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

[StarDust Bum]

Diamond Trends - Thursday

August 29, 2013

SU TREND OF THE DAY:

-- The Braves are 10-0 since May 30, 2012 at home after a one run win and it is the last game of a series for a net profit of $1000.

OU TREND OF THE DAY:

-- The Rays are 0-11-1 OU since June 12, 2013 at home it is the last game of the series for a net profit of $1100 when playing the under.

PITCHER TREND OF THE DAY:

-- When Kris Medlen starts the Braves are 11-0 since May 29, 2010 after the team won their last three games for a net profit of $1135.

MLB BIBLE ACTIVE TREND:

-- Jordan Lyles has produced a team record 4-19 (+$1,312) in his career if he threw at least 99 pitches last game.

ACTIVE TRENDS:

-- The Brewers are 0-10 OU since April 18, 2004 as a 140+ dog after a 5+ run loss and it is the last game of a series for a net profit of $1000 when playing the under.

-- The Marlins are 0-12 since August 15, 2010 on the road after a loss in which they allowed 5+ walks and it is the last game of a series for a net profit of $1200 when playing against.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Athletics (75-57) at Tigers (77-56)
Game: 4
Venue: Comerica Park
Date: August 29, 2013 1:08 PM EDT


If the Oakland Athletics are to sweep a series in Detroit for the first time in 11 years, they must prevent the Tigers' Max Scherzer from becoming the majors' first 20-game winner.

Accomplishing that feat would appear secondary for Scherzer, who looks to keep the visiting A's from completing the four-game sweep Thursday.

Oakland (75-57) totaled 19 runs while losing four of five prior to outscoring Detroit 28-13 the last three games. Brandon Moss homered twice and had a career-high six RBIs in Wednesday's 14-4 rout of the AL Central-leading Tigers (77-56), who were coming off a sweep of the New York Mets.

"When you're hot, you're feeling good," Detroit's Torii Hunter said of the A's. "When a team is hot, that's what it looks like.'

One-half game behind Tampa Bay for the overall wild-card lead, Oakland last swept a series at Detroit from Aug. 23-25, 2002 - one year after its last four-game road sweep of the Tigers.

Detroit was last swept in a four-game home set when Minnesota did it Sept. 10-13, 2004.

For Oakland to do it, it will need to go through Scherzer (19-1, 2.73 ERA), who is 6-0 with a 1.48 ERA in seven starts since the All-Star break and looking to become the second Tiger in three seasons to win 20 games after Justin Verlander won 24 in 2011.

He gave up three hits and struck out 11 in six innings of a 3-0 victory over the Mets on Saturday to join to Rube Marquard (1912) and Roger Clemens (2001) as the only pitchers to win 19 of their first 20 decisions.

Clemens started 20-1 for the Yankees that year before finishing 0-2.

"For me, every time I go out, I seem to pitch well," Scherzer told the Tigers' official website. "Everybody through the lineup plays well every time I take the mound, and that's the reason I'm 19-1 - not because I'm pitching well."

Scherzer, the beneficiary of a major league-best 7.32 run-support average, is 2-1 with a 2.67 ERA in six regular season and playoff starts against the A's while striking out 54 in 30 1-3 innings. He gave up two runs and fanned 11 in six innings of a 4-3, 12-inning loss at Oakland on April 12.

Moss is 2 for 11 with four strikeouts against the right-hander, but has three homers in two games and is 6 for 10 with eight RBIs in the series.

The A's hand the ball to Bartolo Colon (14-5, 2.97), who makes his first start since going on the disabled list with a groin strain Aug. 18. The 40-year-old right-hander hopes the layoff gave him time to regroup after he allowed 10 runs and 14 hits in 6 2-3 innings to lose his previous two starts.

Manager Bob Melvin doesn't plan to keep Colon on a pitch limit in his first appearance since Aug. 13.

"We'll see, play it by ear with him," Melvin told the Athletics' official website. "He was a little worn down before the groin became an issue. He wasn't pitching his best, so we'll monitor him and see what he has to offer early on. Usually he tells you early in the game what kind of stuff he has."

Though Colon is 0-7 with a 7.19 ERA in his last 12 starts against the Tigers, he gave up only a three-run homer to Prince Fielder over seven innings opposite Scherzer in April.

Miguel Cabrera is 6 for 13 with two doubles against Colon, but 2 for 9 in the series.

Hunter is 6 for 12 with a home run in the last three games, but 2 for his last 14 against Colon.


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SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Athletics at Tigers
Mon, Aug 26 Final 8 to 6
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Athletics at Tigers
Tue, Aug 27 Final 6 to 3
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Athletics at Tigers
Wed, Aug 28 Final 14 to 4
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 4
Athletics at Tigers
Thu, Aug 29 - 1:08PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Royals (68-64) at Twins (57-74)
Game: 3
Venue: Target Field
Date: August 29, 2013 1:10 PM EDT


Salvador Perez is on a tear of late, and that's also true of his career against the Minnesota Twins.

The All-Star catcher looks to continue his offensive barrage as the visiting Kansas City Royals try to maintain their recent dominance of the punchless Twins on Thursday.

Perez is 11 for 22 with four homers and 13 RBIs over his past five games, leading the Royals (68-64) to a four-game winning streak.

He turned in the best performance of his three-year career Wednesday, matching his career highs with four hits and four RBIs while hitting a personal-best two homers to power an 8-1 win. That came a day after he had two hits in a 6-1 victory to open this three-game set at Target Field.

"I can't say enough about our guy behind the plate," said Danny Duffy, Wednesday's winning pitcher. "Salvy really killed it."

Perez certainly does that against the Twins (57-74), batting .397 with 21 RBIs and 21 runs in 31 career meetings. He's 11 for 23 over his last five visits to Minnesota.

Kansas City has a 14-4 edge in the season series, winning six straight in Minneapolis for the team's longest single-season road winning streak in the all-time series. The Royals won seven in a row there from Aug. 4, 1998-May 10, 1999.

Giving the ball to Bruce Chen (5-2, 2.88 ERA), however, may not help them match that mark. The left-hander surrendered 12 runs and three homers in 8 1-3 innings while losing both of his starts at Target Field last year,

He hasn't looked much better lately, dropping his last two outings while giving up 13 runs in nine innings. That's in stark contrast to his 2-0 record and 0.93 ERA in his first six starts after joining the rotation last month.

This meeting with the Twins could be just what Chen needs to get untracked, though. Minnesota is batting .186 while being outscored 24-5 during a four-game losing streak.

The Twins fanned 10 times on Wednesday to reach the dubious distinction of amassing a franchise record for strikeouts (1,127) with 31 games still to play.

"Well, we definitely care about it, because it's not fun. It's not fun watching guys strike out," manager Ron Gardenhire said. "But you know what? They're going up there. They're working hard. They're doing everything they possibly can. It's not like they're trying to strike out."

