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

[StarDust Bum]

Around the Horn - Friday

May 23, 2013



NATIONAL LEAGUE

Philadelphia at Washington - 7:05 PM EST (Game 1/3)

Teams Pitcher Notes Team Record Betcha Didn't Know

Philadelphia Phillies Kendrick (4-2, 2.82 ERA) 23-24 UNDER 5-2 L7 away Game 1's

Washington Nationals Zimmermann (7-2, 1.62 ERA) 24-23 5-2 L7 at home Game 1's

-- Phillies beat Marlins, 3-0 on Wednesday
-- Nationals beat Giants, 2-1 on Wednesday



Chicago at Cincinnati - 7:10 PM EST (Game 1/3)

Teams Pitcher Notes Team Record Betcha Didn't Know

Chicago Cubs Feldman (4-3, 2.19 ERA) 18-28 6-3 L9 vs. RHP

Cincinnati Reds Arroyo (4-4, 3.28 ERA) 29-18 5-1 L6 home Game 1's

-- Cubs lost to Pirates, 4-2 on Thursday
-- Reds beat Mets, 7-4 on Wednesday



Atlanta at N.Y. Mets - 7:10 PM EST (Game 1/3)

Teams Pitcher Notes Team Record Betcha Didn't Know

Atlanta Braves Medlen (1-5, 3.02 ERA) 28-18 1-5 L6 away

New York Mets Hefner (0-5, 5.00 ERA) 17-27 2-11 L13 home

-- Braves beat Twins, 8-3 on Wednesday
-- Mets lost to Reds, 7-4 on Wednesday



Pittsburgh at Milwaukee - 8:10 PM EST (Game 1/3)

Teams Pitcher Notes Team Record Betcha Didn't Know

Pittsburgh Pirates Burnett (3-4, 2.57 ERA) 29-18 13-5 L18 vs. division

Milwaukee Brewers Estrada (3-2, 5.44 ERA) 18-27 OVER 8-4 L12 home

-- Pirates beat Cubs, 4-2 on Thursday
-- Brewers lost to Dodgers, 9-2 on Wednesday



San Diego at Arizona - 9:40 PM EST (Game 1/3)

Teams Pitcher Notes Team Record Betcha Didn't Know

San Diego Padres Stults (4-3, 4.05 ERA) 21-25 2-5 L7 away Game 1's

Arizona Diamondbacks McCarthy (1-3, 4.74 ERA) 26-21 UNDER 11-2-1 L14 overall

-- Padres lost to Cardinals, 5-3 on Wednesday
-- Diamondbacks lost to Rockies, 4-1 on Wednesday



St. Louis at Los Angeles - 10:10 PM EST (Game 1/3)

Teams Pitcher Notes Team Record Betcha Didn't Know

St. Louis Cardinals Lynn (6-1, 3.27 ERA) 30-16 4-2 L6 away Game 1's

Los Angeles Dodgers Capuano (1-2, 4.84 ERA) 19-26 1-5 L6 home Game 1's

-- Cardinals beat Padres, 5-3 on Wednesday
-- Dodgers beat Brewers, 9-2 on Wednesday



Colorado at San Francisco - 10:15 PM EST (Game 1/3)

Teams Pitcher Notes Team Record Betcha Didn't Know

Colorado Rockies Chatwood (2-0, 2.55 ERA) 26-21 2-5 L7 away Game 1's

San Francisco Giants Lincecum (3-3, 4.70 E) 26-21 7-3 L10 home

-- Rockies beat Diamondbacks, 4-1 on Wednesday
-- Giants lost to Nationals, 2-1 on Wednesday



AMERICAN LEAGUE

Baltimore at Toronto - 7:07 PM EST (Game 2/4)

Teams Pitcher Notes Team Record Betcha Didn't Know

Baltimore Orioles Tillman (3-2, 3.52 ERA) 25-22 2-6 L8 vs. division

Toronto Blue Jays Jenkins (1-0, 3.60 ERA) 20-27 3-8 L11 Game 2's

-- Blue Jays beat Orioles, 12-6 on Thursday



Minnesota at Detroit - 7:10 PM EST (Game 2/4)

Teams Pitcher Notes Team Record Betcha Didn't Know

Minnesota Twins Deduno (NR) 18-26 2-7 L9 Game 2's

Detroit Tigers Sanchez (4-4, 2.77 ERA) 26-19 OVER 5-2 L7 home Game 2's

-- Tigers beat Twins, 7-6 on Thursday



Cleveland at Boston - 7:05 PM EST (Game 2/4)

Teams Pitcher Notes Team Record Betcha Didn't Know

Cleveland Indians Masterson (7-2, 2.83 ERA) 27-19 OVER 6-2-1 L9 away

Boston Red Sox Lackey (2-4, 3.31 ERA) 28-20 1-6 L7 home

-- Indians beat Red Sox, 12-3 on Thursday



N.Y. Yankees at Tampa Bay - 7:10 PM EST (Game 1/3)

Teams Pitcher Notes Team Record Betcha Didn't Know

New York Yankees Phelps (2-2, 3.83 ERA) 28-18 3-1 Game 1's off loss

Tampa Bay Rays Hernandez (2-4, 5.24 ERA) 24-22 OVER 19-5 L24 overall

-- Yankees lost to Orioles, 6-3 on Wednesday
-- Rays lost to Blue Jays, 4-3 on Wednesday



Los Angeles at Kansas City - 8:10 PM EST (Game 2/4)

Teams Pitcher Notes Team Record Betcha Didn't Know

Los Angeles Angels Vargas (3-3, 3.55 ERA) 20-27 UNDER 6-0 L6 Game 2's

Kansas City Royals Mendoza (1-2, 5.50 ERA) 21-23 1-4 L5 Game 2's

-- Angels beat Royals, 5-4 on Thursday



Oakland at Houston - 8:10 PM EST (Game 1/3)

Teams Pitcher Notes Team Record Betcha Didn't Know

Oakland Athletics Milone (4-5, 3.47 ERA) 25-23 UNDER 9-2 L11 away

Houston Astros Bedard (0-2, 6.00 ERA) 14-33 OVER 7-1-1 L9 Game 1's

-- Athletics lost to Rangers, 3-1 on Wednesday
-- Astros beat Royals, 3-1 on Wednesday



Texas at Seattle - 10:10 PM EST (Game 1/3)

Teams Pitcher Notes Team Record Betcha Didn't Know

Texas Rangers Grimm (3-3, 4.02 ERA) 30-17 6-1 L7 away

Seattle Mariners Saunders (3-4, 5.64 ERA) 20-27 8-3 L11 home

-- Rangers beat Athletics, 3-1 on Wednesday
-- Mariners lost to Angels, 7-1 on Wednesday



INTERLEAGUE

Miami at Chicago - 8:10 PM EST (Game 1/3)

Teams Pitcher Notes Team Record Betcha Didn't Know

Miami Marlins Koehler (0-2, 2.82 ERAA) 18-22 3-7 L10 away

Chicago White Sox Danks (NR) 25-18 2-5 L7 Game 1's

-- Marlins lost to Phillies, 3-0 on Wednesday
-- White Sox lost to Red Sox, 6-2 on Wednesday

[StarDust Bum]

Armadillo: Friday's six-pack

-- Terry Francona won his return to Fenway; Indians trounced Boston 12-3 with Carlos Santana walking four times- his OB% is .420.

-- Detroit came from behind to beat the Twins 7-6, handing Minnesota its ninth loss in a row; Ron Gardenhire is the next manager to get fired.

-- Joe Blanton won his first game in nine starts as Angels handed Kansas City its 13th loss in last 17 games, 5-4.

-- Orioles have used 11 starting pitchers in their first 47 games.

-- Blackhawks lost 2-0 in Detroit, now trail that series 3-1. Red Wings are getting hot at the right time, the way the Kings did last year.

-- Home side won again in San Jose-LA series; Kings win 3-0, now lead 3-2 as series heads back to the Shark Tank.


*****

Armadillo: Friday's List of 13: Random stuff with the weekend here........

13) ESPN hired southern radio icon Paul Finebaum to be its daytime voice on the new SEC Network, whenever that debuts; Finebaum talks about college football about 364 days a year, and I’m not kidding.

He is a polarizing figure but if you’re going to have an SEC Network with a show simulcast on radio, he’s the guy they needed to sign.

12) Miguel Cabrera is really, really good; so far this year, he has 27 extra base hits, 23 walks, 25 strikeouts.

11) Major League baseball would be wise to copy the NHL’s replay system, where honchos in the league offices make the calls and take heat off the umpires; system would be quicker and more efficient.

Firing Angel Hernandez would also help, but that ain’t happening.

10) I’m thnking our country would be better off with President serving one 6-year term, rather than a maximum of two 4-year terms. Agree?

9) Another Presidential thought; the Electoral College has to go. How can someone get the most votes and lose? That could happen.

8) Perry’s chocolate chip ice cream is tremendously tremendous, thats my food endorsement for today.

