Cnotes MLB Best Bets For Sunday 08/01 !

The Bum's Week 17 Results-Week Ending 08/01/10 ( Bum is also known as Cnotes )

MLB Week 17 Results - Week Ending 08/01/10
Rank Member WLT Pct Units Record History Status
1 AirforceZack 92-49-3 65.25% +22955 View View
2 Yanidis 90-51-3 63.83% +18513 View View
3 DaBoss80 96-60-2 61.54% +16600 View View
4 BrunoG0 74-38-2 66.07% +16160 View View
5 KAL5 52-28-0 65.00% +15585 View View Pending
6 spawns65 98-58-4 62.82% +15055 View View Pending
7 tim2win 95-58-4 62.09% +14235 View View
8 mobbydick 92-59-3 60.93% +14050 View View
9 bolog 92-64-4 58.97% +13885 View View
10 Biscuit09 88-51-1 63.31% +13860 View View
11 GRAP 98-60-2 62.03% +13520 View View
12 rickahunta 96-57-4 62.75% +13515 View View
13 robsaun 93-63-3 59.62% +12960 View View
14 MAC316 67-45-1 59.82% +12585 View View
15 rickino 78-46-1 62.90% +12300 View View
16 CNOTES 90-63-5 58.82% +12195 View View Pending

17 theSleeper 62-35-2 63.92% +12100 View View
18 vegasWA 55-27-2 67.07% +12040 View View Pending
19 GIANTDAD 87-67-4 56.49% +11815 View View
20 dayton 89-55-2 61.81% +11785 View View
21 DogsLoveTrucks 39-15-0 72.22% +11780 View View
22 redwingfanattic 59-28-2 67.82% +11755 View View
23 bigmoney726 52-26-2 66.67% +11635 View View
24 gambler649 82-56-4 59.42% +11505 View View
25 babyseth 87-67-4 56.49% +11330 View View
26 edyen 62-36-3 63.27% +11285 View View
27 nab10 94-60-3 61.04% +11250 View View
28 hallwl 38-10-0 79.17% +11250 View View
29 militarystrikeforce 47-27-1 63.51% +10995 View View
30 jr5601 63-35-1 64.29% +10930 View View Pending
31 sonofsamtom 82-59-4 58.16% +10740 View View Pending
32 miamifins 86-57-5 60.14% +10735 View View
33 kensmith 59-34-1 63.44% +10715 View View
34 aerison12 90-63-5 58.82% +10700 View View
35 Chainz 51-25-0 67.11% +10640 View View
36 jgh811 70-46-2 60.34% +10600 View View
37 RGWINS1ST 81-62-3 56.64% +10540 View View
38 TheBoss13 62-36-1 63.27% +10495 View View Pending
39 LBCWeasie 43-25-0 63.24% +10475 View View
40 MARKJ442 72-45-2 61.54% +10455 View View
41 daddymactwo 61-38-3 61.62% +10435 View View
42 lou_eville 58-34-2 63.04% +10310 View View
43 rambo1304 61-39-2 61.00% +10295 View View
44 DrWon 58-30-1 65.91% +10280 View View
45 keeblerr 88-65-3 57.52% +10220 View View
46 tonydor 83-56-3 59.71% +10125 View View
47 jgoins 79-50-3 61.24% +10045 View View
48 Beroman 97-63-2 60.63% +9970 View View
49 mojo1267 56-40-1 58.33% +9875 View View
50 monty1 62-41-1 60.19% +9845 View View


Sunday, August 1Game Score Status Pick Amount

Cleveland - 1:07 PM ET Toronto -164 500
Toronto - Under 9 500

Arizona - 1:10 PM ET NY Mets -150 500
NY Mets - Under 9 500 *****

Atlanta - 1:10 PM ET Cincinnati +106 500 *****
Cincinnati - Under 9 500

Detroit - 1:35 PM ET Detroit +135 500 *****
Boston - Over 8 500 *****

Philadelphia - 1:35 PM ET Washington +141 500 *****
Washington - Over 8.5 500

NY Yankees - 1:40 PM ET NY Yankees -138 500
Tampa Bay - Under 8.5 500

Oakland - 2:05 PM ET Oakland +133 500 *****
Chi. White Sox - Under 8 500

Milwaukee - 2:05 PM ET Houston +126 500 *****
Houston - Over 9 500

Baltimore - 2:10 PM ET Baltimore +133 500
Kansas City - Under 9.5 500 *****

Seattle - 2:10 PM ET Seattle +278 500 *****
Minnesota - Over 8.5 500

Pittsburgh - 2:15 PM ET Pittsburgh +295 500 *****
St. Louis - Under 7.5 500

Chi. Cubs - 3:10 PM ET Chi. Cubs +132 500
Colorado - Under 9.5 500

Texas - 3:35 PM ET Texas -125 500
LA Angels - Under 7 500

Florida - 4:05 PM ET Florida -133 500 *****
San Diego - Under 6.5 500*****

LA Dodgers - 8:00 PM ET LA Dodgers +109 500 *****
San Francisco - Over 7 500 *****

MLB


Sunday, August 1

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Hot Lines: Today's best MLB bets
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New York Yankees at Tampa Bay Rays (125, 8.5)

This key AL West weekend series concludes with a pair of pitchers who are very familiar with their foes, but have enjoyed contrasting results over the years.

Yankees southpaw CC Sabathia is 8-3 lifetime against the Rays with a 3.03 ERA and an astounding 108 strikeouts. He is 1-0 vs. the Rays in two meetings this season, giving up just three earned runs and striking out 11 in 14 2/3 innings.

