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CNOTES
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Preview: Orioles (21-14) at Twins (16-15)

Game: 1
Venue: Target Field
Date: May 10, 2013 8:10 PM EDT


Baltimore Orioles right-hander Jason Hammel still thinks he can improve.

His record outside Camden Yards can't be any better.

Hammel will try to match the MLB lead in victories and become just the third Oriole in 54 years to win his first six road starts Friday night, when he makes his first appearance against the Minnesota Twins at Target Field.

Hammel (5-1, 4.10 ERA) has been consistent through seven starts, lasting between five and 6 2-3 innings while allowing no more than four runs. The right-hander, though, realizes he has one of the majors' best run-support averages at 8.42. It's 9.62 on the road.

"I still haven't really gotten it going, and I haven't been as good as labeled, I guess. So I still have some work to do,' Hammel said after yielding four runs in six innings of Sunday's 8-4 road win over the Los Angeles Angels. "I'm a (beneficiary) of a lot of run support right now, and the bullpen's been awesome. It's that simple.'

Hammel gets the ball after the Orioles' season-best four-game win streak ended with Thursday's 6-2 home loss to Kansas City. Baltimore (21-14), the AL leader with 12 road wins, is tied with Boston for second in the AL East - percentage points behind the New York Yankees - after Minnesota (16-15) won its third straight at Fenway Park on Thursday.

Hammel could end that surge with a career-best fourth consecutive winning start. The right-hander could also become the first pitcher since Josh Beckett in 2007 with Boston to post victories in his first six road starts. Only two Orioles have accomplished that since 1954 - Hoyt Wilhelm in 1959 and Jeff Ballard 24 years ago.

Hammel's only start in Minneapolis was a 7-3 Tampa Bay victory at the Metrodome on April 17, 2008.

The Twins, meanwhile, open a nine-game stretch at Target Field with four wins in five games. They can move a season high-tying two games above .500 after finishing off a 5-5 trip.

"It's important that you kind of get that feeling about grinding things out (at) the end of a long road trip," manager Ron Gardenhire said.

Minnesota's Mike Pelfrey (3-3, 6.35) will be on the mound Friday. The right-hander had an encouraging start his last time out, doubling his season strikeout total to 14 while throwing six strong innings in Sunday's 4-2 win at Cleveland.

Pelfrey was 1-3 with a 10.36 ERA in his previous four outings.

"We're still just a year out of the (elbow reconstructive) surgery," Gardenhire said. "We're taking small steps."

Pelfrey gets his first look at the Orioles since 2010 with the New York Mets.

Baltimore's Chris Davis, tied for second in the AL with 10 homers, has yet to face the right-hander.

Nick Markakis, 2 for 6 against Pelfrey, went 8 for 13 with two doubles as Baltimore lost two of three to the visiting Twins from April 5-7.

Joe Mauer finished 2 for 13 in that series, but he's a career .373 hitter at home against the Orioles.

Justin Morneau, who has four hits - all doubles - in nine at_bats against Hammel, led the Twins with 10 RBIs on the just-completed trip.

Rookie Oswaldo Arcia hit .424 (14 for 34) during that stretch, and his hot streak could keep Chris Parmelee, who hit the Twins' only homer last month in Baltimore, on the bench for a third straight game.

These clubs split a four-game set at Target Field from July 16-19.




Believe in the 3 G's
GIRLS, GOLF,GAMBLING not in any particular order.

Old Post 05-10-13 05:50 PM
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Preview: Rangers (21-13) at Astros (10-25)

Game: 1
Venue: Minute Maid Park
Date: May 10, 2013 8:10 PM EDT


The Texas Rangers have owned the Houston Astros lately.

The AL West leaders, though, aren't about to overlook their new divisional foes.

Texas continues its four-city road trip Friday night with Alexi Ogando pitching opposite Dallas Keuchel, who makes his first start of the season for the Astros.

By taking two of three in Houston from March 31-April 3 - Ogando (3-2, 3.08 ERA) struck out a career-best 10 in 6 1-3 shutout innings to win the series finale - the Rangers improved to 21-6 in this in-state matchup since 2009.

Texas (21-13) has won 12 of 15 at Minute Maid Park during that stretch, but manager Ron Washington sees the Astros (10-25) making progress in their first season in the AL.

"They're not panicking and they don't care what other people are saying," he told the Rangers' official website. "That's what you've got to do. They're doing what they need to be doing. They know the situation they are in. It's no secret. But you read things out of Houston, it's all positive. That's a good thing."

There could have been a lot of good news coming out of Houston on Thursday had the Astros completed their first sweep since May 21-23, but they lost 6-5 to the Los Angeles Angels.

The Astros' starting rotation showed improvement in that three-game series, with that group's MLB-worst ERA dropping from 6.53 to 6.10. Manager Bo Porter is looking for Keuchel (0-1, 4.96 ERA) and fellow left-hander Erik Bedard, Saturday's scheduled starter, to continue that run as both have been promoted from the bullpen.

"One of the things you look at, the Rangers' lineup is left-handed dominant and they have some left-handed guys in their lineup, and we felt like if we can get both of our lefties matched up against them it would put us in good position," Porter told the Astros' official website. "Dallas has done a tremendous job out of the bullpen and he's given us length every time he's come into the game (16 1-3 innings in six appearances), and we're going to give him an opportunity to get into the rotation."

Keuchel went 3-8 with a 5.27 ERA in 16 starts last season. The left-hander's major league debut was at Texas on June 17, not getting a decision as he threw five innings of one-run ball in a 9-3 loss.

"I'm a starter at heart," Keuchel told MLB's official website. "If my role is in the bullpen, then it's in the bullpen. I'm going to try to pitch to the best of my ability. Friday is going to be no different."

One of those lefty hitters he'll likely face is Mitch Moreland, batting .435 over the last six games with three homers in the past four.

Moreland went 0 for 13 in these teams' last series, but former Astro Lance Berkman was 6 for 10 with three RBIs. Berkman, limited to pinch-hitting duties in Milwaukee on Tuesday and Wednesday with no designated hitter, is batting .491 with six homers and 23 RBIs during a 15-game hitting streak in Houston.

Chris Carter, the Astros' leader with eight homers and 19 RBIs, is 0 for 16 in his last five games against Texas but has gone 4 for 10 this week with two homers and five RBIs. He's 0 for 5 off Ogando, who will likely be throwing to Geovany Soto with A.J. Pierzynski (strained abdominal) being placed on the disabled list Wednesday.

Ogando is coming off his first win in five starts, yielding a run in six innings of a 5-1 victory over Boston on Saturday.

Texas has won nine consecutive series against Houston since dropping two of three at Minute Maid Park from June 24-26, 2008.




Believe in the 3 G's
GIRLS, GOLF,GAMBLING not in any particular order.

Old Post 05-10-13 05:51 PM
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Preview: Rockies (19-15) at Cardinals (21-12)

Game: 1
Venue: Busch Stadium
Date: May 10, 2013 8:15 PM EDT


The St. Louis Cardinals have one of the best pitching staffs in the majors, but they've also gotten plenty of help from their hitters during a red-hot stretch.

The Cardinals will try to keep rolling in their return from a six-game road trip Friday night by adding to their recent success against the Colorado Rockies.

St. Louis' 3.07 ERA is the best in the majors and its starters have a 2.29 ERA. The staff has played a large role in helping the Cardinals outscore opponents 41-22 while winning seven of eight.

St. Louis, though, has also batted .300 over that stretch and hit .307 during a 5-1 trip. After falling 2-1 in the first of two games against the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday, the Cardinals (21-12) bounced back for a 5-4 victory the next day with Jon Jay and Carlos Beltran driving in two runs apiece.

Jay is batting .500 with eight RBIs in his last six games, and Yadier Molina is hitting .457 over his last nine. They will be trying to help the Cardinals earn their 14th win in 18 tries against Colorado and 10th in 12 home matchups.

"I'm just trying to keep it simple up there," Jay said. "Trying to hit the ball hard, and I've been able to get some pitches over the plate that I've been able to drive."

Jay is batting .361 in 20 career games against Colorado, and Molina is hitting .375 in his last eight. Shelby Miller, though, might not need too much help if he can continue his stellar start to the season.

The 22-year-old Miller (4-2, 1.96 ERA) has allowed two runs or fewer in five of his six starts. The right-hander gave up one run and seven hits over six innings in a 6-1 victory in Milwaukee last Friday.

Miller has one of the NL's best ERAs and his 38 strikeouts are second among major league rookies. The Los Angeles Dodgers' Hyun-Jin Ryu has 48.

"I'm in one of the best rotations in the league," Miller told the team's official website. "I get to be around guys who have been around for a while. (Adam Wainwright), (Jake) Westbrook, guys who've had more time. It's fun to be around guys like that."

In his first start against the Rockies, Miller will pitch opposite Jon Garland (3-2, 4.75). The right-hander is 0-3 with a 4.50 ERA in three career games in St. Louis and 1-5 with a 5.79 ERA in six overall matchups, allowing nine runs over 11 innings in the last two.

Garland avoided a third straight loss Saturday as he gave up three runs over five innings in a 9-3 victory against Tampa Bay. He had yielded 10 runs and 18 hits in 12 innings in his previous two starts.

"He did his job, giving us a chance to win and I'm glad he ended up getting the 'W.' He fought hard for it," manager Walt Weiss told the team's official website.

Molina is 7 for 9 against Garland, his best showing versus any pitcher he's faced at least nine times. Beltran is 12 for 39 (.308) with two homers and three doubles while Jay is 0 for 3.

Colorado (19-15) lost two of three at home to the New York Yankees this week, falling 3-1 on Thursday. The Rockies were outscored 6-5 in the series and held to four hits in each of the last two matchups.

"Our pitching was outstanding. Offense was definitely subpar," Weiss said. "Not acceptable."

The Rockies have lost 11 of 17 following an eight-game win streak.