7) Now that the Vikings are going back with an outdoor stadium, the Lions will be the only NFC North team with an indoor stadium. I’ll be curious to see how the league hands out those late season Detroit home games.

6) Miami Heat have lost three games since the Super Bowl, which was in early February. Makes the concept of them losing a best-of-7 series a little remote.

5) Speaking of which, NBA playoff series should be best-of-3, with all three games in the arena of the higher-seeded teams, the exception being series between 4-5 seeds, where the 5-seed would get one home game. Finals could be best-of-5, but best-of-7 series are tedious. The better team always wins, except in case of injury. Upsets are more interesting.

4) Diamondhead Classic basketball tournament in Hawai’I around Christmas: Akron, Boise State, George Mason, Hawai’I, Iowa State, Oregon State, St Mary’s, South Carolina. Not sure about this coming season, but would have been a hell of a tournament last year.

3) Red Sox won two World Series under Terry Francona; they're 97-113 since he left. Who fires a guy that won two World Series?

2) The drinking age in this country should be 18; you’re old enough to go to war, you’re old enough to have a beer.

1) Every high school basketball player should take a trip to see the Las Vegas Summer League in July, so you can see how many really, really good basketball players there are, who are fighting like hell just for the chance to get invited to an NBA training camp. Its extremely competitive!!!!

So instead of jerking around only playing AAU tournaments, work on your skills too, do the grunt work to make yourself better, then you’ll be more likely to excel when you play against other really good players.
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[StarDust Bum]

MLB
Dunkel

Cleveland at Boston
The Indians look to follow up their 12-3 win yesterday and build on their 14-3 record in their last 17 games after scoring 5 runs or more in the previous game. Cleveland is the pick (+100) according to Dunkel, which has the Indians favored by 1. Dunkel Pick: Cleveland (+100). Here are all of today's picks.

FRIDAY, MAY 24

Game 951-952: Philadelphia at Washington (7:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Philadelphia (Kendrick) 14.160; Washington (Zimmermann) 15.280
Dunkel Line: Washington by 1; 8
Vegas Line: Washington (-165); 7
Dunkel Pick: Washington (-165); Over

Game 953-954: Atlanta at NY Mets (7:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Atlanta (Medlen) 15.906; NY Mets (Hefner) 14.143
Dunkel Line: Atlanta by 2; 7
Vegas Line: Atlanta (-160); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Atlanta (-160); Under

Game 955-956: Chicago Cubs at Cincinnati (7:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Cubs (Feldman) 15.959; Cincinnati (Arroyo) 15.334
Dunkel Line: Chicago Cubs by 1/2; 7
Vegas Line: Cincinnati (-160); 8
Dunkel Pick: Chicago Cubs (+140); Under

Game 957-958: Pittsburgh at Milwaukee (8:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Pittsburgh (Burnett) 15.370; Milwaukee (Estrada) 13.623
Dunkel Line: Pittsburgh by 1 1/2; 9
Vegas Line: Milwaukee (-110); 8
Dunkel Pick: Pittsburgh (-110); Over

Game 959-960: San Diego at Arizona (9:40 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: San Diego (Stults) 16.309; Arizona (McCarthy) 15.216
Dunkel Line: San Diego by 1; 8
Vegas Line: Arizona (-145); 9
Dunkel Pick: San Diego (+125); Under

Game 961-962: St. Louis at LA Dodgers (10:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: St. Louis (Lynn) 14.947; LA Dodgers (Capuano) 15.487
Dunkel Line: LA Dodgers by 1/2; 8
Vegas Line: St. Louis (-130); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: LA Dodgers (+110); Over

Game 963-964: Colorado at San Francisco (10:15 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Colorado (Chatwood) 15.970; San Francisco (Lincecum) 14.781
Dunkel Line: Colorado by 1; 9
Vegas Line: San Francisco (-155); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Colorado (+135); Over

Game 965-966: Baltimore at Toronto (7:07 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Baltimore (Tillman) 16.178; Toronto (Nolin) 15.239
Dunkel Line: Baltimore by 1; 8
Vegas Line: Baltimore (-120); 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Baltimore (-120); Under

Game 967-968: Minnesota at Detroit (7:08 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Minnesota (Deduno) 13.449; Detroit (Sanchez) 16.180
Dunkel Line: Detroit by 2 1/2; 8
Vegas Line: Detroit (-230); 9
Dunkel Pick: Detroit (-230); Under

Game 969-970: NY Yankees at Tampa Bay (7:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: NY Yankees (Phelps) 15.980; Tampa Bay (Hernandez) 16.872
Dunkel Line: Tampa Bay by 1; 9
Vegas Line: Tampa Bay (-110); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Tampa Bay (-110); Over

Game 971-972: Cleveland at Boston (7:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Cleveland (Masterson) 16.095; Boston (Lackey) 14.976
Dunkel Line: Cleveland by 1; 8
Vegas Line: Boston (-120); 9
Dunkel Pick: Cleveland (+100); Under

Game 973-974: Oakland at Houston (8:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Oakland (Milone) 14.301; Houston (Bedard) 15.101
Dunkel Line: Houston by 1; 9
Vegas Line: Oakland (-165); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Houston (+145); Over

Game 975-976: LA Angels at Kansas City (8:40 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: LA Angels (Vargas) 15.961; Kansas City (Mendoza) 14.586
Dunkel Line: LA Angels by 1 1/2; 8
Vegas Line: LA Angels (-120); 9
Dunkel Pick: LA Angels (-120); Under

Game 977-978: Texas at Seattle (10:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Texas (Grimm) 14.594; Seattle (Saunders) 15.196
Dunkel Line: Seattle by 1/2; 9
Vegas Line: Texas (-130); 8
Dunkel Pick: Seattle (+110); Over

Game 979-980: Miami at Chicago White Sox (8:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Miami (Koehler) 14.541; White Sox (Danks) 13.827
Dunkel Line: Miami by 1/2; 9
Vegas Line: Chicago White Sox (-185); 8
Dunkel Pick: Miami (+165); Over
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[StarDust Bum]

MLB
Long Sheet

Friday, May 24

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PHILADELPHIA (23 - 24) at WASHINGTON (24 - 23) - 7:05 PM
KYLE KENDRICK (R) vs. JORDAN ZIMMERMANN (R)
Top Trends for this game.
PHILADELPHIA is 104-105 (-22.8 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 32-41 (-22.1 Units) against the money line when the total is 7 or less over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 104-102 (-19.8 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 51-62 (-20.7 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 124-90 (+18.8 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 81-55 (+18.1 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
ZIMMERMANN is 23-5 (+18.2 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
PHILADELPHIA is 112-94 (+26.5 Units) against the money line in road games when playing on Friday since 1997.
KENDRICK is 8-1 (+8.7 Units) against the money line in road games in May games since 1997. (Team's Record)
KENDRICK is 58-38 (+20.8 Units) against the money line in night games since 1997. (Team's Record)

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

KYLE KENDRICK vs. WASHINGTON since 1997
KENDRICK is 4-5 when starting against WASHINGTON with an ERA of 4.88 and a WHIP of 1.421.
His team's record is 8-8 (-1.5 units) in these starts. The OVER is 8-8. (-0.4 units)

JORDAN ZIMMERMANN vs. PHILADELPHIA since 1997
ZIMMERMANN is 1-4 when starting against PHILADELPHIA with an ERA of 5.06 and a WHIP of 1.656.
His team's record is 1-5 (-3.8 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 3-3. (-0.6 units)

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ATLANTA (28 - 18) at NY METS (17 - 27) - 7:10 PM
KRIS MEDLEN (R) vs. JEREMY HEFNER (R)
Top Trends for this game.
ATLANTA is 122-87 (+22.8 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 59-48 (+13.1 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 18-6 (+12.4 Units) against the money line when playing with a day off over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 57-30 (+24.3 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 120-86 (+21.3 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 81-51 (+22.7 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 77-44 (+25.6 Units) against the money line after a win over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 10-1 (+9.4 Units) against the money line after 3 or more consecutive wins this season.
MEDLEN is 30-11 (+17.7 Units) against the money line in all games since 1997. (Team's Record)
MEDLEN is 16-2 (+13.8 Units) against the money line against division opponents since 1997. (Team's Record)
MEDLEN is 30-11 (+17.7 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field since 1997. (Team's Record)
MEDLEN is 23-5 (+17.3 Units) against the money line in night games since 1997. (Team's Record)
MEDLEN is 12-0 (+12.0 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
NY METS are 17-27 (-10.8 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
NY METS are 45-60 (-25.6 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons.
NY METS are 9-19 (-14.1 Units) against the money line in home games when playing on Friday over the last 3 seasons.
NY METS are 271-282 (-80.1 Units) against the money line in home games against division opponents since 1997.
NY METS are 17-27 (-10.8 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
NY METS are 48-75 (-26.8 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
NY METS are 47-65 (-21.1 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 2 seasons.
NY METS are 39-65 (-20.7 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
HEFNER is 0-8 (-8.7 Units) against the money line in all games this season. (Team's Record)
HEFNER is 0-8 (-8.7 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
NY METS is 1-1 (+0.8 Units) against ATLANTA this season
2 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+2.1 Units)