Josh Willingham is the biggest culprit with a team-high 102 strikeouts despite having missed nearly six weeks with a meniscus tear. He's offered very little at the plate recently, going 4 for 32 (.125) while fanning 12 times over the past eight games.

Willingham, though, is 4 for 11 with a double, a triple and a homer over the past two seasons versus Chen.

The Twins counter with Samuel Deduno (8-7, 3.69), who is looking to build on a strong effort in Friday's 5-1 win at Cleveland. He allowed one run and three hits in six innings after losing each of his previous three starts behind a 7.02 ERA.

The right-hander won his first three career starts versus Kansas City with a 0.93 ERA, but gave up four runs and 12 hits in a 5-2 road loss Aug. 7.

Perez is 3 for 8 with a homer off Deduno.

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SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Royals at Twins
Tue, Aug 27 Final 6 to 1
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Royals at Twins
Wed, Aug 28 Final 8 to 1
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Royals at Twins
Thu, Aug 29 - 1:10PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Phillies (61-72) at Mets (59-72)
Game: 4
Venue: Citi Field
Date: August 29, 2013 1:10 PM EDT


The New York Mets didn't have much going for them during another dismal season other than Matt Harvey making a run at becoming the team's second consecutive NL Cy Young Award winner.

With the phenom now sidelined with a serious injury, Carlos Torres will take Harvey's place on the mound Thursday against the visiting Philadelphia Phillies.

The Mets (59-72) are headed toward their fifth straight losing season, and it got even worse when they found out Harvey's MRI revealed a torn ligament in his pitching elbow that will likely sideline him for the rest of 2013.

Harvey had a 2.27 ERA and was vying to follow R.A. Dickey as New York's second straight Cy Young winner, but his spot in the rotation will now be filled by Torres.

Torres (2-2, 2.96 ERA) hasn't started since giving up eight runs and nine hits in three innings of a 14-1 loss to Washington on July 28. The right-hander posted a 2.65 ERA in 13 relief appearances since, most recently going two-thirds of an inning in Monday's 2-1 loss to the Phillies.

Philadelphia's Ethan Martin (2-2, 6.33) went two-thirds of an inning in his last outing as well - but that was a start. The rookie right-hander allowed three runs and three hits while walking three - all coming after he retired the first two batters - in Saturday's 12-7, 18-inning loss to Arizona.

He's pitched five innings or fewer in four of his five starts.

Martin has struck out 23 in 21 1-3 innings, though, and will look to bounce back against a Mets team that has struck out the third-most among NL clubs.

Ike Davis and Wilmer Flores each fanned three times in Wednesday's 6-2 loss to the Phillies (61-72), who have won eight of 11 after dropping their first two under interim manager Ryne Sandberg. Carlos Ruiz homered and is hitting .447 during the team's hot stretch.

Chase Utley went 2 for 5 after going 1 for 17 over his previous five.

New York has been outscored 32-13 while losing six of seven. Justin Turner had two hits Wednesday, but the Mets left 14 men on base and went 2 for 11 with runners in scoring position.

The Mets will look to get some help from Matt den Dekker, who was called up Tuesday and will make his major league debut in this contest. The center fielder hit .296 with six homers and 38 RBIs in 53 games for Triple-A Las Vegas.

Manager Terry Collins said den Dekker and Juan Lagares, the regular center fielder, will wind up playing the outfield together at times.

"We're talking about the possibility of doing that (Thursday)," Collins told the team's official website. "I'm not sure it's going to happen (Thursday), but Matt's going to play (center on Thursday). I don't think it's really fair to Matt to play him in a game in a position he's not comfortable in."

New York has dropped nine of its last 12 home meetings with Philadelphia.

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SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Phillies at Mets
Mon, Aug 26 Final 2 to 1
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Phillies at Mets
Tue, Aug 27 Final 0 to 5
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Phillies at Mets
Wed, Aug 28 Final 6 to 2
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 4
Phillies at Mets
Thu, Aug 29 - 1:10PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Angels (59-72) at Rays (75-56)
Game: 3
Venue: Tropicana Field
Date: August 29, 2013 1:10 PM EDT


With their latest skid in the past, the Tampa Bay Rays can focus on trying to start a stretch in the positive direction.

The Rays look to build on a much-needed victory and record their fifth consecutive winning home series Thursday against the Los Angeles Angels.

Rookie Chris Archer pitched seven strong innings while David DeJesus and Ben Zobrist each had two hits with an RBI as Tampa Bay (75-56) snapped a three-game slide with a 4-1 victory Wednesday. Fernando Rodney recorded his 31st save, one night after he allowed two runs in the ninth of a 6-5 loss to Los Angeles (59-72).

"We gave away that game (Tuesday)," DeJesus said. "It's great to bounce back."

Leading the AL wild-card by one-half game over Oakland and trailing first-place Boston by 2 1/2 in the East, the Rays hope to take the finale and build some momentum heading into a 10-game western road trip that begins Friday against the Athletics.

The Rays will recall Jake Odorizzi (0-0, 6.00 ERA) from Triple-A Durham to make his fourth start of the season in place of Jeremy Hellickson, who was demoted to the minors Wednesday.

Odorizzi, who went 9-6 with a 3.33 ERA in 22 starts in the minors this season, last pitched for Tampa Bay on June 18 when he gave up a solo homer and four other hits in 5 2-3 innings and was stuck with a 3-1 loss at Boston.

"He's been pitching well," manager Joe Maddon told the Rays' official website. "We thought that would be the right thing to do there."

Making his first appearance against the Angels, the right-hander is 0-1 with a 5.73 ERA in his previous five major league starts.

DeJesus is 7 for 16 with two doubles in five games since he was acquired from Washington last week. However, he's 0 for 9 against Los Angeles starter Jason Vargas (7-5, 3.77).

The left-hander allowed a run in 6 1-3 innings of a 5-1 victory at Seattle on Saturday to improve to 1-1 with a 4.50 ERA in three starts since he missed almost two months with a blood clot in his arm.

"It was great to see him get into the seventh and get to 100 pitches," manager Mike Scioscia said. "He maintained his stuff. He pitched and I think that's when he's at his best.'

Vargas has allowed seven runs - including all four earned over one outing - in 20 1-3 innings while winning two of his last three starts against the Rays. He gave up an unearned run in six innings of a 2-1 victory at Tampa Bay last season.

Though the Angels' four-game overall winning streak ended Wednesday, they're still in position to take their first series from the Rays since April 29-May 1, 2011.

Mike Trout failed to homer in a fourth straight game against the Rays on Wednesday, but had two hits and is 10 for 24 in his last six versus Tampa Bay.

Talented Tampa Bay rookie Wil Myers, however, is 0 for 18 with eight strikeouts in the last five contests.

