Cnotes Monday's MLB Best Bets !

June's Record:

Date WLT Pct Net Units Record
06/26/11 18-_10-_2 64.29% +_3695 Detail
06/25/11 13-_17-_0 43.33% -_2210 Detail
06/24/11 14-_14-_2 50.00% -_625 Detail
06/23/11 8-_2-_0 80.00% +_2965 Detail
06/22/11 22-_7-_0 75.86% +_8215 Detail
06/21/11 10-_15-_3 40.00% -_3385 Detail
06/20/11 11-_9-_0 55.00% +_815 Detail
06/19/11 16-_14-_0 53.33% +_585 Detail
06/18/11 11-_14-_4 44.00% -_2175 Detail
06/17/11 14-_13-_1 51.85% +_190 Detail
06/16/11 9-_15-_0 37.50% -_3600 Detail
06/15/11 14-_18-_0 43.75% -_2390 Detail
06/14/11 15-_12-_1 55.56% +_1835 Detail
06/13/11 7-_11-_0 38.89% -_3110 Detail
06/12/11 13-_15-_2 46.43% -_820 Detail
06/11/11 15-_15-_0 50.00% -_955 Detail
06/10/11 16-_13-_1 55.17% +_890 Detail
06/09/11 10-_16-_0 38.46% -_3505 Detail
06/08/11 17-_13-_0 56.67% +_1370 Detail
06/07/11 7-_9-_0 43.75% -_1400 Detail
06/06/11 9-_13-_0 40.91% -_2220 Detail
06/05/11 17-_12-_1 58.62% +_2515 Detail
06/04/11 15-_15-_0 50.00% -_65 Detail
06/03/11 14-_16-_0 46.67% -_1095 Detail
06/02/11 8-_3-_1 72.73% +_2485 Detail
06/01/11 15-_13-_1 53.57% +_1345 Detail
Totals 338-_324-_19 51.06% -_650


Monday, June 27

Game Score Status Pick Amount

Cincinnati - 7:10 PM ET Tampa Bay -134 500
Tampa Bay - Under 7.5 500

LA Dodgers - 8:10 PM ET Minnesota -117 500
Minnesota - Over 8 500

Cleveland - 9:40 PM ET Arizona -166 500
Arizona - Under 9 500

Kansas City - 10:05 PM ET Kansas City +144 500
San Diego - Under 6.5 500

Washington - 10:05 PM ET LA Angels -134 500
LA Angels - Over 7 500

Atlanta - 10:10 PM ET Atlanta +108 500
Seattle - Over 6.5 500

Colorado Rockies And Cubs Meet At Wrigley Field

Monday was originally an off day for both the Colorado Rockies and Chicago Cubs. Mother Nature altered those plans, however, and the two clubs will meet at Wrigley Field to make up a rainout from late April.

The contest gets underway at 11:20 a.m. (PT) with Chicago Sports Net and Root Sports providing broadcast coverage to the two local markets.

Colorado will tack the game on the end of an interleague road trip that took the Rockies through Cleveland and New York. It sets up a unique scheduling situation for Jim Tracy's squad that finds itself in the middle of the NL West standings behind the Giants and Diamondbacks.

The Rockies will head home from Chicago's North Side after the matinee to begin a 6-game homestand that starts with Chicago's South Side crew, the first of three vs. the White Sox set for Tuesday evening.

The Cubs will be making up two rainouts over the next two days beginning with Monday's affair against the Rockies. Mike Quade's club will have a day-night doubleheader at Wrigley on Tuesday against the Giants after a mid-May postponement vs. San Francisco.

This game was originally slated for April 27, the end of a 3-game series in Chicago. Colorado took the first two games of that weather-marred set and enters Monday's matchup with a 4-1 advantage over the Cubs this season.

Monday's mound clash is a rematch from earlier this season in Denver. Jhoulys Chacin (10-5, 2.71) is in line for Colorado against Chicago's Matt Garza (4-9, 4.11).

It's the last scheduled meeting in 2011 between the two teams meaning Garza will have started half of the six battles with the Rockies this season. The former Fresno State star is 0-2 in the previous two assignments, combining for 12 innings and a 4.50 ERA.

Garza has been a touch better at home in six starts, the Cubs splitting the outcomes on the MLB betting lines. He has posted a 3.75 ERA in 36 innings at the friendly confines, striking out 45 and serving up three gopher balls.

Chacin has been lights out this month regardless where he pitches. Colorado has won all four of the Venezuelan's starts, two on the road and two at home, the right-hander allowing just three earned runs in 26 2/3 June frames.

Garza and Chacin met at Coors Field on April 15 with Chacin walking away with a complete-game shutout in the Rockies' five-zip victory carrying a -150 price tag. The Colorado hurler allowed just six hits and two walks while whiffing seven Cubbies. Garza was charged with all five Rockies runs in the course of his six innings of work.

The victory left Chacin 1-1 lifetime in two starts and a relief appearance vs. the Cubs. Garza is 0-3 for his career in as many starts vs. Colorado with a 5.29 ERA.

This makeup could eventually result in needing a second makeup with the current forecast calling for a 70 percent chance of rain in the Windy City on Monday. Winds are expected out of the south at 10-15 mph (out to left).

Cincinnati Reds Continue Trip At Tampa Bay Rays

NOTE: The Reds have flip-flopped starting pitchers with Mike Leake getting the call in Monday's game and Johnny Cueto in line to start Tuesday's contest.

Six previous meetings with the Tampa Bay Rays have all gone into the win column for the Cincinnati Reds. Dusty Baker's squad will try and keep that perfect record intact when the Reds continue their 6-game road trip Monday at Tropicana Field.

First pitch is 4:10 p.m. (PT) in a matchup of young right-handers riding opposite 3-game streaks. Cincinnati gives the ball to Johnny Cueto (6-3, 1.63) while Joe Maddon and the Rays counter with Jeremy Hellickson (7-7, 3.09).

Opening numbers suggest the Reds' streak against the Rays will end with Tampa Bay listed at -110. The game 1 total is in the 7-7½ range.

Cincinnati and Tampa Bay will be getting together for just the third time in regular season play with this series. The Reds swept three at home in 2005 after doing the same in St. Pete during the 2003 season. Two of the previous three at The Trop remained below the scoreboard tally.

The Reds started their road trip by dropping two of three in Baltimore. Cincinnati is a game above .500 at 40-39, tied for third in the NL Central standings with the Pirates, both crews four games behind the leading Brewers.