KRIS MEDLEN vs. NY METS since 1997
MEDLEN is 3-0 when starting against NY METS with an ERA of 2.17 and a WHIP of 0.931.
His team's record is 5-0 (+5.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 4-1. (+3.0 units)

JEREMY HEFNER vs. ATLANTA since 1997
HEFNER is 0-1 when starting against ATLANTA with an ERA of 16.85 and a WHIP of 3.745.
His team's record is 0-1 (-1.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 0-1. (-1.2 units)

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CHICAGO CUBS (18 - 27) at CINCINNATI (29 - 18) - 7:10 PM
SCOTT FELDMAN (R) vs. BRONSON ARROYO (R)
Top Trends for this game.
CHICAGO CUBS are 79-128 (-33.3 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO CUBS are 8-24 (-12.8 Units) against the money line as a road underdog of +125 to +150 over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO CUBS are 31-71 (-26.7 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO CUBS are 21-51 (-24.5 Units) against the money line on the road when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 3 seasons.
CHICAGO CUBS are 136-172 (-55.9 Units) against the money line when playing with a day off since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 36-63 (-18.8 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO CUBS are 79-128 (-33.3 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO CUBS are 37-66 (-20.7 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO CUBS are 929-1024 (-185.7 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters since 1997.
CINCINNATI is 128-86 (+22.6 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
CINCINNATI is 31-16 (+13.7 Units) against the money line in May games over the last 2 seasons.
CINCINNATI is 128-86 (+22.6 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
CINCINNATI is 76-43 (+16.7 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
CINCINNATI is 100-87 (-38.4 Units) against the money line as a home favorite of -150 to -175 since 1997.
CINCINNATI is 317-340 (-79.5 Units) against the money line in home games after a win since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
CINCINNATI is 5-1 (+3.3 Units) against CHICAGO CUBS this season
4 of 6 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+1.8 Units)

SCOTT FELDMAN vs. CINCINNATI since 1997
No recent starts.

BRONSON ARROYO vs. CHICAGO CUBS since 1997
ARROYO is 11-9 when starting against CHICAGO CUBS with an ERA of 3.04 and a WHIP of 1.162.
His team's record is 14-12 (+2.1 units) in these starts. The OVER is 11-15. (-5.0 units)

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PITTSBURGH (28 - 18) at MILWAUKEE (18 - 27) - 8:10 PM
A.J. BURNETT (R) vs. MARCO ESTRADA (R)
Top Trends for this game.
BURNETT is 77-104 (-33.9 Units) against the money line in road games since 1997. (Team's Record)
BURNETT is 27-39 (-21.6 Units) against the money line when playing on Friday since 1997. (Team's Record)
BURNETT is 62-85 (-28.5 Units) against the money line in road games in games played on a grass field since 1997. (Team's Record)
BURNETT is 120-126 (-29.1 Units) against the money line in night games since 1997. (Team's Record)
MILWAUKEE is 122-71 (+31.0 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 3 seasons.
MILWAUKEE is 93-47 (+31.6 Units) against the money line in home games against right-handed starters over the last 3 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 28-18 (+12.6 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
PITTSBURGH is 28-18 (+12.6 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
PITTSBURGH is 19-11 (+7.6 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
PITTSBURGH is 23-12 (+14.2 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
PITTSBURGH is 15-6 (+9.5 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
MILWAUKEE is 101-106 (-20.3 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
MILWAUKEE is 4-16 (-12.3 Units) against the money line in May games this season.
MILWAUKEE is 101-106 (-20.3 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
PITTSBURGH is 4-3 (+1.0 Units) against MILWAUKEE this season
3 of 6 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=-0.2 Units, Under=-0.5 Units)

A.J. BURNETT vs. MILWAUKEE since 1997
BURNETT is 2-5 when starting against MILWAUKEE with an ERA of 4.87 and a WHIP of 1.330.
His team's record is 4-6 (-3.3 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 5-5. (-0.7 units)

MARCO ESTRADA vs. PITTSBURGH since 1997
ESTRADA is 4-0 when starting against PITTSBURGH with an ERA of 2.47 and a WHIP of 0.824.
His team's record is 6-1 (+4.8 units) in these starts. The OVER is 3-4. (-1.3 units)

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SAN DIEGO (21 - 25) at ARIZONA (26 - 21) - 9:40 PM
ERIC STULTS (L) vs. BRANDON MCCARTHY (R)
Top Trends for this game.
SAN DIEGO is 24-53 (-20.7 Units) against the money line as a road underdog of +125 to +150 over the last 3 seasons.
SAN DIEGO is 19-39 (-20.6 Units) against the money line when playing on Friday over the last 3 seasons.
SAN DIEGO is 97-108 (+8.0 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
SAN DIEGO is 435-490 (+44.3 Units) against the money line in road games against right-handed starters since 1997.
STULTS is 16-8 (+13.0 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
STULTS is 17-10 (+13.7 Units) against the money line in road games since 1997. (Team's Record)
STULTS is 16-7 (+14.0 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
STULTS is 11-4 (+11.1 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
STULTS is 11-4 (+10.9 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
ARIZONA is 36-41 (-18.9 Units) against the money line in home games in night games over the last 2 seasons.
ARIZONA is 22-29 (-16.3 Units) against the money line in home games after a loss over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
SAN DIEGO is 2-1 (+1.1 Units) against ARIZONA this season
2 of 3 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+1.1 Units)

ERIC STULTS vs. ARIZONA since 1997
STULTS is 3-2 when starting against ARIZONA with an ERA of 2.67 and a WHIP of 1.121.
His team's record is 3-2 (+1.8 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-3. (-2.0 units)

BRANDON MCCARTHY vs. SAN DIEGO since 1997
No recent starts.

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ST LOUIS (30 - 16) at LA DODGERS (19 - 26) - 10:10 PM
LANCE LYNN (R) vs. CHRIS CAPUANO (L)
Top Trends for this game.
ST LOUIS is 30-16 (+9.7 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
ST LOUIS is 30-16 (+9.7 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
LA DODGERS are 19-26 (-13.9 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
LA DODGERS are 6-13 (-9.5 Units) against the money line in May games this season.
LA DODGERS are 19-26 (-13.9 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
LA DODGERS are 12-22 (-16.9 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
LA DODGERS are 9-17 (-10.6 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.

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

LANCE LYNN vs. LA DODGERS since 1997
LYNN is 1-0 when starting against LA DODGERS with an ERA of 3.75 and a WHIP of 1.500.
His team's record is 1-1 (-0.2 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-1. (+0.0 units)

CHRIS CAPUANO vs. ST LOUIS since 1997
CAPUANO is 5-6 when starting against ST LOUIS with an ERA of 5.90 and a WHIP of 1.564.
His team's record is 10-6 (+6.5 units) in these starts. The OVER is 9-7. (+1.2 units)

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COLORADO (26 - 21) at SAN FRANCISCO (26 - 21) - 10:15 PM
TYLER CHATWOOD (R) vs. TIM LINCECUM (R)
Top Trends for this game.
COLORADO is 133-238 (-56.0 Units) against the money line as a road underdog of +125 to +150 since 1997.
COLORADO is 28-49 (-27.0 Units) against the money line in May games over the last 3 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 131-94 (+28.1 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 61-36 (+20.9 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 131-92 (+30.3 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 84-53 (+27.5 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 55-42 (+14.4 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
SAN FRANCISCO is 4-3 (+0.8 Units) against COLORADO this season
5 of 7 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+3.0 Units)

TYLER CHATWOOD vs. SAN FRANCISCO since 1997
CHATWOOD is 2-2 when starting against SAN FRANCISCO with an ERA of 2.50 and a WHIP of 1.667.
His team's record is 2-2 (+1.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-1. (+0.9 units)

TIM LINCECUM vs. COLORADO since 1997
LINCECUM is 11-8 when starting against COLORADO with an ERA of 3.99 and a WHIP of 1.413.
His team's record is 12-13 (-4.9 units) in these starts. The OVER is 15-9. (+5.7 units)

[StarDust Bum]

BALTIMORE (25 - 21) at TORONTO (19 - 27) - 7:05 PM
CHRIS TILLMAN (R) vs. SEAN NOLIN (L)
Top Trends for this game.
BALTIMORE is 121-93 (+41.8 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 49-37 (+15.3 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 over the last 2 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 62-46 (+34.7 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 23-12 (+18.9 Units) against the money line on the road when the total is 9 to 9.5 over the last 2 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 14-7 (+9.8 Units) against the money line in road games in May games over the last 2 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 20-8 (+15.0 Units) against the money line when playing with a day off over the last 2 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 56-42 (+23.8 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 81-69 (+21.5 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 34-27 (+10.0 Units) against the money line against left-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 44-29 (+13.1 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
TORONTO is 54-76 (-24.7 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
BALTIMORE is 2-1 (+1.1 Units) against TORONTO this season
2 of 3 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+1.0 Units)

CHRIS TILLMAN vs. TORONTO since 1997
TILLMAN is 1-2 when starting against TORONTO with an ERA of 3.89 and a WHIP of 1.108.
His team's record is 2-4 (-1.7 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 4-2. (+1.8 units)

SEAN NOLIN vs. BALTIMORE since 1997
No recent starts.