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SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Angels at Rays
Tue, Aug 27 Final 6 to 5
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Angels at Rays
Wed, Aug 28 Final 1 to 4
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Angels at Rays
Thu, Aug 29 - 1:10PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Thursday, August 29

Game Score Status Pick Amount

Oakland - 1:08 PM ET Oakland +162 500 POD # 1

Detroit - Over 7.5 500 POD # 2

Kansas City - 1:10 PM ET Kansas City -120 500

Minnesota - Over 8 500


LA Angels - 1:10 PM ET Tampa Bay -140 500

Tampa Bay - Under 8.5 500


Philadelphia - 1:10 PM ET Philadelphia +112 500 POD # 3
NY Mets - Over 8 500 POD # 4

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Orioles (70-61) at Red Sox (79-55)
Game: 3
Venue: Fenway Park
Date: August 29, 2013 7:10 PM EDT


The Boston Red Sox are trying to pull away in the AL East race.

They're at least distancing themselves from the sputtering Baltimore Orioles.

Jon Lester looks to beat the Orioles again as the Red Sox seek their first sweep of the division rivals in over two years Thursday night at Fenway Park.

Boston (79-55) owns the best record in the AL and leads the East by 2 1/2 games on second-place Tampa Bay. The Red Sox and Rays seem to be separating themselves from the rest of the division, with third-place Baltimore (70-61) 7 1/2 games out of first.

The Orioles are also 4 1/2 behind Oakland for the AL's second wild-card spot.

Boston can claim responsibility for increasing Baltimore's deficits in those races. The Red Sox opened this three-game series with a 13-2 thumping Monday before rallying for a 4-3 win the following day.

"This is a group that knows how to play with the game situation that's in front of them," manager John Farrell said. "They love to compete and love to work on any given day. I think this is the 30th time we've come from behind to win and it kind of shows the grit and character that's been with this team all year."

Lester (12-7, 3.97 ERA) will try to help the Sox complete their first sweep of the Orioles since taking all four meetings from July 7-10, 2011. He's 15-2 with a 2.72 ERA in 23 career starts against them, his highest win total against any opponent.

The left-hander beat them most recently July 28, striking out eight while yielding four hits in seven innings of a 5-0 win at Baltimore to re-establish his dominance. He had been 0-2 with a 4.80 ERA over the previous five matchups.

Lester has won his last two outings in dominant fashion, allowing one run in 15 2-3 innings.

He was superb Saturday, holding the NL West-leading Los Angeles Dodgers to one run and three hits in 7 1-3 innings of a 4-2 win.

"I know what I'm capable of. It's just a matter of going out there and doing it," Lester said. "Since the (All-Star) break, I've felt good physically, and I feel like I'm in a good place throwing the ball right now."

Orioles pitchers aren't likely to share that sentiment since they have a 4.77 ERA while dropping nine of 14.

Chris Tillman (14-4, 3.66), though, is doing his part with a 2.57 ERA over his last four starts, but he's 0-1 in that span since he's been backed by nine total runs.

The lineup let the right-hander down again Saturday, when he yielded one run and three hits with nine strikeouts in eight innings while not getting a decision in a 2-1 loss to the A's

"In the playoff race, it's important. Every game is important," Tillman said. "A loss always stinks. They're never fun."

Tillman hasn't needed much help over his last five starts against the Red Sox, going 3-0 with a 0.84 ERA. He's won his last two meetings over them by throwing 13 scoreless innings.

Chris Davis is 10 for 36 with five homers - including his major league-leading 47th in Wednesday's loss - and 11 RBIs in his last nine games. The All-Star first baseman, though, is 2 for 19 with a homer against Lester.

Boston's Dustin Pedroia is batting .400 over his last 14 games after getting four hits - two doubles - and four RBIs in this series. He's a .360 career hitter at home against the Orioles, but 2 for 9 versus Tillman this year.

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SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Orioles at Red Sox
Tue, Aug 27 Final 2 to 13
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Orioles at Red Sox
Wed, Aug 28 Final 3 to 4
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Orioles at Red Sox
Thu, Aug 29 - 7:10PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Marlins (49-82) at Nationals (67-65)
Game: 3
Venue: Nationals Park
Date: August 29, 2013 7:05 PM EDT


Gio Gonzalez won 21 games last year while helping the Washington Nationals possess the best ERA in the league on their way to the NL East title.

Things haven't gone nearly as well in 2013 as Washington is struggling to simply stay in the playoff chase.

The Nationals, though, have been on a roll lately, and they'll look to win for the eighth time in nine games Thursday night when Gonzalez takes the mound against the visiting Miami Marlins.

Gonzalez (7-6, 3.72 ERA) finished with a career-best 2.89 ERA in 2012 for the division champions, who are seven games back of Cincinnati for the NL's second wild-card spot.

He went 0-2 with a 2.00 ERA over his previous three starts before allowing seven runs and 10 hits in 3 1-3 innings of Washington's 11-10 win over Kansas City on Friday.

Gonzalez's one strikeout was his fewest in 93 starts since also striking out a single hitter against the Royals on Sept. 14, 2010, while with Oakland.

"You are going to have games where you are going to be iffy," Gonzalez said. "You are going to be all over the place. (Friday) was a perfect example."

The left-hander has been solid against the Marlins, though, going 2-2 with a 1.93 ERA over four career starts. He allowed two hits in six innings of a 3-0 win over Miami on April 3.

Washington (67-65) continued its hot stretch with a 4-3 win Wednesday. Bryce Harper extended his career-best hitting streak to 10, Denard Span raised his hitting streak to 11 and Ian Desmond had three hits.

Desmond drove in the go-ahead run with a single in the seventh.

``Things are on my side right now,' said Desmond, who is 11 for 22 over his last five games. "I'm in a good spot mentally right now, and a majority of the game is just mental.'

The Nationals are 5-0 at home this season versus Miami (49-82), which has the majors' worst offense and scored 17 runs while dropping seven of eight.

Giancarlo Stanton and Jeff Mathis each homered, but the Marlins fell for the eighth time in 11 matchups with the Nationals.

``I liked the fact that it looked like we kind of swung the bats a little better as far as the hits,' manager Mike Redmond said. ``I don't know. I'll have to sleep on it. We'll see what I can come up with tomorrow.'

Tom Koehler takes the mound for Miami as he looks to build off a solid outing.

Koehler (3-8, 4.45) gave up one run in seven innings before Colorado rallied to beat the Marlins 3-2 on Friday. He went 0-2 with a 6.46 ERA over his previous three outings.

"He had good tempo,' Redmond said. "Sometimes he gets a little squirrelly out there and walks a guy, but he did what he needed to do with runs. He micromanaged that one run he gave up. With our pitchers, I know they feel like they have to go out there and be perfect every single night and it's tough to pitch like that.'

The right-hander has never faced Washington.

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SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Marlins at Nationals
Tue, Aug 27 Final 1 to 2
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Marlins at Nationals
Wed, Aug 28 Final 3 to 4
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Marlins at Nationals
Thu, Aug 29 - 7:05PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Brewers (58-74) at Pirates (77-55)
Game: 3
Venue: PNC Park
Date: August 29, 2013 7:05 PM EDT


The Pittsburgh Pirates have a losing record in August, an extended run of mediocrity that finally cost them their grip on first place earlier this week.

