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Preview: Marlins (8-22) at Phillies (14-16)
Game: 4
Venue: Citizens Bank Park
Date: May 05, 2013 2:35 PM EDT
Just when it seemed he was getting back on track, Philadelphia Phillies starter Roy Halladay turned in a performance reminiscent of his dreadful first couple outings of the season.
The Miami Marlins, meanwhile, can't seem to give Kevin Slowey enough offensive help to earn a win no matter how well he pitches.
While Halladay looks to bounce back with another solid effort against light-hitting Miami, Slowey gets another crack at his first major league victory in more than 2 1/2 years in the conclusion of this four-game set Sunday in Philadelphia.
After allowing 12 runs over 7 1-3 combined innings while dropping his first two starts, Halladay (2-3, 6.75 ERA) rebounded to go 2-0 with a 1.71 ERA in the following three.
The right-hander couldn't keep the momentum going, though, allowing eight runs and nine hits - including three homers - in just 3 2-3 innings of a 14-2 loss Tuesday at Cleveland.
Halladay is staying positive despite the setback.
"I'm not discouraged at all," said Halladay, who has an 8.15 ERA in his last eight starts dating back to last season. "I feel like we've really come a long ways, and I feel good about where I am."
Halladay will look to get back to the form he had at Miami on April 13, when he gave up one run and five hits in eight innings of a 2-1 victory. Since joining the Phillies in 2010, Halladay is 8-3 with a 2.73 ERA in 13 starts against the Marlins.
However, he's struggled against two former Phillies teammates who are now with Miami. Greg Dobbs is hitting .429 with a homer and three doubles off Halladay while Placido Polanco is 6 for 17 lifetime against him.
Philadelphia (14-17) was held in check by 20-year-old Jose Hernandez on Saturday and managed only one hit in a 2-0 loss to the NL-worst Marlins (9-22), who had lost three straight.
It marked the second time in four games the Phillies were shut out, and they were held to one hit for the first time since falling to the Los Angeles Dodgers on Aug. 30, 2010.
Miami is more known for being offensively challenged, but solo homers by Chris Valaika and Marcell Ozuna were enough Saturday. The Marlins have not scored more than two runs in any of their six games with Philadelphia this season and haven't done much to back Slowey, who seeks his first big-league win since beating Oakland on Sept. 28, 2010, while with Minnesota.
Slowey (0-2, 2.15) has pitched extremely well in his six outings, but his winless streak hit 22 appearances and 15 starts Tuesday despite giving up one run and four hits with eight strikeouts in eight innings of a 2-1, walk-off win over the New York Mets.
The right-hander, who has battled injuries and spent all of 2012 pitching in the minors, hasn't allowed more than three runs in any outing.
"This guy, he's smart," manager Mike Redmond said. "He has a game plan going out there, and he executes it."
The Marlins, last in the majors in runs scored (84) and worst in the NL in batting average (.226), have totaled four runs of support - zero in four of his outings - in Slowey's 37 2-3 innings. That's easily the worst in baseball among pitchers with at least that many innings.
"We need to get him a win. This is ridiculous," Redmond said. "He's done his part. He deserves it."
The Marlins had lost five straight in Philadelphia prior to Saturday.
Believe in the 3 G's
GIRLS, GOLF,GAMBLING not in any particular order.
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05-05-13 08:06 AM |
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Preview: Red Sox (20-9) at Rangers (18-11)
Game: 3
Venue: Rangers Ballpark in Arlington
Date: May 05, 2013 3:05 PM EDT
Boston's Jon Lester and Texas' Yu Darvish each have started the season strong, but neither was happy with the way they ended April.
With each looking to get back on track, two of the AL's top pitchers square off for the first time Sunday when Darvish tries to help the Rangers complete a three-game sweep of the visiting Red Sox.
Lester (4-0, 3.11 ERA) is coming off the best April, in terms of record, during his eight-year career. The left-hander allowed five runs without a homer and walked four in 26 innings to go 3-0 in his first four starts. However, he's yielded nine runs, two homers and eight walks over 11 2-3 innings while going 1-0 in the last two.
He gave up six runs in six innings of a 9-7 loss at Toronto on Tuesday.
"It was one of those nights for me from pitch one,' Lester said. "I just wasn't able to repeat the ball down in the zone, and that's big. Curveballs just kind of rolled in there and I didn't have a very effective changeup.'
Lester is 3-3 with a 4.57 ERA in 10 starts against the Rangers (19-11), but 0-2 with a 10.29 ERA in his last three.
Darvish (5-1, 2.33) struck out nine but allowed six runs, 11 hits and walked four in 6 2-3 innings of a 9-2 loss at Fenway Park in his only previous appearance against the Red Sox (20-10) on Aug. 6.
The right-hander, though, became the first Texas pitcher in 15 years to win five games in April. Darvish had thrown 18 scoreless innings before the Chicago White Sox scored twice in the first inning Tuesday. They scored two more in the sixth but the Rangers plated six runs in the bottom of the inning and won 10-6.
Despite winning his third straight start, Darvish was not satisfied.
"I really couldn't get into my rhythm from the beginning, and it wasn't really a smooth outing,' he said.
Darvish hopes to improve on that performance and help Texas sweep Boston at home for the third time in five seasons.
Alexi Ogando pitched into the seventh inning and Craig Gentry hit a two-run homer and drove in three runs Saturday for the Rangers, who have outscored the Red Sox 12-1 in the series.
Texas second baseman Ian Kinsler is 5 for 23 (.217) against Lester, but has homered twice off him. He led off Saturday with a home run to extend his hitting streak to 10 games, in which he's batted .432 (19 for 44) with seven RBIs.
