The Bum's July's MLB POD'S-Stats-News

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Rangers (53-37) at Orioles (49-42)
Game: 3
Venue: Oriole Park at Camden Yards
Date: July 10, 2013 7:05 PM EDT


Baltimore's Wei-Yin Chen is ready to take the mound for the first time in nearly two months after being sidelined with an injury.

Unfortunately, he'll have to deal with Adrian Beltre, who is in the midst of a hitting tear.

Beltre looks to stay locked in and lead the Texas Rangers to a third straight victory over the Orioles on Wednesday night at Camden Yards.

The Texas third baseman continued his torrid stretch in Tuesday's 8-4 win as the Rangers (53-37) tied the franchise's second-best 90-game record with a 14th victory in 19 contests. Beltre was 4 for 4 with two home runs and had a season-high five RBIs. He has six homers over his last six games, improving his 2013 total to 20.

Texas is batting .267 as a team with 56 runs during Beltre's 11-game hitting streak, during which he owns a 1.509 OPS.

"He's been hot and cold and he's picked it up again," manager Ron Washington said. "He picked it up at the right time. When Adrian is getting it done it usually relaxes everybody else. That is what the big guy does in the middle of the lineup."

After losing six of eight, the Orioles (49-42) will activate Chen (3-3, 3.04 ERA) from the disabled list for his first start since May 12 against the Twins, which he left with a strained right oblique.

Chen threw seven shutout innings in a rehab outing for Double-A Bowie on Thursday.

The Rangers, meanwhile, will turn to right-hander Josh Lindblom (1-2, 4.50) in place of Nick Tepesch, who was placed on the DL on Sunday with right elbow inflammation.

Lindblom has gone 0-2 with a 5.40 ERA in four starts, the most recent a 4-3 win over Oakland on June 20. He's tossed 4 1-3 scoreless innings over three relief appearances since, allowing one hit and striking out six.

"He has been competitive," Washington told the team's official website. "The main thing is he has been executing pitches. He's going to give up runs, but he has been able to execute. He does his homework and he's prepared when he goes out there. We feel confident with him starting."

Lindblom has never faced Baltimore, which would love to see Chris Davis snap out of a funk. He's 1 for 21 with 12 strikeouts over his last six games, the lone hit a home run against the New York Yankees on Saturday.

Fellow All-Star J.J. Hardy entered the series 1 for his last 22 but has gone 3 for 8 in the first two games and drove in a pair of runs Tuesday.

Chen won his lone start versus Texas, allowing two runs over 7 2-3 innings in a 6-5 final on May 10, 2012.

He's the fifth straight left-hander to start against the Rangers. On Tuesday, they tagged Zach Britton for five runs and eight hits, including both of Beltre's homers.

Beltre is 8 for 14 with three home runs off lefties during his hitting streak, but 0 for 3 against Chen.

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SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Rangers at Orioles
Mon, Jul 8 Final 8 to 5
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Rangers at Orioles
Tue, Jul 9 Final 8 to 4
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Rangers at Orioles
Wed, Jul 10 - 7:05PM EDT

GAME 4
Rangers at Orioles
Thu, Jul 11 - 7:05PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: White Sox (35-52) at Tigers (49-40)
Game: 2
Venue: Comerica Park
Date: July 10, 2013 7:08 PM EDT


The Chicago White Sox's Alex Rios emphatically put aside his struggles against one Detroit Tigers starter in the opener of this three-game set. He'll look to do the same against another Wednesday night.

The slugger has a poor history against Rick Porcello, who has been woeful in his last two home starts but was outstanding his last time out.

Rios tied an AL mark with six hits in a nine-inning game Tuesday in an 11-4 victory. He's the first White Sox player to go 6 for 6 since Lance Johnson on Sept. 23, 1995.

"It's been the most fun we've had in a quite a while," Rios said. "We've had some tough times, but it shows we haven't quit."

The right fielder was 8 for 33 in his career against Justin Verlander before becoming the first player to get four hits off the Tigers ace in one game.

Now Rios will try for a similar breakout effort against Porcello (5-6, 4.82 ERA). He's 6 for 28 with three homers against the right-hander.

Porcello, though, has yielded 13 runs over 10 1-3 innings in losing back-to-back home starts. His losing streak reached three before he threw seven innings to earn a 7-0 road victory over second-place Cleveland on Friday.

"His mound presence (that night), with a packed house, on the road and a team right there with you, was the best I've seen," manager Jim Leyland said.

Porcello has gone 5-1 with a 2.57 ERA in his last seven starts against the White Sox, including 3-0 with a 2.01 ERA in the last three at home.

Gordon Beckham is 6 for 15 against the Tigers starter, and the Chicago second baseman is 9 for 20 during a five-game hitting streak.

The White Sox's 23 hits Tuesday marked their highest total since they had 24 on May 25, 2009. Dayan Viciedo homered twice and drove in four runs for Chicago, which ended a four-game overall slide and seven-game skid in Detroit.

Miguel Cabrera broke the Tigers' record for homers before the All-Star break with his 29th. He leads the majors with a .363 batting average and 92 RBIs.

Cabrera, however, appeared to hurt his back by leaping for a high throw in the eighth inning.

"He's not 100 percent and that's why he's not going to take part in the (All-Star game) home run contest," Leyland said. "I talked to him and we talked to the trainers, and on the trainer's advice, he's not going to do it."

Victor Martinez is hitting .400 during an 11-game streak for Detroit (49-40), which will try to extend the winless streak of Chicago's Dylan Axelrod (3-5, 4.97) to eight starts.

Axelrod has gone 0-2 with a 6.23 ERA over his last seven outings. He gave up five runs over 1 2-3 innings in the shortest start of his career Friday, an 8-3 road loss to Tampa Bay.

The right-hander owns a 5.84 ERA against Detroit in four career appearances - two starts. Cabrera is 3 for 7 against him and Austin Jackson is 4 for 5.


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SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
White Sox at Tigers
Tue, Jul 9 Final 11 to 4
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
White Sox at Tigers
Wed, Jul 10 - 7:08PM EDT

GAME 3
White Sox at Tigers
Thu, Jul 11 - 1:08PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Royals (43-44) at Yankees (48-42)
Game: 6
Venue: Yankee Stadium
Date: July 10, 2013 7:05 PM EDT


The New York Yankees are mired in their worst three-game scoring slump in eight seasons.

They will try to end those woes against the pitcher that has been easiest to hit against in the majors.

The Kansas City Royals will send Wade Davis to the mound Wednesday night when they continue this four-game set at Yankee Stadium.

New York (48-42) has lost three straight - all at home - and has scored one run in every defeat. It's the first time the Yankees have scored one or zero runs in three straight contests since April 27-29, 2005, and they have not done it four times in a row since Aug, 9-12, 1990.

The Yankees didn't score after the first inning in Tuesday's 3-1 defeat. They opened that frame with three straight singles for a run and added another hit to load the bases with one out before failing to score again.

"Any time you put four hits in an inning, you think you'll get more than one run,' said manager Joe Girardi, whose team managed two more hits the rest of the game.

It's possible New York could break out against Davis (4-7, 5.42 ERA), who is allowing opponents to bat .322 - the highest mark in baseball.

Davis owns a 6.81 ERA on the road, and he's 2-4 with a 5.80 ERA in seven career starts against the Yankees. He's had trouble with Ichiro Suzuki, 10 for 19 against him, and Brett Gardner - 6 for 13.

The right-hander has shown signs of improvement, allowing three runs or fewer in five of his last six starts. He gave up three over seven innings last Friday in his second straight defeat, 6-3 to Oakland.

Davis will try to follow up two strong efforts by Kansas City starters in the Bronx. Jeremy Guthrie yielded one run over 6 2-3 innings in Monday's 5-1 victory and James Shields allowed one in seven Tuesday.

The Yankees have given up 10 runs in this losing streak that followed a season-high six-game win streak.

"The last three games we've had great pitching performances and we haven't been able to score runs and it's frustrating,' said Travis Hafner, who is in a 1-for-17 slide.

Ivan Nova (3-2, 4.09) will try to duplicate his effort from last Friday's three-hitter in a 3-2 victory over Baltimore. He will make consecutive starts for the first time since he went on the disabled list April 27 due to right triceps inflammation.

