CnoThe Bum's MLB May's News-Notes-Trends & Best Bets !!

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: White Sox (11-15) at Rangers (17-10)

Game: 3
Venue: Rangers Ballpark in Arlington
Date: May 02, 2013 8:05 PM EDT


A.J. Pierzynski's first interaction with his former club wasn't very pleasant.

He may be in the lineup against the Chicago White Sox for the first time Thursday night, when the Texas Rangers attempt to remain the only team in the majors to avoid losing a series.

Pierzynski spent eight seasons with the White Sox (11-15), playing a vital role in helping them win the 2005 World Series.

The former All-Star left Chicago for Texas (17-10) via free agency in December, and he's hitting .360 in eight home games.

He wasn't very happy with his first meeting with the White Sox after soreness and bruising to his side kept him out of Tuesday's 10-6 win in the opener of this three-game set.

In a pinch-hit appearance in the ninth inning of Wednesday's 5-2 loss, Pierzynski was hit by a pitch from closer Addison Reed. The fiery catcher reacted by flipping his bat away and saying a few words before staring at Reed on his way to first - and even more after getting there.

"I'm sure he was just trying to pitch me in and it got away," Pierzynski said diplomatically afterward.

The catcher may start Thursday as Texas tries to avoid its first series loss this season, but he'll see a familiar face when he steps into the batter's box.

"I mean, certainly we know each other very well," White Sox starter Jake Peavy told the team's official website of his scheduled start in the series finale. "He knows a lot of what I'm probably going to do to him. And I know what to do to him. It will be interesting to see how it plays out.

"A.J. is a great hitter, and it's not a fun test trying to get him out three or four times."

Pierzynski is 4 for 15 versus Peavy, but that was before they became teammates in Chicago in 2009.

Peavy (3-1, 3.38), though, is looking for his first win versus Texas. The right-hander is 0-2 with a 7.59 ERA in four career starts, but enters this meeting with some momentum.

He's 2-0 with a 2.18 ERA and 26 strikeouts in 20 2-3 innings over his last three outings.

Peavy turned in another quality start Friday, allowing three runs and two homers while fanning six in 6 2-3 innings of a 5-4 win over Tampa Bay.

The Rangers are scheduled to counter Peavy with rookie Justin Grimm (2-0, 1.59), who has won his last two starts while yielding two runs - one earned - and yielding 11 hits with 13 strikeouts in 13 innings.

"The name of the game is trusting my stuff," Grimm told the team's official website "It's not just the stuff, it's just a mindset. It's not trying for the strikeout or trying to do too much but just trusting my stuff out there."

The right-hander certainly did that Friday, scattering five hits in seven scoreless innings of a 4-3 win at Minnesota.

"I just want to pitch for this team, whether it's in the rotation or not," Grimm said. "I want to prove that I belong here. That's the whole idea."

It seems like he'll get that chance since Matt Harrison had a setback in his recovery from surgery on a herniated disk in his lower back, and needs a second operation in nine days.

Grimm, though, was tagged for three runs with three strikeouts and two walks in the final three innings of a 19-2 road loss to the White Sox on July 3.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Cardinals (16-11) at Brewers (14-12)

Game: 1
Venue: Miller Park
Date: May 02, 2013 8:10 PM EDT


The St. Louis Cardinals already quieted the bats of the Milwaukee Brewers in one series this season. With a starting rotation that continues to roll along with strong performances, they'll try to do it again.

Jake Westbrook will take the ball Thursday night for the opener of a four-game set at Miller Park.

St. Louis took two of three from the Brewers in St. Louis from April 12-14, shutting them out twice in the process. Cardinals starters posted a 1.29 ERA over those three games and come in looking more than capable of producing similar results. Their starters' ERA is at 1.32 over the last nine.

Lance Lynn turned in the latest gem, throwing seven innings of one-run ball in St. Louis' 4-2 win over Cincinnati on Wednesday.

"The starting pitching has been a constant for us and he's helped lead the way," manager Mike Matheny said. "You can't ask the starters to do more than they've done."

Westbrook (1-1, 0.98 ERA) hasn't been charged with an earned run in three of his four starts, including his six shutout innings against Pittsburgh on Saturday as he scattered six hits without a walk. His bid for a second victory was squandered by St. Louis' relievers, which gave up five runs in three innings.

"I felt like I was throwing the ball pretty well. I had a good sinker," said Westbrook, who is 2-4 with a 3.06 ERA in eight career starts versus Milwaukee. "I was able to get some early outs and I stayed out of trouble for the most part."

While the starters for the Cardinals (16-11) have sparkled, the Brewers (14-12) were again let down by their bullpen Wednesday.

John Axford was the primary culprit in a late collapse as he was charged with four runs in the eighth inning of a 6-4 loss to the Pirates. It was the Brewers' fifth blown save and the second for Axford, snapping Milwaukee's eight-game home winning streak and foiling its bid for a sweep of Pittsburgh.

Manager Ron Roenicke removed Axford (0-3, 10.32 ERA) as the team's closer after three rough appearances to start the year, but he had posted a 1.23 ERA over eight appearances prior to Wednesday's debacle. Roenicke even said last week he was considering the possibility of reinstating Axford - who was booed off the mound Wednesday - as Milwaukee's closer.

"I don't think it's necessarily fair," Roenicke said of the crowd's treatment of Axford. "This guy's been pitching really well for us. I still obviously like him a lot. I think every time I put him out there, I think he's going to do a good job."

The Brewers counter Westbrook with Wily Peralta (2-1, 5.02 ERA), who will make his first career start against St. Louis. Peralta has won two in a row, allowing five runs over 12 2-3 innings after posting a 6.19 ERA through his first three starts.

Carlos Gomez enters on an eight-game hitting streak during which he's 15 for 29 (.517) with three homers and five RBIs, though he's 1 for 5 against Westbrook.