Believe in the 3 G's
GIRLS, GOLF,GAMBLING not in any particular order.

Old Post 05-10-13 05:54 PM
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Preview: Phillies (16-20) at Diamondbacks (20-15)

Game: 2
Venue: Chase Field
Date: May 10, 2013 9:40 PM EDT


Atop the NL West for the first time in more than a year, the Arizona Diamondbacks can now win a season-best five in a row.

They won't have to get past Roy Halladay to get that done.

Philadelphia Phillies right-hander Tyler Cloyd will replace the two-time Cy Young winner and make his first start of the season Friday night at Chase Field.

Back from sweeping a three-game series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Diamondbacks (20-15) ended a season-worst three-game skid in the desert - and moved into a first-place tie with San Francisco in the West - with Thursday's 2-1 victory over the Phillies (16-20).

The Diamondbacks, who were last leading the division on April 10, 2012, last strung together five consecutive wins July 20-24.

Cloyd will try to prevent that from happening as he'll take Halladay's spot in the rotation for the time being after the team learned the veteran right-hander will need arthroscopic surgery on his right shoulder.

"It was an unfortunate situation, Doc's situation, having him going down and having surgery," Cloyd told the Phillies' official website. "For me, it's just obviously another opportunity to prove myself and hopefully have some success."

The right-hander, 1-3 with a 5.40 ERA at Triple-A Lehigh Valley, went 2-2 with a 4.91 ERA in six starts for the Phillies a year ago as a late-season call-up.

"He's another guy whose location has to be real good," said Charlie Manuel, who set a Phillies franchise record with his 1,332nd game as the club's manager Thursday. "He's got to keep the ball down. He changes speeds good and that's where his success is. They can put the ball in play against him and hopefully he'll take the sting out of their bats and we can play good defensively behind him. That's kind of the way he pitches. He's a pitcher. He's definitely not going to blow you away."

Friday's starter Ian Kennedy (1-3, 5.19 ERA) has a decent fastball, but his focus now isn't overpowering hitters, but cutting down on walks - 15 in his last five starts. Kennedy is giving up 3.53 free passes per nine innings compared to 2.38 in 2012.

"I don't feel like I've thrown that bad until today,' he said after walking three and giving up a season-worst two homers in Sunday's 5-1 loss at San Diego. "It weighs on you because you have to wait five more days.'

Despite his struggles, facing the Phillies could actually help the right-hander get back into the win column for the first time since his season debut. Kennedy is 1-0 with a 1.06 ERA in two career starts at Chase Field versus Philadelphia.

Diamondbacks first baseman Paul Goldschmidt isn't getting the job done in the desert. Fresh off going 7 for 13 with four homers and nine RBIs in the Dodgers sweep, Goldschmidt finished 0 for 3 on Thursday to drop his home batting average to .238 with two home runs and eight RBIs.

Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard is also trying to bounce back from a hitless performance. The former MVP, 0 for 4 with two strikeouts in the opener, has faced Kennedy more than any active Phillie, and he has no hits in nine at_bats in that matchup.

Arizona can win two straight over Philadelphia for just the second time since 2007.




Believe in the 3 G's
GIRLS, GOLF,GAMBLING not in any particular order.

Old Post 05-10-13 05:55 PM
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Preview: Athletics (18-18) at Mariners (16-19)

Game: 1
Venue: Safeco Field
Date: May 10, 2013 10:10 PM EDT


No one has been tougher to get on base against in the AL than Hisashi Iwakuma.

This could present problems for an Oakland Athletics team struggling at the plate.

The Seattle Mariners right-hander will try to send the Athletics a season-high fifth straight loss Friday night in the opener of a weekend series at Safeco Field.

Iwakuma (3-1, 1.61 ERA) has been among baseball's biggest surprises, leading the AL in opponent batting average (.168) and walks plus hits per inning pitched (0.76).

He uncharacteristically walked three Saturday but yielded one run over seven innings to gain an 8-1 victory at Toronto.

Seattle (16-19) has won his last five starts at home, including three this year in which Iwakuma has posted a 0.48 ERA. His stellar season began April 2 when he allowed one run over six innings with seven strikeouts in a 7-1 victory at Oakland, winning for the first time in three starts against the Athletics.

Slugger Yoenis Cespedes is 3 for 6 with two solo homers against Iwakuma. He and the Athletics (18-18) travel west after totaling eight runs and batting .205 while being swept in four games in Cleveland, capped by Thursday's 9-2 loss.

"They're playing great and can't do anything wrong and we're struggling," manager Bob Melvin said. "That's what happens."

Cespedes homered in the first game of the series before going 1 for 11 with four strikeouts in the final three. Jed Lowrie was 2 for 15 in the series, Derek Norris 2 for 11, John Jaso 2 for 10 and Eric Sogard 2 for 9 for the A's, who have seven players on the disabled list.

Oakland is batting .218 and averaging 2.6 runs in May, and Seattle can relate somewhat to those woes. The Mariners are hitting a major league-worst .199 this month, although they are 4-2.

Seattle has been winning thanks to mound efforts like Wednesday's by Felix Hernandez, who went eight innings as the Mariners avoided a third straight loss with a 2-1 victory at Pittsburgh.

While Hernandez is the unquestioned ace of the staff, Iwakuma is developing a reputation of his own that has given Seattle confidence.

"They're unbelievable," second baseman Dustin Ackley told the Mariners' official website. "Any time you go out there, you're like, 'Let's just get a couple runs and these guys are going to cruise.' They are probably, arguably, right now the two best starters in baseball."

Oakland has won all three games started by Daniel Straily (1-0, 5.94), who takes the mound Friday after giving up three runs over 5 1-3 innings and not getting a decision in Sunday's 5-4 victory over the Yankees.

The right-hander yielded four runs over 4 1-3 innings in his lone start against Seattle on Sept. 29. He also yielded two homers in five 2012 at_bats to Kendrys Morales, then with the Angels.

These clubs split their season-opening four-game set in Oakland. Lowrie went 6 for 13 with four doubles while Michael Morse was 6 for 16 with four homers for the Mariners.

Oakland has taken the last four meetings in Seattle.




Believe in the 3 G's
GIRLS, GOLF,GAMBLING not in any particular order.

Old Post 05-10-13 05:57 PM
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Preview: Marlins (10-25) at Dodgers (13-20)

Game: 1
Venue: Dodger Stadium
Date: May 10, 2013 10:10 PM EDT


The Los Angeles Dodgers entered the season with lofty expectations thanks to a high-priced and star-laden roster. The injury-plagued club, however, is last in the NL West and on the verge of its longest losing streak in nearly five years.

Los Angeles will try to avoid that dubious achievement when it faces another cellar dweller, the more frugal Miami Marlins, in Friday night's opener at Dodger Stadium.

The Dodgers joined the New York Yankees this offseason as the second team in major league history to top $200 million in payroll but so far they haven't gotten much for their money. Los Angeles is seven games below .500 for the first time since Aug. 29, 2011, after getting swept at home by Arizona earlier this week.

The Dodgers (13-20) fell to 0-7 this month by blowing a two-run lead in Wednesday's series finale, a 3-2 defeat. Los Angeles has a 5.43 ERA during its skid and has plated three runs or fewer six times.

"When we pitch good, we don't hit. When we hit, we don't pitch good," outfielder Matt Kemp said. "It's not the manager's fault. He doesn't go up there and swing the bat for us, pitch for us, steal bases, or do the base running."

The absence of former Marlins star Hanley Ramirez hasn't helped, and Adrian Gonzalez is day-to-day after leaving Wednesday's game with a strained neck muscle. Infielders Mark Ellis and Jerry Hairston Jr., and pitchers Zack Greinke, Chad Billingsley, Ted Lilly, Scott Elbert and Stephen Fife all join Ramirez on the disabled list.

Gonzalez, who is batting .343 with a team-best 23 RBIs, thought he would play in the series opener.

"I'll be all right," he told the team's website. "I'll be ready to go Friday."

If Gonzalez can play, he'll try to help the Dodgers avoid their first eight-game losing streak since Aug. 22-29, 2008. They're also trying to avoid matching their longest home skid from last season, a five-gamer from May 28-June 11.

Rookie right-hander Matt Magill (0-0, 7.88 ERA) will try to do his part by rebounding from a miserable outing.

Magill gave up two runs over 6 2-3 innings against Milwaukee in his major league debut April 27, but didn't make it out of the second inning Saturday in San Francisco. He was charged with five runs, six hits and four walks in a 10-9 loss.

Magill will next face a Miami team that has the NL's worst record and has tied the second-worst start in franchise history. The Marlins (10-25) arrive in Los Angeles after being outscored 11-1 during a three-game sweep in San Diego.

Miami, which reduced its payroll from $90 to around $45 million before the season, totaled 17 hits at Petco Park and owns one of the worst batting averages in the majors at .225.

"It's disappointing because believe me, everyone in that (locker room) is trying to get hits and score runs. Right now we are in a funk, but that can change quick," manager Mike Redmond said.

Jose Fernandez (1-2, 3.48) didn't need too much help from his teammates while earning his first major league win Saturday. The rookie right-hander allowed one hit over seven innings and struck out a career-high nine in a 2-0 victory over Philadelphia. He has received 10 total runs of support in his six starts.

Los Angeles has won seven of 10 over the Marlins and four of six at home.




Believe in the 3 G's
GIRLS, GOLF,GAMBLING not in any particular order.

Old Post 05-10-13 05:59 PM
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Preview: Braves (21-13) at Giants (20-15)

Game: 2
Venue: AT&T Park
Date: May 10, 2013 10:15 PM EDT


The Atlanta Braves will be without manager Fredi Gonzalez for two games, but giving the ball to Tim Hudson for the first one should soften the blow of his absence.

It may also help that the veteran is facing the San Francisco Giants.

Hudson looks to continue his dominance of the Giants as the Braves go for a fifth win in six games Friday night.

