Trends ... Monday

[Spark]

Guys, I have been asked to sticky these so I will till later this afternoon ...


Game of Day
Yankees (Mussina) @ Red Sox (Wakefield)-- Ring Day for Red Sox, as they taunt and mock Bronx after losing last two games in Toronto. Bronx bullpen was thinned out yesterday, throwing seven innings, as Pavano was injured- they need good Mussina start- in his last start, he had even game with Wakefield, then Rivera blew 3-2 lead in ninth and world almost ended

Red Sox are 2-4, their manager is pretty sick, so it is with chaos that they ring in new year. Bronx is 3-3; it seems inevitable that Tino will displace Giambi at first. Fenway will be a circus today. Three of last four Sox games went over, same for Bronx.


Hot pitchers
-- Pettitte allowed one run in six innings last week in his first '05 start, throwing 71 pitches, so he's healthy.
-- Davis has 2.25 RA in his last 13 starts; he held Bucs to two runs in six innings last week at PNC.
-- Padres are 10-2 in Eaton's last dozen road starts.
-- Atlanta is 14-1 in Hampton's last fifteen starts in the regular season (4-0, 1.20 in his last six). Nationals are 5-1 in Day's last six road starts, but he has jut one win in his last nine starts overall.

-- Garcia, Millwood hooked up for six innings last week in Chicago, with Tribe leading 2-0, before Wickman let in four runs in ninth to blow game. Second time in row vs same pitcher always favors the hitters, in my mind.
Millwood was on winning side in ten of last twelve starts
-- Hernandez allowed one run in seven IP at Detroit last week, in 7-2 win. He is 12-9 in 29 career starts- good
-- Saarloos was nasty in first '05 start, shutting out O's for six innings in Camden Yards. Kendall raved about his stuff all spring long. Chacin allowed one run in five IP at Tampa Bay last week, beating Devil Rays, 6-3.


Cold pitchers
-- Glavine allowed five runs in 3.2 IP in first start, but in fairness, was squeezed on couple of close two-strike pitches that came just before key, two-out hits. In last six starts, Glavine is 1-4, with RA of over 7.00.
-- Wells has one win in last nine starts; he threw 104 pitches in five innings in home loss to Brewers last week
-- Dempster allowed seven runs in 3.2 IP at Arizona; he is 3-8 in his last 21 starts, dating back to 2003.
-- Leiter has just one win in his last nine starts, but he gave up just one run to Braves in 5.1 IP last week- last year, he was 2-1, 4.00 in five starts vs Phillies. Marlins were 3-0 vs Myers last season (0-1, 6.89).
-- Halsey was 1-3, 6.47 in seven '04 starts for Bronx.
Jennings is 0-2, 4.75 in his last eight starts.

-- Washburn has no wins in his last six starts, but he did throw six shutout innings vs Rangers last week, before Angel bullpen blew the lead.
-- Franklin gets first '05 start in place of Madritsch, who injured his shoulder last week. Franklin made 32 starts in each of last two seasons: he was 4-16, 4.90 in '04.

Totals
-- Last four Astro games stayed under total; in the last Pettitte starts, under is 6-0-1. .
-- Under is 7-2-2 last 11 Davis starts, 1-5 in last six by Kip Wells.
-- Over is 10-4 in Eaton's last fourteen starts.
-- Last five Brave games stayed under total.
-- Total of 81 runs were scored in first five Colorado games. Arizona scored 41 runs in first six games.
-- Under is 13-4 in last seventeen Millwood starts.
-- Texas bullpen has gotten decision in last five games. Under is 5-1-1 last seven Washburn starts, 10-5 in last fifteen starts by Rogers.
-- Mariners allowed 32 runs in last five games.
-- Under is 5-1 in Oakland games this season.


Hot teams
-- Astros won their last four games, allowing eight runs, and that was in Juice Box. This is their first road game.
-- Phillies scored 23 runs in winning their last two tilts; they're 0-3 when scoring less than eight runs.
-- Braves won last four games, allowing eight runs.

There has been ton of parity so far in American League as no real "hot team" has emerged.

Cold teams
-- Mets are 1-5, rallying in 8th inning yesterday for their first win. Today is their home opener.
-- Marlins lost three of last five games, with two losses in extra innings. Their wins were 9-0, 9-0, 8-0.
-- Colorado is 0-3 on road, allowing 24 runs; they are giving up average of nine runs a game overall.
-- With no AL hot teams, there aren't many cold teams either; teams just winning one, losing one.
-- Mariners lost four of last five games, allowing total of 32 runs.

[Spark]

Game of the Day
Warriors @ Nuggets-- Two hottest teams in league, as Denver won seven in row (6-1 vs spread) and 21 of last 23 (19-4 vs spread). Home side won all 3 series games so far this season, with Warriors losing 107-91 in only visit to Denver this year. 10 of last 14 Nuggets games went over total. Golden State is playing great, but they had tough double OT loss vs Spurs last night Warriors won ten of their last twelve road games.


Elsewhere, Pacers lost OT game to Knicks at home on Sunday; ending six-game win streak; they won four of last five road games (5-0 vs spread). Indiana split pair of games vs Toronto, that were decided by total of 4 points Raptors are 10-4 vs spread in game following their last fourteen losses.

Wizards lost last five games, allowing 106.5 ppg in last four games; they failed to cover last five home contests. Bucks lost previous visit to DC, 112-94; teams split pair of game in Milwaukee. Bucks split last four games, after they had lost the eight before that.

Cavaliers lost 12 of last 13 road games (0-13 vs spread) with last cover February 1, in first visit to this site, losing 105-102, as 4.5-pt dog to Magic, which since has also fired its coach, and has lost last three games, though they are 6-6 vs spread since coaching change.

This is how bad bottom of NBA is, and why gambling is bad for your health: Atlanta, which ended 14-game loss streak Saturday, is favored to win; they're 2-27 in their last 29 games. Home side won both their games against Charlotte, which lost its last eight games. Over is 6-1 in last seven Bobcat games, 4-1 in last five Hawk games.

Memphis won last night for fifth time in last six games; as all six stayed under total; they lost both games vs Mavs this season, by 24,7 points, but both were November games, before Griz got hot. Dallas won 11 of last 13 tilts with four of their last five staying under the total.

Pistons won sixth straight game when Shaq-less Miami fell at home yesterday, but they're 0-3 vs Bulls so far this season, losing by 7,5,11 points. Chicago clinched its first post-Jordan playoff berth yesterday; they won three in a row and twelve of their last thirteen games.

Streaky Rockets won last two games; they're 7-6 in last 13 games, with no one-game streaks in the group. 11 of last 14 Houston games stayed under the total. Sonics are on four-game loss streak, with just three ****** in their last fourteen games- their last three games went over.

Suns lost three of last five games, and fell out of top seed for Western Conference playoffs; their last win was last Tuesday, when they drilled Lakers 125-99. Lakers got upset at Seattle Friday, but still has dropped 14 of last 16 games after getting pounded by Kings yesterday.

[jmarty6969]

gl grandpa and top of the morning to ya........lets kick ass today whohooooo

[Spark]

13) Some events are won, some are lost; the Masters was won, with a back nine filled with superior plays by both guys. Fans seemed to pull for Dimarco, but golf TV gurus everywhere had to be thrilled Woods won.

12) Mr Woods is now 31-3 in tournaments where he leads after 54 holes, with all losses coming when lead was a single stroke. He is 9-0 in majors with a lead after the third round.

11) What golf needs is Bill Raftery in the 18th tower, so when Dimarco drains that putt to force a playoff, he can simply yell out, "Onions!!!!"

10) ESPNU's telecast of the Mississippi State spring football game reached to new heights in thoroughness when sideline reported Jimmy Dykes interviewed the band director, asking her how many seniors she had to replace for the upcoming season (48, building year).

9) ESPNU is televising the South Carolina game this Saturday at 1, Steve Spurrier's first spring game with the Gamecocks.

8) CBS Sportsline's Game Tracker not only shows you a pitch-by-pitch of the game, but it tells you how fast each pitch was thrown (fastball-93, for example).

7) Braves broke out their new red jerseys Sunday, as they lost to Mets. Seems like every time a team pulls out new uniforms, they lose that game.

6) Carl Pavano got smashed in head by line drive and had to leave game Sunday, a play that happened one or two pitches after Jason Giambi dropped a simple foul popup, prolonging the at-bat. Tino Martinez will be the first baseman in the Bronx very shortly.............

5) Monday at 2pm, and then replayed at 11pm, ring ceremonies for the Red Sox will be televised by the Red Sox' cable network, NESN. Nothing like acting like you've been there before, with Bronx in town.

4) Spurs allowed 260 points last two nights, but won both games in double overtime. Thats coaching, when you win those tight games without Tim Duncan.

3) It is matter of time before Miguel Cairo replaces Kaz Matsui as the Mets' second baseman.

2) Astute people read this site; a reader from Texas is a proponent of playing all April baseball dogs of +180 or more and so far, he is 3-5, with +95 profit margin.

1) I logged on to partypoker.net this weekend, for the first time playing some poker online. Interesting stuff, and very addictive. Good place to work on technical aspects of playing the game. One thing for sure, there is an awful lot of study to be done before I ever play for real currency.

[Spark]

Monday's Tip Sheet
April 11, 2005


**Detroit (49-27) @ Chicago (44-32) 8:35 EST**


This is a battle of the top two teams in the Central Division. Currently the Pistons hold a five-game lead over the Bulls and barring a major collapse in their last six games will win the division. The Pistons are coming off an 80-72 win over the Miami Heat on Sunday and covered as a 1 ½-point road favorite in the process. Chicago comes off a 110-97 home win over Toronto and covered as an eight-point favorite. The Bulls clinched their first playoff berth in seven years with that victory. That was quite an accomplishment considering this very young squad overcame a 0-9 start to the season. The Bulls are currently the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference and have a comfortable three-game lead over fifth pace Washington and Indiana. It is important for them not to falter down the stretch and preserve home court advantage in the first round of the playoffs. The Bulls will be without rookie Luol Deng for the remainder of the season due to torn ligaments in his wrist. Deng was having an impressive rookie campaign averaging 11.7 points per game. Leading scorer Eddy Curry is “doubtful” for tonight’s game as he continues to go thru precautionary testing for an irregular heartbeat. The Pistons have no significant injuries to report. The overnight line had Detroit installed as a one-point favorite, with the total set at 186.



The defending world champions have four players averaging in double figures led by Richard Hamilton who averages 19.2 PPG. Ben Wallace continues to be a monster on the boards averaging 12.1 rebounds per game, which is good for second best in the NBA. Detroit continues to get it done with strong defense and superior rebounding. The Pistons are number three in the NBA in scoring defense allowing just 90.1 PPG.. They are number one in the NBA in rebounding margin and number six in field goal percentage defense. In the last six games they have even heated up on offense scoring 101.3 PPG.



