The Bum's MLB News-Stats and POD'S Thru The World Series !

[StarDust Bum]

Sunday, October 6

Game Score Status Pick Amount

St. Louis - 4:30 PM ET Pittsburgh -163 500
Pittsburgh - Under 6.5 500

Atlanta - 8:00 PM ET LA Dodgers -137 500
LA Dodgers - Under 6.5 500

[Udog]

Game Score Status Pick Amount

St. Louis - 4:30 PM ET Pittsburgh -163 500
Pittsburgh -

I hate to say it but it sure looks that way today. Liriano is tough!

My guys have to get one in Pittsburgh and they're looking at Morton on Monday. It's worrisome. The Buccos are really good all-round no matter who's on the mound, really.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Athletics (96-66) at Tigers (93-69)
Game: 3
Venue: O.co Coliseum
Date: October 07, 2013 1:07 PM EDT


DETROIT (AP) - On another team, he might be an ace.

For the Detroit Tigers, Anibal Sanchez is the No. 3 starter - at least in this AL division series against Oakland.

Sanchez takes the mound Monday for Game 3 between the Tigers and Athletics after the teams split a pair of pulsating one-run games in Oakland. The A's evened the series Saturday night despite a brilliant performance by Detroit right-hander Justin Verlander, and now the Tigers will call on Sanchez, another standout from what's become an exceptional starting rotation.

``We just came back from playing two playoff games, and we're pitching a guy that led the league in earned run average,' Detroit manager Jim Leyland said. ``That's pretty good.'

Sanchez's 2.57 ERA this season indeed paced the American League, and he's been exactly what Detroit hoped for when the Tigers acquired him from the Miami Marlins in the middle of last season. Sanchez, Verlander and right-hander Max Scherzer have been so good over the last couple years, it wasn't clear how Leyland would order them for this series.

``This year, I just tried to keep to the level of those guys,' Sanchez said. ``For me, I've got my job, and every five days, I try at that point, to throw a really good game.'

Scherzer won Game 1 against Oakland, and Verlander held the A's scoreless for seven innings in Game 2. Oakland finally scored in the ninth off the Detroit bullpen to win 1-0, but now the Tigers can send Sanchez out Monday. Doug Fister will take the mound in Game 4 after going 14-9 with a 3.67 ERA during the regular season.

``They're lucky enough to have three guys - and really Fister at times can be just as tough as any of them,' Oakland manager Bob Melvin said. ``If you put any of those four guys on a different team ... you're looking at top-of-the-rotation guys.'

The A's can run four solid starters out to the mound too - even if Oakland's pitchers aren't as well known. Sonny Gray certainly made an impression in his postseason debut Saturday, when he went toe to toe with Verlander. Oakland right-hander Jarrod Parker will pitch Game 3, and he says there's no extra pressure to match scoreless frames with the Tigers.

``That's the goal every time out,' Parker said. ``I'm not going to go out and press and force and not be who I am.'

Detroit's terrific rotation began coming together last year, when Scherzer shook off a poor start to become one of the AL's best pitchers. The Tigers also traded for Sanchez, who looked like a solid, middle-of-the-rotation right-hander.

``We knew we were getting a guy that was going to keep you in the game, but he's definitely been much better than I think anybody thought, as far as his consistency,' Detroit catcher Alex Avila said.

In last year's postseason, Detroit's pitchers really began to shine. The Tigers beat Oakland in five games in the division series before sweeping the New York Yankees in the AL championship series, with the rotation posting a 1.02 ERA through those two rounds.

In the World Series, Detroit's own bats went silent, and the Tigers were swept in four straight by San Francisco. That was a reminder that if Detroit doesn't hit, its outstanding pitching can be overcome.

And that's why this series is tied at 1. The Tigers put up three runs in the first inning of the series but haven't scored since. They held on to win the opener 3-2 before wasting a marvelous, 11-strikeout effort by Verlander in Game 2.

Leyland plans to put Jhonny Peralta in the lineup Monday in an effort to boost the offense. Peralta was the Tigers' shortstop before he was suspended 50 games in early August as part of baseball's investigation of the Biogenesis of America anti-aging clinic, which was accused of distributing banned performance-enhancing drugs. Detroit now has Jose Iglesias at shortstop, but Peralta came back for the final three games of the regular season as an outfielder.

This will be his first home game since the suspension.

``We've got to try to score some runs, obviously,' Leyland said.

It's been a tense, riveting start to this series - with a lot less scoring than the four-game set these teams played in Detroit in late August. The A's scored 34 runs in that series and won three of four.

``Against these guys, you wouldn't have expected that,' Melvin said. ``But we just had a lot of momentum once we scored a bunch of runs the first game. We were getting pitch counts up, getting into the bullpen - a little different dynamic than what we're looking at right now.'

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SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Tigers at Athletics
Fri, Oct 4 Final 3 to 2
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Tigers at Athletics
Sat, Oct 5 Final 0 to 1
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Athletics at Tigers
Mon, Oct 7 - 1:07PM EDT

GAME 4
Athletics at Tigers
Tue, Oct 8 - 5:07PM EDT

GAME 5
Tigers at Athletics
Thu, Oct 10 - 9:07PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Cardinals (97-65) at Pirates (94-68)
Game: 4
Venue: Busch Stadium
Date: October 07, 2013 3:07 PM EDT


If there's a team familiar with facing elimination in recent postseasons, it's the St. Louis Cardinals.

St. Louis may like its chances of keeping its season alive this time based on its history against Charlie Morton.

The Pittsburgh Pirates can advance to the NL championship series Monday at home, but they have lost Morton's last seven starts against the Cardinals.

Pittsburgh took a 2-1 lead in this division series with a 5-3 victory Sunday. Andrew McCutchen reached base four times and scored twice for a Pirates team that has benefited from raucous crowds in going 2-0 at home this postseason.

"We're continuing to surprise a lot of people, I believe. We're continuing to show people that we're not done, that we're not just happy to be in the postseason," McCutchen said. "We're fighting to win a World Series."

St. Louis went 6-1 in elimination games the previous two seasons as it tries to force a decisive fifth game at home Wednesday.

"It's a must-win tomorrow for us,' said Carlos Beltran, who homered and drove in all three runs Sunday. "Hopefully we can come here tomorrow, take care of business, win and go play the last game at home."

Beltran figures to be among numerous Cardinals who should be excited to step into the batter's box against Morton (7-4, 3.26 ERA), who is 2-9 with a 6.52 ERA in 14 starts against the Cardinals - including 0-6 with a 6.82 ERA in his last seven.

That poor history hasn't dented the right-hander's confidence entering his postseason debut.

"Anybody would like to believe that from failure you take something from it," Morton said. "And I think that's true with anybody, whether it's a season or it's a span of starts or it's one start."

Beltran is 6 for 15 off Morton, Jon Jay is 8 for 16, Yadier Molina is 8 for 19 and Matt Holliday is 8 for 25. The Cardinals, however, do not feel they have a secret formula for hitting Morton.

"We put together a game plan," manager Mike Matheny said. "We take our successes and failures and learn from them from each individual pitcher and try to put a plan together to give us success for the next time."

Another factor in the visitors' favor is Morton's 4.81 ERA in day games compared to his 2.62 mark at night.

The Cardinals could use more from Holliday and Jay, who have combined for one RBI in the series. Holliday is 2 for 12 and Jay is 2 for 10.