Gonzalez has left the team to travel to his daughter's graduation from Georgia Southern on Saturday morning. He'll fly from San Francisco to Atlanta, then to Savannah before renting a car and driving another 45 minutes to Statesboro.

"I couldn't be any further away," Gonzalez said of playing out West. "Hey, whatever it takes, if you've got to take Stagecoach or Pony Express to go see your daughter graduate college, you've got to do it."

In the meantime, Gonzalez will be replaced by bench coach Carlos Tosca, who went 191-191 as manager of the Toronto Blue Jays from 2002-04.

Tosca's job might be made a bit easier by handing the ball to Hudson (4-1, 3.83 ERA), who is 6-0 with a 2.25 ERA over his last 10 starts against the Giants, including a win in Game 3 of the 2010 NL division series.

The right-hander has also won his last two games at AT&T Park, allowing three runs in 15 2-3 innings.

Hudson enters this visit looking for a third straight win for the first time since a four-game run July 19-Aug. 3. That started with a 3-2 victory over the Giants, yielding two runs in 7 1-3 innings.

He's allowed four runs with 13 strikeouts over 14 1-3 innings in his last two starts overall. However, both of those came at home, and he's 1-1 with a 5.29 ERA in three road games.

Atlanta (21-13) has won four of five, hitting .310 with eight homers while totaling 29 runs in those victories. The club has also taken six of eight at San Francisco.

Brian McCann is getting comfortable at the plate after he had three hits, including a homer, and three RBIs Thursday in just his third game back from undergoing shoulder surgery in October.

"To be where I'm at, honestly, if you'd told me this a month ago that I'd be feeling this good, I wouldn't have believed you," McCann said.

He's batting .340 with three homers and 10 RBIs during a 12-game hitting streak versus San Francisco.

The Giants, losers of three of four, are hoping Matt Cain (1-2, 5.57) can build on his first win of 2013, by continuing his own success against the Braves.

The right-hander is 3-1 with a 1.35 ERA over his last five starts against them, including the playoffs. However, Cain's only loss in that stretch came opposite Hudson in a 3-0 defeat at Atlanta on Aug. 7, 2010.

He was sharp Sunday, yielding one run in 7 1-3 innings of a 4-3 win over the Dodgers after compiling a 6.49 ERA over his first six games.

"It wasn't something I was proud of," Cain said. "I just wasn't pitching well for the guys. I needed to step it up."

Buster Posey certainly does his part against the Braves, hitting .481 with 10 RBIs in the past seven meetings. He had two hits and three RBIs Thursday, getting two on his fifth home run.

Posey is batting .373 with four homers and 17 of his 22 RBIs at home, and he's 6 for 10 versus Hudson, including the postseason.




Believe in the 3 G's
GIRLS, GOLF,GAMBLING not in any particular order.

Old Post 05-10-13 06:02 PM
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MLB
Dunkel

Milwaukee at Cincinnati
The Brewers look to build on their 6-1 record in Yovani Gallardo's last 7 road starts. Milwaukee is the pick (+135) according to Dunkel, which has the Brewers favored by 1. Dunkel Pick: Milwaukee (+135). Here are all of today's picks.

FRIDAY, MAY 10

Game 951-952: Chicago Cubs at Washington (7:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Cubs (Samardzija) 15.323; Washington (Detwiler) 16.673
Dunkel Line: Washington by 1 1/2; 7 1/2
Vegas Line: Washington (-140); 7
Dunkel Pick: Washington (-140); Over

Game 953-954: Pittsburgh at NY Mets (7:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Pittsburgh (Rodriguez) 13.814; NY Mets (Marcum) 15.058
Dunkel Line: NY Mets by 1; 7
Vegas Line: Pittsburgh (-125); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: NY Mets (+125); Under

Game 955-956: Milwaukee at Cincinnati (7:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Milwaukee (Gallardo) 15.332; Cincinnati (Cingrani) 14.456
Dunkel Line: Milwaukee by 1; 9
Vegas Line: Cincinnati (-155); 8
Dunkel Pick: Milwaukee (+135); Over

Game 957-958: Colorado at St. Louis (8:15 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Colorado (Garland) 14.798; St. Louis (Miller) 16.548
Dunkel Line: St. Louis by 1 1/2; 7
Vegas Line: St. Louis (-170); 8
Dunkel Pick: St. Louis (-170); Under

Game 959-960: Philadelphia at Arizona (9:40 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Philadelphia (Cloyd) 15.250; Arizona (Kennedy) 16.999
Dunkel Line: Arizona by 1 1/2; 7 1/2
Vegas Line: Arizona (-160); 9
Dunkel Pick: Arizona (-160); Under

Game 961-962: Miami at LA Dodgers (10:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Miami (Fernandez) 15.393; LA Dodgers (Magill) 14.528
Dunkel Line: Miami by 1; 7 1/2
Vegas Line: LA Dodgers (-150); 6 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Miami (+130); Over

Game 963-964: Atlanta at San Francisco (10:15 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Atlanta (Hudson) 14.952; San Francisco (Cain) 15.575
Dunkel Line: San Francisco by 1/2; 5 1/2
Vegas Line: San Francisco (-125); 6 1/2
Dunkel Pick: San Francisco (-125); Under

Game 965-966: Cleveland at Detroit (7:08 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Cleveland (Kluber) 16.908; Detroit (Scherzer) 16.615
Dunkel Line: Cleveland by 1/2; 9 1/2
Vegas Line: Detroit (-200); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Cleveland (+170); Over

Game 967-968: Toronto at Boston (7:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Toronto (Ortiz) 14.725; Boston (Lester) 16.272
Dunkel Line: Boston by 1 1/2; 7 1/2
Vegas Line: No Line
Dunkel Pick: N/A

Game 969-970: Baltimore at Minnesota (8:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Baltimore (Hammel) 14.781; Minnesota (Pelfrey) 16.844
Dunkel Line: Minnesota by 2; 9 1/2
Vegas Line: Baltimore (-125); 9
Dunkel Pick: Minnesota (+105); Over

Game 971-972: NY Yankees at Kansas City (8:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: NY Yankees (Hughes) 16.210; Kansas City (Davis) 15.815
Dunkel Line: NY Yankees by 1/2; 7 1/2
Vegas Line: Kansas City (-115); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: NY Yankees (-105); Under

Game 973-974: LA Angels at Chicago White Sox (8:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: LA Angels (No Starter); White Sox (Axelrod)
Dunkel Line: No Line
Vegas Line: No Line
Dunkel Pick: N/A

Game 975-976: Texas at Houston (8:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Texas (Ogando) 15.022; Houston (Keuchel) 12.952
Dunkel Line: Texas by 2; 7 1/2
Vegas Line: Texas (-210); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Texas (-210); Under

Game 977-978: Oakland at Seattle (10:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Oakland (Straily) 15.193; Seattle (Iwakuma) 15.002
Dunkel Line: Oakland by 1; 8
Vegas Line: Seattle (-150); 7
Dunkel Pick: Oakland (+130); Over

Game 979-980: San Diego at Tampa Bay (7:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: San Diego (Volquez) 15.969; Tampa Bay (Cobb) 16.830
Dunkel Line: Tampa Bay by 1; 8 1/2
Vegas Line: Tampa Bay (-175); 8
Dunkel Pick: Tampa Bay (-175); Over
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Believe in the 3 G's
GIRLS, GOLF,GAMBLING not in any particular order.

Old Post 05-10-13 06:04 PM
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MLB

Friday, May 10

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Friday's streaking and slumping starting pitchers
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Here are two streaking and two slumping pitchers probable to take the hill Friday.

Streaking

Hisashi Iwakuma, Seattle Mariners (3-1, 1.61 ERA)

Iwakuma held the Blue Jays to just one run over seven innings last time out. The righty has an impressive 42:8 BB:K ratio and is settling into the No 2 starter role behind Felix Hernandez. Iwakuma will take the hill against Oakland for the second time this season Friday. He held the A’s to just one run in six innings of work earlier in April.

Phil Hughes, New York Yankees (1-3, 3.60 ERA)

After a rocky start, Hughes has allowed two earned runs or less in each of his last four outings. The righty has sat down a total of 30 batters over his last four trips to the hill and is coming off an eight-inning scoreless gem over the Athletics.


Slumping

Ian Kennedy, Arizona Diamondbacks (1-3, 5.19 ERA)

The Diamondbacks’ ace has struggled early in 2013 and has been touched up for nine runs over his past two starts. The righty hasn’t earned a run since Opening Day over the St. Louis Cardinals but has an impressive 2.42 career ERA vs. the Phillies.

Shaun Marcum, New York Mets (0-2, 7.20 ERA)

Marcum has made two starts and one relief appearance since coming off the DL April 27th, and hasn’t looked sharp in any of them. The right-hander hasn’t pitched more than 4 1/3 innings in any of his outings this season and is working on expanding his current 90-pitch count.

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MLB

Friday, May 10

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Report: MLB pitchers using sunscreen trick to gain edge
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Around 90 percent of major league pitchers are using a new sunscreen trick to improve their grip on the baseball, according to a report by Yahoo! Sports.

Doctoring baseballs has always been an issue in the bigs but now there’s a new trick: BullFrog.

BullFrog is a sunscreen that sprays on clear, making it appear as sweat. When the substance is combined with the use of a rosin bag, a pitcher’s grip on the baseball is greatly improved. One unnamed AL pitcher in the report described the mixture of the substances as a "glue-like substance that engineers would be jealous of."

Boston Red Sox right-hander Clay Buchholz was accused of repeatedly running his hand across his left forearm, where he was supposedly applying BullFrog during a May 1 start against the Toronto Blue Jays.

Buchholz is off to scorching 6-0 start for the BoSox and boasts a 1.60 ERA in seven outings. Boston is 3-3-1 over/under when he takes the hill.

The 28-year-old has denied the allegations and says he only uses sunscreen on days when the sun is shining and he’s pitching on the mound.

Buchholz’s next projected start will be Saturday at Fenway Park against the Blue Jays.