Conversely, Rays righty James Shields is just 2-7 against the Yankees with a 5.45 ERA and Tampa Bay is 2-10 in his last 12 starts against the Bombers. He is 1-0 this season in three starts against the Yanks, allowing 16 hits and eight earned runs in 18 2/3 innings.

Neither pitcher earned a decision in their last head-to-head meeting on July 16, but Sabathia battled through a difficult outing to allow the Yankees to win it.

"CC picked us up time and time again. On a night where he didn't have his best stuff, he was able to get us through it," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "... That's what (late owner George) Steinbrenner talks about - a warrior and being tough - and that's exactly what CC did."

Don't expect anything less from CC & Co. in this one.

Pick: Yankees


Detroit Tigers at Boston Red Sox (-150, 8)

A glitch in the pitching rotation may be just what the doctor ordered for Detroit's Justin Verlander, who will be throwing on one less day of rest.

Verlander is 7-2 with a 2.69 ERA this season when pitching on a four-day cycle. The righty is 4-1 in his last six starts, allowing 15 earned runs in 41 1/3 innings.

Counterpart Clay Buchholz is coming off his first win since June 20 after serving a stint on the 15-day DL. He allowed only one earned run in seven innings.

The Red Sox have scored four or more runs just four times in their last 15 games. The Tigers have done so only six times over the same span.

With both teams batting worse against righties than lefties in their last 10 and the pitchers facing offenses struggling to produce, look for a low-scoring affair today at Fenway.

Pick: Under


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Streaking and Slumping Pitchers
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Streaking

Gavin Floyd (6-8, 3.66 ERA), Chicago White Sox

This former Philly prospect is on a 14-inning shutout streak and owns a minuscule 1.04 ERA over his last 10 starts. The Chi-Sox are 6-2 in his last eight appearances and the under is 9-4-1 in his last 14 trips to the hill.

"I feel like I'm going out there and having conviction every pitch, not concerned about the results," Floyd told the Associated Press after allowing no runs in seven innings of work against the Mariners last week. "I just try to go out there and make a pitch and whatever happens, happens."

Cole Hamels (7-7, 3.48 ERA), Philadelphia Phillies

All the talk the past few weeks about Roy Oswalt, who finally joined the Phils early this week, has shadowed the efforts of Hamels. The 2008 World Series MVP sports a tidy 1.30 ERA over his last four starts and the Phils are 4-0 over his hot streak.

Total bettors have been cashing in with Hamels on the mound too. The under is 7-3 in his last 10 appearances.


Slumping

Kevin Millwood (2-10, 5.96 ERA), Baltimore Orioles

If anyone else was this bad at their job they would have been fired months ago. But Kevin Millwood is a professional baseball player with a guaranteed contract. So even though he’s dealing duds on a regular basis and he isn’t helping the development the younger pitchers on the staff, he continues to take the ball every fifth day.

He’s been charged with five earned runs in four straight starts, carries a 10.43 ERA and has just one quality outing since the beginning of June. The over is also 7-1 in his last eight trips to the bump.

Edinson Volquez (1-1, 8.26 ERA), Cincinnati Reds

It’s been a tough return for Volquez. The former 17-game winner was brilliant in his first start coming back from injury and a 50-game suspension early this month but his last two outings haven’t gone nearly as well.

He’s got dinged for 10 runs in just six innings of work. The Reds are 1-1 in those two starts and the over is 2-1 in his three starts since rejoining his Cincinnati teammates.

MLB


Sunday, August 1

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Sunday Night Baseball: Dodgers at Giants
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Los Angeles Dodgers at San Francisco Giants (-116, 7)

National League West rivals square off Sunday night when the second place Giants and the third place Dodgers meet in the finale of their three-game series at AT&T Park.

Where has all the offense gone?

Entering this series, in the 14 games after the All-Star break, the Dodgers have been shut out once, scored one run four times, two runs five times, three runs once, four runs twice, and five runs once. That's an average of 2.1 runs a game.

In an effort to spark the offense, newly acquired OF Scott Podsednik was inserted into the leadoff spot in the lineup with SS Rafael Furcal moving to No. 2 in the order.

"I'm excited about the opportunity," Podsednik said. "We're right in the middle of it. It's a lot more fun being in the middle of a race and contending, rather than where we were with the Royals.

Podsednik was with the Chicago White Sox when they won the 2005 World Series. He was hitting .310 and stole 30 bases for Kansas City this season.

"We all play the game to get to the World Series and ultimately win one.” Podsednik went on to say. “It makes the games more intense and more fun when you know you're really close and can come together as a team to accomplish something. Hopefully, that will give a pep in my step.

The Dodgers needed help because outfielders Reed Johnson and Manny Ramirez are on the disabled list. Ramirez, strained right calf, is expected to return mid-August.

Near pitcher perfect

With the Dodger bats on hiatus, the starting pitching has delivered above and beyond the call of duty.

Tuesday’s 2-0 win at San Diego marked the fourth shutout in a six-game stretch for the Los Angeles staff. During that span Dodger starting pitchers allowed just one earned run in 43 innings.

Entering this series, and since the All-Star break, the Dodgers had surrendered 53 runs in 14 contests, allowing an average 3.8 runs per game.

Ghost Buster

Memories of legendary San Francisco hitting performances subsided when Giants’ C Buster Posey's hit streak ended at 21 games with a 0-for-3 performance against Florida Marlins Anibal Sanchez Thursday afternoon.

