Cnotes Best Bets For Monday May 11th - MLB - NBA -NHL !

MLB MONEYLINE


MLB > (965) KANSAS CITY@ (966) TEXAS | 05/11/2015 - 08:05 PM
Play ON KANSAS CITY using the money line in Road games in night games
The record is 44 Wins and 24 Losses for the last two seasons (+23.35 units)

MLB > (961) TORONTO@ (962) BALTIMORE | 05/11/2015 - 07:05 PM
Play ON BALTIMORE using the money line in All games in night games
The record is 79 Wins and 51 Losses for the last two seasons (+33.05 units)


MLB RUNLINE


MLB > (959) MIAMI@ (960) LA DODGERS | 05/11/2015 - 10:10 PM
Play ON LA DODGERS using the in Home games vs. right-handed starters
The record is 11 Wins and 2 Losses for the this season (+11.55 units)


MLB > (965) KANSAS CITY@ (966) TEXAS | 05/11/2015 - 08:05 PM
Play AGAINST TEXAS using the in Home games when playing with a day off
The record is 1 Wins and 13 Losses for the last three seasons (-14.5 units)

MLB > (969) CHI WHITE SOX@ (970) MILWAUKEE | 05/11/2015 - 07:20 PM
Play AGAINST CHI WHITE SOX using the in Road games in games played on a grass field
The record is 3 Wins and 10 Losses for the this season (-12.75 units)


MLB TOTALS


MLB > (967) BOSTON@ (968) OAKLAND | 05/11/2015 - 10:05 PM
Play OVER OAKLAND on the total in Home games in games played on a grass field
The record is 12 Overs and 1 Unders for the this season (+11.35 units)


MLB > (969) CHI WHITE SOX@ (970) MILWAUKEE | 05/11/2015 - 07:20 PM
Play OVER MILWAUKEE on the total in Home games in May games
The record is 15 Overs and 3 Unders for the last two seasons (+11.9 units)

MLB > (959) MIAMI@ (960) LA DODGERS | 05/11/2015 - 10:10 PM
Play OVER LA DODGERS on the total in All games in home games
The record is 59 Overs and 33 Unders for the last two seasons (+26.1 units)




MLB TOP POWERLINES


MLB > (951) PITTSBURGH @ (952) PHILADELPHIA | 05/11/2015 - 07:05 PM
Line: PHILADELPHIA +151 BTB PowerLine: PHILADELPHIA 212
Edge On: PHILADELPHIA (36)


MLB > (961) TORONTO @ (962) BALTIMORE | 05/11/2015 - 07:05 PM
Line: BALTIMORE -125 BTB PowerLine: BALTIMORE -133
Edge On: BALTIMORE (8)


MLB > (963) NY YANKEES @ (964) TAMPA BAY | 05/11/2015 - 07:10 PM
Line: TAMPA BAY -126 BTB PowerLine: TAMPA BAY -159
Edge On: TAMPA BAY (33)


MLB > (953) ATLANTA @ (954) CINCINNATI | 05/11/2015 - 07:10 PM
Line: CINCINNATI -140 BTB PowerLine: CINCINNATI -126
Edge On: CINCINNATI (14)


MLB > (969) CHI WHITE SOX @ (970) MILWAUKEE | 05/11/2015 - 07:20 PM
Line: MILWAUKEE -110 BTB PowerLine: MILWAUKEE -114
Edge On: MILWAUKEE (4)


MLB > (965) KANSAS CITY @ (966) TEXAS | 05/11/2015 - 08:05 PM
Line: TEXAS +108 BTB PowerLine: TEXAS 213
Edge On: TEXAS (86)


MLB > (955) NY METS @ (956) CHICAGO CUBS | 05/11/2015 - 08:05 PM
Line: CHICAGO CUBS -141 BTB PowerLine: CHICAGO CUBS 134
Edge On: CHICAGO CUBS (55)


MLB > (957) WASHINGTON @ (958) ARIZONA | 05/11/2015 - 09:40 PM
Line: ARIZONA +115 BTB PowerLine: ARIZONA 111
Edge On: ARIZONA (4)


MLB > (967) BOSTON @ (968) OAKLAND | 05/11/2015 - 10:05 PM
Line: OAKLAND -133 BTB PowerLine: OAKLAND -126
Edge On: OAKLAND (7)


MLB > (959) MIAMI @ (960) LA DODGERS | 05/11/2015 - 10:10 PM
Line: LA DODGERS -231 BTB PowerLine: LA DODGERS -228
Edge On: LA DODGERS (3)

NBA MONEYLINE


NBA > (729) ATLANTA@ (730) WASHINGTON | 05/11/2015 - 07:05 PM
Play AGAINST ATLANTA using the money line in Road games versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game - 2nd half of the season
The record is 6 Wins and 23 Losses for the last three seasons (-21.3 units)


NBA > (731) GOLDEN STATE@ (732) MEMPHIS | 05/11/2015 - 09:35 PM
Play ON MEMPHIS using the money line in Home games after a win by 10 points or more
The record is 11 Wins and 1 Losses for the this season (+10 units)


NBA FIRST HALF


NBA > (731) GOLDEN STATE@ (732) MEMPHIS | 05/11/2015 - 09:35 PM
Play ON GOLDEN STATE in the first half in Road games after a loss by 10 points or more
The record is 15 Wins and 2 Losses for the last three seasons (+12.8 units)


NBA TOTALS


NBA > (731) GOLDEN STATE@ (732) MEMPHIS | 05/11/2015 - 09:35 PM
Play UNDER MEMPHIS on the total in All games versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game
The record is 16 Overs and 32 Unders for the this season (+14.4 units)


NBA > (729) ATLANTA@ (730) WASHINGTON | 05/11/2015 - 07:05 PM
Play OVER WASHINGTON on the total in Home games versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game - 2nd half of the season
The record is 10 Overs and 1 Unders for the this season (+8.9 units)


NBA TOP POWERLINE


NBA > (729) ATLANTA @ (730) WASHINGTON | 05/11/2015 - 07:05 PM
Line: WASHINGTON 4 BTB PowerLine: WASHINGTON -4
Edge On: WASHINGTON (8)


NBA > (731) GOLDEN STATE @ (732) MEMPHIS | 05/11/2015 - 09:35 PM
Line: MEMPHIS 5 BTB PowerLine: MEMPHIS -1
Edge On: MEMPHIS (6)

Preview: Blue Jays (16-15) at Orioles (13-15)
Game: 1
Venue: Oriole Park at Camden Yards
Date: May 11, 2015 7:05 PM EDT

The last time the Baltimore Orioles played at home, no fans were there to see it.


Following a long road trip, Baltimore - along with the Oriole faithful - will finally return to Camden Yards on Monday night to face the Toronto Blue Jays.


Due to safety concerns with civil unrest in Baltimore following the death of Freddie Gray, the Orioles (13-16) played in front of an empty stadium on April 29, then "hosted" a three-game set at Tampa Bay from May 1-3.


They went 3-1 during that tumultuous four-game stretch, but in six true road games since, the Orioles have struggled. They were swept in a two-game series with the New York Mets, then lost three of four against the Yankees.


Baltimore batted .238, totaled 18 runs and struck out 60 times in those six games, 16 coming against Yankees starter Michael Pineda on Sunday. The starting pitchers posted a 5.81 ERA and completed six innings only twice.


'I think everybody's anxiously looking forward to getting back and getting on the field and getting back to the city, without a doubt for the right reasons," manager Buck Showalter said after his team's 6-2 loss on Sunday.


Ubaldo Jimenez (2-2, 2.36 ERA) will take the mound in the series opener. He has slightly cooled off after dealing 10 2-3 scoreless innings through his first two starts, but will be happy to return home where he is 5-0 with a 1.36 ERA in his past five starts.


The right-hander allowed two unearned runs and struck out six over seven innings in the empty-stadium game against the Chicago White Sox, then surrendered three runs, six hits and two walks in four innings Wednesday in a 5-1 loss to the Mets.


'Every time you start walking guys, you're always going to pay for that,' Jimenez said. 'I did not have any feel for my breaking ball.'


Free passes have plagued Jimenez in the past as well. His 5.53 walks per nine innings in 2014, and 4.84 rate in 2012 resulted in the two worst ERAs of his career (4.81 and 5.40, respectively), whereas 3.94 walks per nine in 2013 led to a 3.30 ERA.