Believe in the 3 G's
GIRLS, GOLF,GAMBLING not in any particular order.

Old Post 05-10-13 06:07 PM
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Posts: 10543

MLB
Long Sheet

Friday, May 10

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CHICAGO CUBS (13 - 21) at WASHINGTON (19 - 15) - 7:05 PM
JEFF SAMARDZIJA (R) vs. ROSS DETWILER (L)
Top Trends for this game.
CHICAGO CUBS are 74-122 (-33.0 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO CUBS are 29-68 (-27.1 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO CUBS are 136-169 (-52.9 Units) against the money line when playing with a day off since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 74-122 (-33.0 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO CUBS are 574-677 (-132.4 Units) against the money line in night games since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 18-46 (-20.5 Units) against the money line in road games after a loss over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 119-82 (+23.4 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 116-82 (+19.5 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 77-51 (+18.1 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.

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

JEFF SAMARDZIJA vs. WASHINGTON since 1997
SAMARDZIJA is 1-1 when starting against WASHINGTON with an ERA of 1.15 and a WHIP of 0.766.
His team's record is 1-1 (+0.2 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-2. (-2.3 units)

ROSS DETWILER vs. CHICAGO CUBS since 1997
DETWILER is 2-1 when starting against CHICAGO CUBS with an ERA of 2.60 and a WHIP of 1.154.
His team's record is 2-1 (+1.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 3-0. (+3.0 units)

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PITTSBURGH (18 - 16) at NY METS (14 - 17) - 7:10 PM
WANDY RODRIGUEZ (L) vs. SHAUN MARCUM (R)
Top Trends for this game.
PITTSBURGH is 302-538 (-115.5 Units) against the money line in road games in night games since 1997.
NY METS are 45-54 (-18.2 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons.
NY METS are 45-54 (-18.2 Units) against the money line in home games in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
NY METS are 48-69 (-20.8 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
NY METS are 28-45 (-15.5 Units) against the money line against left-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
NY METS are 27-47 (-20.9 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.
MARCUM is 11-17 (-12.0 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
MARCUM is 11-17 (-12.0 Units) against the money line in home games in games played on a grass field over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
MARCUM is 6-13 (-11.6 Units) against the money line in home games in night games over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
NY METS is 1-0 (+1.0 Units) against PITTSBURGH this season
1 of 1 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+1.0 Units)

WANDY RODRIGUEZ vs. NY METS since 1997
RODRIGUEZ is 5-2 when starting against NY METS with an ERA of 2.88 and a WHIP of 1.118.
His team's record is 5-4 (+1.2 units) in these starts. The OVER is 5-4. (+0.8 units)

SHAUN MARCUM vs. PITTSBURGH since 1997
MARCUM is 2-2 when starting against PITTSBURGH with an ERA of 2.65 and a WHIP of 1.152.
His team's record is 3-3 (-1.5 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 5-1. (+3.9 units)

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MILWAUKEE (15 - 17) at CINCINNATI (19 - 16) - 7:10 PM
YOVANI GALLARDO (R) vs. TONY CINGRANI (L)
Top Trends for this game.
MILWAUKEE is 13-22 (-12.5 Units) against the money line in May games over the last 2 seasons.
CINCINNATI is 118-84 (+15.0 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
CINCINNATI is 118-84 (+15.0 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
CINCINNATI is 29-10 (+15.3 Units) against the money line in home games after a loss over the last 2 seasons.
CINCINNATI is 330-299 (-69.8 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a losing record since 1997.

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

YOVANI GALLARDO vs. CINCINNATI since 1997
GALLARDO is 5-5 when starting against CINCINNATI with an ERA of 4.75 and a WHIP of 1.582.
His team's record is 5-10 (-7.1 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 4-9. (-6.2 units)

TONY CINGRANI vs. MILWAUKEE since 1997
No recent starts.

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COLORADO (19 - 15) at ST LOUIS (21 - 12) - 8:15 PM
JON GARLAND (R) vs. SHELBY MILLER (R)
Top Trends for this game.
COLORADO is 156-204 (-46.0 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 3 seasons.
COLORADO is 132-237 (-56.5 Units) against the money line as a road underdog of +125 to +150 since 1997.
COLORADO is 21-43 (-28.5 Units) against the money line in May games over the last 3 seasons.
COLORADO is 156-204 (-46.0 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 3 seasons.

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

JON GARLAND vs. ST LOUIS since 1997
GARLAND is 1-5 when starting against ST LOUIS with an ERA of 5.79 and a WHIP of 1.653.
His team's record is 1-5 (-3.8 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 3-3. (-0.5 units)

SHELBY MILLER vs. COLORADO since 1997
No recent starts.

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PHILADELPHIA (16 - 20) at ARIZONA (20 - 15) - 9:40 PM
TYLER CLOYD (R) vs. IAN KENNEDY (R)
Top Trends for this game.
PHILADELPHIA is 97-101 (-25.2 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 97-98 (-22.2 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 44-54 (-20.2 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 46-59 (-22.7 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
ARIZONA is 132-106 (+23.9 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 3 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 112-93 (+27.5 Units) against the money line in road games when playing on Friday since 1997.
ARIZONA is 34-40 (-19.9 Units) against the money line in home games in night games over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
ARIZONA is 1-0 (+1.0 Units) against PHILADELPHIA this season
1 of 1 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+1.0 Units)

TYLER CLOYD vs. ARIZONA since 1997
No recent starts.

IAN KENNEDY vs. PHILADELPHIA since 1997
KENNEDY is 2-1 when starting against PHILADELPHIA with an ERA of 2.42 and a WHIP of 0.923.
His team's record is 2-2 (+0.2 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-4. (-4.3 units)

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MIAMI (10 - 25) at LA DODGERS (13 - 20) - 10:10 PM
JOSE FERNANDEZ (R) vs. MATT MAGILL (R)
Top Trends for this game.
MIAMI is 79-118 (-35.5 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
MIAMI is 78-116 (-34.6 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
MIAMI is 53-79 (-23.0 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
MIAMI is 81-123 (-37.5 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 3 seasons.
LA DODGERS are 37-19 (+17.4 Units) against the money line when playing on Friday over the last 3 seasons.
MIAMI is 24-14 (+13.2 Units) against the money line in road games in May games over the last 3 seasons.
LA DODGERS are 13-20 (-13.2 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
LA DODGERS are 0-7 (-8.8 Units) against the money line in May games this season.
LA DODGERS are 13-20 (-13.2 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
LA DODGERS are 8-17 (-15.2 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
LA DODGERS are 43-53 (-19.1 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 2 seasons.
LA DODGERS are 1-7 (-8.4 Units) against the money line after 3 or more consecutive losses this season.
LA DODGERS are 46-47 (-15.0 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.

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

JOSE FERNANDEZ vs. LA DODGERS since 1997
No recent starts.

MATT MAGILL vs. MIAMI since 1997
No recent starts.

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ATLANTA (21 - 13) at SAN FRANCISCO (20 - 15) - 10:15 PM
TIM HUDSON (R) vs. MATT CAIN (R)
Top Trends for this game.
SAN FRANCISCO is 125-88 (+29.1 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 125-88 (+29.1 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 80-49 (+27.9 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 49-39 (+11.7 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 115-82 (+21.0 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 58-43 (+17.2 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 113-81 (+19.5 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 77-48 (+21.9 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 72-42 (+22.6 Units) against the money line after a win over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 57-44 (+12.7 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
HUDSON is 25-10 (+15.0 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
HUDSON is 24-10 (+13.6 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
HUDSON is 152-84 (+34.6 Units) against the money line after a win since 1997. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
ATLANTA is 1-0 (+1.2 Units) against SAN FRANCISCO this season
1 of 1 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+1.1 Units)

TIM HUDSON vs. SAN FRANCISCO since 1997
HUDSON is 8-4 when starting against SAN FRANCISCO with an ERA of 3.00 and a WHIP of 1.124.
His team's record is 11-7 (+2.5 units) in these starts. The OVER is 10-7. (+2.7 units)

MATT CAIN vs. ATLANTA since 1997
CAIN is 3-2 when starting against ATLANTA with an ERA of 2.68 and a WHIP of 1.374.
His team's record is 3-4 (-0.8 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 4-3. (+0.5 units)




Believe in the 3 G's
GIRLS, GOLF,GAMBLING not in any particular order.

Old Post 05-10-13 06:08 PM
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Posts: 10543

CLEVELAND (18 - 14) at DETROIT (19 - 13) - 7:05 PM
COREY KLUBER (R) vs. MAX SCHERZER (R)
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

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

COREY KLUBER vs. DETROIT since 1997
KLUBER is 1-1 when starting against DETROIT with an ERA of 4.91 and a WHIP of 1.545.
His team's record is 1-1 (+1.1 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-2. (-2.1 units)

MAX SCHERZER vs. CLEVELAND since 1997
SCHERZER is 5-4 when starting against CLEVELAND with an ERA of 5.26 and a WHIP of 1.563.
His team's record is 6-5 (-0.6 units) in these starts. The OVER is 6-5. (+0.9 units)

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TORONTO (13 - 23) at BOSTON (21 - 14) - 7:10 PM
RAMON ORTIZ (R) vs. JON LESTER (L)
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
BOSTON is 4-2 (+2.3 Units) against TORONTO this season
4 of 6 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+1.9 Units)

RAMON ORTIZ vs. BOSTON since 1997
ORTIZ is 2-3 when starting against BOSTON with an ERA of 4.47 and a WHIP of 1.204.
His team's record is 4-4 (+2.1 units) in these starts. The OVER is 3-5. (-2.5 units)

JON LESTER vs. TORONTO since 1997
LESTER is 12-7 when starting against TORONTO with an ERA of 3.82 and a WHIP of 1.128.
His team's record is 14-10 (+0.9 units) in these starts. The OVER is 13-10. (+2.3 units)