The Rays return home off a 5-1 road trip through Milwaukee and Houston, Sunday's 14-10 win over the Astros completing a sweep. Tampa Bay improved to 9-3 against the NL and sits alone in third place of the AL East, two games south of the first-place Yankees.

Cueto and Hellickson are each making their first appearance against the opposing squads and enter the contest heading in the opposite direction recently. Hellickson has dropped his last three assignments while Cueto has won three straight.

Hellickson's skid began June 10 in Baltimore when the Orioles posted a 7-0 victory over the Rays who were slight 120 favorites on the MLB betting line. A couple of homers figured into his 5-run, 5 2/3-inning performance.

The righty out of Des Moines has since bounced back with a pair of quality outings vs. Boston and at Milwaukee, giving up just five runs and seven hits in the 13 innings combined. A lack of help from the Tampa Bay bats figured into both defeats with the Rays crossing the plate just once in the two games.

He comes in with a very healthy 1.17 WHIP, a big chunk of that coming via 37 free passes in just over 90 innings this season. Visiting sticks are batting just a buck eighty-three in his five starts at Tropicana Field where he's posted a 2.52 ERA in 35 2/3 innings.

It's hard to find a better hurler in the bigs since early-May than Cueto. Monday's assignment will be his 10th following a delayed start to the '11 campaign, and all but one of the previous nine have been filed under the quality start column.

The compact right-hander is coming off a dandy effort at home against the Yankees, allowing just two hits and a run while striking out six in a 10-2 victory. New York's lone run off Cueto was courtesy of a solo jack by Nick Swisher, one of four long balls the Dominican has allowed in 60 2/3 frames.

Cincinnati is up about $2.50 in his nine previous starts, the game totals splitting 4-4-1.

The series continues Tuesday with Tampa Bay sending left-hander David Price to the mound opposite Cincinnati's Mike Leake.

Interleague Results (1997-2011)

AMERICAN LEAGUE RESULTS (1997-2011)

AL TEAMS W-L 2008 2009 2010 2011

Baltimore Orioles 97-126 11-7 11-7 7-11 6-6

Boston Red Sox 121-102 11-7 11-7 13-5 6-6

Chicago White Sox 123-101 12-6 11-6 15-3 7-5

Cleveland Indians 113-110 6-12 5-13 5-13 7-5

Detroit Tigers 118-105 13-5 10-8 11-7 5-7

Kansas City Royals 103-121 13-5 8-10 8-10 4-8

Los Angeles Angels 122-102 10-8 14-4 11-7 8-4

Minnesota Twins 127-95 14-4 12-6 8-10 4-8

New York Yankees 130-91 10-7 10-8 11-7 8-4

Oakland Athletics 129-95 10-8 5-13 8-10 5-7

Seattle Mariners 122-102 9-9 11-7 9-9 7-5

Tampa Bay Rays 96-112 12-6 13-5 7-11 9-3

Texas Rangers 111-113 10-8 9-9 14-4 6-6

Toronto Blue Jays 106-117 8-10 7-11 7-11 6-6

AL Totals 1,873-1,711* 137-115 137-114 134-116 89-80




NATIONAL LEAGUE RESULTS (1997-2011)

NL TEAMS W-L 2008 2009 2010 2011

Arizona Diamondbacks 86-98 6-9 5-10 6-9 8-4

Atlanta Braves 110-95 8-7 7-8 9-6 5-4

Chicago Cubs 87-94 6-9 7-7 8-10 4-8

Cincinnati Reds 82-102 9-6 6-9 8-7 3-9

Colorado Rockies 90-100 7-8 11-4 9-6 5-4

Florida Marlins 114-99 5-10 10-8 7-8 4-8

Houston Astros 95-99 7-11 6-9 3-12 3-6

Los Angeles Dodgers 94-106 5-10 9-9 4-11 4-5

Milwaukee Brewers 84-97 7-8 5-10 9-6 5-4

New York Mets 107-101 9-6 5-10 13-5 6-6

Philadelphia Phillies 95-113 3-15 6-12 8-7 5-4

Pittsburgh Pirates 67-110 5-9 8-7 2-13 6-6

St. Louis Cardinals 95-89 7-8 9-6 9-6 4-5

San Diego Padres 85-115 3-15 5-10 9-6 2-7

San Francisco Giants 103-103 6-12 9-6 7-8 8-4

Washington Nationals** 113-110 8-10 7-11 5-13 8-4

NL Totals 1,711-1,873 115-137 114-137 116-134 80-89

Run Line & ML Standings

June 27, 2011


Approaching the midway point of the MLB season, and we continue to see movement in the Money Line and Run Line standings, although the past 10-day period thru Sunday has not seen quite as many gyrations as similar time spans this season.

Only two team have managed to sustain positive momentum on the Money Line over the past 10 days, those being Tampa Bay (+732) and surprising Washington (+515). It’s also interesting to note that no AL Central has posted a “+” mark during this interleague period. The White Sox have been level on the ML since June 17, but all others are in the minus column over the past 10 days. The biggest losers over this stretch have been Florida (no surprise there at -489) and Boston (a bit of a surprise at -453).

The season’s most profitable team to date? Arizona at + 1051. The least profitable? Houston at -1750.

On the Run Line side, again it’s Tampa Bay leading the pack over the past 10 days at +576, with Seattle also showing good form at +407. The bottom, however, has dropped out for St. Louis, which is -730 on the RL since June 17. The one-run wonder Giants continue to offer the most curious pattern, still providing poor value on the RL at -1069 on the season, although their money line results are positive at +700. Interestingly, the Mets continue to provide RL value, and league all teams in that category (+1048). Meanwhile, it’s no surprise that the slumping Astros are also at the bottom of the Run Line pile, at -1742.

Following are the complete MLB Money Line and Run Line standings through games of June 26, with the last eight-day totals (beginning June 17) also included.


MONEY LINE STANDINGS


AL WEST

Seattle +143
Texas -332
LA Angels -459
Oakland -1230

AL WEST SINCE JUNE 17...

LA Angels +315
Oakland +218
Seattle -99
Texas -107

AL CENTRAL

Cleveland +857
Detroit +335
Chicago White Sox -525
Minnesota -569
Kansas City -699

AL CENTRAL SINCE JUNE 17...

Chicago White Sox 0
Cleveland -10
Minnesota -64
Detroit -173
Kansas City -283

AL EAST

Tampa Bay +631
NY Yankees +387
Toronto +205
Boston -190
Baltimore -297

AL EAST SINCE JUNE 17...

