Thursday's MLB Best Bets !

Thursday, August 5Game Score Status Pick Amount

Minnesota - 12:10 PM ET Minnesota +141 500
Tampa Bay - Under 9 500

Chi. White Sox - 1:05 PM ET Detroit -137 500
Detroit - Over 8.5 500

LA Angels - 7:05 PM ET Baltimore +153 500
Baltimore - Under 9 500

Colorado - 7:05 PM ET Colorado -146 500
Pittsburgh - Over 8.5 500

Cleveland - 7:10 PM ET Cleveland +193 500
Boston - Under 9 500

San Francisco - 7:10 PM ET San Francisco -105 500
Atlanta - Over 7 500

Philadelphia - 7:10 PM ET Florida +112 500
Florida - Over 8 500

Washington - 9:40 PM ET Arizona -130 500
Arizona - Under 9.5 500

Texas - 10:10 PM ET Seattle -116 500
Seattle - Over 6.5 500

San Diego - 10:10 PM ET LA Dodgers -150 500
LA Dodgers - Under 7 500

MLB


Thursday, August 5

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Hot Lines: Today's best MLB bets
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Chicago White Sox at Detroit Tigers (-139, 8.5)

With the possible exceptions of Seigfried & Roy, White Sox righthander Freddy Garcia may be the world's most famous Tiger tamer.

Garcia is 18-6 lifetime against Detroit with a 3.74 ERA, including an 8-3 mark at Comerica Park. He's also Mr. Sunshine, going 49-22 lifetime in daytime starts.

Garcia hasn't been at his best lately, earning his first win in three starts in his last outing against Seattle to improve to 10-4 on the year.

Garcia held the M's to three earned runs in six innings to bounce back from back-to-back subpar performances, proving the veteran knows how to battle.

"Why do I have to worry, man? I told you guys, if I have bad starts, that's in the past," Garcia said after beating the Mariners. "I have to do my job."

The Tigers counter with righty Max Scherzer (7-8), who has been hot for the past six weeks but has never defeated the White Sox.

Detroit is batting just .227 against righthanders over their last 10 games while the White Sox are hitting them at a .267 clip over the same span.

Pick: White Sox


Colorado Rockies at Pittsburgh Pirates (141, 8.5)

Rockies lefthander Jeff Francis was the model of efficiency in his last start against the Cubs but the big story was his team's 17-run explosion.

Lost in the lengthy box score was Francis' six-inning, two-run effort that required just 88 pitches. He is 2-0 with a 2.00 ERA over his last three outings.

"I think it's as good as I've thrown," Francis said after throwing sevens scoreless innings against the Marlins on July 21. "I had a curveball that really hasn't shown up in the last month."

The Pirates send to the hill an unknown commodity in newcomer James McDonald, who has thrown only 2 2/3 innings this season before being traded from the Dodgers.

McDonald has spent most of the season in Triple-A, which is good news for the Rockies' hitters. They are hitting .317 against righties in their last 10 while the Bucs are batting just .191 against lefties.

Pick: Rockies


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Streaking and Slumping Pitchers
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Streakers

Kevin Slowey, Minnesota Twins (10-5, 4.44)

Slowey is 2-0 in his last three starts wth a 1.83 ERA and 0.81 WHIP. He is coming off an eight-inning shutout performance against the Mariners. The righthander has allowed only 14 hits and four runs over 19 2/3 innings.

Wade Davis, Tampa Bay Rays (9-9, 4.21)

Just call Davis Mr. July. He went a perfect 4-0 in five starts during the month with a 2.11 ERA and 1.83 WHIP. In rattling off four straight wins, the righty has given up 22 hits and seven runs over 28 1/3 innings. Too bad he's going head-to-head with Slowey.

Chad Billingsley, Los Angeles Dodgers (9-5, 3.78)

Billingsley has a current streak of 21 2/3 scoreless innings, including 6 2/3 against the Giants in his last outing and six more against the hard-hitting Padres. The righthander is 2-0 in his last three starts with triple goose eggs for an ERA (0.00) during that span.


Slumping

Roy Oswalt, Philadelphia Philles (6-13, 3.53)

It's time for Oswalt to start earning his pay check in Philadelphia, where fans won't be very patient after his debut defeat with the Phillies. He allowed seven hits and four runs in six innings against against the Nationals. Oswalt is 0-3 in his last three starts with a 7.20 ERA.

Jake Arrietta, Baltimore Orioles (3-3 5.47)

Arrietta hasn't lasted more than 5 1/3 innings over his last three starts, a span in which he is 0-1 with a lofty 8.26 ERA. That's 13 runs and 13 walks in just 13 2/3 innings - unlucky numbers in more ways than one.


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This Day in Baseball
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On August 5 in Baseball History...

1879 - After Providence pitcher Bobby Mathews gives up six runs in the first two innings, he switches positions with third baseman John Ward, who pitches shutout ball the rest of the way to rally the Grays to a 7-6 win. Captain George Wright will successfully employ this pitching scheme several more times during the season.

1921 - Radio station KDKA and announcer Harold Arlin provided the first broadcast of a major league game. The Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Phillies, 8-5, in Philadelphia.

1931 - Detroit pitcher Tommy Bridges lost his bid for a perfect game on a bloop single by the 27th Washington batter, pinch-hitter Dave Harris. The Tigers beat the Senators, 13-0.

1940 - John Whitehead of the St. Louis Browns pitched a rain-shortened, six-inning no-hitter for a 4-0 victory over the Detroit Tigers in the second game of a doubleheader.

1955 - After playing 274 straight games at second base, Nellie Fox is given a day off by White Sox manager Marty Marion. Fox will come back the next day and start a streak of 798 consecutive games.

