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

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Mets (47-56) at Marlins (40-64)
Game: 2
Venue: Marlins Park
Date: July 30, 2013 7:10 PM EDT


Matt Harvey is the New York Mets' young ace who receives most of the publicity, but Zack Wheeler is making sure no one forgets there's another up-and-coming pitcher to help guide the franchise into hopefully better days.

Wheeler looks to remain unbeaten on the road as he faces the Miami Marlins on Tuesday night.

Headlines regarding the Mets often involve Harvey, the 24-year-old who started the All-Star Game earlier this month in New York and is among the major league leaders with a 2.11 ERA.

Wheeler (4-1, 3.72 ERA) may not be receiving as much attention, but he's pitched nearly as well as Harvey lately. The prized rookie is 3-0 with a 2.78 ERA over his last four starts after giving up four runs - three earned - in six innings of Thursday's 7-4 win over Atlanta.

He had allowed nine runs in the two starts - both Mets losses - before this unbeaten run.

``I'm starting to feel a little bit more comfortable with my mechanics. I've just got to trust my stuff and go after guys,' Wheeler said. ``I've just got to get ahead and start setting guys up. It's a lot easier when you do that.'

While the 23-year-old right-hander has had some success to begin his career, manager Terry Collins knows he isn't even close to a finished product despite opponents hitting only .114 off Wheeler with runners in scoring position.

``He's a work in progress, but I'll tell you one thing: The sky's the limit with him," Collins said. "He's got plus stuff. He's tougher than people give him credit for. He's going to be fine, but he's got to make some adjustments."

Wheeler hasn't faced Miami in his seven-start career, but he's 3-0 with a 2.31 ERA in four road outings. He'll look to improve that mark after the Mets (47-56) ended a five-game skid versus the Marlins with a come-from-behind 6-5 victory in Monday's series opener.

Daniel Murphy, hitting .483 with two homers and 11 RBIs over his last seven games, drove in three runs for New York, which was outscored 20-3 while dropping the final three of a four-game series with Washington over the weekend.

"(I'm) just seeing the ball a little bit better. I don't know, it's baseball,' Murphy said. ``Sometimes you get beat up and sometimes you don't.'

The Marlins (40-64) had won five of seven prior to Monday's defeat. Rookie third baseman Ed Lucas hit his second career homer, and catcher Jeff Mathis drove in two runs.

"We were one big hit away from winning it," manager Mike Redmond said. "We were one hit away from playing extra innings.'

Miami will look to bounce back with help from Nathan Eovaldi, who has allowed three runs or fewer six times in seven starts since coming off the disabled list June 18.

After giving up six runs in four innings of a 6-0 loss to Milwaukee on July 20, Eovaldi (2-1, 3.54) bounced back by allowing three hits in six scoreless frames of Miami's 5-3 win over Colorado on Thursday. He had his outing cut short, though, due to a 93-minute rain delay after just 78 pitches.

"It's disappointing since I was throwing so good, but (I'm) still pleased with the outing," Eovaldi said.

The right-hander made four starts versus the Mets last season, going 1-2 with a 3.74 ERA.

Murphy is 4 for 8 with two doubles off Eovaldi.


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SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Mets at Marlins
Mon, Jul 29 Final 6 to 5
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Mets at Marlins
Tue, Jul 30 - 7:10PM EDT

GAME 3
Mets at Marlins
Wed, Jul 31 - 7:10PM EDT

GAME 4
Mets at Marlins
Thu, Aug 1 - 12:40PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Diamondbacks (54-51) at Rays (63-43)
Game: 1
Venue: Tropicana Field
Date: July 30, 2013 7:10 PM EDT


The Tampa Bay Rays returned home with the AL East lead.

The Arizona Diamondbacks are trying to climb back into the top spot in the NL West.

The surging Rays open their second-half home schedule Tuesday against the Diamondbacks trying to tie their franchise record for wins in a single month.

Tampa Bay (63-43) made the most of its chance to grab the division lead Monday, beating Boston 2-1 in a makeup game from Thursday for its fourth win in five games. The Rays have set a club mark with 20 wins in July and have two chances to match the team record set in August 2008 with a 21-7 mark.

After trailing the Red Sox by 2 1/2 games at the All-Star break, they have won 22 of 26 to overtake them by one-half game. Rays starters improved to 18-3 with a 2.17 ERA during that run after David Price threw 7 1-3 innings of one-run ball Monday.

However, Tuesday's pitcher Roberto Hernandez (5-11, 4.92 ERA) has yielded at least three runs in each of his last nine outings.

The right-hander, tied with Toronto's R.A. Dickey for the second-most losses in the AL, could be on his way to the bullpen with Joe Maddon contemplating using a four-man rotation of Price, Chris Archer, Matt Moore and Jeremy Hellickson starting later this week.

Hernandez, though, can't shoulder all the blame for his recent struggles. His run-support average is a team-worst 2.89 since June 16, and he's 2-6 with a 4.98 ERA in that stretch.

"I think that's called bad luck," catcher Jose Molina told the Rays' official website after Hernandez gave up three runs in five innings in last Tuesday's 6-2 loss at Boston."... It's a shame that we can't perform the way we know we're capable of when he's pitching. That's pretty much wasting an outing for that pitcher."

The Diamondbacks (54-51) did that Sunday, finishing with three hits and going 0 for 5 with runners scoring position to waste eight strong innings from Patrick Corbin in a 1-0 loss to San Diego.

Arizona has dropped 2 1/2 games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers for the West lead after heading into the break leading by that margin.

"We haven't played our best baseball, we know that," Corbin told the Diamondbacks' official website. "I don't know why, but we're trying to figure it out. Hopefully, we can go over there and get some wins."

The Diamondbacks, though, open a stretch of 18 of 21 against teams with winning records.

They'll open their six-game trip with Kennedy (3-7, 5.22) getting his 10th chance to record win No. 50. The right-hander, riding the longest winless stretch of his career, avoided a fifth consecutive loss Wednesday when Arizona rallied from six down before falling 7-6 in 12 innings to the Chicago Cubs.

"It's all about pitch execution," manager Kirk Gibson said. "He started out pretty good, but then he made some mistakes - they hammered them."

Rays rookie Wil Myers has been doing that to opposing pitchers, batting .463 with four homers and 12 RBIs in a 10-game hitting streak.

Evan Longoria, who has hit safely in a team-best 11 straight, has one hit in six at_bats off Kennedy. James Loney is 6 for 13 with a homer and three doubles in that matchup.

Jason Kubel, who was scratched Sunday with a sore back, has faced Hernandez more than any other Diamondback, going 14 for 38 (.368) with three homers and three doubles.

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SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Diamondbacks at Rays
Tue, Jul 30 - 7:10PM EDT

GAME 2
Diamondbacks at Rays
Wed, Jul 31 - 7:10PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Angels (48-56) at Rangers (57-49)
Game: 2
Venue: Rangers Ballpark in Arlington
Date: July 30, 2013 8:05 PM EDT


The Texas Rangers ended their losing streak with a dramatic late rally, but they might have a difficult time moving past their recent slump against one of baseball's hottest pitchers.

The Los Angeles Angels will try to snap their own four-game skid and hand the Rangers their 13th loss in 17 games Tuesday night when C.J. Wilson faces his old team in Arlington.

Trailing by a run in the ninth inning, Texas (57-49) appeared to be on its way to a fifth straight defeat before A.J. Pierzynski and Geovany Soto hit home runs off closer Ernesto Frieri in Monday's 4-3 win.

"We needed that game after the offensive struggles we've been through the last few weeks,' Pierzynski said. "To have a game like that, especially at home after the trip we came off, it's huge.'

The Rangers had scored only one run in 28 innings before plating three with four hits over the final two. Even with the late-inning heroics, they've averaged 2.5 runs and batted .178 with runners in scoring position during this rough patch.

Mitch Moreland (.140), Ian Kinsler (.217) and Leonys Martin (.205) are among those mired in slumps.

It doesn't figure to get any easier against Wilson (11-6, 3.18 ERA), who is 7-1 with a 1.96 ERA in his last eight outings.

The left-hander won his third straight by allowing three runs and five hits over seven innings in an 8-3 victory at Oakland on Thursday. He's now seeking his career-best fifth straight road win.

The former Ranger, though, hasn't pitched well against his old club, going 0-2 with a 7.65 ERA in five starts. He's also 0-1 with a 11.12 ERA in three outings at Texas while with the Angels.