He's walked a career-low 3.38 per nine innings this season.


Jimenez has split two starts against Toronto this year and has handled sluggers Jose Bautista (2 for 29), Josh Donaldson (1 for 12) and Edwin Encarnacion (6 for 28).


Bautista, though, is 5 for 15 with two homers, six RBIs and seven runs against the Orioles this year.


Toronto (16-16) has won five of six against Baltimore, with the only loss coming to Jimenez at Camden Yards on April 11. The Blue Jays have scored 34 runs and collected 42 hits - 23 for extra bases - during four straight wins in the series.


Three more hits from Chris Colabello weren't enough to help Toronto win a fourth straight Sunday, falling 6-3 to Boston. Called up from Triple-A Buffalo on Tuesday, Colabello is 10 for 18 with a homer and four RBIs in five games.


Marco Estrada (1-1, 2.93) makes his second start in place of demoted Daniel Norris. After striking out 11 over 9 2-3 scoreless innings in five relief appearances, the right-hander was tagged for five runs and eight hits over 4 2-3 innings in his return to the rotation Tuesday, a 6-3 loss to the Yankees.


Estrada allowed one run over two innings in two games against Baltimore last month.




SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Blue Jays at Orioles
Mon, May 11 - 7:05PM EDT


GAME 2
Blue Jays at Orioles
Tue, May 12 - 7:05PM EDT


GAME 3
Blue Jays at Orioles
Wed, May 13 - 7:05PM EDT

Preview: Pirates (14-16) at Phillies (11-20)
Game: 1
Venue: Citizens Bank Park
Date: May 11, 2015 7:05 PM EDT

Gerrit Cole's last outing was his worst of the season, but it didn't much matter because the Pittsburgh offense never got going.


That hasn't been a problem at Citizens Bank Park, where the Pirates open a four-game series with the Philadelphia Phillies on Monday night with hopes of building on a series win over the NL Central leaders.


Cole's four-start winning streak came to an end in Wednesday's 3-0 home loss to Cincinnati after the right-hander allowed three runs and eight hits in five innings. He had been 8-0 over his previous 10 starts.


"It was a good run," Cole told MLB's official website.


He can still keep another going. On the road, Cole (4-1, 2.27 ERA) is unbeaten in his last six starts, going 4-0 with a 2.33 ERA.


He's 1-1 with a 2.61 ERA in two starts against the Phillies, but he's never pitched at Citizens Bank. In his start against them last year, he allowed a hit in five scoreless innings of an 8-2 victory. Ben Revere is 4 for 5 against him.


The Pirates (15-16) won six of seven against the Phillies last season, including three of four in Philadelphia as part of an 8-2 stretch at Citizens Bank during which they've averaged five runs. They haven't lost a series in Philadelphia since being swept in three in July 2011, and their .770 OPS there since the start of 2012 is their highest among ballparks where they've played more than three games.


After Sunday's 4-3 home win over St. Louis to take the last two of the three-game series, Pittsburgh has been even better at the plate lately. The Pirates have won three of four while batting .320.


Andrew McCutchen doubled for the fourth straight game - he's 7 for 16 in that span - and is 18 for 38 in his last 10 against the Phillies. Jung Ho Kang homered, and the rookie infielder is 12 for 26 in his last eight.


"It's very meaningful that we won against the Cardinals," Kang said. "I hope that we carry this on and all the players are on the same page moving forward."


It shouldn't take anything special to keep hitting against Jerome Williams or any of the Philadelphia starters. After Sunday's 7-4 loss to the Mets, the Phillies (11-21) have dropped nine of 12 with a 7.11 ERA out of the rotation.


Williams (2-2, 5.18) had his worst start of the season in Wednesday's 7-5 loss in Atlanta, yielding six runs and eight hits in 4 1-3 innings. In his last five starts, he's surrendered a .347 opponent batting average.


"I was just not locating the ball down," Williams said. "I've just got to get back down in the zone."


It seems he's been able to do that at home, where Williams is 2-0 with a 2.89 ERA. Since joining the Phillies in August, he's 4-1 with a 3.22 ERA at Citizens Bank, though the loss came to the Pirates on Sept. 10 as the right-hander allowed four runs and seven hits in five innings. McCutchen went deep and is 3 for 6 with two home runs against Williams, while Pedro Alvarez is 2 for 3 with a home run and a double.


Williams probably shouldn't expect much support. The Phillies have a .220 home average and have scored an MLB-low 2.8 runs per game on their home turf.


Freddy Galvis, however, is batting .392 in Philadelphia.




SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Pirates at Phillies
Mon, May 11 - 7:05PM EDT


GAME 2
Pirates at Phillies
Tue, May 12 - 7:05PM EDT


GAME 3
Pirates at Phillies
Wed, May 13 - 7:05PM EDT


GAME 4
Pirates at Phillies
Thu, May 14 - 1:05PM EDT

Preview: Braves (14-16) at Reds (15-15)
Game: 1
Venue: Great American Ball Park
Date: May 11, 2015 7:10 PM EDT

In his last two starts, Mike Leake has been effective to the point that he alone has provided enough offense to assure himself victories.


He began the impressive work by out-dueling Shelby Miller while also showing off his home-run trot, and the right-hander gets a shot at an encore performance Monday night as the Cincinnati Reds open a three-game home series with the Atlanta Braves.


The teams split four in Atlanta from April 30-May 3 with Leake (2-1, 2.47 ERA) getting the better of Miller (4-1, 1.66) in a 5-1 Cincinnati win in the opener. Leake limited the Braves to two hits in eight scoreless innings and gave himself an insurance run with a seventh-inning homer off Miller.


It was the fifth homer of his career and second in 33 at_bats in 15 games, over which he's also got five doubles and a .781 OPS. That trails only Kyle Kendrick among pitchers with double-digit plate appearances in that time.


It continued with an RBI double in Wednesday's 3-0 win in Pittsburgh with Leake again going eight innings while allowing six hits.


"I'm starting to see the ball a little better and put some good at_bats together," Leake told MLB's official website.


The 16-inning scoreless streak is his fourth best and his 21 1-3 career-best run from Sept. 6-24, 2013, is within reach.


"I'm just trying to pitch," Leake said. "That's what I'm telling myself, just pitch. Just keep the ball down and mix it up and keep them guessing. I just have to keep that going."


Against the Braves, he's 4-2 with a 2.03 ERA in seven starts, as well as a career .350 (7 for 20) hitter with two home runs, three doubles and a 1.150 OPS.


Leake might need another gem to again top Miller. The right-hander had easily his best start with Atlanta in Tuesday's 9-0 home win over Philadelphia, surrendering three hits and striking out eight in his third career shutout.


His mindset might serve him well against the in-form Leake.


"At the end of the day, you have to go out there with the mentality that it's a nothing-nothing ballgame and just try to put up zeros," Miller said. "This was a fun one."


The 24-year-old allowed three runs - two earned - and six hits in the game against Leake, dropping Miller to 2-3 with a 3.24 ERA in seven starts against the Reds.


Miller has had few problems with Jay Bruce (1 for 12), Zack Cozart (2 for 14), Marlon Byrd (2 for 12 with six strikeouts), Billy Hamilton (2 for 12) and Todd Frazier (3 for 17), and he'll be charged with halting the Braves' road struggles.


After winning their first four away from Atlanta, they're 2-9 in opposing ballparks, including a three-game sweep in Washington over the weekend capped with Sunday's 5-4 loss. Since Miller's gem, the Braves (14-17) have a 7.29 ERA and .348 opponent batting average.


Offensively, Freddy Freeman stayed hot with a 2-for-4 day and is 14 for 28 on a seven-game hitting streak.


The Reds (15-16) are also coming off a series loss, falling 4-3 Sunday against the Chicago White Sox. It concluded a 5-5 road trip that began in Atlanta.


Cozart was 3 for 4 with a double and two RBIs and is 11 for 24 over seven games, while Bruce is 4 for 33 in nine and 4 for 34 in his last 10 against the Braves.




SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Braves at Reds
Mon, May 11 - 7:10PM EDT


GAME 2
Braves at Reds
Tue, May 12 - 7:10PM EDT


GAME 3
Braves at Reds
Wed, May 13 - 7:10PM EDT

Preview: Yankees (19-12) at Rays (17-14)
Game: 1
Venue: Tropicana Field
Date: May 11, 2015 7:10 PM EDT

Strong performances from the bullpen have vaulted the New York Yankees to the top of the AL East. Equally impressive play from the starting staff could keep them there.


