Thursdays Baseball Trends

[Spark]

KC/DET
• Under is 4-0 in Hohn's last four BHP vs. KC.
• Under is 4-1 in Reyes' last five starts.
• Under is 6-1-1 in KC's last eight road games.
• DET is 3-7 in their last 10 overall.
• Over is 5-2 in DET's last seven overall.
• DET is 1-7 in game 3 after a win this season.

BALT/NYY
• Under is 7-2 in Reilly's last nine BHP vs NYY.
• Over is 3-0 in Cabrera's last three starts.
• BAL's last 10 overall have played over.
• NYY are 8-1 in their last nine overall.
• Over is 7-1 in NYY last eight overall.
• NYY are 16-4 in the last 20 meetings.

TB/MINN
• Home team is 10-1 in Nauert's last 11 games BHP.
• TB is 0-3 in Hendrickson's three road starts.
• Over is 6-1-1 in TB's last eight road games.
• MIN is 1-5 in Santana's last six starts.
• MIN is 4-9 in their last 13 overall.
• MIN is 13-4 in the last 17 meetings.

ST.L/PITT
• STL is 11-4 in the last 15 meetings.
• STL is 6-2 in Williams' last eight vs. PIT.
• STL is 6-1 in their last seven overall.
• PIT is 6-2 in Perez's last eight starts.
• PIT is 0-4 in their last four overall.
• Under is 6-0-1 in Gorman's last seven BHP.

FLA/NYM
• FLA is 11-2 in the last 13 meetings.
• Under is 6-2 in Burnett's last eight starts.
• Under is 8-1 in FLA's last nine road games.
• NYM are 4-1 in their last five home games.
• Under is 6-3 in NYM last nine overall.
• NYM are 11-6 in game 1 of a series.

PHIL/ATL
• PHI is 3-6 in their last nine overall.
• Under is 5-2 in PHI's last seven overall.
• PHI is 5-2 in game 1 of a series after a loss.
• ATL is 7-3 in Thomson's last 10 starts.
• ATL is 5-2 in their last seven home games.
• Over is 4-1 in ATL's last five overall.

SF/ARIZ
• SF is 14-6 in the last 20 meetings.
• Over is 4-1 in Williams' last five starts.
• SF is 10-2 in their last 12 overall.
• Over is 8-0 in Webb's last eight starts.
• ARI is 8-19 in their last 27 overall.
• Road team is 8-2 in Young's last 10 BHP.

CLE/ANA
• CLE is 7-3 in Lee's last 10 starts.
• CLE is 6-15 on the road this season.
• Under is 4-1 in Escobar's last five starts.
• ANA is 14-2 in their last 16 home games.
• ANA is 11-4 in the last 15 meetings.
• Under is 11-3 in the last 14 meetings.

TOR/OAK
• Under is 5-1 in Batista's last six starts.
• TOR is 7-2 in their last nine overall.
• OAK is 6-2 in Zito's last eight starts vs. TOR.
• OAK is 10-2 in their last 12 home games.
• OAK is 7-2 in the last nine meetings.
• The last seven meetings have played over.

[Ripped71]

ST LOUIS (29 - 23) at PITTSBURGH (23 - 26) - 7:05 PM
WOODY WILLIAMS (R) vs. OLIVER PEREZ (L)
Top Trends for this game.
PEREZ is 5-1 (+6.5 Units) against the money line in June games over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
ST LOUIS is 17-7 (+11.0 Units) against the money line in road games in games played on a grass field this season.
WILLIAMS is 30-10 (+16.4 Units) against the money line when pitching in night games over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)


Head-to-Head Series History
ST LOUIS is 25-14 (+2.0 Units) against PITTSBURGH over the last 3 seasons
23 of 37 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+8.2 Units)



WOODY WILLIAMS vs. PITTSBURGH since 1997
WILLIAMS is 5-2 when starting against PITTSBURGH with an ERA of 3.72 and a WHIP of 1.200.
His team's record is 7-4 (+0.6 units) in these starts. The OVER is 6-5. (+0.6 units)



OLIVER PEREZ vs. ST LOUIS since 1997
PEREZ is 1-1 when starting against ST LOUIS with an ERA of 7.41 and a WHIP of 1.588.
His team's record is 1-2 (-1.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-2. (-1.4 units)




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FLORIDA (30 - 23) at NY METS (26 - 26) - 7:10 PM
A.J. BURNETT (R) vs. JAE SEO (R)
Top Trends for this game.
FLORIDA is 7-1 (+5.7 Units) against the money line when playing on Thursday this season.
FLORIDA is 115-71 (+43.1 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 3 seasons.
SEO is 2-10 (-9.0 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
SEO is 4-14 (-11.1 Units) against the money line in home games in all games over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
SEO is 4-14 (-11.1 Units) against the money line in home games in games played on a grass field over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
SEO is 4-14 (-11.1 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
SEO is 1-8 (-7.2 Units) against the money line in home games vs. division opponents over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
SEO is 6-20 (-13.2 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
SEO is 5-17 (-12.7 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)


