Cnotes Friday's MLB Best Bets !

Friday, May 18

Game Score Status Pick Amount

Baltimore - 7:05 PM ET Washington -106 500
Washington - Over 7 500

Boston - 7:05 PM ET Philadelphia -152 500
Philadelphia - Over 7 500

Cincinnati - 7:05 PM ET Cincinnati +152 500
NY Yankees - Over 9.5 500

Miami - 7:05 PM ET Cleveland -122 500
Cleveland - Under 8 500

Pittsburgh - 7:05 PM ET Pittsburgh +209 500
Detroit - Under 7.5 500

NY Mets - 7:07 PM ET Toronto -145 500
Toronto - Over 7.5 500

Atlanta - 7:10 PM ET Tampa Bay -121 500
Tampa Bay - Over 7 500

Texas - 8:05 PM ET Houston +132 500
Houston - Under 8.5 500

Arizona - 8:10 PM ET Kansas City +109 500
Kansas City - Over 9 500

Minnesota - 8:10 PM ET Minnesota +120 500
Milwaukee - Over 8.5 500

Seattle - 8:40 PM ET Colorado -130 500
Colorado - Over 11 500

LA Angels - 10:05 PM ET San Diego +151 500
San Diego - Over 6 500

St. Louis - 10:10 PM ET LA Dodgers +115 500
LA Dodgers - Over 6.5 500

Oakland - 10:15 PM ET Oakland +101 500
San Francisco - Over 6.5 500

MLB
Armadillo's Write-Up

Friday, May 18

Interleague play begins tonight; please remember that there is a DH in games in American League parks, but not in National League parks.

Hot pitchers
-- Lynn is 6-1, 1.81 in seven starts this season. Lilly is 5-0, 2.58 in six starts this season.
-- Samardzija is 2-0, 1.03 in his last four starts.
-- Hamels is 5-0, 1.93 in his last six starts.
-- Jackson is 0-0, 3.28 in his last four starts.
-- Niese is 0-0, 1.64 in his last couple starts.
-- Arroyo is 2-1, 3.09 in his last six starts.
-- Zambrano is 1-2, 1.50 in his last six starts.
-- Verlander is 2-0, 2.57 in his last three starts.
-- Hanson is 3-1, 3.25 in his last five starts.
-- Feliz is 2-0, 2.25 in his last couple starts. WRodriguez is 3-2, 1.88 in his last six starts.
-- Diamond hasn't allowed a run (14 IP) in his first two starts.
-- Mendoza is 2-0, 2.93 in his last three appearances.
-- Weaver is 4-1, 2.70 in his last six starts. Suppan is 2-1, 2.25 in his first three starts for San Diego.
-- Parker has a 2.10 RA in his first four starts for Oakland.

Cold pitchers
-- Humber is 0-2, 9.45 in four starts since his perfect game.
-- Bard is 1-2, 6.16 in his three road starts.
-- Arrieta is 1-4, 7.33 in his last five starts.
-- Romero is 1-1, 4.85 in his last four starts.
-- Pettitte lost his first '12 start, allowing four runs in 6.1 IP.
-- Masterson is 1-3, 6.69 in his last seven starts.
-- Morton is 1-2, 7.16 in his last three starts.
-- Shields has a 6.29 RA in his last four starts.
-- Estrada is 0-2, 5.68 in his last three starts.
-- Saunders is 0-2, 9.82 in his last three starts.
-- Millwood is 1-4, 5.28 in his last five starts. White is 0-2, 6.75 in his two starts this season.
-- Zito is 1-1, 4.60 in his last three starts.

Hot teams
-- Dodgers won nine of last 11 home games.
-- Red Sox won six of their last seven games. Phillies won last five.
-- Orioles won five of their last seven games. Washington is 13-7 in its first 20 home games.
-- Mets are 8-4 in their last dozen games. Toronto won six of its last nine at home.
-- Reds won first game in their last five road series.
-- Cleveland won its last four games, scoring 25 runs. Marlins won nine of last eleven road games.
-- Tampa Bay won four of its last five games. Braves won nine of their last eleven road games.
-- Astros won nine of their last twelve home games.
-- Twins are 4-3 in their last seven games.
-- Oakland won six of its last nine road games. Giants won four of their last six games.