On tap following a historic outing, CC Sabathia takes the mound for the Yankees on Monday night to kick off a four-game road set against the Tampa Bay Rays.


Sabathia (0-5, 5.45 ERA) will have a difficult time replicating Sunday's outing from teammate Michael Pineda, who recorded 16 strikeouts in seven innings against Baltimore - tied for second-most in team history and matching an MLB record for a pitcher with seven or fewer innings of work.


Sabathia hasn't even had 16 strikeouts over his last four starts. He has only 14, four of which came in his fifth loss Wednesday when he allowed nine hits and four runs in a 5-1 defeat at Toronto.


The stout left-hander ranks among the worst pitchers in baseball with 11.13 hits allowed per nine innings. He has also received very little offensive support - just nine runs through six starts - contributing to a career-worst nine-start winless streak dating to last season.


"He's pitched well enough to win in two or three games," manager Joe Girardi said. "We just haven't scored a lot of runs."


New York's offense fared well Sunday behind Pineda. Brian McCann and Carlos Beltran homered, while Jacoby Ellsbury and Didi Gregorius each drove in two runs in a 6-2 victory.


They'll look for a similar showing against Alex Colome (2-0, 1.80), who has been solid through eight career starts but snapped a three-start scoreless streak with two runs allowed in Wednesday's win over Boston.


He owns a 0.94 ERA while holding opposing hitters to a .186 average over his last five starts and hasn't surrendered an earned run in 11 career innings against New York (20-12).


The Rays (17-15), three games behind New York in the division, enter Monday's matchup following a four-game split with Texas. They scored 15 runs to win the first two games before dropping the series finale 2-1 on Sunday.


"We just missed the big hits, but we put together some good at_bats," manager Kevin Cash said.


Tampa Bay's bullpen put in plenty of quality work in the series, pitching 15 1-3 innings while allowing just one run.


It was a performance characteristic of the back-end of New York's bullpen - Dellin Betances and Andrew Miller - who have yet to allow an earned run in 35 combined innings.


Tampa Bay has dropped five of six meetings with the Yankees this season, including a three-game sweep at home April 17-19. Alex Rodriguez went 4 for 10 with two home runs and six runs scored during that series, and Brett Gardner scored four runs with three steals.


Evan Longoria has been quiet against New York this season, going 4 for 22, but could break out considering his track record against Sabathia. He has owned the lefty in his career, going 24 for 58 (.414) with six home runs, eight doubles, 14 RBIs and a 1.390 OPS.


SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Yankees at Rays
Mon, May 11 - 7:10PM EDT


GAME 2
Yankees at Rays
Tue, May 12 - 7:10PM EDT


GAME 3
Yankees at Rays
Wed, May 13 - 7:10PM EDT


GAME 4
Yankees at Rays
Thu, May 14 - 7:10PM EDT

Preview: White Sox (11-16) at Brewers (10-21)
Game: 1
Venue: Miller Park
Date: May 11, 2015 7:20 PM EDT

For the first two months of last season, Jeff Samardzija dominated the NL and became a prized July trade target. That success against the Senior Circuit vanished in his last start in Milwaukee and hasn't returned.


His first outing against the NL since moving to the Chicago White Sox comes Monday night in Milwaukee against a Brewers team he's never defeated as a starter.


Samardzija (2-2, 4.38 ERA) is returning from a five-game suspension for his involvement in a brawl against Kansas City, which pushed his start back a day and into a ballpark that hasn't treated him well.


In eight starts against the Brewers, the right-hander is 0-5 with a 4.50 ERA, including an 0-3 mark with a 6.33 ERA at Miller Park. Factoring in seven relief efforts, his 6.09 ERA there is the highest among ballparks at which he's made at least five appearances.


In his last, Samardzija allowed eight runs and eight hits in three innings of a 9-0 loss with the Chicago Cubs on June 1. Dating to that game, he's 1-4 with a 6.63 ERA against the NL. Ryan Braun went deep and is 9 for 18 with three home runs against Samardzija, while Carlos Gomez's two hits in nine at_bats are both homers.


This season, he's yet to nail down the consistency he enjoyed in much of 2014, but he preceded the suspension by limiting Detroit to two runs and seven hits in seven innings of Tuesday's 5-2 victory. His last five innings were scoreless after laboring early.


"With all things said, the way it went, I was happy to get out of those first couple of innings with just one," Samardzija told MLB's official website. "For me, that's it. If I can escape the inning with just a single digit, that's fine. Just avoid those crooked numbers."


The White Sox (12-16) were able to do that in the last two of a three-game series with Cincinnati. Sunday's 4-3 walk-off win gave them consecutive series victories after an 0-5 road trip. They've dropped six straight on the road, and their 2-11 away record is the worst in the majors.


"We obviously have to start sooner than later, but we're playing good ball," said Gordon Beckham, who hit the game-winning single in the ninth inning against the Reds. "We just have to keep focusing on that and not really how we've played in the past. You can't focus on anything but the present."


The Brewers (11-21) also won in walk-off fashion Sunday, beating the Cubs 3-2 on Martin Maldonado's 11th-inning single. They've also been better lately with seven wins in 11 games after a 4-17 start.


"It is a great way to end it," said manager Craig Counsell, under whom the Brewers are 4-3. "It was another great team win."


It has a lot to do with a starting rotation that's posted a 3.82 ERA in the last 11 after compiling a 5.55 mark through 21, and Wily Peralta is responsible with keeping it going.


Peralta (1-4, 3.92), who has never faced the White Sox, has been rather hittable with a .307 opponent average, though had one of his better showings in Wednesday's 6-3 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers to earn his first victory. The right-hander allowed three runs and seven hits in eight innings after losing four straight starts.


It was also the first time in four starts he'd been given any run support. His 2.08 run support average is tied for fourth worst in the majors.


SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
White Sox at Brewers
Mon, May 11 - 7:20PM EDT


GAME 2
White Sox at Brewers
Tue, May 12 - 8:10PM EDT


GAME 3
White Sox at Brewers
Wed, May 13 - 8:10PM EDT

Preview: Mets (19-11) at Cubs (15-14)
Game: 1
Venue: Wrigley Field
Date: May 11, 2015 8:05 PM EDT

The Chicago Cubs' hot start fades further and further into memory as their cold spell continues.


The New York Mets are back to the winning ways they exhibited for much of April.


Looking to rebound from a difficult road trip, the Cubs will turn to Jon Lester on Monday night to outduel New York's Jacob deGrom at Wrigley Field.


The Cubs (15-15) lost to Milwaukee 3-2 in 11 innings on Sunday to cap a 2-5 trip. Chicago, which was 13-8 on May 1, is on the verge of falling below .500 for the first time since it was 1-2 on April 10.


Lester (2-2, 4.04 ERA) has been responsible for two of the team's three victories in the last 11 games and seems to have shaken off a rough opening and has settled in as the ace Chicago envisioned when it signed him this offseason. The left-hander allowed three hits over seven innings of a 1-0 win over the Brewers on May 1, then gave up seven hits and four runs - one earned - in seven innings to beat St. Louis 6-5 on Wednesday.


"That's why you want a guy like him on your staff," manager Joe Maddon told MLB's official website. "Typically, his stuff kept getting better as the game progressed, we've seen that a lot. ... He made good pitches when he had to. He keeps making positive strides, and that's good for us."


After a career-worst 6.23 ERA in April, Lester is enjoying a career-best 0.64 ERA in May. He made his only career start against the Mets in June 2006.


With the exception of a six-run outing on April 24, deGrom (3-3, 2.95) has yielded six earned runs in 31 2-3 innings this season.


Since the start of last season, deGrom and Lester each average 8.95 strikeouts per nine innings to rank among the top 20 in baseball. The right-hander notched a season-high nine strikeouts Wednesday while allowing one run in seven innings of a 5-1 win over Baltimore.


"He's started to change speeds a little bit better," manager Terry Collins said. "If you go back and think about what he did last year, he's a guy that really uses all of his pitches. His changeup got so good towards the end of last summer, it became a huge pitch for him. We want him to re-establish that."