Boston averaged 6.8 runs and 11.4 hits while winning seven of eight prior to this series, but the AL East leaders have managed 13 hits and a Daniel Nava run-scoring single against the Rangers.
"Calm the you know what down,' said Boston second baseman Dustin Pedroia, who is 0 for 13 in three games after batting .419 during an eight-game hitting streak. "You're going to go through stretches where one or two or three guys aren't swinging the bat well. We'll bounce back right out of it.'
Red Sox slugger David Ortiz is 2 for 8 in the series, but is batting .447 while hitting safely in all 12 games since making his 2013 debut after recovering from an Achilles injury.
He's never faced Darvish.
Believe in the 3 G's
GIRLS, GOLF,GAMBLING not in any particular order.
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05-05-13 08:08 AM |
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Preview: Orioles (17-13) at Angels (11-18)
Game: 4
Venue: Angel Stadium of Anaheim
Date: May 05, 2013 3:35 PM EDT
The disappointing Los Angeles Angels have had their share of problems, ranging from an injury to ace Jered Weaver to the continuing struggles of Josh Hamilton.
As Jerome Williams becomes the second to step into Weaver's spot in the rotation, Hamilton hopes to get back on track following a day off when Los Angeles hosts the Baltimore Orioles on Sunday to close a four-game set.
The Angels (11-19) haven't yet lived up to expectations, though they have been without Weaver since he suffered a left elbow April 7. Garrett Richards initially filled that vacancy, but he was sent back to the bullpen after going 1-2 with a 5.54 ERA in four starts.
Richards allowed Steve Pearce's RBI single in the 10th inning that gave Baltimore (18-13) a 5-4 victory Saturday.
Williams (1-0, 1.69 ERA) will make his first start of the season after eight relief appearances as Los Angeles looks to earn a split of the series. He gave up an unearned run while pitching six innings of the Angels' 10-8, 19-inning loss at Oakland on Monday.
"The way Jerome has been throwing the ball in his multi-inning looks has been what we expected," manager Mike Scioscia told the team's official website.
Williams, though, lost his last six starts of 2012 while posting a 7.88 ERA. The right-hander has been much better against Baltimore in his career, winning all three starts with a 3.00 ERA.
Whether or not he'll get some help from Hamilton is anyone's guess. Hamilton, who signed a five-year, $125 million contract in the offseason, is hitting .208 after going 1 for 8 with five strikeouts in the first two games of this series. That prompted Scioscia to give him a day off Saturday for the first time this season.
Since hitting four homers at Baltimore while with Texas on May 8, Hamilton is batting .179 with 15 strikeouts in eight games versus the Orioles. He enters Sunday in a 4-for-29 slump and has gone without an extra-base hit in 18 straight games.
"He's just not where he needs to be in the batter's box," Scioscia said. "I don't think it's anything about intimidation or anything about a contract. It's about getting comfortable in the batter's box. And he will."
Hamilton has never faced Jason Hammel (4-1, 3.79), who is scheduled to take the mound as Baltimore concludes an 11-game road trip.
The Orioles improved to 6-4 on the trip Saturday as Manny Machado hit one of their three homers. He's batting .393 with 10 extra-base hits while hitting safely in 12 of his last 13 games.
Pearce went 3 for 4 in only his 11th game this season.
"That's what this team's about - guys getting an opportunity and seizing it," said Tommy Hunter, Saturday's winning pitcher. "It's going to be a different guy every day."
Baltimore has won Hammel's last four starts, and he's 3-0 with a 3.13 ERA in that span but wasn't happy with his performance Tuesday. He failed to go six innings for the first time in six outings but beat Seattle, getting pulled after allowing the first three batters to reach in the sixth and charged with two runs in a 7-2 victory.
"I'm obviously very frustrated because that's not the way to build a winning team, because after a while those innings will start to chew up a bullpen no matter how good they are," Hammel said.
The right-hander has lost each of his three career starts versus the Angels while posting a 7.31 ERA. Hammel has received only one run of support in 16 innings over those outings, and he gave up three runs in 6 2-3 innings of a 3-0 loss in his most recent start versus Los Angeles on July 7.
Believe in the 3 G's
GIRLS, GOLF,GAMBLING not in any particular order.
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05-05-13 08:10 AM |
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Preview: Tigers (17-11) at Astros (8-22)
Game: 4
Venue: Minute Maid Park
Date: May 05, 2013 4:10 PM EDT
Miguel Cabrera, Justin Verlander and the rest of the Detroit Tigers are off to a better start than a year ago when they won the AL pennant.
With their slugger coming off one of the best performances of his career and their ace on the mound, the visiting Tigers try to complete a four-game sweep of the lowly Houston Astros on Sunday.
Cabrera homered twice and matched a career high with six RBIs as Detroit (18-11) won for the ninth time in 11 games, 17-2 on Saturday. Victor Martinez had four RBIs and Torii Hunter added four hits for the Tigers, who pounded out 21 hits en route to their highest-scoring game since an 18-2 rout of the Chicago White Sox on Sept. 4, 2011.
"(Cabrera's) awful good; that's in the books," manager Jim Leyland said. "Obviously he's a special player, but a lot of guys did well."
Now leading the majors with 36 RBIs and a .390 average after winning the AL Triple Crown last year, Cabrera has hit .472 with 19 RBIs over his past 14 games and has four homers in the last seven. He homered in both of his at_bats last year against Philip Humber, Houston's scheduled starter for Sunday.
Cabrera's run to AL MVP honors helped Detroit rally in September to win the Central Division despite being 15-14 at this point last year. The Tigers appear to be a more confident team early this season and are off to their best start since 2007.