Gerrit Cole can help them get it back ahead of the team's most significant series in two decades.

After some extra rest, the rookie right-hander looks to pitch the Pirates back into a share of the NL Central lead Thursday night against the visiting Milwaukee Brewers.

The Pirates (77-55) moved ahead of St. Louis in the division with a doubleheader sweep of the Cardinals on July 30, and stayed on top until falling one-half game behind on an off day Monday. That deficit grew to 1 1/2 games with Tuesday's 7-6 loss to Milwaukee and a St. Louis win, but they bounced back and improved to 12-13 in August with a 7-1 win Wednesday while the Cardinals lost 10-0.

Newly acquired Marlon Byrd, who came over from the 59-72 Mets a day earlier along with catcher John Buck, hit a three-run homer in his Pirates debut.

"We were battling over there in New York but at the end we just couldn't put it together,' Byrd said. "For a chance to play in the playoffs with a great team in a great city, I'm just fortunate.'

After Thursday's finale against the Brewers (58-74), Pittsburgh will play six of its next nine versus St. Louis - starting with three at PNC Park on Friday - as it pursues its first winning record and playoff berth since 1992.

With the Cardinals idle Thursday, Cole (6-6, 3.81 ERA) will get a chance to send the Pirates into their weekend series in a first-place tie.

Cole has had seven days to rest since his last start, when he gave up two runs and a season-high 10 hits over six innings in a 2-1 loss at San Diego on Aug. 21. With the former No. 1 overall pick having thrown 146 total innings between Triple-A and the majors - 14 more than he did in 2012 - the Pirates are being cautious with his workload down the stretch.

Aside from simply being concerned with Cole's health, giving him some extra rest has proven beneficial. Cole is 4-0 with a 2.84 ERA in four starts on six-plus days' rest, and 2-6 with a 4.27 ERA in nine outings with five days or fewer between starts.

Working on six days' rest against the Brewers on June 28, Cole gave up three first-inning runs but followed with five scoreless in a 10-3 win.

Milwaukee counters with Yovani Gallardo (9-9, 4.61), who gets his first look at someone other than Cincinnati since returning from the disabled list. The right-hander held the Reds scoreless for 6 1-3 innings in a 2-0 win in his first start back from a strained hamstring on Aug. 17, then gave up three runs over six before the Brewers won 6-4 in Cincinnati on Friday.

"I felt good," Gallardo told the team's official website. "I thought I was able to keep the ball down in the zone and get out of some jams whenever I needed to."

He's felt plenty comfortable at PNC Park, going 4-2 with a 1.69 ERA in seven career starts. The last time Gallardo saw the Pirates, however, he only lasted four innings while giving up four runs in a 5-4 home loss May 26.

Gallardo almost certainly will see Pedro Alvarez in the lineup, and Pittsburgh's third baseman is 10 for his last 21 with four homers against Milwaukee righties - including a solo shot off Kyle Lohse on Tuesday.

Alvarez hasn't figured out Gallardo, though, going 1 for 17 with eight strikeouts in their matchups.

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SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Brewers at Pirates
Tue, Aug 27 Final 7 to 6
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Brewers at Pirates
Wed, Aug 28 Final 1 to 7
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Brewers at Pirates
Thu, Aug 29 - 7:05PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Indians (71-61) at Braves (80-52)
Game: 3
Venue: Turner Field
Date: August 29, 2013 7:10 PM EDT


Barring a stunning collapse, the Atlanta Braves are cruising to a division title.

The Cleveland Indians don't have the same luxury.

With a critical series at Detroit looming, the visiting Indians seek a jolt at the plate as they attempt to avoid being swept by the Braves on Thursday night.

Atlanta (80-52) owns the best record in baseball and leads the NL East by 13 games over Washington, seemingly all but assuring a return to the postseason for the third time in four years.

Cleveland's playoff hopes are much more uncertain, as it sits four games back of Oakland for the AL's second wild-card spot and 5 1/2 behind Central-leading Detroit.

The Indians' wild-card deficit has doubled in the last two days as the A's continue to beat the Tigers. Cleveland (71-61) lost the opener of this series 2-0 to the Braves before falling 3-2 on Wednesday after Chris Johnson's walk-off hit.

The Indians are 0 for 14 with runners in scoring position in this series.

"We're getting good pitching, and because of that we're staying in games and we're giving ourselves a chance," manager Terry Francona said. "But we're not hitting a bunch. It becomes more glaring when you don't get in runners in scoring position with two outs, which we haven't done."

Solving those offensive issues may be imperative since the Indians open a three-game set in Detroit on Friday.

Michael Brantley, though, is doing his part by getting three hits and two stolen bases in the last two games to snap his 1-for-27 slump over the previous seven.

The Indians' rotation has posted a 2.27 ERA over its last eight games, a positive trend Ubaldo Jimenez (9-8, 3.95) will try to continue.

He's become all too familiar with Cleveland's woes at the plate. He's compiled a 2.86 ERA over four August starts, but is 1-3 after getting six total runs of support.

The right hander had a season-high 10 strikeouts Friday while allowing two runs in six innings of a 5-1 loss to Minnesota.

"I don't know if he got mad, but he reared back and competed and let it go," manager Terry Francona said. "I thought (Friday) was the best stuff he had all year. He was really good."

This is Jimenez's first start against the Braves since July 2011, and his second start in Atlanta since throwing a no-hitter at Turner Field on April 17, 2010, with Colorado.

While the Braves aren't dealing with much drama in the standings, they had their share the last time Kris Medlen (10-12, 3.74) took the mound.

Medlen was critical of manager Fredi Gonzalez, who lifted him two batters into the seventh Friday in St. Louis. Though Medlen had thrown just 78 pitches, he gave up a go-ahead homer in the sixth and a double and single to start the next inning in an eventual 3-1 loss.

"I thought I was cruising pretty good," Medlen said Friday. "I hadn't had to battle yet but I wasn't given the opportunity, so I guess I'm voicing the fact that I didn't appreciate that."

Medlen apologized to Gonzalez a day later.

"I'm a competitor and I want to be out there," the right-hander said. "That's all I really told (Gonzalez) I was trying to say. ... It wasn't a big deal. He said whatever he said and it's done. It's not a distraction or anything. It was just me venting to the wrong people."

Medlen will now try to focus on his first meeting with the Indians. He's 1-2 with a 5.06 ERA in four interleague starts this season.


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SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Indians at Braves
Tue, Aug 27 Final 0 to 2
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Indians at Braves
Wed, Aug 28 Final 2 to 3
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Indians at Braves
Thu, Aug 29 - 7:10PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Mariners (59-73) at Astros (44-88)
Game: 1
Venue: Minute Maid Park
Date: August 29, 2013 8:10 PM EDT


Based on the success Seattle enjoyed during its last visit to Houston, the Mariners might have a good chance to end their current losing streak.