Head-to-Head Series History
FLORIDA is 23-18 (+5.0 Units) against NY METS over the last 3 seasons
23 of 41 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+2.5 Units)



A.J. BURNETT vs. NY METS since 1997
BURNETT is 0-4 when starting against NY METS with an ERA of 4.09 and a WHIP of 1.218.
His team's record is 3-6 (-4.2 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 6-3. (+2.8 units)



JAE SEO vs. FLORIDA since 1997
SEO is 2-1 when starting against FLORIDA with an ERA of 1.52 and a WHIP of 1.056.
His team's record is 2-2 (+0.2 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-2. (-0.3 units)




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PHILADELPHIA (27 - 24) at ATLANTA (26 - 26) - 7:35 PM
JOSH HANCOCK (R) vs. JOHN THOMSON (R)
Top Trends for this game.
ATLANTA is 52-20 (+21.8 Units) against the money line in home games after a loss over the last 3 seasons.
ATLANTA is 35-13 (+17.4 Units) against the money line when playing on Thursday over the last 3 seasons.
THOMSON is 10-1 (+9.2 Units) against the money line when playing on Thursday over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
PHILADELPHIA is 17-7 (+10.2 Units) against the money line in road games in June games over the last 3 seasons.


Head-to-Head Series History
ATLANTA is 22-19 (-1.9 Units) against PHILADELPHIA over the last 3 seasons
21 of 38 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+1.7 Units)



JOSH HANCOCK vs. ATLANTA since 1997
No recent starts.



JOHN THOMSON vs. PHILADELPHIA since 1997
THOMSON is 5-4 when starting against PHILADELPHIA with an ERA of 2.78 and a WHIP of 1.303.
His team's record is 5-4 (+0.4 units) in these starts. The OVER is 3-6. (-3.4 units)




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SAN FRANCISCO (26 - 26) at ARIZONA (20 - 33) - 9:35 PM
JEROME WILLIAMS (R) vs. BRANDON WEBB (R)
Top Trends for this game.
WILLIAMS is 1-5 (-6.1 Units) against the money line in road games when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
SAN FRANCISCO is 159-93 (+46.0 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 3 seasons.


Head-to-Head Series History
SAN FRANCISCO is 29-15 (+16.1 Units) against ARIZONA over the last 3 seasons
21 of 39 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+1.5 Units)



JEROME WILLIAMS vs. ARIZONA since 1997
WILLIAMS is 2-1 when starting against ARIZONA with an ERA of 2.70 and a WHIP of 1.125.
His team's record is 3-1 (+2.7 units) in these starts. The OVER is 3-1. (+2.0 units)



BRANDON WEBB vs. SAN FRANCISCO since 1997
WEBB is 2-1 when starting against SAN FRANCISCO with an ERA of 3.21 and a WHIP of 1.000.
His team's record is 2-2 (-0.3 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-2. (-0.4 units)




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BALTIMORE (24 - 25) at NY YANKEES (32 - 19) - 1:05 PM
DANIEL CABRERA (R) vs. JAVIER VAZQUEZ (R)
Top Trends for this game.
NY YANKEES are 24-2 (+20.5 Units) against the money line in home games when playing on Thursday over the last 3 seasons.
VAZQUEZ is 14-2 (+10.7 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)


Head-to-Head Series History
NY YANKEES is 31-12 (+5.3 Units) against BALTIMORE over the last 3 seasons
24 of 40 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+6.6 Units)



DANIEL CABRERA vs. NY YANKEES since 1997
No recent starts.



JAVIER VAZQUEZ vs. BALTIMORE since 1997
VAZQUEZ is 1-1 when starting against BALTIMORE with an ERA of 4.85 and a WHIP of 1.231.
His team's record is 1-1 (+0.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-1. (-0.1 units)




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KANSAS CITY (18 - 32) at DETROIT (24 - 28) - 1:05 PM
DENNIS REYES (R) vs. JEREMY BONDERMAN (R)
Top Trends for this game.
KANSAS CITY is 2-9 (-7.0 Units) against the money line in road games against division opponents this season.
KANSAS CITY is 1-11 (-9.4 Units) against the money line in road games in day games this season.
KANSAS CITY is 0-8 (-8.1 Units) against the money line on the road when the total is 9 to 9.5 this season.
KANSAS CITY is 0-6 (-6.8 Units) against the money line when playing on Thursday this season.
KANSAS CITY is 0-8 (-8.1 Units) against the money line in road games when the total is 9 to 9.5 this season.
DETROIT is 13-43 (-26.1 Units) against the money line in June games over the last 3 seasons.
BONDERMAN is 0-6 (-6.1 Units) against the money line in June games over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)


Head-to-Head Series History
KANSAS CITY is 27-17 (+4.4 Units) against DETROIT over the last 3 seasons
23 of 43 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+1.2 Units)



DENNIS REYES vs. DETROIT since 1997
No recent starts.