"What you witnessed was why they were the American League champions last year," Houston manager Bo Porter said. "They rolled out their A game, and it was pretty impressive."
Hunter also has been impressive in his first year with Detroit, hitting .361 overall and recording seven of his 16 RBIs in his last nine contests.
Verlander (3-2, 1.83 ERA), meanwhile, overcame a blister on his thumb to record the best April of his stellar nine-year career. He allowed no more than one earned run in four of six starts.
The right-hander has gone seven innings in three straight outings but got his first win in that span Tuesday, yielding a run and striking out eight in a 6-1 victory over Minnesota. Prior to this season, Verlander never had an ERA below 2.41 for the month of April.
"Everybody's talking about my velocity being down, but yet I threw the best I have in April," he told the Tigers' official website.
Verlander is 1-0 with a 2.03 ERA in two starts against the Astros (8-23) but has not faced them since 2009.
He'll face a Houston team that has been outscored 41-16 and struck out 55 times during a five-game skid.
Catcher Carlos Corporan homered Saturday for the Astros, who managed six hits overall and three in eight innings off Detroit's Max Scherzer while losing for the ninth time in 10 games. It was the club's most lopsided defeat since a 19-3 loss to Colorado on Sept. 25, 2011.
"The calendar rolls tomorrow, this game is over, and we'll come back (Sunday) focused on the next game," Porter said.
Humber (0-6, 7.58) has allowed 10 runs, 14 hits - including five homers - in 8 2-3 innings while going 0-2 in two starts against the Tigers.
While Verlander enjoyed a strong first month, Humber joined Dave Stewart in 1984 as the only pitchers since 1900 to lose six games in April.
However, the right-hander felt he made some strides in his last outing despite allowing four runs and nine hits with four wild pitches in six innings of a 7-4 loss at Yankee Stadium on Tuesday.
"I feel like I threw the ball well. I'm a little bit frustrated, but it's part of the game," Humber said. "Just keep working harder, keep getting better."
Corporan has appeared in only seven games since April 13 but has gone 10 for 25 with two homers, a double and five RBIs.
Believe in the 3 G's
GIRLS, GOLF,GAMBLING not in any particular order.
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05-05-13 08:11 AM |
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Preview: Rays (13-15) at Rockies (17-12)
Game: 3
Venue: Coors Field
Date: May 05, 2013 4:10 PM EDT
Jhoulys Chacin was off to one of the best starts of his career while helping the Colorado Rockies begin the season on a roll, but the team hasn't won back-to-back games since an injury forced him to miss multiple outings.
Chacin hopes to change that trend Sunday when he returns from a stint on the disabled list as the Rockies host the Tampa Bay Rays in the conclusion of a three-game interleague series.
Colorado began the season 13-4, with Chacin (3-0, 1.46 ERA) allowing four runs in 24 2-3 innings over four starts. The right-hander, though, left his last outing April 19 with a strained back after giving up three hits in 6 1-3 scoreless innings of a 3-1 win over Arizona.
Chacin threw 60 pitches in a simulated game against minor leaguers Tuesday before throwing a bullpen session Wednesday, and he said he's feeling much better.
"Everything is good," Chacin told the team's official website. "I have no problems. I just missed two starts, so I'll do the same thing I was doing - throw strikes, get hitters out, let the defense help me."
The Rockies (18-12) have gone 5-8 since an eight-game win streak, which ended two days after Chacin got hurt, though he's confident the team will get back on track.
"I know the talent that we have, and we're showing it," Chacin said. "We're playing together. Some days we don't hit, but we pitch. Some days we don't pitch well, but we hit. That's how good teams put things together."
The right-hander has never faced Tampa Bay, though Kelly Johnson is 5 for 14 with two homers in his career off Chacin.
Johnson had a two-run single Saturday, giving him eight RBIs in the last six games, but the Rays fell 9-3 for their third loss in four games.
Carlos Gonzalez homered for Colorado and Troy Tulowitzki, 9 for 18 with four doubles and 10 RBIs over his last seven games, went 3 for 3 and drove in three runs.
Nolan Arenado hit a grand slam, giving him two homers and seven RBIs in six games since making his major league debut last Sunday.
"It's a good feeling," Arenado said. "But the main thing is we got the win. So, that was nice."
The Rays (13-16) are 3-5 on their road trip that ends Sunday. James Loney, though, went 3 for 4 with a double Saturday and is 15 for 31 on the trip.
Shortstop Yunel Escobar, hitting only .174, was hit with a pitch on the left wrist in the second inning and was forced to leave the game. He likely won't play Sunday.
"I thought I broke it. I'm happy and grateful it's not broke," Escobar said. "I'll try hard to get back on the field in a couple of days."
Alex Cobb (3-2, 2.55) will take the mound for the Rays looking to bounce back from his worst start of the season.
Six days after going 8 1-3 innings in a 3-0 win over the New York Yankees, Cobb allowed four runs and 10 hits in 5 2-3 innings of an 8-2 loss at Kansas City on Tuesday.
"When I walked off the mound, I think that was the most angry I've ever been after a game," said Cobb, who had pitched into the seventh inning in each of his previous four starts.
The right-hander has never faced the Rockies, though he's 3-1 with a 3.00 ERA in four interleague starts.
Believe in the 3 G's
GIRLS, GOLF,GAMBLING not in any particular order.
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05-05-13 08:13 AM |
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CNOTES
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Preview: Dodgers (13-16) at Giants (18-12)
Game: 2
Venue: AT&T Park
Date: May 04, 2013 9:05 PM EDT
As the reigning NL MVP on a World Series champion, Buster Posey is loved by San Francisco Giants fans.