DeGrom's toughest test will be Anthony Rizzo. The All-Star first baseman recorded his 14th extra-base hit of the season Sunday, and leads the team with a 1.026 OPS - more than 200 points higher than Lucas Duda (.786), New York's team-leader among qualifying players.


Duda went 2 for 5 with a double in Sunday's 7-4 win at Philadelphia after going 1 for 18 in his previous five games.


New York (20-11) has won four of five following a 1-5 stretch. The Mets' bullpen has surrendered one run over its past 18 1-3 innings - a home run to Baltimore's Chris Davis on Tuesday - while Chicago's relievers have allowed 13 runs in 11 innings over the last three games.


DeGrom allowed four runs in five innings in a 7-4 loss to the Cubs at Wrigley Field on June 5, in his only start against them.




SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Mets at Cubs
Mon, May 11 - 8:05PM EDT


GAME 2
Mets at Cubs
Tue, May 12 - 8:05PM EDT


GAME 3
Mets at Cubs
Wed, May 13 - 8:05PM EDT


GAME 4
Mets at Cubs
Thu, May 14 - 2:20PM EDT

Preview: Nationals (16-15) at Diamondbacks (13-16)
Game: 1
Venue: Chase Field
Date: May 11, 2015 9:40 PM EDT

The Washington Nationals won another series and continued to produce offensively, even with a more modest performance by Bryce Harper.


They'll try to provide Max Scherzer with another solid backing as they open a three-game road series against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Monday night.


Washington (17-15) has won a season-high four straight and is averaging 6.0 runs with a .306 average and 16 homers while winning 10 of 12. The team had scored 3.5 runs per game while hitting .215 and totaling 16 homers during a 7-13 start. The Nationals, who have won their last four series, are also 12 for 27 with runners in scoring position over the last four.


Harper failed to homer Sunday against Atlanta after hitting six in his previous three games, but singled and doubled with an RBI. Wilson Ramos extended his hitting streak to 13 games and put Washington ahead with an eighth-inning double in a 5-4 victory. Ramos is hitting .420 during the streak and is batting .385 with runners in scoring position this season, going 6 for his last 10.


"He has a knack for driving runs in because he stays in the middle of the diamond and goes the other way so well," manager Matt Williams told MLB's official website. "He just stays on the ball so well. He has been swinging at strikes, being patient enough to get those pitches. He has delivered for us. He is playing well."


Ramos is batting just .217 in 16 games versus Arizona, though he has 12 RBIs.


Washington's offense helped Scherzer (2-3, 2.11 ERA) avoid a third straight loss in Wednesday's 7-5 victory against Miami. The five earned runs he allowed in seven innings were as many as he gave up in his first five starts for his new club. He received seven runs of support after being backed by 11 during a 1-3 start despite a 1.26 ERA.


Scherzer struck out 10 for the second straight game, however he gave up a home run for the second consecutive start after not allowing one in his first four. He also allowed 10 hits after limiting opponents to a .189 average through his first five.


He made his only start against the Diamondbacks in June 2010, while with Detroit.


Sunday was a good day for Arizona's feast-or-famine pitching staff despite the fact it was a bullpen day. Five pitchers saw the mound with none throwing more than 3 1-3 innings. In the last 10 games, the Diamondbacks (14-16) have allowed either one or no runs in five wins and six or more in five losses.


Josh Collmenter (3-3, 3.40) gave up a season-high five runs and 10 hits, including three homers, in seven-plus innings of a 13-7 victory at Colorado on Wednesday. Run support hasn't been an issue, as he's been backed by nine-plus runs in three of his last four outings while receiving a total of two runs of support in his other three.


"It's fun to see them continue to have good at_bats and put runs on the board," he said.


Collmenter didn't record a decision in his lone start versus Washington last year, allowing four runs in five innings.


A.J. Pollock hit his second homer in three days Sunday and is 9 for 23 in his last six.


The Nationals went 6-1 against the Diamondbacks last year and have won 14 of the last 18 meetings.


Harper has never homered in 12 meetings and is 2 for 15 in five games in Arizona.




SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Nationals at Diamondbacks
Mon, May 11 - 9:40PM EDT


GAME 2
Nationals at Diamondbacks
Tue, May 12 - 9:40PM EDT


GAME 3
Nationals at Diamondbacks
Wed, May 13 - 3:40PM EDT

Preview: Red Sox (13-17) at Athletics (12-20)
Game: 1
Venue: O.co Coliseum
Date: May 11, 2015 10:05 PM EDT

The Boston Red Sox rarely win in Oakland, and neither does Rick Porcello.


The Oakland Athletics are just happy to be heading home after a road-heavy stretch.


These teams own the AL's worst records this month as they begin a three-game set Monday night, with Porcello seeking to hand the Athletics a sixth straight loss.


Boston (14-17) ended a three-game slide with Sunday's 6-3 victory at Toronto that came on the heels of its second team meeting in less than a week. Mike Napoli hit a three-run homer and Clay Buchholz pitched into the seventh inning to end a personal four-game slide.


'The way we played today is the way we know we can play,' Napoli said. 'That's the way we should play. That's the way we expect to play.'


The Red Sox have dropped 21 of their last 27 games in Oakland, where Porcello (3-2, 4.38 ERA) is 1-4 with a 5.40 ERA in six starts with Detroit. The Athletics have batted .341 against him in those games.


Oakland (12-21) may not be in position to add to his woes as it seeks to avoid its first six-game slide since a nine-game skid May 22-June 1, 2012. The Athletics' 3-7 record this month is second-worst in the AL, with the Red Sox at 2-7.


This six-game homestand comes after Oakland played 20 of 26 on the road.


"We've been on the road 20 of 26, I think everybody is just ready to go back to Oakland for a little while," said catcher Stephen Vogt, who is second in the league with a 1.087 OPS. "It's not an excuse, I think it's a fact that we're ready to go home."


Oakland fell 4-3 at Seattle on Sunday and dropped to 1-10 in one-run games. The A's are off to their worst start since 1999, when they were 9-24.


"Our record is not indicative of how good we are,' manager Bob Melvin said. 'We need to start believing we are going to win.'


Melvin's bullpen has produced an AL-worst 5.07 ERA, causing the club to acquire Edward Mujica and cash from Boston on Saturday for either a player to be named or cash considerations.


Mujica, who turned 31 on Sunday, was dealt a day after being designated for assignment by the Red Sox. He was 1-1 with a 4.61 ERA in 11 games for Boston, and could make his Oakland debut against his former team.


Porcello has thrown 12 consecutive scoreless innings after he worked seven in Tuesday's 2-0 victory over Tampa Bay. He has faced Billy Butler more than all but one batter, with the A's slugger a .347 hitter against him.


Coco Crisp, who is 6 for 20 against Porcello, will start playing regularly Monday after returning for five games following elbow surgery.


The Red Sox are expected to welcome back Shane Victorino, who has been out since April 22 with a right hamstring strain.


Oakland's Scott Kazmir (2-1, 2.75) hasn't allowed a run in 14 innings at home, but had his worst start of the season Wednesday at Minnesota. The left-hander allowed six runs and seven hits - including two homers - over six innings in a 13-0 loss.


Dustin Pedroia is 19 for 38 off Kazmir while David Ortiz is a .208 hitter in this matchup and Napoli is 1 for 10 with six strikeouts.


Former San Francisco star Pablo Sandoval, a .211 hitter in Oakland, makes his return to the Bay Area.


SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Red Sox at Athletics
Mon, May 11 - 10:05PM EDT


GAME 2
Red Sox at Athletics
Tue, May 12 - 10:05PM EDT


GAME 3
Red Sox at Athletics
Wed, May 13 - 3:35PM EDT

Preview: Marlins (15-16) at Dodgers (19-10)
Game: 1
Venue: Dodger Stadium
Date: May 11, 2015 10:10 PM EDT

Some said the Marlins gave up too much to acquire Dee Gordon, but he's rewarded them with baseball's best batting average.


He'll dig in against his former team Monday night when Miami visits the Los Angeles Dodgers, who hope Zack Greinke's dominant stretch continues.


Gordon came to Miami in a seven-player deal that also brought Dan Haren over from the Dodgers. Acquiring Gordon, coming off his first All-Star season, seemed like a no-brainer, though the Marlins had to part with Andrew Heaney, their top pitching prospect. Los Angeles went on to flip Heaney for Howie Kendrick, who is batting .288 with 16 RBIs.


