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**Udog** · 07-17-2014, 07:14 AM

Armadillo: Thursday's six-pack

-- Average on-base percentage this season in major leagues is .318, lowest at this point in season since 1972.

-- Memphis hired Keelon Lawson as an assistant coach; his three sons all happen to be top 25 players in their graduating classes. What a coincidence.

-- Chris Young's last 11 starts all stayed under the total.

-- Kevin Sumlin doesn't want to talk about Johnny Manziel anymore; go figure.

-- Florida Gators were 112th in scoring last year. Out of 128 teams. Oy.

-- Still think players should wear their regular team hats for the All-Star Game, not the new ones MLB designs to suck more money out of our wallets.

**********

Armadillo: Thursday's List of 13: 13 reasons why summer is better than winter

13) I never scrape ice off my windshield in the summer………or wear a parka.

12) Ice cream trucks go down my street in the summer; snow plows go up my street in the winter.

11) You can drive with your windows open in the summer.

10) There is less traffic on summer mornings because there are no school buses on the road.

9) In winter, walking from the parking lot into work makes me feel like freakin' Admiral Byrd traversing the frozen tundra of the Arctic, or at least Lambeau Field. Walking in the summer is no problem, unless its raining, then you just get wet.

8) The pizza delivery guy gets to my house faster in the summer; this is very important when I’m hungry, which is often.

7) Pools at hotels in Las Vegas are closed in the winter; they are open in spring and summer and they are tremendous. Take this from someone who has spent many hours sitting by pools in Las Vegas over the last four years.

6) In winter you bury yourself under blankets when you sleep; no blankets in summer, which is much better.

5) You can go to the driving range and whack golf balls in the summer, a great stress-relieving activity. Very few driving ranges are open in winter and even at the heated ones, its not much fun watching your golf ball disappear into a vast pile of snow, or go up against a wall that’s like 80 yards away. Advantage, summer.

4) It gets dark later in summer; much later. This is a good thing.

3) You don’t shovel rain; you can have a freakin’ heart attack shoveling snow.

2) The park outside where I work has food trucks outside in the summer; food choices get much thinner in winter. Waiting in line pretty much kills your whole lunch time. Not good.

1) You can keep the windows open late at night in summer, let the cool air in and breathe deeply. This is highly underrated; it promotes good thinking.

**Udog** · 07-17-2014, 07:15 AM

CFL
Dunkel

Edmonton at Winnipeg
The Eskimos head to Winnipeg on Thursday night where they are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games against the Blue Bombers. Winnipeg is the pick (-2 1/2) according to Dunkel, which has the Blue Bombers favored by 11 1/2. Dunkel Pick: Winnipeg (-2 1/2). Here are all of this week's CFL picks.

THURSDAY, JULY 17

Game 421-422: Edmonton at Winnipeg (8:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Edmonton 104.229; Winnipeg 115.543
Dunkel Line: Winnipeg by 11 1/2; 59
Vegas Line: Winnipeg by 2 1/2; 55
Dunkel Pick: Winnipeg (-2 1/2); Over

FRIDAY, JULY 18

Game 423-424: Toronto at Ottawa (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Toronto 111.823; Ottawa 104.792
Dunkel Line: Toronto by 7; 48
Vegas Line: Toronto by 2 1/2; 52 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Toronto (-2 1/2); Under

Game 425-426: Hamilton at Calgary (10:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Hamilton 108.052; Calgary 124.101
Dunkel Line: Calgary by 16; 53
Vegas Line: Calgary by 9; 49
Dunkel Pick: Calgary (-9); Over

SATURDAY, JULY 19

Game 427-428: Montreal at BC (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Montreal 109.068; BC 116.387
Dunkel Line: BC by 7 1/2; 44
Vegas Line: BC by 5; 47 1/2
Dunkel Pick: BC (-5); Under

CFL
Long Sheet

Week 4

Thursday, July 17

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EDMONTON (3 - 0) at WINNIPEG (3 - 0) - 7/17/2014, 8:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
EDMONTON is 26-45 ATS (-23.5 Units) after 2 or more consecutive straight up wins since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
EDMONTON is 3-1 against the spread versus WINNIPEG over the last 3 seasons
EDMONTON is 3-1 straight up against WINNIPEG over the last 3 seasons
3 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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Friday, July 18

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TORONTO (1 - 2) at OTTAWA (0 - 2) - 7/18/2014, 7:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.