His play at home against the archrival Los Angeles Dodgers only reinforces those feelings.
Coming off a clutch performance, Posey looks to continue his success against the Dodgers at AT&T Park on Saturday night and lead the Giants to their longest winning streak of the season.
Posey enjoyed a breakthrough season in 2012, batting a league-best .336 with 24 homers and 103 RBIs - all career highs.
So far, he's struggling to replicate those impressive numbers, hitting .281 with four homers and 17 RBIs. However, facing the Dodgers at home may be triggering a change.
Posey has a .333 average in 22 home meetings with Los Angeles - .408 over the past 14.
The All-Star catcher came up big in the opener of this three-game series Friday, connecting for a walkoff homer to clinch a 2-1 win. He also knocked in San Francisco's other run on a sixth-inning double, as the Giants (17-12) matched their season-high four-game winning streak.
"He's the guy you want up there. He ran a deep count there," manager Bruce Bochy said of Posey's homer. "It doesn't come at a better time than when he hit it. That's another great comeback for us."
Scheduled starter Ryan Vogelsong (1-2, 6.23) will try to rebound from his shortest - and perhaps worst - start of the season. It was also the most recent defeat for the Giants, 6-4 at San Diego on Sunday.
Vogelsong was battered for six runs and eight hits, including a career high-tying three homers, with three walks in five innings. He's surrendered seven homers over his last four starts.
"I'm just off, man. I can't get anything really going," Vogelsong told the team's official website. "I don't feel like I'm as far off as I was last year."
Last year, the right-hander went 0-2 with a 3.42 ERA over his first four starts before going 6-0 and compiling a 1.76 ERA over his next eight.
Coincidentally, that run started with a 2-1 win over the Dodgers (13-15) on May 8, when he yielded one run in 7 1-3 innings.
Vogelsong is 4-2 with a 1.80 ERA over his last seven starts versus Los Angeles.
Injuries continue to mount for the Dodgers, who lost Hanley Ramirez to a left hamstring injury Friday. The shortstop returned Monday from a torn ligament in his right thumb, which kept him out of the lineup for the first 25 games.
"It sounds like he got it pretty good," manager Don Mattingly said. "It's usually a pretty good amount of time. It's not like he's going to be back in a couple days."
Ramirez was placed on the 15-day disabled list and infielder Dee Gordon was called up from Triple-A Albuquerque.
Adrian Gonzalez's status is unclear after he was a late scratch for the series opener due to neck pain, stemming from a collision with an umpire earlier this week.
The injury issues have given Matt Magill an opportunity to showcase himself, and this time it's for Ted Lilly - placed on the DL Friday with a strain in his right rib cage.
Magill made his major league debut last Saturday because Stephen Fife went on the DL with bursitis in his right shoulder. The right-hander impressed, yielding two runs and four hits with seven strikeouts in 6 2-3 innings while not getting a decision in a 6-4 loss to Milwaukee.
"He's a guy that just seems to be under control," Mattingly told the team's official website. "He's a guy that you can just see his precision really in his work. He's been a guy that has to locate. He's kind of constantly getting better."
Believe in the 3 G's
GIRLS, GOLF,GAMBLING not in any particular order.
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05-05-13 03:37 PM |
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CNOTES
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Armadillo: Sunday's six-pack
LVH Superbook posted odds to win the NFC divisional races........
NFC East: Giants 3-2, Dallas/Redskins, both 12-5, Eagles 5-1.
NFC North: Packers 5-8, Bears 3-1, Vikings 5-1, Lions 7-1.
NFC South: Falcons 1-1, Saints 2-1, Tampa Bay 5-1, Carolina 11-2.
NFC West: 49ers 4-5, Seattle 6-5, Rams 8-1, Arizona 30-1.
*****
Armadillo: Sunday's List of 13: Random stuff on a Saturday night........
13) Every high school/college basketball player should watch Joakim Noah play and model their approach towards his; he plays his butt off-- all he cares about is winning. Must be fun to coach him.
12) Nationals-Pirates on FOX Game of the Week? I liked it.....
11) Not sure what TNT sees in Shaquille O'Neal as a studio analyst; maybe its me, but he adds very little, and he takes airtime away from Barkley and Kenny Smith. Its a great example of subtraction by addition.
10) In franchise history, St Louis Blues are 10-0 in playoff series if they won the first two games; we'll see if they can make it 11-0 against LA.
9) Every once in a while, a horse runs in Kentucky Derby that didn't run the previous year, as a 2-year old, but last time one of those horses won the Derby was in '82-- thats 1882, not 1982.
8) Oldest jockey in the Derby was 52-year old Jon Court, who rode Will Take Charge. Not as easy as it looks to be a jockey; very physical job.
7) Baltimore Ravens hired Steve Spagnuolo as a defensive assistant; after he became a hot property with the '08 Giants winning a Super Bowl, things haven't gone too well for Spagnuolo- he was dreadful as HC of the Rams, and then got stuck in a bad situation with the Payton-less Saints LY.
6) It rained so much in Florida the last few days that the walkway to the island green on the famed 17th hole at TPC Sawgrass was under water-- this is where the PLAYERS Championship is being played next week, so they're going to have to do a lot of work on the course before Thursday.
Cantor Gaming released betting lines for Weeks 1-16 of the NFL season this week; here are some tidbits National Football Post came up with..........
5) Patriots are favored in 13 games, pick 'em in two others; they're only team that isn't listed as an underdog in their first 15 games.
4) Arizona is pick 'em in three games, underdog in 12; Jacksonville is dog in 13 games, pick 'em in two, only two teams that aren't favored to win.
3) There are six pick 'em games in Week 16, but no road favorites. Yet.