Adrian Beltre has gone 10 for 28 (.357) with a homer, four doubles and four RBIs versus Wilson, while Kinsler is 4 for 10 with a homer.

The Rangers counter with Derek Holland (8-6, 3.06), who is 3-2 with a 2.25 ERA in his last six starts.

The left-hander, however, has dropped his last two outings while getting just one run of support. He yielded two runs and eight hits over 7 1-3 innings in Thursday's 2-0 loss to the Yankees in Arlington.

"His job is to keep us in the ballgame, and he's been doing that,' manager Ron Washington said.

While Holland is 6-1 with a 2.89 ERA in 11 road starts, he's 0-4 with a 4.26 ERA in his last five at home while being backed with three total runs.

Holland, 2-2 with a 6.58 ERA in his last six starts versus the Angels (48-56), has allowed eight runs and 12 hits over 12 2-3 innings in two outings this season. He walked five and struck out 12 without factoring in either decision, though the Rangers won both games.

This time, he faces a Los Angeles team trying to win for just the second time in nine road games.

Howie Kendrick has gone 9 for 18 with a homer, three doubles and seven RBIs against Holland the past two seasons.

Teammate Mike Trout went 2 for 2 with a double in the opener and is hitting .375 with 22 RBIs over his last 36 games. He's a .344 hitter (21 for 61) with six homers in 16 lifetime games at Texas.

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SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Angels at Rangers
Mon, Jul 29 Final 3 to 4
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Angels at Rangers
Tue, Jul 30 - 8:05PM EDT

GAME 3
Angels at Rangers
Wed, Jul 31 - 8:05PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Brewers (44-61) at Cubs (48-56)
Game: 2
Venue: Wrigley Field
Date: July 30, 2013 8:05 PM EDT


The Chicago Cubs' winning streak is over, yet their run of impressive starting pitching performances isn't.

Carlos Villanueva and newcomer Jake Arrieta will try to keep that going in Tuesday's day-night doubleheader against the Milwaukee Brewers at Wrigley Field.

With Jeff Samardzija going seven shutout innings in Monday's 5-0 series-opening defeat, Cubs starters have now allowed three runs or fewer 33 times during a 22-18 stretch.

Chicago's bullpen had gone 9 1-3 scoreless innings over the previous four contests before Pedro Strop gave up all the runs in the ninth inning Monday. He had not allowed any runs in 12 previous appearances since he and Arrieta came over in the July 2 Scott Feldman deal.

The Cubs (48-56), losers of eight of 11 at home to Milwaukee, look to even this four-game series with Villanueva (2-7, 4.23 ERA) trying to end a career-worst three-start losing streak.

The former Brewer, 0-3 with a 6.16 ERA in four outings since being reinserted into the rotation following the Feldman deal, needed 103 pitches to go five innings in Thursday's 3-1 loss at Arizona. Villanueva's 37-pitch first inning set a bad tone, but he only yielded one run in that frame and finished with just three allowed.

Arrieta makes his Cubs debut in the nightcap after struggling with Baltimore. The right-hander, 1-2 with a 7.23 ERA in five starts for the Orioles this season, told the Cubs' official website that he hopes to stick with the big league club after being sent to Triple-A Iowa following the deal.

"I don't plan on going back (to Iowa)," said Arrieta, who made three trips to the minors this season while with Baltimore. "I plan on making it tough for them to decide and just go from there."

Villanueva will make his first start - and third appearance - against his former team after throwing a scoreless inning of relief in a 5-4 road win June 26.

A doubleheader sweep would give the last-place Brewers (44-61) their first road series win since June 10-12 - and send the Cubs to their first three-game skid since that same stretch - but the recent struggles from Game 1 starter Yovani Gallardo (8-9, 4.88) can't give Milwaukee much confidence. The right-hander seemed to have a breakthrough July 20 when he went 6 1-3 innings in a 6-0 victory over Miami, but he followed that by permitting six runs in 3 2-3 innings of Thursday's 10-8 loss to San Diego.

"It's definitely frustrating, especially coming after the start I had against the Marlins,' Gallardo said.

It's been a "surprising" stretch of bad pitching from the team's ace, according to manager Ron Roenicke.

"This is a guy that's always been known for his consistency and to be able to pitch a lot of games in a row where they're all great games, whether you want to call them quality starts or however you want to describe them, they're really good ballgames," he told the Brewers' official website. "And he does this for a long period of time - and this year, he hasn't been able to do that."

Gallardo, 3-1 with a 3.25 ERA in seven starts at Wrigley Field, was charged with five runs - three earned - in four innings June 26.

Tyler Thornburg (1-0, 2.95) is expected to make his first start of the season - and fourth of his career - in Game 2. The right-hander made his sixth appearance of the season last Tuesday, getting tagged for a season-high four runs in four innings of a 6-2 loss to the Padres.

Villanueva (0 for 1) is the only Cub with an at-bat off Thornburg, who has no record with a 5.14 ERA as a starter.

Carlos Gomez, whose RBI single opened Monday's scoring, is batting .542 (13 for 24) with two homers and six RBIs while hitting safely in six straight. The All-Star center fielder is hitless in four at_bats off Villanueva.

Rickie Weeks (1 for 1) and Juan Francisco (1 for 5) are the only active Brewers with a hit against the Game 1 starter.

Yuniesky Betancourt (0 for 3) is the only player on Milwaukee's active roster to have faced Arrieta.

The Brewers are 6-3 against the Cubs this season.

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SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Brewers at Cubs
Mon, Jul 29 Final 5 to 0
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Brewers at Cubs
Tue, Jul 30 - 8:05PM EDT

GAME 3
Brewers at Cubs
Wed, Jul 31 - 8:05PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Royals (51-51) at Twins (45-57)
Game: 1
Venue: Target Field
Date: July 30, 2013 8:10 PM EDT


Enjoying their longest win streak of the season, the Kansas City Royals have a chance to celebrate moving over the .500 mark Tuesday night.

Minnesota Twins manager Ron Gardenhire is expecting to receive celebratory cigars for a different reason.

Gardenhire's Twins expect to have Joe Mauer back from paternity leave when they seek to end the visiting Royals' six-game run.

Kansas City (51-51) matched its longest 2013 streak with Sunday's 4-2, 12-inning road win over the Chicago White Sox. It's the Royals' best record this late in the year since they finished 2003 at 83-79.

"To get here was big,' said manager Ned Yost, whose club was last over .500 on May 18. "Now we got to get past it and just stay focused day to day."

Mauer will rejoin the Twins (45-57) and play for the first time since last Monday. He was away from the team since his wife gave birth Wednesday, appropriately enough to twins.

Gardenhire, known for his love of cigars, said he is expecting a pair from his superstar catcher.

"I know cigars are coming," the manager told the Twins' official website. "Yes, I'll make sure I get a good cigar from him, I promise you that. It's going to be two cigars. It's two kids."

Mauer, one of the AL's top hitters at .324, is 7 for 43 (.163) with 10 strikeouts against Kansas City, with Minnesota losing seven of 10 meetings. He's fared much better against Royals starter Ervin Santana (6-6, 3.06 ERA), going 14 for 34 (.412).

Santana is 3-0 with a 2.08 ERA in his last four outings versus the Twins - 1-0 with a 2.57 mark in two in 2013.

The right-hander is 3-1 in six starts against AL Central foes with a 1.96 ERA - his best against any division.

The Royals expect center fielder Lorenzo Cain to return Tuesday. Cain sat out Sunday after leaving Saturday's 1-0 win with tightness in his left groin.

Cain is 11 for 33 against Minnesota this year while Billy Butler is 17 for 35 with two homers and eight RBIs. Butler is also hitting .400 over an 8-4 stretch for Kansas City.

"This is a lot of fun," left fielder Alex Gordon said. "We have a lot of guys that are playing well and picking each other up and just a good team right now."

The Royals have to like their chances versus Mike Pelfrey (4-8, 5.15), who is 0-1 with a 9.72 ERA in two starts against them this year. Six Kansas City hitters - including Butler, Gordon and Cain - have two hits against him in those games.

Although Pelfrey is enduring a miserable season, the right-hander has pitched better this month in going 1-2 with a 2.28 ERA in four starts.

The Twins begin this three-game set after a 4-3 trip.

Second baseman Brian Dozier, who has a seven-game hitting streak, left Sunday's 6-4 defeat to Seattle in the sixth with lower back stiffness. His status for Tuesday is unclear.