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

MINNESOTA (18 - 25) at DETROIT (25 - 19) - 7:05 PM
SAM DEDUNO (R) vs. ANIBAL SANCHEZ (R)
Top Trends for this game.
MINNESOTA is 101-163 (-38.0 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 3 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 75-67 (+19.2 Units) against the money line in road games when playing with a day off since 1997.
DETROIT is 120-99 (-16.3 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
DETROIT is 23-25 (-15.4 Units) against the money line in May games over the last 2 seasons.
DETROIT is 116-96 (-16.8 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
SANCHEZ is 18-25 (-14.5 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
SANCHEZ is 17-24 (-14.4 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
MINNESOTA is 3-3 (+1.8 Units) against DETROIT this season
5 of 6 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+3.9 Units)

SAM DEDUNO vs. DETROIT since 1997
DEDUNO is 1-1 when starting against DETROIT with an ERA of 9.65 and a WHIP of 2.144.
His team's record is 1-1 (+0.3 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-1. (-0.1 units)

ANIBAL SANCHEZ vs. MINNESOTA since 1997
SANCHEZ is 0-2 when starting against MINNESOTA with an ERA of 3.57 and a WHIP of 1.456.
His team's record is 1-3 (-4.1 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 3-1. (+1.9 units)

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NY YANKEES (28 - 18) at TAMPA BAY (24 - 22) - 7:10 PM
DAVID PHELPS (R) vs. ROBERTO HERNANDEZ (R)
Top Trends for this game.
TAMPA BAY is 487-576 (+20.6 Units) against the money line against division opponents since 1997.
NY YANKEES are 28-18 (+9.0 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
NY YANKEES are 26-8 (+15.8 Units) against the money line when playing on Friday over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
TAMPA BAY is 2-1 (+0.2 Units) against NY YANKEES this season
2 of 2 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+2.0 Units)

DAVID PHELPS vs. TAMPA BAY since 1997
PHELPS is 0-0 when starting against TAMPA BAY with an ERA of 1.00 and a WHIP of 1.333.
His team's record is 1-1 (+0.1 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-2. (-2.1 units)

ROBERTO HERNANDEZ vs. NY YANKEES since 1997
HERNANDEZ is 1-5 when starting against NY YANKEES with an ERA of 6.34 and a WHIP of 1.711.
His team's record is 3-6 (-2.7 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 4-5. (-1.7 units)

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CLEVELAND (26 - 19) at BOSTON (28 - 19) - 7:10 PM
JUSTIN MASTERSON (R) vs. JOHN LACKEY (R)
Top Trends for this game.
CLEVELAND is 26-19 (+10.6 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
CLEVELAND is 15-6 (+10.4 Units) against the money line in May games this season.
CLEVELAND is 23-16 (+8.6 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
MASTERSON is 33-19 (+15.6 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
BOSTON is 97-112 (-34.1 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 7-12 (-10.3 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 this season.
BOSTON is 47-57 (-29.5 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 21-33 (-22.8 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 9 to 9.5 over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 7-16 (-11.7 Units) against the money line when playing with a day off over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 81-101 (-41.4 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 64-81 (-31.5 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 60-78 (-31.6 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 46-68 (-26.6 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 3-0 (+3.2 Units) against CLEVELAND this season
3 of 3 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+3.0 Units)

JUSTIN MASTERSON vs. BOSTON since 1997
MASTERSON is 3-2 when starting against BOSTON with an ERA of 3.72 and a WHIP of 1.138.
His team's record is 4-2 (+4.1 units) in these starts. The OVER is 5-1. (+3.9 units)

JOHN LACKEY vs. CLEVELAND since 1997
LACKEY is 6-7 when starting against CLEVELAND with an ERA of 4.25 and a WHIP of 1.446.
His team's record is 8-8 (-3.5 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 7-8. (-2.5 units)

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OAKLAND (25 - 23) at HOUSTON (14 - 33) - 8:10 PM
TOM MILONE (L) vs. ERIK BEDARD (L)
Top Trends for this game.
OAKLAND is 121-94 (+38.7 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
OAKLAND is 56-52 (+16.9 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
OAKLAND is 50-32 (+26.8 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
OAKLAND is 115-88 (+36.5 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
OAKLAND is 85-55 (+40.1 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
OAKLAND is 52-30 (+23.1 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
MILONE is 29-17 (+14.1 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
MILONE is 28-15 (+14.6 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
MILONE is 19-8 (+12.4 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
HOUSTON is 69-139 (-40.4 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 6-23 (-16.5 Units) against the money line in home games when playing on Friday over the last 3 seasons.
HOUSTON is 69-139 (-40.4 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 3-22 (-14.9 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
OAKLAND is 6-0 (+6.0 Units) against HOUSTON this season
5 of 6 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+4.1 Units)

TOM MILONE vs. HOUSTON since 1997
MILONE is 1-0 when starting against HOUSTON with an ERA of 3.65 and a WHIP of 1.297.
His team's record is 2-0 (+2.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-1. (-0.1 units)

ERIK BEDARD vs. OAKLAND since 1997
BEDARD is 4-4 when starting against OAKLAND with an ERA of 3.49 and a WHIP of 1.206.
His team's record is 5-7 (-3.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 5-7. (-2.4 units)

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LA ANGELS (19 - 27) at KANSAS CITY (21 - 22) - 8:10 PM
JASON VARGAS (L) vs. LUIS MENDOZA (R)
Top Trends for this game.
LA ANGELS are 19-27 (-14.0 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
LA ANGELS are 19-27 (-14.0 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
LA ANGELS are 10-22 (-17.4 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
LA ANGELS are 15-21 (-11.1 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
LA ANGELS are 672-664 (+55.2 Units) against the money line in road games since 1997.
LA ANGELS are 246-183 (+46.1 Units) against the money line when playing on Friday since 1997.
VARGAS is 17-8 (+11.9 Units) against the money line in May games since 1997. (Team's Record)
VARGAS is 32-23 (+15.3 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
KANSAS CITY is 248-361 (-101.3 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 9 to 9.5 since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
KANSAS CITY is 2-1 (+1.3 Units) against LA ANGELS this season
2 of 3 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+1.1 Units)

JASON VARGAS vs. KANSAS CITY since 1997
VARGAS is 5-1 when starting against KANSAS CITY with an ERA of 3.38 and a WHIP of 1.125.
His team's record is 5-1 (+4.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-4. (-2.2 units)

LUIS MENDOZA vs. LA ANGELS since 1997
MENDOZA is 1-1 when starting against LA ANGELS with an ERA of 9.75 and a WHIP of 2.000.
His team's record is 2-1 (+1.3 units) in these starts. The OVER is 3-0. (+3.1 units)

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TEXAS (30 - 17) at SEATTLE (20 - 27) - 10:10 PM
JUSTIN GRIMM (R) vs. JOE SAUNDERS (L)
Top Trends for this game.
TEXAS is 64-58 (-18.2 Units) against the money line after a win over the last 2 seasons.
SAUNDERS is 16-6 (+11.2 Units) against the money line as a home underdog of +100 to +125 since 1997. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
TEXAS is 5-2 (+2.6 Units) against SEATTLE this season
5 of 6 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+3.8 Units)

JUSTIN GRIMM vs. SEATTLE since 1997
GRIMM is 1-0 when starting against SEATTLE with an ERA of 2.70 and a WHIP of 1.500.
His team's record is 2-0 (+2.4 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-0. (+1.1 units)

JOE SAUNDERS vs. TEXAS since 1997
SAUNDERS is 4-8 when starting against TEXAS with an ERA of 5.95 and a WHIP of 1.467.
His team's record is 5-9 (-3.5 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 6-8. (-3.5 units)

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MIAMI (13 - 34) at CHI WHITE SOX (21 - 24) - 8:10 PM
TOM KOEHLER (R) vs. JOHN DANKS (L)
Top Trends for this game.
MIAMI is 13-34 (-14.8 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
MIAMI is 13-34 (-14.8 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
MIAMI is 47-77 (-25.2 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 2 seasons.
CHI WHITE SOX are 29-20 (+11.3 Units) against the money line in May games over the last 2 seasons.
CHI WHITE SOX are 168-124 (+38.4 Units) against the money line in an inter-league game since 1997.
MIAMI is 25-16 (+12.5 Units) against the money line in road games in May games over the last 3 seasons.
MIAMI is 76-76 (+21.4 Units) against the money line in road games when playing with a day off since 1997.
CHI WHITE SOX are 39-51 (-17.9 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 2 seasons.
CHI WHITE SOX are 0-8 (-9.8 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 8 to 8.5 this season.
CHI WHITE SOX are 24-27 (-12.6 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
DANKS is 3-16 (-16.5 Units) against the money line when playing on Friday since 1997. (Team's Record)
DANKS is 22-33 (-19.0 Units) against the money line in home games in night games since 1997. (Team's Record)

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

TOM KOEHLER vs. CHI WHITE SOX since 1997
No recent starts.