2) Seahawks are favored in 13 of 15 games, including -1 at Houston in Week 4, which surprised me; people are on the Seattle bandwagon.
1) Only time the Broncos are underdog is their Week 12 (+1.5) visit to New England. It'll be fun to track how different these early spreads are than the actual spreads are when those weeks come around.
Believe in the 3 G's
GIRLS, GOLF,GAMBLING not in any particular order.
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05-05-13 03:57 PM |
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MLB
Armadillo's Write-Up
Sunday, May 5
Hot pitchers
-- Hudson is 1-0, 2.77 in his last couple starts.
-- Slowey has a 2.15 RA in six starts, but no wins (0-2).
-- Latos is 2-0, 0.45 in his last three starts, but left his last start early (hip).
-- JGarcia is 2-0, 1.32 in his last couple starts.
-- Volquez is 2-0, 2.89 in his last three starts.
-- Ryu is 1-0, 2.07 in his last couple starts.
-- Kluber won his first '13 start, allowing two runs in seven IP @ KC.
-- Quintana is 2-0, 2.28 in his last four starts.
-- Verlander is 2-1, 2.00 in his last four starts.
-- Darvish is 3-0, 1.89 in his last three starts. Lester is 4-0, 3.35 in six starts (1-0, 6.94 in last two).
-- Hammel is 3-0, 3.91 in his last four starts.
Cold pitchers
-- GGonzalez is 1-2, 7.71 in his last four starts. WRodriguez is 0-1, 10.00 in his last two starts.
-- Halladay is 2-3, 6.75 in six starts this season.
-- Niese is 1-2, 5.40 in his last four starts.
-- Jackson is 0-4, 7.64 in six starts this season.
-- Estrada is 1-1, 5.01 in his last four starts.
-- Kennedy is 0-2, 5.28 in his last five starts.
-- Cain is 0-1, 7.50 in his last three starts.
-- Cobb is 3-2, 2.58 in five starts this season. Chacin was 3-0, 1.46 in four starts before going on DL; this is his first start coming off the DL.
-- Pettitte is 0-2, 8.71 in his last two starts. Straily has a 6.35 RA in his two starts, but A's won both games, scoring 18 runs.
-- Morrow is 0-1, 7.56 in his last three starts. Saunders is 0-3, 12.51 in his three road starts.
-- Pelfrey is 1-3, 9.68 in his last four starts.
-- Davis is 0-2, 16.88 in his last couple starts.
-- Humber is 0-3, 15.55 in his last three starts.
-- JWilliams is making first '13 start; he was 0-6, 8.44 in his last six '12 starts, with last one 9/11/02.
Totals
-- Under is 7-4 in last eleven Cub games.
-- Over is 9-5-1 in Philly's last fifteen home games.
-- Ten of last fourteen Washington games stayed under the total.
-- Four of last six Atlanta home games stayed under total.
-- 13 of 18 games at Miller Park went over the total.
-- Six of last eight San Diego home games went over total.
-- 11 of last 14 Dodger games went over the total; this is a 5:00 local start, so shadows will be an issue.
-- Last five Colorado games went over the total.
-- Four of last five Morrow starts went over the total.
-- Over is 24-6 in last 30 Oakland games, 0-2 in last two.
-- Six of last nine Minnesota games stayed under total.
-- Seven of last nine Texas games stayed under the total.
-- Over is 7-2-1 in last ten Kansas City games.
-- Over is 7-2-2 in last eleven Houston games.
-- Over is 7-3-1 in last eleven Baltimore games.
Hot teams
-- Pirates won seven of their last ten home games.
-- St Louis won nine of its last twelve games.
-- Padres won seven of their last ten games.
-- San Francisco won nine of its last eleven home games.
-- A's won four of their last six games. Bronx won 10 of its last 13 gameas at home.
-- Mariners won last three games, outscoring foes 20-4.
-- Kansas City won eight of its last eleven games.
-- Indians won last six games, outscoring foes 53-14.
-- Boston won seven of its last ten games.
-- Detroit won nine of its last eleven games.
-- Orioles won eleven of their last seventeen games.
Cold teams
-- Washington is 7-8 on the road this year.
-- Milwaukee lost its last four games, allowing 25 runs.
-- Cubs lost 10 of their first 14 home games. Cincinnati lost 10 of its last fourteen on the road, but won last two.
-- Miami lost 11 of its 15 road games. Phillies are 8-11 in their last 19 games overall.
-- Mets lost six of their last eight games. Atlanta lost seven of last nine.
-- Arizona lost four of its last five games.
-- Dodgers lost four of their last five games.
-- Rockies lost eight of last thirteen games. Tampa Bay is 5-12 on road.
-- Twins are 3-7 in their last ten road games.
-- Blue Jays lost 11 of their last 14 games- they were outscored 25-3 in last four games.
-- White Sox lost four of their last six games.
-- Texas is 3-4 in its last seven games.
-- Houston lost 16 of its last 20 games.
-- Angels lost eight of their last eleven games.
Umpires
-- Cin-Chi-- Five of last seven Gibson games stayed under the total.
-- StL-Mil-- Over is 11-4-1 in last sixteen Bucknor games.
-- Wsh-Pitt-- Underdogs won five of last six Davidson games.
-- Mia-Phil-- Under is 19-5-2 in last 26 Kellogg games.
-- NY-Atl-- Under is 10-4-1 in last fifteen Nauert games.
-- Az-SD-- Home team won 11 of last 14 TBarrett games.
-- LA-SF-- 22 of last 27 Culbreth games stayed under the total.
-- TB-Colo-- Favorites won last four Dreckman games.
-- A's-NY-- 11 of last 14 Meals games went over the total.