Nova is 1-1 with an 11.88 ERA in two career starts against Kansas City, with Billy Butler going 4 for 6 against him.

Butler has homered in the first two games of this series, marking the first time he has gone deep in consecutive games since Sept. 27-28.

"Got one yesterday, got one today,' he said.

Kansas City (43-44) can move back to .500 for the first time since June 17. The Royals have won five of their last seven at New York.

New York's Vernon Wells, who hasn't started three of the last four games and is hitting .237, is 1 for 11 against Davis.

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SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Orioles at Yankees
Fri, Jul 5 Final 2 to 3
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Orioles at Yankees
Sat, Jul 6 Final 4 to 5
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Orioles at Yankees
Sun, Jul 7 Final 2 to 1
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 4
Royals at Yankees
Mon, Jul 8 Final 5 to 1
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 5
Royals at Yankees
Tue, Jul 9 Final 3 to 1
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 6
Royals at Yankees
Wed, Jul 10 - 7:05PM EDT

GAME 7
Royals at Yankees
Thu, Jul 11 - 1:05PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Blue Jays (43-46) at Indians (47-43)
Game: 2
Venue: Progressive Field
Date: July 10, 2013 7:05 PM EDT


Even when he's struggling, Cleveland's Justin Masterson can usually be relied on to pitch deep into games.

In his last start, the right-hander failed to provide even that.

Masterson tries to bounce back from one of this worst starts of the season by continuing his dominance over the Toronto Blue Jays on Wednesday night in Cleveland.

After tossing a six-hitter in a 4-0 win over the Chicago White Sox on June 30, Masterson (10-7, 3.78 ERA) gave up six runs and seven hits in a season-low 4 2-3 innings of a 7-0 home loss to Detroit on Friday.

"It's always disappointing when you lose,' said Masterson, who was 5-0 with a 1.49 ERA in his previous six starts in Cleveland.

It was a rare inefficient outing for Masterson, who was named an All-Star on Saturday. He ranks eighth in the majors in innings pitched with 128 2-3, but needed 108 pitches to record 14 outs, failing to get through five innings for the first time in 19 starts.

A matchup with Toronto might help him rebound.

Since the start of last season, Masterson is 2-0 with an 0.86 ERA in three starts against the Blue Jays. He gave up a run and three hits in a 4-1 victory at Toronto on April 2.

He'll look to take advantage of a Toronto lineup that has plated two runs or fewer in four of its last six games. The Blue Jays got eight hits in a series-opening 3-0 loss on Tuesday, but went 1 for 12 with runners in scoring position to get shut out of the second time in three games.

"We outhit them, but we just didn't outscore them,' Toronto manager John Gibbons said. "That's what hurts. We had our chances, but we just couldn't get that big hit.'

The Blue Jays (43-46) aren't totally devoid of offense, however. Maicer Izturis is 11 of 22 during a six-game hitting streak, and Colby Rasmus is batting .360 (9 for 25) with two homers, four doubles and eight RBIs in his last seven contests.

Cleveland's Michael Brantley has also been swinging a hot bat, going 6 for 10 with two home runs and six RBIs in his last three games. Nick Swisher is 13 for his last 34 (.382) with two doubles and two home runs, and has reached base multiple times in five straight games for Cleveland (47-43).

Brantley and Swisher could make things difficult for Esmil Rogers (3-4, 3.84), who gave up season highs of seven runs and 11 hits in an 11-1 loss to the Tigers on Thursday. He was 2-1 with a 2.43 ERA in his previous five starts.

The right-hander saw the Indians twice out of the bullpen in the first series of the season, surrendering an RBI single to Mark Reynolds his last time out.

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SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Blue Jays at Indians
Tue, Jul 9 Final 0 to 3
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Blue Jays at Indians
Wed, Jul 10 - 7:05PM EDT

GAME 3
Blue Jays at Indians
Thu, Jul 11 - 12:05PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Nationals (46-44) at Phillies (45-46)
Game: 3
Venue: Citizens Bank Park
Date: July 10, 2013 7:05 PM EDT


Though generally thought of as a hitter-friendly location, Citizens Bank Park has played like a pitchers' park for the Philadelphia Phillies recently.

Cliff Lee will look to keep it that way when he opposes a fellow dominant left-hander Wednesday night.

Lee can help the Phillies reach the .500 mark for the first time in more than a month when they face the Washington Nationals.

The Phillies (45-46) have surrendered seven runs while recording three straight wins, all at home. A week after tying a season worst by falling five games under .500, Philadelphia can reach the break-even mark for the first time since June 7 with its sixth win in seven tries.

Philadelphia had allowed 42 runs in the six home contests prior to its winning streak, going 2-4 in that span.

"We've been playing a lot better,' manager Charlie Manuel said. "It goes to show you we can win games when we play good. We're kind of growing.'

The Phillies have beaten first-place Atlanta and second-place Washington two times apiece in the past six contests. They've won 10 of their last 14 against clubs with winning records.

`The only way to definitely gain ground on teams ahead of you is to beat them,' Lee said.

The Phillies and Nationals may be due for another pitchers' duel after combining for 11 runs in the first two games of this series, though Lee (10-2, 2.73 ERA) wasn't at his best his last time out. He gave up four runs in 6 1-3 innings of a 5-4 victory over the Braves on Friday, allowing that many runs for the first time in 12 starts.

He'll be opposed by Gio Gonzalez (6-3, 3.14), who despite pitching well for an extended stretch has only recently begun to pick up wins.

Gonzalez has posted a 2.11 ERA in his past seven starts and has gone 3-0 in that span, with all of the victories coming in his last three outings.

Gonzalez had received only seven runs of support over six prior starts before the Nationals scored 25 for him during the past three.

He gave up three runs in 6 2-3 innings of an 8-5 win over San Diego on Friday.

"It was just one of those days you have to battle through, but defense came through and offense was as wonderful as it gets,' Gonzalez said.

Gonzalez has fared well against Philadelphia, going 3-1 with a 2.53 ERA in five career starts. He tied a career high with 11 strikeouts in a 6-2 road victory over the Phillies on June 19, throwing seven innings of two-run ball, though he didn't get a decision.

Gonzalez struck out star left fielder Domonic Brown three times in that game.

Lee has had similar success against the Nationals, posting a 2.06 ERA in his last five matchups with them and going 3-1 in the past four. The most recent came June 18, when gave up two runs in eight innings with nine strikeouts in a 4-2 win.

Ian Desmond is 3 for 16 with six strikeouts against Lee, while Ryan Zimmerman is 4 for 21 with five strikeouts in the matchup.

Ben Revere has continued his torrid pace for Philadelphia, recording his eighth multihit performance in 12 games Tuesday night. He's batting .451 with five doubles during that stretch.


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SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Nationals at Phillies
Mon, Jul 8 Final 2 to 3
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Nationals at Phillies
Tue, Jul 9 Final 2 to 4
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Nationals at Phillies
Wed, Jul 10 - 7:05PM EDT

GAME 4
Nationals at Phillies
Thu, Jul 11 - 7:05PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Athletics (54-37) at Pirates (53-36)
Game: 3
Venue: PNC Park
Date: July 10, 2013 7:05 PM EDT


The surging Oakland Athletics have a chance to complete yet another sweep of the Pittsburgh Pirates, but they'll face a red-hot Francisco Liriano in the series finale at PNC Park on Wednesday night.

Oakland (54-37) is 11-0 all-time versus Pittsburgh, the best record in the major leagues by one team against another in interleague play. The A's recorded their 10th victory in 13 games Tuesday by defeating the slumping Pirates 2-1.

Brandon Moss drove in both runs for Oakland on a fourth-inning homer while his former team was held to three hits. Pittsburgh suffered its season high-tying fourth consecutive defeat and season-high third in a row at home.

The Pirates (53-36) have scored six runs during their four-game skid after totaling 16 in the previous three, wasting a strong effort by a pitching staff that's compiled a 2.58 ERA in the past five.

Runs may again be hard to come by for Pittsburgh on Wednesday. Oakland has allowed two in both games of this series and has a 2.03 ERA in the last seven contests.

"I just love the fact that this is part of the road you're on during the season," Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said. "It's got every opportunity to challenge you but at the same time it's a chance to make you better tomorrow."

Liriano (8-3, 2.20 ERA) will try to end the Pirates' woes by adding to his win streak. The left-hander is 3-0 in his last three outings with a 1.66 ERA and recorded his first complete game of 2013 on Friday.