The Pistons have lost two of three to the Bulls this year with their only victory coming at Chicago. The Pistons are 9-0 straight up and 9-0 against the spread in their last nine games at Chicago while winning by an average of 15.2 PPG. The Pistons are 6-0 SU and 6-0 ATS in their last 6 games overall winning by 12.0 PPG. Detroit has gone under the total in six of their seven division away games this season with an average total score of 174.0 PPG. However the Pistons have gone over the total in four of their last five games overall.



Chicago continues to play great basketball even having to play without leading scorer Eddy Curry and the loss of star rookie Luol Deng to a season ending injury. Curry should be back in the lineup in the next week. In the interim their two leading scorers are second year guard Kirk Hinrich and rookie guard Ben Gordon both averaging a shade over 15 PPG. Center Tyson Chandler is seventh in the NBA in rebounding at 9.8 per game. Chicago is a strong defensive team in their own right. Chicago is number one in the NBA in defensive field goal percentage holding their foes to 42.3 percent shooting per game. The Bulls also rank number seven in the NBA in scoring defense only allowing 93.7 PPG.



The Bulls have been sizzling hot going 12-1 SU in their last 13 games while covering 10 of the 13. They are 6-0 SU in their last six at home winning by an average of 11.0 PPG. When the Bulls face a team playing with no rest they are 6-0 SU in the last six games and 10-2 SU in the last twelve. The Bulls have gone ‘over’ the total in their last five conference home game and in eight of their last ten. Chicago is 6-1 SU on the year in division home games. The Bulls have heated up offensively as well averaging 102.4 PPG in their last five contests.



When the Pistons look at the Bulls on tape they should see a younger carbon copy of themselves. Both teams play terrific defense and are very good rebounding teams. Neither has great offensive statistics although both teams have really shown drastic improvement in that area in recent games. Detroit is pretty much locked in to the second overall seed in the East. Look for Larry Brown to keep is team sharp and attempt to fine-tune their game for the upcoming playoffs. This is a perfect scenario for both teams to simulate a playoff type atmosphere. It is especially important for the Bulls who have virtually no playoff experience and must continue to win to maintain home court in the first round. This should be a playoff type game and one that may not be pretty but will be exciting.



**Golden St. (31-46) @ Denver (45-31) 9:05 EST**



It would be hard to imagine me saying that the game that looks to be the most entertaining and exciting of the night at this juncture of the season involves a team that has been far removed from the playoff hunt for quite some time. But that is exactly the case. These are the two hottest teams in the Western Conference right now. Golden State had their eight game win streak snapped last night in a 136-134 double overtime loss at home to the San Antonio Spurs. The Warriors actually closed as 9 ½-point favorites. Denver comes off a 121-105 home victory over Seattle on Saturday night and grabbed the cash covering as a 10-point favorite. Denver is currently the number seven seed in the Western Conference one game ahead of eighth place Memphis, ½ game behind sixth place Houston, and two games behind fifth place Sacramento. As previously mentioned the Warriors are out of the playoff picture. Neither team is reporting any significant injuries. The overnight line had Denver installed as a nine-point favorite, with the total set at 212.5.



Golden St. has been a different team since the acquisition via trade for Baron Davis. Davis along with backcourt mate Jason Richardson forms a dynamic one and two guard combination. Richardson leads the Warriors in scoring at 22.1 PPG. The Warriors have five players averaging in double figures. Not counting last night’s game Davis has averaged 18.3 PPG and 8.3 assists per game since becoming a Warrior 22 games ago. Those numbers figure to improve after last night’s 33-point and nine assist performance. If the Warriors’ management can keep this club intact come the off-season, then this club will be a force to be reckoned with next season.



Golden St. is 8-1 SU in their last nine games 11-2 SU in their last thirteen. The Warriors are also 6-1 SU and 6-1 ATS in their last seven games when playing with no rest. The Warriors are 6-0 SU in their last six road contests. The Warriors have been an offensive juggernaut averaging 115 PPG in their last nine contests. Golden St. is a remarkable 10-0-1 ATS in their last eleven games as an underdog of five-points or more.



The Nuggets have five players averaging in double figures led by second year pro Carmelo Anthony who averages 20.3 PPG. They have bruising people up front led by Marcus Camby and Kenyon Martin. The point guard combination of starter Andre Miller and tiny but productive Earl Boykins provide great backcourt leadership. The Nuggets have shot 50.5 percent from the field in their last five games and 41.5 percent from beyond the three-point line in that same span. In their last fourteen games the Nuggets are averaging 110.7 PPG.



If you have been wise enough to back the Nuggets in the last six weeks or so you may be able to buy your own little island in the Caribbean. Denver is 21-2 SU and 19-3-1 ATS in their last twenty-three games. Their only two losses in that stretch came at the hands of the Phoenix Suns who are the number one team in the Western Conference. In their last seventeen home games Denver is 16-1 SU and 16-1 ATS and winning by an average of 15.5-PPG. When Denver is playing home versus a team playing with no rest they are 5-0 both SU and ATS in their last five games that situation has occurred and winning by an average of 16.6 PPG.



This should be the most entertaining game of the evening. We must keep in mind that the Nuggets still have a lot at stake. They have been very dominant especially at home but will they tighten up versus a loose bunch of Warriors who have played extremely well in their own right. How much will a double overtime game last night take out of the Warriors in this game especially in the fourth quarter? Can Mike Montgomery continue to get his club to play at the fever pitch it has been playing at with virtually nothing on the line? Stay tuned this should be fun!

[Spark]

Colorado (1-4) at Arizona (3-3) 9:40 pm EDT Mon Apr 11, 2005

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Game Info: 9:40 pm EDT Mon Apr 11, 2005


Troy Glaus wasted no time to make a good impression on his new employers.
Arizona hopes Glaus continues to batter National League pitching as the Diamondbacks host the Colorado Rockies for three games at Bank One Ballpark.

Arizona's new third baseman homered for the fourth straight game to tie a franchise mark, and Shawn Green connected against his former club for the second day in a row to help the Diamondbacks beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 5-4 on Sunday.

Arizona leads the major leagues with 13 homers.

``I think that's kind of the plan. We're supposed to hit some home runs,'' Green said. ``In the first week of the season, that's what we've done.''

Glaus, who signed a four-year, $45 million contract with the Diamondbacks over the winter, is off to a fast start after being hampered with a shoulder injury the past two seasons.

The three-time All-Star played in only 91 games in 2003 because of the shoulder problems, then appeared in 29 last season before having arthroscopic surgery.

Glaus returned in late August, and hit seven of his 18 home runs in the final month of the season to help the Angels to the division title.

Glaus looks to continue his home run barrage against a struggling Rockies club.

Colorado has lost four straight since opening the season with a 12-10 win over the San Diego Padres.

The Rockies had 10 hits and rallied for four runs late, but it wasn't enough to avoid a three-game sweep by the San Francisco Giants with an 11-4 loss on Sunday.

Second baseman Clint Barmes went 2-for-4 to lift his batting average up to .391 (9-for-23). The 26-year-old second baseman leads Colorado with two home runs and six runs scored.

The Rockies will send righty Jason Jennings to the mound on Monday. Jennings is just 1-5 over his last 12 starts dating back to July 31. He's 4-3 with a 5.22 ERA in 11 career starts against Arizona.

[Spark]

Toronto (4-2) at Oakland (3-3) 10:05 pm EDT Mon Apr 11, 2005

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Toronto (4-2) at Oakland (3-3)

Game Info: 10:05 pm EDT Mon Apr 11, 2005


The Oakland Athletics' once-heralded starting rotation is in desperate need of a boost. Kirk Saarloos has provided one thus far this season.
Coming off a brilliant effort in an emergency start, Saarloos hopes to establish himself as a regular in Oakland's starting five as he takes the ball for the opener of a three-game series with the visiting Toronto Blue Jays.

With Mark Mulder and Tim Hudson dealt away this past offseason, Barry Zito struggling to find his previous Cy Young form and Rich Harden sidelined by a blister on his pitching hand, Saarloos was asked to step up from his fifth starter's spot Wednesday.

He did.

The 6-foot right-hander yielded just one hit and one walk while striking out two over six near-flawless innings, pitching Oakland to a 9-0 victory at Baltimore.


``It's a great way to start the season,'' said Saarloos, who hit two batters but didn't allow a runner to advance beyond second base. ``I felt like I could've located my fastball a little bit better, but I can't complain.''

The A's evened their record with Sunday's 6-1 victory over Tampa Bay as Harden made his return to the rotation in impressive fashion. The right-hander allowed one run and five hits over 5 1-3 innings as Oakland averted a three-game sweep to the Devil Rays.

``Overall, I was pretty happy with the way I felt out there,'' said Harden, whose last start came during spring training on March 27. ``I didn't know what to expect. It's been a while since I've been out there.''

The Blue Jays stand all alone atop the AL East after six games, improving to 4-2 with Sunday's 4-3 victory over the defending World Series champion Boston Red Sox.

Orlando Hudson doubled home the winning run in the ninth and Eric Hinske went 3-for-4 with two RBIs for Toronto, which took two of three from Boston over the weekend.

[Lsufan]

1) I logged on to partypoker.net this weekend, for the first time playing some poker online. Interesting stuff, and very addictive. Good place to work on technical aspects of playing the game. One thing for sure, there is an awful lot of study to be done before I ever play for real currency.

Spark, I do this for a living at a different site. Very safe IMO. Never had a problem cashing out. Cash outs over $2K get to me in three days by FedEx. Get my e-mail from Monte if you have any questions. I'll be glad to answer your questions.

[Spark]

Spark, I do this for a living at a different site. Very safe IMO. Never had a problem cashing out. Cash outs over $2K get to me in three days by FedEx. Get my e-mail from Monte if you have any questions. I'll be glad to answer your questions.