Cold teams
-- Cardinals lost five of last seven games, but won five of six on road.
-- Cubs lost their last three games, allowing 24 runs. White Sox are 4-7 in last eleven road games (3-1 in last four).
-- Bronx Bombers lost four of their last five games.
-- Detroit lost five of its last seven games. Pirates are 1-6 in road series openers.
-- Rangers lost three of their last four games.
-- Brewers lost four of their last five games.
-- Royals are 4-15 at home this season. Arizona lost six of its last nine road games.
-- Colorado lost 10 of its last 13 games. Mariners lost six of their last seven games.
-- San Diego is 3-5 in its last eight home games. Angels lost 12 of their last 17 road games.

Totals
-- Six of last seven St Louis games went over the total.
-- Over is 4-0-1 in White Sox last five games.
-- Last four Boston games stayed under the total.
-- Last seven Washington home games went over total.
-- Mets' last eight road games went over the total.
-- Four of last five Cincinnati games went over the total.
-- Over is 4-1-1 in last six Cleveland home games.
-- Seven of last eight Pirate road games went over the total.
-- Five of last seven Atlanta games went over the total.
-- Last four Texas road games went over the total.
-- Under is 7-2-1 in Minnesota's last ten road games.
-- Five of last six Arizona road games stayed under total.
-- Under is 9-4-1 in last fourteen Seattle games.
-- Under is 11-4 in Angels' last fifteen road games.
-- Under is 3-0-1 in last four Oakland road games.

MLB

Friday, May 18

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Trend Report
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2:20 PM
CHI WHITE SOX vs. CHI CUBS
Chi White Sox are 2-4 SU in their last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Chi White Sox's last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Chi Cubs's last 11 games at home
Chi Cubs are 2-5 SU in their last 7 games

7:05 PM
BOSTON vs. PHILADELPHIA
Boston is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Boston's last 7 games on the road
Philadelphia is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home
Philadelphia is 6-13 SU in its last 19 games when playing at home against Boston

7:05 PM
MIAMI vs. CLEVELAND
The total has gone UNDER in 14 of Miami's last 17 games on the road
Miami is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games when playing Cleveland
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Cleveland's last 9 games when playing Miami
Cleveland is 3-6 SU in its last 9 games when playing Miami

7:05 PM
BALTIMORE vs. WASHINGTON
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Baltimore's last 7 games
Baltimore is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games when playing Washington
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Washington's last 6 games when playing Baltimore
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Washington's last 5 games at home

7:05 PM
PITTSBURGH vs. DETROIT
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Pittsburgh's last 6 games when playing on the road against Detroit
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Pittsburgh's last 8 games on the road
Detroit is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games
Detroit is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing Pittsburgh

7:05 PM
CINCINNATI vs. NY YANKEES
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Cincinnati's last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Cincinnati's last 6 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of NY Yankees's last 10 games at home
NY Yankees are 4-2 SU in their last 6 games at home

7:07 PM
NY METS vs. TORONTO
The total has gone OVER in 9 of NY Mets's last 10 games
NY Mets are 8-4 SU in its last 12 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Toronto's last 5 games when playing at home against NY Mets
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Toronto's last 6 games

7:10 PM
ATLANTA vs. TAMPA BAY
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Atlanta's last 5 games when playing on the road against Tampa Bay
Atlanta is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games
Tampa Bay is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games when playing Atlanta
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Tampa Bay's last 14 games at home

8:05 PM
TEXAS vs. HOUSTON
Texas is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games when playing on the road against Houston
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Texas's last 5 games on the road
Houston is 4-14 SU in its last 18 games when playing Texas
Houston is 9-3 SU in its last 12 games at home

8:10 PM
ARIZONA vs. KANSAS CITY
Arizona is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Arizona is 3-9 SU in its last 12 games
Kansas City is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Arizona
Kansas City is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Arizona

8:10 PM
MINNESOTA vs. MILWAUKEE
Minnesota is 7-17 SU in its last 24 games
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Minnesota's last 10 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Milwaukee's last 5 games when playing Minnesota
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Milwaukee's last 5 games at home