During the streak, Posey hit .440 with six homers and 23 RBIs. It was the longest in the N.L. this season and the longest streak by a Giant since Robby Thompson's 21-game streak in 1993.

In addition to his hitting prowess, Posey owns a cannon for a throwing arm. It has eased the strain of the opposition's running game on the pitching staff.

Perhaps most impressively for someone so young, he struck out only 23 times and drawn 12 free passes in 207 plate appearances.

All aboard

After acquiring Podsednik on Wednesday, the Dodgers beat the trade deadline Saturday when they acquired LHP Ted Lilly and 2B Ryan Theroit from the Chubs in exchange for IF Blake DeWitt and a pair of minor league pitching prospects.

Theroit figures to become the regular second baseman while Lilly, who pitched for Torre with the Yankees, joins the starting rotation on Tuesday.

"Hopefully it makes us better," Los Angeles manager Joe Torre said after the acquistions.. "That's all you can do. I just talked to (Ryan) Theriot and he's excited. Hopefully Ted Lilly will give us a little more stability in our rotation. I had Teddy before and I'll tell you one thing, he's a competitor."

Most Valuable Giant

As vital a cog as Posey has been to the Giants, and as important as 2B Juan Uribe has been, it would be difficult separating candidates Aubrey Huff and Andes Torres as the team’s Most Valuable Players this season.

1B Huff is a career .284 hitter, with 34 home runs being his season best in 2003. His versatility has found him playing in the outfield and in the infield.

Batting third in the lineup, Huff entered the weekend hitting .310 with 19 HRs and 62 RBIs.

Most surprising, though, has been the play of unsung, minor league journeyman RF Torres.

Torres was drafted in 1997 by the Florida Marlins, but was unsigned. He was re-drafted again in 1998 by the Detroit Tigers.

Torres’ major league career with the Tigers was brief and relatively nondescript. He played a total of 81 games in three years in the Big Leagues with the Tigers, his highest batting average being .220.

From the Tigers it was on to the Rangers and then on to the Cubs before he arrived in San Francisco.

Hitting .283 with 10 HRs and 42 RBIs this season, Torres is well on his way to career highs – at either the minor or major league level.

By the numbers

Entering the series the Dodgers had won seven of the previous nine games at AT&T Park, including a three-game sweep in their last visit a month ago.

L.A. is 13-8 this season behind left-hander Clayton Kershaw.

The southpaw is 2-1 with a 1.80 ERA in three career team starts against San Francisco. Kershaw is also 4-8 in his career road team starts during August.

San Francisco has split in right-hander Matt Cain’s 16 starts this campaign.

Cain is 11-4 in his 15 career home team starts during August.

The Giants are 6-1 in their last seven games against lefties.


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This Day in Baseball
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On August 1 in Baseball History...

1906 - Brooklyn's Harry McIntire loses his no-hitter in the eleventh inning when Pittsburgh's Claude Ritchey reaches on a single. McIntire loses the game 1-0 on an unearned run in the 13th.

1933 - Carl Hubbell breaks Ed Reulbach's 1908 National League record for consecutive scoreless innings with 45 1/3, although the Giants lose to Boston 3-1.

1941 - Lefty Gomez of the New York Yankees pitches a 9-0 shutout over the St. Louis Browns despite walking 11 batters, the most ever issued in a shutout. Fifteen base runners are left stranded by the Browns.

1945 - Mel Ott hits the 500th home run of his career, a total exceeded only by Babe Ruth and Jimmie Foxx at the time. He will hit 10 more this season and one on Opening Day of 1946 to finish with 511. Of Ott's total, 324 will be hit in the Polo Grounds.

1957 - Gil Hodges hits his 13th career grand slam to establish a new National League record. This is the last grand slam in the history of the Brooklyn Dodgers.

1962 - Bill Monbouquette of the Boston Red Sox pitched a no-hitter to beat the White Sox, 1-0, in Chicago.

1970 - Willie Stargell of Pittsburgh hit three doubles and two home runs to power the Pirates to a 20-10 rout of the Braves in Atlanta.

1972 - Nate Colbert ties one major league record with five home runs, and sets another with 13 RBI, as the Padres take a doubleheader from the Braves, 9-0, and 11-7. At age 8, on May 2, 1954, Colbert had been at Sportsman's Park in St. Louis to witness Stan Musial's five home runs in a doubleheader.

1973 - Thurman Munson and Carlton Fisk brawl at Fenway. With a 2-2 score in the top of the ninth, Munson, attempting to score from third base on a missed bunt, crashes into Fiskand they both come up swinging. Boston wins 3-2 in the bottom of the inning.

1977 - Willie McCovey of the San Francisco Giants hit his 18th career grand slam - a total that still leads the National League.

1978 - The Braves trounce the Reds 16-4 and stop Pete Rose's hitting streak at 44 games. Larry McWilliams and Gene Garber are the Atlanta pitchers.

1982 - Hank Aaron, Frank Robinson, Travis Jackson, and Happy Chandler are inducted into the baseball Hall of Fame at Cooperstown, New York.

1985 - Vince Coleman steals two bases in the first inning of the Cardinals' 9-8 loss to the Cubs to run his season total to 74, breaking the Major League rookie record of seventy-two set in 1984 by Juan Samuel.

1986 - Minnesota's Bert Blyleven pitches a two-hitter and strikes out a club-record 15 batters to become the tenth pitcher with 3,000 career strikeouts. Kirby Puckett hits for the cycle as the Twins romp 10-1 over the A's.