Liriano gave up two runs and four hits in a 6-2 victory over the Chicago Cubs, striking out seven.

"This was an exclamation point on what he has been doing," Hurdle told the team's website. "He knows the role he plays here now. Basically, the last two, three weeks he's been our No. 1, and he's acted like it."

Liriano gave up six runs in 3 1-3 innings of a 9-7 loss in his latest start against Oakland on Aug. 11 while with the White Sox. He's had mixed results versus the A's, giving up five or more earned runs four times in 12 career starts but allowing one or none in five.

In his first start against Pittsburgh, Tommy Milone (8-7, 4.11) will try to take advantage of a struggling lineup to record his third straight win. The left-hander has posted a 5.92 ERA in his past four starts, but he went 8 1-3 innings and gave up three runs in a 6-3 victory over Kansas City on Friday.

"I don't know if we've seen him better, especially on the road," manager Bob Melvin said. "He was just making his pitches and mixing it up."

Milone is 5-0 in 12 career starts against NL opponents despite posting a 5.00 ERA.


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SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Athletics at Pirates
Mon, Jul 8 Final 2 to 1
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Athletics at Pirates
Tue, Jul 9 Final 2 to 1
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Athletics at Pirates
Wed, Jul 10 - 7:05PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Twins (37-50) at Rays (51-40)
Game: 3
Venue: Tropicana Field
Date: July 10, 2013 7:10 PM EDT


The Minnesota Twins' offense and pitching both continue to prove unreliable during the team's rough stretch. Those troubles could continue Wednesday night as they face a hot pitcher while their own hurler tries to turn things around.

Minnesota tries to avoid losing its sixth straight road series when it faces Jeremy Hellickson and the Tampa Bay Rays, who seek a season-high seventh straight victory.

The Twins (37-50) suffered their ninth loss in 10 games with a 4-1 defeat Tuesday to the Rays (51-40), winners of 10 of 11.

It was the sixth time in 10 games Minnesota has been held to four runs or fewer, and the seventh time over that span the team's starter failed to record a quality start.

Joe Mauer, who came in hitting .133 over his last 12 games, accounted for two of five Minnesota hits. But Justin Morneau, whose 51 RBIs lead the Twins, was 0 for 4 to drop to 3 for 30 over his last nine contests.

"Offensively early, we were banging some balls pretty hard," manager Ron Gardenhire said. "I thought we were hitting them on the screws at people."

Minnesota's woes appear ripe to continue against Hellickson (8-3, 4.67 ERA). Since matching a season worst by allowing eight runs over 5 2-3 innings June 13 to Kansas City, he's won four straight starts with a 1.38 ERA.

The right-hander's last three outings have all been at home, where he's given up two runs over 20 innings. Hellickson held the White Sox to one run in seven frames of an 8-3 victory Friday while tying a season high with nine strikeouts.

"I felt the same when things were going bad," said Hellickson, who has quality starts in five of his last six outings after recording only three in his previous 12 starts. "It's just a matter of keeping the ball down, getting ahead and making a big pitch when I need to."

Hellickson has the luxury of pitching for a Rays team that is a season-best 11 games over .500 and averaging 5.9 runs while batting .286 in nine games this month.

``The team's been playing really well the last couple of weeks and we're starting to build a little confidence in each other,' said Matt Joyce, whose two-run single opened the scoring Tuesday.

Minnesota starter Kevin Correia (6-6, 4.19) has generally been a solid option in his inaugural season with the Twins but not so much in his last two starts. The righty has surrendered nine runs in 11 innings, and gave up a season-worst 10 hits over six frames in a 4-0 loss at Toronto on Friday.

Three of the four runs he allowed came in the fourth inning, which he started by issuing two walks. Correia had gone 19 straight starts - dating back to Sept. 17 with Pittsburgh - without walking three batters, but he's done so in back-to-back games.

He'll have to be wary of Luke Scott, who is slugging .778 over his last eight games. It'd also be wise to keep Desmond Jennings off base as he's scored 13 runs in his last 11 contests.

Hellickson is 3-1 with a 4.26 ERA in four starts against Minnesota. Morneau is 0 for 5 off him while Mauer is 3 for 3.

Correia didn't record a decision in his lone outing versus Tampa Bay, giving up two runs in 5 1-3 innings while with San Diego on June 23, 2010.

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SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Twins at Rays
Mon, Jul 8 Final 4 to 7
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Twins at Rays
Tue, Jul 9 Final 1 to 4
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Twins at Rays
Wed, Jul 10 - 7:10PM EDT

GAME 4
Twins at Rays
Thu, Jul 11 - 12:10PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Angels (43-46) at Cubs (40-48)
Game: 2
Venue: Wrigley Field
Date: July 10, 2013 8:05 PM EDT


The Chicago Cubs watched former NL Central rival Houston switch to the American League for this season. They may be wishing they had joined the Astros.

The Cubs seek their 14th win in 20 interleague games in 2013 when they host the Los Angeles Angels on Wednesday night.

Chicago will be playing its final game of the year against the AL, looking to close out a dominant performance versus those teams. The Cubs (40-48), who hit a season-high five home runs in a 7-2 victory over the Angels on Tuesday, are batting .286 in interleague play compared to .230 versus the NL.

They've compiled a 2.84 ERA against AL opponents, compared to 4.08 against their own league.

Alfonso Soriano hit two homers Tuesday to give him five in his last four games, and a .367 average in interleague play this year. Seven of his 15 home runs have come against the AL.

Soriano has batted .400 with eight home runs and 17 RBIs in his last 11 contests.

"I'm not going to tell you how we're trying to get him out, but Soriano is a guy if you miss some spots and sometimes if you're hitting spots, he has the ability to hit a wide range of pitches hard like he did tonight,' Angels manager Mike Scioscia said.

Catcher Dioner Navarro went 1 for 3 with a double Tuesday and is batting .405 with seven extra-base hits against AL foes, compared to .238 with five extra-base hits versus the NL.

The Cubs have scored 23 runs and posted a 1.66 ERA while winning four in a row, one shy of tying their season high.

"We have so much talent in this clubhouse,' Soriano said. "It's a long season and they have to believe in themselves because they have the talent.'

Jeff Samardzija (5-8, 3.54 ERA) will look to bounce back from a rough outing after three consecutive strong starts. Samardzija, who went 2-0 with a 2.82 ERA in those three games, surrendered five runs, nine hits and a season-high five walks in a 6-2 loss to Pittsburgh on Friday. He didn't get a decision.

Samardzija will likely face former NL Central rival Albert Pujols, who's 5 for 12 with two home runs against him. Pujols ended a 14-game homer drought with a two-run shot Tuesday and is batting .350 during a five-game hitting streak.

The Angels (43-46), who had won seven straight on the road entering Tuesday, will send C.J. Wilson (8-6, 3.49) to the mound.

The left-hander had won four straight starts before suffering a 6-2 loss to Boston on Friday. He went 6 2-3 innings and gave up a season-high 10 hits and three runs, though only one was earned.

The Cubs scored five runs in 5 2-3 innings of a 5-4 victory in Wilson's second and latest appearance against them May 23, 2010. Soriano has reached base in all three of his plate appearances against Wilson, including a home run.


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SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Angels at Cubs
Tue, Jul 9 Final 2 to 7
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Angels at Cubs
Wed, Jul 10 - 8:05PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Astros (32-58) at Cardinals (54-34)
Game: 2
Venue: Busch Stadium
Date: July 10, 2013 8:15 PM EDT


The St. Louis Cardinals have gotten back on track by taking advantage of matchups with two of the worst teams in the majors.

The Cardinals will try to keep rolling by registering an eighth consecutive home win over the AL-worst Houston Astros on Wednesday night.

Before its four-game win streak, St. Louis (54-34) had dropped eight of 11 and turned a three-game lead over Pittsburgh in the NL Central into a two-game deficit. The Cardinals have moved back in front by 1 1/2 games over the Pirates by sweeping NL-worst Miami and opening their two-game set against Houston (32-58) with a 9-5 win.

"We talked about making a strong push here," manager Mike Matheny told the team's website. "It's not the finish line, but I think all of you appreciate how important the All-Star break is for these guys. ... It's something for us to push through."