8:40 PM
SEATTLE vs. COLORADO
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Seattle's last 5 games when playing on the road against Colorado
Seattle is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Colorado
Colorado is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games at home
Colorado is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing Seattle

10:05 PM
LA ANGELS vs. SAN DIEGO
LA Angels are 5-12 SU in their last 17 games on the road
LA Angels are 4-1 SU in their last 5 games when playing San Diego
San Diego is 1-4 SU in their last 5 games when playing LA Angels

10:10 PM
ST. LOUIS vs. LA DODGERS
St. Louis is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 12 of St. Louis's last 17 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of LA Dodgers's last 7 games when playing St. Louis
LA Dodgers are 6-3 SU in their last 9 games when playing at home against St. Louis

10:15 PM
OAKLAND vs. SAN FRANCISCO
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Oakland's last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Oakland's last 6 games when playing San Francisco
San Francisco is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Oakland
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of San Francisco's last 6 games when playing Oakland

MLB
Short Sheet

Friday, May 18

National League

St. Louis at LA Dodgers, 10:10 ET
Lynn: STL 19-9 Away vs. lefties
Lilly: 116-78 Under in night games


InterLeague

Chicago White Sox at Chicago Cubs, 2:20 ET
Humber: White Sox 5-1 Under at Cubs
Samardzija: 8-2 TSR in all starts

Boston at Philadelphia, 7:05 ET
Bard: BOS 7-3 Over vs. lefties
Hamels: PHI 8-0 Under in home interleague games

Baltimore at Washington, 7:05 ET
Arrieta: 16-5 Over in night games
Jackson: WASH 51-32 at home vs. AL East

NY Mets at Toronto, 7:05 ET
Niese: 10-1 Over in May
Romero: TOR 13-3 Over at home w/ total of 7.5 or less

Cincinnati at NY Yankees, 7:05 ET
Arroyo: 9-1 TSR Away if total is 8.5 or 10
Pettitte: 3-0 Under after allowing 2+ HR last outing

Miami at Cleveland, 7:05 ET
Zambrano: 90-60 TSR in road games
Masterson: 15-4 TSR Away if total is 8 to 8.5

Pittsburgh at Detroit, 7:05 ET
Morton: PIT 25-76 in interleague road games
Verlander: 34-6 TSR as favorite of -150 or more

Atlanta at Tampa Bay, 7:10 ET
Hanson: 17-5 TSR when the total is 7 or less
Shields: 20-8 TSR at home when the money line is +125 to -125

Texas at Houston, 8:05 ET
Feliz: TEX 17-2 as a road favorite of -150 to -175
W Rodriguez: HOU 3-9 vs. Texas

Minnesota at Milwaukee, 8:10 ET
Diamond: MIN 38-73 as an underdog of +100 to +150
Estrada: MIL 14-6 Over in night games

Arizona at Kansas City, 8:10 ET
Saunders: 26-12 Under when the money line is +125 to -125
Mendoza: KC 4-15 in home games

Seattle at Colorado, 8:40 ET
Millwood: SEA 14-4 in interleague play
White: COL 12-32 in May games

LA Angels at San Dieg0, 10:05 ET
Weaver: 8-0 Under on Friday
Suppan: 19-8 TSR at home vs. AL West

Oakland at San Francisco, 10:10 ET
Parker: OAK 19-9 Under in night games
Zito: 14-4 Under when the money line is -100 to -150

MLB

Friday, May 18

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Friday's streaking and slumping starting pitchers
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Streaking

Scott Diamond, Minnesota Twins (2-0, 0.00 ERA)

Diamond has yet to allow a run in his first two starts of the season. He kept the Blue Jays off the board through seven innings last weekend, striking out four without walking a batter. The Canadian lefty has a decent fastball and slider, but it’s his new curveball that is keeping hitters off balance now.

Jeff Samardzija, Chicago Cubs (4-1, 2.89 ERA)

Samardzija hasn’t allowed more than a single run in any of his last four starts and has struck out 45 batters in 43 2/3 innings this season. The Cubs are still trying to manage his pitch count and pulled him after he threw 91 pitches over five innings in an 8-2 win over the Milwaukee Brewers. The Cubs have kept him under 100 pitches in four of his seven starts.