1993 - Reggie Jackson is inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York.

1994 - Baltimore's Cal Ripken, Jr. became only the second major leaguer to play 2,000 straight games as the Orioles beat Minnesota, 1-0.

1998 - Detroit's Tony Clark establishes an American League mark by hitting home runs from both sides of the plate for the third time in a season. The Tigers tear up Tampa Bay 8-0.

MLB
Write-Up


As soon as Armadillo adds the pitcher stats, I'll update.

Sunday, August 1

Hot pitchers
--

--

Cold pitchers
--

--

Totals
-- Under is 7-2-1 in Dodgers' last ten games.
-- Four of last six Washington home games stayed under total.
-- Five of last six Houston home games stayed under the total.
-- atl-cin
-- Over is 6-1-1 in last eight Arizona road games.
-- Under is 10-3-3 in last sixteen Pittsburgh road games.
-- Over is 12-5 in last seventeen games at Coors Field.
-- Six of last nine Florida road games stayed under the total.

-- Over is 7-3-1 in last eleven Toronto home games.
-- Four of last six Minnesota games went over the total.
-- Under is 8-2-1 in last eleven Detroit games.
-- Six of last seven White Sox home games went over total.
-- army.com is America's favorite website.
-- Over is 8-2-1 in last eleven Kansas City home games.
-- Under is 10-3 in last thirteen Bronx road games.
-- tex-laa

Hot Teams
-- Phillies won eight of their last ten games. Nationals won four of their last five contests.
-- Astros are 11-5 in their last 16 home games.
-- Cardinals won ten of their last eleven home games.
-- Padres won 10 of their last 14 games. Marlins won 11 of their last 15 games.
-- Giants won 19 of their last 24 games.

-- Blue Jays won six of their last seven games.
-- Rays won 11 of their last 13 home games. Bronx won 18 of its last 24 games.
-- White Sox are 19-2 in their last twenty-one home games.
-- Twins won their last seven games, scoring 63 runs.
-- Rangers are 11-5 in their last sixteen games.

Cold Teams
-- Arizona is 5-25 in its last 30 road games. Mets are 5-11 since the All-Star break.
-- Braves are 7-10 in their last 17 road games.
-- Brewers lost 17 of their last 22 road games.
-- Pirates are 4-24 in last 28 road games.
-- Cubs lost seven of their last nine road games.
-- Dodgers lost eight of their last nine road games.

-- Indians lost six of their last eight games.
-- Tigers lost 14 of their last 18 games. Red Sox lost five of their last seven home games.
-- Royals lost 14 of their last 19 games. Orioles lost 13 of last 15 games.
-- Mariners lost 23 of their last 28 games.
-- Angels lost eight of their last ten games.

Umpires
-- LA-SF-- Seven of last nine West games went over the total.
-- Phil-Wsh-- Over is 10-2-2 in last fourteen Bucknor games.
-- Mil-Hst-- Three of last four Guccione games went over.
-- Atl-Cin-- Over is 7-3 in last ten Marquez games.
-- Az-NY-- Favorite won seven of eight Muchlinski games.
-- Pitt-StL-- Under is 8-2-1 in last eleven Fletcher games.
-- Chi-Col-- Home side won last eight Estabrook games, with five of last seven staying under the total.
-- Fla-SD-- Home side won 12 of last 15 Davis games.

-- Cle-Tor-- Home side won first two Porter games.
-- Sea-Min-- Over is 8-1-1 in last ten Kulpa games.
-- Det-Bos-- Over is 10-3 in last thirteen Scott games.
-- A's-Chi-- Over is 6-1-1 in last eight Cousins games.
-- Blt-KC-- Last four Diaz games all went over the total.
-- NY-TB-- Over is 3-0-1 in last four BWelke games.
-- Tex-LA-- Over is 9-1-1 in last eleven Vanover games.

MLB


Sunday, August 1

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Trend Report
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1:07 PM
CLEVELAND vs. TORONTO
Cleveland is 7-3 SU in its last 10 games when playing on the road against Toronto
Cleveland is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing Toronto
Toronto is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
Toronto is 3-7 SU in its last 10 games when playing at home against Cleveland

1:10 PM
ARIZONA vs. NY METS
Arizona is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against NY Mets
Arizona is 1-8 SU in its last 9 games
NY Mets are 4-2 SU in its last 6 games at home
NY Mets are 6-14 SU in its last 20 games

1:10 PM
ATLANTA vs. CINCINNATI
Atlanta is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Atlanta is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
Cincinnati is 10-4 SU in its last 14 games when playing at home against Atlanta

1:30 PM
DETROIT vs. BOSTON
Detroit is 5-12 SU in its last 17 games when playing Boston
Detroit is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing Boston
Boston is 8-3 SU in its last 11 games when playing at home against Detroit
Boston is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games at home

1:35 PM
PHILADELPHIA vs. WASHINGTON
Philadelphia is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing Washington
Philadelphia is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games on the road
Washington is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home
Washington is 7-15 SU in its last 22 games when playing at home against Philadelphia

1:40 PM
NY YANKEES vs. TAMPA BAY
NY Yankees are 4-2 SU in their last 6 games when playing on the road against Tampa Bay
NY Yankees are 18-6 SU in their last 24 games
Tampa Bay is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games
Tampa Bay is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games at home