St. Louis, meanwhile, must slow down McCutchen and Pedro Alvarez. McCutchen is 7 for 13 in the postseason along with five walks while Alvarez is 4 for 10 in the series with two homers and four RBIs.

Matheny chose Michael Wacha (4-1, 2.78) to start Game 4 over fellow rookie Shelby Miller, who led all rookies with 15 wins this year. Wacha last pitched Sept. 24 when his bid for a no-hitter was broken up by Ryan Zimmerman's infield single with two outs in the ninth inning in a 2-0 victory over Washington.

This will be the 10th big league start for the right-hander, who has World Series experience - as a junior in college at Texas A&M two years ago.

"I wouldn't really say whenever I was in college my junior year that I would ever have thought of this," he said. "But I just look at it as an opportunity to take advantage of."

He took full advantage of his lone start against Pittsburgh with seven scoreless innings in a 9-2 home win Sept. 8 in which Morton was charged with five runs before exiting with discomfort in his left foot in the second inning.

St. Louis is 3-8 at PNC Park this year.

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SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Pirates at Cardinals
Thu, Oct 3 Final 1 to 9
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Pirates at Cardinals
Fri, Oct 4 Final 7 to 1
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Cardinals at Pirates
Sun, Oct 6 Final 3 to 5
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 4
Cardinals at Pirates
Mon, Oct 7 - 3:07PM EDT

GAME 5
Pirates at Cardinals
Wed, Oct 9 - 5:07PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Red Sox (97-65) at Rays (92-71)
Game: 3
Venue: Fenway Park
Date: October 07, 2013 6:07 PM EDT


ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) - Evan Longoria woke up feeling much better about Tampa Bay's chances of rebounding against the Boston Red Sox.

Not that it will be easy to overcome a 2-0 deficit in the best-of-5 AL division series matchup that resumes Monday night at Tropicana Field. But to have any chance of succeeding, the Rays star said players can't dwell on being on the brink of elimination yet again.

It took winning three consecutive elimination games just to get into the division series. And now, it will take three more to beat Red Sox and reach the league championship series against Oakland or Detroit.

``I don't think we let our guard down at all. I think we just got outplayed,' Longoria said after an optional team workout Sunday.

``They swung the bats better, they pitched better,' the three-time All-Star added. ``At some point you've got to be able to admit that and turn the page and go to the next day.'

Alex Cobb, who beat Cleveland last Wednesday in the AL wild-card game, will carry the Rays' hopes to the mound in Game 3. Right-hander Clay Buchholz will start for the Red Sox, who outscored Tampa Bay 19-6 in the opening two games at Fenway Park.

History doesn't favor the Rays. Of the previous 22 AL teams that have lost the first two games of a division series, only four rallied to advance.

Tampa Bay was able to force a Game 5 after dropping the first two in the 2010 division series, however the Rangers went on to play for the pennant.

Boston has won 14 of 21 games this year between the AL East rivals.

``That's been a consistent approach that we've taken throughout the course of the year. We haven't gotten ahead of ourselves,' Boston manager John Farrell said. ``We haven't carried on a thought or a feeling of what has taken place the night or the series before. And I think everyone is eager to get back on the field tomorrow.'

The Rays made uncharacteristic mistakes in the first two games, and their inability to hit in key situations undermined any chance of overcoming gaffes.

Longoria thinks that being back home after two weeks on the road will help. When the team plane landed in Tampa early Sunday, it concluded a five-city, 12-day, 5,631-mile trek.

The Rays won their regular season finale in Toronto, forcing a one-game tiebreaker at Texas to determine the second AL wild card. They beat the Rangers to reach the playoffs, then Cobb shut down the Indians 4-0 in the wild-card game.

``I like our chances here. We played really well down the stretch. I know our home fans will be out in full force, and I think our record speaks for itself. When we've had a full house, we've played pretty well,' Longoria said.

The Rays were last in the major leagues in home attendance, averaging 18,645. Game 3 has been announced as a sellout, although tickets remain available for a possible Game 4 on Tuesday.

Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon said he doesn't plan any changes. To get back into the series, he feels the Rays have to play better offensively.

``We have just not scored runs on these guys,' Maddon said. ``We have not been able to get any kind of lead and hold on to leads, and that's generally what we do best.'

Before leaving Fenway Park after Saturday's 7-4 loss in Game 2, the Rays skipper expressed confidence his team was capable of taking two games in St. Petersburg. Maddon reiterated that belief Sunday.

``Listen, we've been in these moments in the very recent past. We've always prided ourselves on one day at a time approach,' he said.

``To carry negativity with you does absolutely no good whatsoever. You learn from your mistakes, no question, but move it along. I really expect us to be in the present tense tomorrow,' he added. ``And with that, we've shown in the recent past what we can do when we're able to file things and move it along.'

Cobb went 11-3 with a 2.25 ERA this year in his first full season in the majors, including 7-0 with a 2.81 ERA in 13 starts at home.

``He has good stuff, man,' said Boston's David Ortiz, who homered twice off David Price on Saturday. ``I watched him pitch the other day against Cleveland, and his stuff ... he was on. Tampa Bay has great pitching. You can never doubt them. You've got to come in, play well because they are just like we are. The minute you make a mistake, they hunt you down. Good teams, that's what it's all about.'

There are plenty of reasons for the Red Sox to feel comfortable with their starting pitcher, too.

Buchholz has beaten Tampa Bay twice this season, allowing five hits in 13 scoreless innings. He has a career 2.41 ERA in 16 starts against the Rays, including 2.26 in nine starts at Tropicana Field.

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SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Rays at Red Sox
Fri, Oct 4 Final 2 to 12
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Rays at Red Sox
Sat, Oct 5 Final 4 to 7
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Red Sox at Rays
Mon, Oct 7 - 6:07PM EDT

GAME 4
Red Sox at Rays
Tue, Oct 8 - 8:37PM EDT

GAME 5
Rays at Red Sox
Thu, Oct 10 - 5:37PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Braves (96-66) at Dodgers (92-70)
Game: 4
Venue: Turner Field
Date: October 07, 2013 9:37 PM EDT


The Los Angeles Dodgers will ask Ricky Nolasco to close out the Atlanta Braves in his postseason debut.

Nolasco's performance might not matter much if Los Angeles' offense produces like it did Sunday.

The Dodgers can clinch a trip to their third NLCS in six years Monday night with a win at home over Atlanta in Game 4 of the NL division series.

Los Angeles overcame a poor pitching performance in Sunday's 13-6 win, taking a 2-1 series lead after matching its franchise record for runs in a postseason game. The then-Brooklyn Dodgers won 13-8 over the New York Yankees in Game 2 of the 1956 World Series.

Carl Crawford and Juan Uribe each homered - accounting for five runs - as the Dodgers totaled 14 hits to compensate for rookie Hyun-Jin Ryu giving up four runs and six hits in three innings in his postseason debut.

"It was a total team effort," said Crawford, who also turned in a highlight reel-worthy catch, tumbling over the left-field retaining wall to catch a foul ball in the eighth. "Guys were swinging the bat well. That's what it's going to take: 25 guys to do the job and come together play well."

Hanley Ramirez also continued his tear, going 3 for 4 with a triple and a double to improve to 7 for 13 with six RBIs in the series. His six extra-base hits have tied Carlos Beltran (2004) and Jim Edmonds (2000) for the most in a Division Series.

"He's in a real good groove right now," Crawford said. "He's in a zone."