While Yadier Molina - the NL's leading hitter - was largely quiet in his return from knee inflammation, Matt Carpenter went 3 for 4 and drove in three runs. Allen Craig contributed three hits and two RBIs for St. Louis, which is batting .298 with 21 runs scored in its last four games.

Craig is hitting .413 with 19 RBIs in his last 18 games, and Carpenter is batting .361 with 15 RBIs in his past 17.

"This was a full offensive game from top to bottom all the way through the lineup," Carpenter said. "It was impressive."

The two players will try to pad those numbers while helping Shelby Miller (9-6, 2.80 ERA) earn his second straight win to open this month. The right-hander gave up two runs over six innings in a 12-2 road victory over the Angels last Wednesday after going 0-2 with an 11.05 ERA in his final two games in June.

"I felt like it got a little bit of life back (on the fastball) compared to the starts that I've had," Miller told the team's website. "I feel like it was a little bit stronger tonight. I felt like I had control of the game out there and it felt better."

In his first start against Houston, Miller will face a team that's batted .202 while losing nine of 11. The Astros have also hit .211 while dropping 12 of their past 14 matchups with their former division rivals.

Houston, though, showed a little fight Tuesday by scoring four times in the ninth inning.

"That's a tribute to the guys in this room. They're not going to quit. They are going to battle until the end," manager Bo Porter said.

If Houston's woes at the plate continue, that could make it difficult for Jordan Lyles (4-3, 3.87) to win for the first time in four starts. The right-hander is 0-2 with a 6.32 ERA in his last three games after going 3-0 with a 1.61 ERA in his previous seven.

Lyles, though, had a solid performance Thursday against Tampa Bay. He gave up two runs over 6 2-3 innings in a 7-5 defeat.

This will be his first appearance against St. Louis.


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SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Astros at Cardinals
Tue, Jul 9 Final 5 to 9
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Astros at Cardinals
Wed, Jul 10 - 8:15PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Dodgers (44-45) at Diamondbacks (47-43)
Game: 3
Venue: Chase Field
Date: July 10, 2013 9:40 PM EDT


A game from getting back to .500 for the first time since April, the surging Los Angeles Dodgers continue to close the gap on the NL West-leading Arizona Diamondbacks.

With talented rookie Hyun-Jin Ryu on the mound, the visiting Dodgers go for their first series sweep of the Diamondbacks in three years Wednesday night.

A winner of three straight and 14 of 17, Los Angeles (44-45) last sat at .500 when it was 13-13 on April 30. The Dodgers are 2 1/2 games behind the Diamondbacks (47-43), who were last swept by their division rival twice during the 2010 season.

Adrian Gonzalez drove in three runs and Ricky Nolasco threw seven strong innings in his team debut Tuesday in Los Angeles' second straight 6-1 victory over the Diamondbacks.

"It just gives you more confidence when you're adding it to (Clayton) Kershaw, (Zack) Greinke and Hyun-Jin, three pretty kind of top-notch guys there at the top of the rotation,' Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said. "Then to add Ricky, if he can pitch like this, every time you go out there you think you've got a good chance to win.'

Gonzalez is batting .410 with eight RBIs during a 10-game hitting streak versus Arizona.

However, Hanley Ramirez's 19-game hitting streak ended with an 0-for-4 performance. The veteran infielder is still batting .462 in his last 21 games.

Ryu (7-3, 2.82 ERA) improved to 1-0 with a 2.21 ERA in his last three starts after he allowed two runs and four hits in 6 2-3 innings of a 10-2 win at San Francisco on Friday.

"I changed my delivery a little and the outcome was not too bad," he told the Dodgers' official website. "Everything worked out.'

Despite a 4.50 ERA, the left-hander is 1-0 in two starts against the Diamondbacks this year.

Martin Prado had an RBI and one of the five hits for Arizona, which averaged 6.4 runs and 12.0 hits while winning five in a row prior to recording the two runs and nine hits in this series.

Despite the Diamondbacks' offensive struggles, All-Star Paul Goldschmidt is 10 for 24 in the last six games. He's hit .362 against the Dodgers this season, and is 3 for 6 with a double versus Ryu.

Scheduled Arizona starter Tyler Skaggs (2-1, 3.65) looks to build on his fourth start of the season. Hours after the left-hander was recalled from Triple-A Reno, he allowed three hits in eight innings of a 5-0 victory over Colorado on Friday.

"I feel awesome,' said Skaggs, who was sent down June 10 after he yielded five runs each in consecutive starts. "It's great. To be up here this young is a dream come true.'

Skaggs, a southern California native who turns 22 on Saturday, gave up a home run to Ramirez in five innings while not factoring in the decision of a 2-1 loss at Dodger Stadium in Sept. 1.

Facing the Dodgers for the first time since serving a 10-game suspension for his role in a bench-clearing brawl between the teams last month, Arizona's Ian Kennedy hit Ramirez in the first inning Tuesday. Los Angeles' Ronald Belisario hit Miguel Montero in the leg in the ninth but nothing resulted from either incident - at least not immediately.

"It's not over,' Belisario said, "but it wasn't on purpose.'


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

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Dodgers at Diamondbacks
Mon, Jul 8 Final 6 to 1
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Dodgers at Diamondbacks
Tue, Jul 9 Final 6 to 1
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Dodgers at Diamondbacks
Wed, Jul 10 - 9:40PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Red Sox (55-37) at Mariners (40-50)
Game: 3
Venue: Safeco Field
Date: July 10, 2013 10:10 PM EDT


David Ortiz is on the cusp of history after racking up plenty of hits in this series against the Seattle Mariners.

Ortiz's next hit as a designated hitter will make him baseball's all-time leader at that position and he figures to get that chance Wednesday night for the visiting Boston Red Sox.

Boston (55-37) evened this four-game set and ended a three-game slide with Tuesday's 11-8 victory.

Ortiz homered and doubled twice as part of his 18th career four-hit effort. He raised his hit total to 1,688 in his career as a DH, tying Harold Baines for the most in major league history.

"It means I'm getting old, man. You've got to play for a while to put numbers together,' Ortiz said.

The slugger, 6 for 7 in this series, is hitting .403 with 13 RBIs over his last 20 games.

Ortiz is 3 for 6 with two doubles against Seattle starter Aaron Harang (4-7, 4.92 ERA), who seeks consecutive wins for the first time since Aug. 13-18.

Harang yielded two runs over six innings Friday in a 4-2 victory at Cincinnati - where he spent the bulk of his career.

"The fans appreciated him," manager Eric Wedge said. "He went out and threw a good ballgame."

The veteran right-hander is 2-1 with a 3.63 ERA in three starts against Boston, with the last one in 2008. The Red Sox hitter he has faced the most is Shane Victorino, 8 for 24 against him.

Victorino homered in his return Tuesday after missing two straight games with a hamstring injury.

Dustin Pedroia, Mike Napoli and Jackie Bradley Jr. also went deep as Boston homered five times at Safeco Field for the first time since July 21, 2006.

The Red Sox played their second straight game without Jacoby Ellsbury, out with a left wrist injury. Ellsbury is batting .389 during a 17-game hit streak and leads the majors with 36 steals.

Bradley was recalled from Triple-A Pawtucket to give Boston depth in the outfield because of Ellsbury's injury. The center fielder, who started opening day, batted .154 over two earlier stints with the club this year.

Both teams used five relievers Tuesday since starters Allen Webster and Hisashi Iwakuma were ineffective. Boston's bullpen worked 6 2-3 innings and Seattle's pitched six.

That means there is more of a need for Harang and Red Sox starter Felix Doubront (5-3, 4.11) to provide length Wednesday.

Doubront is 1-0 with a 2.08 ERA over his last four outings, yielding two runs over 6 2-3 innings to earn Friday's 6-2 win over the Angels. He owns a 2.80 ERA over his last nine outings.

"Just want to keep that pace and help the team win," he said. "My arm feels good now. All my pitches are pretty good."

The left-hander gave up one run in 4 1-3 innings in his lone career start against Seattle, a 2-1 road win July 1, 2012.

The Mariners (40-50) have 19 runs and 28 hits in this series for their highest totals over consecutive games. Kendrys Morales homered twice Tuesday and Brad Miller had three hits and four RBIs.