JEREMY BONDERMAN vs. KANSAS CITY since 1997
BONDERMAN is 1-2 when starting against KANSAS CITY with an ERA of 4.86 and a WHIP of 1.321.
His team's record is 1-2 (-0.8 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-2. (-1.2 units)




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TAMPA BAY (19 - 32) at MINNESOTA (28 - 24) - 1:10 PM
MARK HENDRICKSON (L) vs. JOHAN SANTANA (L)
Top Trends for this game.
TAMPA BAY is 1-8 (-6.5 Units) against the money line on the road when the total is 9 to 9.5 this season.
SANTANA is 6-1 (+5.1 Units) against the money line in June games over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
SANTANA is 11-2 (+7.4 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a losing record since 1997. (Team's Record)


Head-to-Head Series History
MINNESOTA is 13-6 (+4.3 Units) against TAMPA BAY over the last 3 seasons
8 of 17 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=-1.5 Units, Under=-0.2 Units)



MARK HENDRICKSON vs. MINNESOTA since 1997
HENDRICKSON is 0-1 when starting against MINNESOTA with an ERA of 7.11 and a WHIP of 1.264.
His team's record is 0-1 (-1.2 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 0-1. (-1.2 units)



JOHAN SANTANA vs. TAMPA BAY since 1997
No recent starts.




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TORONTO (24 - 29) at OAKLAND (28 - 23) - 10:05 PM
MIGUEL BATISTA (R) vs. BARRY ZITO (L)
Top Trends for this game.
BATISTA is 3-15 (-10.9 Units) against the money line as a road underdog of +125 to +150 since 1997. (Team's Record)
BATISTA is 11-34 (-23.4 Units) against the money line in road games when pitching in night games since 1997. (Team's Record)
OAKLAND is 21-7 (+12.7 Units) against the money line in home games in June games over the last 3 seasons.
OAKLAND is 72-21 (+30.0 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 3 seasons.
BATISTA is 7-1 (+7.4 Units) against the money line when playing on Thursday over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)


Head-to-Head Series History
TORONTO is 8-8 (+2.4 Units) against OAKLAND over the last 3 seasons
11 of 16 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+5.4 Units)



MIGUEL BATISTA vs. OAKLAND since 1997
BATISTA is 1-1 when starting against OAKLAND with an ERA of 6.58 and a WHIP of 1.829.
His team's record is 2-1 (+1.6 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-2. (-1.3 units)



BARRY ZITO vs. TORONTO since 1997
ZITO is 4-2 when starting against TORONTO with an ERA of 3.65 and a WHIP of 1.237.
His team's record is 6-2 (+3.9 units) in these starts. The OVER is 6-2. (+3.8 units)




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CLEVELAND (22 - 28) at ANAHEIM (32 - 20) - 10:05 PM
CLIFTON LEE (L) vs. KELVIM ESCOBAR (R)
Top Trends for this game.
LEE is 5-1 (+4.9 Units) against the money line when pitching in night games this season. (Team's Record)


Head-to-Head Series History
ANAHEIM is 12-6 (+3.3 Units) against CLEVELAND over the last 3 seasons
11 of 17 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+4.0 Units)



CLIFTON LEE vs. ANAHEIM since 1997
No recent starts.



KELVIM ESCOBAR vs. CLEVELAND since 1997
ESCOBAR is 3-1 when starting against CLEVELAND with an ERA of 3.56 and a WHIP of 1.055.
His team's record is 3-1 (+2.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 3-1. (+1.8 units)

[Spark]

Thursday, June 3rd (All times eastern)
BALTIMORE ORIOLES (24-25) AT NEW YORK YANKEES (32-19), 1:05 P.M.

Probable Starting Pitchers: Baltimore - Daniel Cabrera (3-1, 4.15) New York - Javier Vazquez (5-4, 3.88)

(Sports Network) - The New York Yankees try to complete their second straight sweep against the Baltimore Orioles when they host the finale of a three-game series today at Yankee Stadium.

The Yankees swept the Orioles at Camden Yards last week and have won the first two games of this series, including a 6-5 victory on Wednesday.

Gary Sheffield hit a three-run homer and scored the go-ahead run on a sacrifice fly by Ruben Sierra, as the New York Yankees rallied from an early deficit to post the victory over Baltimore.

The Yankees trailed 5-0 before they even came to bat, but Sheffield's blast in the bottom of the first started New York on its 21st comeback victory of the season.

Derek Jeter also homered and Alex Rodriguez singled, as the Yankees finished with only three hits but won for the eighth time in their last nine games. New York has captured each of the five meetings with Baltimore this season.

New York starter Jose Contreras didn't make it out of the first inning, but the Yankees got stellar relief efforts from Tanyon Sturtze, Bret Prinz, Tom Gordon and Mariano Rivera.

Miguel Tejada had two hits and an RBI for the Orioles, who had won four straight before dropping an 8-7 decision in Tuesday's series-opener.

Baltimore starter Eric DuBose (4-4) could not hold on to a five-run lead and took the loss. The lefthander was roughed up for six runs on three hits and four walks in five-plus innings.