"I did something two nights ago and it locked up on me a couple times," Dozier said. "It's just a little back spasm."

Minnesota slugger Justin Morneau is hitting .333 in the season series. He's 6 for 24 with three homers against Santana.


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SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Royals at Twins
Tue, Jul 30 - 8:10PM EDT

GAME 2
Royals at Twins
Wed, Jul 31 - 8:10PM EDT

GAME 3
Royals at Twins
Thu, Aug 1 - 1:10PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Blue Jays (48-57) at Athletics (63-43)
Game: 2
Venue: O.co Coliseum
Date: July 30, 2013 10:05 PM EDT


The Oakland Athletics couldn't add to their AL West lead, but they keep building plenty of momentum.

Dan Straily hopes he can contribute to that run after losing his last two starts.

The right-hander faces the Toronto Blue Jays for the first time since his major league debut Tuesday night when the A's go for a fifth straight win.

Entering this three-game set with a six-game edge over second-place Texas - their largest division lead since Sept. 27, 2006 - the A's (63-43) maintained that cushion with Monday's 9-4 victory.

The Rangers rallied to defeat the Los Angeles Angels 4-3 earlier Monday.

"You keep trying to pile up the wins, add them up at the end and see where you're at," said manager Bob Melvin, whose team has matched its best record through 106 games since 1992 and is tied with Tampa Bay for the best record in the AL.

Oakland goes for its longest undefeated stretch since a six-game surge May 24-29 with Straily (6-4, 4.43 ERA) coming off back-to-back losses to the Angels. He had won a career-best five consecutive decisions prior to that.

"I wasn't keeping it down," said Straily, who was charged with five runs in 4 1-3 innings of Thursday's 8-3 defeat. "I still got ahead, then they got to some balls, and obviously I left it too good. Just didn't command it.'

That wasn't the case the last time Tuesday's starter Mark Buehrle (6-7, 4.50) took the ball for the Blue Jays (48-57). The veteran left-hander fanned a season-best nine and tossed a two-hitter in Thursday's 4-0 win over Houston that helped Toronto end a season-worst seven-game skid.

It was Buehrle's ninth career shutout, and first since a perfect game against Tampa Bay four seasons ago.

"I had everything working," he told the Blue Jays' official website. "I was making pitches when I had to, movement was good, keeping guys off balance. I'm not going to sit here and say it was one pitch that was making guys strike out a lot. I struck out multiple guys on certain pitches, but it was just one of those games that I had everything going for me."

However, he's struggled in 13 starts in Oakland, going 2-7 with a 4.45 ERA - all while with the Chicago White Sox.

Improving those numbers could be asking a lot as Buehrle will face an A's team that's won 24 of 30 at home and is scoring 5.4 runs per contest during a 7-2 run there.

Buehrle has never faced Yoenis Cespedes, who has back-to-back three-hit games and seven RBIs in the last two after coming up a double shy of the cycle Monday. The Home Run Derby champion's solo shot in the eighth ended a career-high 25-game homerless streak.

"It's not about the homer. I've started to feel better and everything is going to be fine,' Cespedes said through an interpreter. "When I'm hitting well, I feel like I'm contributing my grain of sand, doing my part."

AL player of the week Edwin Encarnacion is doing his part. After going 9 for 12 with two homers and eight RBIs as Toronto took three of four from the Astros over the weekend, he hit his third homer in four games Monday to move within one of reaching 30 for the second consecutive season.

Straily held Encarnacion hitless in three at_bats and threw six innings of one-run ball in a 5-4, 15-inning home win Aug. 3.

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SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Blue Jays at Athletics
Mon, Jul 29 Final 4 to 9
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Blue Jays at Athletics
Tue, Jul 30 - 10:05PM EDT

GAME 3
Blue Jays at Athletics
Wed, Jul 31 - 3:35PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Yankees (55-50) at Dodgers (56-48)
Game: 1
Venue: Dodger Stadium
Date: July 30, 2013 10:10 PM EDT


Derek Jeter's weekend return to action for the New York Yankees featured enough dramatics for a movie script.

Perhaps it's fitting that Hollywood is close to where the Yankees captain will play next in the opener of what figures to be a difficult two-game set Tuesday night against the NL West-leading Los Angeles Dodgers.

Jeter homered in his first at-bat Sunday in a 6-5 victory over Tampa Bay. He played shortstop for the first time as he returned after re-injuring his ankle July 11 in his season debut against Kansas City.

"It was fun - I'm tired," said Jeter, who has hit safely in all six games against the Dodgers with nine hits in 25 at_bats. "I worked hard to try to get back on the field."

New York (55-50) avoided a three-game sweep when recent acquisition Alfonso Soriano singled in the winning run in the bottom of the ninth inning.

The injury-plagued Yankees have struggled offensively all season and own an AL-low .371 slugging percentage. They face Zack Greinke (8-3, 3.89 ERA) on Tuesday and major league ERA leader Clayton Kershaw the next night.

"We get a day off, we get to enjoy this one and we gotta go back to work Tuesday and it's not going to get any easier out there as you're going to see Greinke and Kershaw," manager Joe Girardi said. "We're going to have to shut them down, and they've been swinging the bats really well and we're going to have to score some runs."

Los Angeles (56-48) had won six straight starts by Greinke before he allowed four runs in seven innings Thursday in a 5-2 loss to Cincinnati. He was 5-0 with a 2.17 ERA in seven home outings before that one.

The right-hander is 2-4 with a 5.71 ERA in eight starts against the Yankees, with seven of them coming for Kansas City between 2004-08. Robinson Cano is 6 for 16 against him but has hit .160 with one RBI in his last seven games.

The Dodgers bounced back from Greinke's defeat with three wins over the Reds over the weekend. Their starters yielded two runs over 21 2-3 innings, with Chris Capuano pitching 6 2-3 in Sunday's 1-0, 11-inning victory.

Yasiel Puig's walk-off homer gave him 10 in 48 games along with 23 RBIs and a .372 average.

"We've got a good thing going and we're just going to keep it rolling," reliever Brandon League said. "Puig's contributed a lot, but it's not only him. The best part of this is that it's a different guy every day, and we're not counting on one person."

The Dodgers are a major league-best 26-6 since June 22 with wins in nine of 10. Their offense, however, only produced nine runs in the four-game set with Cincinnati.

Los Angeles has split 36 games when facing left-handed starters as it meets veteran Andy Pettitte (7-8, 4.39), who will try to avoid losing three straight starts for the second time in two months. He gave up fewer than four runs for the first time in eight outings Wednesday, surrendering two in six innings of a 3-1 defeat at Texas.

Pettitte is 2-0 with a 3.94 ERA in five starts against the Dodgers.

Carl Crawford is a .326 hitter against Pettitte and could return after missing the last two games because of a high temperature.

The Yankees will activate infielder Jayson Nix, out since July 1 with a strained right hamstring.

These clubs split a June 19 doubleheader in New York. The Yankees last visited Dodger Stadium when they took two of three June 25-27, 2010.

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SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Yankees at Dodgers
Tue, Jul 30 - 10:10PM EDT

GAME 2
Yankees at Dodgers
Wed, Jul 31 - 10:10PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Reds (59-48) at Padres (49-58)
Game: 2
Venue: PETCO Park
Date: July 30, 2013 10:10 PM EDT


The Cincinnati Reds knew they were paying a hefty price to pry Mat Latos away from the San Diego Padres prior to last season, but his addition to the front of their rotation has helped the club rank among the best pitching staffs in baseball the last two years.

The right-hander visits San Diego for the second time since being dealt and will oppose former Red Edinson Volquez as Cincinnati looks to end a four-game losing streak Tuesday night

Cincinnati acquired Latos from the Padres on Dec. 17, 2011, for Volquez and former first-round picks Yonder Alonso and Yasmani Grandal. He was a 14-game winner for San Diego in 2010 and went 27-29 with a 3.37 ERA in 72 starts from 2009-11.

The Reds don't seem to have any complaints about the trade, as Latos (10-3, 3.39 ERA) helped the team rank tied for third in the majors with a 3.34 ERA on their way to an NL Central title in 2012.

He's having another solid campaign and allowed two runs - one earned - in 7 2-3 innings of Thursday's 5-2 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers.

"Latos was really dealing,' manager Dusty Baker said. "His fastball looked like it was going to go low, and then it stayed up in the zone. He also had a really good breaking ball."