Ryan Braun is 10 for 19 lifetime off of Westbrook but is hitting just .220 with 15 strikeouts in his last 10 games versus the Cardinals.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Tigers (15-11) at Astros (8-20)

Game: 1
Venue: Minute Maid Park
Date: May 02, 2013 8:10 PM EDT


Rick Porcello is feeling better about his stuff, but he's not racking up strikeouts like his Detroit Tigers teammates.

Perhaps his first start against the AL-worst Houston Astros will change that.

Porcello and the Tigers will try to rebound from their first loss in six games on Thursday night in Houston, where these clubs will meet for the first time in four seasons.

With Anibal Sanchez and recent call-up Jose Ortega combining for 11 strikeouts in Wednesday's 6-2 loss to Minnesota, Detroit (15-11) has fanned 10 straight in six consecutive games. That's the longest stretch by an AL club since 1921, and two shy of Milwaukee's eight-game run from Aug. 20-28.

While Sanchez, who struck out a team-record 17 on April 26, Doug Fister, Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander have each recorded at least eight strikeouts in their last turns, Porcello (1-2, 8.84 ERA) had just five his last time out, and he's fine with that after recording three total in his first four.

The right-hander went 6 1-3 innings in Saturday's 7-4 win over Atlanta, giving up three runs. It was definite step in the right direction after yielding nine runs and not getting out of the first inning in a 10-0 loss to the Los Angeles Angels on April 20.

"Get to two strikes, try to bounce some breaking balls and not give them good enough pitches to hit," Porcello said.

The right-hander will face a Houston team that's struck out a MLB-high 276 times. Marwin Gonzalez went down swinging to end Wednesday's 5-4 loss to the New York Yankees. The Astros (8-20) dropped two of three in the series to finish a 1-6 trip.

"If we get that kind of effort and play baseball the way we played here these three games, we're going to win a lot of ballgames,' manager Bo Porter said.

Houston, a winner of a season-best two straight at Minute Maid Park, opens its season-high 10-game homestand with left-hander Jordan Lyles making his season debut. He takes the spot of Brad Peacock, who was recently demoted to the bullpen.

Lyles, 7-20 with a 5.20 ERA in 45 games, is back with the team after being sent down following a rocky spring. He went 2-2 with a 5.32 ERA in six appearances for Triple-A Oklahoma City.

"You know, this guy has all the skill sets to be a front-of-the-rotation starter in this league and we're hoping that that is the case and hoping the step that he took back in the spring is added motivation to never take it for granted and give everything that he has to not only be in the big leagues but be an elite pitcher in the big leagues,' Porter said.

Lyles showed that in his last start, throwing a four-hitter in a 7-0 road win over the Brewers on Sept. 20.

He'll get his first look at the Tigers and Miguel Cabrera, who went 12 for 29 (.414) with two homers and 11 RBIs on the Tigers' just-completed 6-2 homestand. Cabrera, though, is a .194 hitter off Astros pitching, which is by far his worst average against any team.

Prince Fielder is batting .295 versus Houston with 24 homers and 75 RBIs, all during his time with Milwaukee.

The Tigers are 6-3 in this series since dropping their first six to Houston. Detroit improved to 1-5 at Minute Maid Park with a 4-3 victory in the last game between these teams on June 28, 2009.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Orioles (16-12) at Angels (10-17)

Game: 1
Venue: Angel Stadium of Anaheim
Date: May 02, 2013 10:05 PM EDT


Chris Tillman's first career win came against his hometown Los Angeles Angels, but he just missed out pitching in Anaheim for the first time last season.

The Baltimore Orioles right-hander will finally get that chance in Thursday night's series opener.

Acquired from Seattle in the 2008 Erik Bedard deal that brought Adam Jones to Baltimore, Tillman (1-1, 4.73 ERA) needed four career starts to earn his first major league victory, a 16-6 win over the Angels on Aug. 14, 2009.

The right-hander, a former standout at Fountain Valley High School - the same school Angels starter C.J. Wilson attended - nearly made his first professional start in Anaheim during the Orioles' second visit last season from July 5-8. Tillman, though, was sent down the day before that series after a one-day call-up resulted in him picking up a victory in Seattle in his first appearance of the season.

Tillman, who earned his first win of the season with six strong innings in Saturday's 7-3 victory over Oakland, will now try to help the Orioles (16-12) bounce back after dropping two of three in Seattle.

Baltimore, an 8-3 loser on Wednesday, is 1-3 since opening a season-high 11-game trip with three victories.

The Angels (10-17), meanwhile, are back in town after Wednesday's 5-4 victory over the A's ended a 2-5 trip and a four-game skid.

"A win's a win,' right fielder Mark Trumbo said. "It was probably more of a nail-biter than we would have liked."

Angels manager Mike Scioscia likes what he's seeing from Trumbo, who could match a career high by homering in four straight.

"Trum is definitely finding his comfort level in the box,' Scioscia said.

Trumbo's three homers led the Angels as they took seven of nine from the Orioles last season, but he's gone deep just once in 50 home at_bats.

The Angels, despite their struggles, have won six of their last eight in Anaheim. Continuing that run, and the staff's 22-inning scoreless streak at home against Baltimore, could be difficult with Joe Blanton (0-4, 7.09) taking the ball on Thursday. Los Angeles hasn't won any of his five starts after he surrendered all of the runs in Saturday's 3-2 loss at Seattle.

"Everything is just a little off right now,' said Blanton, who walked a season-high four. "... It needs to be cleaned up.'

Heading home might help former MVP Josh Hamilton find his hitting stroke, as he's batting .298 in Anaheim compared to .154 on the road. Hamilton, a .342 career hitter off Orioles pitching before going 0 for 4 in the winner-take-all wild-card loss to Baltimore on Oct. 5, has no hits and three strikeouts in six at_bats versus Tillman.

