The Bum's Aug. MLB Best Bets + Pod's !

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Red Sox (72-50) at Blue Jays (55-65)
Game: 3
Venue: Rogers Centre
Date: August 15, 2013 7:07 PM EDT


Although this hasn't been a very good road trip for the Boston Red Sox, the sting has been diminished by a slump from their closest pursuer in the AL East.

With a .500 trip the best possible outcome, the Red Sox try to avoid their second consecutive series loss Thursday night against the Toronto Blue Jays.

When Boston (72-50) left for this 10-game trip Aug. 4, it held a one-game lead over Tampa Bay in the division. Five losses in nine games gave the Rays a golden opportunity to close the gap, but they lost a season-high six straight before rallying for a 5-4 victory over Seattle on Wednesday to move within three games of the Red Sox.

Poor starting pitching has been Boston's biggest problem on the trip, with the rotation posting a 4.93 ERA. Jon Lester, though, wasn't to blame for Wednesday's 4-3, 10-inning loss as his quality start was offset by his team's 1-for-9 performance with runners in scoring position.

The Red Sox left the bases loaded in the ninth and stranded runners at first and second in the 10th.

``Late in the game, we continue to put up good at_bats,' manager John Farrell said. ``Unfortunately, that two-out hit that can make the difference was elusive in both innings.'

Slumping Mike Napoli forced extras with a two-out, two-run homer in the ninth. Napoli, who hadn't homered since July 24 and was dropped to seventh in the order, is batting .128 (6 for 47) with 20 strikeouts in his last 13 games.

``Hopefully that puts him in a good frame of mind,' Lester said. ``He should be pumped about that, he should be excited.'

David Ortiz hit his team-leading 23rd home run for Boston and is batting .424 (14 for 33) on the trip. His 32 home runs at Rogers Centre are his most at any stadium other then Fenway Park.

The Red Sox need a win in the finale to avoid losing consecutive series for the first time since dropping three in a row May 3-12.

Brett Lawrie singled home the winning run to give the Blue Jays (55-65) their second victory in seven games. That was the only hit of the night for Lawrie, batting .407 in his last 16 contests.

He'll look to continue that hot stretch against Jake Peavy (9-4, 4.50 ERA), who has had mixed results in his first two starts with Boston. The veteran right-hander threw seven strong innings in a 5-2 win over Arizona in his Red Sox debut Aug. 3, but allowed six runs and a season-high 10 hits over five-plus innings before leaving without a decision in a 9-6 loss at Kansas City on Friday.

``You've got to win games when your offense scores six," Peavy said. "I didn't feel good stuff-wise or control-wise.'

Peavy is 2-0 with a 2.15 ERA in his last four starts against the Blue Jays. He's been especially tough on sluggers Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion, who are a combined 6 for 32 (.187) in this matchup.

Toronto counters with Mark Buehrle (8-7, 4.43), who aims to continue his best stretch of the season. The left-hander is 3-0 with a 2.63 ERA in his last four starts after posting a 5.52 ERA in his previous five outings. He wasn't at his best in a 5-4 win over Oakland on Saturday though, yielding three runs and seven hits in 5 1-3 innings.

Buehrle is 0-4 with a 4.97 ERA in eight starts against the Red Sox since last beating them Sept. 7, 2009, with the White Sox.

Ortiz is batting .358 with three homers and nine doubles against Buehrle, while Jonny Gomes (7 for 21) and Will Middlebrooks (5 for 10) also have fared well.

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SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Red Sox at Blue Jays
Tue, Aug 13 Final 4 to 2
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Red Sox at Blue Jays
Wed, Aug 14 Final 3 to 4
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Red Sox at Blue Jays
Thu, Aug 15 - 7:07PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Mariners (55-64) at Rays (67-51)
Game: 3
Venue: Tropicana Field
Date: August 15, 2013 7:10 PM EDT


Alex Cobb appears more eager than nervous about making his first appearance in exactly two months for the Tampa Bay Rays.

Fully recovered from taking a line drive to the head, Cobb looks to help the struggling Rays take a three-game set from the visiting Seattle Mariners on Thursday night.

Cobb (6-2, 3.01 ERA) was perhaps Tampa Bay's most effective starter prior to June 15, when he was struck in the right ear by a ball off the bat of Kansas City's Eric Hosmer in the fifth inning of a 5-3 victory at Tropicana Field.

Thankfully for the right-hander, he was conscious the whole time and left the hospital a day later.

"The fans have been so supportive through all this, whether they're sending in letters or tweeting me," Cobb told the Rays' official website. "It's going to be nice to make my return in front of them."

After his road to recovery included rest, three rehab starts and a battle with a blister on his index finger, Cobb is anxious to get back on a major league mound.

"I'll probably get those first-time-out jitters and the adrenaline going," he said. "I'm really looking forward to getting out there again."

Manager Joe Maddon plans to limit Cobb to about 90 pitches as he tries to pick up where he left off before the injury.

"My mindset will be the same as it was when I was pitching before," said Cobb, who is 3-0 with a 3.35 ERA in his last eight starts overall and 4-0 with a 3.02 ERA in eight at home in 2013. "Hopefully the competitive side of me will take over, and I'll be able to keep this team in the ball game."

Cobb is 1-2 with a 3.52 ERA against the Mariners (75-87).

Tampa Bay (67-51) snapped a season-high six-game slide Wednesday when it rallied for a 5-4 victory over Seattle. Jason Bourgeois hit an RBI single to cap a two-run ninth for the Rays, who trail Boston by three games in the AL East.

"It's almost never easy,' Maddon said. "When things are getting a little bit awkward, it normally takes an awkward game to win, in order to get you back on task, on track.'

Rays rookie Wil Myers had a two-run homer - his only hit in 15 at_bats after batting .442 over his previous 77.

Seattle's own talented rookie shortstop - Orlando native Brad Miller - drove in two more runs and is 3 for 9 with four RBIs in the series.

Looking to bounce back after their three-game road winning streak ended, the Mariners hope Joe Saunders (10-11, 4.69) can turn things around in the finale.

The left-hander has a 7.20 ERA while dropping three of four following a season-high four-start winning stretch. He gave up nine runs - four earned on a grand slam to Yuniesky Betancourt - over 4 1-3 innings of a 10-5 loss to Milwaukee on Friday.

The Mariners committed three errors in that contest, and five in his last four outings.

Saunders is 0-2 with a 7.59 ERA against the Rays, but has not faced them since 2008.

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SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Mariners at Rays
Tue, Aug 13 Final 5 to 4
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Mariners at Rays
Wed, Aug 14 Final 4 to 5
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Mariners at Rays
Thu, Aug 15 - 7:10PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Reds (68-52) at Brewers (52-68)
Game: 1
Venue: Miller Park
Date: August 15, 2013 8:10 PM EDT


Superb pitching has the Cincinnati Reds on a roll, and they're hoping a favorable stretch of schedule will keep it that way.

Tony Cingrani, however, is just looking for some help this time.