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HAMILTON (0 - 2) at CALGARY (2 - 0) - 7/18/2014, 10:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CALGARY is 13-3 ATS (+9.7 Units) when playing on a Friday over the last 3 seasons.
CALGARY is 17-7 ATS (+9.3 Units) when playing with 6 or less days rest over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
CALGARY is 2-2 against the spread versus HAMILTON over the last 3 seasons
CALGARY is 4-0 straight up against HAMILTON over the last 3 seasons
3 of 4 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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Saturday, July 19

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MONTREAL (1 - 2) at BRITISH COLUMBIA (1 - 2) - 7/19/2014, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
BRITISH COLUMBIA is 23-40 ATS (-21.0 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a losing record since 1996.
Head-to-Head Series History
MONTREAL is 3-2 against the spread versus BRITISH COLUMBIA over the last 3 seasons
MONTREAL is 3-2 straight up against BRITISH COLUMBIA over the last 3 seasons
3 of 5 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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CFL
Armadillo's Write-Up

Week 4

Edmonton (3-0) @ Winnipeg (3-0)-- These teams were combined 7-29 LY, are 6-0 this year; both teams beat expansion Ottawa, which helps, but Eskimos scored 27-28-27 points in their first three games, with all three staying under total, while Bombers scored 38.3 ppg in its 3-0 start, with all three games going over. Edmonton won four of last five series games, winning in OT here LY- underdogs are 4-1 vs spread in last five series games played here. Eskimos are +7 in turnovers this season, with 11 takeaways in three games.

Toronto (1-2) @ Ottawa (0-2)-- Home opener for RedBlacks squad that lost first two games after leading both at halftime; Ottawa was outscored 44-11 in second half of games after they'd led by 4-5 points at half. Argonauts opened with three western foes (west is 8-2 vs east so far this season); they've gained 1,013 yards in last two games, but got hammered by Calgary last week, despite outgaining Stamps by 78 yards. Ottawa has only one turnover in first two tilts; Toronto allowed 116 rushing ypg in first three games- can Ottawa run it against them?

Hamilton (0-2) @ Calgary (2-0)-- TiCats lost four in row and eight of last nine series games, as they've lost last nine visits here, last two by total of six points. Three of last four series games stayed under total. Stamps scored 31.5 ppg in winning first two games, turning ball over just one time. Both teams already had a bye; under is 2-0 in both teams' games this season, with Stampeders allowing 11.5 ppg- TiCats are scoring just 17 ppg. Western Conference teams are 8-2 vs eastern teams so far this season. TiCats (-3) turned ball over eight times already.

Montreal (1-2) @ BCLions (1-2)-- Alouettes (+3) upset BC 24-9 two weeks ago in Quebec, as they ran ball for 203 yards, had three takeaways (+2) in 7th straight home win in series. Als lost last three visits here by combined score of 122-25; four of their last five visits to BC went under the total. Lions upset Riders in Regina last week, shutting hosts out in second half- they turned ball over eight times in first two games- they had none last week. Montreal lost its only road games 29-8 at Calgary. All three Lion games stayed under the total.

CFL

Week 4

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Trend Report
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Thursday, July 17

8:30 PM
EDMONTON vs. WINNIPEG
Edmonton is 7-18 SU in its last 25 games
Edmonton is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Winnipeg
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Winnipeg's last 11 games at home
Winnipeg is 3-8 SU in its last 11 games at home

Friday, July 18

7:00 PM
TORONTO vs. OTTAWA
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Toronto's last 7 games on the road
Toronto is 7-2 SU in its last 9 games on the road
Ottawa is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Toronto
Ottawa is 2-10 SU in its last 12 games

10:00 PM
HAMILTON vs. CALGARY
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Hamilton's last 6 games when playing on the road against Calgary
Hamilton is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Calgary
The total has gone OVER in 10 of Calgary's last 15 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 12 of Calgary's last 17 games when playing Hamilton

Saturday, July 19

7:00 PM
MONTREAL vs. BRITISH COLUMBIA
Montreal is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Montreal's last 5 games on the road
British Columbia is 3-6 SU in its last 9 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of British Columbia's last 5 games

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CFL

Week 4

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Game of the Day: Eskimos at Blue Bombers
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Edmonton Eskimos at Winnipeg Blue Bombers (-2.5, 54.5)

The undefeated Edmonton Eskimos and Winnipeg Blue Bombers will battle for top spot in the West Division when the former visits the latter on Thursday. The Blue Bombers looked strong in their opening two home games, scoring 81 points with their surprising new-look offense. Edmonton is one win away from matching its 2013 total thanks to its revamped defense, which has 13 sacks and a league-leading eight interceptions.