The only other active Angels with plate appearances against Tillman are Erick Aybar (0 for 3) and Brendan Harris (1 for 2).

Orioles leadoff hitter Nate McLouth, batting .417 (10 for 24) on the trip, is 3 for 15 with a homer off Blanton. Nick Markakis has twice as many hits against the right-hander in three fewer at_bats.

Third baseman Manny Machado might be an even tougher out. He's batting .419 (18 for 43) during a team-best 10-game hitting streak and homered and doubled in Wednesday's loss.

The Orioles have won two of 10 in Anaheim since 2011.

[StarDust Bum]

Armadillo: Thursday's six-pack

-- Ugly performance by the Knickerbockers, losing 92-86 at home to the Celtics with a chance to win that series. Anthony was 8-24, JR Smith was 3-14 and when you shoot 39%, people will say you were flat.

-- Houston ain't dead yet, winning 107-100 at Oklahoma City; series goes back to Texas with Thunder struggling to find a complimentary scorer to Durant. Former Rocket Kevin Martin was 1-10 Wednesday.

-- Home side won all five Indiana-Atlanta games by average of 17 points, in what is a close yet uninteresting series.

-- Home teams won five of the first six NHL playoff games; under is 5-0-1 in those six games. Need the refs to call more penalties, to create power plays, which is where more goals are scored.

-- Clay Buchholz beat Toronto, is now 6-0, 1.01 so far this season.

-- Washington ended its nine-game skid vs Atlanta, beating the Braves 2-0, but Bryce Harper left with what are believed to be bruised ribs.


*****

Armadillo: Thursday's List of 13: Random thoughts on a spring day.......

13) Was reading an article today on how bad the Marlins’ hitting has been this season; it mentioned how over the last 40 years,, the team with the lowest OPS was the ’72 Texas Rangers, in their first year in Arlington after moving from Washington. Manager of the ’72 Rangers? Ted Williams, one of the best hitters ever, if not the best.

12) NBA Draft is two rounds, sixty picks; there are 77 early entries to the draft, 46 from American colleges, 31 from other countries, plus all the college seniors. Going to be a lot of disappointed people on June 27. Lot of kids are getting terrible advice.

11) Looks like former Oklahoma/Indiana basketball coach Kelvin Sampson has a pretty good chance to be an NBA head coach next season, either in Charlotte or Milwaukee.

10) Pirates had a pretty good April, but their starting pitchers threw the least innings of any NL team, which is a red flag going forward. Got to keep the strain off your bullpen over a six-month season.

9) Kentucky Derby has rain in the forecast for Saturday; Rick Pitino owns part of a horse called Goldencents, which won the Santa Anita Derby and will be running Saturday.

8) Former Kansas State PG Angel Rodriguez has surfaced at Miami, a good get for Jim Larranaga, with the Larkin kid leaving early for the NBA. Hurricanes will be down some next year, but are now looking a lot better for 2015. Not sure yet if Rodriguez can play next year or if he has to sit out.

7) Surprised to see the A’s scored 20 more runs in April than any other American League team.

6) According to Sports Illustrated, University of Tennessee spent $360,000 on six different coaching searches, just since 2005- they hire search firms to find them the right coach. Whoever told the Vols to hire Lane Kiffin should give them a refund on that search.

5) Since 2001, 30 of 42 (42%) of teams that led their division on May 1 wound up winning that division.

4) Online poker is legal in Nevada, if you play with Stations Poker. I’m predicting a gambling boom in this country over the next decade, where you’ll be able to play poker online anywhere, and bet on sports in states other than Nevada.

3) The last time Colorado had this much snow this late in the year was 1947. Glad I’m not there. Its supposed to snow in Kansas City today, too.

2) Horse racing note from TVG: This is first time since 1997 that no horse from the previous year’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile race will run in Kentucky Derby. DD Lohaus will have his Kentucky Derby analysis in this space on Saturday, so make sure you log on and take a look.

1) Turns out the TV viewer who called in to point out Eldrick Woods’ improper drop on the 15th hole on Friday at the Masters was a guy named David Eger, who plays on the Seniors Tour. I’ve never been a big fan of TV viewers calling in violations, since it favors players who are never on TV. Interesting that the caller was an actual touring pro, though.
Reply With Quote

[StarDust Bum]

MLB
Dunkel

San Diego at Chicago Cubs
The Padres look to bounce back from yesterday's 6-2 loss to Chicago and take advantage of a Cubs' team that is 0-7 in Travis Woods' last 7 starts after scoring 5 runs or more in the previous game. San Diego is the pick (+130) according to Dunkel, which has the Padres favored by 1. Dunkel Pick: San Diego (+130). Here are all of today's picks.

THURSDAY, MAY 2

Game 951-952: San Diego at Chicago Cubs (2:20 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: San Diego (Stults) 15.997; Cubs (Wood) 15.120
Dunkel Line: San Diego by 1; 8 1/2
Vegas Line: Chicago Cubs (-150); No Total
Dunkel Pick: San Diego (+130); N/A

Game 953-954: Miami at Philadelphia (7:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Miami (Sanabia) 14.151; Philadelphia (Kendrick) 15.875
Dunkel Line: Philadelphia by 1 1/2; 9
Vegas Line: Philadelphia (-200); 8
Dunkel Pick: Philadelphia (-200); Over

Game 955-956: Washington at Atlanta (7:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Washington (Haren) 15.626; Atlanta (Medlen) 14.980
Dunkel Line: Washington by 1/2; 8
Vegas Line: Atlanta (-170); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Washington (+150); Over

Game 957-958: St. Louis at Milwaukee (8:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: St. Louis (Westbrook) 15.365; Milwaukee (Peralta) 16.275
Dunkel Line: Milwaukee by 1; 8
Vegas Line: Milwaukee (-110); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Milwaukee (-110); Under