Cincinnati (59-48) has a 3.32 ERA that ranks second in baseball to Pittsburgh, but a couple of former Reds helped the Padres earn a thrilling 2-1 victory in Monday's series opener.

Closer Aroldis Chapman walked Alonso to open the bottom of the ninth, and pinch-hitter Chris Denorfia, who played 67 games for Cincinnati in 2005 and '06, followed with a walkoff homer.

"It was one of those when you hit it hard on that part of the bat, you don't even feel the vibration. It felt great,' Denorfia said.

Alonso is hitting .375 with nine RBIs over his last 11 for San Diego (49-58), which has won three straight despite scoring three runs over the last two contests.

The Reds have scored three times during their skid and will look to get their offense back on track while facing Volquez, who will oppose his former team for the third time.

Volquez (8-8, 5.70) was 30-18 with a 4.17 ERA for the Reds from 2008-11 and won 17 games in his first season in Cincinnati after coming over from Texas in the trade that sent Josh Hamilton to the Rangers.

The right-hander gave up three runs in 5 1-3 innings of a 10-8 win over Milwaukee on Thursday.

``Edinson did a nice job early in the game,' manager Bud Black said. ``I thought he was throwing the ball well. He was really utilizing the curveball and changeup. He was making his pitches.'

Both Latos and Volquez pitched well against their former teams when they opposed each other July 5, 2012. Latos gave up four hits and struck out eight in seven scoreless innings, while Volquez allowed one run and fanned 10 in seven frames before the Padres scored in the bottom of the ninth for a 2-1 win.

Volquez wasn't as good but still picked up the victory in his only other start versus the Reds on July 30, 2012, as he allowed five runs in five innings of an 11-5 win.

Reds outfielder Shin-Soo Choo sat out the series opener after twisting his left ankle stealing second Sunday and is listed as day to day.

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SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Reds at Padres
Mon, Jul 29 Final 1 to 2
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Reds at Padres
Tue, Jul 30 - 10:10PM EDT

GAME 3
Reds at Padres
Wed, Jul 31 - 3:40PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

MLB
Dunkel

NY Yankees at LA Dodgers
The Dodgers look to build on their 7-1 record in Zack Greinke's last 8 home starts. LA is the pick (-180) according to Dunkel, which has the Dodgers favored by 2 1/2. Dunkel Pick: LA Dodgers (-180). Here are all of today's picks.

TUESDAY, JULY 31

Game 901-902: Milwaukee at Chicago Cubs (2:20 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Milwaukee (Gallardo) 13.814; Cubs (Villanueva) 15.194
Dunkel Line: Chicago Cubs by 1 1/2; 6
Vegas Line: Chicago Cubs (-115); No Run Total
Dunkel Pick: Chicago Cubs (-115); N/A

Game 903-904: Milwaukee at Chicago Cubs (8:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Milwaukee (Thornburg) 14.662; Cubs (Arrieta) 13.738
Dunkel Line: Milwaukee by 1; 10
Vegas Line: No Line
Dunkel Pick: N/A

Game 905-906: St. Louis at Pittsburgh (7:35 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: St. Louis (Lyons) 14.721; Pittsburgh (No Starter) N/A
Dunkel Line: No Line
Vegas Line: No Line
Dunkel Pick: N/A

Game 907-908: San Francisco at Philadelphia (7:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: San Francisco (Zito) 13.181; Philadelphia (Lannan) 14.521
Dunkel Line: Philadelphia by 1 1/2; 10
Vegas Line: Philadelphia (-140); 9
Dunkel Pick: Philadelphia (-140); Over

Game 909-910: Colorado at Atlanta (7:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Colorado (Nicasio) 16.177; Atlanta (Wood) 15.140
Dunkel Line: Colorado by 1; 9
Vegas Line: Atlanta (-160); 8
Dunkel Pick: Colorado (+140); Over

Game 911-912: NY Mets at Miami (7:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: NY Mets (Wheeler) 14.353; Miami (Eovaldi) 15.924
Dunkel Line: Miami by 1 1/2; 7
Vegas Line: Miami (-120); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Miami (-120); Under

Game 913-914: Cincinnati at San Diego (10:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Cincinnati (Latos) 15.978; San Diego (Volquez) 16.290
Dunkel Line: San Diego by 1/2; 7
Vegas Line: Cincinnati (-160); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: San Diego (+140); Under

Game 915-916: Houston at Baltimore (7:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Houston (Norris) 13.818; Baltimore (Chen) 15.376
Dunkel Line: Baltimore by 1 1/2; 9
Vegas Line: Baltimore (-250); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Baltimore (-250); Over

Game 917-918: Chicago White Sox at Cleveland (7:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: White Sox (Peavy) 16.829; Cleveland (Kazmir) 16.049
Dunkel Line: Chicago White Sox by 1; 6
Vegas Line: Cleveland (-155); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Chicago White Sox (+135); Under

Game 919-920: Seattle at Boston (7:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Seattle (Saunders) 15.611; Boston (Workman) 16.957
Dunkel Line: Boston by 1 1/2; 11
Vegas Line: Boston (-170); 10
Dunkel Pick: Boston (-170); Over

Game 921-922: LA Angels at Texas (8:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: LA Angels (Wilson) 15.196; Texas (Holland) 14.197
Dunkel Line: LA Angels by 1; 7
Vegas Line: Texas (-130); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: LA Angels (+110); Under

Game 923-924: Kansas City at Minnesota (8:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Kansas City (Santana) 16.933; Minnesota (Pelfrey) 15.594
Dunkel Line: Kansas City by 1 1/2; 9
Vegas Line: Kansas City (-130); 8
Dunkel Pick: Kansas City (-130); Over

Game 925-926: Toronto at Oakland (10:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Toronto (Buehrle) 14.103; Oakland (Straily) 15.905
Dunkel Line: Oakland by 2; 9
Vegas Line: Oakland (-160); 8
Dunkel Pick: Oakland (-160); Over

Game 927-928: Washington at Detroit (7:08 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Washington (Strasburg) 16.911; Detroit (Sanchez) 16.010
Dunkel Line: Washington by 1; 6
Vegas Line: Detroit (-130); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Washington (+110); Under

Game 929-930: Arizona at Tampa Bay (7:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Arizona (Kennedy) 15.834; Tampa Bay (Hernandez) 14.983
Dunkel Line: Arizona by 1; 9
Vegas Line: Tampa Bay (-160); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Arizona (+140); Over

Game 931-932: NY Yankees at LA Dodgers (10:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: NY Yankees (Pettitte) 14.785; LA Dodgers (Greinke) 17.046
Dunkel Line: LA Dodgers by 2 1/2; 6
Vegas Line: LA Dodgers (-180); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: LA Dodgers (-180); Under

Game 933-934: St. Louis at Pittsburgh (4:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: St. Louis (Lynn) 15.420; Pittsburgh (Burnett) 14.369
Dunkel Line: St. Louis by 1; 6
Vegas Line: No Line
Dunkel Pick: N/A
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[StarDust Bum]

MLB
Short Sheet

Tuesday, July 30

National League

Milwaukee at Chicago Cubs, 2:20 ET
Gallardo: Brewers are 5-11 SU in road day games in 2013
Villanueva: Under is 10-5 when Villanueva starts a day game

Milwaukee at Chicago Cubs 8:05 ET
Thornburg: Brewers 6-1 SU in last seven night games played at Wrigley Field
Arrieta: Over is 10-1 in last 11 Cubs home night games

St. Louis at Pittsburgh, 7:35 ET
Lyons: Cardinals 12-4 SU in road day games in 2013
Gomez: Under is 23-12-1 for Pirate home night games in 2013

San Francisco at Philadelphia, 7:05 ET
Zito: Giants 1-8 SU in 2013 when Zito starts on the road
Lannan: Phillies are 6-1 SU last seven games when playing at home after a loss

Colorado at Atlanta, 7:10 ET MLB
Nicasio: Over is 8-3 in Nicasio's last 11 road starts
Wood: Braves 17-9 in home night games versus RH starter in 2013

New York Mets at Miami, 7:10 ET
Wheeler: Over is 6-0-1 in Wheeler's career starts
Eovaldi: Marlins 5-2 SU last seven home games

Cincinnati at San Diego, 10:10 ET MLB
Latos: Over is 8-3-1 in Latos' 2013 road starts
Volquez: Padres 3-7 SU in home starts by Volquez in 2013