Eskimos slotback Adarius Bowman could be on pace for a career year with 284 receiving yards and four touchdowns as quarterback Mike Reilly’s favorite target. Winnipeg quarterback Drew Willy engineered a last-minute touchdown drive to win Week 3 and looks comfortable in the starting role for the Blue Bombers. Facing an Edmonton defense that includes Aaron Grymes and Dexter McCoil - both with a pair of interceptions already - will be Willy’s toughest challenge yet.

TV: 8:30 p.m. ET, TSN

LINE HISTORY: Books opened the Bombers as 2.5-point home faves. The total opened 55 and is down to 54.5.

INJURY REPORT: Bombers - SB Aaron Kelly (Out, knee)

ABOUT THE ESKIMOS (3-0): Defensive tackle Almondo Sewell leads the league with five sacks, while defensive end Odell Willis has three. Edmonton’s offensive line has also been strong, limiting opponents to seven sacks and giving Reilly the time he needs to make plays and throw a league-leading seven touchdown passes. Running back John White recorded 99 rushing yards in Week 3, eclipsing the 73 that Tyler Thomas amassed over the opening two contests.

ABOUT THE BLUE BOMBERS (3-0): Winnipeg is still tweaking its roster, releasing former All-Star running back Will Ford on Monday after a preseason hamstring injury opened the door for Nic Grigsby to record 41 carries and 218 yards in three games. Linebacker Abraham Kromah was acquired from the Hamilton Tiger-Cats after starting the season on the injured list. Receiver Taveon Rogers announced via Twitter he signed with the Blue Bombers after spending time in the NFL with the Cincinnati Bengals.

TRENDS:

* Eskimos are 4-1 ATS in their last five meetings.
* Over is 4-0 in Blue Bombers last four games in July.
* Over is 12-3-1 in Eskimos last 16 road games.
* Eskimos are 6-1 ATS in their last seven road games.

CONSENSUS: 59 percent of wagers on Consensus are backing the Bombers.

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**Udog** · 07-17-2014, 07:18 AM

