StarDust Bum]

MLB

Sunday, April 21

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Sunday's streaking and slumping MLB starting pitchers
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Major league pitchers have enough starts under their belts to pick out which arms are streaking and slumping to start the season. Each day we’ll look at the hottest and coldest pitchers taking the mound.

Streaking

Doug Fister, Detroit Tigers (3-0, 2.70 ERA)

Fister tossed seven strong innings last time out against the Seattle Mariners to pick up his third win in as many starts. But bettors beware: The righty is 0-2 with a 6.94 ERA and 1.80 WHIP in 11 2/3 career innings at Angel Stadium.

Kris Medlen, Atlanta Braves (1-1, 1.42 ERA)

Medlen is picking up right where he left off last season. The right-hander threw 73 of his 98 pitches for strikes in his last start against the Kansas City Royals and is commanding both sides of the plate. Medlen is the owner of a sparkling 1.94 ERA in 21 career appearances in April.


Slumping

Ubaldo Jimenez, Cleveland Indians (0-2, 11.25 ERA)

Jimenez has been rocked in back-to-back starts for seven earned runs. The righty has struggled with his control early on, walking eight batters in his last six innings pitched. Jimenez owns a career 1.88 ERA against the Astros – his best mark against any major league club.

Dillon Gee, New York Mets (0-3, 8.36 ERA)

Gee has traditionally pitched poor in cold weather because his “fingertips get numb in cold weather.” Temperatures are expected to be in the high-40s for first pitch at Citi Field and he has been rocked in his two previous starts at cold April venues (Philadelphia, Colorado).