Thanks LSU but I never play it .. I get this stuff e-mailed to me .. I just post it .. Thanks anyway pal .. Good Luck

[Spark]

National League:

Houston Astros at New York Mets, 1:10 EST
Andy Pettitte (L) vs. Tom Glavine (L)

Pettitte - Houston 21-10 over as a road underdog
Glavine - 9-21 TSR in home games

Pittsburgh Pirates at Milwaukee Brewers, 2:05 EST
Kip Wells (R) vs. Doug Davis (L)

Wells - 1-10 TSR with a total of 8.5 to 10 runs
Davis - Milwaukee 28-11 Under at home off a one-run division loss

San Diego Padres at Chicago Cubs, 2:20 EST
Adam Eaton (R) vs. Ryan Dempster (R)

Eaton - San Diego 16-6 away after losing 2 of their last 3 games
Dempster - Cubs 2-9 after the bullpen threw 7+ innings

Philadelphia Phillies at Florida Marlins, 7:05 EST
Brett Myers (R) vs. Al Leiter (L)

Myers - Philadelphia 6-13 off a win by 8+ runs
Leiter - Florida 14-4 Under off a shutout win

Washington Nationals at Atlanta Braves, 7:35 EST
Zach Day (R) vs. Mike Hampton (L)

Day - Washington 20-50 away on Mondays
Hampton - 43-11 TSR as a home favorite of -150 to -200

Colorado Rockies at Arizona Diamondbacks, 9:40 EST
Jason Jennings (R) vs. Brad Halsey (L)

Jennings - Colorado 9-3 after having no extra-base hits
Halsey - Arizona 10-25 off 5+ home games


American League:

Anaheim Angels at Texas Rangers, 2:05 EST
Jarrod Washburn (L) vs. Kenny Rogers (L)

Washburn - 4-12 TSR after allowing 1 or 0 runs last start
Rogers - 18-3 TSR at home off a win

New York Yankees at Boston Red Sox, 3:05 EST ESPN
Mike Mussina (R) vs. Tim Wakefield (R)

Mussina - Yankees 34-14 Under after the bullpen threw 7+ innings
Wakefield - Boston 18-2 at home after losing 4 or 5 of their last 6 games

Chicago White Sox at Cleveland Indians, 3:05 EST
Freddy Garcia (R) vs. Kevin Millwood (R)

Garcia - White Sox 33-18 Under away in day games
Millwood - 20-8 Under as a favorite of -150 or less

**Seattle Mariners at Kansas City Royals, 4:10 EST
Ryan Franklin (R) vs. Runelvys Hernandez (R)

Franklin - 3-16 TSR in road games
Hernandez - Kansas City 21-8 Over on Mondays

Toronto Blue Jays at Oakland Athletics, 10:05 EST
Gustavo Chacin (L) vs. Kirk Saarloos (R)

Chacin - Toronto 15-30 after winning 2 of their last 3 games
Saarloos - Oakland 35-10 at home vs. left-handed starters

[Spark]

National League

Houston Astros at New York Mets, 1:10 p.m.
Partly sunny. Winds blowing in from left field at 20-30 m.p.h. Game-time temperature: Near 55.

Pittsburgh Pirates at Milwaukee Brewers, 2:05 p.m.
Mostly cloudy. Winds blowing in from left field at 20-30 m.p.h. Game-time temperature: Near 55.

San Diego Padres at Chicago Cubs, 2:20 p.m.
Mostly cloudy with a 30-percent chance of rain. Winds blowing from right to left field at 15-25 m.p.h. Game-time temperature: Near 60.

Philadelphia Phillies at Florida Marlins, 7:05 p.m.
Mostly clear. Winds blowing in from centert field at 10-20 m.p.h. Game-time temperature: Around 75.

Washington Nationals at Atlanta Braves, 7:35 p.m.
Mostly cloudy. Winds blowing from right to left field at 5-15 m.p.h. Game-time temperature: Around 70.

Colorado Rockies at Arizona Diamondbacks, 9:40 p.m.
Clear. Winds blowing from left to right field at 5-15 m.p.h. Game-time temperature: Near 80.

American League

Los Angeles Angels at Texas Rangers, 2:05 p.m.
Partly sunny. Winds blowing out to right field at 20-30 m.p.h. Game-time temperature: Near 70.

New York Yankees at Boston Red Sox, 3:05 p.m.
Mostly sunny. Winds blowing in from center field at 20-30 m.p.h. Game-time temperature: Around 45.

Chicago White Sox at Cleveland Indians, 3:05 p.m.
Partly sunny. Winds blowing in from left field at 15-25 m.p.h. Game-time temperature: Near 55.

Seattle Mariners at Kansas City Royals, 4:10 p.m.
Mostly cloudy with a 40-percent chance of rain. Winds blowing out to left field at 15-25 m.p.h. Game-time temperature: Near 70.

Toronto Blue Jays at Oakland Athletics, 10:05 p.m.
Clear. Winds blowing out to right field at 10-20 m.p.h. Game-time temperature: Near 60.

[Spark]

LA ANGELS OF ANAHEIM (3-3) AT TEXAS RANGERS (3-3), 2:05 P.M. ------------------------------------------------------------

Probable Starting Pitchers: LA Angels - Jarrod Washburn (0-0, 0.00) Texas - Kenny Rogers (0-0, 1.50)

(Sports Network) - The Texas Rangers aim to carry the momentum of two straight come-from-behind victories into today's home opener against the Angels, as the teams start a three-game series at Ameriquest Field.

David Dellucci hit a two-run homer to lead the Rangers to a 7-6 win yesterday over the Seattle Mariners. A day earlier, Hank Blalock and Richard Hidalgo each smacked two-run home runs in the ninth inning, as the Rangers won by the same score.

Jarrod Washburn takes the mound for the Angels to oppose Texas' Kenny Rogers, in a rematch of last Wednesday's contest, won 3-2 by the Angels in 12 innings on Alfonso Soriano's homer.

The Rangers should be eager to open a nine-game homestand after having been one of baseball's best home teams last season, going 51-30 at Ameriquest Field matching the record for the second most home wins in club history.

On Sunday the Rangers had blown a five-run lead and trailed the Mariners 6-5 entering the seventh inning. Mark Teixeira led off the inning with a double and was followed one out later by Dellucci's two-run blast.

Angels' ace Bartolo Colon was hit hard by the Royals on Sunday, giving up six earned runs in six innings pitched during an 8-3 defeat in Anaheim. The Royals took two-of-three from the Angels after having been swept by them in 2004, seven games to none.

The 41-year-old Rogers set a career-high in wins last season as he went 18-9 with an ERA of 4.76. The 18 wins were a record for a Rangers lefthander. Against the Angels, Rogers is 16-13 with an ERA of 4.07 in his career, and he allowed just one earned run in six innings last Wednesday.

Washburn went 11-8 with an ERA of 4.64 last season. Against the Rangers Washburn is 6-5 with an ERA of 4.45. Last Wednesday, he threw six scoreless innings, allowing only seven hits.

In 32 career at-bats against Washburn, shortstop Michael Young has eight hits with two homers and five RBI. In 72 at-bats, Darin Erstad has hit .319 with two homers and seven RBI against Rogers. Garret Anderson has two homers and 12 RBI against Rogers.

This year the Angels are leading the season series 2-1. Last season Texas won the series 10-9.

The Angels will send John Lackey to the mound on Tuesday to face-off against the Rangers' Chris Young.


NEW YORK YANKEES (3-3) AT BOSTON RED SOX (2-4), 3:05 P.M. ---------------------------------------------------------

Probable Starting Pitchers: New York - Mike Mussina (0-0, 3.00) Boston - Tim Wakefield (0-0, 2.70)

(Sports Network) - The Red Sox will finally receive their World Series championship rings before today's game against their AL East rivals, the New York Yankees, as the clubs begin a three-game series in Boston's home opener at Fenway Park.

It's been 86 years since the Red Sox last entered a season as World Series Champions. On the Red Sox roster that day in 1919 was a young left-handed pitcher/outfielder named Babe Ruth, who many believed had been responsible for the 86 year World Series draught in Boston. The so-called "Curse of the Bambino" was finally lifted last season when the Red Sox swept the Cardinals in four games to deliver the World Series title to their long suffering fans.

This will be the Yankees' first appearance in Boston since they collapsed in last year's ALCS, as the Red Sox rallied and won the last four games of the series to earn a spot in the World Series. Today will mark the first ring ceremony in Boston's long history. The Red Sox were winners of five World Series titles from 1903-1918, but baseball didn't start giving out the rings to World Series Champions until 1932.

Red Sox manager Terry Francona is expected to make his return today after missing the past four games following his hospitalization for chest pains. Bench coach Brad Mills has gone 2-2 as the interim manager.

Tim Wakefield, who is Boston's longest tenured player, having been with the team for 11 years, will get his first home opening start against New York's Mike Mussina. The Red Sox are 51-42 in home openers at Fenway Park. They have lost their last three home openers. The last time they dropped four straight home openers was 1981-84.

This will be the second time this season that Wakefield and Mussina have faced each other. In their first meeting, the Red Sox won 7-3 last Wednesday. Both Wakefield and Mussina gave up two earned runs in 6 2/3 and six innings, respectively, but didn't figure into the decision. Last season Wakefield went 12-10 with an ERA of 4.87. Mussina went 12-9 with an ERA of 4.59.

In Wakefield's career against the Yankees he's 7-8 with an ERA of 4.49. Against the Red Sox Mussina has gone 17-12 with an ERA of 3.11.

This afternoon, Wakefield becomes just the second pitcher in history to reach 200 career appearances at Fenway Park, surpassing Roger Clemens and his 199 outings. Bob Stanley leads the way with 321 appearances.

The Yankees won two of three games from the Red Sox last week. Boston won 11 of 19 matchups during the regular season last year.

Both team's are coming off of tough losses. Boston dropped a 4-3 contest Sunday afternoon despite scoring two runs in the top of the ninth inning to tie the score at 3-3 before Toronto's Orlando Hudson doubled in the game winning run with one out in the bottom of the ninth.

The Yankees meanwhile lost 7-2 at home to the Orioles as Yankee starter Carl Pavano had to leave the game in the third inning after getting hit in the head by a line drive off of the bat of Baltimore's Melvin Mora. Taken to a local hospital Pavano was diagnosed with a mild concussion.

Boston's Kevin Millar has hit Mussina better than his Red Sox teammates, with a .423 average and five RBI in 23 at-bats. Derek Jeter has 18 hits in 54 at- bats against Wakefield including three homers. Tino Martinez has hit .325 with three homers and nine RBI in 40 at-bats against Wakefield.

The two teams will meet-up again on Wednesday with the Yankees sending Jaret Wright to the mound to face Boston's Curt Schilling, who is expected to be activated off the 15-day disabled list. Schilling has been recovering from ankle surgery.


CHICAGO WHITE SOX (4-2) AT CLEVELAND INDIANS (3-3), 3:05 P.M. -------------------------------------------------------------

Probable Starting Pitchers: Chicago - Freddy Garcia (0-0, 3.00) Cleveland - Kevin Millwood (0-0, 0.00)

(Sports Network) - After having a win stolen from him last week, Kevin Millwood shoots for his first victory in an Indians uniform today when Cleveland welcomes the Chicago White Sox to Jacobs Field for the Tribe's home opener. The contest begins a three-game set between the teams.