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


SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Red Sox at Mariners
Mon, Jul 8 Final 4 to 11
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Red Sox at Mariners
Tue, Jul 9 Final 11 to 8
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Red Sox at Mariners
Wed, Jul 10 - 10:10PM EDT

GAME 4
Red Sox at Mariners
Thu, Jul 11 - 3:40PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Rockies (43-48) at Padres (41-50)
Game: 3
Venue: PETCO Park
Date: July 10, 2013 10:10 PM EDT


Though the San Diego Padres' longest skid of the season has ended, building on their first July win might be difficult against Colorado's Jorge De La Rosa.

The left-hander looks to continue his success against the Padres and help the visiting Rockies prevent their division foe from winning consecutive games for the first time in almost three weeks Wednesday night.

Eric Stults pitched a four-hitter for his second complete game of the season and Alexi Amarista drove in both runs as San Diego (41-50) snapped a 10-game slide with Tuesday's 2-1 victory over Colorado. Stults threw 122 pitches and talked his way into finishing the game.

"I got out there and when I hit the dirt I saw the look in his eyes that he wasn't ready to come out," manager Bud Black said of his trip to the mound in the ninth.

Though the Padres have averaged 2.5 runs in the last 11 games, they can breathe easier for the moment and focus on trying to win back-to-back games for the first time since June 20-21.

Accomplishing that feat might not come against De La Rosa (8-5, 3.19 ERA), who despite a 5.40 ERA in 13 starts versus San Diego, is 5-1 and received an average 7.41 runs of support in those games. He's 5-0 with a 4.97 ERA in his last nine, including 1-0 with a 3.27 ERA in two this season.

De La Rosa is 2-0 with a 2.25 ERA in four starts at Petco Park.

He allowed three runs and seven hits in 5 1-3 innings of a 5-0 loss at Arizona on Friday to fall to 1-1 with a 2.22 ERA in his last four outings overall.

"It wasn't his sharpest night, but I thought he kept it close enough, gave us a chance," manager Walt Weiss told the Rockies' official website.

All-Star Everth Cabrera is 3 for 15 with seven strikeouts against De La Rosa, but had two hits Tuesday after he went 1 for 17 in the previous four contests.

Scheduled San Diego starter Andrew Cashner (5-4, 3.82) went 1-0 with a 2.78 ERA in five June starts before he allowed a season-high six runs, three walks and failed to make it out of the third inning in Friday's 8-5 loss at Washington.

"I made some good pitches and some bad pitches - I felt like I couldn't catch a break," Cashner said told the Padres' official website. "The biggest thing was I didn't locate my fastball down and away. That's been a big pitch for me."

The right-hander is 0-1 with a 7.59 ERA in two starts against the Rockies (43-48), but yielded three runs in seven innings of a 6-5, 12-inning win at Coors Field on June 6.

Catcher Wilin Rosario had two of the four hits Tuesday for Colorado, which has dropped seven of nine and continues to play without injured stars Carlos Gonzalez (finger) and Troy Tulowitzki (rib).

"Stults got a lot of ground ball outs,' Weiss said. "We rolled over a lot of soft stuff for him. We couldn't get anything together offensively.'

Gonzalez, who missed the last two games, is considered day to day.

Colorado's Michael Cuddyer is 7 for 27 (.259) since he batted .372 during a franchise-record 27-game hitting streak.


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

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Rockies at Padres
Mon, Jul 8 Final 4 to 2
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Rockies at Padres
Tue, Jul 9 Final 1 to 2
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Rockies at Padres
Wed, Jul 10 - 10:10PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Armadillo: Wednesday's six-pack

-- Ricky Nolasco won his Dodger debut 6-1 in Arizona, holding Snakes to four hits in seven innings. He also had two hits.

-- A's won 2-1 in Pittsburgh, as non-All-Star Grant Balfour got his 42nd consecutive save.

-- Pirates have lost six of last eight games, are example of a team that could use a show of support from its front office. Go buy a hitter, people.

-- Eric Stults threw a 122-pitch complete game as San Diego won 2-1 to end its 10-game losing streak. Jhoulys Chacin was a hard-luck loser.

-- Travis Wood has a 2.52 RA in his last four starts, but his 7-2 win over the Angels was his first win in his last seven starts.

-- Alex Rios had six hits and two stolen bases in Chicago's 11-4 win over the Tigers; Rios is first player in 20 years (Sammy Sosa) to do that.


*****

Armadillo: Wednesday's List of 13: Nobody asked me, but.............

13) Marco Scutaro made the All-Star Game this year for the first time; he is 37, the Giants are his sixth team. This guy has done nothing but help teams win for the last 12 years; it’ll be great fun to watch him get introduced next Tuesday before the All-Star Game. Will be quite a moment.

12) Scutaro’s teammate Brandon Belt went 0-8 with five strikeouts in the Giants’ 16-inning loss Monday night; he was batting ahead of Buster Posey, who went 5-8.

11) Hunter Pence was in an 0-24 slump before he hit a ball off the top of a 24-foot wall in right-center field Monday; the fence is over 400 feet from home plate, anywhere else in the big leagues, that was an easy home run, but in triples alley, it hit the top of the fence.

Quite a poke, especially for a righthanded hitter.

10) Matt Garza was supposed to get traded to Texas, but he’s pitching so well, the Cubs might keep him.

9) Mets’ Matt Harvey threw 121 pitches Monday, and has now tossed 123 innings this year. Last year, he threw 169 innings; teams don’t like a young guy to increase their innings by more than 20% from the previous year, so the Mets figure to shut him down when he gets to 200 innings. Not sure why they’d let him throw 121 pitches, but they did.

8) Last year, Met catchers (Thole/Nickeas) hit five home runs all season; this year, Met catchers (Buck/Recker) already have 19 homers.

7) In 2.5 seasons since leaving Tampa Bay, Carl Crawford has played in 217 out of a possible 453 games, scoring 123 runs while hitting .264, all while collecting a paltry $54,357,142. His career batting average is .292.

6) There are 351 Division I college basketball teams; next season, 50 of the 351 will be playing in a different league than they did last season.

5) Good rule change; college coaches are now allowed to work with their players two hours a week in their summer. This especially helps new coaches who don't really know their players yet.

4) I am not making this up: next season, there will be colleges playing D-I basketball named College of Incarnate Word and Grand Canyon. CIW is in San Antonio, Grand Canyon is in Phoenix- their new coach is former NBA player Dan Majerle.

Grand Canyon once had a great player named Bayard Forrest who played in the NBA for two years; I never heard of CIW before Tuesday.

3) Lakers were informed Tuesday that they were charged $29,259,739 in '12-13 luxury tax, for going over the salary cap. Yikes.

2) If Steve Alford quits at UCLA in the next three years, he owes the school a $10.4M buyout; same thing if the school fires Alford- they would owe him $10.4M in severance pay. He ain't going anywhere.

1) CBS Sports Network is going to have a 4-hour **** show on NFL Sundays every week; Lord knows what Fox Sports 1 has planned for their launch in August, but the NFL gets a ton of airtime, even in the summer.

It would be great to see one of these networks devote a segment to picking winners, the way Jimmy the Greek used to do on CBS.
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[StarDust Bum]

MLB
Dunkel

Colorado at San Diego
The Rockies look to bounce back from last night's 2-1 loss and build on their 6-0 record in Jorge De La Rosa's last 6 starts following a team loss in the previous game. Colorado is the pick (+120) according to Dunkel, which has the Rockies favored by 1. Dunkel Pick: Colorado (+120). Here are all of today's picks.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 10

Game 901-902: Atlanta at Miami (12:40 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Atlanta (Maholm) 16.546; Miami (Turner) 15.109
Dunkel Line: Atlanta by 1 1/2; 6
Vegas Line: Atlanta (-130); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Atlanta (-130); Under

Game 903-904: Cincinnati at Milwaukee (2:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Cincinnati (Leake) 14.421; Milwaukee (Hellweg) 15.668
Dunkel Line: Milwaukee by 1; 10
Vegas Line: Cincinnati (-175); 9
Dunkel Pick: Milwaukee (+155); Over

Game 905-906: NY Mets at San Francisco (3:45 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: NY Mets (Wheeler) 14.221; San Francisco (Cain) 15.477
Dunkel Line: San Francisco by 1 1/2; 6
Vegas Line: San Francisco (-170); 7
Dunkel Pick: San Francisco (-170); Under