-- Min-Clev-- Four of last five Winters games went over total.
-- Sea-Tor-- Home team is 25-8 in last 33 Barksdale games.
-- Chi-KC-- 11 of last 14 Muchlinski games went over the total.
-- Balt-LA-- Over is 9-4-1 in last fourteen Vanover games.
-- Det-Hst-- Five of last seven TWelke games went over the total.
-- Bos-Tex-- Home team won 15 of last 20 Knight games.
Reply With Quote
Believe in the 3 G's
GIRLS, GOLF,GAMBLING not in any particular order.
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05-05-13 04:02 PM |
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CNOTES
FoxDen Hall of Famer
Registered: Feb 2006
Posts: 10543
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MLB
Sunday, May 5
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Three hot over pitchers on the mound Sunday
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Sunday features a bevy of hurlers who have put together some starts where the total has gone over. A pair of National League aces highlight the action.
Mike Pelfrey, Minnesota Twins (2-3, 7.66 ERA, 4-1 o/u)
Pelfrey is coming off of a 4-3 loss to the Detroit Tigers and it was his first game this season that has gone under the total. He has had issues going beyond five innings pitched in his starts this season and his high ERA (7.66) and WHIP (1.93) have fueled the 11 runs per game average that combined scorelines hit in games he starts.
Pelfrey is slated to start against the Cleveland Indians Sunday. It will be his first start against the Tribe this season.
Matt Cain, San Francisco Giants (0-2, 6.49 ERA, 4-2 o/u)
Cain has had a rough start to the season and his stats are reflecting it. His 6.49 ERA is third highest among qualified pitchers in the National League. He has also surrendered the second most earned runs (25) in the NL. Only Brandon McCarthy of the Arizona Diamondbacks has more (27).
Cain will get the start versus the Los Angeles Dodgers Sunday. The Dodgers will counter with Hyun-Jin Ryu.
Cain had his best start of the season versus the Dodgers in the Giants' first game of the season. He went six inning and didn't allow a run as the Giants took the 4-0 loss.
Roy Halladay, Philadelphia Phillies (2-3, 6.75 ERA, 5-1 o/u)
The big righty is coming off a terrible start versus the Cleveland Indians. Halladay was shelled for eight earned runs over 3 2-3 innings. The Phillies provide him with 3.17 runs per game in his starts which has helped him put together one of the top o/u records in baseball at 5-1.
The Phillies take on the Miami Marlins Sunday.
Halladay pitched eight innings and gave up one earned run in his lone start versus the Marlins on April 14. The Phillies won the game 2-1.
Believe in the 3 G's
GIRLS, GOLF,GAMBLING not in any particular order.
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05-05-13 04:04 PM |
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CNOTES
FoxDen Hall of Famer
Registered: Feb 2006
Posts: 10543
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MLB
Sunday, May 5
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MLB weather report: Windy conditions around the league
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A lot of wind blowing both out and in around the majors on Sunday, including wind blowing in at Wrigley.
Here's the rest of the notable weather for Sunday's MLB action:
Washington Nationals vs. Pittsburgh Pirates (+100, 7)
Site: PNC Park
The wind will blow in from left field at 15 mph. The under went 6-1 in 2012 when the wind blew in from left field.
Cincinnati Reds vs. Chicago Cubs (+141, n/a)
Site: Wrigley Field
The wind will blow in from right field at 12 mph.
Miami Marlins vs. Philadelphia Phillies (-181, 7.5)
Site: Citizens Bank Park
The wind will blow from right field to left field at 11 mph.
Arizona Diamondbacks vs. San Diego Padres (+109, 8)
Site: Petco Park
Skies will be cloudy and forecasts are calling for a 20 percent chance of rain. Wind will blow out to center field at 17 mph.
Los Angeles Dodgers vs. San Francisco Giants (-138, 7)
Site: AT&T Park
Wind will blow out to left field at 20 mph.
Minnesota Twins vs. Cleveland Indians (-138, 9)
Site: Progressive Field
Wind will blow from right field to left field at 14 mph.
Oakland A's vs. New York Yankees (-132, 8.5)
Site: Yankee Stadium
Wind will blow in from center field at 10 mph.
Chicago White Sox vs. Kansas City Royals (-117, 8)
Site: Kauffman Stadium
Wind will blow from left field to right field at 10 mph. Forecasts are calling for a 20 percent chance of rain.
Baltimore Orioles vs. Los Angeles Angels (-114, 8.5)
Site: Angel Stadium
Skies will be cloudy and there will be a 20 percent chance of rain. Wind will blow out to left field at 12 mph.
Believe in the 3 G's
GIRLS, GOLF,GAMBLING not in any particular order.
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05-05-13 04:05 PM |
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CNOTES
FoxDen Hall of Famer
Registered: Feb 2006
Posts: 10543
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MLB
Sunday, May 5
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Sunday Night Baseball: Dodgers at Giants
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It's an old fashioned National League West battle on Sunday Night as the Giants host the Dodgers.
Los Angeles Dodgers at San Francisco Giants (-138, 7)
RAISING CAIN
It's been a rough season for Matt Cain who is still looking for his first win and has a 6.49 ERA, giving up at least four runs or more in four of his six starts. He gave up three home runs at Arizona last Monday and he has allowed six homers in his past two road starts. Overall, the righty has allowed nine long balls this season which he did not do until his 15th start last year. However, Cain did pitch well in the season opener versus the Dodgers on April 1st when he gave up just four hits and one walk, while striking out eight hitters over six innings.