Tampa Bay +732
NY Yankees +216
Toronto +186
Baltimore -88
Boston -453

NL WEST

Arizona +1051
San Francisco +700
San Diego -678
LA Dodgers -1143
Colorado -1254

NL WEST SINCE JUNE 17...

Arizona +124
Colorado +119
San Francisco +15
San Diego -69
LA Dodgers -210

NL CENTRAL

Pittsburgh +987
Milwaukee +571
St. Louis -343
Cincinnati -493
Chicago Cubs -1421
Houston -1750

NL CENTRAL SINCE JUNE 17...

Milwaukee +125
Pittsburgh -20
Houston -179
Chicago Cubs -201
Cincinnati -404
St. Louis -408

NL EAST

Washington +998
Philadelphia +882
NY Mets +367
Atlanta +150
Florida -1075

NL EAST SINCE JUNE 17...

Washington +515
NY Mets +125
Atlanta +72
Philadelphia -23
Florida -489

RUN LINE STANDINGS


AL WEST

Texas +314
Seattle -161
LA Angels -242
Oakland -469

AL WEST SINCE JUNE 17...

Seattle +407
Oakland +14
Texas -38
LA Angels -133

AL CENTRAL

Detroit +817
Cleveland +375
Minnesota -279
Kansas City -362
Chicago White Sox -971

AL CENTRAL SINCE JUNE 17...

Cleveland +353
Detroit +47
Kansas City -92
Chicago White Sox -288
Minnesota -496

AL EAST

NY Yankees +829
Toronto +483
Boston +333
Tampa Bay +30
Baltimore -1609

AL EAST SINCE JUNE 17...

Tampa Bay +576
NY Yankees +126
Toronto +126
Boston +43
Baltimore -243

NL WEST

Colorado +620
Arizona +232
San Diego -486
San Francisco -1069
LA Dodgers -1553

NL WEST SINCE JUNE 17...

Colorado -103
Arizona -157
San Francisco -163
San Diego -452
LA Dodgers -494

NL CENTRAL

Cincinnati +660
Pittsburgh -110
St. Louis -584
Milwaukee -843
Chicago Cubs -971
Houston -1742

NL CENTRAL SINCE JUNE 17...

Chicago Cubs +436
Houston -7
Milwaukee -105
Pittsburgh -291
Cincinnati -566
St. Louis -730

NL EAST

NY Mets +1048
Washington +438
Philadelphia -35
Atlanta -126
Florida -413

NL EAST SINCE JUNE 17...

Washington +177
NY Mets +125
Florida -39
Atlanta -247
Philadelphia -288

Diamond Trends - Monday

June 27, 2011


SU TREND OF THE DAY:

The Mariners are 0-10 since June 24, 2010 at home after a win in which their starter pitched at least 8 innings for a net profit of $1135 when playDing against.


OU TREND OF THE DAY:


The Rays are 0-11-1 OU since May 17, 2010 as a favorite when they are off a win in which they came back from a deficit and it is the first game of a series for a net profit of $1105 when playing the under.


STARTER TREND OF THE DAY:

The Nationals are 0-11-1 OU since September 20, 2008 when John Lannan starts within 20 cents of pickem after facing 25 or fewer hitters for a net profit of $1100 when playing the under.


MLB BIBLE TREND OF THE DAY:


The Diamondbacks are 17-0 (+3.8 rpg) since September 2008 as a 140+ favorite in the first game of a home series for a net profit of $1600.


TODAY’S TRENDS:


The Indians are 0-8 since May 13, 2010 as a road 140+ dog vs a team that has lost at least their last two games for a net profit of $800 when playing against.

The Rays are 0-4 since June 25, 2010 at home after a win in which they did not walk the opponent for a net profit of $655 when playing against.

The Tigers are 8-0 since April 29, 2010 at home when they are off a game in which they scored more runs off the bullpen than they did off their opponent’s starter in a win for a net profit of $845.

Around the Horn - Monday

June 26, 2011


NATIONAL LEAGUE


Colorado at Chicago - 2:20 PM EST (Makeup Game)
Teams Pitcher Notes Team Trends Betcha Didn't Know
Chacin (8-4, 2.71 ERA) 7-4 L11 1-6 L7 away during day
Garza (3-6, 4.11 ERA) 2-6 L8 3-5 L8 home during day


AMERICAN LEAGUE

Toronto at Detroit - 6:05 PM EST (Makeup Game)
Teams Pitcher Notes Team Trends Betcha Didn't Know
Stewart (0-1, 5.91 ERA) 3-0 L3 UNDER 6-1 L7 away vs RHP
Scherzer (9-3, 4.61 ERA) 4-4 L8 8-2 L10 home vs RHP


INTERLEAGUE


Cincinnati at Tampa Bay - 7:10 PM EST (Game 1/3)
Teams Pitcher Notes Team Trends Betcha Didn't Know
Leake (6-4, 4.19 ERA) 3-6 L9 6-3 L9 away Game 1's
Hellickson (7-6, 3.09 ERA) 8-1 L9 6-1 L7 home Game 1's


Los Angeles (N) at Minnesota - 8:10 PM EST (Game 1/3)
Teams Pitcher Notes Team Trends Betcha Didn't Know
Billingsley (6-6, 4.48 ERA) 4-7 L11 OVER 18-7 away vs RHP
Blackburn (6-5, 3.15 ERA) 0-5 L5 5-1 L6 home vs RHP


Cleveland at Arizona - 9:40 PM EST (Game 1/3)
Teams Pitcher Notes Team Trends Betcha Didn't Know
Talbot (2-4, 4.91 ERA) 1-4 L5 2-6 L8 away vs RHP
Kennedy (8-2, 2.90 ERA) 4-2 L6 7-3 L10 home Game 1's


Kansas City at San Diego - 10:05 PM EST (Game 1/3)
Teams Pitcher Notes Team Trends Betcha Didn't Know
Francis (3-8, 4.76 ERA) 2-6 L8 4-0 L4 away Game 1's
Latos (4-8, 4.22 ERA) 4-1 L5 5-3 home vs LHP


Washington at Los Angeles (A) - 10:05 PM EST (Game 1/3)
Teams Pitcher Notes Team Trends Betcha Didn't Know
Lannan (5-5, 3.40 ERA) 12-3 L15 OVER 8-4 away Game 1's
Santana (3-8, 4.22 ERA) 5-2 L7 UNDER 9-2 home Game 1's


Atlanta at Seattle - 10:10 PM EST (Game 1/3)
Teams Pitcher Notes Team Trends Betcha Didn't Know
Beachy (2-1, 3.22 ERA) 5-2 L7 6-2 L8 away vs LHP
Bedard (4-5, 2.93 ERA) 2-4 L6 15-5 L20 home vs RHP

Monday’s betting tips: Heat wave at Wimbledon

Weather to watch

Temperatures are expected to push 90 degrees at Wimbledon when play resumes on Monday.