Game 959-960: Tampa Bay at Kansas City (2:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Tampa Bay (Hernandez) 15.668; Kansas City (Santana) 16.812
Dunkel Line: Kansas City by 1; 8 1/2
Vegas Line: Kansas City (-140); 8
Dunkel Pick: Kansas City (-140); Over

Game 961-962: Boston at Toronto (7:07 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Boston (Dempster) 15.271; Toronto (Happ) 15.843
Dunkel Line: Toronto by 1/2; 8 1/2
Vegas Line: Boston (-130); 9
Dunkel Pick: Toronto (+110); Under

Game 963-964: Chicago White Sox at Texas (8:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: White Sox (Peavy) 14.721; Texas (Grimm) 14.426
Dunkel Line: Chicago White Sox by 1/2; 8
Vegas Line: Texas (-130); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Chicago White Sox (+110); Under

Game 965-966: Detroit at Houston (8:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Detroit (Porcello) 16.123; Houston (Lyles) 13.541
Dunkel Line: Detroit by 2 1/2; 9
Vegas Line: No Line
Dunkel Pick: N/A

Game 967-968: Baltimore at LA Angels (10:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Baltimore (Tillman) 14.920; LA Angels (Blanton) 13.866
Dunkel Line: Baltimore by 1; 10
Vegas Line: LA Angels (-115); 9
Dunkel Pick: Baltimore (-105); Over
Reply With Quote

[StarDust Bum]

MLB
Long Sheet

Thursday, May 2

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

SAN DIEGO (10 - 17) at CHICAGO CUBS (11 - 16) - 2:20 PM
ERIC STULTS (L) vs. TRAVIS WOOD (L)
Top Trends for this game.
SAN DIEGO is 22-51 (-21.5 Units) against the money line as a road underdog of +125 to +150 over the last 3 seasons.
SAN DIEGO is 61-55 (+18.5 Units) against the money line in day games over the last 3 seasons.
STULTS is 13-7 (+10.6 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
STULTS is 16-9 (+13.6 Units) against the money line in road games since 1997. (Team's Record)
STULTS is 13-7 (+10.6 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
CHICAGO CUBS are 72-117 (-29.9 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO CUBS are 677-641 (-147.8 Units) against the money line in home games since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 684-704 (-132.0 Units) against the money line in day games since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 72-117 (-29.9 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO CUBS are 53-89 (-28.7 Units) against the money line after a win over the last 3 seasons.
CHICAGO CUBS are 33-52 (-18.4 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
CHICAGO CUBS is 2-1 (+0.8 Units) against SAN DIEGO this season
2 of 3 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+1.0 Units)

ERIC STULTS vs. CHICAGO CUBS since 1997
STULTS is 1-3 when starting against CHICAGO CUBS with an ERA of 5.21 and a WHIP of 1.738.
His team's record is 1-3 (-2.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 3-1. (+1.9 units)

TRAVIS WOOD vs. SAN DIEGO since 1997
WOOD is 0-1 when starting against SAN DIEGO with an ERA of 4.38 and a WHIP of 1.338.
His team's record is 1-3 (-2.2 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 2-1. (+1.0 units)

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

MIAMI (8 - 20) at PHILADELPHIA (12 - 16) - 7:05 PM
ALEX SANABIA (R) vs. KYLE KENDRICK (R)
Top Trends for this game.
MIAMI is 76-111 (-33.3 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
MIAMI is 101-142 (-36.1 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 3 seasons.
MIAMI is 80-119 (-35.5 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 3 seasons.
MIAMI is 77-113 (-34.2 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
MIAMI is 4-15 (-12.0 Units) against the money line when playing on Thursday over the last 2 seasons.
MIAMI is 32-58 (-21.9 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
KENDRICK is 56-38 (+18.5 Units) against the money line in night games since 1997. (Team's Record)
MIAMI is 22-9 (+14.5 Units) against the money line in road games in May games over the last 3 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 93-94 (-20.8 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 30-34 (-15.5 Units) against the money line in home games against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 42-52 (-19.7 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 93-97 (-23.8 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 3-9 (-13.4 Units) against the money line as a home favorite of -175 to -200 over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 46-49 (-19.5 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
PHILADELPHIA is 2-1 (+0.6 Units) against MIAMI this season
3 of 3 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+3.0 Units)

ALEX SANABIA vs. PHILADELPHIA since 1997
SANABIA is 0-0 when starting against PHILADELPHIA with an ERA of 1.50 and a WHIP of 1.000.
His team's record is 0-1 (-1.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-1. (-1.0 units)

KYLE KENDRICK vs. MIAMI since 1997
KENDRICK is 9-2 when starting against MIAMI with an ERA of 3.53 and a WHIP of 1.266.
His team's record is 10-4 (+5.9 units) in these starts. The OVER is 7-6. (+0.7 units)

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

WASHINGTON (14 - 14) at ATLANTA (17 - 10) - 7:10 PM
DAN HAREN (R) vs. KRIS MEDLEN (R)
Top Trends for this game.
HAREN is 14-21 (-16.9 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
HAREN is 9-16 (-15.0 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
HAREN is 13-21 (-17.9 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
HAREN is 9-15 (-12.8 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
HAREN is 11-18 (-15.6 Units) against the money line after a win over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
ATLANTA is 111-79 (+21.1 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 10-2 (+8.7 Units) against the money line against division opponents this season.
ATLANTA is 109-78 (+19.6 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 74-45 (+23.0 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
MEDLEN is 29-8 (+20.2 Units) against the money line in all games since 1997. (Team's Record)
MEDLEN is 16-1 (+15.3 Units) against the money line against division opponents since 1997. (Team's Record)
MEDLEN is 29-8 (+20.2 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field since 1997. (Team's Record)
MEDLEN is 22-3 (+18.8 Units) against the money line in night games since 1997. (Team's Record)
WASHINGTON is 114-81 (+18.8 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 128-104 (+25.0 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 3 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 41-27 (+13.8 Units) against the money line in road games against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 95-81 (+21.6 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
ATLANTA is 5-1 (+4.9 Units) against WASHINGTON this season
3 of 6 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=-0.1 Units, Under=-0.5 Units)