Rookie righthander Daniel Cabrera gets the call for the O's tonight. The 23-year-old is 3-1 this season and is coming off an 8-4 win in Detroit last Thursday. He surrendered three runs -- two earned -- in five innings of work.

This will be Cabrera's first career start against the Yankees.

Meanwhile, Javier Vazquez tries to win his third consecutive start tonight, as he takes the ball for the Yankees.

Vazquez posted a victory in Tampa on Friday, surrendering four runs and eight hits in six innings. The righthander struck out two batters and walked a pair in the 7-5 victory.

The 28-year-old is 1-1 with a 4.85 earned run average in two career starts against the Orioles. However, both of those outings came when Vazquez was a member of the Montreal Expos.

The Yankees, who are in the midst of a 12-game home-stretch, are 15-7 in New York this season. Baltimore, meanwhile, will be playing the final leg of a seven-game road trip tonight and is 12-12 away from home this season.

On the milestone watch, Yankee centerfielder Bernie Williams needs nine hits to become the seventh Yankee to reach 2,000. Lou Gehrig, Babe Ruth, Mickey Mantle, Joe DiMaggio, Don Mattingly, and Yogi Berra are also on that list.

The Yankees have won the last seven matchups in the series. Since the start of the 2001 campaign, New York is 44-17 against Baltimore with a 20-10 mark in the Bronx.

KANSAS CITY ROYALS (18-32) AT DETROIT TIGERS (24-28), 1:05 P.M.

Probable Starting Pitchers: Kansas City - Dennys Reyes (1-0, 2.52) Detroit - Jeremy Bonderman (4-4, 5.55)

(Sports Network) - The Detroit Tigers try to complete their four-game series against the Kansas City Royals with a victory, as they play the finale of the set at Comerica Park this afternoon.

The Tigers have taken two of three from the Royals so far in the series and posted a 2-0 victory in Wednesday's affair. Jason Johnson pitched 7 2/3 shutout innings and Brandon Inge smacked a two-run homer to lead Detroit.

Johnson (4-6) scattered nine hits with three strikeouts and no walks to earn the victory for the Tigers, who have taken two of the first three in the four- game series.

Danny Patterson and Ugueth Urbina tossed 1 1/3 innings of hitless ball in relief. Urbina recorded a 1-2-3 ninth to nail down his seventh save of the season.

Inge, a last minute fill-in for an injured Ivan Rodriguez, smacked a two-run homer in the second inning for the game's only offense.

Ken Harvey went 2-for-4 to extend his hitting streak to a career-high 11 games -- longest for a Royal this season. Kelly Stinnett collected three hits in the setback as the Royals lost for the third time in four games.

Zack Greinke (0-1) pitched well in the loss, allowing two runs on six hits in seven innings for the Royals, who have dropped six of seven on the road. The 20-year-old fanned four with two walks.

The Tigers will send Jeremy Bonderman to the mound tonight and the righthander hopes to rebound from a brutal outing last Saturday against Baltimore. Bonderman was pounded for seven runs and 10 hits in 2 1/3 innings of the 8-4 setback.

Bonderman has dropped two straight starts and was 2-3 with a 4.90 ERA in six outings last month.

The 21-year-old is 1-2 with a 3.57 earned run average in five career games (three starts) against the Royals.

Dennys Reyes makes his third consecutive start, as he takes the ball for the Royals tonight.

Reyes, who has five starts and five relief appearances this season, picked up a victory Saturday against Minnesota. He surrendered two runs and six hits in seven innings of work. The lefthander struck out eight batters while walking four.

Reyes has five career appearances against the Tigers, but all of them have come out of the bullpen. He is 0-0 with a 1.80 ERA in those relief outings.

The Royals won two of three from Detroit last week and are 17-8 against the Tigers since the start of last season.

TAMPA BAY DEVIL RAYS (19-32) AT MINNESOTA TWINS (28-24), 1:10 P.M.

Probable Starting Pitchers: Tampa Bay - Mark Hendrickson (2-5, 5.27) Minnesota - Johan Santana (2-3, 5.61)

(Sports Network) - The Tampa Bay Devil Rays take aim at their first road series victory since August 26-28, 2003 today, when they finish up a four-game set against the Minnesota Twins at the Metrodome. Tampa Bay has lost 11 straight road series -- including all seven this year.

Tampa Bay has taken two of the first three in this four-contest set, including Wednesday's 4-2 win Wednesday. The Devil Rays are 9-4 through their last 13 games overall.

Doug Waechter twirled seven strong innings to pace the Devil Rays to the win. Waechter (3-5) took a no-hitter into the sixth inning, but gave up a single to Lew Ford. He allowed just three hits and two runs with two walks and a strikeout.

Aubrey Huff drove in two runs in the winning effort. Rocco Baldelli scored twice and drove in a run for the Devil Rays, who bounced back from a 16-4 pounding at the hands of the Twins on Tuesday. The Devil Rays outhit the Twins, 11-4.