Millwood, who signed as a free agent this offseason after two inconsistent years in Philadelphia, made his debut with the Tribe last Wednesday against the White Sox. He pitched very well, allowing no runs on four hits in six innings of work, but Indians closer Bob Wickman blew a 3-0 lead in the ninth and the result was a 4-3 Chicago victory.

It marked the first-ever outing against the White Sox for Millwood, who is pitching in the American League for the first time in his career.

Today the Sox will counter with Freddy Garcia, who faced Millwood last Wednesday. In that contest, Garcia surrendered two tuns on five hits in six innings, striking out six and walking three.

Garcia is 4-3 with a 3.18 ERA in 12 lifetime appearances (11 starts) versus the Indians.

On Sunday, Aaron Boone, Ben Broussard and Casey Blake each drove in a pair of runs and the Indians held on for a 7-6 win over the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. Cleveland starter Josh Davis pitched six innings for the win. Davis, who is in the rotation because of C.C. Sabathia's strained oblique muscle that has him on the DL, allowed five runs -- four earned -- on eight hits. He also tied a career-high with seven strikeouts and issued one walk.

Wickman permitted Carlos Guillen's RBI single in the ninth, but held on for his second save of the young season. Cleveland, winners of three of its last four games, won the last two of the three-game series with Detroit.

So far this season Boone is hitting only .154, but two of his four hits have been home runs and he has recorded six RBI.

The White Sox dropped a 5-2 contest in Minnesota on Sunday, as Torii Hunter homered and drove in four runs and Johan Santana struck out 11 batters in seven strong innings to lead the Twins.

Tadahito Iguchi and Carl Everett each finished with two hits and an RBI for the White Sox, who lost for just the second time in six games this season.

Mark Buehrle was handed the loss after yielding five runs and seven hits in seven innings of work. He walked three batters while striking out two.

The White Sox took two-of-three from the Indians in their season-opening series last week. The Indians salvaged the set by winning Thursday's finale, 11-5, in 11 innings. Victor Martinez's two-run single in the 11th inning highlighted a six-run outburst to pace Cleveland.

Last year, Chicago went 10-9 against the Indians, including a 6-3 mark at Jacobs Field.

The Indians have won two of their last three home openers.


SEATTLE MARINERS (2-4) AT KANSAS CITY ROYALS (3-3), 4:10 P.M. -------------------------------------------------------------

Probable Starting Pitchers: Seattle - Ryan Franklin (0-0, 2.25) Kansas City - Runelvys Hernandez (1-0, 1.29)

(Sports Network) - Runelvys Hernandez tries to keep his comeback from Tommy John surgery on track today when the Kansas City Royals hold their home opener against the Seattle Mariners at Kauffman Stadium.

Making his first start since August 16, 2003, Hernandez allowed one run on five hits in seven innings of work to earn the decision in last Wednesday's 7-2 victory over Detroit. Today marks Hernandez's second career start in a home opener, as he pitched KC to a 3-0 win over Chicago in 2003.

Lifetime against Seattle, Hernandez has only one appearance. He didn't get a decision in a 7-5 Royals win on July 20, 2003, allowing no runs on four hits in 5 2/3 innings of work.

The Mariners will counter with Ryan Franklin, who makes his first start of the season after a pair of relief appearances. He will replace the injured Bobby Madritsch in the rotation for now. Madritsch was placed on the 15-day disabled list on Saturday with a strained left shoulder.

So far this season Franklin is 0-0 with a 2.25 ERA in four innings of work. The 32-year-old righthander has primarily been a starter the past few years, after beginning his career as a reliever. Lifetime against Kansas City, Franklin is 2-1 with a 3.86 ERA in 11 games (six starts).

On Sunday, Ruben Gotay homered and drove in three runs and Brian Anderson tossed six solid innings to lead Kansas City over the Angels, 8-3, at Angel Stadium. Gotay collected four hits and scored twice, while Mike Sweeney knocked in two runs for the Royals, who took two of three from the Angels in the series. Angel Berroa scored twice and had three hits. Anderson went six innings, surrendering three runs on five hits. He struck out five.

The Mariners, meanwhile, dropped a 7-6 home contest to the Texas Rangers on Sunday. David Dellucci's two-run home run in the seventh inning lifted Texas.

Richie Sexson had two doubles and drove in a pair of runs, while Jeremy Reed finished 2-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored for Seattle, which has dropped four of five. Ichiro Suzuki went 1-for-4 with an RBI to extend his season-opening hitting streak to six games.

Seattle went 5-2 against Kansas City last season, including a 1-1 mark at Kauffman Stadium.

The Royals have won two straight home openers.


TORONTO BLUE JAYS (4-2) AT OAKLAND ATHLETICS (3-3), 10:05 P.M. --------------------------------------------------------------

Probable Starting Pitchers: Toronto - Gustavo Chacin - (1-0, 1.80) Oakland - Kirk Saarloos - (1-0, 0.00)

(Sports Network) - After a surprise 2005 debut, Kirk Saarloos tries for a repeat performance tonight when the Oakland Athletics welcome the Toronto Blue Jays to the Coliseum for their home opener and the start of a three-game set.

Saarloos was to begin the season as the A's fifth starter and wasn't expected to take the hill until yesterday. However, Oakland called him up from Triple-A last Wednesday to replace injured shortstop Bobby Crosby, and he started that evening in place of Rich Harden, who had a blister on his pitching hand.

The result was six innings of shutout ball by Saarloos, who allowed only one hit while striking out two and walking one. He earned the decision in a 9-0 victory at Baltimore.

Saarloos' lone game against Toronto came last July 19, as he took the loss in a 5-3 setback. In 3 2/3 innings of work he surrendered four runs on eight hits, striking out three and walking one.

The Jays will counter with lefthander Gustavo Chacin, who will make his second start of '05. Last Tuesday versus the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, Chacin got the decision in a 6-3 road win. He allowed only one run on three hits in five innings of work, while striking out three and walking one.

Chacin has yet to face Oakland during his career.

On Sunday, Orlando Hudson's RBI double with one out in the bottom of the ninth inning lifted the Blue Jays past the Boston Red Sox, 4-3, at Rogers Centre. In the Toronto ninth, Reed Johnson reached on an infield single with one out against Mike Timlin and Hudson followed with his game-winning two-base hit to left-center.

Miguel Batista picked up the win, despite blowing a save in the top of the ninth when he yielded a two-run single to Edgar Renteria. Ted Lilly made his 2005 debut for the Blue Jays after being activated from the 15-day disabled list and allowed just one run on six hits in five innings, while walking one and striking out six.

Eric Hinske went 3-for-4 with a pair of runs batted in for Toronto, which took the final two contests of the three-game series from the Red Sox.

For Oakland, meanwhile, Erubiel Durazo capped a four-run sixth with a two-run single and Scott Hatteberg added a home run, as the Athletics posted a 6-1 victory over the Devil Rays to salvage the finale of a three-game series at Tropicana Field. Hatteberg finished 3-for-5 with a pair of runs scored and Jason Kendall added two hits with an RBI and a run scored in the victory.

Harden made his first start of the season and picked up the win with 5 1/3 innings of work. The righthander gave up one run on five hits with two walks and five strikeouts.

Oakland went 6-3 against Toronto last season, including a 4-2 mark at home.

The A's have won their last three home openers.

[Spark]

National League Game Previews Monday, April 11th

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HOUSTON ASTROS (4-1) AT NEW YORK METS (1-5), 1:10 P.M. ------------------------------------------------------

Probable Starting Pitchers: Houston - Andy Pettitte (0-0, 1.50) NY Mets - Tom Glavine (0-1, 12.27)

(Sports Network) - A pair of high-profile lefthanders face each other this afternoon, as Houston's Andy Pettitte and New York's Tom Glavine take the mound in the opener of a three-game series. This marks the 2005 Shea Stadium opener for the Mets, who were in danger of coming home at 0-6, but received a solid pitching performance from Pedro Martinez yesterday in a victory at Atlanta.

The Astros come into this afternoon's contest riding a four-game winning streak, including a three-game sweep of Cincinnati over the weekend at Minute Maid Park.

Pettitte will make his second start of the season. The 32-year-old didn't get a decision last Wednesday versus St. Louis, when he allowed four hits and a run over six innings. He faced the Mets in his last start of the season last year on August 12 before undergoing season-ending surgery 12 days later to repair a torn flexor tendon in his left elbow. In 12 career starts versus the Mets, Pettitte is 6-2 with a 3.67 ERA. He hasn't lost to New York since July 9, 2000.

Glavine was roughed up in a loss last Wednesday at Cincinnati, as he gave up nine hits and five runs in 3 2/3 innings. He has not faced the Astros since April 26, 2002 at Turner Field in Atlanta, as a member of the Braves. Glavine is 15-10 in 35 lifetime outings versus Houston.

The Mets overcame a 15-strikeout performance from John Smoltz yesterday to beat the Braves, 6-1, and finally give new manager Willie Randolph his first victory. Martinez threw a two-hit complete game, striking out nine and walking one. The only run he allowed was an RBI double to ****** Estrada in the fourth inning.

The Mets exploded for five runs in the eighth, as Carlos Beltran's two-run shot off Smoltz gave New York a 2-1 lead. Cliff Floyd followed with a blast off Tom Martin, and David Wright added a two-run round-tripper later in the frame off Roman Colon. Beltran added an RBI single in the ninth and moved within seven hits of 1,000 for his career.

Craig Biggio, Jeff Bagwell and Morgan Ensberg homered in Houston's 5-2 win yesterday over the Reds. Bagwell and Ensberg hit back-to- back home runs in the fifth inning and Roy Oswalt continued his mastery over Cincinnati. Oswalt improved to 12-0 lifetime in 16 career appearances against the Reds. Biggio and Chris Burke each had three hits.

Today Beltran faces his former club. He was traded from Kansas City to Houston in the middle of last season and then helped the Astros to their first postseason series win. In the playoffs, he hit .435 with eight homers, 14 RBI, 21 runs scored and six stolen bases.

Biggio is two RBI away from becoming the second player in Astros history to drive in 1,000 runs, joining Bagwell. Biggio is also two steals away from 400 for his career.

Overall, New York is 27-16 in home openers (27-14 at Shea and 0-2 at the Polo Grounds). The Mets are 8-2 in their last 10 home openers.

Bagwell is a career .356 (21-for-59) hitter against Glavine, while Astros catcher Brad Ausmus is only 1-for-31 versus the southpaw.

The Mets won four of the six meetings last season from the Astros.