RYU'S DOING FINE
The Dodgers paid a lot of money for Hyun-Jin Ryu and so far that investment is paying off nicely. The lefty is 3-1 with a 3.35 ERA and 1.14 WHIP in six starts this season. Ryu already has 46 strikeouts with at least five strikeouts or more in every game. He faced the Giants at home on April 2nd in a 3-0 loss, however only one of his three runs allowed was earned. Ryu did give up 10 hits in just 6.1 innings pitched in that game. Overall, Ryu has been consistent this season, pitching at least 6+ innings in all six of his starts.
INJURY REPORT
The Giants are an extremely healthy team right now. They are missing only Eric Surkamp who wasn't supposed to be that big of a piece. San Francisco just got Jeremy Affeldt back from an oblique injury. The Dodgers have not been as healthy as Carl Crawford is dealing with lingering hamstring issues. Mark Ellis and Adrian Gonzalez are also not at 100 percent due to various ailments. The pitching staff is filled with injuries as Chad Billingsley, Ted Lilly, Zack Greinke, and Chris Capuano are all on the disabled list.
TRENDS
Dodgers are 5-1 in their last 6 Sunday games
Giants are 37-17 in their last 54 games vs. a left-handed starter
Ryu is 4-1 Over in his last 5 starts overall
Cain is 8-3 Over in his last 11 Sunday starts
HITTERS TO WATCH
Andre Ethier 27-for-60 vs. Cain
Matt Kemp 10-for-49 vs. Cain
Hunter Pence 2-for-3 vs. Ryu
Pablo Sandoval 0-for-3 vs. Ryu
Believe in the 3 G's
GIRLS, GOLF,GAMBLING not in any particular order.
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05-05-13 04:06 PM |
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CNOTES
FoxDen Hall of Famer
Registered: Feb 2006
Posts: 10543
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Armadillo: Monday's six-pack
LVH Superbook posted odds to win the AFC divisional races........
AFC East: Patriots 1-6, Dolphins 5-1, Buffalo 10-1, Jets 25-1
AFC North: Steelers/Ravens/Bengals, all 19-10, Cleveland 7-1
AFC South: Texans 2-5, Colts 5-2, Tennessee 7-1, Jaguars 30-1
AFC West: Broncos 1-6, Chargers/Chiefs both 7-1, Oakland 20-1
*****
Armadillo: Monday's List of 13: Wrapping up a sports weekend........
13) 121 people vote for the NBA's MVP; 120 of them voted for Lebron James; Kevin Durant finished second in the voting, but didn't get the 121st first place vote- that went to Carmelo Anthony. The NBA won't say who cast that 121st ballot, but hopefully, someone will leak the info. The nitwit deserves to be identified.
12) Tough duty for the Bulls Monday night, playing Game 1 in Miami 48 hours after winning Game 7 in Brooklyn; Luol Deng will be there, but how well can be play after spending a few days in a hospital?
Its not my place to comment, but I will anyway; just can't believe Derrick Rose sits there and watches his teammates bust their butts without at least trying to play. It is understood he would be at less than 100%, but whatever he gives them might be the difference between winning and losing.
11) JR Smith was an awful 4-15 from floor in Knicks' 102-95 loss to the Pacers in Game 1 of that series; in five games this season with Indiana, Smith is 11-36 from floor in Pacers' three wins, 12-21 when the Knicks win.
10) Game 2 is in NYC Tuesday night; for some reason, Game 3 isn't until Saturday at Conseco Fieldhouse. Considering that Indiana's bench played a total of only 39 minutes Sunday, the strung-out series schedule could help them more than the older Knicks.
9) Oklahoma City's bench was +26 in their 93-91 win over Memphis in the first game of that series; Kevin Martin came thru with 25 points off the bench to give the Thunder a solid second scoring option.
8) A week ago, Derek Ernst was ranked #1,207 in World Golf Rankings; he was 4th alternate to get into the Wells Fargo event in Charlotte this week, but once he got in, he proved he belonged by winning.
7) Roy Halladay got hammered by the Marlins, is now 2-4, 8.65 and is headed to see a shoulder specialist, not a good sign. Sadly, the week he went up against my fantasy team, he allowed three hits in 15 IP. Go figure.
6) Then there is Kevin Slowey, who beat Halladay Sunday, and now has a 1.81 ERA in six starts, albeit only one win. He's headed to the All-Star Game at this rate, and who would've ever thought that back in March?
5) Blue Jays are 11-21, Dodgers 13-17; the winter's big spenders' managers are already on the hot seat, especially Don Mattingly, who is in the last year of his contract. LA's big trade with Boston last summer ain't looking too good right now, but its still fairly early in the season. Fairly early.
4) If the baseball playoffs started today, and they don't for five months, the teams that make it would be......
NL-- Braves-Giants-Cardinals; Wild Card: Reds-Rockies
AL-- Boston-Detroit-Texas; Wild Card: Royals-Bronx or Orioles
3) Brooklyn Nets dumped interim coach PJ Carlesimo, who went 35-19 as coach of the Nets; they'll go after a big name condidate, then they'll settle for someone similar to Avery Johnson, who they canned last winter.
2) Wild hockey game in Ottawa Sunday, with 236 penalty minutes and nine game misconducts. Senators spanked Montreal 6-1, now lead this series 2-1. Ottawa called a timeout with 0:17 left, which stirred the pot just a little bit more, and makes Game 4 a more interesting game to watch.
1) Next time we talk, I'll be in America's favorite city, Las Vegas, for spring vacation. Lot going on; baseball, NHL/NBA playoffs. We'll take a look at NFL betting lines for Weeks 1-16, and anything else that might pop up. I might even have a cheesesteak in the LVH Superbook. Or two.
Reply With Quote
Believe in the 3 G's
GIRLS, GOLF,GAMBLING not in any particular order.