JOHN DANKS vs. MIAMI since 1997
DANKS is 0-0 when starting against MIAMI with an ERA of 9.00 and a WHIP of 2.250.
His team's record is 0-1 (-1.1 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 0-1. (-1.1 units)

[StarDust Bum]

MLB
Armadillo's Write-Up

Friday, May 24

Hot pitchers
-- Kendrick is 3-1, 2.20 in his last seven starts. Zimmerman is 4-1, 1.13 in his last five outings.
-- Cubs won last five Feldman starts (4-0, 1.27). Arroyo is 2-0, 0.00 (14.1 IP) in his last two starts.
-- Burnett is 3-2, 2.35 in his last seven starts.
-- McCarthy is 1-0, 1.16 in his last three starts. Stults is 2-1, 2.39 in his last four outings.
-- Capuano is 1-0, 1.32 in his last couple starts.
-- Lynn is 6-1, 2.82 in his last eight starts.
-- Chatwood is 2-0, 0.77 in his last couple starts.

-- Koehler is 0-2, 2.45 in two starts this season; Miami scored three runs in his two starts.

-- Tillman is 3-1, 2.27 in his last six starts.
-- Phelps is 1-1, 1.83 in his last three starts.
-- Masterson is 3-0, 1.17 in his last three starts.
-- Angels won last four Vargas starts (3-0, 2.20).

Cold pitchers
-- Mets are 0-8 when Hefner starts (0-2, 6.19 last three). Medlen is 0-4, 4.54 in his last six starts.
-- Estrada is 1-1, 7.71 in his last four starts.
-- Lincecum is 1-2, 6.00 in his last four starts.

-- Danks is making first '13 start; he is 57-60, 4.12 in 159 career starts; he was 2-0, 3.18 in four minor league starts this season.

-- Nolin has made only six AA starts (3-0, 1.19) with three of six this year; this is his MLB debut. .
-- Sanchez is 1-3, 5.82 in his last four starts. Deduno was 6-5, 4.44 in 15 starts LY; this is his first '13 start (0-0, 2.70 in three AAA starts).
-- Hernandez is 1-1, 5.48 in his last five starts.
-- Lackey is 1-3, 5.64 in his last four starts.
-- Milone is 1-5, 4.23 in his last six starts; A's scored eight runs in those games. Bedard is 0-3, 8.46 in his last six starts.
-- Mendoza is 1-1, 6.95 in his last four starts.
-- Grimm is 1-3, 5.79 in his last four starts. Saunders is 1-1, 6.48 in his last three starts.

Starting Pitchers/First Inning
You can wager on whether teams will score in first inning. Below is how often a starting pitcher has allowed 1+ runs in first inning in one of his starts........
-- Kendrick 4-9; Zimmerman 1-9
-- Medlen 1-9; Hefner 4-8
-- Feldman 2-8; Arroyo 1-9
-- Burnett 3-10; Estrada 1-9
-- Stults 1-9; McCarthy 4-9
-- Lynn 2-9; Capuano 1-4
-- Chatwood 1-3; Lincecum 3-9

-- Koehler 1-2; Danks 0-0

-- Tillman 1-9; Nolin 0-0
-- Deduno 0-0; Sanchez 2-9
-- Phelps 1-4; RHernandez 2-8
-- Masterson 2-10; Lackey 2-6
-- Milone 4-9; Bedard 4-7
-- Vargas 0-9; Mendoza 1-5
-- Grimm 3-7; Saunders 2-9

Totals
-- Seven of last eight Philly road games stayed under the total.
-- Over is 12-2-1 in Atlanta's last fifteen road games.
-- 14 of 21 Cub road games stayed under the total.
-- Four of last five Pirate games stayed under the total.
-- Over is 5-2-1 in last eight San Diego games; last five Arizona games stayed under the total. .
-- Six of last eight Dodger games stayed under the total.
-- Last four Colorado games stayed under the total.

-- Over is 5-2-1 in last eight White Sox games. Four of last five Miami games stayed under the total.

-- Over is 5-2-1 in Baltimore's last eight games.
-- Last three Minnesota games went over the total.
-- Under is 7-3-2 in last twelve Bronx games; eight of last ten Tampa Bay home games went over the total.
-- Over is 5-2-1 in last eight Cleveland games.
-- Six of last seven Oakland games stayed under the total.
-- Six of last eight Angel games went over the total.
-- 10 of last 15 games at Safeco Field stayed under the total.

Hot teams
-- Phillies won seven of their last ten games.
-- Atlanta won its last six games, scoring 34 runs.
-- Reds won ten of their last twelve games.
-- Pirates won eight of their last nine games.
-- Cardinals won 16 of their last 21 games.
-- Rockies won five of their last six games. San Francisco won five of its last six home games.

-- White Sox won six of their last nine games.

-- Blue Jays won seven of their last ten games.
-- Detroit won its last three games, scoring 23 runs.
-- Rays won ten of their last fourteen games.
-- Indians won six of their last eight games.
-- A's won five of their last six games. Houston is 4-3 in its last seven games.
-- Angels won their last five games, scoring 42 runs.
-- Rangers won six of their last nine games.

Cold teams
-- Nationals lost four of their last five games.
-- Mets lost four of their last five games.
-- Cubs lost six of their last eight games.
-- Brewers lost seven of their last nine games.
-- Padres lost eight of their last twelve road games. Arizona lost three of its last four games overall.
-- Dodgers lost four of their last six games.

-- Marlins lost 12 of their last 15 games.

-- Orioles lost seven of their last nine games.
-- Minnesota lost its last nine games, allowing 58 runs.
-- Bronx lost three of its last five road games.
-- Red Sox lost three of their last four games.
-- Royals lost six of their last seven games.
-- Mariners lost their last six games, outscored 46-16.
Reply With Quote

[StarDust Bum]

MLB

Friday, May 24

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Trend Report
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7:05 PM
PHILADELPHIA vs. WASHINGTON
Philadelphia is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Washington
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Philadelphia's last 11 games when playing Washington
Washington is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Philadelphia
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Washington's last 11 games when playing Philadelphia

7:07 PM
BALTIMORE vs. TORONTO
Baltimore is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games when playing on the road against Toronto
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Baltimore's last 6 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 12 of Toronto's last 17 games
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Toronto's last 11 games when playing at home against Baltimore

7:08 PM
MINNESOTA vs. DETROIT
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Minnesota's last 5 games when playing on the road against Detroit
Minnesota is 3-6 SU in its last 9 games when playing on the road against Detroit
Detroit is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Detroit's last 5 games when playing at home against Minnesota

7:10 PM
NY YANKEES vs. TAMPA BAY
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of NY Yankees's last 12 games on the road
NY Yankees are 10-5 SU in their last 15 games
The total has gone OVER in 19 of Tampa Bay's last 24 games
Tampa Bay is 10-4 SU in its last 14 games

7:10 PM
CLEVELAND vs. BOSTON
Cleveland is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Cleveland's last 6 games
Boston is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Boston's last 5 games when playing Cleveland

7:10 PM
CHI CUBS vs. CINCINNATI
Chi Cubs are 2-6 SU in their last 8 games when playing on the road against Cincinnati
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Chi Cubs's last 6 games
Cincinnati is 10-2 SU in its last 12 games
The total has gone OVER in 12 of Cincinnati's last 18 games

7:10 PM
ATLANTA vs. NY METS
The total has gone OVER in 12 of Atlanta's last 18 games
Atlanta is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against NY Mets
NY Mets are 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Atlanta
NY Mets are 0-5 SU in its last 5 games at home

8:10 PM
LA ANGELS vs. KANSAS CITY
The total has gone OVER in 6 of LA Angels's last 9 games when playing on the road against Kansas City
LA Angels are 5-0 SU in their last 5 games
Kansas City is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games at home
Kansas City is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games

8:10 PM
MIAMI vs. CHI WHITE SOX
Miami is 2-9 SU in its last 11 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Miami's last 5 games
Chi White Sox are 6-3 SU in their last 9 games

8:10 PM
PITTSBURGH vs. MILWAUKEE
The total has gone OVER in 10 of Pittsburgh's last 12 games on the road
Pittsburgh is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games
Milwaukee is 4-16 SU in its last 20 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Milwaukee's last 6 games when playing at home against Pittsburgh

8:10 PM
OAKLAND vs. HOUSTON
Oakland is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
Oakland is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Houston
Houston is 7-18 SU in its last 25 games
The total has gone OVER in 15 of Houston's last 22 games

9:40 PM
SAN DIEGO vs. ARIZONA
San Diego is 8-2 SU in its last 10 games when playing on the road against Arizona
San Diego is 4-8 SU in its last 12 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Arizona's last 7 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Arizona's last 5 games

10:10 PM
ST. LOUIS vs. LA DODGERS
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of St. Louis's last 6 games when playing LA Dodgers
St. Louis is 16-5 SU in its last 21 games
LA Dodgers are 6-13 SU in their last 19 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of LA Dodgers's last 5 games

10:10 PM
TEXAS vs. SEATTLE
Texas is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Texas's last 6 games when playing Seattle
Seattle is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games at home
Seattle is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games

10:15 PM
COLORADO vs. SAN FRANCISCO
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Colorado's last 6 games when playing San Francisco
Colorado is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
San Francisco is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
San Francisco is 10-3 SU in its last 13 games when playing Colorado

[StarDust Bum]

MLB

Friday, May 24

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Three pitchers with value for under bettors Friday
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Following a relatively quiet Thursday in the major leagues, action picks up with a full slate of games Friday. There are a number of pitchers taking the hill who have been hot under picks in their most recent starts. Here is a look at three of them.