WNBA
Long Sheet

Thursday, July 17

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SAN ANTONIO (11 - 11) at TULSA (7 - 14) - 7/17/2014, 12:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
SAN ANTONIO is 29-17 ATS (+10.3 Units) in road games over the last 3 seasons.
SAN ANTONIO is 22-9 ATS (+12.1 Units) in road games in May, June, or July games over the last 3 seasons.
SAN ANTONIO is 9-2 ATS (+6.8 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
SAN ANTONIO is 14-5 ATS (+8.5 Units) in road games versus poor defensive teams - allowing 77+ points/game over the last 3 seasons.
TULSA is 3-11 ATS (-9.1 Units) as a favorite over the last 2 seasons.
TULSA is 5-16 ATS (-12.6 Units) in home games in July games since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
SAN ANTONIO is 7-4 against the spread versus TULSA over the last 3 seasons
SAN ANTONIO is 8-3 straight up against TULSA over the last 3 seasons
6 of 11 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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CHICAGO (8 - 13) at INDIANA (10 - 12) - 7/17/2014, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CHICAGO is 3-10 ATS (-8.0 Units) after allowing 75 points or more this season.
CHICAGO is 2-8 ATS (-6.8 Units) after scoring 75 points or more this season.
INDIANA is 2-10 ATS (-9.0 Units) in home games in July games over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
INDIANA is 10-3 against the spread versus CHICAGO over the last 3 seasons
INDIANA is 11-2 straight up against CHICAGO over the last 3 seasons
8 of 13 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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CONNECTICUT (10 - 13) at PHOENIX (17 - 3) - 7/17/2014, 10:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CONNECTICUT is 20-34 ATS (-17.4 Units) after scoring 75 points or more over the last 3 seasons.
PHOENIX is 14-6 ATS (+7.4 Units) in all games this season.
PHOENIX is 8-2 ATS (+5.8 Units) in home games this season.
PHOENIX is 6-0 ATS (+6.0 Units) in July games this season.
PHOENIX is 14-6 ATS (+7.4 Units) in May, June, or July games this season.
CONNECTICUT is 37-21 ATS (+13.9 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record after 15+ games since 1997.
PHOENIX is 7-18 ATS (-12.8 Units) in home games revenging a loss versus opponent over the last 3 seasons.
PHOENIX is 9-22 ATS (-15.2 Units) in home games after allowing 75 points or more over the last 3 seasons.
PHOENIX is 14-30 ATS (-19.0 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 3 seasons.
PHOENIX is 7-17 ATS (-11.7 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record after 15+ games after 15+ games over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
CONNECTICUT is 3-2 against the spread versus PHOENIX over the last 3 seasons
PHOENIX is 3-2 straight up against CONNECTICUT over the last 3 seasons
3 of 5 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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WASHINGTON (9 - 13) at LOS ANGELES (10 - 11) - 7/17/2014, 10:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
WASHINGTON is 255-310 ATS (-86.0 Units) in all games since 1997.
WASHINGTON is 160-204 ATS (-64.4 Units) as an underdog since 1997.
WASHINGTON is 36-56 ATS (-25.6 Units) in road games after a loss by 10 points or more since 1997.
LOS ANGELES is 7-17 ATS (-11.7 Units) in a home game where where the total is greater than or equal to 150 over the last 2 seasons.
LOS ANGELES is 142-179 ATS (-54.9 Units) after scoring 75 points or more since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
LOS ANGELES is 3-2 against the spread versus WASHINGTON over the last 3 seasons
LOS ANGELES is 4-1 straight up against WASHINGTON over the last 3 seasons
3 of 5 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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WNBA

Thursday, July 17

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Trend Report
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12:30 PM
SAN ANTONIO vs. TULSA
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of San Antonio's last 6 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of San Antonio's last 10 games
Tulsa is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games at home
Tulsa is 6-15 ATS in its last 21 games when playing San Antonio

7:00 PM
CHICAGO vs. INDIANA
Chicago is 3-10 ATS in its last 13 games when playing on the road against Indiana
Chicago is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Indiana's last 5 games when playing at home against Chicago
Indiana is 15-1 SU in its last 16 games when playing at home against Chicago

10:00 PM
CONNECTICUT vs. PHOENIX
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Connecticut's last 6 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Connecticut's last 7 games when playing Phoenix
Phoenix is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Connecticut
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Phoenix's last 9 games when playing at home against Connecticut

10:30 PM
WASHINGTON vs. LOS ANGELES
Washington is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Los Angeles
Washington is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Los Angeles's last 11 games when playing at home against Washington
Los Angeles is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Washington

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**Udog** · 07-17-2014, 07:48 AM

WNBA
Dunkel

Connecticut at Phoenix
The Sun head to Phoenix tonight to face a Mercury team that is 7-0-1 ATS in its last 8 home games. Phoenix is the pick (-11 1/2) according to Dunkel, which has the Mercury favored by 15 1/2. Dunkel Pick: Phoenix (-11 1/2). Here are all of today's WNBA picks.

THURSDAY, JULY 17

Game 651-652: San Antonio at Tulsa (12:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: San Antonio 114.401; Tulsa 112.582
Dunkel Line & Total: San Antonio by 2; 164
Vegas Line & Total: Tulsa by 2; 160
Dunkel Pick: San Antonio (+2); Over

Game 653-654: Chicago at Indiana (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Chicago 109.699; Indiana 110.146
Dunkel Line & Total: Even; 147
Vegas Line & Total: Indiana by 4 1/2; 152 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Chicago (+4 1/2); Under

Game 655-656: Connecticut at Phoenix (10:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Connecticut 108.503; Phoenix 123.754
Dunkel Line & Total: Phoenix by 15 1/2; 163
Vegas Line & Total: Phoenix by 11 1/2; 159
Dunkel Pick: Phoenix (-11 1/2); Over

Game 657-658: Washington at Los Angeles (10:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Washington 110.656; Los Angeles 119.324
Dunkel Line & Total: Los Angeles by 8 1/2; 150
Vegas Line & Total: Los Angeles by 7; 154 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Los Angeles (-7); Under

**Udog** · 07-17-2014, 07:53 AM

WNBA

Thursday, July 17

Shock slumping into All-Star break

The WNBA All-Star break is this weekend, and it can't come soon enough for the Tulsa Shock and their backers. The Shock are mired in a five game losing skid both straight up and against the spread.