1957 - The Brooklyn Sports Authority gets an engineering report on a 50,000-seat stadium in the downtown area. It will cost an estimated $20.7 million, including the land site. Indications are that there will be trouble finding a market for the bond issue.

1964 - After weeks of negotiating, Ford Frick tells the league presidents and club owners he will not run for another term as commissioner.

1969 - Willie Stargell is the first to hit a home run out of Dodger Stadium. The shot off Alan Foster over the right field pavilion roof travels 506 feet.

1973 - Phil Niekro of the Atlanta Braves pitched a 9-0 no-hitter against the San Diego Padres.

1975 - The first eight Phillies hit safely in a game against Bill Bonham and the Cubs, setting a major league record. The Phils win easily 13-5.

1979 - Willie Mays, Warren Giles, and Hack Wilson are inducted into the Hall of Fame.

1980 - Expos manager Dick Williams wins his 1,000th career game, an 11-5 victory over the Mets at Olympic Stadium.

1984 - Toronto's Cliff Johnson hits his 19th career pinch home run, breaking the major league record of 18 he had shared with Jerry Lynch. Johnson's eighth-inning blast gives the Blue Jays a 4-3 win over the Orioles.

1986 - The Reds pound the Giants' new pitcher Steve Carlton for seven runs in 3 1/3 innings to win 11-6. Carlton records his 4,000th strikeout to join Nolan Ryan as the only pitchers to reach that plateau. The Giants release Carlton after this start and he joins the White Sox.

1990 - Hall of Fame induction ceremonies for Jim Palmer and Joe Morgan are rained out in Cooperstown, New York. The ceremony was conducted the following day at a local high school.

MLB
Long Sheet


Thursday, August 5

COLORADO (56 - 51) at PITTSBURGH (37 - 70) - 7:05 PM
JEFF FRANCIS (L) vs. JAMES MCDONALD (R)
Top Trends for this game.
COLORADO is 20-32 (-12.3 Units) against the money line in road games this season.
COLORADO is 20-32 (-12.3 Units) against the money line in road games in games played on a grass field this season.
COLORADO is 11-23 (-12.7 Units) against the money line in road games in night games this season.
COLORADO is 12-22 (-10.9 Units) against the money line in road games against right-handed starters this season.
COLORADO is 4-14 (-10.5 Units) against the money line in road games after a win this season.
PITTSBURGH is 397-380 (+44.0 Units) against the money line in home games in night games since 1997.
COLORADO is 10-3 (+9.2 Units) against the money line in road games when playing on Thursday over the last 2 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 98-166 (-36.9 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 20-49 (-18.9 Units) against the money line after a loss this season.
PITTSBURGH is 13-36 (-14.8 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
PITTSBURGH is 99-168 (-37.1 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.


Head-to-Head Series History
PITTSBURGH is 2-1 (+2.7 Units) against COLORADO this season
2 of 3 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+0.8 Units)



JEFF FRANCIS vs. PITTSBURGH since 1997
FRANCIS is 3-2 when starting against PITTSBURGH with an ERA of 6.67 and a WHIP of 1.624.
His team's record is 3-2 (+0.5 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-3. (-2.4 units)



JAMES MCDONALD vs. COLORADO since 1997
MCDONALD is 1-0 when starting against COLORADO with an ERA of 4.82 and a WHIP of 1.608.
His team's record is 2-0 (+2.3 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-0. (+2.0 units)




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SAN FRANCISCO (62 - 46) at ATLANTA (61 - 46) - 7:10 PM
TIM LINCECUM (R) vs. JAIR JURRJENS (R)
Top Trends for this game.
ATLANTA is 37-14 (+15.9 Units) against the money line in home games in games played on a grass field this season.
ATLANTA is 44-29 (+9.8 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
ATLANTA is 17-5 (+10.7 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
ATLANTA is 37-14 (+15.9 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 70-50 (+18.1 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 2 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 62-47 (+9.3 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 61-45 (+10.5 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 42-27 (+12.3 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 111-87 (+20.4 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.


Head-to-Head Series History
SAN FRANCISCO is 2-1 (+1.0 Units) against ATLANTA this season
2 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+2.0 Units)



TIM LINCECUM vs. ATLANTA since 1997
LINCECUM is 6-1 when starting against ATLANTA with an ERA of 2.70 and a WHIP of 1.114.
His team's record is 6-1 (+5.2 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-5. (-3.3 units)



JAIR JURRJENS vs. SAN FRANCISCO since 1997
JURRJENS is 1-2 when starting against SAN FRANCISCO with an ERA of 2.61 and a WHIP of 1.161.
His team's record is 1-2 (-1.5 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 3-0. (+3.0 units)




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PHILADELPHIA (59 - 48) at FLORIDA (53 - 54) - 7:10 PM
ROY OSWALT (R) vs. CHRIS VOLSTAD (R)
Top Trends for this game.
PHILADELPHIA is 3-10 (-10.9 Units) against the money line as a road favorite of -125 to -150 this season.
FLORIDA is 112-93 (+25.4 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 3 seasons.
FLORIDA is 27-13 (+17.1 Units) against the money line after 3 or more consecutive losses over the last 3 seasons.
FLORIDA is 116-114 (+22.6 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.
FLORIDA is 34-26 (+15.0 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
FLORIDA is 224-207 (+26.3 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 3 seasons.
FLORIDA is 103-82 (+28.1 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 3 seasons.
FLORIDA is 218-201 (+23.1 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 3 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 25-9 (+14.3 Units) against the money line on the road with a money line of -100 to -125 over the last 2 seasons.
OSWALT is 35-9 (+23.8 Units) against the money line in August games since 1997. (Team's Record)
FLORIDA is 2-11 (-8.8 Units) against the money line as a home underdog of +100 to +125 this season.
FLORIDA is 17-26 (-13.2 Units) against the money line in home games in night games this season.
VOLSTAD is 9-16 (-10.7 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
VOLSTAD is 18-28 (-13.4 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
VOLSTAD is 11-21 (-12.4 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)