Gordon has made general manager Mike Hill and company look good so far, as he's batting a big league-best .439 and his 54 hits through 29 games are tied for the third-most in history. He's also 30 for 54 during a 13-game hitting streak, extending it with two doubles in Sunday's 3-2 loss at San Francisco after missing two games with a hamstring injury.


The second baseman is just 1 for 6 with three strikeouts against Greinke, who is looking to match teammate Clayton Kershaw's 11 straight winning decisions from last year. Greinke (5-0, 1.56 ERA) owns a 1.99 ERA in 14 starts since his last loss. He's thrown at least six innings in all six outings this year, allowing one or no runs four times.


The right-hander is 3-0 with a 3.97 ERA in six games against the Marlins, including five starts.


The Dodgers (20-10) have won eight of 10 and boast baseball's second-best record, trailing only St. Louis (22-9). They won 9-5 at Colorado on Sunday with Justin Turner coming off the bench to put them ahead with a two-run homer during a four-run eighth inning. Turner is 9 for 24 over his last 10 games with five home runs and 11 RBIs and is a career .390 hitter versus Miami.


Adrian Gonzalez continued his tear with two doubles and has 11 RBIs during a nine-game hitting streak.


"It's impressive, the at_bats these guys are having," Kershaw, who was bailed out after giving up five runs in 5 2-3 innings, told MLB's official website. "Clutch hits. The bench guys. A pretty complete team."


Miami's bullpen remains vulnerable, posting a 5.57 ERA during the club's 3-5 stretch after it had won nine of 10. Closer Steve Cishek gave up two runs in the ninth Sunday, blowing his third save in five chances. Cishek, who converted 73 of 79 opportunities the last two seasons, saw his ERA climb to 8.18.


"I just got to keep sticking to what I do," he said. "My routine, the work I do before the game has always been the same in the past and has always worked for me I don't want to push the panic button now and try to reset everything."


Miami (15-17) is looking for Tom Koehler (2-3, 5.18) to resolve his struggles, as he's 1-2 with an 8.59 ERA in three road outings compared to a 2.45 ERA at home. He gave up five runs and a career-high three homers over six innings in a 7-5 loss at Washington on Wednesday.


Koehler is 0-2 with a 6.23 ERA in two starts at Dodger Stadium.


Gonzalez is 1 for 4 off Koehler, though lefties are hitting .297 with seven home runs against him.


The Dodgers have won 15 of the last 23 meetings but split six matchups last year.




SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Marlins at Dodgers
Mon, May 11 - 10:10PM EDT


GAME 2
Marlins at Dodgers
Tue, May 12 - 10:10PM EDT


GAME 3
Marlins at Dodgers
Wed, May 13 - 7:50PM EDT

Preview: Royals (20-11) at Rangers (13-18)
Game: 1
Venue: Globe Life Park in Arlington
Date: May 11, 2015 8:05 PM EDT

The Kansas City Royals expect Mike Moustakas to return from the bereavement list Monday night in time for what appears to be a favorable matchup against Colby Lewis.


The Texas Rangers starter has struggled in the past against the Royals, though he's on the upswing heading into the opener of this four-game series in Arlington.


Moustakas, second on the club with a .327 average, missed a weekend three-game series in Detroit when he was placed the three-day bereavement list Friday. He is batting an AL-best .440 on the road.


The third baseman is 4 for 7 with a homer off Lewis (2-2, 2.61 ERA), who is 1-4 with a 6.55 ERA in six career starts against Kansas City. Eric Hosmer is 4 for 10 with two doubles against Lewis and Jarrod Dyson is 3 for 7 with two doubles.


Lewis has allowed one run over his last 14 innings, yielding the run in eight in Wednesday's 11-3 rout at Houston for his first win since April 7.


"I just think it is being healthy, being comfortable knowing my role and just feeling really relaxed," Lewis told MLB's official website.


The right-hander's 5.49 ERA at home since the start of 2014 is baseball's third-worst mark in that span.


The Rangers (13-18) own baseball's worst home record at 3-9, though they feel better about themselves after capping a 5-2 trip with Sunday's 2-1 victory over Tampa Bay thanks in part to Adrian Beltre's solo homer in the fourth inning and tiebreaking single in the eighth.


"These guys have responded, they know what's at stake, they know where we're at," manager Jeff Banister said. "We're still early but we're at a point now that we need to put some things together and start putting some Ws on the board."


Beltre has scuffled with a .236 average, .660 OPS and eight RBIs. The Rangers have nine RBIs from the cleanup spot to match Tampa Bay for the AL's worst total.


'The main reason we're not doing better is because of me. I take full responsibility,' said Beltre, who is batting .192 with runners in scoring position and has left 50 men on base. 'Hitting in the middle of the lineup, I know my job, I know what I need to be doing. It hasn't happened, but there's no doubt it has to be better moving forward.'


Beltre is 0 for 4 off Royals starter Danny Duffy (2-1, 4.55), who was charged with four runs, two hit batters and one wild pitch over one-plus inning in Wednesday's 10-3 home loss to Cleveland.


The left-hander called the shortest non-injury start of his career "weird" and also said, "I'll have confidence that I'll do my job the next time I go out there."


Duffy's two career starts against the Rangers came within his first three big league outings in 2011. The Texas hitter he has faced the most is Prince Fielder, who is 1 for 8 in this matchup.


The Rangers are facing a lefty for the first time in seven games and Banister is expected to give righty-swinging Jake Smolinski a start.


Kansas City (20-11) can improve to 10-1 in series openers with a third straight win. Hosmer is 10 for 30 with 10 RBIs over a seven-game hitting streak.


The Royals lead the majors with a .290 average and the Rangers are last at .224. Kansas City went 5-1 in last year's season series.


SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Royals at Rangers
Mon, May 11 - 8:05PM EDT


GAME 2
Royals at Rangers
Tue, May 12 - 8:05PM EDT


GAME 3
Royals at Rangers
Wed, May 13 - 8:05PM EDT


GAME 4
Royals at Rangers
Thu, May 14 - 2:05PM EDT

Monday's Tip Sheet


May 11, 2015




Upcoming Series to Watch


New York Mets at Chicago Cubs


Of course I was going to give this upcoming three-game set at Wrigley Field top-billing, as both of these clubs were two of my clear breakout picks for 2015. While the Cubs have stumbled a bit lately, losing seven of their past nine, they’re still at least at .500, a notable improvement for this juncture of the season compared to years’ past. And they’re only going to play better as their core of youngsters gets more acclimated at the major league level, such as with phenom rookie Kris Bryant. As I’ve been saying for the past two years, there’s no question the 23-year-old slugger is going to develop into one of the future faces of Major League Baseball, and his inevitable rapid emergence is only going to carry the Cubs towards a playoff berth. Their hot run is yet to come.


Speaking of hot runs, you can say the surging New York Mets have been on one seemingly all season, bringing a 20-11 record and a 3.5-game lead for first place in the NL East into this series. While they were my main pick to bust out this season (Best Bet Over 82.5 Wins, remember), I’m still a little surprised how they’ve been able to sustain their strong success in the absences of David Wright and Travis d’Arnaud, as they’ve been getting considerable contributions on different nights from the likes of Wilmer Flores, Kevin Plawecki, and Dilson Herrera. That’s huge in being a winning team, having your unlikely role-players step up in crucial moments. Their standout pitching has remained steady, and that’s keying them to their success.


To me, this is a tough series to get a read on. The Mets are still playing well, but now go on the road to face a Cubs team that can get hot again at any given point. And as mentioned, that hot streak will be inevitable. Game one could be a duel (although winds are blowing heavily out to center field; Wrigley Field winds are the most important out of any stadium in baseball when handicapping, which is why the linesmakers always wait till morning to release an over/under at Wrigley), with Jon Lester taking on Jacob deGrom.


New York Yankees at Tampa Bay Rays


The last time the Yankees came to The Trop, it was mid-April and they were in last place with an inauspicious 3-6 start. Many people had already begun to write them off, thinking they would simply extend their streak of not making the playoffs to three consecutive seasons.


But then New York swept the Rays, beginning a massive run that has spilled into present day almost a full month later, having won 17 out of their last 23, including five of six from Tampa Bay. As a result, the Yankees now have the second-best record in the American League, and a three-game lead for first place in the AL East, coincidentally over these same Rays, who have scratched and clawed to their current 17-15 mark under first-year manager Kevin Cash.