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BALTIMORE (21 - 14) at MINNESOTA (16 - 15) - 8:10 PM
JASON HAMMEL (R) vs. MIKE PELFREY (R)
Top Trends for this game.
BALTIMORE is 21-14 (+7.5 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
BALTIMORE is 48-31 (+22.1 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 2 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 60-45 (+33.7 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 107-75 (+43.3 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 78-65 (+23.0 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 84-61 (+34.9 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 10-3 (+7.3 Units) against the money line after a loss this season.
BALTIMORE is 65-48 (+33.2 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
HAMMEL is 19-10 (+11.0 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
HAMMEL is 10-1 (+10.7 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
HAMMEL is 11-5 (+8.4 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
HAMMEL is 17-9 (+9.1 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
HAMMEL is 11-3 (+10.3 Units) against the money line in road games after a loss over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
MINNESOTA is 71-105 (-34.1 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 3 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 7-20 (-14.2 Units) against the money line in home games when playing on Friday over the last 3 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 71-105 (-34.1 Units) against the money line in home games in games played on a grass field over the last 3 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 40-64 (-23.9 Units) against the money line in home games in night games over the last 3 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 46-74 (-29.0 Units) against the money line in home games against right-handed starters over the last 3 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 12-31 (-17.5 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
PELFREY is 30-49 (-23.0 Units) against the money line after a win since 1997. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
MINNESOTA is 2-1 (+2.0 Units) against BALTIMORE this season
2 of 3 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+0.9 Units)

JASON HAMMEL vs. MINNESOTA since 1997
HAMMEL is 2-1 when starting against MINNESOTA with an ERA of 3.04 and a WHIP of 0.975.
His team's record is 3-1 (+1.5 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-3. (-2.1 units)

MIKE PELFREY vs. BALTIMORE since 1997
PELFREY is 2-0 when starting against BALTIMORE with an ERA of 3.86 and a WHIP of 1.714.
His team's record is 2-0 (+2.2 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-0. (+2.0 units)

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NY YANKEES (20 - 13) at KANSAS CITY (18 - 13) - 8:10 PM
PHIL HUGHES (R) vs. WADE DAVIS (R)
Top Trends for this game.
KANSAS CITY is 43-37 (+12.1 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 2 seasons.
KANSAS CITY is 49-51 (+15.2 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
NY YANKEES are 24-8 (+13.7 Units) against the money line when playing on Friday over the last 2 seasons.

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

PHIL HUGHES vs. KANSAS CITY since 1997
HUGHES is 4-1 when starting against KANSAS CITY with an ERA of 5.68 and a WHIP of 1.547.
His team's record is 5-1 (+3.6 units) in these starts. The OVER is 4-2. (+2.1 units)

WADE DAVIS vs. NY YANKEES since 1997
DAVIS is 2-3 when starting against NY YANKEES with an ERA of 4.70 and a WHIP of 1.630.
His team's record is 3-3 (+0.5 units) in these starts. The OVER is 3-3. (-0.4 units)

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LA ANGELS (12 - 22) at CHI WHITE SOX (14 - 18) - 8:10 PM
TOMMY HANSON (R) vs. DYLAN AXELROD (R)
Top Trends for this game.
LA ANGELS are 12-22 (-15.0 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
LA ANGELS are 5-13 (-9.9 Units) against the money line in road games this season.
LA ANGELS are 12-22 (-15.0 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
LA ANGELS are 6-17 (-15.4 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
LA ANGELS are 10-19 (-13.8 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
LA ANGELS are 245-182 (+46.3 Units) against the money line when playing on Friday since 1997.
CHI WHITE SOX are 37-46 (-15.0 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 2 seasons.
CHI WHITE SOX are 18-26 (-14.2 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 2 seasons.
CHI WHITE SOX are 40-48 (-26.2 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 3 seasons.

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

TOMMY HANSON vs. CHI WHITE SOX since 1997
HANSON is 0-1 when starting against CHI WHITE SOX with an ERA of 22.07 and a WHIP of 3.815.
His team's record is 0-1 (-1.2 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 0-1. (-1.2 units)

DYLAN AXELROD vs. LA ANGELS since 1997
No recent starts.

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TEXAS (21 - 13) at HOUSTON (10 - 25) - 8:10 PM
ALEXI OGANDO (R) vs. DALLAS KEUCHEL (L)
Top Trends for this game.
TEXAS is 58-55 (-20.6 Units) against the money line after a win over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 65-131 (-40.8 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 55-111 (-41.6 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 3 seasons.
HOUSTON is 208-252 (-61.2 Units) against the money line in May games since 1997.
HOUSTON is 6-22 (-15.5 Units) against the money line in home games when playing on Friday over the last 3 seasons.
HOUSTON is 65-131 (-40.8 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 46-97 (-33.4 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 40-89 (-32.2 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 1-15 (-12.9 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
TEXAS is 2-1 (+0.4 Units) against HOUSTON this season
2 of 3 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+0.8 Units)

ALEXI OGANDO vs. HOUSTON since 1997
OGANDO is 1-0 when starting against HOUSTON with an ERA of 0.00 and a WHIP of 0.790.
His team's record is 1-0 (+1.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-1. (-1.1 units)

DALLAS KEUCHEL vs. TEXAS since 1997
KEUCHEL is 0-0 when starting against TEXAS with an ERA of 1.80 and a WHIP of 1.600.
His team's record is 0-1 (-1.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 0-1. (-1.2 units)

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

OAKLAND (18 - 18) at SEATTLE (16 - 19) - 10:10 PM
DANIEL STRAILY (R) vs. HISASHI IWAKUMA (R)
Top Trends for this game.
OAKLAND is 95-143 (-41.5 Units) against the money line in road games in May games since 1997.
IWAKUMA is 15-8 (+11.7 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
IWAKUMA is 8-2 (+8.3 Units) against the money line when the total is 7 or less over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
IWAKUMA is 10-3 (+9.2 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
IWAKUMA is 7-1 (+8.1 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 7 or less over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
IWAKUMA is 14-7 (+11.4 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
OAKLAND is 114-89 (+36.0 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
OAKLAND is 35-26 (+12.0 Units) against the money line when the total is 7 or less over the last 2 seasons.
OAKLAND is 53-49 (+16.0 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
OAKLAND is 13-3 (+10.3 Units) against the money line against division opponents this season.
OAKLAND is 108-83 (+33.8 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
OAKLAND is 79-53 (+35.0 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
OAKLAND is 76-55 (+28.9 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
OAKLAND is 51-28 (+24.3 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
SEATTLE is 2-2 (+0.3 Units) against OAKLAND this season
3 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+2.0 Units)

DANIEL STRAILY vs. SEATTLE since 1997
STRAILY is 0-0 when starting against SEATTLE with an ERA of 6.24 and a WHIP of 1.617.
His team's record is 1-0 (+1.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-0. (+1.0 units)

HISASHI IWAKUMA vs. OAKLAND since 1997
IWAKUMA is 1-1 when starting against OAKLAND with an ERA of 4.65 and a WHIP of 1.034.
His team's record is 1-1 (+0.2 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-0. (+2.0 units)

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SAN DIEGO (16 - 18) at TAMPA BAY (16 - 18) - 7:10 PM
EDINSON VOLQUEZ (R) vs. ALEX COBB (R)
Top Trends for this game.
TAMPA BAY is 94-39 (+30.7 Units) against the money line as a home favorite of -150 to -175 since 1997.
SAN DIEGO is 433-487 (+44.5 Units) against the money line in road games against right-handed starters since 1997.
SAN DIEGO is 36-24 (+24.2 Units) against the money line in road games after shutting out their opponent since 1997.
SAN DIEGO is 48-42 (+14.4 Units) against the money line after a win over the last 2 seasons.

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

EDINSON VOLQUEZ vs. TAMPA BAY since 1997
VOLQUEZ is 1-0 when starting against TAMPA BAY with an ERA of 4.27 and a WHIP of 1.106.
His team's record is 1-0 (+1.6 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-1. (-1.1 units)

ALEX COBB vs. SAN DIEGO since 1997
No recent starts.




Believe in the 3 G's
GIRLS, GOLF,GAMBLING not in any particular order.

Old Post 05-10-13 06:09 PM
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MLB
Armadillo's Write-Up

Friday, May 10

Hot pitchers
-- Samardzija is 0-1, 3.18 in his last three starts.
-- Cingrani is 2-0, 2.63 in four starts this season. Gallardo is 3-0, 3.51 in his last four starts.
-- Miller is 4-2, 2.50 in six starts this season.
-- Fernandez is 1-0, 1.64 in his last two starts.
-- Hudson is 2-0, 2.51 in his last couple starts.

-- Volquez is 3-0, 2.33 in his last three starts. Cobb is 3-0, 3.21 in last four.

-- Detroit won last four Scherzer starts (2-0, 2.35 in last two).
-- Orioles won last five Hammel starts (4-0, 4.66) scoring 37 runs.
-- Hughes is 2-0, 1.93 in his last four starts.
-- Axelrod is 0-1, 2.75 in his last three starts. Hanson is 1-0, 2.65 in his last three starts.
-- Ogando is 1-1, 3.00 in his last couple starts.
-- Iwakuma is 5-1, 2.01 in seven starts this season.

Cold pitchers
-- Detwiler is 0-3, 5.06 in his last three starts.
-- Rodriguez is 0-3, 7.80 in his last three starts. Marcum is 0-1, 6.48 in two starts for the Mets.
-- Garland is 1-2, 6.60 in his last three starts.
-- Kennedy is 0-1, 6.39 in his last two starts. Cloyd was 2-2, 4.91 in six starts for Phillies LY; this is his first '13 start.
-- Magill is 0-0, 7.88 in two starts for the Dodgers.
-- Cain is 1-1, 5.68 in his last four starts.