American League

Houston at Baltimore, 7:05 ET
Norris: Astros 6-17 SU since 2011 when Norris starts on road after team lost in his previous start
Chen: Over is 7-3-1 for MLB teams coming off shutout loss in first game of home series w/total over 8 in 2013

Chicago White Sox at Cleveland, 7:05 ET
Peavy: White Sox 2-13 SU in 2013 when facing LH starter
Kazmir: Indians 6-2 SU when Kazmir starts at home in 2013

Seattle at Boston, 7:10 ET MLB
Saunders: Mariners 3-11 SU since 2008 when team allowed 10 or more runs in starter's last effort
Workman: Red Sox 14-3 SU in home series openers in 2013

Los Angeles Angels at Texas, 8:05 ET
Wilson: Over is 9-2 when Wilson pitches on the road in 2013
Holland: Rangers 0-5 SU in Holland's last five home starts

Kansas City at Minnesota, 8:10 ET
Santana: Last five Royals road series openers have been under
Pelfrey: Twins 4-2 SU in 2013 in first game of a homestand

Toronto at Oakland, 10:05 ET
Buehrle: Under is 6-3-1 when Buehrle starts on the road for Blue Jays
Straily: Athletics 8-3 SU when Straily starts at home


Interleague

Washington at Detroit, 7:08 ET
Strasburg: Nationals 3-7 SU last 10 road starts by Strasburg
Sanchez: Over is 5-1 when Sanchez starts first game of a home series for Tigers

Arizona at Tampa Bay, 7:10 ET
Kennedy: Diamondbacks 5-11 SU in road series openers in 2013
Hernandez: Over is 6-3-1 when Hernandez starts at home for the Rays

New York Yankees at Los Angeles Dodgers, 10:10 ET MLB
Pettitte: Yankees 1-5 SU last six road series openers
Nolasco: Under is 3-1 when Nolasco has started for the Dodgers


Make-up

St. Louis at Pittsburgh, 4:05 ET MLB
Lynn: Under is 6-1 in Lynn's last six starts
Burnett: Under is 7-2 when Burnett starts at home in 2013
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[StarDust Bum]

MLB
Armadillo's Write-Up

Tuesday, July 30

Hot pitchers
-- Mets won last four Wheeler starts (3-0, 3.97), scoring 31 runs.
-- Lannan has a 3.24 RA in his last four starts.
-- Nicasio is 2-0, 0.47 in his last three starts.

-- Strasburg is 3-2, 3.21 in eight starts since coming off the DL. Sanchez is 3-2, 2.73 in his last six starts.
-- Greinke is 5-1, 2.76 in his last seven starts.

-- WChen is 3-0, 1.69 in his last five starts.
-- Kazmir is 2-0, 2.66 in his last three starts.
-- Workman has a 2.92 RA in two starts for Boston. Saunders is 4-1, 3.52 in his last five starts.
-- Wilson is 8-1, 2.55 in his last five starts. Holland is 1-2, 2.42 in his last three starts.
-- Santana is 1-0, 1.76 in his last couple starts. Pelfrey has a 2.28 RA in his last four outings.
-- Straily is 2-2, 3.21 in his last five starts.

Cold pitchers
-- Gallardo is 2-3, 8.07 in his last six starts. Villanueva is 0-6, 6.59 in his last eight starts. This is Arrieta's first start for the Cubs; he was 1-2, 7.23 in five starts for Orioles, last of which was June 17. This is Thornburg's first '13 start; he is 0-9, 5.79 in 15 AAA starts this year; he's allowed six runs in 18.1 IP in six big league games this year- he made four MLB starts (4.50 ERA) LY.
-- Burnett is 0-1, 5.01 in his last four starts. Lyons is 0-3, 8.68 in his last four starts, last of which was June 21. Lynn is 1-2, 6.06 in his last three starts.
-- Zito is 0-4, 6.22 in his last nine starts.
-- Braves lost both Wood starts (0-1, 6.14).
-- Eovaldi is 1-1, 4.76 in his last four starts.
-- Former Red Volquez is 2-2, 7.84 in his last four starts. Former Padre Latos has a 5.52 RA in his last five starts.

-- Kennedy is 0-3, 7.33 in his last four starts. Hernandez is 2-5, 5.56 in his last seven starts.
-- Pettitte is 2-5, 5.66 in his last eight starts.

-- Norris is 0-2, 8.47 in his last three starts.
-- Peavy is 2-2, 9.31 in his last four starts.
-- Buehrle is 0-2, 8.47 in his last three road starts.

Starting Pitchers/First Inning
You can wager on whether teams will score in the first inning. You're reading ***************.com. Below is how often a starting pitcher has allowed 1+ runs in first inning in one of his starts........
-- Gallardo 5-22 Thornburg 0-0; Villanueva 7-12; Arrieta 3-10
-- Lynn 5-21 Lyons 2-6; Burnett 5-18 Undecided as of 4am
-- Zito 7-20; Lannan 3-10
-- Nicasio 7-19; Wood 0-2
-- Wheeler 4-7; Eovaldi 2-7
-- Latos 8-21; Volquez 7-22

-- Strasburg 5-20; Sanchez 4-17
-- Kennedy 8-20; Hernandez 7-19
-- Pettitte 8-18 (5 of last 5); Greinke 5-16

-- Norris 7-21; Chen 3-11
-- Peavy 2-13; Kazmir 4-18
-- Saunders 6-21; Workman 1-2
-- Wilson 4-20; Holland 2-21
-- Santana 8-21; Pelfrey 7-18
-- Buehrle 5-21; Straily 3-16

Totals
-- Four of last five Milwaukee games went over the total; seven of last nine Cub games stayed under.
-- Six of last eight St Louis games stayed under total.
-- Seven of last nine Colorado road games stayed under.
-- Four of last five San Francisco games stayed under.
-- 11 of last 13 Marlin games stayed under the total.
-- Under is 5-1-1 in last seven Cincinnati games.

-- Three of last four Detroit games went over the total.
-- Seven of last nine Tampa Bay games stayed under total.
-- Under is 6-3-1 in last ten Bronx games.

-- Under is 4-1-1 in last six Baltimore games.
-- Eight of last ten Cleveland games stayed under total.
-- Six of last seven Boston games stayed under the total.
-- Under is 7-1-1 in last nine Texas games.
-- Under is 5-0-1 in last six Kansas City games.
-- Six of last eight Toronto games went over the total.

Hot teams
-- Cubs won four of their last six games.
-- Pirates won four of their last five home games.
-- Marlins won five of their last eight games.
-- Braves won four of their last five games. Colorado is 8-1 in game following its last nine losses.
-- San Diego won six of its last eight games.

-- Detroit won seven of its last eight games. Nationals won four of their last five games.
-- Tampa Bay won 22 of its last 26 games.
-- Dodgers won 26 of their last 32 games.

-- Mariners won eight of their last 11 games. Boston won 13 of its last 19 games at Fenway Park.
-- Indians won their last five games, scoring 31 runs.
-- Kansas City won its last six games, allowing nine runs. Twins won eight of their last twelve.
-- A's won 13 of their last 17 home games.

Cold teams
-- Brewers lost five of their last eight games.
-- Cardinals lost their last four games, scoring five runs.
-- Phillies lost their last eight games, outscored 52-14. Giants lost seven of their last eight games.
-- Mets lost three of their last four games.
-- Reds lost their last four games, scoring three runs total.

-- Arizona lost 12 of its last 16 road games.
-- Bronx lost eight of its last twelve games.

-- Astros lost 13 of their last 16 games; Baltimore lost five of last six.
-- White Sox lost seven of their last eight games.
-- Rangers lost four of their last five games; Angels lost seven of last nine.
-- Blue Jays lost four of their last five road games.