Who’s hot

MLB: Colorado has won seven of the club’s last eight games against the Chicago Cubs.

MLB: Tampa Bay is 8-1 in its last nine interleague games.

Who’s not

MLB: The Los Angeles Angels are 1-7 in their last eight home games.

MLB: The Los Angeles Dodgers are 3-8 in their last 11 overall.

Key stat

124 – Sabine Lisicki leads the women’s side of Wimbledon with a serve that checks in at 124 mph, ahead of Serena Williams’ 117. Lisicki is set as a -385 favorite against Petra Cetkovska.

Injury that shouldn’t be overlooked

John Danks, Chicago White Sox – Danks was placed on the DL for the first time in his career on Sunday. The veteran was forced out of Saturday’s game with a strained right oblique after just 1 2/3 innings. He’s set for an MRI Monday and the club is expected to shift back to a five-man rotation until he’s healthy, likely at least three weeks from now.

Game of the day

Cleveland Indians at Arizona Diamondbacks (-175, 9)

Notable quotable

"I said at the beginning of the tournament, and my view hasn't changed, that with Federer, Nadal and Djokovic, I couldn't make one a favourite in front of another, but I would put all three just in front of Andy. He's played very, very well. I think the good thing is he can play better, but he's still winning and that's important." – Tim Henman on Andy Murray, who is dealing with “Come on, Tim!” jeers from the Wimbledon crowd. Murray is set around -415 against Richard Gasquet Monday.

Notes and tips

After squashing rumors that he was playing injured last week, Alex Rodriguez admitted Sunday that he hopes to play through a sore right knee this week. A-Rod hasn’t been slowed by the injury much so far, hitting .545 over the last six games and says he is feeling better every day. The Yankees are off on Monday but then begin a huge series with Milwaukee the following day.

Jay Bruce missed Cincinnati’s 7-5 loss to the Orioles on Sunday with an illness and his status for Monday’s game against Tampa Bay is also in question. Bruce, who leads the team with 17 home runs, will reportedly travel with the team to Florida, but there is some concern the bug might spread through the team. “We have to find a way to quarantine him so he doesn’t get everybody sick," Reds manager Dusty Baker told reporters. The Reds have won just three of their last 13 interleague games.

Davey Johnson will suit up for his first game as the Washington Nationals’ new manager Monday against the Los Angeles Angels. Johnson will manage the team for the rest of the season and then move into a consulting role after that. The Nats are 2-1 since Jim Riggleman’s resignation. Washington is set as a +125 road underdog.

Monday's six-pack

Six ways to reduce stress

-- Meditation can wipe away the day's stress, and create a sense of inner peace.

-- Exercise releases endorphins which helps release stress, making the person feel better.

-- Plan your time-- Focus on things that add value to your life; let go of the little stuff. Person has to pick their battles.

-- Support Group-- Re-connect with old friends; make some new ones. Talking to people releases tensions and stress.

-- Get enough sleep-- We need 7-8 hours of sleep a night, or else our concentration suffers. Where was I again?

-- Laughter reduces anti-stress hormones in our body; laughing relaxes our muscles and reduces anxiety.


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


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

13) I'd love to ask former used car salesman Bud Selig about this one; the Florida-Seattle series gets moved out of Miami because of a U2 concert, then the Sunday game is moved from 4pm to 10:10pm because there is a soccer game in Seattle during the afternoon. SOCCER?!?!?!?!? To quote Vince Lombardi, "What the hell's going on out there!?!?!?!"

12) Marlins were 30-20 at one point this season, but are 4-24 since. They lost in 10 innings Sunday night when they threw a wild pitch while giving an intentional walk with a runner on third base. Not good.

11) Red Sox have played 13 home series this season; over is 11-1-1 in those 13 series openers. Fenway Park is intimidating to visiting pitchers.

10) Eldrick Woods has slipped to 17th in World Golf Rankings; if he doesn’t come back and do some damage this year, he won’t qualify for the Match Play Championships next winter, since by the time 2011 ends, he will have almost nothing good on his record for that 2-year period. Weird.

9) Don’t believe that Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is the best basketball player ever? The first five years he played in the NBA, Bucks were 304-106; they lost the conference final in his first and third seasons, won the NBA title in his second. Before Kareem got to Milwaukee? They had played only one season, going 27-55 that first year. So Bucks made conference finals in three of their first four seasons in existence. Since then, in 38 years, they’ve made four conference finals, losing all four times.

8) A guy named Whitey Bulger got arrested in California last week; he was one of America’s 10 Most Wanted, responsible for 19 murders. He even went to visit Alcatraz with his girlfriend and had his picture taken like he was just another tourist. How have I never heard about this guy? Martin Scorsese made a movie that was inspired by him. At first I thought Marc Bulger had been arrested for impersonating a quarterback.

7) If I'm inducting one person into the Baseball Hall of Fame, its the guy who invented Tommy John surgery; who has done more for baseball?

6) ESPN **** shows have another 5-minute block to fill this season, since Terrell Owens has apparently torn his ACL filming a TV show for vh1 and won't be available this season. What will they talk about? Lets just hope some genius doesn't get the bright idea of hiring Owens to be on its **** show. The mute button will never be more valuable.

5) Guess we don't have to worry about Josh Hamilton ever playing for the Cubs; guy is hitting 6-53 (.113) in day games, .377 at night.

4) Evan Longoria scrapped his batting gloves, then went 8-14, knocking in ten runs in three games over the weekend in Houston.

3) Cardinals lost 12 of their last 15 games, are 1-5 since Albert Pujols got hurt, and now head out on a six-game road trip. Critical time for them.

2) Tim Hudson didn't allow a run in 14 innings this week, but only runs the Braves scored for him in those games was Monday, when Hudson hit a two-run homer to help his own cause and beat the Blue Jays 2-0.