Head-to-Head Series History
PHILADELPHIA is 6-4 (+0.7 Units) against FLORIDA this season
7 of 10 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+3.7 Units)



ROY OSWALT vs. FLORIDA since 1997
OSWALT is 5-4 when starting against FLORIDA with an ERA of 3.49 and a WHIP of 1.319.
His team's record is 7-5 (+0.9 units) in these starts. The OVER is 6-6. (-0.3 units)



CHRIS VOLSTAD vs. PHILADELPHIA since 1997
VOLSTAD is 2-3 when starting against PHILADELPHIA with an ERA of 4.09 and a WHIP of 1.341.
His team's record is 3-5 (-1.2 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 5-3. (+1.4 units)




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WASHINGTON (48 - 60) at ARIZONA (40 - 68) - 9:40 PM
ROSS DETWILER (L) vs. BARRY ENRIGHT (R)
Top Trends for this game.
WASHINGTON is 16-31 (-12.1 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 this season.
WASHINGTON is 2-12 (-9.8 Units) against the money line as a road underdog of +100 to +125 this season.
WASHINGTON is 71-148 (-36.4 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 3 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 5-20 (-12.8 Units) against the money line on the road when the total is 9 to 9.5 this season.
WASHINGTON is 111-188 (-45.7 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 3 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 47-109 (-32.8 Units) against the money line in road games against right-handed starters over the last 3 seasons.
ARIZONA is 40-69 (-26.8 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
ARIZONA is 41-71 (-33.7 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 over the last 2 seasons.
ARIZONA is 25-32 (-9.8 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
ARIZONA is 27-43 (-23.7 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 9 to 9.5 over the last 2 seasons.
ARIZONA is 38-68 (-29.3 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
ARIZONA is 31-48 (-16.3 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
ARIZONA is 26-48 (-24.8 Units) against the money line against left-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
ARIZONA is 9-25 (-17.4 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record this season.


Head-to-Head Series History
WASHINGTON is 2-1 (+1.5 Units) against ARIZONA this season
2 of 2 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+2.0 Units)



ROSS DETWILER vs. ARIZONA since 1997
No recent starts.



BARRY ENRIGHT vs. WASHINGTON since 1997
No recent starts.




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SAN DIEGO (62 - 44) at LA DODGERS (56 - 52) - 10:10 PM
KEVIN CORREIA (R) vs. CHAD BILLINGSLEY (R)
Top Trends for this game.
LA DODGERS are 33-13 (+15.1 Units) against the money line as a home favorite of -125 to -150 over the last 2 seasons.
LA DODGERS are 28-14 (+13.9 Units) against the money line against division opponents this season.
LA DODGERS are 26-11 (+12.5 Units) against the money line in home games against right-handed starters this season.
SAN DIEGO is 62-45 (+20.6 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
SAN DIEGO is 29-23 (+12.5 Units) against the money line in road games this season.
SAN DIEGO is 60-44 (+18.5 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
SAN DIEGO is 41-33 (+9.9 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
SAN DIEGO is 43-34 (+10.8 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
SAN DIEGO is 29-16 (+15.5 Units) against the money line after a loss this season.
SAN DIEGO is 29-24 (+10.3 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
CORREIA is 31-22 (+13.9 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
CORREIA is 14-9 (+9.4 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
CORREIA is 30-22 (+12.1 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
CORREIA is 39-30 (+18.4 Units) against the money line in night games since 1997. (Team's Record)
CORREIA is 17-8 (+12.8 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
CORREIA is 8-3 (+8.4 Units) against the money line in road games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
BILLINGSLEY is 2-8 (-11.3 Units) against the money line as a home favorite of -150 to -175 over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
BILLINGSLEY is 4-9 (-10.5 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)


Head-to-Head Series History
LA DODGERS is 7-4 (+2.7 Units) against SAN DIEGO this season
7 of 11 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+2.6 Units)



KEVIN CORREIA vs. LA DODGERS since 1997
CORREIA is 3-3 when starting against LA DODGERS with an ERA of 5.36 and a WHIP of 1.411.
His team's record is 5-4 (+3.6 units) in these starts. The OVER is 4-5. (-1.2 units)



CHAD BILLINGSLEY vs. SAN DIEGO since 1997
BILLINGSLEY is 9-4 when starting against SAN DIEGO with an ERA of 2.45 and a WHIP of 1.133.
His team's record is 11-5 (+4.3 units) in these starts. The OVER is 6-10. (-4.8 units)




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MINNESOTA (60 - 48) at TAMPA BAY (67 - 40) - 12:10 PM
KEVIN SLOWEY (R) vs. WADE DAVIS (R)
Top Trends for this game.
MINNESOTA is 4-11 (-10.2 Units) against the money line when playing on Thursday this season.
TAMPA BAY is 49-14 (+26.2 Units) against the money line as a home favorite of -150 to -175 over the last 3 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 148-78 (+32.0 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 3 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 149-81 (+29.4 Units) against the money line in games played in a dome over the last 3 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 161-90 (+32.7 Units) against the money line in games played on artificial turf over the last 3 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 102-50 (+26.5 Units) against the money line in home games against right-handed starters over the last 3 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 80-40 (+28.5 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 140-151 (+22.5 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season since 1997.
MINNESOTA is 106-68 (+21.8 Units) against the money line in games played in a dome over the last 3 seasons.