Slumping

Joe Saunders, Arizona Diamondbacks (2-3, 3.43 ERA)

Saunders has allowed six runs in each of his last two trips to the hill. He served up four home runs over that span and continues to struggle to batters away. The lefty has just three strikeouts over those two starts. He retired the first seven batters he faced in the 7-3 loss to the Giants before getting swatted around.

Jake Arrieta, Baltimore Orioles (2-4, 5.21 ERA)

After puzzling the Yankees over eight shutout innings, striking out nine batters along the way, everything has fallen apart for Arrieta. He has allowed 19 hits and 13 earned runs over his last 10 innings. Arrieta lasted just 3 2/3 innings in his last start, giving up seven earned runs while striking out seven and walking two.

MLB

Friday, May 18

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MLB weekend interleague cheat sheet
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The interleague portion of the 2012 MLB schedule starts this weekend and we’re here to give you a quick review of what has happened along and what we can expect in the immediate future.

For openers, the American League looks to maintain its domination over the National League. The Junior Circuit holds an all-time 1937-1773 advantage over the Senior Circuit, while having won the overall head-to-head matchups each of the last eight years.

In this weekend’s edition of the Cheat Sheet we first focus on two rivalry series. In addition, we’ve updated the records of the best and worst performers in the history of interleague play. Keep in mind that all pitcher records are team start results and MRT (Most Recent Trends) unless noted otherwise.

Chicago White Sox at Chicago Cubs

Most recent series result: White Sox 14-6 last 20 games vs. Cubs.

Most recent series result at the site: Cubs 9-6 last 15 games home vs. White Sox.

Best arm in the series: Jake Peavy 8-3, 2.62 ERA career vs. Cubs.

Worst arm in the series: Matt Garza 1-6, 5.17 ERA career vs. White Sox.

Best May pitcher in the series: Peavy 6-1, 3.60 ERA.

Worst May pitcher in the series: Chris Volstad 0-5, 5.25 ERA.

Boston Red Sox at Philadelphia Phillies

Most recent series result: Red Sox 13-7 last 20 games vs. Phillies.

Most recent series result at the site: Red Sox 13-6 last 19 away vs. Phillies.

Best arm in the series: Jon Lester 3-0, 0.43 ERA vs. Phillies.

Worst arm in the series: Joe Blanton 1-6, 5.49 vs. Red Sox.

Best May pitcher in the series: Cole Hamels 15-2, 3.06 ERA.

Worst May pitcher in the series: Vance Worley 1-3, 7.20 ERA.

Best all-time interleague teams

1. New York Yankees 157-107 .595

2. Chicago White Sox 153-11 .580

3. Los Angeles Angels 152-114 .571

4. Boston Red Sox 150-115 .566

5. Minnesota Twins 148-116 .561

Worst all-time interleague teams

1. Pittsburgh Pirates 81-130 .384

2. Baltimore Orioles 115-150 .434

3. San Diego Padres 105-134 .439

4. Kansas City Royals 120-153 .440

5. Cincinnati Reds 97-123 .441

Active interleague career wins

1. Mark Buehrle, Marlins 23-6

2. Jamie Moyer, Rockies 23-15

3. Freddy Garcia, Yankees 21-8

4. Johan Santana, Mets 20-11

5. Livan Hernandez, Braves 20-18

Active Interleague career ERA

1. David Wells, Cubs 2.74

2. Freddy Garcia, Yankees 2.92

3. Johan Santana, Mets 3.02

4. Roy Halladay, Phillies 3.24

5. Mark Buehrle, Marlins 3.34

Active Interleague batting average

1. Albert Pujols, Angels .347

2. Ichiro Suzuki, Mariners .338

3. Derek Jeter, Yankees .332

4. Nick Markakis, Orioles .328

MLB

Friday, May 18

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One telling stat for every American League team
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Baseball, more than any other sport, is a game of numbers. Unlike basketball or hockey, which offers more rouge variables, bettors can get a good idea of a team’s makeup just by looking at the stats.

We combed the American League for the most telling stats and figures, in order for MLB bettors to get a quick handle on what to expect when laying down your hard-earned coin on certain teams.