They'll look to avoid a seventh consecutive loss by winning their fourth in a row over the lowly Astros on Thursday night.

Seattle (59-73) was outscored 38-12 while going winless on a six-game homestand against the Los Angeles Angels and Texas. The Mariners managed nine hits Wednesday, but were blown out 12-4 by the Rangers.

"(This) team will probably be defined by these last 30 games,' manager Eric Wedge said. "A lot of good things have happened. A lot of things have happened maybe we didn't like to see, but with 30 games left you can really make a move in a positive direction.'

The Mariners can start by continuing their recent success against Houston (44-88), one of three teams in the AL with a worse record than them. Seattle has won five of the last six meetings and scored 26 runs while sweeping a three-game set at Minute Maid Park from July 19-21.

Rookie Seattle shortstop Brad Miller is batting .343 (12 for 35) in his last eight games, and went 5 for 13 with two homers and seven RBIs at Houston last month.

The Mariners will turn to Erasmo Ramirez (4-1, 5.44 ERA) to help end their skid.

Though the right-hander is 0-1 in his last two starts, he's allowed three earned runs in 13 2-3 innings of those outings. Two of the three runs he allowed over 6 2-3 innings of a 5-1 loss to the Angels on Saturday were earned.

This will be his first appearance against the Astros, who will try to avoid a third straight defeat after losing 6-1 to the Chicago White Sox on Wednesday.

Houston's Chris Carter was 6 for 12 with three homers and six RBIs against the White Sox this week. He went 11 for 26 with four home runs and six RBIs in his first six games this year versus Seattle, but was 3 for 20 with two RBIs and seven strikeouts in his last six.

After coming out of the bullpen for two of his last three appearances, Jordan Lyles (6-6, 5.15) takes the ball trying to win three straight starts for the first time in his career.

The right-hander has yielded 15 hits over 14 1-3 innings of those two starts but five runs. Four of those runs came on three homers over 7 1-3 innings of a 12-4 victory over Toronto on Friday.

"My command wasn't there the first couple of innings, but we got that big lead, and all that pitching and stuff goes out the window," Lyles told the Astros' official website. "It's time to get quick outs."

Lyles scattered three hits and struck out a career-high 10 in seven scoreless innings while not factoring in the decision of a 6-1 win at Seattle on June 12, but was tagged for a career-worst 10 runs over four frames of a 12-5 home defeat to the Mariners on July 21.

Seattle failed to score a run with Lyles on the mound in both contest.

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

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Mariners at Astros
Thu, Aug 29 - 8:10PM EDT

GAME 2
Mariners at Astros
Fri, Aug 30 - 8:10PM EDT

GAME 3
Mariners at Astros
Sat, Aug 31 - 7:10PM EDT

GAME 4
Mariners at Astros
Sun, Sep 1 - 2:10PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

MLB
Dunkel

Seattle at Houston
The Mariners look to snap a 6-game losing streak and build on their 5-0 record in their last 5 games as a road favorite of -110 to -150. Seattle is the pick (-145) according to Dunkel, which has the Mariners favored by 1 1/2. Dunkel Pick: Seattle (-145). Here are all of today's picks.

THURSDAY, AUGUST 29

Game 901-902: Philadelphia at NY Mets (1:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Philadelphia (Martin) 14.960; NY Mets (Torres) 14.017
Dunkel Line: Philadelphia by 1; 7
Vegas Line: NY Mets (-125); 8
Dunkel Pick: Philadelphia (+105); Under

Game 903-904: Miami at Washington (7:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Miami (Koehler) 14.562; Washington (Gonzalez) 15.960
Dunkel Line: Washington by 1 1/2; 8
Vegas Line: Washington (-220); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Washington (-220); Under

Game 905-906: Milwaukee at Pittsburgh (7:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Milwaukee (Gallardo) 15.890; Pittsburgh (Cole) 15.019
Dunkel Line: Milwaukee by 1; 8
Vegas Line: Pittsburgh (-160); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Milwaukee (+140); Over

Game 907-908: Oakland at Detroit (1:08 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Oakland (Colon) 15.098; Detroit (Scherzer) 16.663
Dunkel Line: Detroit by 1 1/2; 7
Vegas Line: Detroit (-180); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Detroit (-180); Under

Game 909-910: LA Angels at Tampa Bay (1:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: LA Angels (Vargas) 15.970; Tampa Bay (Odorizzi) 15.187
Dunkel Line: LA Angels by 1; 9
Vegas Line: Tampa Bay (-150); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: LA Angels (+130); Over

Game 911-912: Kansas City at Minnesota (1:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Kansas City (Chen) 16.811; Minnesota (Deduno) 13.794
Dunkel Line: Kansas City by 3; 7
Vegas Line: Kansas City (-135); 8
Dunkel Pick: Kansas City (-135); Under

Game 913-914: Baltimore at Boston (7:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Baltimore (Tillman) 16.001; Boston (Lester) 15.485
Dunkel Line: Baltimore by 1/2; 10
Vegas Line: Boston (-160); 9
Dunkel Pick: Baltimore (+140); Over

Game 915-916: Seattle at Houston (8:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Seattle (Ramirez) 15.579; Houston (Lyles) 14.124
Dunkel Line: Seattle by 1 1/2; 8
Vegas Line: Seattle (-145); 9
Dunkel Pick: Seattle (-145); Under

Game 917-918: Cleveland at Atlanta (7:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Cleveland (Jimenez) 15.424; Atlanta (Medlen) 17.074
Dunkel Line: Atlanta by 1 1/2; 9
Vegas Line: Atlanta (-150); 8
Dunkel Pick: Atlanta (-150); Over

[StarDust Bum]

MLB
Long Sheet

Thursday, August 29

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PHILADELPHIA (61 - 72) at NY METS (59 - 72) - 1:10 PM
ETHAN MARTIN (R) vs. CAROLS TORRES (R)
Top Trends for this game.
PHILADELPHIA is 61-72 (-15.8 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 38-48 (-16.8 Units) against the money line in day games over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 61-72 (-15.8 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 28-34 (-12.2 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
NY METS are 21-10 (+14.8 Units) against the money line when playing on Thursday over the last 2 seasons.
NY METS are 27-38 (-15.7 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
NY METS are 279-294 (-85.9 Units) against the money line in home games against division opponents since 1997.
NY METS are 10-19 (-13.1 Units) against the money line in home games in day games this season.
NY METS are 27-38 (-15.7 Units) against the money line in home games in games played on a grass field this season.
NY METS are 68-83 (-28.9 Units) against the money line in home games against right-handed starters over the last 3 seasons.
NY METS are 34-48 (-22.1 Units) against the money line in home games after a loss over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
PHILADELPHIA is 9-6 (+2.0 Units) against NY METS this season
9 of 15 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+2.9 Units)

ETHAN MARTIN vs. NY METS since 1997
No recent starts.