PITTSBURGH PIRATES (2-4) AT MILWAUKEE BREWERS (3-2), 2:05 P.M. --------------------------------------------------------------

Probable Starting Pitchers: Pittsburgh - Kip Wells (0-1, 10.80) Milwaukee - Doug Davis (1-0, 3.00)

(Sports Network) - Doug Davis received plenty of help from his offense in his first outing of the season last Wednesday at Pittsburgh. The lefthander hopes to get the same kind of support today, as the Milwaukee Brewers play their home opener at Miller Park for the start of a three-game series against the Pirates.

Davis was charged with four hits and two runs over six innings in last week's contest when he beat Kip Wells, who will start today for the Pirates. The Brewers won that contest, 10-2. Davis, who set the Brewers NL record for strikeouts by a left-handed pitcher with 166 last season, is 2-1 in seven career games versus Pittsburgh.

Wells gave up six hits and six runs in five innings last Wednesday. The 27- year-old righthander is trying to return to winning form after going 5-7 with a 4.55 ERA in 24 starts during an injury-plagued 2004 campaign. Wells did not pitch after September 5 due to a sore right elbow. He is 5-5 with a 4.06 ERA in 14 career starts against the Brewers.

The Pirates split a four-game series at San Diego over the weekend, winning 6-3 yesterday. Dave Williams allowed one run over 5 2/3 innings and Pittsburgh scored four times in the fourth inning. David Ross had a two-run single while Rob Mackowiak finished 2-for-4 with a run scored. The Pirates scored more than three runs for the first time this season.

The Brewers dropped the final two contests of a three-game set at Wrigley Field, losing 6-5 in 12 innings yesterday to the Chicago Cubs. Junior Spivey, Lyle Overbay and Damian Miller all hit solo homers for the Brewers. Spivey and Miller each had three hits. Todd Hollandsworth delivered the game-winning RBI single off Derrick Turnbow.

The Brewers won both games last week against the Pirates by a combined 19-4 count.

Milwaukee left 29 men on base in the three-game series versus the Cubs.


SAN DIEGO PADRES (3-3) AT CHICAGO CUBS (3-3), 2:20 P.M. -------------------------------------------------------

Probable Starting Pitchers: San Diego - Adam Eaton (0-0, 5.79) Chicago - Ryan Dempster (0-1, 17.18)

(Sports Network) - The Chicago Cubs try for their third straight victory, as they open a three-game series versus the San Diego Padres this afternoon at Wrigley Field.

The Cubs hope to receive good news this afternoon concerning pitcher Mark Prior. He is on the 15-day disabled list due to inflammation in his right elbow, and the Cubs expect to find out today if he'll be able to start tomorrow's game or if he'll move back to the minors for more fine-tuning.

Earlier today, the Cubs put second baseman Todd Walker on the 15-day disabled list with a moderate to severe medial collateral ligament sprain of the left knee. Walker collided with Milwaukee's Carlos Lee, who was sliding into second base trying to break up a double play in the 10th inning yesterday. Jerry Hairston is expected to start at second base today.

Ryan Dempster will be making his second start of 2005. The righty worked 3 2/3 innings last Wednesday at Arizona, and allowed seven runs on nine hits, while walking three and striking out seven. He is 5-1 with a 4.93 ERA in eight career contests versus the Padres.

Adam Eaton gets the start this afternoon for the Padres. The righthander didn't get a decision last Wednesday at Colorado, when he yielded six hits and five runs -- three earned -- in 4 2/3 innings. The Padres won that contest, 14-6. Eaton, who is 3-2 with a 5.40 ERA in six career games against the Cubs, had his career-high strikeout game (12) at Wrigley Field on April 23, 2003.

The Cubs won the final two contests of their weekend set. Yesterday, Todd Hollandsworth singled home the winning run in the 12th inning to lead Chicago to a 6-5 win. Hollandsworth finished with two RBI while Aramis Ramirez and Jeromy Burnitz each went 3-for-6 with an RBI.

The Padres lost 6-3 at home to the Pittsburgh Pirates yesterday. Mark Loretta went 2-for-3 and scored once for the Padres, who stranded 11 runners on base. Loretta reached base eight consecutive times between the final two games of the series. He went 3-for-3 with two walks in Saturday's game and had two walks and a single in his first three trips Sunday.

Cubs shortstop Nomar Garciaparra is just 4-for-28 at the plate, this after compiling a .433 average with six homers and 17 RBI during spring training.

The Cubs won four of the six meetings last season and are 8-4 versus the Padres since the start of 2003.


PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES (3-3) AT FLORIDA MARLINS (3-3), 7:05 P.M. --------------------------------------------------------------

Probable Starting Pitchers: Philadelphia - Brett Myers (0-0, 1.35) Florida - Al Leiter (0-0, 1.59)

(Sports Network) - The Philadelphia Phillies try to carry over an impressive offensive performance from this past weekend into Miami tonight, as they begin a three-game series versus the Florida Marlins.

The Phillies had a difficult time solving the Marlins most of last season, losing 11 of the first 12 matchups, until late September, when they captured six of the final seven meetings. Florida has won 24 of the last 33 matchups and the Marlins are 14-5 versus the Phillies in Miami since the start of 2003.

Charlie Manuel's team had trouble with the bullpen blowing leads during a three-game skid, but the Phillies overcame that by laying out the lumber. The Phillies won the final two contests of a three-game set at St. Louis and in the three games scored 28 runs and amassed 43 hits. That included a 13-4 win on Sunday, on the strength of a three-run homer by hot-hitting Pat Burrell and four RBI from Bobby Abreu.

Brett Myers gets the start tonight for the Phillies. The 24-year-old righthander had a solid outing on Wednesday versus Washington, but didn't get a decision despite scattering seven hits and allowing two runs -- one earned -- in 6 2/3 innings. He walked one and struck out seven.

During his career, Myers is 2-4 with a 6.41 ERA in nine games versus the Marlins.

Al Leiter toes the rubber this evening for Florida. The 39-year-old southpaw allowed five hits and a run over 5 2/3 innings in a no-decision last Wednesday versus Atlanta. He is 10-6 with a 3.98 ERA in 26 career games against the Phillies.

Florida won two of three contests from Washington over the weekend by a 19-3 count. The Marlins have outscored their opponents 26-0 in their three wins, while being outscored 9-5 in their three losses. Yesterday, Josh Beckett tossed a five-hit shutout and Juan Encarnacion smacked his second grand slam of the season, as Florida scored all of its runs after the sixth inning to earn an 8-0 win.

Burrell is 7-for-40 lifetime versus Leiter, while Jim Thome is 4-for-26 all- time against the lefthander. Burrell is hitting .480 (12-for-25) with three homers and 15 RBI this season.

Chase Utley went 3-for-5 with two runs batted in and a run scored yesterday for the Phillies, while David Bell collected a pair of hits and scored twice.


WASHINGTON NATIONALS (3-3) AT ATLANTA BRAVES (4-2), 7:35 P.M. -------------------------------------------------------------

Probable Starting Pitchers: Washington - Zach Day (0-0, 4.76) Atlanta - Mike Hampton (0-0, 1.50)

(Sports Network) - The Braves dominated the Montreal Expos from 2001-04, winning 53 of the 76 meetings between the clubs. Maybe the relocation of the team to Washington, along with the offseason acquisitions, can change the fortune of the Nationals, as they start a three-game series versus Atlanta tonight at Turner Field.

Atlanta went 15-4 versus the Expos last season, including an 8-2 mark at Turner Field. Since the start of 2002, the Braves are 20-9 at home against the Nationals/Expos.

The Braves, who lost 6-1 to the New York Mets yesterday, will try to lend offensive support to Mike Hampton tonight. Hampton didn't get a decision last Wednesday versus Florida, despite allowing seven hits and a run over six innings. The Braves won the game, 2-1, on a homer by Chipper Jones in the 13th inning.

During his career, Hampton is 8-3 with a 3.47 ERA in 15 games (12 starts) versus the Nationals/Expos.

Zach Day will be on the hill tonight for the Nationals, as he'll pitch on three days' rest. The righthander's first appearance of 2005 came Thursday at Philadelphia, when he allowed five hits and three runs in 5 2/3 innings of a no-decision. He has struggled during his career against the Braves, going 1-4 with a 10.27 ERA in eight games.

The Nationals had 40 hits during their three-game series in Philadelphia last week, but were then outscored 19-3 in a three-game set by the Marlins over the weekend. That included an 8-0 defeat yesterday. Washington totaled just five hits yesterday.

Pedro Martinez stymied the Braves yesterday, limiting Atlanta to a pair of hits in a complete-game effort. John Smoltz held the Mets scoreless over the first 7 1/3 innings, while matching a career-high and an Atlanta Braves-record with 15 strikeouts. However, the wheels came off for Smoltz and the Braves in the eighth, as the Mets scored five times.

The Braves hope to get second baseman Marcus Giles back in the starting lineup tonight. He's missed the last two contests with after fouling a ball off his left foot Friday night.

Braves skipper Bobby Cox needs just two wins to tie Hall-of-Fame manager Leo Durocher for eighth place (2,008 wins) on the all-time victory list.


COLORADO ROCKIES (1-4) AT ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS (3-3), 9:40 P.M. ---------------------------------------------------------------

Probable Starting Pitchers: Colorado - Jason Jennings (0-1, 9.00) Arizona - Brad Halsey (0-0, 4.50)

(Sports Network) - Troy Glaus aims to continue his hot hitting, as the Arizona Diamondbacks begin a three-game series against the Colorado Rockies tonight at Bank One Ballpark.

Glaus homered in his fourth straight game yesterday, as Arizona upended the Los Angeles Dodgers, 5-4. In the process, Glaus tied Reggie Sanders' club record by homering in four consecutive games, Sanders had six homers in four straight games in 2001. Glaus ended the game 1-for-4 and now has seven hits this season, none of which are singles.

Brad Halsey makes his first start in an Arizona uniform tonight, as he faces Colorado for the first time in his career. The lefthander didn't get a decision in his first appearance as a member of the Diamondbacks, as he threw four innings during a 16-6 loss to the Chicago Cubs last Monday. The 24-year- old, who was traded from the Yankees to Arizona as part of the deal that landed Randy Johnson in New York, pitched four innings of relief in that contest, allowing four runs -- two earned -- on six hits.

The Diamondbacks were able to avoid a three-game sweep at the hands of the Dodgers yesterday. Chad Tracy singled in the eighth inning to score Luis Gonzalez, giving the Diamondbacks a 5-4 victory. Shawn Green also homered for the Diamondbacks. Craig Counsell added a pair of RBI for Arizona.

The Rockies are trying to rebound after being swept by the San Francisco Giants over the weekend. The Rockies were crushed, 11-4, yesterday. Luis Gonzalez, Clint Barmes and J.D. Closser each had a pair of hits for the Rockies, who have lost four in a row.