[StarDust Bum]

MLB

Tuesday, July 30

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Trend Report
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2:20 PM
MILWAUKEE vs. CHI CUBS
Milwaukee is 8-3 SU in their last 11 games when playing on the road against Chi Cubs
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Milwaukee's last 6 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Chi Cubs's last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Chi Cubs's last 10 games when playing Milwaukee

4:05 PM
ST. LOUIS vs. PITTSBURGH
St. Louis is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Pittsburgh
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of St. Louis's last 10 games when playing on the road against Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing St. Louis
Pittsburgh is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games

7:05 PM
SAN FRANCISCO vs. PHILADELPHIA
San Francisco is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of San Francisco's last 6 games when playing Philadelphia
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Philadelphia's last 6 games when playing San Francisco
Philadelphia is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against San Francisco

7:05 PM
HOUSTON vs. BALTIMORE
Houston is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Baltimore
Houston is 2-10 SU in its last 12 games
Baltimore is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Houston
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Baltimore's last 6 games at home

7:05 PM
ST. LOUIS vs. PITTSBURGH
St. Louis is 1-4-1 SU in its last 6 games ,when playing Pittsburgh
St. Louis is 0-4-1 SU in its last 5 games ,
Pittsburgh4-1-1 SU in its last 6 games at home
Pittsburgh4-1-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against St. Louis

7:05 PM
CHI WHITE SOX vs. CLEVELAND
Chi White Sox are 1-7 SU in their last 8 games
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Chi White Sox's last 8 games when playing Cleveland
Cleveland is 4-2 SU in their last 6 games when playing at home against Chi White Sox
Cleveland is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home

7:08 PM
WASHINGTON vs. DETROIT
Washington is 5-10 SU in its last 15 games
The total has gone UNDER in 12 of Washington's last 18 games
Detroit is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Detroit's last 6 games when playing at home against Washington

7:10 PM
COLORADO vs. ATLANTA
Colorado is 6-14 SU in its last 20 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Colorado's last 5 games on the road
Atlanta is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
Atlanta is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing Colorado

7:10 PM
SEATTLE vs. BOSTON
Seattle is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing Boston
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Seattle's last 5 games when playing Boston
Boston is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing Seattle
The total has gone UNDER in 11 of Boston's last 12 games at home

7:10 PM
ARIZONA vs. TAMPA BAY
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Arizona's last 6 games
Arizona is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Tampa Bay
The total has gone UNDER in 13 of Tampa Bay's last 16 games
Tampa Bay is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Arizona

7:10 PM
NY METS vs. MIAMI
The total has gone OVER in 4 of NY Mets's last 5 games when playing on the road against Miami
NY Mets are 2-5 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Miami
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Miami's last 5 games when playing at home against NY Mets
Miami is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against NY Mets

8:05 PM
MILWAUKEE vs. CHI CUBS
Milwaukee8-3-1 SU in their last 12 games when playing on the road against Chi Cubs
Milwaukee is 5-11-1 SU in its last 17 games ,on the road
Chi Cubs are 1-3-1 SU in their last 5 games ,at home
Chi Cubs are 4-14-1 SU in their last 19 games ,when playing Milwaukee

8:05 PM
LA ANGELS vs. TEXAS
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of LA Angels's last 13 games
The total has gone OVER in 7 of LA Angels's last 9 games when playing on the road against Texas
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Texas's last 6 games when playing LA Angels
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Texas's last 6 games

8:10 PM
KANSAS CITY vs. MINNESOTA
Kansas City is 10-4 SU in its last 14 games when playing Minnesota
Kansas City is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Minnesota's last 5 games at home
Minnesota is 8-4 SU in its last 12 games

10:05 PM
TORONTO vs. OAKLAND
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Toronto's last 7 games when playing Oakland
Toronto is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Oakland is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 12 of Oakland's last 17 games

10:10 PM
CINCINNATI vs. SAN DIEGO
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Cincinnati's last 5 games when playing San Diego
Cincinnati is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of San Diego's last 10 games
San Diego is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games

10:10 PM
NY YANKEES vs. LA DODGERS
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of NY Yankees's last 7 games on the road
NY Yankees are 4-8 SU in their last 12 games
LA Dodgers are 9-1 SU in their last 10 games
The total has gone UNDER in 13 of LA Dodgers's last 19 games

[StarDust Bum]

MLB

Tuesday, July 30

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Tuesday's MLB betting notes and tips
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NATIONAL

Milwaukee Brewers at Chicago Cubs (-115, OFF) (Game 1)

Cold pitching stat: Brewers starter Yovani Gallardo was chased from the game in his last start against the Cubs on June 26. The righty lasted just four innings, giving up eight hits, four walks and three earned runs en route to the 5-4 loss.

Hot batting stat: Cubs SS Starlin Castro is 13-for-31 in his career against Gallardo.

Weather: Temperatures will be in the low-70s with cloudy skies and a 30 percent chance of rain. Wind will blow from right field to left field at 9 mph.

Key betting note: The Brewers are 12-2 in Gallardo's last 14 road starts versus a team with a losing record.


St. Louis Cardinals at Pittsburgh Pirates (OFF, OFF) (Game 1)

Hot pitching stat: Pirates starter A.J. Burnett is 2-0 with a 1.38 ERA in his two starts versus the Cardinals this season.

Cold batting stat: Cards hitters have managed just six hits and a .136 average versus Burnett this season.

Weather: Temperatures will be in the low-70s with partly cloudy skies. Wind will blow out to left field at 2 mph.

Key betting note: The under is 7-3 in the last 10 meetings in Pittsburgh.


San Francisco Giants at Philadelphia Phillies (-133, 9)

Cold pitching stat: Giants starter Barry Zito is 0-1 with a 7.02 ERA in four July starts.

Hot batting stat: Giants OF Jeff Francoeur is 15-for-28 (.536) lifetime versus Phillies starter John Lannan. He has six doubles, one homer and six RBIs.

Weather: Temperatures will be in the high-70s with mostly sunny skies and a 10 percent chance of rain. Wind will blow from left field to right field at 4 mph.

Key betting note: The Phillies are 0-8 in their last eight overall.


Colorado Rockies at Atlanta Braves (-152, 8)

Hot pitching stat: Rockies starter Juan Nicasio is 1-0 with a 0.75 ERA in his last two road starts.

Hot batting stat: Rockies SS Troy Tulowitzki went 6-for-12 with two homers and a double in the Rockies' previous three-game series against Milwaukee.

Weather: Temperatures will be in the mid-80s with partly cloudy skies. Wind will blow in from center field at 1 mph.

Key betting note: Rockies are 1-5 in Nicasio's last six starts versus the National League East.


New York Mets at Miami Marlins (-114, 7.5)

Hot pitching stat: Mets starter Zack Wheeler is 3-0 with a 2.78 ERA in four July starts. The Mets have won all four games.

Hot batting stat: Mets 1B Ike Davis is 3-for-8 (.375) with two homers and six RBIs in his career against Marlins starter Nate Eovaldi.

Weather: Temperatures will be in the low-90s with partly cloudy skies. Wind will blow in from center field at 8 mph. There is a 20 percent chance of rain in the forecast, so the roof in Miami could be closed.

Key betting note: The Marlins are 4-10 in their last 14 games with umpire Joe West behind home plate.


St. Louis Cardinals at Pittsburgh Pirates (OFF, OFF) (Game 2)

Hot pitching stat: Cards starter Tyler Lyons is 0-3 with an 8.68 ERA in July.

Cold batting stat: Pirates slugger Pedro Alvarez hit his first homer of the season against Cardinals pitching Monday night.

Weather: Temperatures will be in the low-70s with partly cloudy skies. Wind will blow from right field to left field at 2 mph.

Key betting note: The Cardinals are 8-1 in their last nine second games of a double-header.


Milwaukee Brewers at Chicago Cubs (OFF, OFF) (Game 2)

Cold pitching stat: Scheduled Brewers starter Tyler Thornburg has a 5.79 ERA in 9 1/3 innings out of the bullpen in three July appearances.

Hot batting stat: Prior to Monday's game, Brewers SS Jean Segura was 2-for-4 with a double and a triple this season at Wrigley Field.

Weather: There is a 20 percent chance of rain in the forecast. Temperatures will be in the low-70s with cloudy skies. Wind will blow from right field to left field at 9 mph.

Key betting note: The Brewers are 5-21 in their last 26 during Game 3 of a series.


Cincinnati Reds at San Diego Padres (+138, 7.5)

Cold pitching stat: Padres starter Edinson Volquez has not lasted longer than 5 1/3 innings in each of his previous four starts. He is 2-2 with a 7.84 ERA in those four starts.

Cold batting stat: The Padres roster has a collective batting average of .214 versus Reds starter Mat Latos.

Weather: Temperatures will be in the mid-60s with partly cloudy skies. Wind will blow in from center field at 5 mph.

Key betting note: The Reds are 12-2 in Latos' last 14 starts during Game 2 of a series.