Game 907-908: Washington at Philadelphia (7:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Washington (Gonzalez) 16.090; Philadelphia (Lee) 14.945
Dunkel Line: Washington by 1; 9
Vegas Line: Philadelphia (-135); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Washington (+115); Over

Game 909-910: LA Dodgers at Arizona (9:40 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: LA Dodgers (Ryu) 16.811; Arizona (Skaggs) 14.492
Dunkel Line: LA Dodgers by 2 1/2; 10
Vegas Line: LA Dodgers (-115); 9
Dunkel Pick: LA Dodgers (-115); Over

Game 911-912: Colorado at San Diego (10:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Colorado (De La Rosa) 14.167; San Diego (Cashner) 13.089
Dunkel Line: Colorado by 1; 6
Vegas Line: San Diego (-140); 7
Dunkel Pick: Colorado (+120); Under

Game 913-914: Texas at Baltimore (7:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Texas (Lindblom) 15.487; Baltimore (Chen) 14.251
Dunkel Line: Texas by 1; 7
Vegas Line: No Line
Dunkel Pick: N/A

Game 915-916: Kansas City at NY Yankees (7:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Kansas City (Davis) 14.873; NY Yankees (Nova) 15.687
Dunkel Line: NY Yankees by 1; 10
Vegas Line: NY Yankees (-140); 9
Dunkel Pick: NY Yankees (-140); Over

Game 917-918: Chicago White Sox at Detroit (7:08 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: White Sox (Axelrod) 15.158; Detroit (Porcello) 16.434
Dunkel Line: Detroit by 1 1/2; 8
Vegas Line: Detroit (-200); 9
Dunkel Pick: Detroit (-200); Under

Game 919-920: Toronto at Cleveland (7:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Toronto (Rogers) 15.635; Cleveland (Masterson) 14.497
Dunkel Line: Toronto by 1; 10
Vegas Line: Cleveland (-145); 9
Dunkel Pick: Toronto (+125); Over

Game 921-922: Minnesota at Tampa Bay (7:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Minnesota (Correia) 13.671; Tampa Bay (Hellickson) 16.483
Dunkel Line: Tampa Bay by 3; 9
Vegas Line: Tampa Bay (-180); 8
Dunkel Pick: Tampa Bay (-180); Over

Game 923-924: Boston at Seattle (10:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Boston (Doubront) 14.802; Seattle (Harang) 15.789
Dunkel Line: Seattle by 1; 7
Vegas Line: Boston (-135); 8
Dunkel Pick: Seattle (+115); Under

Game 925-926: Oakland at Pittsburgh (7:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Oakland (Milone) 15.204; Pittsburgh (Liriano) 16.270
Dunkel Line: Pittsburgh by 1; 6
Vegas Line: Pittsburgh (-140); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Pittsburgh (-140); Under

Game 927-928: LA Angels at Chicago Cubs (8:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: LA Angels (Wilson) 15.627; Cubs (Samardzija) 16.323
Dunkel Line: Chicago Cubs by 1/2; 9
Vegas Line: LA Angels (-135); No Run Total
Dunkel Pick: Chicago Cubs (+115); N/A

Game 929-930: Houston at St. Louis (8:15 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Houston (Lyles) 13.597; St. Louis (Miller) 16.264
Dunkel Line: St. Louis by 2 1/2; 9
Vegas Line: St. Louis (-250); 8
Dunkel Pick: St. Louis (-250); Over
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[StarDust Bum]

MLB
Long Sheet

Wednesday, July 10

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ATLANTA (52 - 38) at MIAMI (32 - 57) - 12:40 PM
PAUL MAHOLM (L) vs. JACOB TURNER (R)
Top Trends for this game.
MAHOLM is 10-26 (-15.4 Units) against the money line in road games in games played on a grass field over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
MIAMI is 325-366 (+40.5 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season since 1997.
ATLANTA is 146-107 (+18.3 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 126-83 (+28.6 Units) against the money line in road games in July games since 1997.
ATLANTA is 67-39 (+20.2 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 102-66 (+21.6 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 91-55 (+23.2 Units) against the money line after a win over the last 2 seasons.
MAHOLM is 60-52 (+20.7 Units) against the money line against division opponents since 1997. (Team's Record)
MIAMI is 101-150 (-36.2 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
MIAMI is 87-116 (-36.7 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 3 seasons.
MIAMI is 12-28 (-16.2 Units) against the money line when playing on Wednesday over the last 2 seasons.
MIAMI is 100-146 (-33.3 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
MIAMI is 56-91 (-26.0 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 2 seasons.
MIAMI is 46-81 (-23.6 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
ATLANTA is 6-2 (+1.6 Units) against MIAMI this season
4 of 7 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+0.8 Units)

PAUL MAHOLM vs. MIAMI since 1997
MAHOLM is 6-5 when starting against MIAMI with an ERA of 3.99 and a WHIP of 1.036.
His team's record is 6-6 (-0.2 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 9-3. (+5.8 units)

JACOB TURNER vs. ATLANTA since 1997
TURNER is 0-1 when starting against ATLANTA with an ERA of 3.00 and a WHIP of 1.500.
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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CINCINNATI (50 - 40) at MILWAUKEE (37 - 52) - 2:10 PM
MIKE LEAKE (R) vs. JOHNNY HELLWEG (R)
Top Trends for this game.
MILWAUKEE is 39-36 (+25.3 Units) against the money line as a home underdog of +150 to +175 since 1997.
MILWAUKEE is 102-54 (+32.8 Units) against the money line in home games against right-handed starters over the last 3 seasons.
MILWAUKEE is 27-17 (+12.6 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
CINCINNATI is 635-709 (+54.5 Units) against the money line in road games since 1997.
CINCINNATI is 572-653 (+38.5 Units) against the money line in road games in games played on a grass field since 1997.
CINCINNATI is 458-512 (+42.5 Units) against the money line in road games against right-handed starters since 1997.
CINCINNATI is 66-40 (+19.7 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 2 seasons.
CINCINNATI is 350-307 (+61.2 Units) against the money line in road games when playing against a team with a losing record since 1997.
CINCINNATI is 198-163 (+42.5 Units) against the money line in road games when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season since 1997.
MILWAUKEE is 37-52 (-16.7 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
MILWAUKEE is 4-12 (-10.5 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 this season.
MILWAUKEE is 2-9 (-9.1 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 9 to 9.5 this season.
MILWAUKEE is 9-22 (-14.0 Units) against the money line in day games this season.
MILWAUKEE is 37-52 (-16.7 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
CINCINNATI is 5-3 (+0.7 Units) against MILWAUKEE this season
7 of 8 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+5.8 Units)


MIKE LEAKE vs. MILWAUKEE since 1997
LEAKE is 0-0 when starting against MILWAUKEE with an ERA of 4.91 and a WHIP of 1.200.
His team's record is 1-2 (-1.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-2. (-1.2 units)

JOHNNY HELLWEG vs. CINCINNATI since 1997
No recent starts.

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NY METS (39 - 48) at SAN FRANCISCO (40 - 49) - 3:45 PM
ZACK WHEELER (R) vs. MATT CAIN (R)
Top Trends for this game.
NY METS are 20-34 (-17.7 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
NY METS are 60-64 (+10.5 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
NY METS are 21-11 (+15.1 Units) against the money line in road games when playing on Wednesday over the last 3 seasons.
NY METS are 99-100 (+24.5 Units) against the money line in road games in games played on a grass field over the last 3 seasons.
NY METS are 51-41 (+14.1 Units) against the money line in road games when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 3 seasons.
NY METS are 26-15 (+13.5 Units) against the money line in road games when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season over the last 3 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 40-49 (-15.4 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 40-47 (-13.2 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 27-33 (-11.3 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 18-29 (-14.2 Units) against the money line after a loss this season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 14-26 (-17.0 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
NY METS is 2-0 (+2.2 Units) against SAN FRANCISCO this season
2 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+2.2 Units)

ZACK WHEELER vs. SAN FRANCISCO since 1997
No recent starts.