DAN HAREN vs. ATLANTA since 1997
HAREN is 4-2 when starting against ATLANTA with an ERA of 6.17 and a WHIP of 1.629.
His team's record is 4-2 (+1.9 units) in these starts. The OVER is 5-1. (+4.0 units)

KRIS MEDLEN vs. WASHINGTON since 1997
MEDLEN is 1-0 when starting against WASHINGTON with an ERA of 0.64 and a WHIP of 1.000.
His team's record is 2-0 (+2.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-2. (-2.3 units)

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

ST LOUIS (16 - 11) at MILWAUKEE (14 - 12) - 8:10 PM
JAKE WESTBROOK (R) vs. WILY PERALTA (R)
Top Trends for this game.
WESTBROOK is 50-65 (-27.2 Units) against the money line against division opponents since 1997. (Team's Record)
MILWAUKEE is 120-64 (+36.4 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 3 seasons.
MILWAUKEE is 68-32 (+23.4 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 3 seasons.
MILWAUKEE is 63-26 (+26.7 Units) against the money line in home games against division opponents over the last 3 seasons.
MILWAUKEE is 120-64 (+36.4 Units) against the money line in home games in games played on a grass field over the last 3 seasons.
MILWAUKEE is 91-44 (+32.6 Units) against the money line in home games against right-handed starters over the last 3 seasons.
MILWAUKEE is 10-21 (-14.7 Units) against the money line when playing on Thursday over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
ST LOUIS is 2-1 (+0.5 Units) against MILWAUKEE this season
2 of 3 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+0.7 Units)

JAKE WESTBROOK vs. MILWAUKEE since 1997
WESTBROOK is 2-4 when starting against MILWAUKEE with an ERA of 3.06 and a WHIP of 1.360.
His team's record is 3-5 (-2.3 units) in these starts. The OVER is 4-4. (-0.3 units)

WILY PERALTA vs. ST LOUIS since 1997
No recent starts.

[StarDust Bum]

TAMPA BAY (12 - 15) at KANSAS CITY (15 - 10) - 2:10 PM
ROBERTO HERNANDEZ (R) vs. ERVIN SANTANA (R)
Top Trends for this game.
TAMPA BAY is 6-13 (-9.9 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
KANSAS CITY is 42-35 (+13.0 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 2 seasons.
KANSAS CITY is 9-3 (+7.9 Units) against the money line in day games this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
KANSAS CITY is 2-0 (+2.1 Units) against TAMPA BAY this season
2 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+2.1 Units)

ROBERTO HERNANDEZ vs. KANSAS CITY since 1997
HERNANDEZ is 6-5 when starting against KANSAS CITY with an ERA of 4.65 and a WHIP of 1.500.
His team's record is 10-6 (+2.6 units) in these starts. The OVER is 7-9. (-2.3 units)

ERVIN SANTANA vs. TAMPA BAY since 1997
SANTANA is 5-6 when starting against TAMPA BAY with an ERA of 5.47 and a WHIP of 1.418.
His team's record is 5-8 (-3.3 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 5-8. (-4.3 units)

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

BOSTON (19 - 8) at TORONTO (10 - 18) - 7:05 PM
RYAN DEMPSTER (R) vs. J.A. HAPP (L)
Top Trends for this game.
BOSTON is 73-85 (-29.3 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 3 seasons.
BOSTON is 56-73 (-29.4 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 88-101 (-27.9 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 32-41 (-15.0 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 over the last 2 seasons.
DEMPSTER is 23-49 (-21.6 Units) against the money line in road games after a win since 1997. (Team's Record)
BOSTON is 18-7 (+10.0 Units) against the money line on the road with a money line of -100 to -125 over the last 2 seasons.
TORONTO is 50-69 (-22.3 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
TORONTO is 50-79 (-23.0 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
TORONTO is 10-18 (-10.8 Units) against the money line in all games this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
BOSTON is 3-2 (+1.3 Units) against TORONTO this season
4 of 5 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+3.0 Units)

RYAN DEMPSTER vs. TORONTO since 1997
DEMPSTER is 0-0 when starting against TORONTO with an ERA of 5.68 and a WHIP of 1.105.
His team's record is 2-0 (+2.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-1. (+0.0 units)

J.A. HAPP vs. BOSTON since 1997
HAPP is 1-1 when starting against BOSTON with an ERA of 5.09 and a WHIP of 1.528.
His team's record is 2-1 (+1.1 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-1. (+1.1 units)

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

CHI WHITE SOX (11 - 15) at TEXAS (17 - 10) - 8:05 PM
JAKE PEAVY (R) vs. JUSTIN GRIMM (R)
Top Trends for this game.
CHI WHITE SOX are 36-46 (-16.4 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 2 seasons.
TEXAS is 53-25 (+19.8 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 2 seasons.
CHI WHITE SOX are 21-13 (+13.1 Units) against the money line in road games in May games over the last 3 seasons.
CHI WHITE SOX are 478-483 (+44.6 Units) against the money line in road games against right-handed starters since 1997.
CHI WHITE SOX are 337-331 (+31.1 Units) against the money line in road games after a win since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
CHI WHITE SOX is 1-1 (+0.1 Units) against TEXAS this season
1 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=-0.2 Units, Under=-0.1 Units)

JAKE PEAVY vs. TEXAS since 1997
PEAVY is 0-2 when starting against TEXAS with an ERA of 7.59 and a WHIP of 1.594.
His team's record is 2-2 (+0.8 units) in these starts. The OVER is 3-1. (+2.0 units)

JUSTIN GRIMM vs. CHI WHITE SOX since 1997
No recent starts.