AMERICAN

Houston Astros at Baltimore Orioles (-245, 8.5)

Cold pitching stat: Astros starter Bud Norris has surrendered 21 hits, 16 earned runs and four homers in his last three starts. Houston has lost all three outings.

Cold batting stat: O's slugger Chris Davis has not homered in the Orioles' 10 games since the All-Star break.

Weather: Temperatures will be in the low-80s with partly cloudy skies. Wind will blow out to left field at 1 mph.

Key betting note: The Astros are 0-12 in Norris' last 12 road starts versus a team with a winning record.


Chicago White Sox at Cleveland Indians (-145, 7.5)

Hot pitching stat: Indians starter Scott Kazmir was excellent in his last start. He went eight innings giving up one hit en route to a 10-1 victory over the Seattle Mariners on July 24.

Cold batting stat: White Sox OF Alex Rios is 8-for-40 (.200) lifetime versus Kazmir. Of the eight hits, however, Rios has two doubles, two triples and a homer.

Weather: Temperatures will be in the low-70s with partly cloudy skies. Wind will blow from right field to left field at 4 mph.

Key betting note: The White Sox are 0-5 in the last five meetings.


Seattle Mariners at Boston Red Sox (-165, 10)

Cold pitching stat: Mariners starter Joe Saunders was hammered in his last outing. He gave up six runs (five earned) on nine hits in 4 2/3 innings in a 10-1 loss versus Cleveland.

Cold batting stat: Sox C Jarrod Saltalamacchia is 1-for-11 (.091) in his career versus Saunders.

Weather: Temperatures will be in the mid-70s with sunny skies. Wind will blow out to right field at 4 mph.

Key betting note: The Mariners are 8-0 in their last eight during Game 1 of a series.


Los Angeles Angels at Texas Rangers (-129, 8.5)

Cold pitching stat: Rangers starter Derek Holland has given up eight earned runs in 12 2/3 innings over his two starts versus the Angels this season.

Hot batting stat: Angels 2B Howie Kendrick owns Holland. Kendrick is 16-for-43 (.372) with seven doubles, two homers and 12 RBIs in his career versus the Texas lefty.

Weather: Temperatures will be in the mid-90s with sunny skies. Wind will blow in from right field at 9 mph.

Key betting note: The Angels are 7-1 in SP C.J. Wilson's last eight starts.


Kansas City Royals at Minnesota Twins (+115, 8)

Hot pitching stat: Royals starter Ervin Santana is 1-0 with a 2.57 ERA in two starts versus the Twins this season.

Cold batting stat: Royals 3B Miguel Tejada is 1-for-12 (.083) in his career versus slated Twins starter Mike Pelfrey.

Weather: Temperatures will be in the high-70s with mostly cloudy skies. Wind will blow in from right field at 5 mph.

Key betting note: The Royals are 10-4 in the last 14 meetings.


Toronto Blue Jays at Oakland A's (-153, 8)

Hot pitching stat: Jays hurler Mark Buehrle had his best outing of the season in his last start. Buehrle tossed a two-hit complete game in a 4-0 win over the Houston Astros on July 25.

Hot batting stat: A's OF Coco Crisp is 16-for-49 (.327) with three homers in his career against Buehrle.

Weather: Temperatures will be in the high-50s with mostly sunny skies. Wind will blow out to right field at 11 mph.

Key betting note: The under is 6-1 in Buehrle's last seven road starts.


INTERLEAGUE

New York Yankees at Los Angeles Dodgers (-170, 7.5)

Hot pitching stat: Dodgers starter Zack Greinke is 3-1 with a 2.65 ERA in five July starts.

Hot batting stat: Dodgers SS Hanley Ramirez is 6-for-10 with two doubles and three RBIs in his career versus Yankees starter Andy Pettitte.

Weather: Temperatures will be in the high-60s with sunny skies. Wind will blow out to right field at 5 mph.

Key betting note: The Dodgers are 7-0 in their last seven Tuesday games.


Washington Nationals at Detroit Tigers (-130, 7.5)

Cold pitching stat: Nats ace Stephen Strasburg has given up one home run in each of his last four starts. He is 1-2 in those starts and the Nats are 1-3.

Cold batting stat: Nats OF Jayson Werth is 5-for-30 (.167) in his career versus Tigers starter Anibal Sanchez.

Weather: Temperatures will be in the low-70s with mostly cloudy skies. Wind will blow in from center field at 6 mph.

Key betting note: The over is 5-1-1 in Sanchez's last seven starts overall.


Arizona Diamondbacks at Tampa Bay Rays (-147, 8.5)

Cold pitching stat: DBacks starter Ian Kennedy is 0-3 with a 5.48 ERA in his last four starts overall.

Hot batting stat: DBacks OF Jason Kubel is 14-for-38 (.368) with three homers and 11 RBIs lifetime versus Rays starter Roberto Hernandez.

Weather: Dome.

Key betting note: The Diamondbacks are 0-5 in Kennedy's last five interleague starts.


** Odds, probable starting pitchers, stats and weather forecast as of 10:17 p.m. ET Monday

[StarDust Bum]

MLB

Tuesday, July 30

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MLB Top 4: Division long shots worth a wager
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The MLB post-break schedule is well underway. Teams are turning the corner with the playoff push on the horizon.

These four clubs, who currently sit back of their division leaders, are starting to pick up steam and could provide solid value to win their division crown if you grab their futures odds now.

Washington Nationals (+800 to win NL East)

The Nationals failed to meet expectations in the first half of the season and find themselves 8.5 games back of the Braves in the NL East. Washington took three of four versus the Mets and has a five-game road trip to Detroit and Milwaukee this week. The Nats pitching staff is among the best in the majors and if the bats can catch up, they could put together a strong push in the final two months of the schedule.

Kansas City Royals (+5,000 to win the AL Central)

At first glance, rolling the dice on the Royals would seem like throwing your money down the tubes. And maybe at second and third glance, as well. But Kansas City is one of the hottest clubs in the majors right now, winning six straight heading into Tuesday, and is only seven back of the Tigers in the AL Central. The Royals can trim that lead with some cupcakes on sked – playing six of their next nine games against the Twins. The other three games are versus the Mets.

Baltimore Orioles (+700 to win AL East)

A quick look at the latest MLB futures might cause you to scrunch up your face when you get the Orioles. Baltimore is among the top contenders to win the World Series, priced at +1,200 – just behind the AL East-leading Red Sox (+1,000). The O’s dropped two of three to Boston this weekend but have smooth sailing into mid August, with upcoming series against the Astros, Mariners, Padres, and Giants. Baltimore can turn it on late, going 37-18 in August and September last season.

Colorado Rockies (+2,500 to win NL West)

The National League West is a frickin’ gong show. The Dodgers, who were once the worst bet in baseball, are on fire at the top of the division and the defending World Series champs, the San Francisco Giants, are 7-16 this month. Who’s to say the Rockies couldn’t once again put together a late-season run? Colorado is only six games out of the NL West lead and closes the sked with a three-game set at Dodgers Stadium. Could that be a division-deciding series in late September?

[StarDust Bum]

MLB
Long Sheet

Tuesday, July 30

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MILWAUKEE (44 - 61) at CHICAGO CUBS (48 - 56) - 1:05 PM
YOVANI GALLARDO (R) vs. CARLOS VILLANUEVA (R)
Top Trends for this game.
MILWAUKEE is 44-61 (-18.8 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
MILWAUKEE is 52-79 (-28.1 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
MILWAUKEE is 11-25 (-15.1 Units) against the money line in day games this season.
MILWAUKEE is 44-61 (-18.8 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
MILWAUKEE is 61-64 (-19.2 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
GALLARDO is 32-40 (-18.6 Units) against the money line in day games since 1997. (Team's Record)
CHICAGO CUBS are 28-21 (+16.2 Units) against the money line in July games over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO CUBS are 29-26 (+10.6 Units) against the money line after a loss this season.
CHICAGO CUBS are 24-17 (+8.9 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
GALLARDO is 32-9 (+18.9 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season since 1997. (Team's Record)
CHICAGO CUBS are 1296-1423 (-260.0 Units) against the money line in all games since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 694-662 (-152.5 Units) against the money line in home games since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 19-44 (-21.9 Units) against the money line when playing on Tuesday over the last 3 seasons.
CHICAGO CUBS are 46-79 (-22.5 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO CUBS are 702-723 (-131.0 Units) against the money line in day games since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 1239-1339 (-237.8 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 948-1046 (-184.8 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
MILWAUKEE is 6-3 (+2.7 Units) against CHICAGO CUBS this season
5 of 8 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+1.7 Units)

YOVANI GALLARDO vs. CHICAGO CUBS since 1997
GALLARDO is 7-3 when starting against CHICAGO CUBS with an ERA of 3.12 and a WHIP of 1.256.
His team's record is 10-5 (+4.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 6-9. (-4.3 units)

CARLOS VILLANUEVA vs. MILWAUKEE since 1997
No recent starts.