2:05 PM
OAKLAND vs. CHI WHITE SOX
Oakland is 11-5 SU in its last 16 games
Oakland is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games on the road
Chi White Sox are 2-5 SU in their last 7 games when playing at home against Oakland
Chi White Sox are 12-1 SU in their last 13 games at home

2:05 PM
MILWAUKEE vs. HOUSTON
Milwaukee is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
Milwaukee is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Houston
Houston is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Milwaukee
Houston is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games

2:10 PM
BALTIMORE vs. KANSAS CITY
Baltimore is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games
Baltimore is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Kansas City is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games at home
Kansas City is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Baltimore

2:10 PM
SEATTLE vs. MINNESOTA
Seattle is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Minnesota
Seattle is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Minnesota is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
Minnesota is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games at home

2:15 PM
PITTSBURGH vs. ST. LOUIS
Pittsburgh is 2-7 SU in its last 9 games
Pittsburgh is 4-21 SU in its last 25 games on the road
St. Louis is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Pittsburgh
St. Louis is 12-5 SU in its last 17 games

3:10 PM
CHI CUBS vs. COLORADO
Chi Cubs are 1-6 SU in their last 7 games when playing on the road against Colorado
Chi Cubs are 1-5 SU in their last 6 games
Colorado is 9-3 SU in its last 12 games at home
Colorado is 4-2 SU in their last 6 games when playing Chi Cubs

3:35 PM
TEXAS vs. LA ANGELS
Texas is 15-5 SU in its last 20 games on the road
Texas is 3-6 SU in their last 9 games when playing on the road against LA Angels
LA Angels are 1-5 SU in their last 6 games
LA Angels are 2-4 SU in their last 6 games when playing Texas

4:05 PM
FLORIDA vs. SAN DIEGO
Florida is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games on the road
Florida is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games when playing San Diego
San Diego is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing Florida
San Diego is 10-5 SU in its last 15 games

8:00 PM
LA DODGERS vs. SAN FRANCISCO
LA Dodgers are 1-4 SU in their last 5 games when playing San Francisco
LA Dodgers are 1-4 SU in their last 5 games
San Francisco is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
San Francisco is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home

MLB
Dunkel


Atlanta at Cincinnati
The Braves look to bounce back from yesterday's 5-2 loss and take advantage of a Cincinnati team that is 1-5 in its last 6 games as a home underdog. Atlanta is the pick (-120) according to Dunkel, which has the Braves favored by 1. Dunkel Pick: Atlanta (-120). Here are all of today's picks.

SUNDAY, AUGUST 1

Game 951-952: Atlanta at Cincinnati (1:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Atlanta (Hanson) 15.875; Cincinnati (Volquez) 14.654
Dunkel Line: Atlanta by 1; 8
Vegas Line: Atlanta (-120); 9
Dunkel Pick: Atlanta (-120); Under

Game 953-954: Arizona at NY Mets (1:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Arizona (Hudson) 14.455; NY Mets (Niese) 14.904
Dunkel Line: NY Mets by 1/2; 9 1/2
Vegas Line: NY Mets (-160); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: NY Mets (-160); Over

Game 955-956: Philadelphia at Washington (1:35 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Philadelphia (Hamels) 16.039; Washington (Lannan) 14.523
Dunkel Line: Philadelphia by 1 1/2; 9
Vegas Line: Philadelphia (-165); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Philadelphia (-165); Over

Game 957-958: Milwaukee at Houston (2:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Milwaukee (Wolf) 14.251; Houston (Wright) 15.155
Dunkel Line: Houston by 1; 8 1/2
Vegas Line: Milwaukee (-140); 9
Dunkel Pick: Houston (+120); Under

Game 959-960: Pittsburgh at St. Louis (2:15 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Pittsburgh (Duke) 13.410; St. Louis (Wainwright) 15.158
Dunkel Line: St. Louis by 1 1/2; 8
Vegas Line: St. Louis (-325); 7
Dunkel Pick: St. Louis (-325); Over

Game 961-962: Chicago Cubs at Colorado (3:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Cubs (Silva) 13.793; Colorado (De La Rosa) 14.621
Dunkel Line: Colorado by 1; 8 1/2
Vegas Line: Colorado (-145); 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Colorado (-145); Under

Game 963-964: Florida at San Diego (4:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Florida (Johnson) 16.539; San Diego (Garland) 15.367
Dunkel Line: Florida by 1; 5 1/2
Vegas Line: Florida (-135); 6 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Florida (-135); Under

Game 965-966: LA Dodgers at San Francisco (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: LA Dodgers (Kershaw) 15.518; San Francisco (Cain) 14.334
Dunkel Line: LA Dodgers by 1; 7 1/2
Vegas Line: San Francisco (-125); 6 1/2
Dunkel Pick: LA Dodgers (+105); Over

Game 967-968: Cleveland at Toronto (1:07 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Cleveland (Gomez) 14.891; Toronto (Litsch) 15.795
Dunkel Line: Toronto by 1; 10
Vegas Line: Toronto (-175); 9
Dunkel Pick: Toronto (-175); Over

Game 969-970: Detroit at Boston (1:35 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Detroit (Verlander) 14.720; Boston (Buchholz) 15.044
Dunkel Line: Boston by 1/2; 7
Vegas Line: Boston (-150); 8
Dunkel Pick: Boston (-150); Under

Game 971-972: NY Yankees at Tampa Bay (1:40 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: NY Yankees (Sabathia) 18.032; Tampa Bay (Shields) 16.810
Dunkel Line: NY Yankees by 1; 8
Vegas Line: NY Yankees (-145); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: NY Yankees (-145); Under