Sunday marked the Dodgers' first home playoff game since 2009 - which was their second of two straight trips to the NLCS. Nolasco (13-11, 3.70 ERA) will get the chance to send them back, though the club had considered starting series-opening winner Clayton Kershaw if they had lost Game 3.

"Whatever decision they make is going to be the best decision for the team," Nolasco told the team's official website. "So I'm with whatever. They're the ones who get paid to make those decisions. So I'll be here ready to take the ball whenever they ask me to pitch."

Nolasco will try to shake off a rough stretch to end the regular season, as he went 0-2 with a 12.75 ERA over his final three starts.

Brian McCann - who is 0 for 9 in the series - is 20 for 58 versus Nolasco with eight home runs, the most by any player against the right-hander. One of those homers came on July 3, though Nolasco limited Atlanta to two runs and six hits over seven innings of a 6-3 victory with Miami. He had been 0-4 with a 7.07 ERA over his previous five matchups with the Braves.

Atlanta will turn to Freddy Garcia (1-2, 1.65) one day after his 37th birthday for only his second postseason start over the last eight seasons. All three of his starts for the Braves have been quality outings since being acquired from Baltimore on Aug. 23.

He's 6-3 with a 3.28 ERA over 10 career postseason starts, but the last victory came in the 2005 World Series for the Chicago White Sox. Garcia also owns a 1-1 record and 2.89 ERA in four meetings with the Dodgers, whom he last faced in 2005.

Ramirez is 3 for 8 off Garcia with a homer and a double.

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SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Dodgers at Braves
Thu, Oct 3 Final 6 to 1
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Dodgers at Braves
Fri, Oct 4 Final 3 to 4
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Braves at Dodgers
Sun, Oct 6 Final 6 to 13
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 4
Braves at Dodgers
Mon, Oct 7 - 9:37PM EDT

GAME 5
Dodgers at Braves
Wed, Oct 9 - 8:37PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

MLB
Dunkel

St. Louis at Pittsburgh
The Cardinals look to stay alive in the series and take advantage of a Pittsburgh team that is 0-5 in Charlie Morton's last 5 home starts against a team with a winning record. St. Louis is the pick (-120) according to Dunkel, which has the Cardinals favored by 1 1/2. Dunkel Pick: St. Louis (-120). Here are all of today's picks.

MONDAY, OCTOBER 7

Game 925-926: Atlanta at LA Dodgers (9:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Atlanta (Garcia) 15.972; LA Dodgers (Nolasco) 14.863
Dunkel Line: Atlanta by 1; 9
Vegas Line: LA Dodgers (-150); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Atlanta (+130); Over

Game 927-928: St. Louis at Pittsburgh (3:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: St. Louis (Wacha) 17.107; Pittsburgh (Morton) 15.673
Dunkel Line: St. Louis by 1 1/2; 7
Vegas Line: St. Louis (-120); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: St. Louis (-120); Under

Game 929-930: Boston at Tampa Bay (6:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Boston (Buchholz) 16.964; Tampa Bay (Cobb) 16.124
Dunkel Line: Boston by 1; 6
Vegas Line: Tampa Bay (-115); 7
Dunkel Pick: Boston (-105); Under

Game 931-932: Oakland at Detroit (1:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Oakland (Parker) 14.371; Detroit (Sanchez) 15.904
Dunkel Line: Detroit by 1 1/2; 8
Vegas Line: Detroit (-155); 7
Dunkel Pick: Detroit (-155); Over




MLB
Long Sheet

Monday, October 7

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ATLANTA (97 - 68) at LA DODGERS (94 - 71) - 9:35 PM
FREDDY GARCIA (R) vs. RICKY NOLASCO (R)
Top Trends for this game.
ATLANTA is 39-54 (-35.0 Units) against the money line in October games since 1997.
ATLANTA is 30-40 (-23.0 Units) against the money line in playoff games since 1997.
LA DODGERS are 94-71 (+6.1 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
LA DODGERS are 30-13 (+12.4 Units) against the money line as a home favorite of -125 to -150 over the last 2 seasons.
LA DODGERS are 68-43 (+16.4 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
LA DODGERS are 21-11 (+9.7 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season this season.
NOLASCO is 11-3 (+11.0 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season. (Team's Record)
NOLASCO is 7-0 (+8.7 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season this season. (Team's Record)
ATLANTA is 97-68 (+9.0 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
ATLANTA is 96-67 (+9.0 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
ATLANTA is 136-88 (+25.7 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 32-21 (+10.5 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
GARCIA is 111-72 (+31.2 Units) against the money line in road games since 1997. (Team's Record)
GARCIA is 9-0 (+10.4 Units) against the money line in road games in October games since 1997. (Team's Record)
GARCIA is 93-57 (+29.1 Units) against the money line in road games in games played on a grass field since 1997. (Team's Record)
GARCIA is 53-31 (+21.0 Units) against the money line in road games after a loss since 1997. (Team's Record)
GARCIA is 57-34 (+28.6 Units) against the money line in road games when playing against a team with a winning record since 1997. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
ATLANTA is 6-4 (+1.8 Units) against LA DODGERS this season
5 of 10 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=-0.0 Units, Under=-1.1 Units)

FREDDY GARCIA vs. LA DODGERS since 1997
GARCIA is 1-1 when starting against LA DODGERS with an ERA of 2.89 and a WHIP of 1.286.
His team's record is 2-2 (-0.3 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-3. (-2.4 units)

RICKY NOLASCO vs. ATLANTA since 1997
NOLASCO is 6-10 when starting against ATLANTA with an ERA of 5.19 and a WHIP of 1.538.
His team's record is 9-14 (-2.2 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 10-13. (-4.9 units)

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ST LOUIS (98 - 67) at PITTSBURGH (97 - 69) - 3:05 PM
MICHAEL WACHA (R) vs. CHARLIE MORTON (R)
Top Trends for this game.
ST LOUIS is 72-77 (-20.1 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
ST LOUIS is 15-29 (-14.0 Units) against the money line in road games when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 97-69 (+25.8 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
PITTSBURGH is 52-31 (+12.9 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
PITTSBURGH is 48-32 (+15.7 Units) against the money line against division opponents this season.
PITTSBURGH is 97-69 (+25.8 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
PITTSBURGH is 79-56 (+22.8 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
PITTSBURGH is 55-41 (+12.2 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
PITTSBURGH is 39-33 (+11.0 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
ST LOUIS is 98-67 (+9.9 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
ST LOUIS is 98-67 (+9.9 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
ST LOUIS is 78-43 (+21.8 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
ST LOUIS is 46-21 (+20.4 Units) against the money line after a loss this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
PITTSBURGH is 12-10 (+3.1 Units) against ST LOUIS this season
15 of 21 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+9.0 Units)

MICHAEL WACHA vs. PITTSBURGH since 1997
WACHA is 1-0 when starting against PITTSBURGH with an ERA of 0.00 and a WHIP of 0.571.
His team's record is 1-0 (+1.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-0. (+1.0 units)

CHARLIE MORTON vs. ST LOUIS since 1997
MORTON is 2-9 when starting against ST LOUIS with an ERA of 6.52 and a WHIP of 1.907.
His team's record is 3-11 (-7.6 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 4-8. (-4.9 units)