A.J. Burnett, Pittsburgh Pirates (3-4, 2.57 ERA)

The under is 4-0 in Burnett's last four starts and is 8-2 in his 10 starts this season. The Bucs ace barely gets any run support at all this year as the offense provides him with just 2.60 runs per game.

Burnett gets the ball against the Milwaukee Brewers Friday.

Eric Stults, San Diego Padres (4-3, 4.05 ERA)

The under is 4-0 in the lefty's previous four starts and is 5-1 in his last six. Stults has allowed just seven earned runs in his last four outings. That's good enough for a sparkling 2.39 ERA in that stretch.

The Padres are on the road to face the Arizona Diamondbacks Friday.

Chris Tillman, Baltimore Orioles (3-2, 3.52 ERA)

Tillman has also been pitching well with the under going 4-0 in his last four starts. The O's supply Tillman with the 10th lowest run support total in the American League with just 3.56 runs per start.

Tillman and the Orioles are in Toronto to face the Blue Jays Friday.

[StarDust Bum]

MLB
Short Sheet

Friday, May 24

National League

Philadelphia at Washington, 7:05 ET MLB
Kendrick: Philadelphia 6-13 SU after allowing 2 runs or less
Zimmermann: 17-3 TSR off BB starts allowing 2 ER's or less

Atlanta at NY Mets, 7:10 ET
Medlen: 13-1 TSR pitching on 5 or 6 days rest
Hefner: Mets 15-31 SU as a home underdog

Chicago Cubs at Cincinnati, 7:10 ET WGN
Feldman: Cubs 8-24 SU as a road underdog of +125 to +150
Arroyo: Cincinnati 15-4 SU off 7+ road games

Pittsburgh at Milwaukee, 8:10 ET
Burnett: Pittsburgh 8-2 SU away with a total of 7 to 7.5 runs
Estrada: Milwaukee 4-15 SU after losing 3 of their last 4 games

San Diego at Arizona, 9:40 ET
Stults: 10-2 TSR pitching on 5 or 6 days rest
McCarthy: 5-16 TSR as a favorite of -150 or less

St. Louis at LA Dodgers, 10:10 ET
Lynn: St. Louis 17-8 SU with a line of +125 to -125
Capuano: Dodgers 12-22 SU in night games

Colorado at San Francisco, 10:15 ET
Chatwood: Colorado 4-20 SU away after allowing 1 or 0 runs
Lincecum: San Francisco 18-5 SU off a combined score of 3 runs or less


American League

Baltimore at Toronto, 7:05 ET
Tillman: Baltimore 19-10 SU off 6+ division games
Nolin: Toronto 11-26 SU after winning 3 of their last 4 games

Minnesota at Detroit, 7:05 ET
Deduno: Minnesota 9-1 Over off 5+ losses
Sanchez: 1-7 TSR at home pitching off BB team wins

NY Yankees at Tampa Bay, 7:10 ET MLB
Phelps: Yankees 10-3 SU off 3+ road games
Hernandez: 13-4 Over vs. division opponents

Cleveland at Boston, 7:10 ET
Masterson: Cleveland 16-6 SU in May
Lackey: Boston 33-19 Over as a home favorite of -150 or less

Oakland at Houston, 8:10 ET
Milone: Oakland 17-8 SU off 3+ games allowing 3 runs or less
Bedard: 0-10 TSR with a total of 8.5 to 10 runs

LA Angels at Kansas City, 8:10 ET
Vargas: 17-8 TSR in May
Mendoza: Kansas City 40-23 Under vs. left-handed starters

Texas at Seattle, 10:10 ET
Grimm: Texas 10-1 Under after allowing 1 or 0 runs
Saunders: 17-8 TSR as a home underdog


Interleague

Miami at Chicago White Sox, 8:10 ET
Koehler: Miami 25-16 SU away in May
Danks: White Sox 0-8 SU at home with a total of 8 to 8.5 runs
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[StarDust Bum]

Friday, May 24

Game Score Status Pick Amount

Philadelphia - 7:05 PM ET Philadelphia +156 500 pod # 1
Washington - Under 6.5 500

Baltimore - 7:07 PM ET Baltimore -109 500
Toronto - Under 9 500

Minnesota - 7:08 PM ET Minnesota +198 500 pod # 5
Detroit - Under 8.5 500

Cleveland - 7:10 PM ET Cleveland -101 500
Boston - Under 9 500

Atlanta - 7:10 PM ET Atlanta -155 500
NY Mets - Under 7.5 500

Chi. Cubs - 7:10 PM ET Cincinnati -150 500
Cincinnati - Over 8 500

NY Yankees - 7:10 PM ET Tampa Bay -107 500
Tampa Bay - Under 8.5 500

Miami - 8:10 PM ET Miami +159 500 pod # 4
Chi. White Sox - Under 7.5 500

Oakland - 8:10 PM ET Oakland -155 500
Houston - Over 8.5 500

LA Angels - 8:10 PM ET Kansas City +107 500 pod # 2
Kansas City - Over 8.5 500

Pittsburgh - 8:10 PM ET Pittsburgh -104 500
Milwaukee - Over 7.5 500

San Diego - 9:40 PM ET San Diego +127 500 pod # 3
Arizona - Over 9 500

St. Louis - 10:10 PM ET LA Dodgers +113 500
LA Dodgers - Under 7.5 500

Texas - 10:10 PM ET Texas -111 500
Seattle - Under 8 500

Colorado - 10:15 PM ET San Francisco -143 500
San Francisco - Over 8 500

[StarDust Bum]

NL Central Update

May 22, 2013

With Most teams sitting with 40-45 games complete, more than a quarter of the season is in the books. While a lot can certainly change in the coming months, usually the first two months are pretty critical. Here is a quick look at what we know about the National League Central, a division currently boasting the three best records in the NL.

Misleading Pitching Numbers: The NL Central boasts three of the top four pitching staffs in baseball with St. Louis, Pittsburgh, and Cincinnati all featuring a team ERA below 3.36. The starting rotations for all three teams have been strong but the numbers have also been boosted by a lot of games against the NL East. St. Louis, Cincinnati, and Pittsburgh sit in the top three spots of the division, separated by just two games but over the course of the season all three teams could come back to the pack to some extent. Those teams are a combined 33-17 against the NL East and the pitching numbers are likely enhanced by facing so many games against a division where all five teams rank in the bottom nine of MLB in terms of team batting average.

For St. Louis the starting rotation could face some problems in the coming weeks with Jaime Garcia likely done for the season and big adjustments potentially coming for Shelby Miller and Jake Westbrook. Miller has an *xFIP that is nearly twice as high as his ERA of 1.74 and Westbrook has an xFIP of 4.44 despite his 1.62 ERA. Both pitchers should regress as the season progresses and with Westbrook currently on the disabled list he is even more of a question mark. Adam Wainwright and Lance Lynn look like they can continue to take solid turns in the rotation but the bullpen is counting on Edward Mujica to continue his nearly flawless transition into the closer’s role. This should still be a very good pitching staff but leading the league is something that may not be sustainable especially with two starters on the DL and relying on several young starters that are mostly unproven over the course of a season.

Cincinnati’s pitching numbers are likely the most skewed due to the NL East match-ups with 24 games already played against the division and no games played against the powerful NL West yet this season. The Reds have the luxury of being able send Tony Cingrani back down to the minors for seasoning with the return of Johnny Cueto and this is a very solid rotation with Mike Leake, Bronson Arroyo capably filling the back of the rotation. Homer Bailey is having a terrific season and with Mat Latos joining Cueto at the top, this staff is as formidable as any in the league. The bullpen has Aroldis Chapman in reserve and while he has been a bit erratic, few have as dominating of a presence on the mound. All four qualified starters for the Reds have a higher xFIP than ERA however so a slight regression is likely and having seven games against Miami already in the books has impacted the numbers.