-- Kluber is 1-1, 3.55 in two starts this season.
-- Lester has a 6.11 RA in his last three starts. 39-year old Ortiz has started 214 big league games, but only four since '07, two in '10, two in '11.
-- Pelfrey is 1-2, 5.63 in his last three starts.
-- Davis is 2-2, 6.00 in six starts, three great starts, three hideous ones.
-- Keuchel was 3-8, 5.27 in 27 starts LY; this is his first '13 start. He is 0-1, 4.96 in 16 IP in relief this season.
-- Straily has a 5.93 RA in three starts, but A's won all three, scoring 23 runs.

Starting Pitchers/First Inning
You can wager on whether teams will score in first inning. Below is how often a starting pitcher has allowed 1+ runs in first inning in one of his starts........
-- Samardzija 3-7 (3 of last 4); Detwiler 2-6 (2 of last 2)
-- Rodriguez 2-6; Marcum 0-2
-- Gallardo 2-7; Cingrani 1-4
-- Garland 3-6; Miller 1-6
-- Cloyd 0-0; Kennedy 3-7 (2 of last 2)
-- Fernandez 1-6; Magill 1-2
-- Hudson 1-7; Cain 2-7

-- Kluber 0-2; Scherzer 1-6
-- Ortiz 0-0; Lester 1-7
-- Hammel 2-7; Pelfrey 3-6
-- Hughes 3-6; Davis 2-6
-- Hanson 2-5; Axelrod 2-6
-- Ogando 1-7; Keuchel 0-0
-- Straily 1-3; Iwakuma 2-7

-- Volquez 3-7 (0 of last 3); Cobb 1-6.

Totals
-- Five of last six Cub games went over the total.
-- Nine of last thirteen Pittsburgh games went over the total.
-- Last six Cincinnati games went over the total.
-- Six of last nine Colorado games went over the total.
-- 11 of last 15 Philly road games stayed under the total.
-- 11 of last 13 games at Dodger Stadium went over.
-- 11 of last 14 Atlanta games went over the total.

-- Last eleven Tampa Bay games went over the total.

-- Under is 5-0 in Cleveland's road series openers.
-- Over is 6-3-1 in the last ten games at Fenway Park.
-- Over is 6-2-1 in Baltimore's last nine road games.
-- Five of last six Kansas City games stayed under total.
-- Seven of Angels' last ten games went over the total.
-- Over is 11-4-1 in Houston's last sixteen home games.
-- 14 of 19 Oakland road games went over the total.

Hot teams
-- Nationals won six of their last seven games.
-- Mets won four of their last six games.
-- Reds are 9-4 in their last thirteen home games.
-- Cardinals won seven of their last eight games.
-- Arizona won five of its last six games.
-- Atlanta won four of its last five games.

-- San Diego won six of its last seven games overall. Rays won nine of their last 13 home games.

-- Indians won ten of their last eleven games. Detroit won nine of its last twelve games, but lost last two.
-- Twins won their last three games, scoring 26 runs. Baltimore is 7-4 in its last eleven road games.
-- Royals won four of their last five home games. Bronx won eight of its last twelve road games.
-- Mariners won five of their last seven home games.

Cold teams
-- Cubs lost five of their last seven games.
-- Pirates lost four of their last five games.
-- Brewers lost six of their last seven games.
-- Rockies lost seven of their last eleven games.
-- Phillies lost nine of their last thirteen games.
-- Miami is 5-14 on the road. Dodgers lost their last six games.
-- Giants lost three of their last four games.

-- Blue Jays lost nine of their last twelve road games. Red Sox lost last three games, allowing 26 runs.
-- Oakland lost ten of its last thirteen road games.
-- Angels lost nine of their last twelve games. White Sox are 3-5 in their last eight home games.
-- Houston lost seven of its last nine games. Rangers lost four of their last five away games.
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Believe in the 3 G's
GIRLS, GOLF,GAMBLING not in any particular order.

Old Post 05-10-13 06:11 PM
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Armadillo: Friday's six-pack

Odds to win the NBA championship, heading into Friday's games.......

Miami Heat 1-4-- Popular belief is that Game 1 vs Bulls was a fluke.

San Antonio Spurs 7-2-- Led for 11 of first 106 minutes vs Warriors.

Memphis Grizzlies 7-1-- Good month to be Lionel Hollins' agent.

Oklahoma City Thunder 8-1-- Need Martin to score consistently.

Indiana Pacers 12-1-- Won both home games vs Knicks this season.

New York Knicks 15-1-- Get Stoudamire back for Game 3.

Golden State Warriors 15-1-- Where Jerry West goes, winning follows.

Chicago Bulls 35-1-- Michael Jordan ain't walking thru those doors.


*****

Armadillo: Friday's List of 13: Clearing out a cluttered mind..........

13) I went to the minor league ballgame here in Las Vegas last night, so I missed the 4:07 Angel-Astro game, where the Halos rallied late for a 6-5 win, after the unpires screwed up another administrative issue.

When you put a relief pitcher in, he has to face a batter before you can take him out, unless he is hurt; somehow, Wesley Wright came into the game and then left without throwing a pitch-- thats against the rules.

12) So had the Angels lost, they probably would've won their protest and would've had to go back to Houston to replay the last couple innings. Very bad week for the umpires' union.

11) Astros have now played 35 games, and lost 19 of them by more than a run, so if you like to lay 1.5 runs, betting against Houston could work.

10) Bucs' DB Ronde Barber retired after 16 years with Tampa Bay; he is only player ever with 40+ INTs and 20+ sacks.

9) Minnesota Vikings are getting a new stadium, will use Minnesota Gophers' stadium in 2014-15, or until the new stadium is finished.

8) Batters who have come to bat with most men on base this season: Prince Fielder 123, Miguel Cabrera 121, Dustin Pedroia 119.

7) Batters who knocked the highest %age of baserunners in, with minimum of 80 AB's: Freddie Freeman 30.4%, Allen Craig 26.7%, Alex Gordon 26.0%.

6) Batters who knocked the lowest %age of baserunners in, with minimum of 80 AB's: Alex Avila 2.7%, Darwin Barney 3.8% BJ Upton 4.3%.

5) 106 minutes have been played in Warrior-Spur series; Golden State led for 95 of those 106 minutes.

4) Gary Barta is AD at Iowa; he thinks its a good idea for the Hawkeyes to play I-AA teams in football, which is another way of saying he endorses xharging his fans I-A prices to see easier wins, glorified scrimmages. For the love of Pete, go play a Sun Belt team- you'll still win.

3) Carl Crawford makes $20M a year; he has hit five solo homers, but has also come to bat with 53 men on base, knocking in three of them. I'll repeat, he makes $20M a year, and ranks 226th out of 234 players who have 80+ plate appearances, in terms of the %age of runners knocked in. Does Theo Epstein get drug tested? He gave Crawford $140M for seven years. .

2) Knicks are getting Amare Stoudemire back for Game 3 Saturday night at Conseco; will his presence screw up New York's chemistry? I'm just asking, not saying it will.

1) How is Angel Hernandez the chief of an umpiring crew? Don't you have to be one of the better unpires to be a crew chief? Hello?!?!?!?
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Old Post 05-10-13 06:12 PM
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Date WLT Pct Net Units Record

05/09/13 10-_10-_0 50.00% -_155 Detail
05/08/13 13-_13-_0 50.00% -_880 Detail
05/07/13 15-_12-_0 55.56% +_985 Detail
05/06/13 8-_10-_0 44.44% -_1870 Detail
05/05/13 15-_11-_1 57.69% +_1790 Detail
05/04/13 11-_16-_1 40.74% -_2375 Detail
05/03/13 12-_16-_0 42.86% -_2225 Detail
05/02/13 6-_7-_0 46.15% -_1090 Detail
05/01/13 19-_11-_0 63.33% +_4395 Detail

Totals 109-_106-_2 50.70% -_1425




Friday, May 10

Game Score Status Pick Amount

Chi. Cubs - 7:05 PM ET Chi. Cubs +124 500 POD # 4
Washington - Over 7.5 500

Cleveland - 7:08 PM ET Cleveland +179 500 POD # 1
Detroit - Under 8.5 500

Toronto - 7:10 PM ET Boston -202 500
Boston - Over 9 500

Milwaukee - 7:10 PM ET Cincinnati -139 500
Cincinnati - Over 7.5 500

Pittsburgh - 7:10 PM ET Pittsburgh -108 500
NY Mets - Under 7.5 500

San Diego - 7:10 PM ET Tampa Bay -172 500
Tampa Bay - Under 8 500

Baltimore - 8:10 PM ET Baltimore -114 500
Minnesota - Over 8.5 500

LA Angels - 8:10 PM ET Chi. White Sox -125 500
Chi. White Sox - Over 8.5 500

Texas - 8:10 PM ET Houston +187 500 POD # 2
Houston - Under 9 500

NY Yankees - 8:10 PM ET NY Yankees +107 500
Kansas City - Under 8 500

Colorado - 8:15 PM ET St. Louis -161 500
St. Louis - Over 7.5 500

Philadelphia - 9:40 PM ET Arizona -162 500
Arizona - Over 9.5 500

Miami - 10:10 PM ET Miami +128 500 POD # 3
LA Dodgers - Over 7 500

Oakland - 10:10 PM ET Seattle -122 500
Seattle - Under 7 500

Atlanta - 10:15 PM ET San Francisco -118 500
San Francisco - Under 6.5 500




Believe in the 3 G's
GIRLS, GOLF,GAMBLING not in any particular order.

Old Post 05-10-13 11:43 PM
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Preview: Blue Jays (13-24) at Red Sox (22-14)

Game: 2
Venue: Fenway Park
Date: May 11, 2013 1:35 PM EDT


After ending their slide behind one of the top left-handers in baseball, the Boston Red Sox hope their elite right-hander can put together a similar effort.

Clay Buchholz, coming off his worst performance of the year, tries again to notch his major league-leading seventh win Saturday by dominating the Toronto Blue Jays for the second time in two weeks.

Boston (22-14) avoided its seventh loss in eight games behind Jon Lester's masterpiece Friday to open this three-game set at Fenway Park.