Cingrani looks to give the Reds another strong performance on the mound, as they face the last-place Milwaukee Brewers for the first of seven meetings in a 10-game span Thursday night.

Cincinnati (68-52) holds one of league's two wild-card spots. The team is also third in the NL Central, one-half game behind second-place St. Louis and 3 1/2 back of Pittsburgh for first.

The Reds are gaining momentum in an effort to close that gap, winning seven of eight since an embarrassing 15-2 home loss to the Cardinals on Aug. 4.

"Sometimes a team has to hit rock bottom before you can start rolling," manager Dusty Baker said.

The pitching staff has been terrific since, compiling a 1.62 ERA over the past eight games. That may only continue in this four-game set with the Brewers, who are tied with Chicago in the division basement.

"If you don't have any (momentum) right now with this stretch we've got coming up against some teams that are not on the top of their game, we probably will never get any," right-hander Bronson Arroyo said.

Arroyo turned in the latest impressive outing for the Reds, allowing two hits in seven innings of a 5-0 win to complete a three-game sweep of the Cubs.

Cingrani (5-2, 2.87 ERA) is scheduled to take the mound for the first time since being charged with the Reds' only defeat over the past eight games. The rookie left-hander allowed two unearned runs and two hits with five strikeouts in five innings of a 3-1 loss to San Diego on Saturday, but he tossed 92 pitches since the defense committed three of its four errors behind him. The offense wasn't much better, mustering four singles.

"When you make four errors, there is four potential outs and it cost him probably 40 pitches or so," manager Dusty Baker told the team's official website.

Despite owning a 2.23 ERA with 45 strikeouts in 40 1-3 innings over seven starts since joining the rotation, Cingrani is just 2-2 since the offense has backed him with one or no runs in four of those outings.

One of the two defeats was a 2-0 loss at Milwaukee on July 9, when he allowed two runs and three hits while fanning 10 in seven innings.

Cincinnati had just three hits in that defeat.

The Brewers are expected to turn to Kyle Lohse (8-7, 3.26), who hasn't lost at home since falling to Texas on May 8.

The journeyman right-hander is 5-0 with a 2.56 ERA over his last seven starts at Miller Park, and Milwaukee has emerged victorious in each. He's also 3-0 with a 1.74 ERA in his last five games overall, and the Brewers have also won each of those.

Lohse extended his winning streaks Friday, earning a 10-5 victory at Seattle while allowing three runs with a season high-tying seven strikeouts in seven innings.

A meeting with the Reds would seem to be in his favor since he's 3-0 with a 1.95 ERA over his last eight starts against them. He beat them again July 8, allowing three runs in 6 2-3 innings of a 4-3 victory in Milwaukee.

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SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Reds at Brewers
Thu, Aug 15 - 8:10PM EDT

GAME 2
Reds at Brewers
Fri, Aug 16 - 8:10PM EDT

GAME 3
Reds at Brewers
Sat, Aug 17 - 7:10PM EDT

GAME 4
Reds at Brewers
Sun, Aug 18 - 2:10PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: White Sox (46-73) at Twins (53-65)
Game: 1
Venue: Target Field
Date: August 15, 2013 8:10 PM EDT


While the Minnesota Twins have fared very well against the Chicago White Sox this year, Mike Pelfrey hasn't had much to do with that success.

Looking to snap a season-worst four-game losing streak, Pelfrey goes for his first win in four tries against visiting Chicago in the opener of a four-game set Thursday night.

The Twins (53-65) entered this year having dropped 22 of 28 to the White Sox (46-73), but they have beat up on the AL Central's worst team. Minnesota has averaged 5.3 runs in taking nine of 12 in the series, including three of four in Chicago last weekend.

Its only loss during that set came Saturday with Pelfrey (4-10, 5.32 ERA) on the hill. The right-hander allowed five runs and a season-high five walks in that 5-4 defeat, dropping to 0-2 with a 7.80 ERA in three starts against the White Sox this year.

"Too many pitches early, again," manager Ron Gardenhire said of Pelfrey, who needed 98 pitches to get through five innings. "I think 47 pitches after two innings and it was going nowhere quick. It's not like he's not trying - we all know he's trying - but it's strike one and the next thing you know it's 3-2. ...The pace goes nowhere."

Paul Konerko is 4 for 6 with a double against Pelfrey, and Alexei Ramirez is 4 for 9.

Pelfrey has just one victory since May 10, going 1-7 with a 4.95 ERA in his last 15 starts. Since winning his first two home outings, Pelfrey is 0-4 with a 5.85 ERA in nine appearances at Target Field.

"This game's all about consistency," he told MLB's official website. "I'm fed up with going out there and throwing 100 pitches in four innings or five innings, whatever it is. ... There's no other way to put it. I've been atrocious. Terrible.

"It's frustrating. But I've gotta look myself in the mirror. There's no one else to blame but myself. I've gotta turn this thing around."

Chicago, meanwhile, gives Andre Rienzo (0-0, 4.42) his fourth start since getting called up July 30. The right-hander allowed four runs, seven hits and five walks in 5 1-3 innings opposite Pelfrey over the weekend.

"Bad. It's bad," Rienzo, who has walked 11 in 18 1-3 innings, said of his control. "Seriously. It's really bad. Bad games make you work harder for the next time, and that game there will for sure make me work harder for the next one."

Rienzo will need to be careful against Justin Morneau, who hit a three-run homer off him Saturday. Morneau is batting .333 with four homers and 16 RBIs in his last 10 games in the series.

The Twins had won eight of 11 before suffering back-to-back losses to Cleveland, including a 9-8, 12-inning defeat Wednesday. Joe Mauer went 5 for 7 with a homer and four RBIs, but Minnesota blew a four-run lead in the eighth inning.

The White Sox, a major league-worst 7-29 on the road since May 18, will be trying to avoid a 10th straight loss away from home. They haven't dropped that many consecutive road contests since an 11-game skid Aug. 14-Sept. 1, 2007.

Chicago posted back-to-back wins over division-leading Detroit before falling 6-4 on Wednesday. Gordon Beckham had three of the team's 14 hits, but the White Sox went 3 for 12 with runners in scoring position.

Ramirez is batting .392 with two homers and nine RBIs during an 11-game hitting streak. He has also hit safely in 10 straight versus Minnesota, going 18 for 45 (.400) with two homers.

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SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
White Sox at Twins
Thu, Aug 15 - 8:10PM EDT

GAME 2
White Sox at Twins
Fri, Aug 16 - 8:10PM EDT

GAME 3
White Sox at Twins
Sat, Aug 17 - 7:10PM EDT

GAME 4
White Sox at Twins
Sun, Aug 18 - 2:10PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Mets (54-64) at Padres (54-66)
Game: 1
Venue: PETCO Park
Date: August 15, 2013 10:10 PM EDT


Zack Wheeler is already living up to lofty expectations, though it has only been while pitching on the road.

A visit to Petco Park may keep it that way.

Wheeler will try to capitalize on the punchless San Diego Padres on Thursday night and help the New York Mets end their recent struggles.