The Devil Rays will send big lefthander Mark Hendrickson to the hill today. Hendrickson has lost two straight and three of his last four decisions. The southpaw dropped his last start against the New York Yankees, giving up eight hits and four runs over 5 2/3 innings. Hendrickson walked four and struck out one in the defeat.

Hendrickson made one other career start against the Twins, surrendering eight hits and five runs over 6 1/3 innings of a loss.

Minnesota will have 25-year-old lefthander Johan Santana on the mound today. Santana has lost three consecutive decisions, including a defeat to Kansas City last Saturday. The twirler, who hasn't won since May 13, allowed six hits and four runs over 6 1/3 innings in the defeat. Santana struck out six and walked two in the contest.

Santana has no record with a 3.38 ERA in his lifetime against the D-Rays.

Minnesota starter Brad Radke lasted seven innings on the hill, but absorbed the loss on Wednesday. Radke (4-3) allowed three runs on nine hits, struck out three and walked one batter.

Corey Koskie provided the offense with a two-run homer for Minnesota, which has dropped five of seven. Koskie has three homers in the last two games.

Rookie catcher Joe Mauer was activated prior to the game and started for Minnesota. The first overall pick of the 2001 draft had been out of action since April 6 when he suffered a torn medial meniscus in his left knee. Mauer finished 0-for-2 with a walk.

To make room on the roster for Mauer, the club optioned first baseman/designated hitter Justin Morneau to Triple-A Rochester.

Tampa Bay has won four of its six meetings with the Twins this season, but Minnesota is 13-4 in the last 17 matchups against the Devil Rays. Tampa Bay has also dropped nine of its last 11 in Minnesota.

The Devil Rays, who have lost nine of 11 on the road, are 5-18 away from home this season, while the Twins have posted a 15-10 mark in the Twin Cities.

CLEVELAND INDIANS (22-28) AT ANAHEIM ANGELS (32-20), 10:05 P.M.

Probable Starting Pitchers: Cleveland - Cliff Lee (5-0, 2.87) Anaheim - Kelvim Escobar (3-2, 4.21)

(Sports Network) - The Anaheim Angels try for their third straight victory, as they open a four-game series against the Cleveland Indians tonight at Angel Stadium.

The Angels are coming off a two-game sweep over the Boston Red Sox. Vladimir Guerrero put on a show in Wednesday's 10-7 win over the Red Sox, belting a pair of home runs and setting an Angels record with nine runs batted in.

David Eckstein was somewhat overshadowed by Guerrero's performance despite a 5-for-5 night that extended his hitting streak to 17 games. Eckstein also drove in a run and scored four times for the Angels, who won for the third time in their last four games.

Guerrero finished 4-for-4 and was a triple shy of the cycle. He now has 14 home runs this season, leads the American League with 49 RBI and is third in batting at .357.

Ramon Ortiz (2-4) earned the win in relief with 2 2/3 hitless innings. Scot Shields worked two scoreless frames and Francisco Rodriguez pitched the ninth to notch his second save.

Jarrod Washburn started for Anaheim, but left after surrendering seven runs on nine hits in just 3 1/3 innings.

Meanwhile, the Indians were handed a 5-3 setback by the Texas Rangers on Wednesday. Gary Matthews, Jr. drove in three runs and hit a tie-breaking solo homer in the top of the ninth inning to give Texas the win at Jacobs Field.

Casey Blake had three hits in four at-bats for Cleveland, including a two-out single in the bottom of the eighth that tied the game at 3-3.

Jody Gerut also finished 2-for-4 with a solo homer for the Indians, who were swept in the two-game series. Cleveland saw its four-game win streak come to an end with a 6-5 extra-inning loss to Texas on Tuesday night.

Cliff Lee hopes to pick up his first victory in over two weeks, as he takes the mound for the Indians tonight.

The 25-year-old Lee is 5-0 with a 2.87 earned run average, but has posted no decisions in each of his last two starts. His last victory came on May 17 against the Chicago White Sox.

Lee pitched well last Friday against Oakland, surrendering just four hits in 6 1/3 scoreless innings. He also struck out eight batters and walked five in the Indians' 1-0 setback.

This will be the young lefthander's first-ever appearance against the Angels.

Kelvim Escobar will counter for the Angels in this evening's contest. Escobar is coming off a solid month of May in which he went 2-1 with a 3.76 ERA in five starts.

Escobar's latest outing came last Friday in Chicago and the righthander walked away with a no decision despite allowing just two runs in 6 2/3 innings. He struck out four batters and walked four.

The 28-year-old Escobar is 3-1 with a 3.64 ERA in 12 career appearances (four starts) against the Indians.

The Angels took six of nine from the Indians last season and are 12-6 against Cleveland since the start of the 2002 campaign.

TORONTO BLUE JAYS (24-29) AT OAKLAND ATHLETICS (28-23), 10:05 P.M.

Probable Starting Pitchers: Toronto - Miguel Batista (3-4, 5.13) Oakland - Barry Zito (3-3, 4.86)

(Sports Network) - A pair of teams trying to extend their winning streaks to three games meet tonight, as the Oakland Athletics host the opener of a four- game series against the Toronto Blue Jays.