Head-to-Head Series History
TAMPA BAY is 5-2 (+2.3 Units) against MINNESOTA this season
4 of 7 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+0.9 Units)



KEVIN SLOWEY vs. TAMPA BAY since 1997
SLOWEY is 0-1 when starting against TAMPA BAY with an ERA of 10.39 and a WHIP of 2.771.
His team's record is 0-1 (-1.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 0-1. (-1.1 units)



WADE DAVIS vs. MINNESOTA since 1997
DAVIS is 0-0 when starting against MINNESOTA with an ERA of 8.31 and a WHIP of 1.848.
His team's record is 1-0 (+1.3 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-0. (+1.1 units)




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CHI WHITE SOX (61 - 46) at DETROIT (53 - 54) - 1:05 PM
FREDDY GARCIA (R) vs. MAX SCHERZER (R)
Top Trends for this game.
GARCIA is 36-37 (-28.2 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season since 1997. (Team's Record)
DETROIT is 87-50 (+23.7 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons.
DETROIT is 39-18 (+16.9 Units) against the money line in home games in day games over the last 2 seasons.
DETROIT is 87-50 (+23.7 Units) against the money line in home games in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
CHI WHITE SOX are 22-12 (+10.8 Units) against the money line in day games this season.
CHI WHITE SOX are 57-42 (+11.3 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
CHI WHITE SOX are 46-34 (+10.8 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
CHI WHITE SOX are 61-46 (+12.9 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
GARCIA is 13-6 (+9.7 Units) against the money line in all games this season. (Team's Record)
GARCIA is 93-56 (+29.0 Units) against the money line in road games since 1997. (Team's Record)
GARCIA is 35-11 (+23.2 Units) against the money line on the road when the total is 8 to 8.5 since 1997. (Team's Record)
GARCIA is 38-19 (+19.3 Units) against the money line in road games in day games since 1997. (Team's Record)
GARCIA is 12-5 (+8.7 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season. (Team's Record)
DETROIT is 213-220 (-37.0 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 3 seasons.
DETROIT is 83-116 (-47.0 Units) against the money line in home games in August games since 1997.
DETROIT is 17-24 (-11.8 Units) against the money line against division opponents this season.
DETROIT is 35-43 (-11.6 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
SCHERZER is 23-34 (-16.3 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
SCHERZER is 1-7 (-8.1 Units) against the money line against division opponents this season. (Team's Record)
SCHERZER is 23-33 (-15.3 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)


Head-to-Head Series History
CHI WHITE SOX is 5-2 (+3.1 Units) against DETROIT this season
4 of 6 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+1.8 Units)



FREDDY GARCIA vs. DETROIT since 1997
GARCIA is 18-6 when starting against DETROIT with an ERA of 3.74 and a WHIP of 1.215.
His team's record is 22-6 (+12.6 units) in these starts. The OVER is 10-16. (-7.4 units)



MAX SCHERZER vs. CHI WHITE SOX since 1997
SCHERZER is 0-1 when starting against CHI WHITE SOX with an ERA of 3.68 and a WHIP of 0.819.
His team's record is 0-1 (-1.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-0. (+1.0 units)




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LA ANGELS (54 - 55) at BALTIMORE (34 - 73) - 7:05 PM
DAN HAREN (R) vs. JAKE ARRIETA (R)
Top Trends for this game.
LA ANGELS are 20-26 (-11.2 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 this season.
HAREN is 8-15 (-11.0 Units) against the money line in all games this season. (Team's Record)
HAREN is 8-15 (-11.0 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season. (Team's Record)
LA ANGELS are 109-78 (+24.3 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 3 seasons.
LA ANGELS are 70-43 (+15.8 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
LA ANGELS are 156-125 (+17.1 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
LA ANGELS are 74-67 (+13.3 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
LA ANGELS are 146-117 (+13.9 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 37-58 (-20.9 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 103-100 (-36.3 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season since 1997.
BALTIMORE is 35-73 (-23.1 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
BALTIMORE is 526-585 (-123.4 Units) against the money line in home games since 1997.
BALTIMORE is 84-101 (-37.5 Units) against the money line in home games in August games since 1997.
BALTIMORE is 526-585 (-123.4 Units) against the money line in home games in games played on a grass field since 1997.
BALTIMORE is 25-53 (-18.0 Units) against the money line in night games this season.


Head-to-Head Series History
BALTIMORE is 2-0 (+2.3 Units) against LA ANGELS this season
1 of 2 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+0.0 Units)



DAN HAREN vs. BALTIMORE since 1997
HAREN is 4-2 when starting against BALTIMORE with an ERA of 3.30 and a WHIP of 0.985.
His team's record is 5-2 (+1.6 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 4-3. (+0.6 units)



JAKE ARRIETA vs. LA ANGELS since 1997
No recent starts.




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CLEVELAND (46 - 62) at BOSTON (61 - 47) - 7:10 PM
JOSH TOMLIN (R) vs. DAISUKE MATSUZAKA (R)
Top Trends for this game.
CLEVELAND is 79-118 (-31.1 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 111-54 (+27.0 Units) against the money line in home games in night games over the last 3 seasons.
CLEVELAND is 19-13 (+12.3 Units) against the money line in August games over the last 2 seasons.
CLEVELAND is 32-37 (+8.9 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
CLEVELAND is 15-13 (+12.7 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season this season.


Head-to-Head Series History
CLEVELAND is 4-3 (+4.5 Units) against BOSTON this season
4 of 7 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+0.8 Units)



JOSH TOMLIN vs. BOSTON since 1997
No recent starts.