One of New York's prized prospects, Wheeler (5-2, 3.63 ERA) is showing flashes of becoming one of the main cogs in a rotation that features young ace Matt Harvey.

Wheeler's success, though, is coming almost exclusively on the road, where he's 4-0 with a 2.21 ERA while holding opponents to a .206 batting average over six starts. The 23-year-old right-hander is 1-2 with a 6.20 ERA in four home games.

He was superb again at Arizona on Saturday, tossing six scoreless innings before giving up a solo homer and leaving with one out in the seventh of a 4-1 win. He also didn't walk anyone for the first time, and a similar effort may be needed after the Mets (54-64) were swept in a three-game series against the Los Angeles Dodgers following a 5-4, 12-inning loss Wednesday.

"I don't know what it is, but it's flowing right now," Wheeler said. "It feels good and allows me to throw downhill."

Wheeler may be in for another strong performance in his first meeting with the Padres (54-66), who are among the worst hitting teams in the NL with a .244 average.

San Diego has also dropped six of its last eight games, batting .130 with runners in scoring position in that span, and its bullpen has compiled a 7.23 ERA.

Their struggles at the plate were on display Wednesday, when they had eight hits - seven singles - in a 4-2 loss at Colorado.

Jedd Gyorko has been one of the few offensive bright spots of late, going 6 for 13 with three doubles, two homers and two RBIs in the past four games. The rookie third baseman, though, is 3 for 33 with two homers in his last nine home games.

Tyson Ross (3-5, 2.75) will face the Mets for the first time, and he's 3-1 with a 1.33 ERA while limiting opponents to .135 batting in four starts since returning to the rotation.

The right-hander pitched well Saturday, limiting Cincinnati to one run and four hits in seven innings of a 3-1 win. Part of his recent success can be attributed to his growing confidence in his changeup.

"He pitches aggressively with the fastball, and the slider has been outstanding since he's come back and joined our rotation," manager Bud Black told the team's official website. "But for him, I think the changeup will be critical as a pitch to really complement his other two pitches."

Ross has started only twice at Petco Park this season, and both games ended in defeat for the Padres. He's 0-1 while allowing five runs with 17 strikeouts and six walks in 11 1-3 innings.

He'll have to contend with Marlon Byrd, who's gone 6 for 14 with two doubles, one homer and three RBIs in the past three games. He had three hits and two RBIs while the Mets took two of three from the Padres at home in the season-opening series from April 1-4.

John Buck ripped San Diego by going 6 for 12 with two homers while plating five runs. However, he's coming off an 0-for-4 performance from Wednesday.

The Mets haven't dropped four in a row since May 31-June 4.

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SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Mets at Padres
Thu, Aug 15 - 10:10PM EDT

GAME 2
Mets at Padres
Fri, Aug 16 - 10:10PM EDT

GAME 3
Mets at Padres
Sat, Aug 17 - 8:40PM EDT

GAME 4
Mets at Padres
Sun, Aug 18 - 4:10PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

MLB
Dunkel

San Francisco at Washington
The Nationals look to follow up last night's 6-5 win and take advantage of a San Francisco team that is 4-9 in Ryan Vogelsong's last 13 starts after allowing 5 runs or more in their previous game. Washington is the pick (-150) according to Dunkel, which has the Nationals favored by 2. Dunkel Pick: Washington (-150). Here are all of today's picks.

THURSDAY, AUGUST 15

Game 901-902: Pittsburgh at St. Louis (1:45 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Pittsburgh (Burnett) 15.241; St. Louis (Lynn) 14.314
Dunkel Line: Pittsburgh by 1; 8
Vegas Line: St. Louis (-135); 7
Dunkel Pick: Pittsburgh (+115); Over

Game 903-904: San Francisco at Washington (4:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: San Francisco (Vogelsong) 13.977; Washington (Haren) 15.818
Dunkel Line: Washington by 2; 7
Vegas Line: Washington (-150); 8
Dunkel Pick: Washington (-150); Under

Game 905-906: Cincinnati at Milwaukee (8:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Cincinnati (Cingrani) 15.591; Milwaukee (Lohse) 15.890
Dunkel Line: Milwaukee by 1/2; 6
Vegas Line: Cincinnati (-135); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Milwaukee (+115); Under

Game 907-908: NY Mets at San Diego (10:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: NY Mets (Wheeler) 13.793; San Diego (Ross) 15.131
Dunkel Line: San Diego by 1 1/2; 8
Vegas Line: San Diego (-145); 7
Dunkel Pick: San Diego (-145); Over

Game 909-910: LA Angels at NY Yankees (1:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: LA Angels (Wilson) 13.959; NY Yankees (Hughes) 16.475
Dunkel Line: NY Yankees by 2 1/2; 8
Vegas Line: NY Yankees (-110); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: NY Yankees (-110); Under

Game 911-912: Houston at Oakland (3:35 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Houston (Bedard) 15.655; Oakland (Gray) 14.633
Dunkel Line: Houston by 1; 9
Vegas Line: Oakland (-210); 8
Dunkel Pick: Houston (+180); Over

Game 913-914: Kansas City at Detroit (7:08 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Kansas City (Guthrie) 15.582; Detroit (Sanchez) 16.945
Dunkel Line: Detroit by 1 1/2; 7
Vegas Line: Detroit (-185); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Detroit (-185); Under

Game 915-916: Boston at Toronto (7:07 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Boston (Peavy) 14.557; Toronto (Buehrle) 15.646
Dunkel Line: Toronto by 1; 10
Vegas Line: Boston (-140); 9
Dunkel Pick: Toronto (+120); Over

Game 917-918: Seattle at Tampa Bay (7:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Seattle (Saunders) 14.671; Tampa Bay (Cobb) 13.767
Dunkel Line: Seattle by 1; 7
Vegas Line: Tampa Bay (-200); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Seattle (+170); Under

Game 919-920: Chicago White Sox at Minnesota (8:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: White Sox (Rienzo) 14.323; Minnesota (Pelfrey) 15.919
Dunkel Line: Minnesota by 1 1/2; 9
Vegas Line: Minnesota (-135); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Minnesota (-135); Over

[StarDust Bum]

MLB
Short Sheet

Thursday, August 15

National League

Pittsburgh at St. Louis, 1:45 ET
Burnett:Pirates 2-8 SU when Burnett starts on the road in 2013
Lynn: Cardinals 18-8 SU when Lynn starts at home

San Francisco at Washington, 4:05 ET
Vogelsong: Over is 10-5 in Vogelsong's last 15 starts
Haren: Over is 13-5-1 in Nationals' home series finales in 2013

Cincinnati at Milwaukee, 8:10 ET
Cingrani: Under is 8-1 in last eight Reds' road games
Lohse: Under is 8-3 when Lohse starts at home for Brewers

New York Mets at San Diego, 10:10 ET
Wheeler: Mets 5-1 SU when Wheeler starts on the road
Ross: Under is 4-1 in Padres' last five road series openers


American League

Los Angeles Angels at New York Yankees, 1:05 ET
Wilson: Over is 11-2 in Wilson's 2013 road starts
Hughes: Yankees 4-7 SU in last 11 home day games