The Blue Jays won the final two games of their three-game set in Seattle, including a 5-3 win on Wednesday.

Josh Phelps' grand slam in the second inning lifted the Blue Jays to the win at Safeco Field. Ted Lilly has won his last two starts and pitched 6 1/3 innings of two-run ball. Lilly (4-2) allowed seven hits, struck out five and issued three walks.

Gregg Zaun had two hits and a pair of runs scored, while Vernon Wells also added two hits for Toronto, which has won two in a row and seven of its last nine.

The Athletics completed a two-game sweep over the White Sox on Wednesday. Mark Kotsay homered in the bottom of the 10th inning to give Oakland a 3-2 win over Chicago.

Jermaine Dye also homered and Scott Hatteberg drove in the tying run in the ninth for the Athletics, who rallied from a two-run deficit and won both games of the series in extra innings. On Tuesday, Bobby Kielty hit a two-run homer in the 12th inning to win it for Oakland.

Arthur Rhodes (2-3) allowed one hit in two scoreless innings to earn the win on Wednesday for the Athletics, who ended consecutive wins with a homer for the first time in 23 years.

Miguel Batista hopes to have a repeat performance of his last outing, as he takes the mound for the Blue Jays in tonight's contest.

Batista turned in a strong start in Saturday's 6-2 victory over the Rangers, surrendering two runs and five hits in eight innings of work. He also struck out seven batters and walked three.

The 33-year-old righthander has struggled in his career against the Athletics, posting a 1-1 record with a 10.80 ERA in six games (three starts).

The A's will send Barry Zito the mound as the former AL Cy Young Award winner tries to pick up just his second victory in six starts.

Zito pitched solid in the month of May, posting a 3.17 earned run average in five starts. However, he had only a 1-0 record to show for it.

Zito was especially tough in last Friday's no-decision in Cleveland, allowing just three hits in eight scoreless innings. He also struck out seven batters and walked five.

The 26-year-old lefthander is 4-2 with a 3.65 ERA in eight career starts against the Blue Jays.

The A's took five of seven from the Blue Jays last season.

06/03 11:35:13 ET

[Spark]

Thursday, June 3rd (All times eastern)
ST. LOUIS CARDINALS (29-23) AT PITTSBURGH PIRATES (23-26), 7:05 P.M.

Probable Starting Pitchers: St. Louis - Woody Williams (2-5, 5.19) Pittsburgh - Oliver Perez (3-2, 3.12)

(Sports Network) - Albert Pujols and the St. Louis Cardinals aim to complete a four-game sweep of the Pittsburgh Pirates tonight at PNC Park.

Pujols has been on fire of late, homering in two straight games with five RBI in that span. So far in this series, he is 8-for-13 with a pair of homers, seven RBI and five runs scored. Last night, he belted a two-run shot, increasing his home run total to 17, tops in the majors, as St. Louis won 5-3. The Cardinals have won six of their last seven games.

Pujols has homered in four of his last five games and in that span he has gone 14-for-22 with five round-trippers and 11 RBI. The slugging first baseman has hit safely in 11 of his last 12 games for a .456 average (21-for-46).

Tony Womack went 4-for-5 with an RBI last night for St. Louis, while Chris Carpenter tossed seven-plus strong innings.

In the four-year history of PNC Park, the Cardinals have won more games at the stadium than any other opponent, posting a 21-6 record. The Cardinals have collected 10 or more hits in 18 of their last 19 games played in Pittsburgh and have homered 34 times in that span.

Craig Wilson and Rob Mackowiak each stroked a pair of hits and scored a run last night for the Pirates, who have dropped four straight. Jason Kendall extended his hitting streak to 19 games, his longest since hitting safely in 23 straight games last year from June 24-July 21.

Oliver Perez tries to get Pittsburgh back on the winning track as he takes the mound this evening. The 22-year-old lefthander is 0-1 over his last two outings. He had a no-decision in last start, a 5-4 10-inning win in game two of a doubleheader versus the Cubs last Friday night. He is 1-1 with a 7.41 ERA in three career starts versus the Cardinals.

Woody Williams gets the ball tonight for St. Louis. The righthander won his second start of the season last Saturday by allowing eight and three runs in six-plus innings against Houston. He is 5-2 with a 3.72 ERA in 11 lifetime games against the Pirates.

Cardinals third baseman Scott Rolen, who was hit in the batting helmet with a pitch by Ryan Vogelsong in the opening inning of Tuesday's game, missed last night's contest and is questionable for this evening's action.

Cardinals skipper Tony La Russa is two wins shy of tying Walter Alston (2,040) for sixth all-time in managerial victories.

The Cardinals have won 11 of the last 15 meetings dating back to last season. St. Louis has captured 22 of the last 31 matchups and that included a four-game sweep at PNC Park August 12-15, 2002.

FLORIDA MARLINS (30-23) AT NEW YORK METS (26-26), 7:10 P.M.