1) A's went to Philly and allowed five runs in three games, which is great pitching, but they still lost two of three games because they can't freakin' score runs. Can't win if you don't score runs. Their best offensive lineup presents defensive liabilities, so its a quandry for manager Bob Melvin.
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MLB
Dunkel


Cincinnati at Tampa Bay
The Rays look to build on their 8-1 record in their last 9 interleague games. Tampa Bay is the pick (-110) according to Dunkel, which has the Rays favored by 1. Dunkel Pick: Tampa Bay (-110). Here are all of today's picks.

MONDAY, JUNE 27

Game 901-902: Cincinnati at Tampa Bay (7:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Cincinnati (Leake) 15.526; Tampa Bay (Hellickson) 16.725
Dunkel Line: Tampa Bay by 1; 6
Vegas Line: Tampa Bay (-110); 7
Dunkel Pick: Tampa Bay (-110); Under

Game 903-904: LA Dodgers at Minnesota (8:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: LA Dodgers (Billingsley) 15.045; Minnesota (Blackburn) 13.712
Dunkel Line: LA Dodgers by 1 1/2; 9
Vegas Line: Minnesota (-115); 8
Dunkel Pick: LA Dodgers (-105); Over

Game 905-906: Cleveland at Arizona (9:40 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Cleveland (Talbot) 15.030; Arizona (Kennedy) 14.108
Dunkel Line: Cleveland by 1; 8 1/2
Vegas Line: Arizona (-175); 9
Dunkel Pick: Cleveland (+155); Under

Game 907-908: Kansas City at San Diego (10:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Kansas City (Francis) 14.367; San Diego (Latos) 16.185
Dunkel Line: San Diego by 2; 7
Vegas Line: San Diego (-140); 6 1/2
Dunkel Pick: San Diego (-140); Over

Game 909-910: Washington at LA Angels (10:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Washington (Lannan) 16.477; LA Angels (Santana) 15.454
Dunkel Line: Washington by 1; 6 1/2
Vegas Line: LA Angels (-135); 7
Dunkel Pick: Washington (+115); Under

Game 911-912: Atlanta at Seattle (10:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Atlanta (Beachy) 14.836; Seattle (Bedard) 15.770
Dunkel Line: Seattle by 1; 7
Vegas Line: Seattle (-110); 6 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Seattle (-110); Over

Game 913-914: Colorado at Chicago Cubs (2:20 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Colorado (Chacin) 15.048; Cubs (Garza) 14.337
Dunkel Line: Colorado by 1/2; 10
Vegas Line: Colorado (-130); No Run Total
Dunkel Pick: Colorado (-130); N/A

Game 915-916: Toronto at Detroit (6:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Toronto (Stewart) 15.234; Detroit (Scherzer) 16.158
Dunkel Line: Detroit by 1; 9
Vegas Line: Detroit (-165); 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Detroit (-165); Under
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MLB
Write-Up


Monday, June 27

Remember as interleague play starts, there are DHs used in games in the American League ballparks; pitchers bat in National League parks.

AL teams are 87-80 vs NL teams so far in interleague play.
Over is 33-33-6 with a DH, 39-50-6 without one, 72-83-12 overall.

Hot pitchers
-- Leake is 2-0, 1.29 in his last three road starts.
-- Blackburn is 2-1, 3.08 in his last four starts.
-- Kennedy is 5-1, 2.40 in his last nine starts.
-- Lannan is 3-0, 1.40 in his last six starts.
-- Bedard is 4-1, 1.93 in his last ten starts. Beachy is 2-0, 2.45 in his last six starts.
-- Chacin is 3-0, 1.01 in his last four starts.

Cold pitchers
-- Hellickson is 0-3, 4.82 in his last ten starts.
-- Billingsley is 2-2, 8.53 in his last four starts.
-- Talbot is 0-3, 5.32 in his last four starts.
-- Francis is 1-3, 5.70 in his last four starts. Latos is 0-2, 5.29 in his last three starts.
-- Santana is 0-4, 4.83 in his last five starts.
-- Garza is 1-2, 5.33 in his last five starts.
-- Scherzer has a 7.79 RA in his last six starts. Stewart is 0-1, 5.91 in his two starts this season.

Totals
-- Six of last nine Cincinnati games stayed under total.
-- Over is 9-5-2 in Dodgers' last sixteen games.
-- Under is 7-3 in Arizona's last ten home games.
-- Over is 11-2-2 in Kansas City's last 15 road games.
-- 10 of last 14 Washington road games stayed under total.
-- Under is 9-3-1 in Colorado's last thirteen road games.
-- Nine of last eleven Toronto games stayed under the total.

Hot Teams
-- Rays won eight of their last nine games. Cincinnati won four of its last six road games.
-- Padres won four of their last five games.
-- Washington won 13 of its last 15 games. Angels won five of their last seven games.
-- Braves won seven of their last ten road games.
-- Toronto won its last three games, allowing seven runs. Detroit won 11 of its last 15 home games.

Cold Teams
-- Dodgers lost eight of their last twelve games. Minnesota lost its last five games, scoring eight runs.
-- Arizona lost five of its last seven home games. Indians lost eight of their last ten road games.
-- Kansas City lost four of its last five road games.
-- Seattle lost four of its last five games.
-- Cubs lost six of their last eight games. Colorado lost three of last four.
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MLB


Monday, June 27

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Trend Report
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2:20 PM
COLORADO vs. CHI CUBS
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Colorado's last 8 games when playing Chi Cubs
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Colorado's last 13 games on the road
Chi Cubs are 11-3 SU in their last 14 games when playing at home against Colorado
Chi Cubs are 1-4 SU in their last 5 games

7:05 PM
TORONTO vs. DETROIT
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Toronto's last 6 games when playing Detroit
Toronto is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing Detroit
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Detroit's last 5 games when playing at home against Toronto
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Detroit's last 6 games when playing Toronto

7:10 PM
CINCINNATI vs. TAMPA BAY
Cincinnati is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
Cincinnati is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Tampa Bay's last 7 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Tampa Bay's last 5 games when playing Cincinnati

8:10 PM
LA DODGERS vs. MINNESOTA
LA Dodgers are 4-8 SU in their last 12 games
LA Dodgers are 1-4 SU in their last 5 games when playing Minnesota
Minnesota is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games
Minnesota is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home

9:40 PM
CLEVELAND vs. ARIZONA
Cleveland is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Cleveland's last 7 games on the road
Arizona is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing Cleveland
Arizona is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games

10:05 PM
KANSAS CITY vs. SAN DIEGO
Kansas City is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing San Diego
Kansas City is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of San Diego's last 5 games when playing Kansas City
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of San Diego's last 6 games at home

10:05 PM
WASHINGTON vs. LA ANGELS
Washington is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Washington's last 6 games on the road
LA Angels are 1-7 SU in their last 8 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of LA Angels's last 6 games

10:10 PM
ATLANTA vs. SEATTLE
Atlanta is 7-3 SU in its last 10 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Atlanta's last 7 games on the road
Seattle is 12-6 SU in its last 18 games at home
Seattle is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games

MLB


Monday, June 27

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Monday's streaking and slumping starting pitchers
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STREAKING

John Lannan (5-5, 3.40 ERA), Washington Nationals

It’s hard to get really excited about a pitcher with John Lannan’s skill sets. He’s not going to blow anyone away and he still walks more batters than a rotation’s ace should. But you can’t argue with the results.