The Rays were dealt some crushing news last week, it was announced that they’d be without two of their top three starting pitchers for awhile. In fact, one, Alex Cobb, was just slated for Tommy John surgery, which sidelines him for the rest of the year and some of next, while Drew Smyly, who has been fantastic since being acquired last year in the David Price deal, also may miss the rest of the campaign with a torn labrum. Nonetheless, the Rays have been battling, but how much longer can they survive? If there’s one constant involving them, though, it’s been under bets, as they sport one of the top records in baseball towards unders at 19-13-1.


But when it comes to money-line and run-line wagers, the Yankees are the team to lock in on as they continue their current run. They continue to fire on all cylinders right now, and at +110 for the series, New York looks like an intriguing wager as their ascension continues to unfold. C.C. Sabathia faces Alex Colome, one of the hurlers expected to pick up the slack in light of the crucial injuries dealt to Tampa’s rotation, in game one of this four-game series.


Toronto Blue Jays at Baltimore Orioles


Not many people anticipated the Orioles being in last place in the AL East as we begin to embark on mid-May, but that’s exactly where they find themselves. At the same time, they’re only trailing slightly teams like the Blue Jays, who they face tonight with a chance to escape the division cellar.


This is a series to watch for a couple of reasons. One, this is a meeting between two teams who could realistically churn out a 90-win season and win the division. At the moment, though, both are lagging on their expectations, being at .500 or below. Two, they might begin heading in opposite directions, as the Orioles have lost five of six, while Toronto has secured four wins over that same span. To me, it’s an even matchup as well, though, making it tough to bet on in terms of the series overall. For those interesting in taking a stab at game one, it’s the resurgent Ubaldo Jimenez, who has been key in helping Baltimore even stay afloat, battling Toronto offseason acquisition Marco Estrada.


Team to Watch


-- The Nationals were supposed to be a ‘team to watch’ all season, entering the 2015 Major League Baseball campaign as one of the favorites to win it all. Instead, they sputtered out of the gate thanks to a dreadful offense and inconsistent starting pitching, but with some guys back healthy, and the current massive tear initiated by budding star Bryce Harper, the Nationals now find themselves on a four-game winning streak that has taken them above .500. As a result, this looks to be an opportune time to bet them to win a series. They begin a three-game series in the desert versus the Diamondbacks, who have been overachieving a bit in the first month-plus of the season, but can they sustain that against a red-hot Washington squad?


It’s more likely than not that they won’t, and with relatively decent series odds for an elite team like the Nationals (-160), being that they’re the road team in this series, they look like a fine bet. Additionally, they have ace Max Scherzer on the mound in the opener going up against Arizona’s staff leader Josh Collmenter, with respectable -145 odds for that contest. Now looks like a good time to tail Washington as they continue their unsurprising emergence.


Fearless Prediction


-- After getting some much-needed momentum from salvaging the final game of a three-game series in Toronto, I think the Red Sox can keep it going in their next clash. Tonight they begin a three-game set at the O.co Coliseum in Oakland, taking on a team that is struggling mightily right now. In fact, the A's have lost five in a row and 13 of their past 17 to drop into last in the AL West, falling further and further beneath first-place Houston. Boston is a tough team to turn it around against, as their offense may finally be breaking out of their current swoon, after scoring more than five runs in a game for the first time in almost two weeks.


Their starting pitching can't possibly be any worse (the rotation’s 5.64 ERA is second-last in all of baseball, just barely ahead of the Rockies), so as that improves, which it has already started to thanks largely to Rick Porcello, the Red Sox can climb back up the standings. Porcello will actually be taking the ball in the opener squaring off with Scott Kazmir.

Monday's Tip Sheet


May 11, 2015




**Hawks at Wizards


-- Washington (52-37 straight up, 39-47-3 against the spread) took a 2-1 advantage over Atlanta in this best-of-seven series by winning Game 3 on Saturday in buzzer-beating fashion. Paul Pierce banked home a fade-away jumper at the horn to give the Wizards a 103-101 win as 4.5-point home underdogs. They hooked up money-line supporters with a +160 payout (risk $100 to win $160).


-- Washington allowed a 21-point fourth-quarter lead to get away during a spirited run from Atlanta's bench. With Mike Scott and Dennis Schroder leading the way, the Hawks scored 17 unanswered points during a 21-3 run that pulled them to within 94-91 with 3:12 remaining. Mike Muscala buried a 3-pointer to the tie the game with 14.1 seconds left, but Pierce answered with his game-winning heroics.


-- Playing without John Wall, who is 'out' for Game 4 and could be done for the rest of the postseason (wrist), Washington got 17 points apiece from Bradley Beal, Nene and Otto Porter. Marcin Gortat added 14 points, eight rebounds, three blocked shots and three assists without a turnover. Pierce had 13 points and seven boards, while Porter had nine rebounds and passed out four helpers.


-- Porter averaged only 6.0 points, 3.0 rebounds and 0.9 assists per game during 74 regular-season games. However, the Georgetown product has been sensational against the Hawks, averaging 14.0 points, 9.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists per contest. Nene had scored only two points in the first two games of the series before erupting for 17 in Game 3.


-- Schroder and Scott made strong cases to see increased minutes in Game 4 during Saturday's setback. Schroder scored 18 points and dished out five assists without committing a turnover in just 19 minutes of playing time. Scott hit back-to-back 3's at crunch time. Jeff Teague matched Schroder's team-high 18 points and dished out seven assists. DeMarre Carroll scored 14 points but saw his six-game streak of scoring at least 20 points snapped. Al Horford finished with 12 points, 10 rebounds, four assists and two blocked shots. Paul Millsap didn't start due to flu-like symptoms. The two-time All-Star played just 23 minutes and produced just eight points and a pair of rebounds.


-- Atlanta (65-26 SU, 53-36-2 ATS) needs better play out of Teague, who hasn't been himself since spraining his ankle in Game 5 of the Brooklyn series. In the last four outings, Teague has averaged just 9.5 PPG while shooting only 26.1 percent from the field. Korver, who led the NBA in 3-point shooting percentage (49.1%) during the regular season, has made only 9-of-26 attempts from long distance in the first three games of this series.


-- VI's Chris David is bullish on Atlanta in Game 4. "It’s hard to justify laying points with the Hawks on the road at this point, knowing that they’re 1-3 both SU and ATS in the playoffs as visitors. However, Atlanta’s body of work (17-9 SU, 15-11 ATS) as a road favorite this season cannot be ignored. It’s fair to say that the Hawks have put up one clunker on the road in the postseason, which came in Game 3 at Brooklyn. The two other losses were tough, one coming in overtime and of course Saturday’s buzzer beater. I like Atlanta to bounce back in Game 4 and don’t have any issues laying the points because the numbers tell you that when it wins as a road favorite, it covers more often than not."


-- The 'under' is 44-43-2 overall for the Wizards, but the 'over' is 24-19-1 in their home contests.


-- The 'over' is 46-45 for the Hawks this year, going 24-21 in their road assignments.


-- As of late Sunday night, most books had the Hawks favored by 4.5 points with a total of 199. The Wizards are +170 on the money line (risk $100 to win $170).


-- The adjusted series price at Sportsbook.ag: Atlanta -170, Washington +150.


-- Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. Eastern on TNT.


**Warriors at Grizzlies**


-- As of late Sunday night, most spots had Golden St. (72-17 SU, 49-39-1 ATS) listed as a five-point 'chalk' with a total of 196. Gamblers can back the Grizzlies to win outright for a +180 return (risk $100 to win $180).


-- The No. 1 seeds from both conferences are facing 2-1 deficits. Steve Kerr's team, the West's top seed, has lost back-to-back games, including Saturday's 99-89 loss at The Grind House. Memphis went ahead in the series behind 22 points and eight rebounds from Zach Randolph. Marc Gasol added 21 points and 15 boards, while Courtney Lee and Mike Conley scored 11 points apiece. The Grizzles led by 16 at halftime and by as many as 19 early in the fourth quarter. Golden St. rallied late and got as close as four (88-84) with 3:15 remaining, but the Grizz sealed the deal with an 11-5 run to close the game.