Probable Starting Pitchers: Florida - A.J. Burnett (0-0, 0.00) New York - Jae Seo (2-4, 4.97)

(Sports Network) - Florida righthander A.J. Burnett will make his first major league appearance in over a year tonight, when he anchors the struggling Marlins versus the surging New York Mets in the first of a four-game set at Shea Stadium.

Burnett, who underwent Tommy John surgery on his elbow last April 29, hasn't gone to the hill in a major league game since April 25, 2003. The 27-year-old righthander went 0-2 with a 4.70 ERA in four starts before getting hurt last season.

Prior to the procedure, Burnett was able to throw the ball as fast as 101 miles per hour. In two rehab starts, Burnett has been hitting 98 on the radar gun. Burnett, who was drafted by the Mets in 1995, went 12-9 with a 3.30 ERA with five shutouts and seven complete games in his last full season in 2002. During that campaign, Burnett struck out 203 batters in 204 1/3 innings.

Burnett last pitched on May 28 at Memphis for Triple-A Albuquerque and tossed 3 1/3 innings, allowing four runs on seven hits with two walks and six strikeouts.

Burnett hasn't been at his best against the Mets in his career, going 0-4 with a 4.09 ERA in nine career appearances. The Little Rock, AR native has been touched for 44 hits and 25 earned runs over 55 innings against the Mets in his career.

Burnett has a career Major League record of 30-32 with a 3.86 ERA in 82 games (80 starts). Burnett has a career road record of 13-19 with a 4.32 ERA in 42 starts.

The Marlins need a good effort from Burnett to get them out of their recent slump. Florida is coming off a three-game sweep at the hands of the Cincinnati Reds, including a 3-1 loss Wednesday. Nonetheless, the Marlins maintain a two- game lead over Philadelphia for first place in the NL East.

Reliever Ben Howard (0-1) suffered the loss in relief. He yielded one run on one hit in just one-third of an inning. Dontrelle Willis set down the first 20 batters of the game after retiring the final 11 hitters he faced during his previous outing against the Mets on May 28.

Willis departed after eight innings of work. He was charged with one run on three hits to go along with five strikeouts and one walk.

Juan Pierre registered the Marlins' lone RBI in the game, as he singled in Matt Treanor with two out in the fifth frame. Miguel Cabrera registered a pair of hits in the losing cause.

Treanor was making his major league debut. His contract was purchased from Triple-A Albuquerque after the club placed catcher Ramon Castro on the 15-day DL with inflammation in his right big toe.

Hee Seop Choi was 0-for-4 and failed to reach base for the first time in 19 contests.

New York is red hot after completing a three-game sweep of the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Wednesday. The Mets tallied a 5-3 comeback win in 10 innings over the Phillies yesterday.

Todd Zeile tied the game in the eighth inning with a three-run homer and won it in the 10th with a two-run shot. Zeile also played an instrumental role in Tuesday's 10-inning win with a home run and the go-ahead RBI.

Mike Piazza had two hits in the win -- New York's fourth in five tries versus the Phillies in 2004. It was New York's first three-game sweep of Philly since 1998. The Mets had swept the Phillies in four games in 2002.

David Weathers (5-1) got the win with one perfect inning of relief. Starter Tom Glavine allowed three hits and three runs over seven frames, while walking four and fanning two.

Glavine, who has lasted at least six innings in every start in 2004, made his 1,100th at-bat in the sixth inning.

New York will pin its hopes on 27-year-old righthander Jae Seo this evening. Seo is winless (0-1) over his last two starts, including a no-decision against Florida last Saturday. The Korean hurler gave up five hits and two runs over six innings, while walking five and fanning two.

Seo has been excellent in his short career against Florida, going 2-1 with a 1.52 ERA in four outings.

Florida swept a three-game set between these foes last week at Pro Player Stadium. The Marlins are 15-7 against the Mets since the start of last season, including a 6-3 record at Shea Stadium.

PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES (27-24) AT ATLANTA BRAVES (26-26), 7:35 P.M.

Probable Starting Pitchers: Philadelphia - Josh Hancock (0-0, 5.40) Atlanta - John Thomson (4-2, 4.06)

(Sports Network) - The Philadelphia Phillies try to snap a three-game slide as they begin a long road trip tonight with the opener of a weekend series in Atlanta.

The Phillies were just swept in a series by the New York Mets at Citizens Bank Park and this evening will not only begin a four-game set against the Braves, but Larry Bowa's club will also get started a 10-game swing outside Philadelphia. The Phillies will also play the Chicago White Sox and Minnesota during the trip.

Philadelphia, which has dropped seven of its last 11 contests, enters tonight's action in second place in the National League East -- two games behind the front-running Florida Marlins. The Braves and Mets are both 3 1/2 games behind the division leader.

Josh Hancock, who has yet to post a win in his major league career, gets the start tonight for the Phillies. The 26-year-old righthander will be making his third big league start and second this season. He threw five innings on May 22 against the Padres and didn't get a decision.