Houston at Oakland, 3:35 ET
Bedard: Astros 5-13 SU in a 2013 road series finale
Gray: Athletics 13-3 SU in last 16 home day gamestWINS

Kansas City at Detroit, 7:08 ET
Guthrie: Under is 8-3-1in Guthrie's 2013 road starts
Sanchez: Tigers 17-2 SU in first game of a 2013 home series

Boston at Toronto, 7:07 ET
Peavy: Under is 4-1 in Boston's last five road series finales in Toronto
Buehrle: Blue Jays 7-1 SU in Buehrle's last eight home starts

Seattle at Tampa Bay, 7:10 ET
Saunders: Over is 7-2 in last nine road series finales for Mariners
Cobb: Rays 5-1 SU in last six home series finales

Chicago White Sox at Minnesota, 8:10 ET
Rienzo: White Sox 4-14 SU in first game of a 2013 road series
Pelfrey: Under is 8-3 in last 11 Twins' home series openers

[StarDust Bum]

MLB
Armadillo's Write-Up

Thursday, August 15

Hot pitchers
-- Lynn is 2-1, 2.28 in his last four starts.
-- Haren is 3-0, 1.29 in his last three starts.
-- Milwaukee won last five Lohse starts (3-0, 2.03). Cingrani is 2-1, 2.66 in his last four starts.
-- Ross is 3-1, 1.33 in his last four starts. Wheeler is 2-0, 1.77 in his last three road starts.

-- Wilson is 4-0, 3.69 in his last six starts.
-- Sanchez is 3-1, 1.60 in his last five starts. Guthrie is 4-1, 3.55 in his last five outings.
-- Buehrle is 3-0, 2.63 in his last four starts.

Cold pitchers
-- Pirates lost Burnett's last four road starts (0-2, 6.56).
-- Vogelsong is 1-2, 8.31 in his last four starts.

-- Hughes is 0-4, 7.39 in his last six starts.
-- Houston lost last seven Bedard starts (0-5, 4.91). Gray lost his first start in majors, allowing four runs in six IP.
-- Peavy has a 6.00 RA in his first two starts for Boston.
-- Saunders is 1-3, 10.35 in his last four starts. Cobb is making first start since June 15, when he was hit in head by line drive (0-0, 4.50 in last three).
-- Pelfrey is 0-4, 4.83 in his last six starts. Rienzo is 0-0, 4.42 in three starts this season.

Starting Pitchers/First Inning
You can wager on whether teams will score in the first inning. Below is how often a starting pitcher has allowed 1+ runs in first inning in one of his starts........
-- Burnett 5-21; Lynn 6-24
-- Vogelsong 5-10; Haren 4-21
-- Cingrani 4-14 (3 of last 4); Lohse 7-24 (0 of last 6)
-- Wheeler 4-10 (0 of last 3); Ross 3-7

-- Wilson 5-23 (1 of last 11); Hughes 6-22 (1 of last 8)
-- Bedard 11-21; Gray 1-1
-- Guthrie 6-24 (0 of last 4); Sanchez 5-20
-- Peavy 2-15; Buehrle 6-24
-- Saunders 7-24; Cobb 3-13
-- Rienzo 0-3; Pelfrey 8-21

Totals
-- Five of Burnett's last six road starts went over the total.
-- Under is 8-3-1 in San Francisco's last twelve games.
-- Eight of last nine Cincinnati road games stayed under the total.
-- Seven of last nine Wheeler starts went over the total.

-- Ten of last thirteen Angel games went over the total.
-- Under is 7-2-1 in last ten Bedard starts.
-- Six of last eight Detroit games went over the total.
-- Over is 8-4-1 in last thirteen Toronto games.
-- Six of last seven Seattle games went over the total.
-- Under is 6-2-1 in last nine Minnesota games.

Hot teams
-- Washington won its last five games, scoring 33 runs.
-- Cincinnati won seven of its last eight games. Milwaukee is 5-3 in last eight.

-- Bronx Bombers won five of their last six games.
-- Kansas City won 17 of its last 22 games, but lost last two.
-- Mariners won three of their last four road games.
-- Minnesota is 8-5 in its last thirteen games.

Cold teams
-- Pirates lost four of their last five games; St Louis lost five of its last seven.
-- Giants lost eight of their last eleven games.
-- Padres lost seven of their last ten games. Mets lost nine of their last thirteen road games.

-- Angels lost 14 of their last 19 games.
-- Oakland is 3-6 in last nine games. Astros lost 24 of their last 31 games, but won the last two.
-- Detroit lost four of its last six games.
-- Toronto lost five of its last seven games. Red Sox lost four of last six.
-- Tampa Bay lost six of its last seven games.
-- White Sox lost 14 of their last 20 games.

[StarDust Bum]

MLB

Thursday, August 15

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Trend Report
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1:05 PM
LA ANGELS vs. NY YANKEES
LA Angels are 1-4 SU in their last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of LA Angels's last 5 games on the road
NY Yankees are 4-1 SU in their last 5 games when playing LA Angels
NY Yankees are 6-1 SU in their last 7 games at home

1:45 PM
PITTSBURGH vs. ST. LOUIS
Pittsburgh is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against St. Louis
Pittsburgh is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
St. Louis is 2-7 SU in its last 9 games when playing Pittsburgh
St. Louis is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games

3:35 PM
HOUSTON vs. OAKLAND
Houston is 3-13 SU in its last 16 games when playing Oakland
The total has gone OVER in 13 of Houston's last 18 games when playing Oakland
Oakland is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games when playing at home against Houston
Oakland is 4-9 SU in its last 13 games

4:05 PM
SAN FRANCISCO vs. WASHINGTON
San Francisco is 3-8 SU in its last 11 games when playing Washington
San Francisco is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Washington
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Washington's last 6 games
Washington is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against San Francisco

7:07 PM
BOSTON vs. TORONTO
Boston is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Boston is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing Toronto
Toronto is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Boston
Toronto is 5-11 SU in its last 16 games at home

7:08 PM
KANSAS CITY vs. DETROIT
Kansas City is 1-8 SU in its last 9 games when playing on the road against Detroit
Kansas City is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing Detroit
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Detroit's last 5 games
Detroit is 18-5 SU in its last 23 games

7:10 PM
SEATTLE vs. TAMPA BAY
Seattle is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing Tampa Bay
Seattle is 4-13 SU in its last 17 games when playing on the road against Tampa Bay
Tampa Bay is 15-4 SU in its last 19 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 11 of Tampa Bay's last 13 games at home

8:10 PM
CHI WHITE SOX vs. MINNESOTA
Chi White Sox are 15-7 SU in their last 22 games when playing on the road against Minnesota
Chi White Sox are 2-4 SU in their last 6 games when playing on the road against Minnesota
Minnesota is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games at home
Minnesota is 4-2 SU in their last 6 games when playing at home against Chi White Sox

8:10 PM
CINCINNATI vs. MILWAUKEE
Cincinnati is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Cincinnati's last 5 games
Milwaukee is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 12 of Milwaukee's last 14 games at home