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

DETROIT (15 - 11) at HOUSTON (8 - 20) - 8:10 PM
RICK PORCELLO (R) vs. JORDAN LYLES (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.

RICK PORCELLO vs. HOUSTON since 1997
No recent starts.

JORDAN LYLES vs. DETROIT since 1997
No recent starts.

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

BALTIMORE (16 - 12) at LA ANGELS (10 - 17) - 10:05 PM
CHRIS TILLMAN (R) vs. JOE BLANTON (R)
Top Trends for this game.
BLANTON is 61-36 (+20.1 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 since 1997. (Team's Record)
BLANTON is 71-55 (+18.3 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record since 1997. (Team's Record)
BALTIMORE is 49-33 (+24.3 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 2 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 41-26 (+13.6 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 112-84 (+42.5 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 46-33 (+16.8 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 over the last 2 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 18-10 (+10.0 Units) against the money line as a road underdog of +100 to +125 over the last 2 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 57-44 (+31.2 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 22-12 (+17.8 Units) against the money line on the road when the total is 9 to 9.5 over the last 2 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 15-6 (+9.7 Units) against the money line when playing on Thursday over the last 2 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 102-73 (+39.9 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 75-63 (+22.1 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 79-60 (+30.5 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
LA ANGELS are 10-17 (-10.1 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
LA ANGELS are 6-13 (-11.6 Units) against the money line when playing on Thursday over the last 2 seasons.
LA ANGELS are 10-17 (-10.1 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
LA ANGELS are 4-14 (-13.1 Units) against the money line in night games this season.

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

CHRIS TILLMAN vs. LA ANGELS since 1997
TILLMAN is 1-0 when starting against LA ANGELS with an ERA of 4.05 and a WHIP of 1.349.
His team's record is 1-0 (+1.4 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-0. (+1.0 units)

JOE BLANTON vs. BALTIMORE since 1997
BLANTON is 2-2 when starting against BALTIMORE with an ERA of 5.36 and a WHIP of 1.595.
His team's record is 4-3 (+0.5 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 3-4. (-1.4 units)

[StarDust Bum]

MLB
Armadillo's Write-Up

Thursday, May 2

Hot pitchers
-- Wood is 2-1, 2.53 in five starts this season.
-- Kendrick is 2-0, 1.29 in his last four starts.
-- Westbrook is 1-1, 1.52 in five starts this season.

-- Santana is 3-0, 1.50in his last four starts.
-- Dempster is 1-1, 3.15 in his last three starts. Happ is 1-0, 3.27 in his last couple starts.
-- Peavy is 2-0, 2.08 in his last three starts. Grimm is 2-0, 1.38 in his last couple starts.
-- Tillman is 1-0, 2.13 in his last couple starts.

Cold pitchers
-- Stults is 1-2, 6.95 in four starts this season.
-- Sanabia is 1-3, 6.08 in his last four starts.
-- Medlen is 0-2, 4.91 in his last three starts. Haren is 1-2, 7.05 in his last three starts.
-- Peralta has a 5.65 RA in five starts this season.

-- Hernandez is 1-4, 6.16 in five starts this season.
-- Porcello is 1-2, 9.87 in four starts this season. This is Lyles' first '13 start; he was 2-1, 2.74 in his last four '12 starts.
-- Blanton is 0-4, 7.42 in five starts this season.

Totals
-- Under is 11-6-1 in last eighteen Cub games.
-- Over is 8-3-1 in Philly's last twelve home games.
-- Eight of last eleven Washington games stayed under the total.
-- 11 of 15 games at Miller Park went over the total.

-- Over is 7-1-1 in last nine Kansas City games.
-- Over is 5-1-1 in last seven Toronto games.
-- Four of last five White Sox games went over the total.
-- Over is 5-1-2 in last eight Houston games.
-- Seven of last eight Baltimore games went over the total.

Hot teams
-- San Diego, Cubs both won five of their last seven games.
-- Braves won nine of their last ten games with Washington.
-- Miami won three of its last four games.
-- Brewers won 12 of their last 16 games. St Louis won six of last nine.

-- Kansas City won seven of its last ten games.
-- Boston won six of its last seven games.
-- Detroit won six of its last eight games.
-- Rangers won eight of their last twelve games.

Cold teams
-- Washington lost seven of its last eleven games.
-- Phillies lost ten of their last sixteen games.

-- Tampa Bay lost 11 of its first 15 road games.
-- Houston lost 13 of its last 17 games.
-- Blue Jays lost nine of their last twelve games.
-- White Sox lost seven of their last eleven games.
-- Angels lost six of their last eight games. Baltimore lost three of last four.

[StarDust Bum]

MLB

Thursday, May 2

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trend Report
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2:10 PM
TAMPA BAY vs. KANSAS CITY
The total has gone UNDER in 15 of Tampa Bay's last 22 games when playing Kansas City
Tampa Bay is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games when playing Kansas City
The total has gone UNDER in 13 of Kansas City's last 19 games when playing at home against Tampa Bay
Kansas City is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Tampa Bay

2:20 PM
SAN DIEGO vs. CHI CUBS
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of San Diego's last 6 games on the road
San Diego is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games
Chi Cubs are 5-2 SU in their last 7 games
Chi Cubs are 2-4 SU in their last 6 games when playing San Diego

7:05 PM
MIAMI vs. PHILADELPHIA
Miami is 7-17 SU in its last 24 games
Miami is 4-13 SU in its last 17 games when playing on the road against Philadelphia
Philadelphia is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Miami
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Philadelphia's last 7 games when playing Miami

7:07 PM
BOSTON vs. TORONTO
Boston is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Boston's last 5 games when playing Toronto
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Toronto's last 5 games when playing at home against Boston
Toronto is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games