The Nationals are 5-1 in the lefty’s last six trips to the bump and the under is 4-2 during that stretch as well. Lannan has given up just five earned runs in his last 34 innings of work.

Jeremy Hellickson (7-6, 3.09 ERA), Tampa Bay Rays

If it weren’t for all the losing, this hard-throwing righty would be getting some positive press. Hellickson is 0-3 in his last three starts but opponents are hitting just .189 off him in the month of June.

The rookie hurler owns a 3.00 ERA over his last five trips to the bump and the under is 5-0 during the streak. While Hellickson throws a lot of swing and miss stuff, he sometimes has trouble with his location. He’s walked nine batters and surrendered four home runs in his last three appearances.

Ian Kennedy (8-2, 2.90 ERA), Arizona Diamondbacks

Hindsight’s 20/20 but I think it’s safe to say the Yankees wish they’d held onto Kennedy instead of Phil Hughes. Kennedy has blossomed into a staff ace since the Bronx Bombers traded him to the D’Backs after the 2009 season.

The California native is 5-1 with a 2.26 ERA in his last nine outings. The Diamondbacks are also 6-2 in the right-hander’s last eight appearances and the under is 7-3 in his last 10 starts.


SLUMPING

Max Scherzer (9-3, 4.61 ERA), Detroit Tigers

The Tigers need better production from Scherzer for them to win the American League Central. Scherzer, who’s got the second best stuff on the Tigers’ pitching staff, is carrying a 7.79 ERA since May 26th.

"The thing I didn't do tonight was close out innings and keep it where it was," Scherzer explained to AP reporters after the Dodgers shelled for six runs on nine hits in six innings of work. "I left some pitches up in the zone, made some mistakes on 0-2 counts and gave them pitches to hit -- when I needed to throw my best pitch. I have to execute better in those situations."

MLB


Monday, June 27

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Hot lines: Monday’s best MLB bets
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Toronto Blue Jays at Detroit Tigers (-160, 9.5)

The Toronto Blue Jays normally lean on their strong bullpen but Ricky Romero gave them a break Sunday.

Romero fired a complete-game, four-hitter to boost the Blue Jays to a 5-0 win over St. Louis, pulling the club to a game above .500 while securing a three-game sweep of the Cardinals.

Toronto’s bullpen is working on a 3.53 ERA on the year and may be a bit busier Monday against Detroit with Zach Stewart scheduled to make his third MLB start. He is coming off a tough outing against the Braves in which he allowed 10 hits and five earned runs over 3 2/3 innings.

“I have the tendency to rush a little bit and get overanxious and not repeat my delivery," Stewart told reporters. "I have those games when that happens, and even when I did make some of the good pitches and get into a groove a little bit and repeat my delivery, they were still hitting those as well. I made some mistakes but even when I pitched well they hit the good pitches. It was just one of those nights."

Even though under bettors have been loving the Jays lately, we’re liking the over with Tigers starter Max Scherzer struggling too.

Pick: Over


Kansas City Royals at San Diego Padres (-135, 6.5)

Last season was Mat Latos’ coming out party.

He won 14 games and struck out 189 batters while sporting a tidy 2.92 ERA in just his second year in the bigs. This year he’s having major problems getting back to that form.

Latos has been inconsistent at best and is struggling to correct some issues with his delivery. He has allowed 18 hits and eight runs over his last two starts and now sits just 4-8 on the year with only 76 strikeouts in 81 innings of work.

The 6-foot-6 righty might have some problems with the Royals, who snapped a six-game losing streak by taking two of three from the Cubs over the weekend.

Pick: Royals

MLB
Short Sheet


Monday, June 26

Interleague

CINCINNATI at TAMPA BAY, 7:10 PM ET
LEAKE: CINCINNATI 74-56 when the money line is +125 to -125
HELLICKSON: TAMPA BAY 49-37 when the money line is +125 to -125

LA DODGERS at MINNESOTA, 8:10 PM ET
BILLINGSLEY: LA DODGERS 33-56 as an underdog of +100 to +150
BLACKBURN: MINNESOTA 43-19 at home with a money line of -100 to -150

CLEVELAND at ARIZONA, 9:40 PM ET
TALBOT: CLEVELAND 5-18 after 6 consecutive games versus interleague opponents
KENNEDY: ARIZONA 17-10 when the total is 9 to 9.5

KANSAS CITY at SAN DIEGO, 10:05 PM ET
FRANCIS: KANSAS CITY 11-25 after having lost 4 or 5 of their last 6 games
LATOS: SAN DIEGO 19-7 UNDER when playing with a day off

WASHINGTON at LA ANGELS, 10:05 PM ET
LANNAN: 16-11 TSR in night games
SANTANA: 11-19 TSR as a favorite of -125 to -175

ATLANTA at SEATTLE, 10:10 PM ET
BEACHY: ATLANTA 11-4 as an underdog of +100 to +150
BEDARD: SEATTLE 29-54 after having lost 5 or 6 of their last 7 games

Write-In Games

COLORADO at CHICAGO CUBS, 2:20 PM ET
CHACIN: COLORADO 50-69 in road games
GARZA: CHICAGO CUBS 5-14 at home when the money line is +125 to -125

TORONTO at DETROIT, 6:05 PM ET (TC)
STEWART: TORONTO 83-59 OVER in night games
SCHERZER: DETROIT 24-15 OVER after a win

** (TC) Denotes Time Change
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MLB
Long Sheet


Monday, June 26

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CINCINNATI (40 - 38) at TAMPA BAY (43 - 34) - 7:10 PM
JOHNNY CUETO (R) vs. JEREMY HELLICKSON (R)
Top Trends for this game.
TAMPA BAY is 260-281 (+22.1 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a winning record since 1997.
CINCINNATI is 172-163 (+32.4 Units) against the money line as a road underdog of +100 to +125 since 1997.
CINCINNATI is 547-627 (+53.0 Units) against the money line in road games since 1997.
CINCINNATI is 362-405 (+41.8 Units) against the money line in road games in night games since 1997.
CINCINNATI is 401-456 (+45.6 Units) against the money line in road games against right-handed starters since 1997.
CINCINNATI is 63-48 (+13.5 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 38-34 (-16.5 Units) against the money line in home games after a win over the last 2 seasons.