MATT CAIN vs. NY METS since 1997
CAIN is 5-4 when starting against NY METS with an ERA of 3.61 and a WHIP of 1.300.
His team's record is 6-4 (+1.8 units) in these starts. The OVER is 4-6. (-2.3 units)

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WASHINGTON (46 - 44) at PHILADELPHIA (45 - 46) - 7:05 PM
GIO GONZALEZ (L) vs. CLIFF LEE (L)
Top Trends for this game.
PHILADELPHIA is 363-325 (+50.4 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season since 1997.
WASHINGTON is 29-12 (+16.7 Units) against the money line when playing on Wednesday over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 96-68 (+18.0 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
GONZALEZ is 36-16 (+16.6 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
GONZALEZ is 21-7 (+14.2 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
GONZALEZ is 36-16 (+16.6 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
PHILADELPHIA is 126-127 (-21.7 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 132-153 (-44.5 Units) against the money line at home with a money line of -100 to -125 since 1997.
PHILADELPHIA is 63-60 (-15.9 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 126-124 (-18.7 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 32-41 (-14.9 Units) against the money line against left-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 32-42 (-21.2 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
LEE is 29-30 (-15.1 Units) against the money line in home games against division opponents since 1997. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
PHILADELPHIA is 5-3 (+2.5 Units) against WASHINGTON this season
5 of 8 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+1.5 Units)

GIO GONZALEZ vs. PHILADELPHIA since 1997
GONZALEZ is 3-1 when starting against PHILADELPHIA with an ERA of 2.53 and a WHIP of 0.969.
His team's record is 4-1 (+3.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 3-2. (+0.8 units)

CLIFF LEE vs. WASHINGTON since 1997
LEE is 6-3 when starting against WASHINGTON with an ERA of 2.48 and a WHIP of 1.071.
His team's record is 6-3 (+1.2 units) in these starts. The OVER is 3-6. (-3.1 units)

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LA DODGERS (44 - 45) at ARIZONA (47 - 43) - 9:40 PM
HYUN-JIN RYU (L) vs. TYLER SKAGGS (L)
Top Trends for this game.
LA DODGERS are 25-40 (-20.8 Units) against the money line when playing on Wednesday over the last 3 seasons.
LA DODGERS are 20-25 (-12.9 Units) against the money line against division opponents this season.
LA DODGERS are 31-34 (-12.1 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
LA DODGERS are 2-11 (-10.7 Units) against the money line in road games against left-handed starters this season.
LA DODGERS are 21-29 (-11.3 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
LA DODGERS are 32-23 (+14.8 Units) against the money line in road games when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season over the last 3 seasons.
ARIZONA is 43-46 (-17.9 Units) against the money line in home games in night games over the last 2 seasons.
ARIZONA is 26-32 (-16.8 Units) against the money line in home games after a loss over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
ARIZONA is 7-4 (+4.3 Units) against LA DODGERS this season
6 of 11 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+1.2 Units)

HYUN-JIN RYU vs. ARIZONA since 1997
RYU is 1-0 when starting against ARIZONA with an ERA of 4.50 and a WHIP of 1.667.
His team's record is 1-1 (+0.1 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-0. (+2.2 units)

TYLER SKAGGS vs. LA DODGERS since 1997
SKAGGS is 0-0 when starting against LA DODGERS with an ERA of 1.80 and a WHIP of 1.200.
His team's record is 0-1 (-1.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-1. (-1.0 units)

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COLORADO (43 - 48) at SAN DIEGO (41 - 50) - 10:10 PM
JORGE DE LA ROSA (L) vs. ANDREW CASHNER (R)
Top Trends for this game.
COLORADO is 180-237 (-58.7 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 3 seasons.
COLORADO is 159-231 (-51.9 Units) against the money line as a road underdog of +100 to +125 since 1997.
COLORADO is 137-241 (-53.6 Units) against the money line as a road underdog of +125 to +150 since 1997.
COLORADO is 67-148 (-65.4 Units) against the money line in road games in July games since 1997.
COLORADO is 180-234 (-55.7 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 3 seasons.
SAN DIEGO is 68-58 (+12.6 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons.
SAN DIEGO is 117-133 (+4.3 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
SAN DIEGO is 17-8 (+10.0 Units) against the money line in home games after a win this season.
DE LA ROSA is 12-5 (+7.3 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
COLORADO is 9-3 (+5.7 Units) against SAN DIEGO this season
7 of 12 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+1.3 Units)

JORGE DE LA ROSA vs. SAN DIEGO since 1997
DE LA ROSA is 5-1 when starting against SAN DIEGO with an ERA of 5.40 and a WHIP of 1.395.
His team's record is 10-3 (+6.2 units) in these starts. The OVER is 7-6. (+0.6 units)

ANDREW CASHNER vs. COLORADO since 1997
CASHNER is 0-1 when starting against COLORADO with an ERA of 7.59 and a WHIP of 1.781.
His team's record is 1-1 (-0.5 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-0. (+2.2 units)

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TEXAS (53 - 37) at BALTIMORE (49 - 42) - 7:05 PM
JOSH LINDBLOM (R) vs. WEI-YIN CHEN (L)
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

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

JOSH LINDBLOM vs. BALTIMORE since 1997
No recent starts.

WEI-YIN CHEN vs. TEXAS since 1997
CHEN is 1-0 when starting against TEXAS with an ERA of 1.17 and a WHIP of 0.913.
His team's record is 1-0 (+1.2 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-0. (+1.0 units)

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KANSAS CITY (43 - 44) at NY YANKEES (48 - 42) - 7:05 PM
WADE DAVIS (R) vs. IVAN NOVA (R)
Top Trends for this game.
KANSAS CITY is 57-52 (+11.3 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 2 seasons.
KANSAS CITY is 28-24 (+12.1 Units) against the money line on the road when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 2 seasons.
KANSAS CITY is 12-8 (+8.7 Units) against the money line in road games when playing against a team with a winning record this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
NY YANKEES is 3-2 (+0.8 Units) against KANSAS CITY this season
4 of 5 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+2.8 Units)

WADE DAVIS vs. NY YANKEES since 1997
DAVIS is 2-4 when starting against NY YANKEES with an ERA of 5.80 and a WHIP of 1.654.
His team's record is 3-4 (-0.8 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 3-4. (-1.7 units)

IVAN NOVA vs. KANSAS CITY since 1997
NOVA is 1-1 when starting against KANSAS CITY with an ERA of 11.88 and a WHIP of 2.641.
His team's record is 1-1 (-1.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-0. (+2.0 units)

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CHI WHITE SOX (35 - 52) at DETROIT (49 - 40) - 7:05 PM
DYLAN AXELROD (R) vs. RICK PORCELLO (R)
Top Trends for this game.
CHI WHITE SOX are 35-52 (-17.4 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
CHI WHITE SOX are 16-31 (-13.1 Units) against the money line in road games this season.
CHI WHITE SOX are 79-93 (-27.9 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 3 seasons.
CHI WHITE SOX are 33-47 (-15.0 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
CHI WHITE SOX are 21-33 (-11.7 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
CHI WHITE SOX are 489-497 (+44.7 Units) against the money line in road games against right-handed starters since 1997.
CHI WHITE SOX are 342-338 (+30.2 Units) against the money line in road games after a win since 1997.
DETROIT is 49-40 (-10.6 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
DETROIT is 4-10 (-12.3 Units) against the money line when playing on Wednesday this season.
DETROIT is 45-37 (-11.2 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
DETROIT is 86-74 (-12.7 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
CHI WHITE SOX is 1-0 (+2.4 Units) against DETROIT this season
1 of 1 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+1.1 Units)

DYLAN AXELROD vs. DETROIT since 1997
AXELROD is 0-1 when starting against DETROIT with an ERA of 3.48 and a WHIP of 1.549.
His team's record is 0-2 (-2.1 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-1. (-0.1 units)

RICK PORCELLO vs. CHI WHITE SOX since 1997
PORCELLO is 5-5 when starting against CHI WHITE SOX with an ERA of 4.96 and a WHIP of 1.189.
His team's record is 6-5 (+0.9 units) in these starts. The OVER is 4-7. (-3.6 units)

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TORONTO (43 - 46) at CLEVELAND (47 - 43) - 7:05 PM
ESMIL ROGERS (R) vs. JUSTIN MASTERSON (R)
Top Trends for this game.
TORONTO is 67-90 (-24.0 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
CLEVELAND is 47-43 (+9.6 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
CLEVELAND is 44-40 (+7.6 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
CLEVELAND is 83-60 (+19.5 Units) against the money line in home games against right-handed starters over the last 3 seasons.
CLEVELAND is 22-12 (+9.8 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
MASTERSON is 36-23 (+14.4 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
TORONTO is 25-14 (+11.1 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 this season.
CLEVELAND is 103-108 (-34.1 Units) against the money line in home games when playing on Wednesday since 1997.
CLEVELAND is 27-39 (-24.1 Units) against the money line in home games after shutting out their opponent since 1997.
CLEVELAND is 9-23 (-14.7 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
CLEVELAND is 3-1 (+3.3 Units) against TORONTO this season
3 of 4 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+2.1 Units)

ESMIL ROGERS vs. CLEVELAND since 1997
No recent starts.