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BOSTON (99 - 65) at TAMPA BAY (93 - 73) - 6:05 PM
CLAY BUCHHOLZ (R) vs. ALEX COBB (R)
Top Trends for this game.
TAMPA BAY is 519-597 (+26.5 Units) against the money line against division opponents since 1997.
TAMPA BAY is 188-186 (+22.7 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.
BOSTON is 99-65 (+20.4 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
BOSTON is 44-37 (+6.0 Units) against the money line in road games this season.
BOSTON is 46-32 (+8.7 Units) against the money line against division opponents this season.
BOSTON is 70-50 (+10.8 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
BOSTON is 64-43 (+12.4 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
BUCHHOLZ is 14-2 (+11.2 Units) against the money line in all games this season. (Team's Record)
BUCHHOLZ is 7-0 (+7.6 Units) against the money line in road games this season. (Team's Record)
BUCHHOLZ is 11-1 (+10.1 Units) against the money line in night games this season. (Team's Record)
TAMPA BAY is 5-12 (-9.6 Units) against the money line when playing with a day off this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
BOSTON is 14-7 (+8.2 Units) against TAMPA BAY this season
14 of 21 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+6.1 Units)

CLAY BUCHHOLZ vs. TAMPA BAY since 1997
BUCHHOLZ is 7-5 when starting against TAMPA BAY with an ERA of 2.41 and a WHIP of 1.079.
His team's record is 8-8 (+0.6 units) in these starts. The OVER is 5-10. (-5.4 units)

ALEX COBB vs. BOSTON since 1997
COBB is 2-2 when starting against BOSTON with an ERA of 4.19 and a WHIP of 1.345.
His team's record is 2-5 (-4.7 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 4-3. (+0.5 units)

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OAKLAND (97 - 67) at DETROIT (94 - 70) - 1:05 PM
JARROD PARKER (R) vs. ANIBAL SANCHEZ (R)
Top Trends for this game.
OAKLAND is 97-67 (+18.9 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
OAKLAND is 48-32 (+18.4 Units) against the money line when the total is 7 or less over the last 2 seasons.
OAKLAND is 9-4 (+8.3 Units) against the money line as a road underdog of +125 to +150 this season.
OAKLAND is 44-37 (+9.0 Units) against the money line in road games this season.
OAKLAND is 14-5 (+9.8 Units) against the money line when playing on Monday this season.
OAKLAND is 94-63 (+19.9 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
OAKLAND is 64-45 (+11.4 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
OAKLAND is 110-66 (+37.6 Units) against the money line after shutting out their opponent since 1997.
OAKLAND is 57-39 (+10.7 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
OAKLAND is 43-30 (+15.1 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
OAKLAND is 20-12 (+9.4 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season this season.
PARKER is 19-12 (+9.1 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
DETROIT is 94-70 (-11.8 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
DETROIT is 18-23 (-14.4 Units) against the money line when the total is 7 or less over the last 2 seasons.
DETROIT is 32-28 (-13.0 Units) against the money line in day games this season.
DETROIT is 90-67 (-12.4 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
SANCHEZ is 31-32 (-13.0 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
SANCHEZ is 30-31 (-12.8 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
OAKLAND is 5-4 (+2.6 Units) against DETROIT this season
6 of 9 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+2.7 Units)

JARROD PARKER vs. DETROIT since 1997
PARKER is 0-4 when starting against DETROIT with an ERA of 6.65 and a WHIP of 1.708.
His team's record is 0-4 (-4.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 3-1. (+2.0 units)

ANIBAL SANCHEZ vs. OAKLAND since 1997
SANCHEZ is 1-2 when starting against OAKLAND with an ERA of 4.50 and a WHIP of 1.250.
His team's record is 1-3 (-3.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-3. (-2.2 units)

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




MLB
Armadillo's Write-Up

Monday, October 7

Pirates-Cardinals
Wacha lost a no-hitter in ninth inning in his last start; he is 2-3, 1.72 in his last five outings. Wacha blanked Pirates on two hits for seven innings on Sept 8.
Morton is 0-0, 1.86 in his last three starts; he allowed seven runs in 7.2 IP in two starts against the Cardinals this season.

Pirates won seven of their last nine games; they are 12-10 vs St Louis this year, but lost five of last seven meetings, allowing 46 runs. Five of their last six games went over the total.

Cardinals won seven of their last nine games overall, but need a win here to keep their season alive; four of their last five games went over the total.


Dodgers-Braves
Garcia (turned 37 Sunday) is 1-1, 1.83 in three starts for the Braves; five of his six big league starts this season stayed under the total. He didn't face LA.
Nolasco was 0-2, 13.85 in his last four outings, allowing 19 runs in 13 IP; he beat Braves July 3 in his last start for Miami, allowing two runs in seven IP.

Dodgers are 3-5 in their last eight games with last three going over the total. LA scored 13 runs last night, 22 in first three games of this series.

Six of last seven Atlanta games went over the total. Braves are 6-0 in the game following their last six losses; they're 6-4 against Dodgers this year, but 3-4 with Puig in lineup. Braves are 7-11 in their last 18 road games.


Rays-Red Sox
Buchholz is 6-1, 2.11 in his last seven starts; under is 3-1-1 in his last five road starts. He beat Tampa Bay twice this year, throwing 13 scoreless innings.
Cobb is 4-0, 0.90 in his last four starts, with last three staying under. He gave up three runs in 5.2 IP in his only '13 start vs Boston, on Sept 11.

Tampa Bay is home for first time since Sept. 23- they won seven of last nine at home, but lost first two games of this series, allowing 19 runs. Over is 5-2 in their last seven games. Rays are 7-14 vs Boston this year, 3-6 in the Trop.

Red Sox scored 57 runs in last six games (4-2); their last seven games went over the total. Boston is 2-4 in its last six away games.


Tigers-A's
Parker was 1-2, 9.82 in his last three starts; five of his last six starts went over the total. Parker gave up eight runs in 3.1 IP in an April start vs Detroit, after he was 0-2, 4.97 against them in LY's playoffs.
Sanchez is 4-2, 2.41 in his last six starts, but has a 4.68 RA in his last four at home. He is 1-0, 3.75 in two starts against the A's this season.

Detroit's last eight games stayed under the total- -they scored 17 runs in their last nine games, going scoreless in last 17 innings in this series. Tigers won six of their last eight home games.

Oakland is 5-4 vs Tigers this year, with road team winning six of nine games. A's won 17 of last 23 games, eight of last eleven on road. Nine of their last 13 games went over the total.




MLB

Monday, October 7

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trend Report
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1:07 PM
OAKLAND vs. DETROIT
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Oakland's last 8 games when playing Detroit
Oakland is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing Detroit
Detroit is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing Oakland
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Detroit's last 5 games

3:07 PM
ST. LOUIS vs. PITTSBURGH
St. Louis is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing Pittsburgh
The total has gone OVER in 7 of St. Louis's last 8 games when playing Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh is 8-2 SU in its last 10 games when playing at home against St. Louis
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Pittsburgh's last 8 games when playing St. Louis

6:07 PM
BOSTON vs. TAMPA BAY
Boston is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games when playing on the road against Tampa Bay
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Boston's last 12 games when playing on the road against Tampa Bay
Tampa Bay is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Boston
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Tampa Bay's last 7 games

9:37 PM
ATLANTA vs. LA DODGERS
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Atlanta's last 15 games when playing LA Dodgers
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Atlanta's last 7 games when playing on the road against LA Dodgers
LA Dodgers are 2-5 SU in their last 7 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 4 of LA Dodgers's last 5 games when playing Atlanta


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MLB

Monday, October 7

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Monday's MLB ALDS betting: What bettors need to know
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Oakland A's at Detroit Tigers (-150, 7)

Series tied 1-1.