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

JOHNNY CUETO vs. TAMPA BAY since 1997
No recent starts.

JEREMY HELLICKSON vs. CINCINNATI since 1997
No recent starts.

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LA DODGERS (34 - 44) at MINNESOTA (32 - 43) - 8:10 PM
CHAD BILLINGSLEY (R) vs. NICK BLACKBURN (R)
Top Trends for this game.
LA DODGERS are 35-44 (-11.9 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
LA DODGERS are 64-68 (-25.7 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 3 seasons.
LA DODGERS are 35-44 (-11.9 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
LA DODGERS are 24-34 (-12.3 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
LA DODGERS are 17-27 (-11.6 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
MINNESOTA is 13-30 (-14.4 Units) against the money line after a loss this season.

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

CHAD BILLINGSLEY vs. MINNESOTA since 1997
BILLINGSLEY is 0-1 when starting against MINNESOTA with an ERA of 9.52 and a WHIP of 2.469.
His team's record is 0-1 (-1.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 0-0. (+0.0 units)

NICK BLACKBURN vs. LA DODGERS since 1997
No recent starts.

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CLEVELAND (40 - 35) at ARIZONA (43 - 35) - 9:40 PM
MITCH TALBOT (R) vs. IAN KENNEDY (R)
Top Trends for this game.
CLEVELAND is 4-17 (-13.5 Units) against the money line in road games in an inter-league game over the last 3 seasons.
ARIZONA is 43-36 (+9.9 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
ARIZONA is 17-10 (+8.8 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 this season.
ARIZONA is 43-36 (+9.9 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
ARIZONA is 32-24 (+10.1 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
ARIZONA is 32-25 (+9.4 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
ARIZONA is 20-13 (+9.3 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
CLEVELAND is 40-36 (+8.3 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
CLEVELAND is 37-33 (+7.1 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
CLEVELAND is 29-23 (+7.9 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
CLEVELAND is 30-25 (+7.5 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.

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

MITCH TALBOT vs. ARIZONA since 1997
No recent starts.

IAN KENNEDY vs. CLEVELAND since 1997
KENNEDY is 0-0 when starting against CLEVELAND with an ERA of 5.40 and a WHIP of 1.600.
His team's record is 0-1 (-1.2 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-0. (+1.0 units)

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KANSAS CITY (32 - 45) at SAN DIEGO (33 - 45) - 10:05 PM
JEFF FRANCIS (L) vs. MAT LATOS (R)
Top Trends for this game.
SAN DIEGO is 124-118 (+10.0 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
SAN DIEGO is 16-27 (-12.6 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
SAN DIEGO is 16-27 (-12.6 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 7 or less this season.
SAN DIEGO is 16-27 (-12.6 Units) against the money line in home games in games played on a grass field this season.
SAN DIEGO is 16-34 (-18.4 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
SAN DIEGO is 11-22 (-11.1 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
SAN DIEGO is 18-29 (-11.8 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record this season.

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

JEFF FRANCIS vs. SAN DIEGO since 1997
FRANCIS is 5-12 when starting against SAN DIEGO with an ERA of 5.66 and a WHIP of 1.623.
His team's record is 7-14 (-6.1 units) in these starts. The OVER is 11-9. (+1.7 units)

MAT LATOS vs. KANSAS CITY since 1997
No recent starts.

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WASHINGTON (39 - 38) at LA ANGELS (39 - 39) - 10:05 PM
JOHN LANNAN (L) vs. ERVIN SANTANA (R)
Top Trends for this game.
WASHINGTON is 7-23 (-15.2 Units) against the money line as a road underdog of +100 to +125 over the last 2 seasons.
LA ANGELS are 33-15 (+18.0 Units) against the money line in an inter-league game over the last 3 seasons.
LA ANGELS are 595-513 (+67.1 Units) against the money line after a loss since 1997.
LA ANGELS are 585-576 (+46.8 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record since 1997.
WASHINGTON is 40-38 (+9.5 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
WASHINGTON is 40-38 (+9.5 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
WASHINGTON is 26-22 (+9.2 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
WASHINGTON is 22-18 (+6.7 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
LANNAN is 24-17 (+13.4 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
LANNAN is 24-17 (+13.4 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
LANNAN is 16-11 (+8.3 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
LA ANGELS are 58-58 (-18.0 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons.
LA ANGELS are 110-121 (-24.8 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
LA ANGELS are 77-91 (-25.6 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.

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

JOHN LANNAN vs. LA ANGELS since 1997
No recent starts.

ERVIN SANTANA vs. WASHINGTON since 1997
SANTANA is 0-0 when starting against WASHINGTON with an ERA of 3.65 and a WHIP of 1.379.
His team's record is 0-2 (-2.8 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 0-2. (-2.2 units)

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ATLANTA (44 - 34) at SEATTLE (38 - 39) - 10:10 PM
BRANDON BEACHY (R) vs. ERIK BEDARD (L)
Top Trends for this game.
SEATTLE is 29-15 (+14.1 Units) against the money line when the total is 7 or less this season.
SEATTLE is 101-139 (-34.5 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
SEATTLE is 98-133 (-33.3 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.

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

BRANDON BEACHY vs. SEATTLE since 1997
No recent starts.