10:10 PM
NY METS vs. SAN DIEGO
NY Mets are 2-3-1 SU in its last 6 games ,
NY Mets are 5-13 SU in its last 18 games when playing on the road against San Diego
The total has gone OVER in 4 of San Diego's last 5 games when playing NY Mets
San Diego is 3-6 SU in its last 9 games when playing NY Mets

[StarDust Bum]

MLB
Long Sheet

Thursday, August 15

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PITTSBURGH (71 - 48) at ST LOUIS (68 - 51) - 1:45 PM
A.J. BURNETT (R) vs. LANCE LYNN (R)
Top Trends for this game.
PITTSBURGH is 25-45 (-20.9 Units) against the money line in August games over the last 3 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 225-447 (-95.4 Units) against the money line in road games when playing against a team with a winning record since 1997.
PITTSBURGH is 96-223 (-68.4 Units) against the money line in road games when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season since 1997.
BURNETT is 78-110 (-39.7 Units) against the money line in road games since 1997. (Team's Record)
BURNETT is 2-14 (-12.7 Units) against the money line on the road when the total is 7 or less since 1997. (Team's Record)
BURNETT is 148-147 (-30.0 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field since 1997. (Team's Record)
BURNETT is 33-55 (-28.2 Units) against the money line in road games after a win since 1997. (Team's Record)
BURNETT is 33-58 (-23.3 Units) against the money line in road games when playing against a team with a winning record since 1997. (Team's Record)
ST LOUIS is 56-32 (+13.9 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
ST LOUIS is 34-17 (+12.4 Units) against the money line after a loss this season.
ST LOUIS is 200-132 (+46.4 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season since 1997.
LYNN is 20-6 (+11.2 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
PITTSBURGH is 71-48 (+26.3 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
PITTSBURGH is 25-16 (+11.1 Units) against the money line when the total is 7 or less this season.
PITTSBURGH is 30-28 (+8.4 Units) against the money line in road games this season.
PITTSBURGH is 31-19 (+14.4 Units) against the money line against division opponents this season.
PITTSBURGH is 25-19 (+9.7 Units) against the money line in day games this season.
PITTSBURGH is 71-48 (+26.3 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
PITTSBURGH is 59-37 (+26.5 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
PITTSBURGH is 42-28 (+16.2 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
ST LOUIS is 57-68 (-25.4 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
PITTSBURGH is 8-4 (+5.1 Units) against ST LOUIS this season
7 of 11 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+3.1 Units)

A.J. BURNETT vs. ST LOUIS since 1997
BURNETT is 7-5 when starting against ST LOUIS with an ERA of 3.67 and a WHIP of 1.268.
His team's record is 8-6 (+2.4 units) in these starts. The OVER is 6-8. (-2.5 units)

LANCE LYNN vs. PITTSBURGH since 1997
LYNN is 4-1 when starting against PITTSBURGH with an ERA of 3.95 and a WHIP of 1.146.
His team's record is 5-2 (+2.1 units) in these starts. The OVER is 5-2. (+3.0 units)

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SAN FRANCISCO (52 - 67) at WASHINGTON (59 - 60) - 4:05 PM
RYAN VOGELSONG (R) vs. DAN HAREN (R)
Top Trends for this game.
SAN FRANCISCO is 52-67 (-26.7 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 22-36 (-13.6 Units) against the money line in road games this season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 51-63 (-24.0 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 36-44 (-17.0 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 25-40 (-22.6 Units) against the money line after a loss this season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 21-36 (-24.9 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 8-14 (-11.7 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season this season.
WASHINGTON is 92-68 (+23.6 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 3 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 24-9 (+13.6 Units) against the money line when playing on Thursday over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 59-60 (-13.1 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
WASHINGTON is 59-60 (-13.1 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
WASHINGTON is 41-45 (-15.2 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
HAREN is 7-14 (-8.9 Units) against the money line in all games this season. (Team's Record)
HAREN is 10-16 (-14.4 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
HAREN is 7-14 (-8.9 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season. (Team's Record)
HAREN is 15-24 (-18.5 Units) against the money line after a win over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
HAREN is 3-9 (-8.1 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record this season. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
WASHINGTON is 3-2 (+1.5 Units) against SAN FRANCISCO this season
3 of 4 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+2.0 Units)

RYAN VOGELSONG vs. WASHINGTON since 1997
VOGELSONG is 1-1 when starting against WASHINGTON with an ERA of 9.39 and a WHIP of 1.956.
His team's record is 1-1 (-0.2 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-0. (+1.0 units)

DAN HAREN vs. SAN FRANCISCO since 1997
HAREN is 6-6 when starting against SAN FRANCISCO with an ERA of 3.28 and a WHIP of 1.208.
His team's record is 6-9 (-5.2 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 8-7. (-0.1 units)

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CINCINNATI (68 - 52) at MILWAUKEE (52 - 68) - 8:10 PM
TONY CINGRANI (L) vs. KYLE LOHSE (R)
Top Trends for this game.
MILWAUKEE is 29-22 (+10.9 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.
LOHSE is 26-13 (+15.4 Units) against the money line as a home underdog of +100 to +125 since 1997. (Team's Record)
CINCINNATI is 167-120 (+17.8 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
CINCINNATI is 646-716 (+57.6 Units) against the money line in road games since 1997.
CINCINNATI is 308-329 (+34.3 Units) against the money line in road games against division opponents since 1997.
CINCINNATI is 167-120 (+17.8 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
CINCINNATI is 421-464 (+37.7 Units) against the money line in road games in night games since 1997.
CINCINNATI is 465-515 (+45.8 Units) against the money line in road games against right-handed starters since 1997.
CINCINNATI is 324-335 (+49.8 Units) against the money line in road games after a win since 1997.
CINCINNATI is 41-20 (+11.6 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
CINCINNATI is 32-15 (+13.2 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.
MILWAUKEE is 52-68 (-14.5 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
MILWAUKEE is 1-10 (-10.7 Units) against the money line when playing on Thursday this season.
MILWAUKEE is 52-68 (-14.5 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
MILWAUKEE is 11-24 (-13.7 Units) against the money line against left-handed starters this season.
MILWAUKEE is 12-19 (-9.5 Units) against the money line in home games after a loss this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
CINCINNATI is 6-3 (+1.7 Units) against MILWAUKEE this season
8 of 9 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+6.8 Units)

TONY CINGRANI vs. MILWAUKEE since 1997
CINGRANI is 0-1 when starting against MILWAUKEE with an ERA of 3.27 and a WHIP of 1.091.
His team's record is 1-1 (-0.4 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 2-0. (+2.0 units)

KYLE LOHSE vs. CINCINNATI since 1997
LOHSE is 4-3 when starting against CINCINNATI with an ERA of 3.26 and a WHIP of 1.228.
His team's record is 7-6 (+1.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 6-6. (-0.4 units)

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NY METS (54 - 64) at SAN DIEGO (54 - 66) - 10:10 PM
ZACK WHEELER (R) vs. TYSON ROSS (R)
Top Trends for this game.
NY METS are 16-23 (-12.3 Units) against the money line when the total is 7 or less this season.
NY METS are 32-46 (-14.8 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
SAN DIEGO is 130-152 (+2.2 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
SAN DIEGO is 22-17 (+10.5 Units) against the money line in August games over the last 2 seasons.
SAN DIEGO is 130-149 (+5.2 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
NY METS are 110-113 (+26.8 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 3 seasons.
NY METS are 20-10 (+13.4 Units) against the money line when playing on Thursday over the last 2 seasons.
NY METS are 106-111 (+23.3 Units) against the money line in road games in games played on a grass field over the last 3 seasons.
NY METS are 56-55 (+15.7 Units) against the money line in road games after a loss over the last 3 seasons.
NY METS are 30-20 (+14.1 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 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
NY METS is 2-1 (+0.5 Units) against SAN DIEGO this season
2 of 3 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+1.0 Units)

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

TYSON ROSS vs. NY METS since 1997
No recent starts.