-- Golden St. isn't making 3's or taking care of the basketball. After committing 20 turnovers in a 97-90 Game 2 loss at Oracle Arena, the Warriors coughed it up 17 times in Game 3. This led Kerr to speculate that seven or eight of the turnovers were unforced. Memphis did an incredible job of defending the 3-point line in Games 2 and 3, as the Warriors went 6-for-26 from 3-point range in consecutive contests.


-- Curry scored a game-high 23 points in Game 3, but he connected on just 2-of-10 from downtown. Klay Thompson had 20 points and eight boards while making 8-of-13 shots from the floor. Harrison Barnes added 16 points and six rebounds.


-- Memphis (61-29 SU, 45-42-3 ATS) owns a 2-2 record both SU and ATS in four games as a home underdog this year.


-- Sportsbook.ag has Golden St. as the -210 'chalk' for the adjusted series price. Bettors can take Memphis for a +175 payout. The Warriors and Hawks were joined by the Cavs as favorites to advance despite trailing their respective series 2-1 going into Game 4. (Cleveland evened its series with Chicago thanks to LeBron James's buzzer-beating jumper on Sunday.)


-- Golden St. reserve center Marreese Speights is 'out' of Game 4 due to a calf strain sustained in Game 3. The University of Florida product averaged 10.4 points and 4.3 rebounds per game during the regular season. He had nine points in only five-plus minutes of playing time in Game 3. Speights had 10 points in five boards while logging 12-plus minutes of PT in his team's Game 1 victory. Speights' absence will lead to increased minutes for Festus Ezeli and/or David Lee, who took a 'DNP' in Game 3. Lee, a former All-Star, scored only one point and had four rebounds in nearly nine minutes of action in Games 1 and 2.


-- VI's David leans to the Warriors for the side in Monday's late game. David said, "Game 4 will be a serious gut check for the top-seeded Warriors and the oddsmakers believe Golden State will answer the bell. During the regular season, Golden State never lost three straight games and only surrendered back-to-back losses four times. After dropping two consecutive games, Steve Kerr’s club showed some resiliency and posted a 4-0 record while winning by an average of 12.8 PPG. Will that happen in Game 4? I’d certainly lean that way but I was very surprised to see Golden State’s offense be held to 90 points or less in two straight games."


-- David added these thoughts on the Game 4 total: "The total for Game 4 has been holding steady at 196 and if Memphis can dictate the pace again, it’s hard to lean ‘over’ in this spot. For the second straight game, Golden State attempted 74 shots from the field, which is way off its season average of 86.7 field goal attempts. It shouldn’t come as a surprise since Memphis has one of the best defensive clubs in the league. For Monday’s number, I’d stay away from game total but would lean to the ‘under’ in the team total for Memphis (95 ½). I’m expecting Kerr to double in the post and force the Grizzlies to beat them from the outside, something they’re not very good at."


-- The 'under' is 48-40-1 overall for the Warriors, 26-18 in their road games. They have seen the 'under' cash in four straight and five of their last six.


-- The 'under' has been a major money maker in Memphis games, going 52-36-2 overall. The Grizzlies have seen the 'under' hit at a 30-14-1 clip in their home outings. They have seen the 'under' go 7-2 in their last nine games.


-- TNT will have the telecast at 9:35 p.m. Eastern.

Warriors F Speights out with calf strain


May 10, 2015


MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) - Warriors reserve forward Marreese Speights has a strained right calf that could keep him out for the rest of Golden State's series with the Memphis Grizzlies.


The Warriors said Sunday that Speights had an MRI exam that showed a moderate strain, and the forward will be re-evaluated in one week.


Golden State trails Memphis 2-1 in the Western Conference semifinal with Game 4 on Monday night. The timetable could allow Speights possibly to return for Game 7 on May 17.


Speights was hurt in the fourth quarter Saturday night of a 99-89 loss to Memphis, and he hopped off the court to the locker room. He had nine points in the game, including six in a 41-second span just before hurting his calf.

Top seeds in trouble trailing semis 2-1


May 10, 2015


MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) - First-year coach Steve Kerr knows a crucial moment in the playoffs, so he understands exactly the test his Golden State Warriors face trailing Memphis 2-1 in their Western Conference semifinal.


If his Warriors adapt and correct their mistakes mid-series, then the team that posted the NBA's best record in the regular season can continue its dream season. Keep rushing while turning the ball over and missing too many 3s, and those growing pains will hurt until this time next year.


''This is that moment for us, so we'll see how we respond,'' Kerr said Sunday, a day after the Warriors dropped their second straight with a 99-89 loss in Game 3.


The Atlanta Hawks find themselves in the same spot as the Warriors, and these No. 1 seeds have become the first to trail 1-2 in a conference semifinal since the NBA went to the current playoff format in 1984. The Hawks couldn't take advantage of Washington playing without All-Star guard John Wall and fell behind by as much as 21 points before a 103-101 loss Saturday.


''They had their way with us for three quarters,'' Hawks guard Kyle Korver said. ''They were more physical and just kind of pushed us around. We didn't respond well. ... The bottom line is we've got to play with more fire in a playoff game.''


Golden State won 67 games, while Atlanta dominated the East with 60 victories. Now both No. 1 seeds risk falling behind even further Monday night in Game 4 of each of their best-of-7 series.


A look at the two games:


---


Warriors at Grizzlies, Grizzlies lead 2-1, 9:30 p.m. EDT, TNT


The Warriors didn't change their schedule and didn't practice Sunday, instead watching all of Saturday night's loss together to see exactly where they kept rushing. They now have shot 6 of 26 outside the arc for a second straight game, a measly 23.1 percent.


League MVP Stephen Curry missed the only shot he took in the fourth quarter, and he was 4 of 21 on 3-poitners the past two games combined after knocking down 20 in four games against New Orleans in the first round.


That leaves a team that won 45 games by double digits is trying to avoid its first three-game skid this season.


''It's unfamiliar territory, so it's something that we're looking forward to and looking forward to respond to adversity,'' Warriors forward Draymond Green said.


The Grizzlies did practice and spent Monday trying to recover from a second straight emotional game. Mike Conley's first game back Tuesday from surgery to repair facial fractures was thrilling, and they turned in another defensive show Saturday night.


Coach Dave Joerger gave them a history lesson on past playoffs like last year when the Grizzlies lost their first-round series to Oklahoma City after leading 2-1.


''We've been on the other end of it we've been on the other end of it, so we know no lead is safe,'' Conley said. ''You're playing against the best team in the world and anything can happen.''


---


Hawks at Wizards, Wizards lead 2-1, 7 p.m. EDT, TNT


The Hawks expect to get forward Paul Millsap back in the starting lineup Monday night after flu-like symptoms limited him to eight points and two rebounds off the bench Saturday. But the Hawks have more issues with Jeff Teague shooting only 5 of 15 from the floor, and Korver took just five shots as he finished with six points.


Only a rally by the bench that tied it up late, setting up Paul Pierce's winning shot, kept Atlanta from being routed as the Hawks looked lethargic and disjointed for three quarters.


''We've got our backs against the wall, it's do or die,'' Atlanta guard Kent Bazemore said.


The Wizards are 3-0 at home and 6-1 this postseason. More importantly, they now are 1-1 without Wall.


''We were able to show, especially for the first three and half quarters, what we was capable of even without John if we play the right way,'' Wizards guard Garrett Temple said. ''We've just got to play that way for the whole game.


The swelling in Wall's broken left wrist and hand had eased Sunday, though not enough for him to test dribbling a ball yet.


''It's heading to a situation where hopefully he can get a ball in his hands (again), see how that feels,'' Wizards coach Randy Wittman said. ''There's still some (swelling) in there. There's no sense doing anything with a ball while it's swollen.''

Bulls' Gasol out for Game 4 vs Cavs


May 10, 2015


CHICAGO (AP) - Chicago Bulls forward Pau Gasol will miss Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals because of a strained left hamstring.


Coach Tom Thibodeau said Sunday the five-time All-Star was still sore and remains day to day. He said he is not sure if Gasol will be ready for Game 5 on Tuesday at Cleveland.


Gasol left Friday's game and an MRI showed no major structural damage. Taj Gibson was in the lineup Sunday in his place.


A two-time champion with the Los Angeles Lakers, Gasol averaged 18.5 points and 11.8 rebounds after signing with Chicago last summer. At 34, he led the NBA with a career-high 54 double-doubles.