The Rockies will turn to Jason Jennings tonight to get them back on the winning track. Jennings will make his second start of the year after a disappointing performance in a 14-6 loss against the San Diego Padres last Wednesday. Jennings gave up six runs -- four earned -- on seven hits, and four walks in only four innings in his 2005 debut.

Jennings is 4-3 against the Diamondbacks in 11 career starts with a 5.22 ERA. In his final three starts against the Diamondbacks last year, Jennings went 2-0 with a 2.05 ERA, allowing just five earned runs in 22 innings. The righthander is just 1-3 with a 7.22 ERA in six starts at Bank One Ballpark, but did go 1-0 with a 2.40 ERA in his final two outings at the BOB last year.

Gonzalez, Glaus, and Green have combined to create one of the most proficient offensive teams in baseball. Together the trio has hit a combined .319 with 18 RBI, and eight home runs in just six games.

The Rockies won 13 of 19 meetings last season from the Diamondbacks, including 10 of the final 13 matchups. Arizona is 20-9 versus Colorado at Bank One Ballpark since the start of 2002.

[Spark]

NBA Previews Monday, April 11th

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NBA Previews from The Sports Network
Monday, April 11th (All times eastern)
INDIANA PACERS (41-35) AT TORONTO RAPTORS (31-45), 7 P.M. ---------------------------------------------------------

(Sports Network) - The Indiana Pacers will attempt to take another step towards locking up a postseason spot tonight, when they battle the Toronto Raptors at Air Canada Centre.

Indiana saw a six-game winning streak come to an end on Sunday, as it fell 113-112 in overtime to the New York Knicks in overtime. The Pacers are tied for fifth with Washington in the Eastern Conference, two contests ahead of seventh place Philadelphia and three games behind fourth place Chicago with six to play.

Reggie Miller, in his final game against the Knicks, poured in 34 points for Indiana, which lost for just the second time in its last 10 contests. Miller (25,182) needs 11 points to surpass Jerry West for 12th place in NBA career scoring.

Stephen Jackson added 27 points and five rebounds in the game. Anthony Johnson registered 18 points and a career-high 16 assists, while Dale Davis tacked on 13 points and 11 rebounds. Jeff Foster added 12 rebounds in the losing effort.

Indiana hit 47.1 percent from the field, including 11-of-34 (.324) from three- point range. The Pacers drained 21-of-24 (.875) from the charity stripe, but committed 16 turnovers in the contest.

The Pacers, who have three road tilts remaining, are 18-20 in foreign buildings this season. Indiana has won three straight and four of its last five road games.

Toronto has already been eliminated from playoff contention after dropping three of its last four contests, including a 110-97 defeat at the hands of the Chicago Bulls at the United Center.

Leading Toronto was Jalen Rose with 19 points, while Morris Peterson provided 18. Rafer Alston added 17 points and nine assists and Chris Bosh chipped in 17 points and nine rebounds in the loss.

The Raptors were outrebounded, 53-34, while committing 14 turnovers in the losing cause. Toronto shot 48 percent from the field, including 3-of-11 (.273) from three-point range. The Raptors hit 22-of-25 (.880) from the free throw line.

Prior to Saturday's game, the Raptors placed forward Donyell Marshall on the injured list with a strained right Achilles. Toronto signed NBDL guard Omar Cook, who had played 44 games this season with the Fayetteville Patriots, to fill Marshall's spot. Cook only played two minutes in the contest.

Toronto, which has three of its next four contests at home, is 22-15 in its friendly confines. The Raptors have lost three of their last four home games.

These teams have split a pair of meetings this season, both in Indiana. The Pacers have won nine of the last 11 contests in the set. Indiana has won two straight and three of its last four at Toronto.

MILWAUKEE BUCKS (29-47) AT WASHINGTON WIZARDS (41-35), 7 P.M. -------------------------------------------------------------

(Sports Network) - The reeling Washington Wizards will aim to halt a five-game losing streak this evening, when they take on the Milwaukee Bucks at the MCI Center.

Washington has slipped into a tie with Indiana for the fifth spot in the East, but the Pacers own the tiebreaker between the clubs. The Wizards split four meetings with Indiana, but own a worse conference record (24-22). Washington has a magic number of just two to nail down its first playoff spot since 1997.

Washington's woes continued Saturday night, as it fell 112-106 to the short- handed Philadelphia 76ers at the MCI Center. Philadelphia was playing without the services of both Allen Iverson and Chris Webber.

Gilbert Arenas poured in a career-high 44 points to lead the way for Washington. Arenas has now registered 40 or more points in six contests this season.

Larry Hughes had 23 points in the losing effort, while Antawn Jamison added 14 points. Jared Jeffries tacked on 10 points, eight rebounds, four assists and two blocks in the defeat.

Washington shot 45 percent from the field, including 9-of-27 (.333) from three-point range. The Wizards hit 23-of-30 (.767) from the free throw line, but committed 14 turnovers in the loss.

The Wizards, who are in the midst of a huge five-game homestand, are 25-12 in their friendly confines this season. Washington has dropped its last three home tilts.

Milwaukee will simply be looking to play spoiler tonight, as its playoff dreams have been dashed for weeks. The Bucks have split their last four games overall, including a 98-81 defeat to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday at Gund Arena.

Michael Redd had 26 points to lead the Bucks, who have lost 10 of their last 12 games overall and four straight in Cleveland. Desmond Mason added 12 points before he was ejected with 8:02 remaining in the third quarter for picking up his second technical foul.

The Bucks shot just 41.4 percent from the field, including 4-of-14 (.286) from three-point range. Milwaukee hit 19-of-24 (.792) from the free throw line, while being outrebounded 41-39.

Milwaukee forward Joe Smith (lacerated left pinky) missed the contest. Smith is listed as questionable for this evening's game.

The Bucks, who have two of their next three games on the road, are 7-31 in foreign buildings this season. Milwaukee has lost 11 straight and 13 of its last 14 road games.

Washington has won two of three meetings between these teams this season, including a 112-94 victory on February 5. Milwaukee has won six of nine and seven of the last 11 meetings overall. These two teams have split the last six meetings at Washington.

CLEVELAND CAVALIERS (39-37) AT ORLANDO MAGIC (35-41), 7 P.M. ------------------------------------------------------------

(Sports Network) - The Orlando Magic will attempt to avoid sliding closer to playoff extinction this evening, when they host the Cleveland Cavaliers at TD Waterhouse Centre.

Orlando has lost three straight and four of its last five games, including a 114-102 defeat to the Detroit Pistons at TD Waterhouse Centre on Friday.

DeShawn Stevenson scored 25 points to lead the Magic, who have lost 14 of their last 18 to fall a precarious four games out of playoff contention with six contests to play. The Magic are two losses away from being eliminated from the postseason race.

Steve Francis registered 23 points and nine assists, while Dwight Howard added 21 points and 13 rebounds in the game. Jameer Nelson chipped in 10 points off the bench in the defeat.

Orlando shot 49.4 percent from the field, including 6-of-14 (.429) from three- point range. The Magic drained 12-of-15 (.800) from the free throw line, while being outrebounded 46-37.

Orlando forward Grant Hill was placed on the injured list with a bruised left shin and is expected to miss the remainder of the season. Guard Mark Jones replaced Hill on Orlando's roster.

Orlando, which is closing out a three-game homestand this evening, is 23-15 in its friendly confines this season. The Magic has lost seven of nine and nine of its last 13 home games.

Cleveland currently sits eighth in the East, tied with Philadelphia for the seventh spot. The Cavs and 76ers are 1 1/2 games ahead of the playoff hopeful New Jersey Nets. If the season ended today, the Cavs would get the eighth seed because they would lose the tiebreaker with Philadelphia.

The Cavs put an end to a three-game skid on Saturday, posting a 98-81 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks at Gund Arena. LeBron James posted his third career triple- double with 40 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists to anchor the Cavs to the win.

Drew Gooden added 24 points, 15 rebounds and eight assists for the Cavaliers, and Jeff McInnis scored 22.

Cleveland was once again without center Zydrunas Ilgauskas, who is struggling with a dislocated right ring finger. Ilgauskas is out indefinitely with the injury.

The Cavs, who have four of their final six contests on the road, are 11-26 in foreign buildings this season. Cleveland has lost three straight and 14 of its last 15 road games.

Cleveland has won the last two meetings between these teams. Orlando has won seven of 11 and nine of the last 14 meetings overall. Cleveland has lost eight of its last nine at Orlando.

CHARLOTTE BOBCATS (15-61) AT ATLANTA HAWKS (12-64), 7:30 P.M. -------------------------------------------------------------

(Sports Network) - The two worst teams in the NBA go head-to-head tonight in Atlanta, as the Hawks take on the expansion Charlotte Bobcats at Philips Arena.

Atlanta owns the league's worst record (12-64), while Charlotte is just three games behind (15-61) it. At this point, it would do neither of these teams much good to win games, as they would simply be moving closer to losing NBA Draft lottery *****.

The Hawks did show some life on Saturday though, as they came up with a surprising 105-98 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves at Philips Arena. Tyronn Lue scored a game-high 23 points, including several clutch baskets in crunch time, in the victory.

Lue led a balanced scoring attack that saw five other Atlanta players reach double-digits in scoring. Tony Delk came off the pine to chip in 18 points, while Josh Childress and Josh Smith each netted 14 points for the Hawks, who snapped a 14-game slide overall to win for just the third time in their last 33 games.

Royal Ivey added 10 points and Jason Collier contributed 12 for Atlanta, which also ended a 11-game home losing streak en route to its most impressive win of the season.

Atlanta, which will be closing out a two-game homestand tonight, is only 9-29 in its friendly confines. The Hawks have still dropped 14 of their last 17 home games.

Charlotte is mired in an eight-game losing streak, including a 102-95 defeat to the Memphis Grizzlies at FedExForum on Sunday. Brevin Knight led the way for the Bobcats with 22 points and 10 assists in the losing effort.

Emeka Okafor tallied 19 points and was a lion on the boards, pulling down a game-high 18 rebounds. Primoz Brezec added 13 points and nine rebounds, Keith Bogans posted 12 points and Matt Carroll chipped in 11.

The Bobcats shot 42.4 percent from the field, including 3-of-8 (.375) from three-point range. Charlotte drained 20-of-29 (.690) from the free throw line, while outrebounding the Grizzlies, 43-39.

Charlotte, which is closing out a four-game road trip this evening, is 3-34 in foreign buildings. The Bobcats have lost four straight and 16 of their last 17 road games.

These teams have split a pair of meetings this season with the home team winning both games. Atlanta posted a 103-95 victory over the Bobcats at Philips Arena on January 15.