The southpaw fired a one-hitter in a 5-0 win over the Blue Jays to snap the team's three-game losing streak. Lester didn't walk a batter while improving to 5-0.

"He carved us up pretty good," Toronto manager John Gibbons told MLB's official website. "It happens. We're a free-swinging team, there's no question about that."

It doesn't figure to get any easier for Gibbons' club as they face Buchholz (6-0, 1.60 ERA), who joins Tampa Bay's Matt Moore and Washington's Jordan Zimmermann as the majors' only six-game winners.

Buchholz, also among baseball's best in ERA, won his first six outings before leaving without a victory Monday. He allowed a season-high four runs and seven hits over a season-low six innings in a 6-5 home win over Minnesota.

"I didn't do anything differently," said Buchholz, who has 44 strikeouts in 36 2-3 innings at Fenway. "I gave up runs."

Buchholz had won his previous start May 1 in Toronto, giving up two hits and striking out eight over seven shutout innings in a 10-1 victory. He's 6-1 with a 1.67 ERA in nine starts versus the Blue Jays since the start of 2010.

Adam Lind has the most at_bats versus Buchholz among all major leaguers, going 11 for 37 (.297) with two homers, but has only two hits in the last 13 against him. Buchholz has been particularly tough on Edwin Encarnacion (1 for 18) and J.P. Arencibia (0 for 14).

Since hitting .357 with eight homers and 24 runs over a three-game winning streak, the Blue Jays (13-24) are batting .182 with one homer and eight RBIs in three straight losses.

Brett Lawrie is in a 2-for-28 slump and Colby Rasmus is 2 for 17 in his last five.

Toronto's offensive woes don't bode well for the struggling Mark Buehrle (1-2, 7.02), who has one of the highest ERAs in the majors and hasn't won since April 15.

The left-hander is 0-2 with an 8.50 ERA over his last three starts while yielding eight home runs. He's allowed six homers over his last two outings against the Red Sox, including three in the May 1 loss to Buchholz.

Buehrle is 0-4 with a 5.50 ERA in his past six starts against Boston.

David Ortiz is 6 for 16 with four extra-base hits off Buehrle in that span and has a .359 career average against him, but he enters in an 0-for-13 drought.

Dustin Pedroia, 2 for 3 with an RBI on Friday, is hitting .487 with seven RBIs in his last 10 games at Fenway.

Shane Victorino (9 for 21) and Jarrod Saltalamacchia (7 for 14) also have heated up in five home games this week.

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

SERIES AT A GLANCE
GAME 1
Blue Jays at Red Sox
Fri, May 10 Final 0 to 5
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Blue Jays at Red Sox
Sat, May 11 - 1:35PM EDT

GAME 3
Blue Jays at Red Sox
Sun, May 12 - 1:35PM EDT




Believe in the 3 G's
GIRLS, GOLF,GAMBLING not in any particular order.

Old Post 05-11-13 03:09 PM
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Preview: Cubs (13-22) at Nationals (20-15)

Game: 2
Venue: Nationals Park
Date: May 11, 2013 4:05 PM EDT


With recent injury concerns seemingly behind him, Stephen Strasburg hopes to avoid matching the longest winless stretch of his career.

Strasburg looks to win for the first time since opening day and help extend the Washington Nationals' season-high winning streak Saturday when they host the Chicago Cubs.

After firing seven shutout innings to beat Miami on April 1, the ace right-hander has gone 0-4 with a 4.10 ERA over his last six starts.

The Nationals (20-15) had dropped five straight with Strasburg (1-4, 3.45 ERA) starting before a 5-4 win at Pittsburgh on Saturday, when he struck out eight and allowed four runs over seven innings.

Strasburg showed no signs of discomfort after general manager Mike Rizzo confirmed he was experiencing some irritation in his right forearm following a start against Atlanta on April 29.

"I was absolutely happy about getting through the seventh inning," Strasburg said. "The biggest thing is to give your team a chance to win the ballgame. Not every game are you going to be lights out and hitting every spot."

He went a career-worst seven straight starts without a win from Aug. 10, 2010-Sept. 23, 2011, undergoing Tommy John surgery in the middle of that stretch.

Now he'll try to lift the Nationals to a sixth win in a row as they continue a three-game set against the Cubs (13-22).

In his only start versus Chicago, Strasburg yielded one run and five hits over seven innings in a 2-1 win at Wrigley Field on April 5, 2012.

Despite playing without Bryce Harper and Jayson Werth, the Nationals won 7-3 in Friday's series opener behind Ian Desmond's two-run homer and RBI double.

"When your 3-hole hitter's out of there," manager Davey Johnson said, referring to Harper, "and you score a bunch of runs, that's big."

While Harper (ingrown toenail) is expected to be available Saturday, Werth could be headed to the disabled list because of a hamstring injury that has kept him out since May 2.

Harper is 6 for 13 with four extra-base hits - including two homers - lifetime against the Cubs, who have lost six of eight.

After winning 10 games for the Nationals last season, scheduled starter Edwin Jackson (0-5, 6.39) is still searching for his first victory as a Cub. He's been particularly bad in losing his last two outings, giving up 12 runs and 19 hits in 9 2-3 innings.

"Been a slow start to say the least. Not exactly how I had it envisioned," said Jackson, who has a 9.00 ERA in four home starts but 3.18 in three road games.

The right-hander's only career start against the Nationals came in 2011, striking out eight over seven shutout innings in a 9-5 loss while with the Chicago White Sox.

Jackson must be wary of Adam LaRoche, who has hit safely in seven straight overall (11 for 21) and seven in a row versus the Cubs while batting .571 with seven homers and 12 RBIs. Desmond also has been ripping apart Chicago pitching, hitting .440 with three homers, four doubles and eight RBIs in the last six meetings.

The Cubs have lost the last five matchups with the Nationals even with Starlin Castro hitting .412 during an eight-game hitting streak against them.

Castro had two hits Friday as did teammate Anthony Rizzo, who is batting .450 with seven doubles and seven RBIs over his last 10 games.

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

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Cubs at Nationals
Fri, May 10 Final 3 to 7
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Cubs at Nationals
Sat, May 11 - 4:05PM EDT

GAME 3
Cubs at Nationals
Sun, May 12 - 1:35PM EDT




Believe in the 3 G's
GIRLS, GOLF,GAMBLING not in any particular order.

Old Post 05-11-13 03:13 PM
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Preview: Braves (21-14) at Giants (21-15)

Game: 3
Venue: AT&T Park
Date: May 11, 2013 4:05 PM EDT


The addition of Marco Scutaro last season was a big reason the San Francisco Giants went on to win their second World Series in three years.

He's now keying their recent surge.

Scutaro looks to continue his offensive barrage as the Giants go for a second straight win over the Atlanta Braves on Saturday.

San Francisco (21-15) acquired Scutaro from Colorado for fellow second baseman Charlie Culberson on July 27, a seemingly innocuous move to bolster the infield.

Instead, the journeyman proceeded to become one of the Giants' best hitters, batting .362 with 44 RBIs and 40 runs in 61 regular-season games. He followed that up with a .328 average in the postseason, being named MVP of the NL championship series.

Now, he's at it again.

The 37-year-old Scutaro - a career .276 hitter - has a .487 average with nine runs during a 10-game hitting streak. He kept that run going with two hits and two RBIs in Friday's 8-2 win over Atlanta (21-14), as the Giants won for the eighth time in 11 tries.

They fell 6-3 in the opener of this four-game set a day earlier.

Scutaro also had two hits in that game, and he's 8 for 23 in six games versus the Braves since joining the Giants. He had a .169 average over his first 23 career matchups.

Madison Bumgarner (3-1, 2.31 ERA) will take the mound looking to beat the Braves for the first time since Game 4 of the 2010 NL division series. He allowed two runs in six innings as the Giants eliminated Atlanta en route to their first championship since moving to San Francisco.

Since then, Bumgarner is 0-3 with a 4.30 ERA in four starts against the Braves, losing both home outings while surrendering eight runs with six walks in nine innings.

The left-hander enters this meeting with a 2.73 ERA in his last four starts, but he has an 0-1 record to show for it since he's been backed by four total runs.

Bumgarner didn't do himself any favors Monday, giving up a season-high five runs in six innings of a 6-2 loss to Philadelphia.

"My command was not as sharp as it has been," Bumgarner told the team's official website.

He'll have to contend with a hot-hitting Brian McCann, who has five hits - two homers - and seven RBIs in the past three games. He hit a two-run shot into McCovey Cove on Friday in his fourth contest since returning from offseason shoulder surgery.

"I've felt good since spring training and I carried it into the season and on my rehab stints," McCann said.

The six-time All-Star catcher certainly feels good in San Francisco, hitting .337 in 26 career games there, including the playoffs. Both of his hits in eight career at_bats against Bumgarner were home runs - one in the 2010 NLDS.

Unlike McCann, Paul Maholm (4-3, 3.09) has struggled at AT&T Park, going 0-2 with a 4.76 ERA in five career starts while allowing the Giants to hit .345.

The left-hander, though, enters this meeting as one of the Braves' more reliable starters, yielding two runs or fewer in five of his seven outings. He ended a three-start losing streak Monday, allowing two runs and four hits with six strikeouts in 5 2-3 innings of a 7-4 win at Cincinnati.

Bench coach Carlos Tosca will serve the second of two scheduled games as the Braves' interim manager in place of Fredi Gonzalez, who is in Georgia to attend his daughter's college graduation.

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

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Braves at Giants
Thu, May 9 Final 6 to 3
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Braves at Giants
Fri, May 10 Final 2 to 8
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Braves at Giants
Sat, May 11 - 4:05PM EDT

GAME 4
Braves at Giants
Sun, May 12 - 4:05PM EDT




Believe in the 3 G's
GIRLS, GOLF,GAMBLING not in any particular order.