It's the latest in a long list of injuries this season for the Bulls, who lead the series 2-1 after Derrick Rose banked in a 3-pointer at the buzzer for a 99-96 victory Friday.

Injured point guards major impact


May 9, 2015


MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) - John Wall hopes to test his broken left hand and wrist by trying to dribble a basketball.


''You have to be able to dribble,'' the Wizards' All-Star guard said Friday. ''It's basically taping my hand behind my back and saying dribble with one hand. It's not happening in this league. It's just something I have to deal with. It's frustrating. It's tough.''


Injuries continue to have a major impact on the conference semifinals with Washington replacing Memphis as the team waiting to see if its point guard can or should try to play with broken bones.


Sure, Mike Conley played eight days after surgery to repair broken bones in his left cheek, but the Grizzlies' guard missed three games until swelling eased enough in his face to wear a mask. Even the Clippers' Chris Paul took off a couple games to rest his strained left hamstring.


Memphis was able to close out Portland without Conley, and he returned in time to help the Grizzlies split with the Warriors in the first two games in the Western Conference semifinals. The Clippers split both games Paul sat out in Houston, giving him time to rest up for Game 3.


Wall is averaging 17.6 points and 12.6 assists this postseason. With five non-displaced fractures, Wall could hurt his hand and wrist even worse by playing so he's not sure if he will be able to play Game 3 today no matter how tough it might be sitting out.


''This series has to go on,'' Wall said. ''This is a great opportunity for these guys to step up, play a key role and win some games.''


A look at the two games:


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Warriors at Grizzlies, tied 1-1, 8 p.m., EDT, ESPN


Golden State faces its first true test after sweeping New Orleans and easily winning the opener against the Grizzlies. Conley's return allowed the Grizzlies to take home-court advantage with them back to Memphis, and masks already were waiting for fans to turn up the volume Saturday night in appreciation of the guard's gutty performance Tuesday night.


Playing on the road has been pretty easy for the Warriors who posted not only the NBA's best record overall in the regular season but were the league's best away from home.


''For us, this is some of the first adversity that we've faced,'' Warriors guard Klay Thompson said. ''We've got a couple options: we can hang our heads or we can go in there and fight in Memphis. We're the best road team in the NBA for a reason. We can go in there and win if we play hard enough, and that's what we expect to do.''


Conley was testing a new mask after practice Friday, hopefully one with holes to protect against fogging. Having three days between games has helped him recover, and Conley even has been able to run and lift weights. He's even getting the feeling back in parts of his face now.


''That's a good thing,'' Conley said.


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Hawks at Wizards, tied 1-1, 5 p.m. EDT, ESPN


The Wizards are preparing to play without Wall against the East's No. 1 seed after grabbing home-court advantage by winning the series opener with their point guard on the floor. Bradley Beal, who took over at the point in Game 2, is averaging only 4 assists this postseason.


Beal said he thinks he tried to do too much in that game, trying to compensate for Wall's absence. He said the key for him is simply creating opportunities for shots and rebound.


''I got to rely on my teammates and act like John is there when he's not there,'' Beal said.


Wall's advice is for Beal to be aggressive but smart if double-teamed.


''Trust the guys are going to make shots,'' Wall said. ''Kick it out to them. That's something you have to build. He hasn't been in that situation too many times. Mostly he was the guy being aggressive and I have to find guys.


Atlanta guard Kyle Korver was with Chicago when the Bulls lost Derrick Rose to a torn ACL.


''We were all bummed, but you know what, you still have to play,'' Korver said. ''We got beat four games in a row, and I'm not saying that's going to happen here. We have a lot of respect for them and still think it's going to be a tough series.''

Armadillo: Monday's six-pack

-- Ricky Fowler played last ten holes in -8, won the PLAYERS title in a three-way playoff; if golf announcers got fined for every cliche they uttered, most would work for free, some would owe money, especially on NBC.

-- White Sox have played five home series, won two of three in all five.

-- All 11 of the Rangers' playoff games this spring were decided by one goal.

-- Anaheim eliminated the Flames in five games; Ducks are 8-1 in playoffs.

-- Why do people make TV commercials with screaming in them? Does this make people buy the product? It makes me turn the channel.

-- Orioles are back in Baltimore tonight; lets hope its a peaceful night.

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Armadillo: Monday's List of 13: Wrapping up a sports weekend......

13) I don't know how much Tyronn Lue makes as an assistant coach, but he earned every penny Sunday, pulling coach David Blatt away when the head coach tried to call a timeout he didn't have with the score tied and 0:08 left.

Blatt then channeled his inner Gene Hackman (from Hoosiers) and wanted the last play to start with Lebron James inbounding the ball. Um, no; James got the ball instead, drained the winning shot and everyone was happy.

12) When JR Smith is (correctly) criticizing his head coach after a game, you have to wonder what the hell is going on? Just let Lebron coach the team.

11) By the way, if I'm the Bulls, I'm wondering why none of the three refs saw Blatt (who was standing on the freakin' court) and gave him what would have been an illegal timeout? Seems like the refs may have bailed Cleveland out of what would've been a very embarrassing situation.

10) Last two games: Clippers 252, Rockets 194-- Coaching in the NBA must suck (except for the $$$); Kevin McHale had to be steaming at the gutless performance of his team Sunday, yet his postgame press conference sounded like a Little League coach consoling a bunch of 10-year olds after a game.

I'm reminded of what Rick Pitino said when the Thunder hired Billy Donovan a couple weeks ago, something to the effect that he'll have to learn to bite his tongue, that would be very important. Apparently if you publicly criticize the highly paid players, they'll go in the tank and get you fired. Awesome.

9) While I'm here, DeAndre Jordan was 10-28 from the foul line.....in the first half alone, as Houston fouled him over and over. Anyone who says the NBA game is better than college ball is delusional- they just have better players, the best in the world. In the NBA, the inmates run the asylum.

8) Think about the three buzzer beaters this weekend; two were banked in, totally lucky shots, the third was on a play after the players told the coach to stuff the play he had called-- and they were right to do so!!!!

7) NHL officials had to be sick when Anaheim eliminated the Flames in five games last night; its serious money if a series goes six or seven games. Better TV ratings, more sellout crowds- short series don't help the bottom line.

6) Baseball oddity last night; normally when a pitcher comes into a game, he has to face a batter, but when Luke Hochevar was announced as a reliever in the ninth inning, there was a downpour ten seconds later and the game had a rain delay of over an hour.

When the game resumed, Hochevar didn't have to pitch, since it had been over an hour since he warmed up and there is a rule for that (to help prevent injury) , so this was the rare case of a pitcher getting in a game but doing nothing.

5) A disgruntled former U of Illinois football player went on a Twitter rant Sunday, saying the Illini's head football trainer was fired after it was discovered he wasn't licensed to work in the state of Illinois. Whoops. Read here.

The player involved quit the team last year and obviously has an ax to grind, but apparently a lot of what he said is true.

4) Johnny Cueto got 30 called strikes from ump John Hirschbeck Saturday; very unusual for a pitcher to get that many in one game. For some reason, the Reds left Cueto in a 10-1 game in 9th inning- they finally took him out after he had thrown 123 pitches and the game got to 10-4.

3) At some point, I'm going to do a thing on the great debate that rages these days between numbers guys and non-numbers guys (we need a name for them!!!) in sports. How decisions are made is changing and not everyone has the same blueprint for how to do it. People copy teams who win.

Analytics, you know-- for instance, the A's two assistant GMs went to Harvard and Brown- the guy who left this year to go to the Dodgers went to MIT and only became interested in baseball after he saw the movie Moneyball, so he had no background in baseball until ten years ago. Just great.

Wonder which Ivy League genius is taking credit for Cespedes/Lester trade? A's were 66-41 when they made the trade, are 34-56 since. Ouch.

2) Robert Morris did a great job last year; they had the NEC Freshman of the Year, but the kid had people in his ear, so he left Robert Morris and will let the anxious world know his next college stop this week. This sucks when teams at low major schools lose out on recruiting coups because bigger schools poach their players. We'll find out who these poachers are fairly soon.

1) Washington Capitals' fans have to be sick; they were up 3-1 on Rangers, now it is 3-3, Game 7 is in NYC. Since Alex Ovechkin has been a Cap, they're 4-12 in games when they can end a series- last five times they were up 3-2, they lost Game 6.