ERIK BEDARD vs. ATLANTA since 1997
BEDARD is 0-0 when starting against ATLANTA with an ERA of 0.00 and a WHIP of 0.667.
His team's record is 1-0 (+1.2 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-0. (+1.0 units)

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COLORADO (38 - 38) at CHICAGO CUBS (31 - 45) - 2:20 PM
JHOULYS CHACIN (R) vs. MATT GARZA (R)
Top Trends for this game.
COLORADO is 38-39 (-13.1 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
COLORADO is 75-97 (-33.2 Units) against the money line on the road with a money line of -100 to -125 since 1997.
COLORADO is 50-70 (-24.6 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
COLORADO is 38-39 (-13.1 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
COLORADO is 24-29 (-14.4 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
COLORADO is 48-54 (-27.8 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO CUBS are 31-46 (-14.6 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
CHICAGO CUBS are 7-20 (-12.2 Units) against the money line as a home underdog of +100 to +125 over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO CUBS are 52-68 (-30.8 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO CUBS are 49-63 (-22.0 Units) against the money line in day games over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO CUBS are 31-46 (-14.6 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
CHICAGO CUBS are 21-34 (-12.5 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
CHICAGO CUBS are 49-60 (-26.3 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
GARZA is 65-71 (-22.9 Units) against the money line in all games since 1997. (Team's Record)
GARZA is 14-28 (-19.3 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
COLORADO is 4-1 (+2.5 Units) against CHICAGO CUBS this season
3 of 5 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+0.8 Units)

JHOULYS CHACIN vs. CHICAGO CUBS since 1997
CHACIN is 1-1 when starting against CHICAGO CUBS with an ERA of 1.84 and a WHIP of 1.227.
His team's record is 1-1 (-0.2 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-1. (-1.2 units)

MATT GARZA vs. COLORADO since 1997
GARZA is 0-3 when starting against COLORADO with an ERA of 5.29 and a WHIP of 1.176.
His team's record is 0-3 (-3.5 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 2-1. (+1.1 units)

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TORONTO (38 - 39) at DETROIT (41 - 36) - 6:05 PM
ZACH STEWART (R) vs. MAX SCHERZER (R)
Top Trends for this game.
DETROIT is 76-45 (+21.1 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons.
DETROIT is 76-45 (+21.1 Units) against the money line in home games in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
DETROIT is 47-23 (+18.2 Units) against the money line in home games after a win over the last 2 seasons.
TORONTO is 124-117 (+14.3 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
TORONTO is 57-45 (+19.0 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 over the last 2 seasons.
TORONTO is 61-64 (+9.2 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
TORONTO is 58-58 (+10.6 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
TORONTO is 29-18 (+13.7 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
TORONTO is 100-86 (+18.2 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
TORONTO is 63-61 (+12.4 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
DETROIT is 3-2 (+0.4 Units) against TORONTO this season
3 of 5 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+1.0 Units)

ZACH STEWART vs. DETROIT since 1997
No recent starts.

MAX SCHERZER vs. TORONTO since 1997
SCHERZER is 2-0 when starting against TORONTO with an ERA of 1.35 and a WHIP of 1.200.
His team's record is 2-1 (+0.7 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-1. (+1.1 units)

MLB


Monday, June 26

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The six best run-producing ballparks in baseball
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If 2010 was the Year of the Pitcher, then 2011 might be the Year of the Shutout.

Offense in Major League Baseball is down once again, with teams producing fewer runs and home runs than last year, which was lower than the year before that, which was lower than the year before that.

It's no secret that baseball is offensively challenged. Most offensive categories are at their lowest point since the early 1990s. As Sports Illustrated baseball writer Tom Verducci declared in a May article, "The pitching duel has replaced the slugfest."

Even so, some ballparks are immune to the low-scoring trends and produce runs at a much better rate than the others. Here is a look at the top 6 run-scoring ballparks in baseball:

1. Ballpark in Arlington, 10.61 runs per game

The Ballpark in Arlington is behind its 2008 pace, when it yielded more runs per game (12.30) than any other stadium. But the Rangers have been lights out at home, scoring 5.40 runs per game compared to an average of four runs per game on the road.

Texas' OPS (on base + slugging percent) of .831 is considerably higher than its .680 road OPS, and the Rangers have also hit more than twice as many home runs at home (60) than they have on the road (26) in three fewer games.

The over is 23-14-1 in Rangers home games.

2. Coors Field, 10.45 runs per game

It shouldn't be a surprise to see the Colorado Rockies' home park on this list given the altitude factor in Denver. Since 2006, Coors Field has been one of the four highest-scoring ballparks each year and was the highest-scoring park the last two years.

Colorado has scored 202 runs in 38 home games, but just 135 runs in its 37 road games. Rockies pitching hasn't helped matters, allowing an average of 5.13 runs per game at home.

The over is 23-14-1 in Rockies home games.

3. Fenway Park, 10.37 runs per game

The Red Sox are outscoring opponents 5.53 to 4.84 at home, and they have scored more runs at Fenway than they have on the road despite hitting eight fewer home runs.

Boston has a higher home batting average (.298) and OPS (.836) than any other team on this list, and odds are good that those numbers will improve as the season progresses. Remember, the Red Sox were one of the slowest starting teams in the league this year, posting an 11-15 record through April as their bats struggled.

Now, as the weather continues to warm up, Boston is having no trouble scoring runs. The Red Sox have scored 10 or more runs in three of their last six home games.

The over is 22-12-4 in Red Sox home games.

4. Rogers Centre, 10.09 runs per game

Toronto is the only team on the list that has allowed more runs at home than it has scored, which might help explain why the Rogers Centre was able to crack the top 6.

However, the Blue Jays have only hosted the Yankees and Red Sox a total of seven times so far. With 11 of their final 44 home games after the All-Star break against those two teams, it's reasonable to think the scoring average could increase by season's end.

The over is 20-15 in Blue Jays home games.

5. Great American Ball Park, 9.76 runs per game

Given its reputation as one of the league's most hitter-friendly venues, you'd think Great American Ball Park would appear on this list more often. However, the Reds' home stadium has only cracked the top 6 once over the last five years, and that was in 2007 when they averaged 10.56 runs per game.

Cincinnati's offense is doing its part, scoring 5.22 runs per game on average. But Reds pitching, despite allowing the second-most home runs in the National League, has a very respectable 4.20 home ERA.

The over is 23-15-3 in Reds home games.

6. Chase Field, 9.64 runs per game

The Arizona Diamondbacks considered installing a humidor for the 2011 season, but the front office ultimately decided against it. Good thing, because Chase Field would have transformed from one of the most hitter-friendly ballparks into one of the league's more pitcher-friendly venues.

Arizona outscores opponents by an average of 4.87 to 4.77 at home, and the ballpark has yielded 94 home runs in just 39 games so far in 2011.

The over is 17-21-1 in D-Backs home games.