The Shock were faves in three of the five losses and couldn't cover as 8.5-point dogs at the Minnesota Lynx Wednesday.

They'll try and enter the break on a positive note as 2-point home faves versus the San Antonio Stars Thursday.

MLB

Thursday, July 17

Carlos Beltran, NY Yankees - Ques Fri

Beltran suffered a broken nose, two facial fractures and a concussion after being hit during batting practice. He is on the 7-day disabled list but could be activated for Friday's game against the Reds.

Hanley Ramirez, LA Dodgers - Ques Fri

Ramirez has missed the last three games with a shoulder injury and is questionable to return on Friday against the Cardinals.

**Udog** · 07-17-2014, 08:26 AM

Padres midseason report: Offensive woes

SAN DIEGO -- Clearly, the Padres are out of the playoff race that they believed they would be a part of when the season opened.

And it's not hard to pinpoint the reason. The Padres offense is pathetic. Actually, it's almost non-existent.

Given even a below-average offense, the Padres might be close to .500 given the performance of their pitching. But the Padres offense is so bad that it could get everyone fired by the end of the season.

General manager Josh Byrnes has already been fired. And the next general manager -- the Padres have already interviewed eight candidates -- might decide to clean house as he takes the Padres in a direction that might include an offense.

The Padres finished the 2013 season with a team batting average of .245 while averaging 3.8 runs a game. The Padres reached the All-Star break hitting a collective .214 and averaging 2.9 runs a game.

Yet they have the same 41-54 record that they had after 95 games last season.

Which makes you wonder where they might be if the Padres had hit anywhere close to their 2013 averages.

"We are not where we expected to be," Padres CEO Mike Dee said while announcing the decision to relieve Byrnes as general manager in June. "We have to take an overall look at where we are and what we need to do to get to where we want to be."

Dee said he is looking for a general manager who will direct the Padres for a number of seasons.

"The next general manager of the Padres will be on the same page as the ownership," said Dee.

Thus far, the Padres have interviewed Kim Ng (senior vice president of baseball operations for Major League Baseball), former Marlins general manager Larry Beinfest, Dodgers scouting director Logan White, Diamondbacks scouting director Ray Montgomery, Yankees assistant general manager Bill Epler, Red Sox assistant general manager Mike Hazen and Padres assistant general manager Josh Stein and Texas Rangers assistant general manager A.J. Preller.

But the Padres don't expect to have their next general manager in place by the trading deadline, which raises the question of how active the Padres will be at the deadline. Until the new general manager is on board, the Padres are being run by assistant general managers A.J. Hinch, Stein and Fred Uhlmann Jr.

The Padres have a history of finishing strong under manager Bud Black.

However, given the amount of uncertainty in the organization at the moment combined with what may -- or may not -- happen at the trading deadline, it's hard to expect the Padres to finish as strong as they have in the past.

**Udog** · 07-17-2014, 08:27 AM

Dodgers midseason report: Dominant rotation

The Dodgers reached the All-Star break with the best record in the National League (54-43).

A $250 million payroll is supposed to produce those kind of results, but the Dodgers needed some help to get to the top of the National League West standings. The San Francisco Giants lent them a hand by losing 15 of 20 games in a stretch in June.

The Dodgers will have a tougher road in the second half. Their first 12 games after the break and 26 of their first 29 will be against teams with winning records (including two three-game series against the Giants).

"I think everybody in here is confident in the team's ability," Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw said. "When we were struggling early, I think everybody knew in the back of our minds that we could turn it around. Coming back and tying up the Giants in a month is not something we expected just like we didn't expect to go 42-8 last year. But we have that ability."

The best of that ability is in a starting rotation led by Kershaw and Zack Greinke. In the final 32 games before the All-Star break, Dodgers starting pitchers had a 2.96 ERA and 1.03 WHIP, holding opposing teams to one run or none in 17 of those 32 starts.