Game 973-974: Oakland at Chicago White Sox (2:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Oakland (Gonzalez) 16.000; White Sox (Floyd) 17.188
Dunkel Line: Chicago White Sox by 1; 9
Vegas Line: Chicago White Sox (-150); 8
Dunkel Pick: Chicago White Sox (-150); Over

Game 975-976: Baltimore at Kansas City (2:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Baltimore (Millwood) 14.211; Kansas City (Chen) 13.024
Dunkel Line: Baltimore by 1; 9
Vegas Line: Kansas City (-145); 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Baltimore (+125); Under

Game 977-978: Seattle at Minnesota (2:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Seattle (French) 14.174; Minnesota (Liriano) 17.185
Dunkel Line: Minnesota by 3; 9
Vegas Line: Minnesota (-320); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Minnesota (-320); Over

Game 979-980: Texas at LA Angels (3:35 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Texas (Lee) 15.128; LA Angels (Weaver) 14.354
Dunkel Line: Texas by 1; 6
Vegas Line: Texas (-140); 7
Dunkel Pick: Texas (-140); Under

MLB


Sunday, August 1

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August's best and worst pitchers
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With the MLB trade deadline at hand and the NFL preseason whetting our pigskin appetite, the month of August sets the table for the stretch run of the baseball season. Take a look below at the pitchers can we count on to satisfy our tastes and which ones figure to turn our stomach.

Listed are hurlers that have enjoyed a two-to-one or better success ratio in team starts the last three seasons during the month of August. On the flip side, we’ve also listed pitchers that struggle in August team starts, winning 33 percent or less of their efforts.

To qualify pitchers must have made a minimum of 10 starts with at least one start each August over the last three years.

August’s best pitchers

Scott Baker, Minnesota Twins (12-6)

Minnesota’s starting rotation has been mediocre for a large part of the season and Scott Baker has been part of the problem, with ERA hovering around 5.00. This would be the right time for the right hander to pitch up to expectations with the Twins looking for another AL Central crown.

Dave Bush, Milwaukee Brewers (8-3)

Milwaukee’s Dave Bush begins this month with below-average career record of 53-63, however, he has flourished in the dog days of summer. With fastball topping out at 90 mph, he has to have his variety of breaking stuff working to be effective, which it is usually this month.

Felix Hernandez, Seattle Mariners (13-5)

Last season, Hernandez was 19-5 with a WHIP of 1.114 and hitters batting .227 against him. This year, his WHIP to start this month is exactly the same, opponents are hitting ever so slightly better at .231, yet with an inferior team, he is 7-7. With run support, King Felix could have typical August.

Scott Kazmir, Los Angeles Angels (12-5)

On the DL, expected to have rehab assignment the middle of August and could return if all goes well.

Tim Lincecum, San Francisco Giants (12-6)

Being a two-time Cy Young winner, there are not many bad months. Though still extremely effective, the ERA is up over 3.00 this season with strikeouts down and opponents batting average up to .239 (compared to .221 career). Let’s see if Lincecum pitches to usual high standards with San Francisco back in pennant race.

Roy Oswalt, Philadelphia Phillies (13-3)

Always a strong closer at the end of the year, Oswalt got the energy boost he needed being traded to the Philadelphia Phillies.

Andy Pettitte, New York Yankees (13-5)

On the DL since July 19, Pettitte has been soft-tossing without discomfort and could be back before projected 4-5 weeks initial outlook to continue August dominance.

Joel Pineiro, Los Angeles Angels (12-2)

In the midst of solid 10-7 season and career innings pitched, the Angels’ right hander is out six to eight weeks with oblique strain.

C.C. Sabathia, New York Yankees (14-4)

The big left hander is 8-1 with 2.10 ERA in his last 10 starts, proving he is primed for another awesome August.

Ervin Santana, Los Angeles Angels (10-4)

Always a quality No. 3 starter, Santana has often been an important cog in the Angels’ success in the AL West. While this might not occur in 2010, this Dominican dandy is poised for another sharp month.

James Shields, Tampa Bay Rays (12-6)

If Tampa Bay is to catch the Yankees, getting better pitching from James Shields would make a difference. His 9-9 record with 4.79 ERA is far cry from 2007 and 2008 when he was 26-16, with ERA a full run lower. It’s time for Shields to find a way to avoid bats.

Adam Wainwright, St. Louis Cardinals (10-3)

The Cardinals have a pair of aces with Chris Carpenter and Wainwright and the Georgia native could be on to a 20-win campaign if he has his usual stellar August. Opposing teams are batting a career low .219 against him.

Randy Wolf, Milwaukee Brewers (10-3)

The lefty has found the difference between Miller Park and Dodger Stadium to be severe this season. In 2009, opponents hit .227 against Wolf, presently they are at .269. His strikeout totals this season are more reflective of his poorer career years with 87 to begin August, compared to 160 last season. Will Wolf turn it around?


August’s worst pitchers

Zach Duke, Pittsburgh Pirates (2-8)

When opponents are batting over .300 against a starting pitcher for his career, the front office should look in the mirror and question themselves.

Mark Guthrie, Baltimore Orioles (5-13)

His ERA is up nearly a run in last 10 starts, explaining a 1-6 record. When Guthrie struggles, it’s because the fastball comes to the plate like it is on a string and breaking stuff lacks bite to keep hitters off balance. Pitching for Orioles doesn’t help.