Pittsburgh is perhaps the most surprising team in the mix at the top of the standings. After promising starts the past two seasons this certainly looked like a possibility but for the pitching to be this good has been a bit of a shock. The Pirates are 10-5 against the NL East and just 16-13 against the rest of baseball so this is a team that could face the prospect of a decline in the coming weeks. The most volatile member of the rotation is likely Jeff Locke who had just 10 career starts entering this season. Locke is 4-1 with a 2.73 ERA so far this season but he has just 10 more strikeouts than walks and an xFIP of 4.45 with a .224 BABIP suggest he could face a big adjustment. A. J. Burnett has looked like the ace that everyone has always expected him to be and if the Pirates can continue to get positive results from Wandy Rodriguez, Jeanmar Gomez, and Francisco Liriano this is a team that can stay in the mix. The upcoming schedule and the advanced statistics suggest that may be unlikely however.

Disappointment Brewing: Milwaukee was the top scoring team in the National League last season and with some promising young starters on the roster the pitching staff seemed to have a chance to come together this season. Nothing has gone right so far this season for the Brewers who are sitting over 10 games out of first place already this season. Milwaukee has actually hit fairly well for average this season led by Jean Segura and Carlos Gomez who are among the NL league leaders but the scoring has not kept up, a departure from past seasons when Milwaukee was generally a low average but high scoring team. The recent return of Aramis Ramirez could provide a boost and Corey Hart also should be available soon to put more pop into the lineup.

Milwaukee had disastrous results in the bullpen early last season and despite efforts to address the issue this year it has been a big problem again this year, led by John Axford’s horrible closing efforts. Overall the bullpen has turned things around however and has a very respectable 3.38 ERA on the season despite the dreadful first few weeks. The starting pitching has been very disappointing in recent weeks and that has been the biggest factor in the mounting losses. Yovani Gallardo and Kyle Lohse have done their jobs for the most part with respectable numbers though both have been a bit unlucky with very high BABIP rates at this point. Milwaukee expected to get more from young starters Marco Estrada and Wily Peralta however who both are sitting with very poor numbers so far this season and may not be options for much longer. Hiram Burgos has been erratic in his five starts and out of the bullpen Mike Fiers has really struggled after a very encouraging 2012 season as a starter. Overall the Brewers are likely to have the worst rotation in this division and the offense is not doing enough to carry the team at this point.

Milwaukee could have opportunities ahead however as the Brewers are yet to play a single game against the NL East, arguably the worst division in baseball and clearly the worst hitting division in baseball. While the rest of the division has feasted on those match-ups Milwaukee has already played 16 games against the very tough NL West. The Brewers will need to improve in the division having gone just 9-16 so far but sitting only -32 in run differential seems to indicate that this team is likely not as bad as the record indicates right now. Milwaukee has 14 of the next 20 at home and only six of the next 23 games will be against teams with winning records. In June Milwaukee gets games with Minnesota, Philadelphia, Miami, Houston, and the Cubs so this is a team that could make a leap in the standings.

Cubs Ahead of Schedule: 2013 seemed like a severe rebuilding season for the Cubs and a 5-13 start confirmed those notions. The Cubs are 13-12 since however and even with the awful start Chicago is only -3 in run differential this season. The offense is limited but the young prospects are producing with Anthony Rizzo and Starlin Castro both having great starts to the season at the plate. Chicago is towards the bottom of the league in runs scored but this is a team that is competing much better than most expected and may only be a few players away from making a real run again.

A bigger surprise than the respectable offense has been perhaps the very capable pitching staff for the Cubs. Jeff Samardzija has just two wins but he has lived up to his billing with very strong strikeout numbers and mostly quality starts. Travis Wood could not find room in the Cincinnati rotation but he has flourished in Chicago with a 2.24 ERA so far this season. His xFIP is more than twice that high so a negative adjustment could be coming but so far Wood has been getting the job done. Cast aside veterans Scott Feldman, Edwin Jackson, and Carlos Villanueva certainly have not been great but they have been delivering average results and keeping Chicago in most games which is all the Cubs really could have asked for. The Cubs are actually fifth in baseball in quality starts this season which certainly is surprising given the lack of proven starting pitching on the roster. Chicago also gets Matt Garza back this week and he could boost this staff even further.

The Chicago bullpen has been among the worst in baseball however and the Cubs also have the most errors in baseball. Starlin Castro and Darwin Barney form a dynamic duo in the middle of the infield but the rest of the defense is lacking. Chicago has converted just 10 of 19 save opportunities this season with veteran Kevin Gregg perhaps finally settling that role after the annual Carlos Marmol experiment. Overall the bullpen has had few success stories but the return of Garza and perhaps eventually Scott Baker could strengthen the depth of the staff. Chicago has had the most balanced schedule so far in this division with 13 games against the East and 11 against the West but if the Cubs can continue to play close to .500 ball they will be one of the surprise teams of the season and a team that may be ready to make a free agent splash next season.

* xFIP -- Expected Fielding Independent Pitching is a regressed version of FIP, which is Fielding Independent Pitching. The formula converts a pitcher's three true outcomes into an earned run average-like number. The formula is (13*HR+3*BB-2*K)/IP, plus a constant (usually around 3.2) to put it on the same scale as earned run average. xFIP replaces a pitcher’s home run total with an estimate of how many home runs they should have allowed.

[StarDust Bum]

Interleague Results (1997-2013)

The 2013 MLB regular season will feature at least one Interleague game every day. All teams will play exactly 20 Interleague games broken down into eight series, four at home and four on the road.

American League Results

Team Overall 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

Baltimore Orioles 126-157 11-7 7-11 7-11 11-7 2-3

Boston Red Sox 161-122 11-7 13-5 10-8 11-7 -

Chicago White Sox 162-120 11-6 15-3 11-7 9-9 1-4

Cleveland Indians 137-146 5-13 5-13 11-7 8-10 3-1

Detroit Tigers 152-131 10-8 11-7 7-11 11-7 3-2

** Houston Astros 113-132 6-9 3-12 4-11 6-9 1-2

Kansas City Royals 130-164 8-10 8-10 5-13 8-10 3-2

Los Angeles Angels 164-121 14-4 11-7 13-5 12-6 1-2

Minnesota Twins 157-125 12-6 8-10 8-10 9-9 1-6

New York Yankees 170-112 10-8 11-7 13-5 13-5 4-2

Oakland Athletics 154-130 5-13 8-10 8-10 10-8 -

Seattle Mariners 154-130 11-7 9-9 9-9 8-10 1-1

Tampa Bay Rays 130-141 13-5 7-11 12-6 9-9 5-1

Texas Rangers 149-135 9-9 14-4 9-9 14-4 2-3

Toronto Blue Jays 132-151 7-11 7-11 8-10 9-9 2-0

** AL Totals 2,118-1,910 137-114 134-118 131-121 141-111 27-29


National League Results

Team Overall 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

Arizona Diamondbacks 109-126 5-10 6-9 10-8 9-6 1-2

Atlanta Braves 137-122 7-8 9-6 10-5 8-10 4-4

Chicago Cubs 108-126 7-7 8-10 5-10 5-10 2-1

Cincinnati Reds 104-131 6-9 8-7 6-12 7-8 2-1

Colorado Rockies 113-125 11-4 9-6 8-7 2-13 2-4

Los Angeles Dodgers 115-139 9-9 4-11 6-9 6-9 1-2

Miami Marlins 140-130 10-8 7-8 8-10 5-13 1-1

Milwaukee Brewers 105-124 5-10 9-6 6-9 6-9 2-2

New York Mets 135-127 5-10 13-5 9-9 8-7 2-0

Philadelphia Phillies 121-149 6-12 8-7 9-6 5-10 2-5

Pittsburgh Pirates 91-138 8-7 2-13 8-7 10-8 3-2

St. Louis Cardinals 123-112 9-6 9-6 8-7 8-7 -

San Diego Padres 113-144 5-10 9-6 6-9 8-7 2-3

San Francisco Giants 130-124 9-6 7-8 10-5 7-8 0-2

Washington Nationals 135-145 7-11 5-13 8-7 10-8 5-0

** NL Totals 1,910-2,118 114-137 118-134 121-131 111-141 29-27

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Preview: Orioles (26-22) at Blue Jays (20-28)

Game: 3
Venue: Rogers Centre
Date: May 25, 2013 1:07 PM EDT


Rogers Centre has long been known as a launching pad.

The Baltimore Orioles can attest to that.

Baltimore looks to continue its home-run barrage Saturday afternoon against R.A. Dickey and the Toronto Blue Jays.

The Orioles (26-22) took over the major league lead in home runs with a season-high four in Friday's 10-6 victory. They have hit at least three homers in four straight games - going deep 13 times during that span - and have multiple home-run contests in seven of the last nine.