The Dodgers will only go as far as that rotation takes them in the second half.

"For the most part," Dodgers manager Don Mattingly agreed. "We're capable of scoring runs and doing other things to win games. You can't just think you're going to get shutouts every day. We're going to have to put some runs on the board. I think we've shown we're capable of that.

"You have to win in all different ways. But I think we're built with pitching and we're still looking at that."

The Dodgers lineup is certainly studded with enough All-Star names to make one think they should be a force offensively. But players like Matt Kemp, Andre Ethier, Carl Crawford, Hanley Ramirez and Adrian Gonzalez are not what they once were. Yasiel Puig and Dee Gordon were the heartbeat of the team in the first half and must continue their All-Star level play in the second half.

**Udog** · 07-17-2014, 08:29 AM

Giants midseason report: Optimism abounds despite slump

San Francisco Giants manager Bruce Bochy calls his team lucky.

That is the only way he can explain how a club that lost 22 of its past 32 games somehow managed to remain one game out of the National League West lead at the All-Star break.

"We're not playing good baseball," Bochy admitted on the eve of the much-needed, four-day break. "We're know we're capable. We need to turn this around and get back headed in the right direction."

The Giants believe they have the tools with which to do so, and they should know. Not only did they win two World Series titles in the past four years, but they looked at times like the best team in baseball again in the first 10 weeks of this season, running out to a 42-21 record and leading the division by as much as 9 1/2 games.

It is possible the Giants will be 100 percent healthy to start the second half July 18 in Miami, and that is something they weren't able to say during their early run. Sparkplug second baseman Marco Scutaro didn't return from the disabled list until two days before the break.

Most important, they might get back arguably their most valuable player, center fielder Angel Pagan, for the start of the final 10 1/2-week run to the playoffs. Pagan hasn't played since June 14 because of a bulging disk in his back.

Pagan's back started to hurt during a 5-4 win over the New York Mets on June 7. He did not play the next day, then struggled through six games before being told to take some time off.

Nobody could have predicted at the time he still would be on the sideline a month later, and that the Giants would go 10-22 after that win over the Mets.

A healthy Scutaro. The hopes of a rejuvenated Pagan. The recent return of Tim Lincecum to his Cy Young Award form, and two wild-card spots to fall back upon in case the Los Angeles Dodgers successfully buy themselves a second consecutive division title.

The Giants certainly are optimistic. And why not? They should be well-rested. After all, they basically started their All-Star break about a month earlier than everyone else.

**Udog** · 07-17-2014, 08:32 AM

D-backs midseason report: More trades are coming

PHOENIX -- For the first time since general manager Kevin Towers took over in late 2010, the Arizona Diamondbacks will be sellers at the trade deadline. With a capital "S."

Injuries to key players and ineffectiveness by others leave the D-backs with little to shoot for except retooling and avoiding the stigma of finishing with the worst record in the majors.

The D-backs hired Hall of Famer Tony La Russa to the newly created position of chief baseball officer in May, and he is spending much of his time familiarizing himself with the organization and talking baseball with Towers and manager Kirk Gibson. All agree changes are forthcoming, in part to whittle salary from a built-to-win-now, franchise-record $112 million payroll for 2014.

"If I can't bring a couple of tweaks to this thing, then they made a bad decision bringing me on. But I think there are some tweaks," La Russa told FOXSportsArizona.com in late June.

La Russa, Towers and Gibson met with scouts to evaluate the roster in advance of the July 31 trade deadline with an toward the future, and the D-backs already made two moves, sending free-agents-to-be Joe Thatcher to the Los Angeles Angels and Brandon McCarthy to the New York Yankees.

Those were the easy deals. Money will play a part in any others. Infielders Aaron Hill and Martin Prado and outfielder Gerardo Parra are proven commodities, and because of gluts in the middle infield and outfield, they could be available. Their salaries make any trade more problematic, however. Hill is owed $24 million in 2015-16, and Prado is owed $22 million over the same period. Parra has one more year of arbitration eligibility (at perhaps $6.5 million) before entering free agency.

The D-backs have young, controllable middle infielders in Chris Owings, Didi Gregorius and Nick Ahmed, and the farm system is stocked at third base. After early injuries to outfielders Mark Trumbo and A.J. Pollock, the D-backs got long looks at rookies David Peralta and Ender Inciarte, and they like what they saw.