DAISUKE MATSUZAKA vs. CLEVELAND since 1997
MATSUZAKA is 4-2 when starting against CLEVELAND with an ERA of 3.47 and a WHIP of 1.293.
His team's record is 4-2 (+1.2 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-4. (-2.1 units)




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TEXAS (62 - 45) at SEATTLE (40 - 68) - 10:10 PM
TOMMY HUNTER (R) vs. FELIX HERNANDEZ (R)
Top Trends for this game.
TEXAS is 19-23 (-16.5 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
SEATTLE is 53-36 (+14.4 Units) against the money line in home games against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
HERNANDEZ is 21-9 (+11.4 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
TEXAS is 149-120 (+14.5 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
TEXAS is 104-108 (+17.7 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 3 seasons.
TEXAS is 146-111 (+19.6 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
TEXAS is 113-85 (+13.3 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
TEXAS is 101-78 (+14.0 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
TEXAS is 40-19 (+11.2 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
HUNTER is 20-8 (+11.4 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
SEATTLE is 39-65 (-27.1 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
SEATTLE is 29-46 (-15.9 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
SEATTLE is 4-24 (-22.2 Units) against the money line after allowing 10 runs or more over the last 3 seasons.
SEATTLE is 20-47 (-26.6 Units) against the money line after a loss this season.
SEATTLE is 40-67 (-27.4 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
SEATTLE is 9-25 (-17.5 Units) against the money line against division opponents this season.


Head-to-Head Series History
TEXAS is 9-3 (+6.6 Units) against SEATTLE this season
6 of 11 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+0.3 Units)



TOMMY HUNTER vs. SEATTLE since 1997
HUNTER is 2-2 when starting against SEATTLE with an ERA of 2.67 and a WHIP of 1.385.
His team's record is 2-3 (-1.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-2. (-0.2 units)



FELIX HERNANDEZ vs. TEXAS since 1997
HERNANDEZ is 8-11 when starting against TEXAS with an ERA of 4.16 and a WHIP of 1.291.
His team's record is 10-15 (-11.5 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 14-9. (+4.2 units)

MLB
Short Sheet


Update

Thursday, 8/5/2010

COLORADO at PITTSBURGH, 7:05 PM ET
FRANCIS: COLORADO 24-9 as a favorite of -125 to -175
MCDONALD: PITTSBURGH 14-36 with an on base percentage of .300 or worse over their last 10 games

SAN FRANCISCO at ATLANTA, 7:10 PM ET
LINCECUM: SAN FRANCISCO 29-14 after having won 3 of their last 4 games
JURRJENS: ATLANTA 8-13 in home games with a hot bullpen whose ERA is under 2.00 the last 10 games

PHILADELPHIA at FLORIDA, 7:10 PM ET
OSWALT: PHILADELPHIA 13-4 OVER in road games after allowing 2 runs or less
VOLSTAD: FLORIDA 17-5 OVER at home when the total is 8 to 8.5

WASHINGTON at ARIZONA, 9:40 PM ET
DETWILER: WASHINGTON 1-12 after a win by 4 runs or more
ENRIGHT: ARIZONA 12-3 OVER after 2 or more consecutive unders

SAN DIEGO at LA DODGERS, 10:10 PM ET
CORREIA: 8-2 TSR on the road when the total is 7 to 8.5
BILLINGSLEY: 2-8 (-11.3 Units) against the money line as a home favorite of -150 to -175

MINNESOTA at TAMPA BAY, 12:10 PM ET
SLOWEY: MINNESOTA 5-12 after a one run win
DAVIS: TAMPA BAY 26-8 after a game with a combined score of 3 runs or less

CHI WHITE SOX at DETROIT, 1:05 PM ET
GARCIA: 35-11 TSR on the road when the total is 8 to 8.5
SCHERZER: 1-7 TSR against division opponents

LA ANGELS at BALTIMORE, 7:05 PM ET
HAREN: LA ANGELS 12-0 after a game where they had 17 or more hits
ARRIETA: BALTIMORE 28-62 when the total is 8.5 to 10

CLEVELAND at BOSTON, 7:10 PM ET
TOMLIN: CLEVELAND 10-6 with an on base percentage of .300 or worse over their last 10 games
MATSUZAKA: BOSTON 3-9 after scoring 1 run or less

TEXAS at SEATTLE, 10:10 PM ET
HUNTER: TEXAS 14-2 after a game where the bullpen threw 6 or more innings
HERNANDEZ: SEATTLE 6-20 with a hot bullpen whose WHIP is under 1.250 the last 15 games

** (TC) Denotes Time Change

MLB
Dunkel


Chicago White Sox at Detroit
The Tigers look to build on their 6-0 record in Max Scherzer's last 6 home starts. Detroit is the pick (-135) according to Dunkel, which has the Tigers favored by 1/2 a run. Dunkel Pick: Detroit (-135). Here are all of today's picks.