7:10 PM
WASHINGTON vs. ATLANTA
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Washington's last 6 games when playing on the road against Atlanta
Washington is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Atlanta is 9-1 SU in its last 10 games when playing Washington
Atlanta is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games

8:05 PM
CHI WHITE SOX vs. TEXAS
Chi White Sox are 6-14 SU in their last 20 games on the road
Chi White Sox are 6-2 SU in their last 8 games when playing Texas
The total has gone UNDER in 17 of Texas's last 23 games when playing Chi White Sox
Texas is 8-4 SU in its last 12 games

8:10 PM
ST. LOUIS vs. MILWAUKEE
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of St. Louis's last 5 games on the road
St. Louis is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games
Milwaukee is 12-4 SU in its last 16 games
The total has gone OVER in 12 of Milwaukee's last 16 games at home

8:10 PM
DETROIT vs. HOUSTON
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Detroit's last 5 games when playing Houston
Detroit is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing Houston
Houston is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Detroit
Houston is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games

10:05 PM
BALTIMORE vs. LA ANGELS
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Baltimore's last 5 games on the road
Baltimore is 1-5 SU in their last 6 games when playing LA Angels
LA Angels are 5-1 SU in their last 6 games when playing Baltimore
LA Angels are 8-2 SU in their last 10 games when playing at home against Baltimore

[StarDust Bum]

MLB

Thursday, May 2

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thursday's starters: Santana headlines hot money pitchers
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thursday features a few starting pitchers that have been strong for bettors during their most recent starts.

Here's a look at three pitchers taking the hill Thursday that have been cashing in for moneyline bettors recently.

Ervin Santana, Kansas City Royals (3-1, 2.00 ERA)

The Royals have won Santana's last four starts earning the $100 bettor $360.85 if betting on the righty in those four games. All four of those were quality starts as he has given up just four earned runs in 30 innings pitched.

Kansas City is at home to conclude its series against the Tampa Bay Rays Thursday. The Rays will counter with Roberto Hernandez.

Justin Grimm, Texas Rangers (2-0, 1.59 ERA)

Grimm will make his fourth start of the season Thursday and he is coming off seven innings of shutout work against the Minnesota Twins on April 26. Texas has won all three games that Grimm has started this season and bettors would be up $280.45 when wagering on Grimm's starts this season.

The Rangers host the Chicago White Sox Thursday evening in the final game of the series. Jake Peavy is on the mound for the White Sox.

Wily Peralta, Milwaukee Brewers (2-1, 5.02 ERA)

Milwaukee has won Peralta's last three starts and the righty has personally notched wins in his last two outings. Peralta's put together two excellent starts in a row, giving up five earned runs in 12 2-3 innings pitched in those two games. The $100 bettor would be up $278.30 if wagering on Milwaukee in Peralta's last three starts.

The Brewers open a four game home stand versus the St. Louis Cardinals Thursday. Jake Westbrook gets the start for the Cards.

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

MLB

Thursday, May 2

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thursday MLB weather report: Chance of rain in K.C.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A chance of showers in a few stadiums including Kansas City and wind blowing out to center in Texas. Here's the MLB weather report for Thursday:

Washington Nationals vs. Atlanta Braves (-161, 7.5)
Site: Turner Field

The wind will blow in from right field at 13 mph. Cloudy skies and a 20 percent chance of rain is in the forecast in Atlanta.

San Diego Padres vs. Chicago Cubs (-131, n/a)
Site: Wrigley Field

The wind will blow in from center field at 12 mph. There will be a 10 percent chance of rain in the forecast.

Tampa Bay Rays vs. Kansas City Royals (-132, 8)
Site: Kauffman Stadium

The wind will blow in from left field at 20 mph, with a 60 percent possibility of showers.

Chicago White Sox vs. Texas Rangers (-130, 8.5)
Site: Rangers Ballpark

Wind will blow out to center field at 22 mph. There is a 30 percent chance of rain in the forecast.

[StarDust Bum]

MLB

Thursday, May 2

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Moneyline or runline? Best way to bet these four MLB teams
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Some guys hit for power while others hit for contact. You can make a pretty good living doing either, if you know when to swing. The same goes for MLB moneylines and runlines.

Some baseball teams are making the most out of the moneyline, stacking the units on MLB’s straight up odds. Others have benefited the best from the runline, baseball’s version of the pointspread, with 1.5 runs set as the norm.

We take a look at four teams and explain why they’ve been better to the bettors on either the moneyline or the runline.

Tampa Bay Rays (12-14)

Moneyline: -4.65 units
Runline: +4.91

The Rays were supposed to be contending for the American League East lead at this point in the season, but inconsistent efforts at the plate and a struggling ace have dealt moneyline bettors some big loss. Tampa Bay is 1-5 SU in David Price’s six starts, burning -6.67 units alone.

However, when the Rays do win, they win big and cover the runline with ease, posting an average margin of victory of four runs in its 12 wins. Tampa Bay is current in the midst of a 10-game road trip and is presenting solid value on the runline as the visitor.

Pittsburgh Pirates (15-12)

Moneyline: +6.18 units
Runline: -0.25 units

The Pirates finished April with a bang, going 6-4 SU in their final 10 games. Pittsburgh didn’t build that record against cupcakes either, taking wins over the Braves, Phillies, Cardinals and Reds last month. Those upset wins meant big moneyline payouts, with the Bucs set as high as +185. Pittsburgh has also been a great bet at home, posting an 8-4 record at PNC Park.

Sizing up its runline potential at home, the Pirates have outscored visitors by just 1.25 runs per game. On the road, they been outscored 72-57 but that’s an average of just one run per away game. With a five-game home stand starting Friday (vs. Washington and Seattle), the Bucs look to be a solid moneyline play but a shaky runline risk.