The Oakland Athletics are matching the vaunted Detroit Tigers’ rotation pitch-for-pitch. After settling for a split against Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander, the Athletics will attempt to take the series lead when is shifts to Detroit for Game 3 on Monday. Tigers pitchers have notched 29 strikeouts in the first two games but the offense produced only two extra-base hits - both in the first inning of Game 1.

Detroit finished near the top of the majors in most offensive categories during the regular season and scored three runs in the first inning of Game 1 only to be held scoreless in the following 17. Oakland did not exactly tear the cover off the ball at home either, but Stephen Vogt got the hit that counted with his walk-off single in Game 2. Tigers slugger Miguel Cabrera managed two hits in the first two contests and continues to battle groin and abdominal injuries.

TV: 1:07 p.m. ET, MLB Network

WEATHER: Temperatures will be in the mid-50s. Wind will blow across the field at 21 mph.

PITCHING MATCHUP: Athletics RH Jarrod Parker (12-8, 3.97 ERA) vs. Tigers RH Anibal Sanchez (14-8, 2.57)

Parker went 19 starts in between losses before falling flat in September. The 24-year-old allowed seven earned runs and failed to get through five innings in two of his last three starts. Parker made two starts against Detroit in the 2012 ALDS and lost both, surrendering a total of seven runs (six earned) on 14 hits in 12 2/3 innings.

Sanchez led the AL in ERA and finished strong by going 2-1 with a 2.05 ERA in five September starts. The Venezuela native struggled at home against Oakland on August 26, yielding four runs on five hits in five innings. Sanchez made one start against the Athletics in the 2012 ALDS and suffered a loss despite giving up just two runs in 6 1/3 frames.

TRENDS:

* Over is 15-5-1 in the last 21 meetings in Detroit.
* Athletics are 0-4 in Parker's last four starts vs. Tigers.
* Under is 8-0 in Tigers last eight overall.
* Athletics are 13-3 in their last 16 Monday games.

WALK-OFFS:

1. Tigers 1B Prince Fielder is 1-for-8 with a single in the series and 1-for-10 against Parker in his career.

2. Oakland LF Yoenis Cespedes is 4-for-8 with two runs scored and two RBIs in the series.

3. Detroit CF Austin Jackson has struck out five times in eight at-bats, including four times in Game 2.



Boston Red Sox at Tampa Bay Rays (-104, 7)

Red Sox lead series 2-0.

The Boston Red Sox are one game away from advancing to the American League Championship Series. They will attempt to close out the Division Series when they visit Tampa Bay for Game 3 on Monday. The Red Sox got all the breaks the quirky dimensions of their home park had to offer in the first two games and ended up tagging Tampa Bay pitching for 19 runs in the two contests.

The Rays struggled to figure out the “Green Monster” in left field and rookie Wil Myers endeared himself to the Boston fans with a big mistake in right during Game 1, but the familiar dimensions of their own stadium await in Game 3. Tampa Bay went 51-30 at home during the regular season, tied for the third-best home record in the AL behind the Red Sox and the Oakland Athletics. To get back in the series the Rays need to figure out a way to stop David Ortiz, who homered twice in Game 2 and contributed a key double in Game 1.

TV: 6:07 p.m. ET, TBS

PITCHING MATCHUP: Red Sox RH Clay Buchholz (12-1, 1.74 ERA) vs. Rays RH Alex Cobb (1-0, 0.00)

Buchholz went 3-1 with a 1.88 ERA in four starts after returning from a shoulder injury that cost him three months during the regular season. The 29-year-old made his return at Tampa Bay on Sept. 10 and struck out six in five scoreless innings to earn the win. Buchholz made only one previous postseason start, yielding two runs on six hits in five innings against the Los Angeles Angels in the 2009 ALDS.

Cobb pitched the Rays into the Division Series with 6 2/3 scoreless innings at Cleveland in the wild card game last Wednesday. The Boston native allowed a total of three runs in 30 innings while striking out 31 over his last four starts. Cobb had trouble with the Red Sox, however, going 0-1 with a 5.16 ERA in four starts against his hometown team during the regular season.

TRENDS:

* Rays are 0-4 in Cobb's last four starts vs. Red Sox.
* Under is 10-3 in the last 13 meetings.
* Red Sox are 11-3 in Buchholz's last 14 Monday starts.
* Road team is 6-1 in Dana DeMuth's last seven Monday games behind home plate.

WALK-OFFS:

1. Saturday marked the first multi-homer game of Ortiz’s postseason career. He is 1-for-6 lifetime against Cobb.

2. Myers is 1-for-13 with five strikeouts in his first three postseason games.

3. Boston closer Koji Uehara threw 11 pitches - all strikes - in earning the save in Game 2.


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MLB

Monday, October 7

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cardinals at Pirates: What bettors need to know
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

St. Louis Cardinals at Pittsburgh Pirates (+107, 7.5)

Pirates lead series 2-1.

Having already put an end to a 21-year postseason drought, the Pittsburgh Pirates are on the brink of winning their first playoff series in 34 years. The Pirates will look for the clincher when they host the St. Louis Cardinals in Game 4 of the National League Division Series on Monday afternoon. Pittsburgh took a 2-1 lead in the best-of-five series with a dramatic 5-3 victory in Sunday's Game 3, improving to 8-3 at home this season against the Cardinals.

St. Louis is pinning its hopes on 22-year-old rookie right-hander Michael Wacha to keep its season alive and force a winner-take-all Game 5 in St. Louis on Wednesday. The Pirates will counter with Charlie Morton, who has lost six consecutive decisions to the Cardinals and has not beaten them since April 4, 2011. Carlos Beltran has two homers and six RBIs in the series for St. Louis while Pedro Alvarez has two blasts and four RBIs for Pittsburgh.

TV: 3:07 p.m. ET, TBS

WEATHER: Temperatures will be in the mid-50s. Wind will blow out to left field at 15 mph.

PITCHING MATCHUP: Cardinals RH Michael Wacha (4-1, 2.78 ERA) vs. Pirates RH Charlie Morton (7-4, 3.26)

Wacha forced his way into the playoff rotation with a stellar final month, not allowing a run in three of five outings in September and coming within one out of a no-hitter in his last start. He allowed only an infield single with out outs in the ninth and struck out a season-high nine to beat Washington on Sept. 24. Wacha also pitched seven scoreless innings of two-hit ball versus the Pirates on Sept. 8.

Morton has never had much success against the Cardinals and that continued this season with an 0-2 record, 7.90 ERA and .397 batting average against in three starts. That included a disastrous outing against Wacha last month in which he allowed five runs in a season-low 1 2/3 innings before leaving with a foot injury. Morton was a much better pitcher at home, logging a 2-2 record and 2.85 ERA in nine starts.

TRENDS:

* Over is 3-0-1 in Morton's last four starts vs. Cardinals.
* Cardinals are 5-1 in the last six meetings.
* Cardinals are 0-5 in their last five during Game 4 of a series.
* Pirates are 7-1 in their last eight games as an underdog.

WALK-OFFS:

1. Pittsburgh trade-deadline acquisition Marlon Byrd has five RBIs in four postseason games, including the wild-card win over Cincinnati.