Livan Hernandez, Washington Nationals (4-11)

His ERA is creeping up, yet still highly respectable 3.22. For most of his later career, Hernandez has worn down as the year progressed, making him a play-against pitcher.

Scott Olsen, Washington Nationals (2-9)

Has made one start since being placed on the DL in May and difficult to determine how the left hander might do for Washington with only 20 total appearances the last two years.

Daily Sports Roundup: August 1

Today in the Daily Sports Roundup: The Angels play host to the Rangers, the Marlins look for a victory in San Diego, and the drivers of the Sprint Cup Series take on Pocono.

Meeting up on the diamond . . .

The American League schedule for Sunday has Cleveland at Toronto, the Yankees at Tampa Bay, Oakland at the White Sox, Seattle at Minnesota, Baltimore at Kansas City, Detroit at Boston, and Texas at the Angels. The Rangers are expected to send Cliff Lee (9-4, 2.40 ERA) to the mound in that last contest, while the Angels counter with Jered Weaver (9-7, 3.19 ERA). Lefthander Lee was stuck with a no-decision against the A's last time out despite giving up just one unearned run in nine innings; he beat the Angels in his July 22 start. Righthander Weaver was Lee's opponent on July 22, and took the loss (three runs over six innings of work). Weaver fell to the Red Sox in his most recent trip to the mound, and he has been tagged with the defeat in four of his five last outings.

Over in the National League on Sunday it'll be Arizona at the Mets, Atlanta at Cincinnati, Philadelphia at Washington, Milwaukee at Houston, the Cubs at Colorado, Pittsburgh at St. Louis, the Dodgers at San Francisco, and Florida at San Diego. Josh Johnson (10-3, 1.72 ERA) will toe the rubber for the Marlins in that last matchup, while Jon Garland (9-7, 3.56 ERA) is slated to get the ball for the Padres. Righthander Johnson had a rare mediocre outing last time out, giving up three runs on eight hits over seven innings in a no-decision against the Giants. Righthander Garland was beaten by the Dodgers in his most recent start, surrendering two runs on five hits over 6 2-3 innings of work that day.

Roaring around the track . . .

The drivers of the Sprint Cup Series will compete at Pocono Raceway on Sunday in the Sunoco Red Cross Pennsylvania 500. Denny Hamlin, who has won each of the last two races at Pocono, is the 7/2 oddsmakers' favorite for Sunday, with both Jimmie Johnson and Kyle Busch at 11/2, and Jeff Gordon and Kevin Harvick at 10/1. Tony Stewart, who won the Pocono 500 last season, is next at 11/1 odds for this weekend's race, followed by Clint Bowyer at 14/1, and each of Kasey Kahne, Kurt Busch, and Jeff Burton at 20/1. Jamie McMurray, coming off a win last weekend in the Brickyard 400, is pegged at 22/1.

As well, the Formula 1 circuit will compete in the Hungarian Grand Prix on Sunday, with Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel sitting as the oddsmakers' 11/8 favorite. Teammate Mark Webber is listed at 7/2 odds to win in Hungary, with the McLaren drivers at 10/1 (Lewis Hamilton) and 20/1 (Jenson Button) to grab the victory. Ferrari's Fernando Alonso, who won the German Grand Prix last time out, is pegged at 9/4 odds to win in Hungary, with his teammate Felipe Massa at 12/1 odds. Hamilton leads Button 157-143 in the drivers championship, while McLaren leads Red Bull 300-272 in the constructors championship.

Rounding out the Roundup . . .

Finally, there are five games on the WNBA's schedule for Sunday, with Tulsa at Washington, Connecticut at New York, Chicago at Phoenix, Seattle at Minnesota, and Indiana at Atlanta. The Fever and Dream last met back on July 16, with Indiana pulling out an 89-70 victory at home in that contest. Tamika Catchings led the way with 23 points for Indiana in that win, while Katie Douglas was good for 20 points on the night. Angel McCoughtry tossed in a game-high 27 points for the Dream in that losing cause.

Sunday's six-pack

-- Good day for me as a sports fan: Dallas Braden pitches a complete game in Chicago, Sam Bradford signs with the Rams. Solid day.

-- Carlos Gonzalez capped hitting for the cycle by smacking a walkoff homer in 9th inning as Colorado edged the Cubs 6-5.

-- Last time that happened? Dwight Evans, vs Seattle in June of '84.

-- Rockies had their 8th sellout of the year, San Diego its 6th; pennant races are good for attendance.

-- Mets improved to 12-21 in one-run games with a walkoff win over Arizona. Takahashi struck out 10 in six IP for the Metropolitans.

-- Jevan Snead left Ole Miss early for the NFL, but now the Bucs cut him before training camp. Bad decision by the kid; next stop, Canada or the UFL. Young man should have stayed with the Rebels.


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Sunday's List of 13: Things I'm looking for in August........

13) August is a fun month around here; people I don't see the rest of the year drop in and out of town, whether for the racetrack or training camp for the Giants. Then I don't see them for another 11 months. Go figure.

12) I'm eagerly awaiting seeing #8 play QB for St Louis. Sam the Ram.

11) I'm not eagerly awaiting ESPN's 24/7 coverage of the Bengals.

10) Will the Patriots take care of Tom Brady? How can these heartless, cheating bastards not reward the cornerstone of their franchise, who has sacrificed financially to help the team? They need to pay Brady.

9) How will the Broncos deploy Tim Tebow? The money they gave him, it says he's going to start and soon. Now there's a significant gamble for a team that was close to being a playoff squad last season.