Detroit Tigers (15-10)

Moneyline: +1.29 units
Runline: +5.36 units

Expectations were high for the Tigers entering 2013, as were their moneyline odds. A slow start to the year quickly buried bettors in red ink and has left Detroit digging itself out of that hole ever since, despite a winning record. The team has lost three of Justin Verlander’s first six starts, boasting -2.26 units when its ace has taken the mound.

There is more value giving the 1.5 runs on Detroit’s games. The Tigers have won five straight heading into Wednesday but that’s equaled only $314.42 for $100 moneyline bettors. Runline fans betting $100 have earned $370.25 on those games, even with Detroit failing to cover the 1.5-run spread in a 4-3 win over Minnesota Monday.

Milwaukee Brewers (14-11)

Moneyline: +2.35 units
Runline: -2.05 units

The Brewers have sprung to life as the calendar flips to May, winning 12 of their last 15 games heading into Wednesday. Milwaukee was able to gain some momentum against a softer schedule, which featured San Diego, Chicago and Pittsburgh. The Brew Crew were moneyline favorites in 11 of those 15 contests, including each outing of a three-game home set versus San Francisco.

Miller Park has been kind to Milwaukee so far. The Brewers are 9-5 as hosts, including back-to-back wins over the Pirates to open a nine-game home stand which also welcomes the Cardinals and Rangers. But while the SU wager has been safe at the beer gardens, Milwaukee is outscoring opponents 79-71 in its 14 home games – an average of just 0.57 runs per contest.

[StarDust Bum]

OFF to a good start in May.....lets continue the winning....

Date WLT Pct Net Units Record

05/01/13 19-*11-*0 63.33% +*4395 Detail

Totals 19-*11-*0 63.33% +4395

Thursday, May 2

Game Score Status Pick Amount

Tampa Bay - 2:10 PM ET Tampa Bay +125 500 POD # 2

Kansas City - Over 7.5 500

San Diego - 2:20 PM ET San Diego +118 500 POD # 1
Chi. Cubs -

[StarDust Bum]

Early Game Results and May Total:

Date WLT Pct Net Units Record

05/02/13 1-*0-*0 100.00% +*590 Detail
05/01/13 19-*11-*0 63.33% +*4395 Detail

Totals 20-*11-*0 64.52% +4985


Thursday, May 2

Game Score Status Pick Amount

Miami - 7:05 PM ET Philadelphia -200 500
Philadelphia - Under 7.5 500

Boston - 7:07 PM ET Boston -125 500
Toronto - Over 8.5 500 POD # 5

Washington - 7:10 PM ET Atlanta -165 500
Atlanta - Over 7 500

Chi. White Sox - 8:05 PM ET Texas -127 500
Texas - Under 8 500

St. Louis - 8:10 PM ET St. Louis -108 500
Milwaukee - Under 9 500

Baltimore - 10:05 PM ET Baltimore +106 500 POD # 3
LA Angels - Over 9 500 POD # 4

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Reds (15-14) at Cubs (11-17)

Game: 1
Venue: Wrigley Field
Date: May 03, 2013 2:20 PM EDT


Struggling to win away from home, the Cincinnati Reds are hoping to change their fortunes by adding to their recent dominance at Wrigley Field.

The Reds, though, will face the pitcher who started them on their current hitting slump, Carlos Villanueva, when they try to match their longest road win streak against the Chicago Cubs on Friday.

With three wins away from home, Cincinnati (15-14) is one of the worst road teams in the majors. The Reds haven't helped themselves by hitting .195 with 17 runs in the last nine games, including the first seven of a 10-game trip.

Cincinnati had six hits in a 4-2 loss to St. Louis on Wednesday, and Brandon Phillips was the only player to drive in runs with a solo homer and double.

"Hopefully, we'll regroup in Chicago and come home victorious," manager Dusty Baker told the team's official website. "I'd like a sweep before we get home."

The Reds would appear to have a good chance to salvage their trip as they've won six in a row at Wrigley Field. Cincinnati recorded its only seven-game win streak there June 25, 2002-April 14, 2003.

Cincinnati, though, will face Villanueva (1-1, 2.29 ERA) in the series opener. The right-hander yielded a solo homer, two singles and two walks to the Reds in a career high-tying 8 1-3 innings April 23, but he did not get a decision in a 4-2 road win.

Villanueva had a 1.53 ERA in his first four starts with Chicago before giving up four runs over six innings in Sunday's 6-4 loss in Miami. He's 1-2 with a 2.50 ERA in six starts against the Reds.

The Cubs (11-17) nearly headed into this game having won six of eight, but they allowed four runs in the eighth inning of a 4-2 loss to San Diego on Thursday.

Welington Castillo allowed the tying run to score when he failed to hustle after a passed ball.

"I want to apologize to my teammates for doing that. That's not going to happen anymore," Castillo said.

Chicago will seek to bounce back by recording its sixth win in 23 games against the Reds. Mike Leake will try to help Cincinnati add to that dominance while rebounding from the shortest start of his career.

Leake (1-1, 4.34) lasted three innings and gave up four runs, six hits and three walks in a 6-3 loss in Washington on Saturday.

The right-hander is 0-1 with a 5.11 ERA in his last four starts against Chicago but gave up two runs over seven innings in a 5-4 victory April 22. He's 0-2 with a 4.68 ERA in his last five outings at Wrigley.

Starlin Castro is 12 for 32 (.375) against Leake, his most hits versus any pitcher. Castro singled off him in last month's loss while David DeJesus, 5 for 12 versus Leake, and Nate Schierholtz (5 for 10) each had two hits.

Anthony Rizzo, batting .400 in his last seven games, is 4 for 8 against Leake, while Alfonso Soriano is 2 for 21. Phillips has struggled against Villanueva, going 3 for 21.

The Cubs' Carlos Marmol is seeking to surpass Lee Smith with a franchise-best 453rd career relief appearance.