Baltimore Orioles – 60 home runs (First in MLB)

The Orioles’ power surge has pushed them to the top of the majors, but what happens when the well runs dry? Baltimore isn’t the best at small-ball, hitting into a league-worst 49 double plays.

Boston Red Sox – 2.31 ERA last seven days (First in MLB)

The Red Sox are starting to come around after a rough start to the season. Boston may only boast a 4.70 collective ERA but the arms have been sizzling this past week, leading to BoSox to a 5-1 record in their last six.

New York Yankees – 6 relievers on the disabled list

The Yankees bullpen is emptier than a Paris Hilton thought balloon. Joba Chamberlain’s offseason freak accident was just the beginning. New York has lost Mariano Rivera for the season and recently put makeshift closer David Robertson on the 15-day DL.

Tampa Bay Rays – 10-3 in one-run games (Best record in AL)

The Rays have won four straight heading into Thursday and three of those have come by the skin of their teeth. Tampa Bay would be sitting in the basement of the AL East if not for the ability to pull out close wins.

Toronto Blue Jays – 7 blown saves (Most in AL)

The Blue Jays thought they had solved their shaky bullpen by adding some arms this offseason, after tying for the most blown saves in 2011. However, Toronto is right back at spoiling paydays in the ninth inning and would be among baseball’s best if not for those meltdowns.

Chicago White Sox – 4.75 ERA in May (Worst in the AL)

Chicago has played over the total in four straight games and is 10-5-1 over under this month, heading into Thursday’s schedule. The White Sox are just 6-10 in that span with starters Gavin Floyd, Jake Peavy and John Danks getting blown up in the process.

Cleveland Indians – 62 runs scored with RISP and two outs (Most in AL)

The Tribe have surprised with their start to the year, earning Cleveland backers 6.25 units heading into Thursday. The Indians aren’t lighting up the base paths but have been terrific in the crunch, getting timely hits that have made the difference for bettors.

Detroit Tigers – 5.17 bullpen ERA (Worst in MLB)

The Tigers have been a big disappointment to start the year and the bullpen has played a part in that. The relievers have blown six saves and are allowing opponents to hit .270 against them. Detroit’s bullpen has walked 58 batters over 116 2/3 innings.

Kansas City Royals – 5.67 ERA at home (Worst in AL)

The Royals can’t get comfy in Kauffman Stadium, posting a terrible 4-14 record at home and burning bettors for 9.95 units heading into Thursday. Opponents are making themselves at home, hitting .289 in Kansas City. By contrast, the Royals are 11-7 with a 3.27 ERA away from KC this season.

Minnesota Twins – 1 string on consecutive wins

Baseball bettors don’t need to crunch the numbers too hard to figure out Minnesota is rotten. The Twins rank among the bottom in most statistics, but the most telling figure is that this team has managed to win back-to-back games just once this season, coming on April 12. They have a shot at two straight against the Tigers Thursday.

Los Angeles Angels – 7 home runs from seventh inning on (Tied for worst in MLB)

The Halos have hit so poorly to start the year they canned hitting coach Mickey Hatcher this week. Los Angeles has hit just 34 home runs, with only two of those coming off the bat of Albert Pujols. The more telling stat is the lack of power when the team needs it. Remember this come September and October.

Oakland Athletics - .210 BA with RISP (Worst in AL)

The A’s can’t hit, so when they do get a man on first – they’re running. Oakland leads the AL in stolen bases with 38 swipes, but hasn’t been able to cash in those runners. The Athletics are the opposite of “MoneyBall” with a dismal .291 on-base percentage.

Seattle Mariners - .286 on-base percentage (Worst in AL)

The only American League team with a worse OBP than Oakland is Seattle. The Mariners sit near the bottom in most hitting categories and are averaging only three runs per game this month. It’s not surprising why the M’s are just 5-10 in May, heading into Thursday.

Texas Rangers – 18 unearned runs on 18 errors

The Rangers do a lot of things right. But when they do make a mistake, it’s a big one. Texas has made only 18 errors on the year, but averages an unearned run per error on the year. Those mistakes may not seem too alarming in May, but can cost you a season in the fall.