Old Post 05-11-13 03:16 PM
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Preview: Brewers (15-18) at Reds (20-16)

Game: 2
Venue: Great American Ball Park
Date: May 11, 2013 4:10 PM EDT


The Cincinnati Reds are off to their best home start in 19 years.

Giving the ball to Mat Latos is likely to keep it that way.

Latos looks to become the first Reds pitcher in nine years to win eight straight decisions Saturday in a matchup with the struggling Milwaukee Brewers.

Cincinnati (20-16) is proving to be much better at home than on the road, winning a major league-best 14 times on its own field against six losses. It's the Reds' best start to their home schedule since going 15-5 at Riverfront Stadium in 1994.

They won again at home Friday, opening this series with a 4-3 win over Milwaukee (15-18), beating the NL Central rival for the eighth time in 10 home meetings.

Latos (3-0, 2.23 ERA) is looking to make it nine in 11, as he goes for a career-high eighth consecutive winning decision, which would be Cincinnati's longest winning streak since Paul Wilson won nine in a row Aug. 17, 2003-May 25, 2004.

Latos is 7-0 with a 2.25 ERA while holding opponents to a .225 average over his last 14 starts - 12 ending in Reds wins. The right-hander's streak includes a 1.50 ERA while winning each of his last three trips to the mound, and he went 1-0 with a 1.17 ERA in three starts versus the Brewers last year.

"If he has the kind of finish he had, who knows what he can do? Especially a young person that has the experience he's had and the time already, the next best thing is to try and keep him healthy," manager Dusty Baker told the team's official website. "He'll get better and better and better.

"We'd like to take him deeper in the games. That's the next step for him."

Latos didn't do that Monday, when he battled an illness as well as the Chicago Cubs to earn a 7-4 win in his shortest outing of the season. He tossed four scoreless innings before giving up three runs and leaving after the fifth.

While Latos is coming through on the mound, Brandon Phillips is on a tear at the plate. The second baseman is batting .357 with 10 RBIs in 11 games. He had an RBI single and a solo homer Friday, also turning a spectacular bare-handed double play to end the seventh.

The Brewers have lost seven of eight games this month thanks in large part to a 7.07 ERA from the rotation.

Now, they're scheduled to turn to Hiram Burgos (1-0, 3.00) for the first time since a 6-4 loss to Pittsburgh on May 1. The rookie right-hander didn't get a decision after giving up a pair of solo homers in seven innings.

A coupe of days off earlier this week caused Burgos to wait longer than usual for his fourth start, but he isn't concerned with the long layoff.

"I had to do it because the team needed it, and I was fine with that," Burgos told the team's official website. "I was still on the mound. I did my workouts. My arm feels good.

"(It's) more mental. I'm ready to pitch. Like I always say, I want the ball."

Brewers slugger Ryan Braun is hitting .419 over his last 11 games, but he has just four RBIs in that span with one coming on his eighth homer Friday. His 14 homers at Great American Ball Park are his highest total for any road venue.

Braun, though, is 1 for 14 with five strikeouts versus Latos.

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

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Brewers at Reds
Fri, May 10 Final 3 to 4
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Brewers at Reds
Sat, May 11 - 4:10PM EDT

GAME 3
Brewers at Reds
Sun, May 12 - 1:10PM EDT




Believe in the 3 G's
GIRLS, GOLF,GAMBLING not in any particular order.

Old Post 05-11-13 03:18 PM
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Preview: Padres (16-19) at Rays (17-18)

Game: 2
Venue: Tropicana Field
Date: May 11, 2013 6:10 PM EDT


The Tampa Bay Rays' homestand got off to a bad start, but they're starting to pick up steam.

The break-even point is within reach Saturday night when the Rays will face San Diego Padres right-hander Burch Smith in his major league debut.

After opening with 18 of their first 30 on the road, the Rays (17-18) were hoping to make the most out of this extended run at Tropicana Field. Tampa Bay, though, lost two straight to Toronto to open the 10-game stretch, beginning with an 8-7 defeat Monday when it led by seven after three innings.

The Rays have bounced back nicely, winning two in a row over the Blue Jays and opening this three-game series with a 6-3 come-from-behind victory Friday. They scored four times in the seventh on two-run singles from Ryan Roberts and Ben Zobrist.

Tampa Bay, 11-6 at home, was last at .500 on April 7 when it was 3-3.

Jeremy Hellickson (1-2, 4.79 ERA) will try to get the Rays back there. The right-hander, though, is 0-1 with a 6.75 ERA in his last three outings after a disappointing effort Monday when he lasted five innings after being staked to a 7-0 advantage. It was the first time Tampa Bay lost a lead of at least seven runs since an 11-10 loss to Cleveland on May 25, 2009.

"I just couldn't put away guys with two strikes," Hellickson, who walked four and yielded three runs, told the Rays' official website. "... It's pretty frustrating."

San Diego (16-19) has to feel that way after striking out a season-worst 18 times Friday. Alex Cobb struck out 13 Padres in 4 2-3 innings, including four in the second. The only other time a Ray struck out four in one inning was Hellickson on Aug. 25, 2011.

Smith will get his first start after getting called up from Double-A San Antonio to replace Clayton Richard, who was placed on the 15-day disabled list with an intestinal virus.

Saturday was actually Andrew Cashner's turn in the rotation as the Padres had an off day Thursday, but he'll start Tuesday in Baltimore with Eric Stults getting the ball in Sunday's series finale.

That opens the door for the 23-year-old Smith, a 14th-round pick in 2011 out of Oklahoma. He struck out 37 with six walks this spring and went 1-2 with a 1.15 ERA in six starts with San Antonio.

"He's got a big arm and a good, sound delivery," manager Bud Black told the Padres' official website. "He's thrown very well this season in Double-A. Our front office thinks very highly of this guy."

Smith might need to be at his best as he'll face a Rays team hitting .297 and averaging 6.5 runs over the last 12 games.

Corner infielders Evan Longoria and James Loney are batting a combined .414 (41 for 99) with 20 RBIs during that stretch.

Padres right fielder Will Venable has three of his team-best five homers in the last five games after going deep Friday.

Carlos Quentin also homered for San Diego after beginning the series on an 0-for-19 skid to open May. Quentin is batting .316 with six homers and 11 RBIs in his last 11 games at Tropicana Field.

Tampa Bay is trying to equal a season high with a fourth consecutive home win.

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

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Padres at Rays
Fri, May 10 Final 3 to 6
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Padres at Rays
Sat, May 11 - 6:10PM EDT

GAME 3
Padres at Rays
Sun, May 12 - 1:40PM EDT




Believe in the 3 G's
GIRLS, GOLF,GAMBLING not in any particular order.

Old Post 05-11-13 03:20 PM
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Preview: Indians (18-15) at Tigers (20-13)

Game: 2
Venue: Comerica Park
Date: May 11, 2013 7:08 PM EDT


Justin Verlander has been the same old workhorse for the Detroit Tigers, but manager Jim Leyland is still being cautious not to overwork his ace.

The Cleveland Indians, meanwhile, are getting more consistency from Ubaldo Jimenez, who looks to win a third consecutive start Saturday night at Comerica Park.

Verlander (4-2, 1.55 ERA) is having another stellar season, ranking second in the AL in ERA while allowing two or fewer runs in six of his seven outings.

He took a no-hitter into the seventh before allowing a pair of singles in a 9-0 win over Houston on Sunday, exiting after that inning with nine strikeouts and 116 pitches.

Though Verlander has led the majors in pitches per start in each of the last four years and his 109.3 average this season is second to the Los Angeles Angels' C.J. Wilson (110.3), Leyland didn't plan to push him much longer even if the no-hitter remained intact.

The right-hander has thrown at least 111 pitches five times - including a season-high 126 against Seattle on April 18 - despite not pitching more than 7 1-3 innings in any outing.

"I would have done what I felt was the best thing to do for Justin Verlander's career and the Detroit Tigers," Leyland said. "I would have been caught up in a no-hitter like everyone else and there's nothing wrong with that. But you can't do a silly thing."

Verlander has hit triple digits in pitches in 10 straight starts versus Cleveland, going 6-3 with a 3.04 ERA and two complete games in that span. He's 4-0 with a 2.00 ERA in his last five home starts against the Indians (18-15), who lost for the second time in 12 games after falling 10-4 on Friday.

Prince Fielder hit a 460-foot solo homer in the third and Miguel Cabrera, leading the majors with 40 RBIs, hit a long three-run shot in the fourth for the Tigers (20-13), who have won six of seven at home.

"When you get RBIs, that means people are on base, obviously," Leyland said. "We've done a good job of that for (Cabrera), and he's taken advantage of that."

Cabrera is 12 for 35 (.343) with a homer and three doubles off Jimenez, who will look to win three straight starts for the first time since July 2011.

Jimenez (2-2, 6.37) had a solid performance in his first outing April 3, but he allowed 18 runs over 11 innings while going 0-2 in his following three starts.

The right-hander has been solid over his last two outings, though, giving up three hits in seven innings of a 9-0 win over Kansas City on April 29 before striking out eight in 5 2-3 innings of Monday's 7-3 victory over Oakland.

"It feels good," Jimenez told the Indians' official website. "It feels good to be able to go out there and compete and give your team a chance to win."

Jimenez's history at Comerica Park isn't all that encouraging, though, as he's gone 1-6 with a 7.45 ERA in seven starts. Cleveland is 8-29 in its last 37 contests in Detroit.

Nick Swisher went 3 for 4 on Friday and is batting .389 with two homers during a five-game hitting streak, but he's 11 for 61 (.180) with 23 strikeouts against Verlander, including the postseason.

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

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Indians at Tigers
Fri, May 10 Final 4 to 10
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Indians at Tigers
Sat, May 11 - 7:08PM EDT

GAME 3
Indians at Tigers
Sun, May 12 - 1:08PM EDT




Believe in the 3 G's
GIRLS, GOLF,GAMBLING not in any particular order.

Old Post 05-11-13 03:23 PM
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