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MILWAUKEE (44 - 61) at CHICAGO CUBS (48 - 56) - 8:05 PM
TYLER THORNBURG (R) vs. JAKE ARRIETA (R)
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
MILWAUKEE is 6-3 (+2.7 Units) against CHICAGO CUBS this season
5 of 8 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+1.7 Units)

TYLER THORNBURG vs. CHICAGO CUBS since 1997
No recent starts.

JAKE ARRIETA vs. MILWAUKEE since 1997
No recent starts.

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ST LOUIS (62 - 41) at PITTSBURGH (62 - 42) - 7:05 PM
LANCE LYNN (R) vs. JEANMAR GOMEZ (R)
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
PITTSBURGH is 4-2 (+2.9 Units) against ST LOUIS this season
5 of 6 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+4.1 Units)

LANCE LYNN vs. PITTSBURGH since 1997
LYNN is 4-1 when starting against PITTSBURGH with an ERA of 4.37 and a WHIP of 1.200.
His team's record is 5-1 (+3.1 units) in these starts. The OVER is 5-1. (+4.0 units)

JEANMAR GOMEZ vs. ST LOUIS since 1997
No recent starts.

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SAN FRANCISCO (46 - 58) at PHILADELPHIA (49 - 56) - 7:05 PM
BARRY ZITO (L) vs. JOHN LANNAN (L)
Top Trends for this game.
SAN FRANCISCO is 46-58 (-22.6 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 7-16 (-13.9 Units) against the money line in July games this season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 3-11 (-9.2 Units) against the money line when playing with a day off this season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 46-56 (-20.4 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 27-36 (-14.8 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 21-35 (-20.8 Units) against the money line after a loss this season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 17-31 (-22.4 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 392-310 (+59.1 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 since 1997.
SAN FRANCISCO is 199-176 (+38.6 Units) against the money line on the road when the total is 9 to 9.5 since 1997.
SAN FRANCISCO is 54-39 (+13.2 Units) against the money line against left-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 21-7 (+13.1 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 2 seasons.
ZITO is 33-22 (+15.9 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
ZITO is 68-39 (+32.5 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 since 1997. (Team's Record)
ZITO is 42-29 (+20.0 Units) against the money line on the road when the total is 9 to 9.5 since 1997. (Team's Record)
ZITO is 33-21 (+16.9 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
PHILADELPHIA is 130-137 (-28.2 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 66-62 (-15.1 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 130-134 (-25.2 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 34-43 (-15.3 Units) against the money line against left-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 60-73 (-21.9 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 20-26 (-11.1 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
PHILADELPHIA is 2-1 (+1.6 Units) against SAN FRANCISCO this season
2 of 3 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+1.0 Units)

BARRY ZITO vs. PHILADELPHIA since 1997
ZITO is 3-3 when starting against PHILADELPHIA with an ERA of 4.14 and a WHIP of 1.160.
His team's record is 4-4 (+0.2 units) in these starts. The OVER is 4-4. (-0.2 units)

JOHN LANNAN vs. SAN FRANCISCO since 1997
LANNAN is 0-1 when starting against SAN FRANCISCO with an ERA of 1.74 and a WHIP of 1.403.
His team's record is 0-3 (-3.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-2. (-1.1 units)

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COLORADO (51 - 56) at ATLANTA (61 - 45) - 7:10 PM
JUAN NICASIO (R) vs. ALEX WOOD (L)
Top Trends for this game.
COLORADO is 115-154 (-28.2 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
COLORADO is 138-244 (-55.3 Units) against the money line as a road underdog of +125 to +150 since 1997.
COLORADO is 70-151 (-63.8 Units) against the money line in road games in July games since 1997.
COLORADO is 188-242 (-56.6 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 3 seasons.
COLORADO is 29-59 (-28.3 Units) against the money line against left-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
COLORADO is 26-60 (-23.7 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season over the last 3 seasons.
ATLANTA is 155-114 (+19.1 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 35-15 (+11.8 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
ATLANTA is 35-15 (+11.8 Units) against the money line in home games in games played on a grass field this season.
ATLANTA is 109-71 (+22.6 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 94-61 (+19.1 Units) against the money line after a win over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
ATLANTA is 3-1 (+1.9 Units) against COLORADO this season
3 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+2.1 Units)

JUAN NICASIO vs. ATLANTA since 1997
NICASIO is 0-2 when starting against ATLANTA with an ERA of 7.54 and a WHIP of 1.884.
His team's record is 1-2 (-1.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-1. (-0.3 units)

ALEX WOOD vs. COLORADO since 1997
No recent starts.

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NY METS (47 - 56) at MIAMI (40 - 64) - 7:10 PM
ZACK WHEELER (R) vs. NATHAN EOVALDI (R)
Top Trends for this game.
NY METS are 66-93 (-22.9 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
NY METS are 25-42 (-18.2 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
NY METS are 37-24 (+18.7 Units) against the money line as a road underdog of +100 to +125 over the last 3 seasons.
NY METS are 64-69 (+12.0 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
NY METS are 103-105 (+26.0 Units) against the money line in road games in games played on a grass field over the last 3 seasons.
NY METS are 54-44 (+16.2 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 29-18 (+15.5 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.
MIAMI is 109-157 (-32.8 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
MIAMI is 92-119 (-33.9 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 3 seasons.
MIAMI is 108-153 (-29.9 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
MIAMI is 64-93 (-35.1 Units) against the money line in home games in night games over the last 3 seasons.
MIAMI is 72-110 (-28.3 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
MIAMI is 96-147 (-40.4 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
MIAMI is 8-4 (+7.6 Units) against NY METS this season
7 of 11 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+3.0 Units)

ZACK WHEELER vs. MIAMI since 1997
No recent starts.

NATHAN EOVALDI vs. NY METS since 1997
EOVALDI is 1-2 when starting against NY METS with an ERA of 3.74 and a WHIP of 1.431.
His team's record is 2-2 (+0.7 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-2. (-0.1 units)
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CINCINNATI (59 - 48) at SAN DIEGO (49 - 58) - 10:10 PM
MAT LATOS (R) vs. EDINSON VOLQUEZ (R)
Top Trends for this game.
SAN DIEGO is 125-144 (+3.7 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
SAN DIEGO is 125-141 (+6.7 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
SAN DIEGO is 18-9 (+9.9 Units) against the money line in home games after a win this season.
SAN DIEGO is 19-12 (+11.0 Units) against the money line after 3 or more consecutive wins over the last 2 seasons.
CINCINNATI is 158-116 (+14.6 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
CINCINNATI is 642-715 (+55.2 Units) against the money line in road games since 1997.
CINCINNATI is 158-116 (+14.6 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
CINCINNATI is 419-463 (+37.3 Units) against the money line in road games in night games since 1997.
CINCINNATI is 464-514 (+46.4 Units) against the money line in road games against right-handed starters since 1997.
CINCINNATI is 71-43 (+21.6 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 2 seasons.
CINCINNATI is 91-52 (+18.3 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
CINCINNATI is 202-164 (+45.3 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.
LATOS is 37-18 (+13.5 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
LATOS is 16-5 (+11.8 Units) against the money line when playing on Tuesday since 1997. (Team's Record)
LATOS is 37-18 (+13.5 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
SAN DIEGO is 1-0 (+1.3 Units) against CINCINNATI this season
1 of 1 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+1.0 Units)

MAT LATOS vs. SAN DIEGO since 1997
LATOS is 0-0 when starting against SAN DIEGO with an ERA of 0.00 and a WHIP of 0.857.
His team's record is 0-1 (-1.4 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-0. (+1.0 units)

EDINSON VOLQUEZ vs. CINCINNATI since 1997
VOLQUEZ is 1-0 when starting against CINCINNATI with an ERA of 4.50 and a WHIP of 1.417.
His team's record is 2-0 (+2.6 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-1. (-0.1 units)