THURSDAY, AUGUST 5

Game 951-952: Colorado at Pittsburgh (7:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Colorado (Francis) 13.845; Pittsburgh (McDonald) 14.100
Dunkel Line: Pittsburgh by 1/2; 9
Vegas Line: Colorado (-155); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Pittsburgh (+135); Over

Game 953-954: San Francisco at Atlanta (7:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: San Francisco (Lincecum) 15.245; Atlanta (Jurrjens) 16.153
Dunkel Line: Atlanta by 1; 6 1/2
Vegas Line: San Francisco (-120); 7
Dunkel Pick: Atlanta (+100); Under

Game 955-956: Philadelphia at Florida (7:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Philadelphia (Oswalt) 15.605; Florida (Volstad) 15.930
Dunkel Line: Florida by 1/2; 9
Vegas Line: Philadelphia (-130); 8
Dunkel Pick: Florida (+110); Over

Game 957-958: Washington at Arizona (9:40 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Washington (Detwiler) 14.788; Arizona (Enright) 15.784
Dunkel Line: Arizona by 1; 9
Vegas Line: Arizona (-135); 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Arizona (-135); Under

Game 959-960: San Diego at LA Dodgers (10:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: San Diego (Correia) 14.985; LA Dodgers (Billingsley) 16.071
Dunkel Line: LA Dodgers by 1; 8
Vegas Line: LA Dodgers (-155); 7
Dunkel Pick: LA Dodgers (-155); Over

Game 961-962: Minnesota at Tampa Bay (12:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Minnesota (Slowey) 17.162; Tampa Bay (Davis) 18.263
Dunkel Line: Tampa Bay by 1; 8
Vegas Line: Tampa Bay (-155); 9
Dunkel Pick: Tampa Bay (-155); Under

Game 963-964: Chicago White Sox at Detroit (1:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: White Sox (Garcia) 15.354; Detroit (Scherzer) 15.767
Dunkel Line: Detroit by 1/2; 9 1/2
Vegas Line: Detroit (-135); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Detroit (-135); Over

Game 965-966: LA Angels at Baltimore (7:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: LA Angels (Haren) 14.914; Baltimore (Arrieta) 14.137
Dunkel Line: LA Angels by 1; 8
Vegas Line: LA Angels (-170); 9
Dunkel Pick: LA Angels (-170); Under

Game 967-968: Cleveland at Boston (7:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Cleveland (Tomlin) 14.838; Boston (Matsuzaka) 15.482
Dunkel Line: Boston by 1/2; 10
Vegas Line: Boston (-210); 9
Dunkel Pick: Boston (-210); Over

Game 969-970: Texas at Seattle (10:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Texas (Hunter) 13.959; Seattle (Hernandez) 14.742
Dunkel Line: Seattle by 1; 7 1/2
Vegas Line: Seattle (-115); 6 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Seattle (-115); Over

MLB
Write-Up


Thursday, August 5

Hot pitchers
-- Francis is 2-0, 2.00 in his last three starts.
-- Atlanta is 5-0 at home when Jurrjens starts (3-0, 2.27). Giants won last five Lincecum starts (3-0, 2.52).
-- Enright is 1-0, 2.25 in his last three starts.
-- Billingsley is 2-0, 0.00 (21.2 IP) in his last three starts.

-- WDavis is 4-0, 2.22 in his last four starts. Slowey is 2-0, 0.64 in his last couple starts.
-- Scherzer has a 2.37 RA in his last three starts.
-- Matsuzaka is 2-0, 2.92 in his last four starts. Cleveland won Tomlin's first two starts (1-0, 1.46).
-- Hunter is 6-1, 3.94 in his last eight starts.

Cold pitchers
-- McDonald lost 5-2 to Giants (four runs in five IP) in only '10 start.
-- Volstad is 1-2, 6.16 in his last six starts. Oswalt is 0-3, 7.80 in his last three outings.
-- Detwiler is 0-1, 6.00 in two starts this season.
-- Correia has a 5.48 RA in his last four starts.

-- Garcia is 1-1, 7.43 in his last three starts.
-- Arrieta is 0-1, 8.56 in his last three starts.
-- FHernandez is 0-3, 3.00 in his last four starts; Mariners scored total of five runs in the four games.

Totals
-- Last six Colorado games went over the total.
-- Six of last nine Atlanta home games went over the total.
-- Over is 8-4 in Florida's last twelve games.
-- Seven of last nine Arizona home games stayed under the total.
-- Under is 5-2-1 in last eight games at Dodger Stadium.

-- Five of last seven Minnesota road games went over the total.
-- Five of last six White Sox road games stayed under the total.
-- Three of last four Angel games stayed under the total.
-- Under is 3-0-1 in last four Matsuzaka starts.
-- Under is 15-6 in Rangers' last 21 games.

Hot Teams
-- Braves are 26-8 in their last 34 home games. Giants are 22-7 in their last 29 games overall.
-- Phillies won 11 of their last 13 games.
-- Nationals won five of their last seven games.
-- Dodgers won four of their last five home games.

-- Tampa Bay is 14-3 in its last 17 home games. Twins won nine of their last twelve games.
-- White Sox won eight of their last ten games.
-- Orioles are 2-0 under Showalter, scoring 15 runs.
-- Indians won four of their last five games. Red Sox won six of their last nine games.
-- Rangers are 16-7 in their last 23 road games.

Cold Teams
-- Pirates lost six of their last seven games. Rockies lost their last six away games.
-- Marlins lost last three games, outscored 18-7.
-- Arizona lost six of its last seven home games.
-- Padres are 2-4 in last six games, scored one run in last two.

-- Tigers lost 10 of their last 12 games.
-- Angels lost 13 of their last 16 road games.
-- Mariners lost eight of their last nine games.