Friday’s betting tips: Rockies roll in interleague home games

Weather to watch

Seattle Mariners at Colorado Rockies – 12 mph winds are expected to blow out to right-centerfield.

Who’s hot

NBA: Celtics are 4-1 ATS in their last five road games.

NBA: Under is 13-6 in Thunder last 19 road games.

MLB: White Sox are 4-1 in their last five meetings with the Cubs.

MLB: The Rockies are 37-14 in their last 51 interleague home games.

Who’s not

NBA: 76ers are 2-7 ATS in their last nine home games.

NBA: Lakers are 5-13 ATS in their last 18 home games.

MLB: Athletics are 0-9 in the last nine meetings in San Francisco.

MLB: Astros are 7-20 in their last 27 interleague home games.

Key stat

44 percent – The Philadelphia 76ers have yet to shoot 44 percent from the field in a game yet this postseason. The Sixers shot just 40.7 percent from the floor in Game 3’s loss, while Boston drained 51.9 percent of its shots.

Injury that shouldn’t be overlooked

Brandon Inge, Oakland Athletics – The A’s placed veteran third baseman Brandon Inge on the 15-day DL with a groin strain. Inge was on a major tear before hitting the shelf, swatting four homers and collecting 16 RBIs over a six-game stretch.

Game of the day

Boston Celtics at Philadelphia 76ers (-2, 173.5)

Notable quotable

“Oh my goodness, we’re better than Santa Claus. Gave them a gift. Man that was crazy. We’re better than Santa Claus, we like giving out gifts. We give out games, contracts and rings.” – Lakers center Andrew Bynum following Game 2’s 77-75 loss to Oklahoma City. The Lakers are pegged as 2.5-point favorites at home for Game 3.

Notes and tips

Los Angeles Angels general manager Jerry Dipoto relieved hitting coach Mickey Hatcher of his duties Tuesday, replacing him with Triple-A hitting coach Jim Eppard. Hatcher had been on Mike Scioscia's coaching staff since Scioscia became manager in 2000 and was the longest-tenured hitting coach in baseball. Dipoto said the club needed a “new voice” and it’s hard to argue with his assessment. The Angels were hitting .253 as a team with 34 home runs heading into Thursday’s action.

As London prepares for this summer’s Olympics, a number of online sportbooks already have odds posted for the total medal count. Sportsbook.ag opened with the United States set as a -140 favorite to win the medal count but that number has since dipped to -125. China sits second at +125 while Russia is third on the odds board at +800.

The St. Louis Cardinals are expected to be without Allen Craig for a few days after he left Wednesday’s game with a tight hamstring. The 27-year-old is hitting .373 with five homers and 19 RBI in only 13 games this year.

Even though Kevin Durant was the Oklahoma City Thunder player who finished second in the NBA MVP voting, it was Russell Westbrook who really crushed the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals. So the Lakers came back in Game 2 Wednesday night with a new plan against Westbrook: No more Kobe Bryant trying to stay in front of Westbrook and fight solo through the picks set by the Thunder for Westbrook to come free. The more aggressive plan headed by Ramon Sessions and Steve Blake worked beautifully, as Westbrook was held to 5-of-17 shooting from the field and just four assists, but the Lakers still lost 77-75 with a late-game meltdown as Durant and James Harden stepping up for the Thunder.

Armadillo: Friday's six-pack

-- San Antonio Spurs haven't lost a game since April 11. Any game. You think they're going to lose a best-of-7 series?

-- Why isn't Gregg Popovich the Olympic coach? Well, Jerry Co****elo runs USA Basketball, and apparently he and Pop aren't great buddies.

-- Dwyane Wade is 18-58 (31.0%) from the floor in the Indiana series.

-- Pacers were 100-1 to win the championship back in the fall.

-- All five teams in the NL East are over .500.

-- If Patriots don't want Wes Welker, could they send him to St Louis?


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


Armadillo: Friday's List of 13: Random thoughts with the weekend here......

13) Read an interesting book on the plane home from Las Vegas; Play Their Hearts Out, about AAU basketball in southern California. The writer followed this group of kids for eight years as they grew up from 4th graders to prospective college athletes. Quite an undertaking, but its really well-written, it is sad at times, uplifting at times, but all of it is true. Some of the kids in the book are still playing college ball. If you like college basketball, its worth your time.