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LA ANGELS (53 - 66) at NY YANKEES (62 - 57) - 1:05 PM
C.J. WILSON (L) vs. PHIL HUGHES (R)
Top Trends for this game.
LA ANGELS are 53-66 (-28.5 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
LA ANGELS are 31-36 (-14.9 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 this season.
LA ANGELS are 23-34 (-12.2 Units) against the money line in road games this season.
LA ANGELS are 53-66 (-28.5 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
LA ANGELS are 42-46 (-15.4 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
LA ANGELS are 24-41 (-27.0 Units) against the money line after a loss this season.
LA ANGELS are 24-38 (-17.1 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
NY YANKEES are 100-54 (+32.7 Units) against the money line in day games over the last 3 seasons.
LA ANGELS are 411-340 (+51.8 Units) against the money line in day games since 1997.
WILSON is 8-0 (+8.6 Units) against the money line in road games in day games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
NY YANKEES is 4-2 (+2.3 Units) against LA ANGELS this season
3 of 5 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+1.0 Units)

C.J. WILSON vs. NY YANKEES since 1997
WILSON is 2-2 when starting against NY YANKEES with an ERA of 3.98 and a WHIP of 1.436.
His team's record is 4-5 (-1.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 5-4. (+0.3 units)

PHIL HUGHES vs. LA ANGELS since 1997
HUGHES is 1-2 when starting against LA ANGELS with an ERA of 9.36 and a WHIP of 2.001.
His team's record is 1-4 (-5.1 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 2-3. (-1.4 units)

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HOUSTON (39 - 80) at OAKLAND (67 - 52) - 3:35 PM
ERIK BEDARD (L) vs. SONNY GRAY (R)
Top Trends for this game.
HOUSTON is 94-186 (-42.8 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 68-139 (-48.2 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 3 seasons.
HOUSTON is 6-27 (-16.0 Units) against the money line as a road underdog of +175 to +200 over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 65-155 (-43.8 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 3 seasons.
HOUSTON is 19-59 (-25.0 Units) against the money line on the road when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 3 seasons.
HOUSTON is 8-32 (-17.8 Units) against the money line in August games over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 8-27 (-13.9 Units) against the money line in day games this season.
HOUSTON is 92-181 (-42.6 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 104-219 (-67.4 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 3 seasons.
HOUSTON is 16-48 (-15.5 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
BEDARD is 3-17 (-13.9 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
BEDARD is 11-21 (-13.8 Units) against the money line in August games since 1997. (Team's Record)
BEDARD is 13-33 (-21.9 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season since 1997. (Team's Record)
OAKLAND is 163-123 (+43.7 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
OAKLAND is 33-20 (+12.5 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 this season.
OAKLAND is 86-53 (+25.2 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons.
OAKLAND is 36-15 (+17.7 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 3 seasons.
OAKLAND is 267-198 (+62.2 Units) against the money line in August games since 1997.
OAKLAND is 63-47 (+19.2 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
OAKLAND is 64-48 (+8.3 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
OAKLAND is 78-48 (+23.2 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
OAKLAND is 39-18 (+13.0 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.
HOUSTON is 11-10 (+11.6 Units) against the money line in road games against division opponents this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
OAKLAND is 11-3 (+4.1 Units) against HOUSTON this season
9 of 14 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+4.0 Units)

ERIK BEDARD vs. OAKLAND since 1997
BEDARD is 4-4 when starting against OAKLAND with an ERA of 3.50 and a WHIP of 1.245.
His team's record is 5-8 (-4.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 6-7. (-1.4 units)

SONNY GRAY vs. HOUSTON since 1997
No recent starts.

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KANSAS CITY (62 - 56) at DETROIT (70 - 49) - 7:05 PM
JEREMY GUTHRIE (R) vs. ANIBAL SANCHEZ (R)
Top Trends for this game.
DETROIT is 24-5 (+14.9 Units) against the money line as a home favorite of -175 to -200 over the last 2 seasons.
KANSAS CITY is 62-56 (+4.5 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
KANSAS CITY is 66-59 (+14.3 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 2 seasons.
KANSAS CITY is 26-16 (+13.0 Units) against the money line in August games over the last 2 seasons.
KANSAS CITY is 10-3 (+8.7 Units) against the money line when playing on Thursday this season.
KANSAS CITY is 95-93 (+10.8 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
KANSAS CITY is 47-37 (+9.5 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
KANSAS CITY is 17-12 (+8.3 Units) against the money line in road games after a loss this season.
KANSAS CITY is 70-73 (+17.1 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
GUTHRIE is 15-9 (+7.6 Units) against the money line in all games this season. (Team's Record)
GUTHRIE is 13-3 (+12.0 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 this season. (Team's Record)
GUTHRIE is 18-7 (+12.4 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
GUTHRIE is 15-8 (+8.6 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season. (Team's Record)
GUTHRIE is 25-16 (+12.8 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
GUTHRIE is 9-4 (+7.6 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season. (Team's Record)
GUTHRIE is 13-5 (+11.9 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. (Team's Record)
DETROIT is 165-129 (-15.0 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
DETROIT is 157-123 (-16.1 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
DETROIT is 90-75 (-20.0 Units) against the money line after a win over the last 2 seasons.
SANCHEZ is 25-29 (-13.1 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
SANCHEZ is 24-28 (-13.0 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
KANSAS CITY is 5-3 (+3.9 Units) against DETROIT this season
5 of 8 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+1.4 Units)

JEREMY GUTHRIE vs. DETROIT since 1997
GUTHRIE is 7-3 when starting against DETROIT with an ERA of 4.08 and a WHIP of 1.421.
His team's record is 8-5 (+6.2 units) in these starts. The OVER is 7-6. (+0.8 units)

ANIBAL SANCHEZ vs. KANSAS CITY since 1997
SANCHEZ is 1-2 when starting against KANSAS CITY with an ERA of 0.82 and a WHIP of 0.909.
His team's record is 1-2 (-1.6 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 3-0. (+3.0 units)