CAROLS TORRES vs. PHILADELPHIA since 1997
No recent starts.

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MIAMI (49 - 82) at WASHINGTON (67 - 65) - 7:05 PM
TOM KOEHLER (R) vs. GIO GONZALEZ (L)
Top Trends for this game.
MIAMI is 118-175 (-38.8 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
MIAMI is 117-171 (-35.9 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
MIAMI is 65-107 (-30.5 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 25-10 (+13.1 Units) against the money line when playing on Thursday over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 112-82 (+16.7 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
GONZALEZ is 40-20 (+16.2 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
GONZALEZ is 40-20 (+16.2 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
GONZALEZ is 25-11 (+12.7 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
GONZALEZ is 23-10 (+11.4 Units) against the money line after a win over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
MIAMI is 335-379 (+41.2 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season since 1997.
WASHINGTON is 67-65 (-11.0 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
WASHINGTON is 67-65 (-11.0 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
WASHINGTON is 45-49 (-16.2 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
WASHINGTON is 8-3 (+3.8 Units) against MIAMI this season
6 of 9 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+2.7 Units)

TOM KOEHLER vs. WASHINGTON since 1997
No recent starts.

GIO GONZALEZ vs. MIAMI since 1997
GONZALEZ is 2-2 when starting against MIAMI with an ERA of 1.93 and a WHIP of 0.786.
His team's record is 2-2 (-0.6 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 3-0. (+3.0 units)

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MILWAUKEE (58 - 74) at PITTSBURGH (77 - 55) - 7:05 PM
YOVANI GALLARDO (R) vs. GERRIT COLE (R)
Top Trends for this game.
MILWAUKEE is 141-153 (-22.3 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
MILWAUKEE is 1-11 (-11.7 Units) against the money line when playing on Thursday this season.
MILWAUKEE is 141-153 (-22.3 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
GALLARDO is 1-9 (-11.0 Units) against the money line when playing on Thursday over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
PITTSBURGH is 77-55 (+23.4 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
PITTSBURGH is 43-23 (+15.7 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
PITTSBURGH is 32-21 (+13.0 Units) against the money line against division opponents this season.
PITTSBURGH is 77-55 (+23.4 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
PITTSBURGH is 52-31 (+20.2 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
PITTSBURGH is 63-43 (+22.7 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
PITTSBURGH is 44-32 (+13.1 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
PITTSBURGH is 48-25 (+20.8 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
MILWAUKEE is 49-31 (+19.8 Units) against the money line in August games over the last 3 seasons.
MILWAUKEE is 35-28 (+13.2 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.
PITTSBURGH is 37-41 (-27.6 Units) against the money line as a home favorite of -150 to -175 since 1997.
PITTSBURGH is 31-52 (-23.8 Units) against the money line in August games over the last 3 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 38-44 (-18.4 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
PITTSBURGH is 10-5 (+5.1 Units) against MILWAUKEE this season
7 of 14 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=-0.7 Units, Under=-0.8 Units)

YOVANI GALLARDO vs. PITTSBURGH since 1997
GALLARDO is 10-3 when starting against PITTSBURGH with an ERA of 2.58 and a WHIP of 1.184.
His team's record is 14-3 (+10.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 6-11. (-6.2 units)

GERRIT COLE vs. MILWAUKEE since 1997
COLE is 1-0 when starting against MILWAUKEE with an ERA of 4.50 and a WHIP of 1.833.
His team's record is 1-0 (+1.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-0. (+1.0 units)

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OAKLAND (75 - 57) at DETROIT (77 - 56) - 1:05 PM
BARTOLO COLON (R) vs. MAX SCHERZER (R)
Top Trends for this game.
DETROIT is 27-6 (+16.0 Units) against the money line as a home favorite of -175 to -200 over the last 2 seasons.
SCHERZER is 21-5 (+11.7 Units) against the money line in all games this season. (Team's Record)
SCHERZER is 61-31 (+19.6 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
OAKLAND is 75-57 (+10.1 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
OAKLAND is 39-37 (+34.6 Units) against the money line as a road underdog of +175 to +200 since 1997.
OAKLAND is 80-71 (+22.1 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
OAKLAND is 275-203 (+65.0 Units) against the money line in August games since 1997.
OAKLAND is 72-53 (+11.1 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
OAKLAND is 116-81 (+38.5 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
OAKLAND is 44-30 (+10.0 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
OAKLAND is 35-23 (+12.8 Units) against the money line after 3 or more consecutive wins over the last 2 seasons.
OAKLAND is 85-68 (+28.5 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
OAKLAND is 40-31 (+14.9 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.
COLON is 31-17 (+14.0 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
COLON is 30-17 (+12.7 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
DETROIT is 77-56 (-8.7 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
DETROIT is 117-138 (-45.7 Units) against the money line in home games in August games since 1997.
DETROIT is 73-53 (-9.3 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
OAKLAND is 4-2 (+3.6 Units) against DETROIT this season
5 of 6 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+4.0 Units)

BARTOLO COLON vs. DETROIT since 1997
COLON is 8-10 when starting against DETROIT with an ERA of 5.44 and a WHIP of 1.597.
His team's record is 13-12 (-6.1 units) in these starts. The OVER is 10-14. (-5.8 units)

MAX SCHERZER vs. OAKLAND since 1997
SCHERZER is 2-1 when starting against OAKLAND with an ERA of 2.67 and a WHIP of 1.154.
His team's record is 3-3 (-0.4 units) in these starts. The OVER is 3-1. (+1.9 units)

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LA ANGELS (59 - 72) at TAMPA BAY (75 - 56) - 1:10 PM
JASON VARGAS (L) vs. JAKE ODORIZZI (R)
Top Trends for this game.
LA ANGELS are 59-72 (-29.6 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
LA ANGELS are 34-38 (-14.7 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 this season.
LA ANGELS are 46-51 (-16.7 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
LA ANGELS are 27-44 (-26.8 Units) against the money line after a loss this season.
LA ANGELS are 26-42 (-19.2 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
TAMPA BAY is 38-21 (+12.5 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 this season.
TAMPA BAY is 114-62 (+32.0 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 3 seasons.
LA ANGELS are 693-685 (+56.7 Units) against the money line in road games since 1997.
LA ANGELS are 255-210 (+74.0 Units) against the money line in road games in day games since 1997.
VARGAS is 27-19 (+13.8 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
LA ANGELS is 1-1 (+0.2 Units) against TAMPA BAY this season
1 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=-0.1 Units, Under=-0.2 Units)

JASON VARGAS vs. TAMPA BAY since 1997
VARGAS is 2-3 when starting against TAMPA BAY with an ERA of 3.29 and a WHIP of 1.252.
His team's record is 2-4 (-1.7 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-5. (-4.2 units)

JAKE ODORIZZI vs. LA ANGELS since 1997
No recent starts.