"When we got a ball over the plate, it seemed like we didn't miss it,' said right fielder Nick Markakis, who is batting .375 (15 for 40) in a nine-game hitting streak.

No Oriole has been more responsible for the power surge than Chris Davis, who hit his major league-leading 16th Friday. He's homered in three straight games and five of seven.

Adam Jones has homered in consecutive games, while J.J. Hardy had the biggest blow Friday with a three-run shot in the first inning that gave the Orioles a lead they would never relinquish.

Manny Machado was unable to join the home-run party but did collect three hits for a franchise-record fifth consecutive road game. He's batting .524 (11 for 21) against the Blue Jays (20-28) this season.

The stage may well be set for a few more home runs with Dickey (4-5, 4.50 ERA) taking the mound for the Blue Jays. The right-hander has surrendered nine home runs this season, though he has stymied Baltimore's biggest bats in the past. Davis is 3 for 12 against the knuckleballer with four strikeouts, Hardy is 1 for 9 and Jones 1 for 9 with three strikeouts.

Additionally, Dickey has pitched much better of late for Toronto. Since Seattle roughed him up for seven runs in six innings May 4, he has posted a 2.70 ERA over his last three starts, striking out 20 in 20 innings.

Dickey produced his longest start of the season in a 7-5 win over Tampa Bay on Monday, yielding three runs and four hits in eight innings.

"I've felt like I've been stuck in a quagmire for the last week, two weeks,' Dickey said. "So it's nice to feel like you've got at least one foot out of it."

The Blue Jays have rewarded Dickey with enhanced run support. After spotting him 12 runs in his first seven starts, they've provided Dickey with 20 over his last three.

Toronto, meanwhile, would do well to get to Baltimore's bullpen, which has posted a 7.71 ERA over the last 10 games. That group has surrendered seven home runs, 21 walks and a .317 average to opposing hitters during that span.

Looking to ward off the bullpen for as long as possible is Freddy Garcia (0-2, 4.84), who rebounded from his worst outing of the season with an improved showing Monday against the Yankees.

After allowing four runs and seven hits over 3 2-3 innings in an 8-4 loss to San Diego, the veteran right-hander limited New York to two runs and three hits in six innings before leaving without a decision in a 6-4 loss.

Garcia is 8-8 with a 5.90 ERA in 19 starts against the Blue Jays. He did, however, end a five-start losing streak at Toronto in a 10-4 win for the Yankees on Aug. 10.

Jose Bautista is 5 for 11 with two homers against Garcia, while Adam Lind is 4 for 8 with a pair of home runs.

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SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Orioles at Blue Jays
Thu, May 23 Final 6 to 12
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Orioles at Blue Jays
Fri, May 24 Final 10 to 6
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Orioles at Blue Jays
Sat, May 25 - 1:07PM EDT

GAME 4
Orioles at Blue Jays
Sun, May 26 - 1:07PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Indians (27-20) at Red Sox (29-20)

Game: 3
Venue: Fenway Park
Date: May 25, 2013 1:35 PM EDT


Jon Lester has always pitched well against the Cleveland Indians. More recently, he has come to excel at Fenway Park.

On Saturday afternoon, he'll have a chance to put the two together as he looks to propel the Boston Red Sox to a second straight victory.

Lester (6-1, 3.15 ERA), making his first home start against the Indians (27-20) since August 4, 2010, has been dominant at Progressive Field. He is 3-0 with a 1.04 ERA versus Cleveland since the 2011 season, striking out 33 in 26 innings. That includes a start on April 18, in which he surrendered two runs and four hits over seven innings of a 6-3 victory.

The left-hander has also seemingly solved last season's woes at Fenway. In 2012, he posted a 6.31 ERA at home, as opponents hit .302 off of him. This season, he has recorded a 1.66 ERA in Boston, allowing 12 hits over 21 2-3 innings. In his last home start, he retired the first 17 hitters before ultimately finishing with a one-hitter in a 5-0 win over Toronto.

"My job was easy. I put the glove there and he hit it,' catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia said. "I don't think whoever we were facing could have hit him.'

Lester wasn't so good in his last start, however, as he gave up six runs in six innings of a 6-4 defeat to the Chicago White Sox on Monday. After winning Lester's first five starts of the season, Boston has won just two of his last five.

Lester will face a familiar foe in Cleveland's Nick Swisher, who has 15 hits off him in 49 career at_bats. Only Derek Jeter has more hits off the Boston lefty. Swisher will look to provide some pop for an Indians offense that has two home runs in its last four games after hitting 10 during a five-game winning streak.

After batting .203 with six extra-base hits while losing three of four, Boston (29-20) scored eight runs Friday for its highest total since last Saturday.

That offense came in spite of the absence of Will Middlebrooks and Shane Victorino, who were both placed on the 15-day disabled list Friday. Mike Carp provided the biggest hit with a three-run homer in the second inning, breaking an 0-for-21 slump.

"It definitely means a lot,' Carp said. ``I've been struggling for playing time and to have a big at bat like that it builds confidence heading into the next couple days.'

The Red Sox will look to keep up their momentum against struggling Scott Kazmir (2-2, 6.35), who has posted a 10.13 ERA over his last two starts.

He lasted a season-low three-plus innings against Seattle on Monday, yielding five runs and seven hits but escaped without a decision in a wild 10-8 win.

"The last two just didn't really go my way," Kazmir told the Indians' official website. "I never really got into a groove."

Kazmir has plenty of experience against Boston. His 139 2-3 innings against the Red Sox are by far his most against any team. He has a 4.06 lifetime ERA versus Boston.

The left-hander has handled David Ortiz (10 for 46) but Dustin Pedroia is 17 for 33 (.515) in their matchups.

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SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Indians at Red Sox
Thu, May 23 Final 12 to 3
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Indians at Red Sox
Fri, May 24 Final 1 to 8
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Indians at Red Sox
Sat, May 25 - 1:35PM EDT

GAME 4
Indians at Red Sox
Sun, May 26 - 1:35PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Angels (21-27) at Royals (21-24)

Game: 3
Venue: Ewing M. Kauffman Stadium
Date: May 25, 2013 2:10 PM EDT


Paced by the hot-hitting Mike Trout, the Los Angeles Angels are in the midst of their most successful stretch of the season.

The visiting Angels look to extend their season-high winning streak to seven games Saturday against the struggling Kansas City Royals.

Trout recorded his fourth straight multi-hit game and Jason Vargas pitched 7 1-2 strong innings in a 5-2 win at Kansas City on Friday. After underachieving out of the gate for the second straight season, the high-priced Angels (21-27) have averaged 5.5 runs while winning 10 of 15.

"You don't want to bank on extended streaks, but you do want to get on a roll,' said Trout, 10 for 17 in the last four games.

Trout has batted .372 with eight homers and 23 RBIs in his last 23 contests. He's hit .366 in 11 career games against the Royals (21-24), who have dropped seven of eight since winning two of three at Los Angeles from May 13-15.

"I don't feel like we're pressing,' Kansas City slugger Billy Butler said. "I just don't feel like we're catching breaks here-and-there."

Trout was one of four Angels to homer off Kansas City's Jeremy Guthrie (5-2, 3.49 ERA) in a 6-2 win May 14. Guthrie yielded five runs in seven innings before giving up six over five innings of a 6-5 loss at Houston on Monday.

The right-hander allowed 13 runs while going 5-0 in his first seven starts of 2013, and was 10-0 with a 2.21 ERA over 18 before the loss to Los Angeles.

"(Against the Angels), I was a lot more frustrated, a little bit out of whack," he told the Royals' official website. "(On Monday) I felt pretty decent. I wasn't able to keep us in it."

Josh Hamilton homered off Guthrie last week and is batting .320 with three home runs and two doubles against him.

Kansas City has lost 14 of 18, but hopes to get back on track against ex-Royal Billy Buckner. With Tommy Hanson on the restricted list, Buckner makes his Angels debut and first major league appearance since 2010 with Arizona.

The right-hander was recalled May 16 from Triple-A Salt Lake City, where he went 4-3 with a 4.56 ERA in eight starts. He will be the 21st pitcher used by Los Angeles this year - eight shy of the club record for a season.

"He'll go as long and as hard as he can," manager Mike Scioscia said. "I think he'll be fine."

Buckner is 5-11 with a 6.63 ERA in 21 career starts, including 1-2 with a 6.49 ERA in five as a rookie for Kansas City in 2007.

With a home run Friday on the eve of his 39th birthday, Kansas City's Miguel Tejada is 10 for 31 with two homers and seven RBIs in 14 games this season.

Butler is 6 for 29 (.207) with one RBI in eight games since he went 8 for 13 with a homer and nine RBIs in the road set against the Angels.

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SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Angels at Royals
Thu, May 23 Final 5 to 4
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Angels at Royals
Fri, May 24 Final 5 to 2
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Angels at Royals
Sat, May 25 - 2:10PM EDT

GAME 4
Angels at Royals
Sun, May 26 - 2:10PM EDT