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BOSTON (72 - 50) at TORONTO (55 - 65) - 7:05 PM
JAKE PEAVY (R) vs. MARK BUEHRLE (L)
Top Trends for this game.
BOSTON is 52-63 (-24.3 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 16-26 (-15.8 Units) against the money line in August games over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 97-105 (-25.4 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
BUEHRLE is 49-37 (+13.3 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
BUEHRLE is 29-14 (+13.1 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
BOSTON is 72-50 (+12.1 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
BOSTON is 32-17 (+13.2 Units) against the money line after a loss this season.
BOSTON is 37-18 (+12.6 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
TORONTO is 55-65 (-9.6 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
TORONTO is 30-32 (-9.2 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
TORONTO is 19-31 (-10.5 Units) against the money line against division opponents this season.
TORONTO is 30-43 (-12.3 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
TORONTO is 33-36 (-9.7 Units) against the money line in games played on artificial turf this season.
TORONTO is 6-18 (-11.6 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
BOSTON is 9-6 (+0.4 Units) against TORONTO this season
8 of 15 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+0.2 Units)

JAKE PEAVY vs. TORONTO since 1997
PEAVY is 2-0 when starting against TORONTO with an ERA of 3.60 and a WHIP of 1.086.
His team's record is 4-1 (+2.8 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 3-2. (+0.9 units)

MARK BUEHRLE vs. BOSTON since 1997
BUEHRLE is 7-9 when starting against BOSTON with an ERA of 4.64 and a WHIP of 1.427.
His team's record is 9-13 (-2.5 units) in these starts. The OVER is 7-14. (-8.8 units)

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SEATTLE (55 - 64) at TAMPA BAY (67 - 51) - 7:10 PM
JOE SAUNDERS (L) vs. ALEX COBB (R)
Top Trends for this game.
SEATTLE is 136-168 (-45.6 Units) against the money line when playing on Thursday since 1997.
SEATTLE is 300-428 (-99.2 Units) against the money line in road games after a loss since 1997.
TAMPA BAY is 35-19 (+12.0 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 this season.
TAMPA BAY is 110-60 (+30.9 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 3 seasons.
SAUNDERS is 54-40 (+17.3 Units) against the money line after a loss since 1997. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
SEATTLE is 1-1 (+0.7 Units) against TAMPA BAY this season
2 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+2.0 Units)

JOE SAUNDERS vs. TAMPA BAY since 1997
SAUNDERS is 0-2 when starting against TAMPA BAY with an ERA of 7.59 and a WHIP of 1.781.
His team's record is 0-2 (-2.5 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-1. (-0.2 units)

ALEX COBB vs. SEATTLE since 1997
COBB is 1-2 when starting against SEATTLE with an ERA of 3.52 and a WHIP of 1.174.
His team's record is 1-2 (-1.5 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-3. (-3.3 units)

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CHI WHITE SOX (46 - 73) at MINNESOTA (53 - 65) - 8:10 PM
ANDRE RIENZO (R) vs. MIKE PELFREY (R)
Top Trends for this game.
CHI WHITE SOX are 46-73 (-27.4 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
CHI WHITE SOX are 18-41 (-20.6 Units) against the money line in road games this season.
CHI WHITE SOX are 15-35 (-20.8 Units) against the money line against division opponents this season.
CHI WHITE SOX are 44-68 (-25.0 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
CHI WHITE SOX are 26-47 (-20.8 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
CHI WHITE SOX are 35-55 (-19.3 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
CHI WHITE SOX are 25-46 (-22.1 Units) against the money line after a loss this season.
CHI WHITE SOX are 19-36 (-20.7 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
CHI WHITE SOX are 1-9 (-10.1 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season this season.
MINNESOTA is 52-59 (+8.1 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
MINNESOTA is 32-20 (+19.0 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
MINNESOTA is 11-6 (+9.3 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season this season.
MINNESOTA is 91-128 (-36.6 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 3 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 9-26 (-18.8 Units) against the money line in home games in August games over the last 3 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 75-93 (-36.3 Units) against the money line in home games when playing on Thursday since 1997.
MINNESOTA is 60-93 (-34.0 Units) against the money line in home games against right-handed starters over the last 3 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 30-50 (-17.9 Units) against the money line in home games after a loss over the last 2 seasons.
PELFREY is 29-54 (-29.5 Units) against the money line against division opponents since 1997. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
MINNESOTA is 9-3 (+7.8 Units) against CHI WHITE SOX this season
6 of 10 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+1.3 Units)

ANDRE RIENZO vs. MINNESOTA since 1997
RIENZO is 0-0 when starting against MINNESOTA with an ERA of 6.75 and a WHIP of 2.251.
His team's record is 1-0 (+1.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 0-0. (+0.0 units)

MIKE PELFREY vs. CHI WHITE SOX since 1997
PELFREY is 0-2 when starting against CHI WHITE SOX with an ERA of 7.80 and a WHIP of 1.933.
His team's record is 1-2 (-1.4 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-0. (+2.0 units)

[StarDust Bum]

Armadillo: Thursday's six-pack

-- Cubs scored eight runs in their last four games; Alfonso Soriano knocked in 13 runs in his last two games.

-- Arizona has three walk-off wins in a row for the first time since 1997.

-- Schenectady's Casper Wells is already on his 4th major league team, just this season. He's played for Mariners-A's-White Sox-Phillies.

-- UNLV averaged 15,678 fans for its home basketball games LY, highest attendance of any school on the west coast.

-- Andre Ethier tied the game with a pinch-hit HR in the 9th inning, then Adrian Gonzalez won it with a 12th-inning double. LA beat the Mets 5-4; they're 40-8 in last 48 games, with 12 straight wins in one-run games.

-- I'll say this and only this: Angel Hernandez is a bad freakin' umpire.


*****

Armadillo: Thursday's List of 13: Trying to figure out the meaning of life.........

13) Being good in one-run games is a double-edged sword. Its obviously good to win a lot of them, but its also a sign your margin for error is very slim. Case in point, Baltimore, which was 29-9 in one-run games LY, but just 14-21 this year. they might be a better team this year but have a worse record, because they’re not pulling out the nail biters they did last year.

12) Not often you see a guy hit a game-tying HR in the 9th inning, then end the game with a walk-off tater his next time up, but Paul Goldschmidt did that Tuesday, giving Arizona its ninth walk-off win of the year. Snakes got their 10th walk-off win of the season Wednesday.

11) When Vin Scully started announcing Dodger games, Harry Truman was President. 64 years ago.

Think about that for a second. Harry freakin’ Truman. Wow.

10) Royals’ trade for Emilio Bonifacio doesn’t look like much, but dammit its August 14 and the Royals are still trying to win. If I was a Kansas City fan, I’d be fired up.

Of course, it could also be the GM trying desperately to stay in contention to keep his job since he traded uber-prospect Will Myers to Tampa Bay, but still, the Royals are playing well and are still in contention. Good for them.

9) This Saturday, there are no 1:00 baseball games, not one. Earliest games start at 4:05 in the east. They’re just daring me to sleep until 3:55.