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05-06-13 04:59 PM |
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CNOTES
FoxDen Hall of Famer
Registered: Feb 2006
Posts: 10543
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MLB
Armadillo's Write-Up
Monday, May 6
Hot pitchers
-- Reds are 3-0 in Arroyo's home starts (2-0, 2.86).
-- Cahill is 1-1, 1.98 in his last four starts.
-- Bumgarner is 3-0, 1.55 in six starts this season.
-- Former Ranger Feldman is 2-0, 2.30 in his last two starts.
-- Jimenez is 1-0, 3.00 in his last two starts.
-- Buchholz is 6-0, 1.01 in six starts this season.
-- Shields is 1-0, 2.57 in his last two starts. Sale is 2-0, 2.57 in his last two.
Cold pitchers
-- Maholm is 0-3, 6.62 in his last three starts.
-- Miami is 0-6 when Leblanc starts (0-4, 6.53). Cashner is 1-2, 5.14 in three starts this season.
-- Capuano allowed two runs in five IP in his only '13 start, vs San Diego.
-- Phillies lost Lee's last four starts (0-2, 6.50 in last three).
-- Tepesch is 1-2, 4.35 in his last four starts.
-- Parker is 1-4, 7.67 in six starts this season.
-- Worley is 0-3, 9.13 in his last five starts.
-- Buehrle is 0-2, 6.16 in his last three starts. Hellickson is 0-1, 7.36 in his last couple starts.
Totals
-- Eight of last eleven Atlanta games went over the total.
-- Five of last seven Miami road games went over the total.
-- Over is 11-3-1 in last fifteen Dodger games.
-- Nine of last twelve Philly road games stayed under the total.
-- Eight of last ten Texas games stayed under the total. Over is 5-1-1 in last seven games at Wrigley Field.
-- Six of last eight Cleveland home games went over the total.
-- Over is 5-1-1 in the last seven games at Fenway Park.
-- Last eight Tampa Bay games went over the total.
-- Over is 8-2-1 in last eleven Kansas City home games.
Hot teams
-- Reds won nine of their last eleven home games.
-- Padres won eight of their last eleven games.
-- San Francisco won ten of its last twelve home games.
-- Rangers won their last three games, allowing four runs.
-- A's won five of their last seven games. Indians won six of their last seven.
-- Tampa Bay won five of its last six home games.
-- Royals won nine of their last twelve games.
Cold teams
-- Braves lost seven of their last ten games.
-- Marlins are 2-8 in series openers, 5-11 overall on road.
-- Dodgers lost six of their last nine home games. Arizona lost five of its last six games overall.
-- Phillies lost seven of their last nine games.
-- Cubs lost 11 of their first 15 home games.
-- Red Sox just got swept at Texas, but they've won their last five at home. Twins are 3-8 in their last eleven road games.
-- Blue Jays lost 11 of their last 15 games.
-- White Sox lost five of their last seven games.
Reply With Quote
Believe in the 3 G's
GIRLS, GOLF,GAMBLING not in any particular order.
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05-06-13 05:02 PM |
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CNOTES
FoxDen Hall of Famer
Registered: Feb 2006
Posts: 10543
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MLB
Monday, May 6
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Three slumping pitchers on the mound Monday
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Monday features a fairly light schedule in the bigs with nine games on the agenda. Some familiar names take the mound, but these guys find themselves in a bit of slump. Here, we take a look at three pitchers who get the call and whose teams have strung together losses in their recent outings.
Paul Maholm, Atlanta Braves (3-3, 3.08 ERA)
Its been a bit of a rough patch for Maholm after he started the year 3-0. He was excellent to start the year and did not give up an earned run in those first three starts. The lefty went on to lose his next three starts and will look to get in the winning as he heads into Monday's matchup versus Bronson Arroyo and the Cincinnati Reds. Maholm has given up 13 earned runs in 17 2/3 innings pitched in his three straight losses. His last outing versus the Washington Nationals was a bright spot, however. He did his job going eight innings and surrendering two earned runs on just three hits.
Maholm threw six innings and gave up one earned run in his lone start against the Reds in 2012.
Jeremy Hellickson, Tampa Bay Rays (1-2, 4.71 ERA)
The Tampa Bay Rays are struggling out of the gate with a 13-16 record as of Sunday. The pitching staff is partly to blame as it ranks 12th in the American League in ERA (4.35) and owns the second-worst bullpen ERA (4.72) in the AL. Hellickson has certainly not been immune to the slow start. He has a 1.21 WHIP and a 4.71 ERA which ranks him 11th from the bottom for qualified pitchers. He is coming off a no-decision in the Rays' 9-8 loss against the Kansas City Royals. Tampa Bay has lost four of Hellickson's six starts this season.
Hellickson will take the hill against the Toronto Blue Jays Monday. He was 2-2 with a 2.19 ERA in four starts versus the Jays in 2012.
Cliff Lee, Philadelphia Phillies (2-2, 3.46 ERA)
Lee got off to a great start this season winning his first two outings versus the Atlanta Braves and New York Mets. Its been downhill since as the Phillies have lost each of his next four starts. After giving up just three earned runs in his first two stellar outings, Lee has given up 14 in his next four. The veteran last pitched on May 1. He lasted six innings in a 6-0 loss versus the red-hot Cleveland Indians.
The Phillies travel to the Bay to face the San Francisco Giants who counter with Madison Bumgarner. Lee pitched 10 innings of shutout ball in his only start versus the Giants in 2012. He gave up seven in the Phillies' 1-0 victory.
Believe in the 3 G's
GIRLS, GOLF,GAMBLING not in any particular order.
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05-06-13 05:04 PM |
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