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KANSAS CITY (68 - 64) at MINNESOTA (57 - 74) - 1:10 PM
BRUCE CHEN (L) vs. SAM DEDUNO (R)
Top Trends for this game.
MINNESOTA is 56-68 (+4.9 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
KANSAS CITY is 37-31 (+8.6 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 this season.
KANSAS CITY is 33-31 (+6.8 Units) against the money line in road games this season.
KANSAS CITY is 26-19 (+8.1 Units) against the money line in day games this season.
KANSAS CITY is 51-42 (+8.8 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
KANSAS CITY is 10-1 (+9.4 Units) against the money line in road games when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season this season.
CHEN is 29-16 (+18.4 Units) against the money line in August games since 1997. (Team's Record)
CHEN is 55-41 (+20.5 Units) against the money line against division opponents since 1997. (Team's Record)
MINNESOTA is 59-85 (-24.7 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 47-70 (-23.3 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 3 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 7-18 (-12.6 Units) against the money line in home games in August games over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 76-93 (-35.3 Units) against the money line in home games when playing on Thursday since 1997.
MINNESOTA is 31-55 (-22.5 Units) against the money line in home games after a loss over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 33-66 (-24.4 Units) against the money line after 3 or more consecutive losses over the last 3 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 22-46 (-13.2 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
MINNESOTA is 10-26 (-15.5 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
KANSAS CITY is 14-4 (+8.7 Units) against MINNESOTA this season
10 of 18 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+1.4 Units)

BRUCE CHEN vs. MINNESOTA since 1997
CHEN is 3-5 when starting against MINNESOTA with an ERA of 5.07 and a WHIP of 1.425.
His team's record is 4-6 (-1.6 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 5-5. (-0.4 units)

SAM DEDUNO vs. KANSAS CITY since 1997
DEDUNO is 3-1 when starting against KANSAS CITY with an ERA of 2.16 and a WHIP of 1.320.
His team's record is 3-1 (+2.8 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-3. (-2.6 units)

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BALTIMORE (70 - 61) at BOSTON (79 - 55) - 7:05 PM
CHRIS TILLMAN (R) vs. JON LESTER (L)
Top Trends for this game.
BOSTON is 79-55 (+12.4 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
BALTIMORE is 70-61 (+3.4 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
BALTIMORE is 77-57 (+20.5 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 over the last 2 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 80-69 (+30.3 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 32-22 (+18.2 Units) against the money line on the road when the total is 9 to 9.5 over the last 2 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 22-10 (+12.3 Units) against the money line when playing on Thursday over the last 2 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 70-59 (+20.5 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 65-53 (+5.4 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
BALTIMORE is 113-94 (+24.4 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 36-24 (+10.0 Units) against the money line after a loss this season.
BALTIMORE is 39-30 (+9.8 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
TILLMAN is 18-8 (+10.5 Units) against the money line in all games this season. (Team's Record)
TILLMAN is 11-1 (+10.7 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 this season. (Team's Record)
TILLMAN is 9-2 (+8.5 Units) against the money line in road games this season. (Team's Record)
TILLMAN is 10-2 (+10.5 Units) against the money line on the road when the total is 9 to 9.5 over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
TILLMAN is 26-12 (+15.8 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
TILLMAN is 15-4 (+10.6 Units) against the money line in night games this season. (Team's Record)
TILLMAN is 17-6 (+14.5 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
BOSTON is 27-27 (-9.0 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 this season.
BOSTON is 76-70 (-18.3 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 34-41 (-21.3 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 9 to 9.5 over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 23-31 (-15.5 Units) against the money line in August games over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 26-38 (-24.1 Units) against the money line in home games against division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 129-134 (-32.4 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 101-110 (-28.2 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 95-103 (-25.7 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 463-344 (-55.7 Units) against the money line in home games after a win since 1997.
BOSTON is 75-93 (-25.5 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 32-52 (-20.9 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.
LESTER is 46-46 (-19.2 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
LESTER is 18-24 (-13.8 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
LESTER is 17-22 (-16.9 Units) against the money line after a win over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
LESTER is 21-28 (-15.9 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
BALTIMORE is 6-6 (+0.3 Units) against BOSTON this season
8 of 11 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+4.5 Units)

CHRIS TILLMAN vs. BOSTON since 1997
TILLMAN is 3-1 when starting against BOSTON with an ERA of 2.08 and a WHIP of 1.223.
His team's record is 4-4 (-0.1 units) in these starts. The OVER is 4-4. (+0.1 units)

JON LESTER vs. BALTIMORE since 1997
LESTER is 15-2 when starting against BALTIMORE with an ERA of 2.72 and a WHIP of 1.287.
His team's record is 17-6 (+8.7 units) in these starts. The OVER is 9-9. (-0.7 units)

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SEATTLE (59 - 73) at HOUSTON (44 - 88) - 8:10 PM
ERASMO RAMIREZ (L) vs. JORDAN LYLES (R)
Top Trends for this game.
SEATTLE is 136-169 (-46.6 Units) against the money line when playing on Thursday since 1997.
SEATTLE is 56-70 (-11.7 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
SEATTLE is 75-141 (-51.6 Units) against the money line in road games after 3 or more consecutive losses since 1997.
SEATTLE is 31-15 (+12.4 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 99-194 (-43.7 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 21-44 (-15.5 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
HOUSTON is 6-25 (-17.0 Units) against the money line in home games against division opponents this season.
HOUSTON is 21-44 (-15.5 Units) against the money line in home games in games played on a grass field this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
SEATTLE is 7-5 (+0.3 Units) against HOUSTON this season
6 of 12 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=-0.6 Units, Under=-0.4 Units)

ERASMO RAMIREZ vs. HOUSTON since 1997
No recent starts.

JORDAN LYLES vs. SEATTLE since 1997
LYLES is 0-1 when starting against SEATTLE with an ERA of 7.36 and a WHIP of 1.364.
His team's record is 1-1 (+0.3 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-1. (+0.0 units)

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CLEVELAND (71 - 61) at ATLANTA (80 - 52) - 7:10 PM
UBALDO JIMENEZ (R) vs. KRIS MEDLEN (R)
Top Trends for this game.
CLEVELAND is 17-37 (-19.0 Units) against the money line in August games over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 80-52 (+14.0 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
ATLANTA is 41-17 (+17.6 Units) against the money line as a home favorite of -125 to -150 over the last 3 seasons.
ATLANTA is 46-18 (+17.8 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
ATLANTA is 79-51 (+14.0 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
ATLANTA is 35-13 (+13.9 Units) against the money line in home games against right-handed starters this season.
ATLANTA is 108-66 (+26.2 Units) against the money line after a win over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 26-8 (+15.2 Units) against the money line after 3 or more consecutive wins this season.
ATLANTA is 29-17 (+11.5 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
MEDLEN is 32-10 (+19.6 Units) against the money line in night games since 1997. (Team's Record)
CLEVELAND is 71-61 (+14.3 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
CLEVELAND is 68-58 (+12.3 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
CLEVELAND is 47-41 (+8.1 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
JIMENEZ is 15-10 (+7.7 Units) against the money line in all games this season. (Team's Record)

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

UBALDO JIMENEZ vs. ATLANTA since 1997
JIMENEZ is 3-4 when starting against ATLANTA with an ERA of 3.78 and a WHIP of 1.426.
His team's record is 3-5 (-2.7 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 5-3. (+1.5 units)

KRIS MEDLEN vs. CLEVELAND since 1997
No recent starts.