The Phillies lost 5-3 last night. They blew a 3-0 lead last night as Todd Zeile tied the game in the eighth inning with a three-run homer and won it in the 10th with a two-run shot. Jimmy Rollins finished 3-for-3 with a homer, two runs scored and a pair of walks for Philadelphia. Bobby Abreu added a two-run double for the Phillies.

Atlanta has won nine of its last 14 games, but it suffered an 8-4 defeat last night to the Montreal Expos at Turner Field. Dewayne Wise and Mike Hessman homered for the Braves, who committed four errors. Mike Hampton (1-6) absorbed the loss as he was charged with six runs -- four earned -- on seven hits and five walks in three-plus innings.

The Braves look to righthander John Thomson tonight as he tries to win his third consecutive start. He beat the Phillies last Saturday by allowing eight hits and three runs -- one earned -- over seven innings. In his last two starts, Thomson has given up just one earned run over 14 innings and he is unbeaten (2-0) in his last four outings.

Thomson is 5-4 with a 2.78 ERA in nine career games against the Phillies.

Phillies centerfielder Marlon Byrd is 2-for-31 over his last eight games.

The Braves expect to be without leftfielder Chipper Jones tonight as he re- injured his right hamstring in Tuesday night's 7-6 win over the Expos.

The teams split a four-game set at Philadelphia last weekend.

SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS (26-26) AT ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS (20-33), 9:35 P.M.

Probable Starting Pitchers: San Francisco - Jerome Williams (4-3, 4.19) Arizona - Brandon Webb (2-5, 4.48)

(Sports Network) - Arizona righthander Brandon Webb tries to snap a personal four-decision losing streak tonight as the Diamondbacks go for a series win against the San Francisco Giants in the conclusion of a four-game set from Bank One Ballpark.

Webb is 0-4 in his last six outings and hasn't won since April 27 when he threw seven shutout innings against the Cubs. It's a sharp contrast to last season when Webb went 10-9 as a rookie. He's coming off one of the worst starts of his career, as he was tagged for seven runs on eight hits in a season-low four innings of a 10-0 defeat last Saturday in Los Angeles.

Webb faces the Giants for the fifth time in his career, going 2-1 with a 3.21 ERA in four previous starts.

Arizona will try to win its first series since taking two of three from the Braves in Atlanta May 18-20. The Diamondbacks have lost their last three series. Additionally, the Diamondbacks will attempt to win three in a row for only the second time this season, also accomplishing that mark April 25-27.

Last night, Shea Hillenbrand finished a triple short of the cycle and drove in three runs to lead Arizona to an 8-6 win. Randy Johnson won his fourth straight start for the Diamondbacks.

Marquis Grissom smacked a three-run homer for the Giants, who have lost two straight after 10 consecutive wins. Neifi Perez added four hits and Deivi Cruz doubled twice.

Hillenbrand posted three hits -- including a double and a homer -- while Robby Hammock doubled twice and drove in three runs for the Diamondbacks, who built a 5-0 lead against Brett Tomko.

Jerome Williams will be on the hill tonight for the Giants. The righthander is coming off a victory last Saturday against Colorado when he allowed three runs over 7 1/3 innings. That snapped a five-start winless (0-2) string. He is 2-1 with a 2.70 ERA in four career games against Arizona.

Despite last night's loss, San Francisco has still been successful against the D'Backs this season, winning four of six meetings. The Giants have also won eight of their last 12 at Bank One Ballpark dating back to last season.

06/03 10:56:49 ET

[Spark]

Major League Baseball Weather from The Sports Network


Thursday, June 3

National League

St. Louis Cardinals at Pittsburgh Pirates, 7:05 p.m.
Partly cloudy. Winds blowing out to right field at 5-15 m.p.h. Game-time temperature: Near 70.
Florida Marlins at New York Mets, 7:10 p.m.
Mostly clear. Winds blowing out to right field at 10-15 m.p.h. Game-time temperature: Around 70.
Philadelphia Phillies at Atlanta Braves, 7:35 p.m.
Partly cloudy with a 30-percent chance of rain. Winds blowing from left to right field at 10-15 m.p.h. Game-time temperature: Around 75.
San Francisco Giants at Arizona Diamondbacks, 9:35 p.m.
Clear. Winds blowing from left to right field at 5-10 m.p.h. Game-time temperature: Near 100.
American League

Baltimore Orioles at New York Yankees, 1:05 p.m.
Partly sunny. Winds blowing from left to right field at 10-15 m.p.h. Game-time temperature: Near 75.
Kansas City Royals at Detroit Tigers, 1:05 p.m.
Sunny. Winds blowing out to right field at 10-15 m.p.h. Game-time temperature: Around 70.
Toronto Blue Jays at Oakland Athletics, 10:05 p.m.
Partly cloudy. Winds blowing out to right field at 10-15 m.p.h. Game-time temperature: Around 60.
Cleveland Indians at Anaheim Angels, 10:05 p.m.
Clear. Winds blowing in from right field at 5-10 m.p.h. Game-time temperature: Around 75.
As of June 3, 2004, at 10:49 AM ET