In potential deals, major-league-ready prospects are the target.

"If you are looking at need, it is probably starting pitching and the outfield," Towers told FOXSportsArizona.com. "You want the best players, but if you have to wait a year or a year and a half for a better player, you do. You move toward getting the best player available."

The 2014 season started on a sour note and never improved. No. 1 starter Patrick Corbin and setup man David Hernandez underwent Tommy John surgery a week apart in late March, and the D-backs struggled to an 8-22 start. Free agent pickup Bronson Arroyo, the team's most efficient starter, pitched through elbow soreness for six weeks before bowing to Tommy John surgery in July.

The D-backs were unable to pick up the slack on the mound. McCarthy did not win any of his 10 starts at Chase Field, and Trevor Cahill struggled so mightily that he was taken out of the rotation in April and optioned to the minors with his consent in June. As part of the deal, Cahill was told he would be called back to the majors this season.

Among NL teams, only Colorado had a worse team ERA, fewer quality starts and a worse ERA from starting pitchers. The Arizona rotation has given up 72 home runs, tied for third most in the majors.

The team's All-Stars, first baseman Paul Goldschmidt and catcher Miguel Montero, were the bright spots on offense. Goldschmidt is hitting .308 with a major-league-high 36 doubles and 16 homers, the only major leaguer with 30/15 at the break. Montero leads major league catchers with 52 RBIs at the break.

**Udog** · 07-17-2014, 08:35 AM

Rockies midseason report: Rotation holds key to success

The Rockies go into the second half with a 40-55 record. They are 13 games behind and a half game out of last place in the National League West. But they have hope for improvement as some of their injured players have recently returned, notably third baseman Nolan Arenado and right fielder Carlos Gonzalez. They lengthen the lineup and both are superb defensive players.

But the Rockies are going to have to get better starting pitching to make any significant strides. They used 13 starters in the first half and will come out of the break with a rotation composed of left-hander Jorge De La Rosa, left-hander Brett Anderson, left-hander Tyler Matzek, left-hander Franklin Morales and Eddie Butler.

Matzek and Butler are rookies, with Butler scheduled to make a second and final rehab start as he recovers from an inflamed shoulder. Both are on the steep portion of the major league learning curve. Anderson missed three months due to a fractured left index finger before returning Sunday and understandably showing his rust when the Minnesota Twins had five straight hits, seven in all, and five runs in the first inning, although he made it through the fifth and allowed just one more unearned run.

Morales is a swing man who has made 13 starts and nine relief appearances this season and has a 5.26 ERA with 18 homers allowed in 87 1/3 innings. He seems better suited for the bullpen but will have to make at least three starts after the break until Jordan Lyles is ready to return.

The Rockies had targeted Lyles' return from a broken left (non-pitching) hand -- he was injured June 4 -- on July 28. But on Sunday, they moved him to the 60-day disabled list because the latest X-ray showed the bone was healing as fast as hoped. This procedural move won't cause Lyles a lot of time but will delay his return to the Rockies rotation until at least Aug. 5. And given his lengthy layoff, Lyles is likely to be rusty.

The Rockies' almost frantic search for pitching led them to sign retread starters such as Brett Tomko, 41, and Chris Capuano, 35, both pitching at Triple-A Colorado Springs. They seem like the latest attempts to stop time by the Rockies, who brought back Roy Oswalt last year and Jamie Moyer in 2012 with little success.

If the Rockies are lucky, a prospect like Jon Gray, the third overall pick in the 2013 draft, might make enough progress at Double-A Tulsa to warrant being called up in September. But right now, he's far from ready for the big leagues.

The Rockies typically struggle on the road, and this season is no different, albeit a little worse with a 16-30 record. But for the Rockies to have any chance to succeed, they most dominate at Coors Field. They dropped two of three games to the Twins before the All-Star break to fall to 24-25 at home. Worse, the Rockies have lost 18 of their past 26 games at Coors Field. And their remaining schedule includes 35 games on the road and 32 at home.

"Our depth certainly got challenged, particularly on the mound," manager Walt Weiss said. "But we are where we are. It's real important we play well right away in the second half."

Everyone thinks we're going to put together a run at some point," Weiss said. "But, obviously, the clock is ticking. We need to do it now, as we speak."

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