[StarDust Bum]

MLB
Armadillo's Write-Up

Thursday, August 29

Hot pitchers
-- Gallardo is 1-0, 2.19 in his last couple starts.

-- Medlen is 2-1, 3.15 in his last three starts. Jimenez is 1-1, 2.31 in his last couple starts.

-- Scherzer is 6-0, 1.66 in his last seven starts.
-- Vargas is 1-0, 3.09 in his last two starts.
-- Lester is 2-0, 0.57 in his last two starts; he is 4-0 in nine home starts. Tillman is 0-1, 2.57 in his last four starts.
-- Seattle won five of last six Ramirez starts (4-1, 5.00). Lyles is 2-0, 3.14 in his last couple starts.

Cold pitchers
-- Torres is 1-1, 6.43 in three starts this year. Martin is 1-1, 6.00 in his last three starts.
-- GGonzalez is 0-3, 7.12 in his last six starts. Koehler is 0-2, 4.84 in his last four starts.
-- Cole is 1-3, 4.30 in his last five starts.

-- Colon is 0-2, 8.53 in his last three starts.
-- Odorizzi is 0-1, 6.14 in three starts, last of which was June 18.
-- Deduno is 1-3, 5.96 in his last four starts. Chen is 0-2, 13./00 in his last two.

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........
-- Martin 1-5; Torres 1-3
-- Koehler 6-17; Gonzalez 8-26
-- Gallardo 5-25 (1 of last 7); Cole 3-13 (1 of last 6)

-- Jimenez 6-25 (1 of last 10); Medlen 8-25 (0 of last 6)

-- Colon 6-24; Scherzer 4-26 (0 of last 11)
-- Vargas 2-17; Odorizzi 1-3
-- Chen 2-8; Deduno 6-17 (5 of last 9)
-- Tillman 6-26; Lester 8-27
-- Ramirez 4-7; Lyles 6-20 (1 of last 7)

Totals
-- Under is 12-4-1 in last seventeen Philadelphia games.
-- Over is 5-1-1 in last seven Washington games.
-- Eight of last nine Milwaukee games went over total.

-- Six of last seven Atlanta games stayed under the total.

-- Seven of last eight Oakland games went over the total.
-- Six of last eight Angel games stayed under the total.
-- Over is 4-1-1 in last six Kansas City games.
-- Eight of last twelve Baltimore games went over the total.
-- Eight of last twelve Houston games went over the total.

Hot teams
-- Phillies won eight of their last eleven games.
-- Nationals won seven of their last eight games.
-- Brewers are 8-5 in their last thirteen road games.

-- Atlanta won six of its last seven home games.

-- Oakland won four of its last five games.
-- Angels won four of their last five games, allowing 11 runs.
-- Kansas City won its last four games, scoring 31 runs.
-- Red Sox won five of their last six games.

Cold teams
-- Mets lost eight of their last ten games.
-- Marlins lost six of their last seven games.
-- Pirates lost 11 of their last 18 games.

-- Indians are 2-3 in last five games, scoring twice in last two games.

-- Tigers lost five of their last six home games.
-- Rays lost three of their last four games.
-- Twins lost nine of their last twelve games.
-- Orioles lost last five road games, allowing 31 runs.
-- Mariners lost their last six games, outscored 38-12. Houston lost six of its last nine games.

Umpires
-- Phil-NY-- 10 of last 14 Eddings games went over the total.
-- Mia-Wsh-- Seven of last ten Marquez games stayed under.
-- Mil-Pitt-- Under is 12-0-2 in last fourteen Iassogna games.

-- Clev-Atl-- Favorites won five of last six Nelson games.

-- A's-Det-- Under is 8-4-1 in last thirteen Meals games.
-- LA-TB-- Nine of last eleven Wegner games went over total.
-- KC-Min-- Under is 6-2-1 in last nine Porter games.
-- Blt-Bos-- Five of last seven McClelland games went over.

[StarDust Bum]

MLB

Thursday, August 29

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Trend Report
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1:08 PM
OAKLAND vs. DETROIT
The total has gone OVER in 9 of Oakland's last 10 games when playing on the road against Detroit
Oakland is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
Detroit is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Detroit's last 5 games at home

1:10 PM
PHILADELPHIA vs. NY METS
The total has gone OVER in 17 of Philadelphia's last 25 games when playing on the road against NY Mets
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Philadelphia's last 7 games on the road
NY Mets are 3-9 SU in its last 12 games when playing at home against Philadelphia
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of NY Mets's last 11 games at home

1:10 PM
LA ANGELS vs. TAMPA BAY
LA Angels are 5-1 SU in their last 6 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of LA Angels's last 5 games when playing on the road against Tampa Bay
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Tampa Bay's last 5 games when playing LA Angels
Tampa Bay is 7-1 SU in their last 8 games when playing LA Angels

1:10 PM
KANSAS CITY vs. MINNESOTA
Kansas City is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games when playing Minnesota
Kansas City is 12-4 SU in its last 16 games on the road
Minnesota is 1-8 SU in its last 9 games when playing Kansas City
Minnesota is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Kansas City

7:05 PM
MILWAUKEE vs. PITTSBURGH
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Milwaukee's last 6 games on the road
Milwaukee is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games when playing on the road against Pittsburgh
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Pittsburgh's last 6 games
Pittsburgh is 7-3 SU in its last 10 games at home

7:05 PM
MIAMI vs. WASHINGTON
Miami is 3-8 SU in its last 11 games when playing Washington
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Miami's last 6 games when playing Washington
Washington is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Washington's last 7 games

7:10 PM
CLEVELAND vs. ATLANTA
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Cleveland's last 5 games when playing on the road against Atlanta
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Cleveland's last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Atlanta's last 5 games when playing at home against Cleveland
Atlanta is 18-7 SU in its last 25 games

7:10 PM
BALTIMORE vs. BOSTON
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Baltimore's last 10 games when playing on the road against Boston
The total has gone OVER in 15 of Baltimore's last 23 games when playing on the road against Boston
Boston is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Baltimore
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Boston's last 10 games when playing Baltimore

8:10 PM
SEATTLE vs. HOUSTON
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Seattle's last 6 games when playing Houston
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Seattle's last 8 games when playing on the road against Houston
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Houston's last 12 games
Houston is 8-17 SU in its last 25 games