MLB


Thursday, August 5

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Trend Report
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12:10 PM
MINNESOTA vs. TAMPA BAY
Minnesota is 9-2 SU in its last 11 games
Minnesota is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Tampa Bay
Tampa Bay is 10-2 SU in its last 12 games
Tampa Bay is 10-2 SU in its last 12 games at home

1:05 PM
CHI WHITE SOX vs. DETROIT
Chi White Sox are 6-2 SU in their last 8 games when playing on the road against Detroit
Chi White Sox are 8-2 SU in their last 10 games
Detroit is 2-6 SU in their last 8 games when playing at home against Chi White Sox
Detroit is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games at home

7:05 PM
LA ANGELS vs. BALTIMORE
LA Angels are 10-5 SU in their last 15 games when playing on the road against Baltimore
LA Angels are 1-6 SU in their last 7 games on the road
Baltimore is 4-9 SU in its last 13 games at home
Baltimore is 6-14 SU in their last 20 games when playing LA Angels

7:05 PM
COLORADO vs. PITTSBURGH
Colorado is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Colorado's last 6 games when playing on the road against Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Colorado
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Pittsburgh's last 6 games when playing at home against Colorado

7:10 PM
SAN FRANCISCO vs. ATLANTA
San Francisco is 8-4 SU in its last 12 games when playing Atlanta
San Francisco is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Atlanta is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Atlanta's last 6 games when playing at home against San Francisco

7:10 PM
CLEVELAND vs. BOSTON
Cleveland is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Cleveland is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Boston
Boston is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Cleveland
Boston is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games when playing at home against Cleveland

7:10 PM
PHILADELPHIA vs. FLORIDA
Philadelphia is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Philadelphia is 13-3 SU in its last 16 games when playing on the road against Florida
Florida is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games when playing Philadelphia
Florida is 3-13 SU in its last 16 games when playing at home against Philadelphia

9:40 PM
WASHINGTON vs. ARIZONA
Washington is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games
Washington is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing Arizona
Arizona is 3-10 SU in its last 13 games
Arizona is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Washington

10:10 PM
SAN DIEGO vs. LA DODGERS
San Diego is 6-14 SU in their last 20 games when playing on the road against LA Dodgers
San Diego is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games on the road
LA Dodgers are 2-6 SU in their last 8 games
LA Dodgers are 4-1 SU in their last 5 games at home

10:10 PM
TEXAS vs. SEATTLE
Texas is 16-7 SU in its last 23 games on the road
Texas is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Seattle is 1-8 SU in its last 9 games
Seattle is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Texas

Daily Sports Roundup: August 5

Today in the Daily Sports Roundup: The O's play host to the Angels, the Giants take on Atlanta, and the world's top golfers take to the links in the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational.

Meeting up on the diamond . . .

On the American League schedule for Thursday it's Minnesota at Tampa Bay, the White Sox at Detroit, Cleveland at Boston, Texas at Seattle, and the Angels at Baltimore. Los Angeles is expected to go with Dan Haren (7-10, 4.42 ERA) in that last matchup, while the Orioles counter with Jake Arrieta (3-3, 5.47 ERA). Righthander Haren has lost both of his starts with the Angels so far despite giving up just four runs over his 13 2-3 innings of work and fanning 14. Righthander Arrieta took a no-decision against the Royals in his most recent trip to the mound, allowing three runs on six hits over his 4 1-3 innings of work. Rookie Arrieta has walked 33 batters and struck out 25 so far this year.

Meanwhile, the National League on Thursday offers up Colorado at Pittsburgh, Philadelphia at Florida, Washington at Arizona, San Diego at the Dodgers, and San Francisco at Atlanta. Tim Lincecum (11-4, 3.10 ERA) will take the mound for the Giants on Thursday against the Braves' Jair Jurrjens (3-4, 4.62 ERA). Righthander Lincecum beat the Dodgers last time out, giving up two runs over seven innings of work; San Francisco is 8-2 in Lincecum's last 10 starts. Righthander Jurrjens was tagged with a loss by the Reds in his last outing, surrendering five runs on eight hits over 6 2-3 innings of work. Atlanta has five victories to go along with five losses in Jurrjens' last 10 outings.

Rounding out the Roundup . . .

The world's top golfers will be at Firestone Country Club in Akron, Ohio starting Thursday for the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational. Tiger Woods is the defending champion at this event, and he's actually claimed the tournament seven times in its first 11 years. That's made Woods the 9/2 Vegas favorite to win this week's WGC event, with Phil Mickelson behind him on that list at 10/1 odds. Lee Westwood rounds out the Top 3 at 12/1 to claim the tournament title, followed by both Padraig Harrington and Rory McIlroy at 20/1. Steve Stricker and Paul Casey are back at 25/1 odds to pick up the Akron win.

Finally, there's one contest on the WNBA's Thursday slate, with Connecticut at Seattle. The Sun are coming off a 111-103 road overtime loss to Minnesota on Tuesday night; Renee Montgomery poured in 33 points for Connecticut in that defeat. The Storm were knocked off 84-75 on the road by Tulsa on Tuesday, with Sue Bird tossing in 19 points.

Thursday's six-pack

The six makes of cars that are most often stolen.........

-- Cadillac Escalade 10.8 per 1,000......$11,934

-- Ford F-250 9.7 per 1,000.........$9,636

-- Infiniti G37 2-door 7.1 per 1,000........$10,324

-- Dodge Charger HEMI 7.1 per 1,000..........$10,118

-- Corvette ZO6 1.7 per 1,000...........$41,229

-- Hummer H2 4WD 6.2 per 1,000........$10,324


*******************************************


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


13) One of the most basic elements of pitching is getting a batter to swing and miss, right? So far this season, four pitchers have gotten 25+ swings and misses in a start........
-- Buchholz/Morrow, 26........Josh Johnson/Weaver 25

12) On the other hand, if you can't anyone to swing/miss, you're going to have a rough night; Wednesday, Mike Pelfrey became 22nd pitcher so far in 2010 to start a game and not induce a swing/miss- his 89 pitchers are 3rd-highest this season, of pitchers who couldn't get a swing/miss......
-- Fister 106, Correia 92, Pelfrey 89, Buehrle/Monasterios 86.

11) David Price became 16th pitcher this year to get 30+ called strikes in a start. Home plate umpire Phil Cuzzi was the accomplice.