JUSTIN MASTERSON vs. TORONTO since 1997
MASTERSON is 3-1 when starting against TORONTO with an ERA of 2.86 and a WHIP of 1.125.
His team's record is 3-2 (+2.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-3. (-1.3 units)

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MINNESOTA (37 - 50) at TAMPA BAY (51 - 40) - 7:10 PM
KEVIN CORREIA (R) vs. JEREMY HELLICKSON (R)
Top Trends for this game.
MINNESOTA is 69-114 (-33.7 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 3 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 116-183 (-39.6 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 3 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 30-60 (-22.2 Units) against the money line after 3 or more consecutive losses over the last 3 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 13-31 (-12.0 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
TAMPA BAY is 100-57 (+27.2 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 3 seasons.
CORREIA is 38-33 (+13.8 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
CORREIA is 14-6 (+9.7 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
CORREIA is 43-42 (+18.4 Units) against the money line in road games since 1997. (Team's Record)
CORREIA is 19-11 (+13.8 Units) against the money line on the road when the total is 8 to 8.5 since 1997. (Team's Record)
CORREIA is 10-2 (+10.2 Units) against the money line when playing on Wednesday over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
CORREIA is 64-52 (+27.0 Units) against the money line in night games since 1997. (Team's Record)
CORREIA is 54-37 (+30.5 Units) against the money line after a loss since 1997. (Team's Record)

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

KEVIN CORREIA vs. TAMPA BAY since 1997
CORREIA is 0-0 when starting against TAMPA BAY with an ERA of 3.38 and a WHIP of 1.501.
His team's record is 1-0 (+1.8 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-0. (+1.0 units)

JEREMY HELLICKSON vs. MINNESOTA since 1997
HELLICKSON is 3-1 when starting against MINNESOTA with an ERA of 4.26 and a WHIP of 1.184.
His team's record is 3-1 (+1.6 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-2. (-0.1 units)

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BOSTON (55 - 37) at SEATTLE (40 - 50) - 10:10 PM
FELIX DOUBRONT (L) vs. AARON HARANG (R)
Top Trends for this game.
BOSTON is 106-118 (-35.5 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 83-95 (-27.0 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 80-93 (-28.2 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
HARANG is 28-15 (+17.1 Units) against the money line when playing on Wednesday since 1997. (Team's Record)
BOSTON is 55-37 (+11.0 Units) against the money line in all games this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
BOSTON is 1-1 (+0.3 Units) against SEATTLE this season
2 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+2.0 Units)

FELIX DOUBRONT vs. SEATTLE since 1997
DOUBRONT is 0-0 when starting against SEATTLE with an ERA of 2.08 and a WHIP of 1.848.
His team's record is 1-0 (+1.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-0. (+1.0 units)

AARON HARANG vs. BOSTON since 1997
HARANG is 2-1 when starting against BOSTON with an ERA of 3.63 and a WHIP of 1.326.
His team's record is 2-1 (+1.3 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-3. (-3.6 units)

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OAKLAND (54 - 37) at PITTSBURGH (53 - 36) - 7:05 PM
TOM MILONE (L) vs. FRANCISCO LIRIANO (L)
Top Trends for this game.
PITTSBURGH is 53-36 (+22.3 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
PITTSBURGH is 74-53 (+13.4 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 29-20 (+12.6 Units) against the money line in an inter-league game over the last 3 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 53-36 (+22.3 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
PITTSBURGH is 32-22 (+11.0 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
PITTSBURGH is 23-12 (+13.9 Units) against the money line after a loss this season.
PITTSBURGH is 327-344 (+42.9 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a winning record since 1997.
OAKLAND is 54-37 (+14.6 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
OAKLAND is 70-62 (+20.1 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
OAKLAND is 25-7 (+19.7 Units) against the money line in July games over the last 2 seasons.
OAKLAND is 54-34 (+17.7 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
OAKLAND is 37-18 (+19.1 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
OAKLAND is 34-19 (+14.4 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
OAKLAND is 34-21 (+14.2 Units) against the money line after 3 or more consecutive wins over the last 2 seasons.
OAKLAND is 76-59 (+27.9 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
OAKLAND is 31-22 (+14.3 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
MILONE is 35-20 (+16.1 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
MILONE is 29-18 (+10.6 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
MILONE is 24-10 (+14.7 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
MILONE is 22-11 (+12.2 Units) against the money line after a win over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)

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

TOM MILONE vs. PITTSBURGH since 1997
No recent starts.

FRANCISCO LIRIANO vs. OAKLAND since 1997
LIRIANO is 3-4 when starting against OAKLAND with an ERA of 4.90 and a WHIP of 1.335.
His team's record is 5-7 (-4.4 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 5-7. (-3.0 units)

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LA ANGELS (43 - 46) at CHICAGO CUBS (40 - 48) - 8:05 PM
C.J. WILSON (L) vs. JEFF SAMARDZIJA (R)
Top Trends for this game.
LA ANGELS are 43-46 (-16.7 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
LA ANGELS are 43-46 (-16.7 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
LA ANGELS are 26-38 (-24.0 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
LA ANGELS are 19-26 (-15.8 Units) against the money line after a loss this season.
CHICAGO CUBS are 20-13 (+12.8 Units) against the money line in July games over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO CUBS are 13-6 (+8.8 Units) against the money line in an inter-league game this season.
LA ANGELS are 684-671 (+61.1 Units) against the money line in road games since 1997.
WILSON is 23-7 (+14.9 Units) against the money line in road games when playing against a team with a losing record since 1997. (Team's Record)
CHICAGO CUBS are 101-149 (-28.7 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO CUBS are 692-658 (-150.4 Units) against the money line in home games since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 101-149 (-28.7 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO CUBS are 584-692 (-135.1 Units) against the money line in night games since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 67-104 (-29.6 Units) against the money line after a win over the last 3 seasons.
CHICAGO CUBS are 641-630 (-147.9 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
CHICAGO CUBS is 2-1 (+1.7 Units) against LA ANGELS this season
1 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+0.0 Units)

C.J. WILSON vs. CHICAGO CUBS since 1997
WILSON is 0-1 when starting against CHICAGO CUBS with an ERA of 7.94 and a WHIP of 1.764.
His team's record is 0-1 (-1.9 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-0. (+1.0 units)

JEFF SAMARDZIJA vs. LA ANGELS since 1997
No recent starts.

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HOUSTON (32 - 58) at ST LOUIS (54 - 34) - 8:15 PM
JORDAN LYLES (R) vs. SHELBY MILLER (R)
Top Trends for this game.
HOUSTON is 144-271 (-69.8 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 3 seasons.
HOUSTON is 65-126 (-40.8 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 3 seasons.
HOUSTON is 60-144 (-44.5 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 3 seasons.
HOUSTON is 5-29 (-21.2 Units) against the money line in July games over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 142-270 (-71.7 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 3 seasons.
HOUSTON is 98-203 (-63.8 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 3 seasons.
HOUSTON is 40-102 (-35.3 Units) against the money line in road games after a loss over the last 3 seasons.
HOUSTON is 10-35 (-15.3 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
LYLES is 3-20 (-14.9 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
ST LOUIS is 46-22 (+17.6 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
HOUSTON is 10-4 (+12.4 Units) against the money line when playing on Wednesday this season.
ST LOUIS is 11-16 (-13.2 Units) against the money line in home games after 3 or more consecutive wins over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
ST LOUIS is 2-1 (+0.3 Units) against HOUSTON this season
2 of 3 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+1.0 Units)

JORDAN LYLES vs. ST LOUIS since 1997
No recent starts.

SHELBY MILLER vs. HOUSTON since 1997
No recent starts.