2. CF Jon Jay (8-for-16), C Yadier Molina (8-for-19) and Beltran (6-for-15) are all batting .400 or better versus Morton.

3. Beltran hit his 16th postseason homer Sunday, surpassing Babe Ruth for eighth place on the career list.

[StarDust Bum]

Monday, October 7

Game Score Status Pick Amount

Oakland 0 Bot 0 Oakland +136 500 POD # 1

Detroit 0 Under 7 500 POD # 2


St. Louis - 3:00 PM ET Pittsburgh +106 500 POD # 3

Pittsburgh - Over 7.5 500 POD # 4

[StarDust Bum]

Late Afternoon and Evening POD'S:


Boston - 6:00 PM ET Tampa Bay +103 500 POD # 2

Tampa Bay - Over 7 500 POD # 3


Atlanta - 9:30 PM ET LA Dodgers -150 500 POD # 1

LA Dodgers - Over 7.5 500 POD # 4

[StarDust Bum]

Tuesday's AL Playoff Action

October 8, 2013


Detroit vs. Oakland - 5:05 PM EST

Adjusted Series Price: Athletics (-250) Tigers (+210)
Series Format: Oakland (2-2-1)

Game 1 - Detroit, 3-2
Game 2 - Oakland, 1-0
Game 3 - Oakland, 6-3
Game 4 - Tuesday, Oct. 8
Game 5* - Thursday, Oct. 10

Records

Overall
Detroit - 94-71
Oakland - 98-67

Home
Detroit - 51-31

Away
Oakland - 45-37

Head-to-Head (10 Games)
Overall: Oakland 6-4
Comerica Park: Oakland 4-1

Total Notes (Over/Under)

Overall
Detroit - 82-77-6
Oakland - 85-76-4

Home
Detroit - 46-32-5

Away
Oakland - 45-34-3

Head-to-Head (10 Games)
Overall: Over - 7-3
Comerica Park: Over - 5-0

Game 4 Starters

Detroit - Doug Fister (14-9, 3.67 ERA)

-- The Tigers went 18-14 in Fister's 32 starts, 9-6 at home

-- The Tigers went 10-4 in his final 14 starts

-- Fister was racked in his previous start against Oakland, allowing 13 hits and seven earned runs in five innings of a 14-4 home defeat in late August.

-- The 'under' was 18-14 in Fister's starts, 8-7 to the 'under' at home.

-- Fister has put together a 2-2 career playoff record, while beating the Yankees as a road underdog to close out the 2011 ALDS.

Oakland - Dan Straily (10-8, 3.96 ERA)

-- The Athletics have gone 16-11 in Straily's 27 starts, which includes an 8-7 road mark.

-- The Athletics went 5-1 in Straily's final six starts.

-- Straily shut down the Tigers on August 28 at Comerica Park, allowing eight hits and one earned run in six innings of a 14-4 blowout.

-- Straily is making his first postseason start.

Tampa Bay vs. Boston - 8:35 PM EST

Adjusted Series Price: Red Sox (-400) Rays (+320)
Series Format: Boston (2-2-1)

Game 1 - Boston, 12-2
Game 2 - Boston, 7-4
Game 3 - Tampa Bay, 4-3
Game 4 - Tuesday, Oct. 8
Game 5* - Thursday, Oct. 10

Records

Overall
Tampa Bay - 94-73
Boston - 99-66

Home
Tampa Bay - 52-30

Away
Boston - 44-38

Head-to-Head (22 Games)
Overall: Boston 14-8
Tropicana Field: Boston 6-5

Total Notes (Over/Under)

Overall
Tampa Bay - 79-79-9
Boston - 77-81

Home
Tampa Bay - 39-39-4

Away
Boston - 41-38

Head-to-Head (19 Games)
Overall: Under - 14-8
Tropicana Field: Under - 5-5

Game 4 Starters

Tampa Bay - Jeremy Hellickson (12-10, 5.17 ERA)

-- The Rays went 17-14 in Hellickson's 31 appearances, 11-4 at home.

-- The Rays went 3-6 in Hellickson's last nine starts.

-- Hellickson beat the Red Sox twice in three starts this season. Hellickson tossed 18 1/3 innings and allowed seven earned runs in his three starts against Boston.

-- Hellickson hit the 'over' in eight of 15 home starts this season, while the 'under' hit in all three starts against Boston.

-- Hellickson's last playoff start came against Texas in 2011, a 4-3 loss in which he allowed four innings and three earned runs.

Boston - Jake Peavy (12-5, 5.17 ERA)

-- The Red Sox went 5-5 in Peavy's 10 appearances since getting acquired from Chicago, while going 3-4 on road.

-- Peavy split a pair of starts against Tampa Bay this season. The righty beat the Rays as a member of the White Sox in April, 5-4 as a home favorite, while losing with Boston in September at Tropicana Field, 4-3.

-- Peavy allowed six earned runs in 12 2/3 innings of work against Tampa Bay this season.

-- Peavy saw the 'over' go 11-10-2 on the season, as the 'over' was 8-5 in his 13 road starts.

-- In two postseason starts with the Padres, Peavy lost to the Cardinals twice in 2005 and 2006, while allowing five earned runs in five innings of the '06 NLDS.

[StarDust Bum]

2013 MLB Playoff Results

October 8, 2013

-- Favorites are 11-5 this postseason

-- Favorites that have won are 7-4 on the run-line

-- Home teams are 10-6 this postseason

-- The Over is 12-4 in the postseason

National League Divisional Series

St. Louis vs. Pittsburgh (Series tied 2-2)

Game Matchup Date/Score Favorite-Underdog Over-Under

1 Pittsburgh at St. Louis (-145) 9-1 Favorite Over 6 ½

2 Pittsburgh (+116) at St. Louis 7-1 Underdog Over 7

3 St. Louis at Pittsburgh (-165) 5-3 Favorite Over 6 ½

4 St. Louis (-119) at Pittsburgh 2-1 Favorite Under 6 ½

5 Pittsburgh at St. Louis Wednesday, Oct. 9 - -


Atlanta vs. Los Angeles (Dodgers win series 3-1)

Game Matchup Date/Score Favorite-Underdog Over-Under

1 Los Angeles (-140) at Atlanta 6-1 Favorite Over 6

2 Los Angeles at Atlanta (+103) 4-3 Underdog Over 6 ½

3 Atlanta at Los Angeles (-140) 13-6 Favorite Over 6 ½

4 Atlanta at Los Angeles (-230) 4-3 Favorite Over 6 ½


American League Divisional Series

Boston vs. Tampa Bay (Red Sox lead 2-0)

Game Matchup Date/Score Favorite-Underdog Over-Under

1 Tampa Bay at Boston (-140) 12-2 Favorite Over 7 ½

2 Tampa Bay at Boston (+100) 7-4 Underdog Over 7 ½

3 Boston at Tampa Bay (-105) 5-4 Favorite Over 7

4 Boston at Tampa Bay Tuesday, Oct. 8 - -

5* Tampa Bay at Boston Thursday, Oct. 10 - -


Oakland vs. Detroit (A's lead 2-1)

Game Matchup Date/Score Favorite-Underdog Over-Under

1 Detroit (-118) at Oakland 3-2 Favorite Under 6 ½

2 Detroit at Oakland (+105) 1-0 Underdog Under 7

3 Oakland (+135) at Detroit 6-3 Underdog Over 7 ½

4 Oakland at Detroit Tuesday, Oct. 8 - -

5* Detroit at Oakland Thursday, Oct. 10 - -


Wild Card

Wild Card Game

Game Matchup Date/Score Favorite-Underdog Over-Under

NL Cincinnati at Pittsburgh (-145) 6-2 Favorite Over 6 ½

AL Tampa Bay (-110) at Cleveland 4-0 Favorite Under 7

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Athletics (96-66) at Tigers (93-69)
Game: 4
Venue: O.co Coliseum
Date: October 08, 2013 5:07 PM EDT


After struggling in the first two games against the Detroit Tigers, Oakland's lineup finally came to life against one of the league's top pitchers.