12) In Celtics’ three playoff games with Philly so far, they’re +47 with Kevin Garnett on the court, -31 with him on the bench.

11) Remaining NHL teams' records in the playoffs:
Kings 11-1, Coyotes 8-6, Rangers 9-7, Devils 9-5.

10) ESPN.com insists on posting these articles on which teams should sell off players and which teams should buy. Its May 18 today, too damn early for teams to be giving up on the baseball season.

The season is still young. Come up with other stuff to right about. Use your imagination. Write about prospects, anything, but the constant drivel about small market teams trading players is getting old.

9) Old Dominion is leaving the CAA for Conference USA; CAA has now lost Georgia State, ODU and VCU- they’re rumored to be going after Charleston/Davidson to restock their shelves.

8) Why did the A-14 move its conference tournament from Atlantic City to Brooklyn? Are people from Saint Louis, Duquesne, Dayton or Xavier more likely to trek to Brooklyn for the tournament, or to the casinos/boardwalk of Atlantic City? Or would Philly be the place to hold it? Brooklyn is a weird place to hold the tournament; Fordham is the only NYC team in the league, and they’re in the Bronx, not Brooklyn.

7) Apparently, NY Rangers’ coach John Tortorella despises the media, but isn’t part of his job to promote his team, his sport? If making himself the focus of the media makes things easier for his team, so be it, but the NHL needs as much exposure as it can get, and having him mumble his way thru cameo appearances at press conferences isn’t helping the league any.

Weird thing is, it is obvious from watching HBO’s 24/7 special on Rangers/Flyers last winter that Tortorella is a character, someone the media should love, not loathe. Its too bad. He should watch Bull Durham, learn a few cliches, and sleepwalk thru the media sessions. Its part of his job.

6) This weekend’s Spur-Clipper games at Staples Center aren’t sold out yet. Spurs' easy win Thursday isn't going to help that situation any.

5) Just dawned on me that when Ozzie Guillen jumped from the White Sox to Miami, the two pitching coaches stayed where they were. That’s very unusual, no?

4) MLB Network televises the early part of the amateur draft now; since the A’s have five of the first 74 picks, guess I’ll be watching those days.

3) Speaking of the A’s, just when it looked like Brandon Inge was going to be the 3B they’ve been dying for, he has a leg injury and and is on the DL. Terrific. He had 16 RBI in five games, then got hurt, so we’re back to Josh Donaldson at 3B, which wouldn’t be so bad except the guy is hitting .083 and he’s more of a hitter than a fielder. Seriously, he is.

2) Somehow, with Cespedes, Braden and Anderson all hurt, with their two best pitchers traded away, with no Manny Ramirez until Game 51, the A's are 20-19. With every passing day, Bob Melvin looks like a combination of Dick Williams, Miller Huggins and Tony Larussa. Outstanding manager.

1) This is an actual billboard in Las Vegas:

“Everyone screws up now & then. Especially around here. Call us when you do.”

Billboard is for a bail bondsman service. You wonder why I like it there?

Public opinion: Friday's best consensus plays

NBA:

Oklahoma City Thunder at Los Angeles Lakers (-2.5, 192)

The Lakers looked to be in complete control late in Game 2, but the Thunder made a push with two minutes left and Kevin Durant hit the game-winning shot with 18 seconds remaining. Kobe Bryant had a few chances to put the game away and couldn’t buy a bucket down the stretch.

Consensus: Thunder 55 percent/Lakers 45 percent

MLB:

Chicago White Sox at Chicago Cubs (-140, N/A)

The Windy City will be divided for Game 1 between the White Sox and Cubs. Early bettors are all over the visiting Chicago club even though Cubs starter Jeff Samardzija is riding a hot streak. The White Sox have won four of their last five against the Cubs.

Consensus: White Sox 61 percent/Cubs 39 percent

Hey Cnotes these really are helpful in determining several things for games. Who's hot who is not etc etc. Where you get your Dunkel lines / information? that seems to help me a lot for some odd reason.