8) Which NFL star will get hurt in an exhibition game? Pretty soon, the regular season is going to be 18 games, the preseason two- no reason to put your starters at risk in meaningless games.

7) How much will Ben Roethlisberger play in preseason? He ain't playing for first four games of season, and maybe not the first six-- its uncharted territory for a coach (Tomlin) who isn't always a good game manager. He needs to get either Leftwich or Dixon ready to face Atlanta Sept 12.

6) Will Eldrick Woods win a golf tournament? If he doesn't win at Akron, where he's won several times in the past, then his whole episode is being filed under "Debasco" an event whose consequences are so heinous that they have a permanently negative effect on that person. Its a combination of debacle/fiasco and mercifully, they don't happen often.

5) Did you see where local TV ratings for the Red Sox are down 36% this season? For real fans, this should be an exciting season, as Francona has been managing his butt off keeping an injury-ravaged team in the pennant race. But whiny Beantown frontrunners are crying, saying the team isn't exciting enough. Try rooting for the Pirates, you pathetic nitwits.

4) Will Kirk Gibson have an ulcer by the end of August? Snakes traded for both Ryan Church/Bobby Crosby this week, players the Pirates didn't want. Thats usually a pretty bad sign.

3) Will Omar Minaya emerge from his coma in August? He seems like a nice guy, but the people he works for seem like jackasses.

2) Common wisdom on July 31 is that lot of players will clear waivers in August; if so, that means there are a lot more trades to come.

1) When we're talking here a month from now, how many pennant races will there be, and what teams will be in them?

Bettors' best friend: Sunday's wagering tips

Lines to keep an eye on

Brewers at Astros: Total opened at 9.5 but has dropped to 9. Under is 8-2 in their last 10 meetings.

Fever at Dream (WNBA): Dream opened as -1.5 favorite but are no at -2. Total opened at 161.5 but has dropped to 160.5.

Sky at Mercury (WNBA): Total opened at 179 but has jumped to as high as 180.5 at most books.

Storm at Lynx (WNBA): Storm opened as -4.5 faves but are now at -5. Total opened at 151.5 but has climbed to 152.5.

Weather to watch

Diamondbacks at Mets: 30 percent chance of thunderstorms.

Cubs at Rockies: 20 percent chance of thunderstorms.

Phillies at Nationals: 30 percent chance of showers.

Who's hot

Phillies have won eight of their last nine.

Twins have won eight of their last nine..

Rays have won six in a row.

Blue Jays have won six of their last seven.

White Sox have won five in a row.

Who's not

Orioles have lost six of their last seven.

Diamondbacks have lost seven of their last eight.

Indians have lost six of their last seven.

Mariners have lost five in a row.

Key stat

$50 million - Amount of St. Louis Rams rookie quarterback Sam Bradford's six-year, $78 million contract that is guaranteed. That's the highest ever in an NFL contract and may go down in history as such. NFL commissioner Roger Goddell has hinted at a new collective bargaining agreement that cuts back on guarantee-heavy deals for draftees. The contract also offers an additional $8 million incentives, but how much motivation is that with $50 mil in the bank?

Injury that shouldn't be overlooked

Atlanta Braves second baseman Martin Prado suffered a broken knuckle on his right pinkie finger Friday night and will be sidelined for at least one week. The Braves' leadoff man leads the NL with 138 hits and has been one of the team's top performers, batting .315 with a .357 on-base percentage and slugging at a .484 clip. Atlanta will be hard pressed to replace his production at the plate.

Game of the day

Yankees at Rays (125, 8.5)

Notable quotable

"The key thing is you ask yourself, 'Are we pushing him too hard; does it happen at the end of practice when the players are tired?' We all know now when you get a little tired you can get injured."

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones told ESPN about the freak ankle injury rookie wide receiver Dez Bryant suffered Friday that will keep him out of the remainder of training camp. Jones said Saturday he wasn't being critical of his coaches but also did not back off the remarks.

Tips and notes

Not that the Pirates see a lot of save opportunities but they face a new dilemma when they do now that they traded closer Octavio Dotel to the Angels. Dotel carried a 4.28 ERA but was a solid 21 for 26 in save situations this season. Pirates manager John Russell wouldn't say who will close in Pittsburgh now that Dotel is gone, but it appears to be between righthanders Evan Meek and Joel Hanrahan. Meek has a 1.23 ERA but is only 1 for 6 in save situations while Hanrahan has a 3.35 ERA and is 0 for 2 in save opportunities. No matter which one he chooses, the Bucs will have a hard time nailing down wins.

For all the deals before the trade deadline, the big story going into August may be the one that didn't go down. According to an SI.com report, the Cubs and Mets tried to trade problem pitchers - righthander Carlos Zambrano for lefty Oliver Perez. The sticking point was the Mets' insistence on the Cubs also taking second baseman Luis Castillo, apparently a deal-breaker. Now that the two losers were unable to move their problem players, keep an eye on the waiver wire for some key pickups by contenders who aren't finished shopping.

On July 3 we accurately predicted Dale Earnhardt Jr. would drive his late father's No. 3 to victory lane in the Nationwide Series at Daytona - not based on stats, but on NASCAR's knack for scripting feel-good finishes. Another one lurks at Pocono Raceway today after multi-car owner Jack Roush survived a plane crash earlier in the week. With the "Cat in the Hat" recovering, don't be surprised if one of his drivers - Carl Edwards, Greg Biffle or Jeff Burton - bring home the Hollywood ending.