One win from reaching the AL championship series for the first time in seven years, the Athletics face a pitcher they knocked around just over a month ago.

The A's look to build on their latest showing and again frustrate Doug Fister as they try to close out the Tigers in Game 4 at Comerica Park on Tuesday.

Despite splitting the two AL division series games in Oakland, the A's looked a bit shaky having totaled three runs and three extra-base hits. Things didn't look promising Monday with a matchup against Anibal Sanchez, the AL's ERA leader at 2.57, but Oakland took him deep three times on its way to a 6-3 victory.

Brandon Moss, Josh Reddick and Seth Smith homered off the pitcher who allowed an AL-best 0.45 homers per nine innings during the regular season.

"We're going to strike out and we're going to hit the long ball, so once we get those going, it's going to be a good day," Reddick told the Athletics' official website. "And to do it against a guy like Sanchez, who's been great all year, it does a lot for your confidence coming into (Tuesday)."

The A's, though, should already be brimming with confidence considering they tagged Fister (14-9, 3.67 ERA) for season highs of seven runs and 13 hits in five innings of a 14-4 win Aug. 28.

Fister, however, did throw seven innings of two-run ball against Oakland in Game 2 of last year's ALDS. He owns a 1.71 ERA over five career postseason starts but had good and bad performances over this season's final 5 1/2 weeks. The right-hander had a 1.32 ERA in four outings and a 7.58 mark in the other three.

Things got interesting in the ninth inning of Game 3 when A's closer Grant Balfour and Detroit hitter Victor Martinez started shouting at each other after a foul ball, causing benches and bullpens to empty. Martinez took exception to the normally fiery Balfour yelling in his direction.

"There's no tricks. We've got to win the game (Tuesday) to try to extend it to Game 5. It's that simple," Tigers manager Jim Leyland said.

The A's, who last made the ALCS in 2006 when they were swept by Detroit, are also focused on winning Game 4 so they avoid another matchup with Game 1 winner Max Scherzer.

"We look at it as we have one to win one. If we get to five, we get to Game 5," Moss said. "This is not a team you want to give any momentum to. They're too good."

Moss is hitting .444 with five homers, 11 RBIs and eight runs in five games at Comerica Park this season. He is 3 for 5 with a double against Fister, including the playoffs.

The A's turn to Dan Straily (10-8, 3.96), who was strong during Oakland's playoff push, going 4-1 with a 2.00 ERA in his final six starts. That stretch began opposite Fister at Comerica Park, when the right-hander gave up a run and eight hits in six innings.

"We either score runs or we go home," said AL batting champion Miguel Cabrera, who is 3 for 12 in the series.

Cabrera has reached base in all 27 of his postseason games with the Tigers, but he's been slowed by groin problems and was charged with an error in the third inning that led to the game's first run Monday.

"This is on everybody," Cabrera said. "We all need to do better."

Coco Crisp, who had two doubles and a single Monday, is batting .368 (7 for 19) in all matchups with Fister.

Crisp's first-inning double came just past the outstretched arm of a diving Torii Hunter. The Detroit right fielder injured his left shoulder on the play but stayed in and is expected to be in the lineup for Game 4.

Hunter has two singles in 10 at_bats in this series but has feasted on Straily's pitching, going 7 for 10 with three homers and a double.

"To be down, 2-1, the pressure's off us," Hunter told the Tigers' official website. "We can go out there, play our game and not worry about too much."

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Red Sox (97-65) at Rays (92-71)
Game: 4
Venue: Fenway Park
Date: October 08, 2013 8:37 PM EDT


The Tampa Bay Rays have developed a penchant for thriving in elimination games.

They'll need to come through one more time to give themselves a chance at their second AL championship series appearance.

The Rays look to build on a dramatic win when they host the Boston Red Sox on Tuesday night in Game 4 of their AL division series.

Facing elimination for the fourth time in a span of nine days, Jose Lobaton's walkoff solo homer with two outs in the ninth off Koji Uehara led Tampa Bay to a 5-4 victory on Monday, trimming Boston's series edge to 2-1.

"It's unbelievable. It's something you can't explain,' said Lobaton, who came off the bench to catch in the top of the inning before hitting just his 10th home run in his 500th career at-bat including both regular-season and playoff games.

Uehara hadn't surrendered a homer since June 30.

The Rays produced the rest of their runs on a three-run shot in the fifth by Evan Longoria - the ninth of his postseason career - and an RBI groundout by Delmon Young in the eighth.

"We never give up," Lobaton said. "We're going to keep fighting."

Last week, Tampa Bay won its regular-season finale to force a tiebreaker, which it won against Texas to reach the postseason. The Rays then knocked off Cleveland in the AL wild-card game.

Monday will have to be the first of three straight victories, however, for Tampa Bay to become just the fifth AL team in the last 23 to win a division series after falling into a 2-0 hole.

"I'm sure there's an attitude they have nothing to lose and just let it all hang out," Boston manager John Farrell said. "That's what we've been accustomed to for years against the Rays. As I mentioned before the series started, we have tremendous respect for them and we know it will be a very similar game tomorrow night."

The Rays will likely need better pitching from Jeremy Hellickson (12-10, 5.17) than what he showed to end the year. He went 1-7 with a 7.53 ERA over his final 10 starts.

"I haven't really given them a good reason to send me back out there these last few months," he told the team's official website. "It's really nice that they still have confidence in me to go out there."

Hellickson went 1-0 with a 3.44 ERA in three matchups with Boston this season. The right-hander allowed three runs - all homers - in four innings during his only career postseason start, a loss to Texas in Game 4 of the 2011 ALDS as the Rays were eliminated from the playoffs.

Jake Peavy (12-5, 4.17) will get the ball for the Red Sox for his first playoff start in seven years. He'll try to shake off some postseason demons as he lost both his previous two postseason outings while posting a 12.10 ERA for San Diego.

Peavy also endured a somewhat rough stretch to end the year, giving up three or more runs in each of his four September outings. The right-hander also issued 13 walks in those games after recording eight bases_on_balls in his previous 10 starts.

He's gone 3-1 in six starts versus Tampa Bay with a 4.91 ERA. He gave up homers to Longoria, Matt Joyce and Desmond Jennings while posting a 1-0 record in two starts against the Rays this year.

James Loney, who was 3 for 3 Monday to improve to 6 for 12 in this year's playoffs, is 10 for 31 with two homers and five doubles against Peavy.

Jarrod Saltalamacchia is 8 for 25 versus Hellickson with three homers and three doubles, while David Ortiz is 9 for 24 with three home runs and seven walks.

Rays manager Joe Maddon said rookie outfielder Wil Myers is expected to be OK for Tuesday's game after leaving prior to the eighth inning Monday due to cramps.