8) Elias Sports Bureau reports that the Mariner-Ray game Tuesday night was just third time in baseball history that both leadoff hitters (Miller/Zobrist) homered twice in the same game.

7) Forbes Magazine estimates that the average NFL team is now worth $1.17B. That’s billion, with a B.

6) Marlins gave Giancarlo Stanton Wednesday off; its insane, seeing as there is a DH in AL parks and Stanton could DH and still basically get the day off. Miami scored 25 runs in its last 11 games; Stanton gets all winter off. He can’t go up and hit four times?

5) Weird TV shows: Tattoo Rescue on Spike (the redneck version of Bar Rescue), Extreme Cougar Wives (hideously self-explanatory) on TLC and Bad Ink (bad tattoos are fixed, as much as they can be) on A&E. Reality TV has gotten out of hand.

4) Maryland’s athletic department lost $21M last year, $15M of which was in exit fees lost to the ACC due to the Terps moving to the Big Dozen in a couple years. They’re hoping the move to the Big Dozen will reap big $$$ rewards down the road. We’ll see about that.

3) Reading where Oakland Raider coaches have accepted as fact that Matt Flynn won’t be throwing many balls more than 25 yards downfield, his arm just isn’t that strong. No vertical passing game? That sound you just heard is Al Davis turning over in his grave.

2) ESPN re-hired Keith Olbermann and Jason Whitlock this month, in an obvious attempt for me to either:
a) break my thumb going for the mute button or
b) wear the mute button out completely.

Olbermann is supposed to be this real smart guy, but he can’t drive a car because he got hit in the eye with an elevator door, and it permanently screwed up his depth perception. If he’s so freakin’ smart, how come he didn’t get out of the door’s way?

1) Is Scott Boras nervous about Jay-Z’s presence in the agent business? Boras suddenly shows up doing a guest column in Buster Olney’s slot on espn.com, trying to appear more human and less legal bigwig, as he explains the business model of baseball.

He’s a former ballplayer and obviously a smart guy, but as a fan of a small market team, I’ve got no use for parasites like him- they’ve made it a lot harder for my team to win.

[StarDust Bum]

Thursday, August 15

Game Score Status Pick Amount

LA Angels - 1:05 PM ET NY Yankees -110 500
NY Yankees - Over 8.5 500 POD # 4


Pittsburgh - 1:45 PM ET Pittsburgh +110 500 POD # 2
St. Louis - Over 7 500


Houston - 3:35 PM ET Houston +201 500 POD # 1
Oakland - Under 7.5 500


San Francisco - 4:05 PM ET Washington -170 500
Washington - Over 8.5 500 POD # 3

[WThotrod]

Let's make some money, Bum! I am going heavy again. Best of luck!

[StarDust Bum]

Evening Pod's:


Boston - 7:07 PM ET Toronto +115 500 POD # 4
Toronto - Under 9 500

Kansas City - 7:08 PM ET Kansas City +176 500 POD # 2
Detroit -Under 8 500

Seattle - 7:10 PM ET Tampa Bay -203 500
Tampa Bay - Over 8.5 500

Chi. White Sox - 8:10 PM ET Chi. White Sox +121 500 POD # 3
Minnesota - Over 9 500

Cincinnati - 8:10 PM ET Cincinnati -140 500
Milwaukee - Under 7.5 500

NY Mets - 10:10 PM ET NY Mets +129 500 POD # 1
San Diego - Over 6.5 500

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Royals (62-57) at Tigers (71-49)
Game: 2
Venue: Comerica Park
Date: August 16, 2013 7:08 PM EDT


An outstanding stretch by their rotation has the Detroit Tigers on the verge of their longest home winning streak in 64 years.

Considering his history there against the Kansas City Royals, Justin Verlander appears to have a decent chance to extend that run to 11 in a row in the opening game of Friday's doubleheader.

Following its 4-1 victory over in Thursday's series opener, Detroit starters have compiled a 1.02 ERA during the team's run at Comerica Park, yielding nine runs and 46 hits over 70 2-3 innings. The AL Central-leading Tigers (71-49), who moved 6 1-2 games ahead of idle Cleveland and 8 1-2 in front of Kansas City, haven't won 11 straight at home since Aug. 12-29, 1949.

They'll attempt to reach that mark behind Verlander (12-8, 3.57 ERA), who gave up four runs over seven innings before leaving without a decision in a 5-4 loss at Yankee Stadium on Sunday.

"It was a little bit frustrating," said Verlander, whose nine strikeouts were his most since May 27. "A little bit inconsistent."

While the ace right-hander has battled through an uncharacteristically up-and-down season, he's been solid at home against the Royals. Verlander has struck out 68 over 67 2-3 innings while going 6-0 with a 2.93 ERA in 10 career home starts against the Royals, who are batting .217 against him.

He's also 15-3 with a 2.74 ERA in 26 starts overall versus the Royals, though one of those defeats came in his last outing against them. Verlander fanned only three while yielding six runs - five earned - and eight hits over 5 2-3 innings in a 6-5 loss at Kansas City on July 20.

Billy Butler went 1 for 3 in that contest and should be happy about seeing Verlander since he's hitting .424 with two homers in 59 career at_bats against him - the highest average of anyone with at least 22 at_bats against the 2011 AL Cy Young Award winner.

Kansas City has gone 1 for 19 with runners in scoring position during its three-game skid after getting 14 hits in 42 such opportunities in the four games to close out a 17-3 surge.

``We had a good scouting report today,' Kansas City's Alex Gordon said. ``When you're not hitting doubles and home runs, you've got to make something happen.'

The Royals counter Verlander with Danny Duffy (0-0, 4.91), who gave up two runs and six hits over 3 2-3 innings in a 5-2 win over Minnesota in his season debut Aug. 7. The left-hander is 0-3 with a 5.16 ERA in four career starts against the Tigers.

Kansas City will give the ball to right-hander James Shields (7-8, 3.33) in Game 2.

Shields, who held Boston to two earned runs over seven innings in beating Boston 4-3 on Sunday for his third win in four starts, is 4-0 with a 2.23 ERA in his last seven road outings since losing at Houston on May 22. He's also 3-0 with a 2.90 ERA in five career starts in Detroit.

Miguel Cabrera has homered off Shields this season and is 15 for 35 (.429) with two homers lifetime.

Teammate Prince Fielder is 5 for 14 against Shields and homered for the first time since July 24 on Thursday to extend his hitting streak to nine games. Andy Dirks matched a career high with four hits and is 9 for 17 in his last five against the Royals.

Jose Alvarez (1-2, 5.03) is scheduled to make his first start since July 1 for the Tigers in Game 2. The rookie left-hander had allowed nine runs over 8 2-3 innings in his last two starts before getting sent down to Triple-A Toledo.

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SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Royals at Tigers
Thu, Aug 15 Final 1 to 4
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Royals at Tigers
Fri, Aug 16 - 7:08PM EDT

GAME 3
Royals at Tigers
Sat, Aug 17 - 7:08PM EDT

GAME 4
Royals at Tigers
Sun, Aug 18 - 1:08PM EDT