10) Milwaukee led 3-1 in 6th inning at Wrigley Wednesday, but lost by 12 runs on a rainy day in Chicago. If I was a Brewer fan, would definitely want Ken Macha fired. On a happier note, Bob Uecker (Mr Baseball) did the honors Tuesday and sang Take Me Out to the Ballgame at Wrigley; he looks pretty good, considering he's coming off of heart surgery.

9) Texas scored 10 runs in Cliff Lee's first five starts (2-3); Lee has a 2.36 RA in his last four starts, but Rangers are jogging in AL West, and with news that Nolan Ryan's group outbid Mark Cuban's for control of team, Wednesday was just another great day for the 2010 Tezas Rangers.

8) Pirates are 3-14 on Fridays this year, scoring more than four runs once in the 17 games. They scored three or less runs in 11 of 14 losses, four runs in each of the other three.

7) My one-word analysis of Shaquille O'Neal and the Celtics: Why?

6) Between June 2009/June 2010, Sandra Bullock earned $56M and they say athletes are overpaid? Blind Side made roughly $310M at box office, with a budget of roughly $30M, but how much of that is due to Bullock?

5) Giants were 40-39 on July 2, are 22-7 since. Pitching wins.

4) Wednesday was another unusual night in that 27 of 30 starting pitchers got decisions, and only reason Medlen didn't get one is because he hurt his elbow in fifth inning, before he qualified for a win. Not a lot of late inning drama this week.

3) Detroit Lions have already purged all 11 defensive starters from their 0-16 team of two years ago. NFC North is interesting race; at first look, would appear that Green Bay has the least question marks, right?

2) My take on the Vikings is that they're going against everything that makes team sports great with their double standard where Brett Favre is concerned. How does Brad Childress look his other players in the eye, especially the other QBs? How do you run productive practices when the starting quarterback is working out with HS kids 1,500 miles away?

Its hard to believe NFL would be duped into scheduling Vikings-Saints as Week 1 Thursday night season opener, unless they had it on really good authority that Favre would be playing. Just another attention junkie, #4.

1) A friend of mine who knows an awful lot about Penn State football is convinced that Bill Cowher will succeed Joe Paterno in Happy Valley.

Bettors' best friend: Thursday's wagering tips

Lines to keep an eye on

White Sox at Tigers: Total opened at 9 but has slipped to 8.5 at most books.

Rockies at Pirates: Total opened at 9 and has fallen to 8.5 at most books.

Angels at Orioles: Total opened at 8.5 but has been bet up to 9 at most books.

Indians at Red Sox: Total opened at 9 but has slipped to 8 at most books.

Sun at Storm (WNBA): Total opened at 154 but has climbed to 154.5.

Weather to watch

Rockies at Pirates: 40 percent chance of thunderstorms.

Angels at Orioles: 40 percent chance of thunderstorms.

Indians at Red Sox: 40 percent chance of thunderstorms, winds blowing out to dead center field at 11 mph.

Giants at Braves: 50 percent chance of thunderstorms.

Phillies at Marlins: 40 percent chance of thunderstorms.

Who's hot

Rays are 10-1 in their last 11.

Giants are 6-1 in their last seven.

White Sox are 7-2 in their last nine.

Who's not

Pirates are 1-6 in their last seven.

Mariners are 1-7 in their last eight.

Dodgers are 1-6 in their last seven.

Key stat

35 - Age of Yankees star Alex Rodriguez, who became the youngest member of the 600 home run club on Tuesday. A-Rod was 34 when he hit No. 599 but had a birthday while he was mired in a 51 at-bat homerless streak. Babe Ruth becomes the second youngest to reach the milestone at 36.

Injury that shouldn't be overlooked

Tampa Bay Rays first baseman Carlos Pena has been diagnosed with a torn plantar fascia ligament on the bottom of his right foot. Pena has been sidelined since Saturday with the ailment, for which the best treatment is rest. His ability to play coincides with how much pain Pena can take so it's possible he could return, but his effectiveness is another matter. The Rays could lose some power without a healthy Pena, who is batting just .212 but has 23 HRs and 68 RBIs.

Game of the day

Giants at Braves (100, 7)

Notable quotable

"It's been about three years now I've been getting asked the Brett Favre questions. It's kind of part of my life now. I actually might miss it."

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Tarvaris Jackson, who has served as Favre's backup for the past two seasons, said about speculation that Fave will retire.

Tips and notes

Don't write off the Ryan Howard-less Phillies just yet. Philadelphia acquired veteran first baseman Mike Sweeney from the Seattle Mariners on Wednesday. Sweeney, who was activated from the disabled list prior to the deal, is batting .263 with six home runs and 18 RBIs this season - not Howard-like numbers but decent enough until Howard returns from the 15-day DL. The All-Star first baseman Ryan Howard suffered an ankle sprain during Sunday's game.

The Chicago Cubs are inserting temperamental pitcher Carlos Zambrano back into their starting rotation. Zambrano will make the start in Monday's game against the San Francisco Giants. It will be his first start since June 25, when he was suspended indefinitely by the team after a dugout blowup following a rough first inning against the cross-town White Sox. Zambrano was placed on the restricted list and returned five weeks later. He is having a dismal season, posting a 3-6 record with a 5.71 ERA.

Tiger Woods has won the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational seven times over the past decade and it could be the tourney to turn his season around. He has more motivation than snapping his career-long winless skid. Tiger repeatedly said Wednesday that he wants to play his way onto the U.S. team for the Ryder Cup in Wales. He currently sits ninth on the Ryder Cup points list, one away from earning an automatic spot on the team. He has until next week's PGA Championship to move into the top eight but he refused to answer questions about whether he would accept an at-large bid from captain Corey Pavin.