[StarDust Bum]

MLB
Armadillo's Write-Up

Tuesday, October 8

Rays-Red Sox
Peavy is 1-0, 5.40 in his last four starts; 1-0, 4.26 in two starts this season vs Tampa Bay. Three of his last four road starts went over the total. Overall, the Red Sox are 5-5 in his ten starts for them.
Hellickson is 0-2, 9.95 in his last three starts, 1-0, 3.44 in three starts against the Red Sox this season. This is his second start in last three weeks.

Tampa Bay won eight of last ten at home, after rallying from 3-0 deficit to win Monday. Over is 6-2 in their last eight games. Rays are 8-14 vs Boston this year, 4-6 in the Trop.

Red Sox scored 61 runs in last seven games (4-3); their last eight games went over the total. Boston is 2-5 in its last seven road games.

Tigers-A's
First start in two weeks for Fister, who is 2-0, 3.86 in his last two starts; four of his last five starts stayed under total. He allowed 13 hits, seven runs in five IP in a 14-4 loss to Oakland August 28.
Straily is 4-1, 2.75 in his last six starts, first of which was that 8/28 game; three of his last four road starts went over the total. He allowed one run in six IP in that August 28 win.

Eight of Detroit's last nine games stayed under the total- -they scored 20 runs in their last ten games, going six runs in three games in this series. Tigers won six of their last nine home games.

Oakland is 6-4 vs Tigers this year, with road team winning seven of ten games. A's won 18 of last 24 games, nine of last 12 on road. 10 of their last 14 games went over the total.




MLB

Tuesday, October 8

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trend Report
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

5:07 PM
OAKLAND vs. DETROIT
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Oakland's last 5 games on the road
Oakland is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing Detroit
Detroit is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games when playing Oakland
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Detroit's last 5 games when playing at home against Oakland

8:37 PM
BOSTON vs. TAMPA BAY
The total has gone OVER in 9 of Boston's last 13 games when playing on the road against Tampa Bay
Boston is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games when playing on the road against Tampa Bay
Tampa Bay is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing Boston
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Tampa Bay's last 8 games


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




MLB

Tuesday, October 8

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A's at Tigers: What bettors need to know
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Oakland A's at Detroit Tigers (-150, 8)

The Oakland Athletics are shutting down the Detroit Tigers offense by keeping the ball in the park. The Athletics will look to keep the Tigers homer-free for a fourth straight game and close out the best-of-five American League Division Series when they visit Detroit for Game 4 on Tuesday. The Tigers snapped a 20-inning scoreless drought in the fourth inning of Game 3 but could not keep Oakland off the board in a 6-3 setback.

Detroit finished second in the majors in scoring and seventh in home runs during the regular season but did not have a blast and totaled six runs in the first three games of the ALDS. Those six runs came in the first inning of Game 1 and the fourth inning of Game 3, leaving the Tigers scoreless in the other 25 frames. The Athletics were having nearly as much trouble with the bats until Game 3, when Josh Reddick, Brandon Moss and Seth Smith all homered.

TV: 5:07 p.m. ET, TBS

WEATHER: Temperatures will be in the low-60s with sunny skies. Wind will blow in from center field at 6 mph.

PITCHING MATCHUP: Athletics RH Dan Straily (10-8, 3.96 ERA) vs. Tigers RH Doug Fister (14-9, 3.67)

Straily was not going to be a part of the ALDS rotation until A.J. Griffin came up with tendinitis in his pitching elbow in the last weekend of the regular season. The 24-year-old Straily has not pitched since Sept. 25 but closed out the regular season strong with a 3-1 record and a 2.10 ERA in five September starts. The California native allowed one run on eight hits over six innings to earn a win at Detroit on Aug. 28.

Fister struggled through some inconsistency in the second half but finished up solid with a win in his last start at Minnesota on Sept. 24. The 29-year-old endured his worst start of 2013 against Oakland on Aug. 28, when he was lit up for a season-high seven earned runs on 13 hits in five innings. Fister went seven strong innings against the Athletics in the 2012 ALDS and is 2-2 with a 2.97 ERA in six career postseason games.

TRENDS:

* Over is 15-5-1 in the last 21 meetings in Detroit.
* Athletics are 5-1 in Straily's last six starts.
* Tigers are 1-5 in their last six playoff games.
* Under is 8-0 in Tigers last eight overall.

WALK-OFFS:

1. The No. 2 and No. 3 hitters in the Athletics lineup (Jed Lowrie and Josh Donaldson) are a combined 2-for-24 with 10 strikeouts.

2. Tigers 3B Miguel Cabrera (abdominal/groin) has been held to three singles in the series and is without an extra-base hit in 12 straight games going back to the regular season.

3. Oakland closer Grant Balfour exchanged words with Detroit DH Victor Martinez in the ninth inning on Monday, leading to a brief benches-clearing situation before order was restored.

[StarDust Bum]

MLB

Tuesday, October 8

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Red Sox at Rays: What bettors need to know
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Boston Red Sox at Tampa Bay Rays (+102, 7.5)

Red Sox leads series 2-1.

The Tampa Bay Rays kept their season alive in dramatic fashion and are showing a knack for winning elimination games. The Rays will look to stave off elimination for another day when they host the Boston Red Sox in Game 4 of the American League Division Series on Tuesday. The Red Sox, who own a 2-1 lead in the best-of-five series, held a 3-0 edge in Game 3 on Monday before falling 5-4 on Jose Lobaton’s walk-off homer.

Nothing seemed to go right for Tampa Bay in the first two games in Boston, but the Rays finally started to get some breaks in Game 3 and cashed them in on Evan Longoria’s three-run homer and Lobaton’s solo blast. The Red Sox scored 19 runs in the first two games but struggled with runners in scoring position in Game 3. After being beaten by David Ortiz several times in Boston, Tampa Bay decided to be a little more careful with the Red Sox slugger in Game 3, walking him three times.

TV: 8:37 p.m. ET, TBS

PITCHING MATCHUP: Red Sox RH Jake Peavy (12-5, 4.17 ERA) vs. Rays RH Jeremy Hellickson (12-10, 5.17)

Peavy started out strong in his tenure with Boston but posted a 5.40 ERA in four September starts. The veteran last worked at Colorado on Sept. 25 but pitched in an intersquad game Wednesday as the Red Sox prepared for the playoffs. Peavy allowed three runs in six innings at Tampa Bay on Sept. 12, and is making his first postseason start since 2006, when he was with the San Diego Padres.

Hellickson got the nod for the No. 4 spot over Chris Archer due in part to his relative success against Boston. The 26-year-old went 1-0 with a 3.44 ERA in three starts against the division rivals in 2013 and has faced the Red Sox 13 times in his career. Hellickson made one previous postseason start, allowing three runs on four hits - three solo homers - over four innings against the Texas Rangers in 2011.

TRENDS:

* Under is 6-1 in Hellicksons last seven starts vs. Red Sox.
* Red Sox are 4-1 in the last five meetings.
* Under is 10-3 in the last 13 meetings.
* Red Sox are 6-2 in the last eight meetings in Tampa Bay.

WALK-OFFS:

1. Ortiz (9-for-24) and Red Sox C Jarrod Saltalamacchia (8-for-25) each have three career home runs against Hellickson.

2. Tampa Bay 1B James Loney is 5-for-6 with a pair of doubles and two RBIs in the last two games.

3. Boston CF Jacoby Ellsbury is 8-for-14 with six runs scored in the series.