DETROIT PISTONS (49-27) AT CHICAGO BULLS (44-32), 8:30 P.M. -----------------------------------------------------------

(Sports Network) - The Detroit Pistons will attempt lock up the Central Division title this evening, when they tangle with the arch-rival Chicago Bulls at the United Center.

Detroit currently owns a five-game advantage over the Bulls with just six games to play. The Pistons are assured either the second or fourth seed in the East playoffs, as they can't catch top-seeded Miami and could only fall behind Chicago.

The Pistons have won six consecutive games after defeating the Shaquille O'Neal-less Heat, 80-72, at AmericanAirlines Arena on Sunday. Richard Hamilton scored 17 points and Tayshaun Prince added 16 in the victory.

Ben Wallace had 12 points and 14 rebounds for the Central Division-leading Pistons, who have won 12 of their last 16 games. Chauncey Billups tacked on 10 points in the contest, while Antonio McDyess added eight points and eight rebounds.

Detroit shot just 37.7 percent from the field, but held Miami to 34.6 shooting in the contest. The Pistons outscored the Heat, 22-14, at the foul line and matched their rebounding total (48).

The Pistons have not been at their best on the road this season, losing six of their last nine road games. Detroit has tallied a 20-18 mark in foreign buildings this season.

Chicago currently owns the four seed in the East, three games ahead of the fifth place Indiana Pacers. The Bulls have won three straight, 12 of 13 and 15 of their last 20 overall, including a 110-97 victory over Toronto on Saturday at the United Center.

Tyson Chandler recorded his team-high 18th double-double of the season as Chicago clinched its first post-season berth since Michael Jordan left the franchise in 1998.

Chandler scored a season-high 18 points and pulled down 21 rebounds, while Kirk Hinrich netted 19 of his 25 points in the second half to go along with eight assists for Chicago.

Antonio Davis registered 13 points and 13 rebounds, while Andres Nocioni chipped in 16 points. Othella Harrington added 12 points in the winning effort.

Chicago shot 43.5 percent from the field, including 6-of-15 (.400) from three- point range. The Bulls drained 24-of-27 (.889) from the free throw line and outrebounded the Raptors, 53-33.

The Bulls, who are finishing up a two-game homestand tonight, are 29-9 in their friendly confines this evening. Chicago has won 10 of its last 13 home games.

Chicago will once again be without forward Eddy Curry, who is being held out due to an irregular heartbeat. Curry has missed seven straight games.

Chicago has won two of three meetings between these teams this season after dropping the nine previous contests in the set. Detroit has won nine straight and 12 of its last 13 at Chicago.

MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES (44-32) AT DALLAS MAVERICKS (52-24), 8:30 P.M. ----------------------------------------------------------------

(Sports Network) - The Memphis Grizzlies try earn their second straight playoff berth, as they visit the Dallas Mavericks tonight at American Airlines Center.

The Grizzlies, who appeared in the postseason for the first time in franchise history in 2004 and were eliminated by San Antonio in four games in the first round, are No. 8 in the West and own a 4 1/2 game lead over the Minnesota Timberwolves for the final playoff spot. Memphis has six games remaining on its schedule, while the Timberwolves have five contests left.

Memphis is just one game behind No. 7 Denver, while Dallas is locked into the fourth seed.

This is the third meeting of the season between the clubs. Dallas defeated the Grizzlies on November 6th at American Airlines Center and on November 27th at FedExForum. The teams will play for the final time in the regular season on April 20th at Memphis.

The Grizzlies have lost eight straight at Dallas. The last time the Grizzlies defeated the Mavericks away from home was on November 8, 2000.

Memphis has won three straight contests. On Sunday, Shane Battier poured in a game-high 25 points and grabbed 11 rebounds to lead the Grizzlies past the Charlotte Bobcats, 102-95, at FedExForum.

Mike Miller netted 21 points, while Pau Gasol and Lorenzen Wright each had 16 points in Sunday's victory for Memphis, which has won six of its last 10 games overall. Wright finished with 10 rebounds in the victory.

The Grizzlies, who are 8-2 in Monday games this season, are 19-18 on the road. They start a four-game road trip tonight that also consists of games against Houston, Denver and San Antonio.

The surging Mavericks, who closeout a four-game homestand, come into tonight's game on a three-game winning streak. On Saturday, All-Star Dirk Nowitzki scored a game-high 24 points, Jason Terry added 14 and Dallas hung on late to beat the Utah Jazz, 88-81, at American Airlines Center.

Michael Finley finished with 13 points in Saturday's win for the Mavericks, while Erick Dampier and Keith Van Horn each netted 10 points for Dallas, which has won seven of its last eight games overall.

Dallas is an impressive 27-12 as the host this season. The Mavericks have won seven in a row at home and are 9-2 in their last 11 at American Airlines Center.

After tonight's game, Dallas will embark on a three-game road trip that consists of games against Seattle, Portland and the Lakers. The Mavericks will play four of their final six regular-season games on the road.

GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS (31-46) AT DENVER NUGGETS (45-31), 9 P.M. ---------------------------------------------------------------

(Sports Network) - The red-hot Denver Nuggets try to clinch a playoff berth tonight, as they go for their eighth straight win when they host the Golden State Warriors at the Pepsi Center.

Denver is No. 7 in the West and leads the eighth-seeded Memphis Grizzlies by one game. The Nuggets are just 1/2 game behind Houston for the sixth spot.

This is the fourth and final meeting of the season between the clubs. The Warriors defeated Denver on December 27th and January 17th at The Arena in Oakland, while the Nuggets beat Golden State, 107-91, on February 5th at the Pepsi Center.

Golden State has lost three in a row and nine of its last 12 at Denver.

The Nuggets, who would tie their season-best for consecutive wins if they are victorious tonight, play the second of a four-game homestand tonight. On Saturday, Carmelo Anthony scored 24 points and Earl Boykins had 23 on 8-of-11 shooting as Denver cruised past Seattle SuperSonics, 121-105, at the Pepsi Center.

Andre Miller dished out a season-high 17 assists and netted 14 points against Seattle to help the Nuggets to their seventh straight win and 13th triumph in their last 14 games. Nene contributed 16 points in 21 minutes off the bench for Denver in the victory.

Under the leadership of head coach George Karl, the Nuggets have compiled an amazing 28-6 record. Karl became the team's general on January 27th when he replaced interim head coach Michael Cooper.

Denver, which won eight straight earlier this season from February 23 to March 12, is an impressive 27-10 as the host this season. The Nuggets, who are 3-6 in Monday games, will host New Orleans on Wednesday and the Grizzlies on Friday in the finale of the current stand.

The Nuggets have won eight in a row at the Pepsi Center and are 15-1 in front of their home crowd under the guidance of Karl. Denver's last loss at home was on March 13th to the Phoenix Suns.

Golden State starts the first of a brief two-game road trip. It will visit the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday at the Target Center. After the swing, the Warriors return home to closeout the season with games against Portland, the Lakers and Utah.

On Sunday, Tony Parker scored a career-high 35 points and hit the go-ahead basket with 2.9 seconds remaining in the second overtime, lifting the San Antonio Spurs to a 136-134 win over the Warriors at The Arena in Oakland.

Baron Davis scored 32 of his 38 points after halftime in Sunday's loss for the Warriors, who had their longest winning streak in 14 years come to an end at eight straight. Jason Richardson added 23 points for Golden State, which is out of playoff contention.

The Warriors are just 14-25 on the road this season.

HOUSTON ROCKETS (46-31) AT SEATTLE SUPERSONICS (50-26), 10 P.M. ---------------------------------------------------------------

(Sports Network) - The struggling Seattle SuperSonics will try once again to lock up the Northwest Division crown, as they welcome the playoff-bound Houston Rockets to the Toyota Center.

Seattle is attempting to win its first division title since 1997-98, when it went 61-21 and won its third consecutive Pacific Division title. The Sonics have already posted 50 wins for just the 10th time in franchise history and first since the 1997-98 campaign.

The Sonics, who are the third seed in the Western Conference, leads the second-place Nuggets by five games in the Northwest Division.

Houston is the sixth seed in the West and owns a slim 1/2 game lead over the seventh-seeded Nuggets. The Rockets trail No. 5 Sacramento by just 1 1/2 games.

This is the third meeting of the season between the clubs. The SuperSonics defeated Houston, 87-85, at the Toyota Center, while the Rockets beat Seattle, 97-95 at KeyArena. The teams will play once more time in the regular season, as the Rockets will host Seattle on April 20th.

Seattle starts a three-game homestand tonight, as it will also host the Dallas Mavericks and New Orleans Hornets on the current stand.

The Sonics come into tonight's game on a four-game losing streak. On Saturday, Carmelo Anthony scored 24 points and Earl Boykins had 23 on 8-of-11 shooting as the Nuggets cruised past slumping Seattle, 121-105, at the Pepsi Center. All-Star Ray Allen poured in 32 points for the injury-plagued SuperSonics, who have lost six of their last eight overall.

Ronald Murray finished with 20 points and Damien Wilkins netted 14 for Seattle in Saturday's loss. The Sonics played the Nuggets without star forward Rashard Lewis (foot contusion) and key reserve Antonio Daniels (knee), while forward Danny Fortson also sat out the contest with a sprained left shoulder.

Allen has played 40 or more minutes in five straight games and has scored 20 or more points in four straight contests. He is averaging 25.3 points, 5.9 rebounds and 2.9 assists in his last 10 outings.

Seattle, which has lost two of its last three at home, is 25-13 as the host this season. After the current homestand, the Sonics will embark on a three- game road trip to closeout the 2004-05 regular season. Seattle will visit Minnesota, Dallas and Houston on its season-ending swing.

Houston plays its final road game of the regular season tonight. It is an impressive 24-16 as the visitor in the 2004-05 campaign. Last season, the Rockets finished 18-23 on the road.

After tonight's game, the Rockets return home for four straight games to closeout the regular season. They will host Memphis, Denver, the Clippers and Seattle.

The Rockets have won two in a row and play the finale of a four-game road trip. On Saturday, Tracy McGrady scored 34 points and grabbed eight rebounds to lead Houston over the Phoenix Suns, 98-97, at America West Arena.

Bob Sura added 13 points and six assists in Saturday's victory for the Rockets, who clinched a spot in the postseason with the win. Center Yao Ming finished with 10 points and eight rebounds in 25 minutes of action against the Suns.

McGrady has scored more than 20 points in seven of his last eight games He is averaging 29.4 points, 6.8 rebounds and five assists in his last eight outings.





PHOENIX SUNS (57-19) AT LOS ANGELES LAKERS (34-43), 10:30 P.M. ---------------------------------------------------------------

(Sports Network) - The playoff-bound Phoenix Suns need to halt a two-game losing streak tonight, as they visit the Los Angeles Lakers at the Staples Center.

The Suns own a slim 1/2 game lead over the San Antonio Spurs for the top spot in the Western Conference. The Lakers will not participate in the postseason for the first time since 1994.

This is the fourth and final meeting of the season between the clubs. The Suns won all three of the previous contests. If Phoenix wins tonight it would mark the first time since the 1999-00 that they have swept the regular-season series from the Lakers.

Phoenix, which is 5-1 in Monday games this season, has won two straight at the Lakers.

The Suns come into tonight's game off a tough loss. On Saturday, All-Star Tracy McGrady scored 34 points and grabbed eight rebounds to lead the Houston Rockets over the Suns, 98-97, at America West Arena.

Amare Stoudemire had 32 points and 12 rebounds in Saturday's loss for the Suns, who had two chances to win the game at the buzzer only to fall short. MVP candidate Steve Nash had his jumper bounce out and Steven Hunter's follow dunk attempt failed and the final buzzer went off. Nash ended with 19 points and five assists, while Joe Johnson had 16 points and nine boards for Phoenix.

Stoudemire has recorded two straight double-doubles and has 24 on the season. He is averaging 33 points and 12 rebounds in his last three contests.

Phoenix is a league-best 30-9 as the visitor this season. The Suns are 8-2 in their last 10 on the road.

After tonight's game, Phoenix will return home for a four-game homestand. The Suns will host the New Orleans Hornets, the Clippers, Sacramento and Denver.

The Lakers come into tonight's game off another embarrassing loss. On Sunday, Kenny Thomas poured in a career-high 32 points and pulled down 14 rebounds to lead the Sacramento Kings past the Lakers, 124-105, at ARCO Arena. All-Star Kobe Bryant paced Los Angeles with 18 points and six assists.

Caron Butler netted 17 points and Chucky Atkins chipped in 15 points and nine assists for the Lakers, who have dropped 14 of their last 16 games overall.

LA, which is 1-5 in Monday games this season, is 22-16 as the host.

[Spark]

NBA TrendsMonday, April 11th

Indiana (-1) at Toronto (192), 7:05 ET
Indiana - 34-18 ATS in April road games
Toronto - 7-13 ATS Home after an away loss

Milwaukee (207) at Washington (-7), 7:05 ET
Milwaukee - 8-23-1 ATS after facing Cleveland
Washington - 14-5-1 ATS after scoring 100+ in a loss

Cleveland (Pick) at Orlando (199.5), 7:05 ET
Cleveland - 13-11 ATS away after a home win
Orlando - 2-21-1 ATS Home after a home loss

Charlotte (205.5) at Atlanta (-2.5), 7:35 ET
Charlotte - 9-2 Under Away when playing just its 2nd game in 5 days
Atlanta - 0-9 ATS after getting outrebounded in a win

Memphis (194) at Dallas (-7), 8:35 ET
Memphis - 1-6 ATS away with same season double revenge
Dallas - 71-36-3 ATS after allowing <40% shooting in a win

Detroit (-1) at Chicago (186), 8:35 ET
Detroit - 8-4 ATS Away with same season revenge
Chicago - 1-14 ATS Home vs. Detroit

Golden State (211.5) at Denver (-8.5), 9:05 ET
Golden State - 2-4 ATS away vs. Denver
Denver - 24-7-1 ATS Home going into same season revenge

Houston at Seattle, 10:05 ET
Houston - 14-32-2 ATS on a 2-game S/U and ATS win streak
Seattle - 11-1 ATS facing a team that beat them by 1-3 pts

Phoenix (-8.5) at L.A. Lakers (225), 10:35 ET
Phoenix - 8-13 ATS after allowing <40% shooting
L.A. Lakers - 28-12 ATS after having lost 4 or 5 of their last 6
**Denotes Time Change


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Additional Trends:

Monday, 4/11/2005


INDIANA (41 - 35) at TORONTO (31 - 45) - 4/11/2005, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
INDIANA is 34-18 ATS (+14.2 Units) in road games in April games since 1996.
INDIANA is 171-121 ATS (+37.9 Units) revenging a loss vs opponent since 1996.
TORONTO is 18-36 ATS (-21.6 Units) in home games second half of the season over the last 3 seasons.


Head-to-Head Series History
TORONTO is 5-4 against the spread versus INDIANA over the last 3 seasons
INDIANA is 8-2 straight up against TORONTO over the last 3 seasons
7 of 10 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons




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MILWAUKEE (29 - 47) at WASHINGTON (41 - 35) - 4/11/2005, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
WASHINGTON is 1-5 ATS (-4.5 Units) in April games this season.
WASHINGTON is 1-6 ATS (-5.6 Units) off a upset loss as a favorite this season.
WASHINGTON is 1-6 ATS (-5.6 Units) in home games versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game - 2nd half of the season this season.


Head-to-Head Series History
WASHINGTON is 5-5 against the spread versus MILWAUKEE over the last 3 seasons
MILWAUKEE is 6-4 straight up against WASHINGTON over the last 3 seasons
5 of 10 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons




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CLEVELAND (39 - 37) at ORLANDO (35 - 41) - 4/11/2005, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CLEVELAND is 1-6 ATS (-5.6 Units) in road games after allowing 85 points or less this season.
CLEVELAND is 0-8 ATS (-8.8 Units) as a road underdog of 3 points or less this season.
CLEVELAND is 1-5 ATS (-4.5 Units) in a road game where where the total is between 195 and 199.5 points this season.
CLEVELAND is 2-12 ATS (-11.2 Units) in road games second half of the season this season.
CLEVELAND is 1-6 ATS (-5.6 Units) in road games versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game this season.
CLEVELAND is 0-6 ATS (-6.6 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a losing record - 2nd half of the season this season.
CLEVELAND is 17-7 ATS (+9.3 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game this season.
ORLANDO is 15-39 ATS (-27.9 Units) after 3 or more consecutive losses over the last 3 seasons.
ORLANDO is 1-11 ATS (-11.1 Units) against Central division opponents this season.
ORLANDO is 1-5 ATS (-4.5 Units) as a home favorite of 3 points or less this season.
ORLANDO is 10-22 ATS (-14.2 Units) second half of the season this season.
ORLANDO is 1-6 ATS (-5.6 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season this season.


Head-to-Head Series History
ORLANDO is 5-5 against the spread versus CLEVELAND over the last 3 seasons
ORLANDO is 6-4 straight up against CLEVELAND over the last 3 seasons
6 of 9 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons




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CHARLOTTE (15 - 61) at ATLANTA (12 - 64) - 4/11/2005, 7:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
ATLANTA is 1-5 ATS (-4.5 Units) after scoring 105 points or more this season.
ATLANTA is 2-8 ATS (-6.8 Units) off an upset win as an underdog this season.


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




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MEMPHIS (44 - 32) at DALLAS (52 - 24) - 4/11/2005, 8:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MEMPHIS is 20-8 ATS (+11.2 Units) as an underdog this season.
MEMPHIS is 25-12 ATS (+11.8 Units) in road games in all games this season.
MEMPHIS is 25-12 ATS (+11.8 Units) in road games this season.


Head-to-Head Series History
DALLAS is 6-4 against the spread versus MEMPHIS over the last 3 seasons
DALLAS is 8-2 straight up against MEMPHIS over the last 3 seasons
7 of 10 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons




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DETROIT (49 - 27) at CHICAGO (44 - 32) - 4/11/2005, 8:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
DETROIT is 6-1 ATS (+4.9 Units) revenging a home loss vs opponent this season.
CHICAGO is 1-5 ATS (-4.5 Units) in home games after scoring 105 points or more this season.


Head-to-Head Series History
DETROIT is 8-3 against the spread versus CHICAGO over the last 3 seasons
DETROIT is 9-2 straight up against CHICAGO 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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GOLDEN STATE (31 - 46) at DENVER (45 - 31) - 4/11/2005, 9:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
GOLDEN STATE is 2-8 ATS (-6.8 Units) as a road underdog of 6.5 to 9 points this season.
DENVER is 10-2 ATS (+7.8 Units) in home games after a win by 10 points or more this season.
DENVER is 6-0 ATS (+6.0 Units) in home games after allowing 105 points or more this season.
DENVER is 17-6 ATS (+10.4 Units) after scoring 105 points or more this season.
DENVER is 20-8 ATS (+11.2 Units) in home games as a favorite this season.
DENVER is 7-0 ATS (+7.0 Units) as a home favorite of 6.5 to 9 points this season.
DENVER is 25-11 ATS (+12.9 Units) in home games in all games this season.
DENVER is 5-1 ATS (+3.9 Units) in April games this season.
DENVER is 25-11 ATS (+12.9 Units) in home games this season.
DENVER is 23-9 ATS (+13.1 Units) second half of the season this season.
DENVER is 9-1 ATS (+7.9 Units) in home games versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game this season.
DENVER is 7-1 ATS (+5.9 Units) in home games versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game - 2nd half of the season this season.
DENVER is 9-0 ATS (+9.0 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a losing record - 2nd half of the season this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 87-54 ATS (+27.6 Units) revenging a loss vs opponent over the last 3 seasons.
GOLDEN STATE is 15-4 ATS (+10.6 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season this season.


Head-to-Head Series History
DENVER is 6-5 against the spread versus GOLDEN STATE over the last 3 seasons
GOLDEN STATE is 7-4 straight up against DENVER 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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HOUSTON (46 - 31) at SEATTLE (50 - 26) - 4/11/2005, 10:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.


Head-to-Head Series History
SEATTLE is 6-4 against the spread versus HOUSTON over the last 3 seasons
SEATTLE is 6-4 straight up against HOUSTON over the last 3 seasons
5 of 10 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons




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PHOENIX (57 - 19) at LA LAKERS (34 - 43) - 4/11/2005, 10:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
LA LAKERS are 5-1 ATS (+3.9 Units) in home games versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game - 2nd half of the season over the last 3 seasons.
PHOENIX is 23-9 ATS (+13.1 Units) as a road favorite of 6.5 to 9 points since 1996.
LA LAKERS are 1-6 ATS (-5.6 Units) in a home game where the total is greater than or equal to 210 since 1996.
LA LAKERS are 20-40 ATS (-24.0 Units) vs. division opponents over the last 3 seasons.
LA LAKERS are 3-10 ATS (-8.0 Units) when the total is greater than or equal to 210 since 1996.


Head-to-Head Series History
PHOENIX is 7-4 against the spread versus LA LAKERS over the last 3 seasons
LA LAKERS is 6-5 straight up against PHOENIX over the last 3 seasons
8 of 11 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons