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Nationals Begin New Week At Toronto Blue Jays

Picked to dominate the AL Central Division this season, it has instead been a struggle for the Detroit Tigers who were five games under .500 and six games behind the Chicago White Sox in the standings when the weekend began.

Cincinnati was also picked to contend if not win the NL Central, and the Reds have not disappointed so far with the lead over a surprising Pittsburgh Pirates squad and the defending World Series champion St. Louis Cardinals.

The Reds and Tigers collide to finish off the weekend on ESPN's Sunday Night Baseball (8:00 p.m. ET) from Great American Ball Park. Detroit is sending rookie Drew Smyly to start the contest in Cincinnati against Homer Bailey. Don Best is sending this game out with the Reds a $1.30 favorite and the run total at 9½.

Don Best Sports analyst Pat Williams believes Smyly (2-2, 3.71) is one of the reasons the Tigers can't get on a roll due to his inconsistencies on the mound, but Kenny White disagrees.

"Let's don't blame it on Drew Smyly," White noted when discussing this matchup. "He's 23...and I like his strikeout to walk numbers. Drew Smyly's going to be a really good major league pitcher."

Detroit has dropped five of Smyly's last six starts, and is 5-6 when he takes the ball this season, but the young left-hander still maintains a decent ERA and owns a 55:17 K/BB ratio in his first 60-2/3 innings.

White also believes Bailey (4-4, 4.39) will need to develop a third pitch to complement his fastball-slider combination before he will begin to develop into the pitcher he's always been touted as being. Bailey pitched the Reds into the winner's circle four consecutive starts before his last outing at home vs. Pittsburgh. The Pirates scored six times in the first three innings to chase Bailey early in an 8-4 win on June 5, that start coming seven days after Bailey had tossed a complete-game 4-hitter against then in Pittsburgh.

The pitching matchup could play right into the strengths of both lineups. Detroit is batting .273 vs. right-handers, 30 points higher than when the Tigers face southpaws, while Cincinnati is slugging at a .456 clip vs. lefties, well above their numbers against righties.

Nats Begin Week In Toronto
A new week dawns on Monday when the Washington Nationals trek across the border to meet the Toronto Blue Jays in the opener of a 3-game set. First pitch at Rogers Centre is 7:07 p.m. (ET) with a pitching battle between Washington's Edwin Jackson and Toronto's Brandon Morrow.

Jackson is sporting a very good 3.11 ERA, but hasn't had much luck or run support with the Nationals just 3-8 in his 11 starts. That's been the case most of his career as Jackson certainly has the stuff to be a solid major league starter, but it hasn't materialized into a lot of success for the well-traveled right-hander.

"When he came up with the Dodgers, they thought he was going to be the next great Los Angeles Dodger pitcher," White said. "He's been coveted by six major league teams that thought he could also be the same with them. But finally this year, he's having one of the best seasons he's ever had."

Washington started its weekend series in Boston with a slim 1-game lead at the top of a wide-open NL East that found the favored Philadelphia Phillies in last. Williams wonders if the Nationals can score enough runs over the course of a full season to make the playoffs for the first time since 1981 when they were known as the Montreal Expos.

The AL East also looks a bit upside down with the Red Sox at the bottom, and one of the reasons the Blue Jays are in the thick of the race is their starter on Monday. Morrow is 7-3 with a 2.90 ERA, and that ERA is even more impressive when you note he allowed six earned runs in two-third of an inning a couple of starts back in Texas.

Morrow leads the major leagues with three shutouts, the most recent in his last start against the White Sox in Chicago on June 6. His ERA is more than two runs higher in six starts at home (3.89) than the half-dozen Morrow has made on the road (1.88). Five of the seven home runs were also hit at Rogers Centre.

Diamond Trends - Monday

June 11, 2012

SU TREND OF THE DAY:


The Nationals are 12-0 since June 02, 2011 after a one run win in a day game where they had more than three hits for a net profit of $1473.

OU TREND OF THE DAY:


The Red Sox are 0-13 OU since 2008 when Josh Beckett starts on the road when he is off a start in which he needed fewer than 3.5 pitches per batter for a net profit of $1300 when playing the under.


STARTER TREND OF THE DAY:


The Blue Jays are 0-7 since May 26, 2011 when Brandon Morrow starts as a favorite in the first game of a series for a net profit of $982 when playing against.


MLB BIBLE TREND OF THE DAY:


The Dodgers are 13-1 (3.7 rpg) since 2011 as a favorite after a 5+ run win.


TODAY’S TRENDS:


The Blue Jays are 7-0-1 OU since July 20, 2011 when Brandon Morrow starts at home after throwing more than 100 pitches for a net profit of $700 when playing the over.

The Red Sox are 0-5-1 OU since April 05, 2011 when Josh Beckett starts on the road in the first game of a series for a net profit of $500 when playing the under.

Monday's Interleague Tips

June 10, 2012


The Monday baseball card showcases only four games, but each contest involves solid matchups. Interleague continues with a huge rivalry taking place in Southern California as the Dodgers host the Angels for the first time this season. The other three games spotlight the AL East against its NL East counterparts, including Washington heading north of the border for a battle in Toronto.

Nationals at Blue Jays - 7:05 PM EST

Washington continues to be one of the biggest surprises in baseball as the Nats continue to lead the NL East nearly 2 ½ months into the season. The Blue Jays have to deal with the Yankees and Rays inside the tight AL East race, as Toronto tries to win its second straight game after avoiding the sweep in Atlanta on Sunday.

The Nationals haven't been successful when Edwin Jackson takes the mound this season (3-8 team record), even though the veteran right-hander owns a 3.11 ERA. Jackson won the first time in two months by beating the Mets in his most recent outing, allowing three hits and two earned runs in 7 innings of a 5-3 victory. Washington is 0-6 in Jackson's six road outings, while the Nats have scored one run in three of those defeats.

Brandon Morrow (7-3, 2.90 ERA) is turning into an early Cy Young candidate, coming off his third complete game shutout. Morrow blanked the White Sox as a short road favorite in his last start, scattering less than three hits for the fourth time this season in a 4-0 triumph. The Toronto righty has won three of his past four home starts after the Jays lost his first two outings at Rogers Center to the Orioles and Rays.

Yankees at Braves - 7:10 PM EST

The Bronx Bombers hit the road for the first time in interleague play as the Yanks head to Turner Field. Atlanta continues a nine-game homestand after having its six-game winning streak snapped by Toronto on Sunday. The Yankees are making their first trip to Atlanta since 2009, when New York grabbed two of three matchups.

Ivan Nova (7-2, 5.09 ERA) continues to rack up wins despite allowing five earned runs or more in five of his previous eight outings. New York's offense has scored at least five runs in nine of Nova's 11 starts, while the Yankees have hit the 'over' in four of his last five trips to the mound. Nova is unbeaten on the road in five starts away from the Bronx, while the Yanks are 4-1 in his five career interleague outings.

The Braves counter with Randall Delgado (4-5, 4.26 ERA), who has lost three of his last four home starts. The 22-year old puts together better numbers at night (4-2, 3.68 ERA) than during the day (0-3, 5.71 ERA), while Atlanta is 15-6 since 2010 at Turner Field in interleague action.

Red Sox at Marlins - 7:10 PM EST

Miami is falling apart at nearly the same rate as it came together in an impressive May run (21-8), as the Fish owns a 2-7 record in the month of June. Ozzie Guillen's team looks to get on track against a Red Sox club that exits Fenway Park after getting swept by the Nationals. The Marlins will see an old World Series hero for the first time as both squads try to get on a winning track.

Josh Beckett (4-6, 4.04 ERA) makes his first start against the team he led to a title in 2003, as the Sox righty is coming off consecutive home defeats to the Orioles and Tigers. Since June 2009, the Red Sox own a 4-1 record in Beckett's last five interleague starts, as all five games have finished 'under' the total. In Beckett's only interleague action this season, the 32-year old allowed one earned run in seven innings of a 5-1 road underdog victory at Philadelphia last month.

The Marlins send out their tall right-hander in Josh Johnson (3-4, 4.56 ERA), who looks to stay hot after going winless in his first five starts. Miami has won five of Johnson's previous six outings, while coming off a 2-1 home defeat to Atlanta in his last start. The offense attempts to get on track after plating just 10 runs during this six-game losing streak, including five setbacks as home 'chalk.'

Angels at Dodgers - 10:10 PM EST

The Freeway Series takes on plenty of meaning in the first of six meetings this month, as the Dodgers own the best record in baseball at 39-22. The Halos are becoming the team many expected in spring training by winning nine of the past 13 games, including a series victory at Colorado this past weekend. In spite of getting no-hit on Friday, the Dodgers took two of three from the Mariners, while winning six of the previous seven contests.

The Dodgers picked up a steal in the offseason by signing veteran southpaw Chris Capuano (8-2, 2.82 ERA), who looks to rebound after allowing four earned runs in each of his last two outings. Los Angeles owns a 5-0 record in Capuano's five home starts, while putting together quality outings in all five outings at Chavez Ravine.

The Angels have won nine of the last 12 meetings with the Dodgers dating back to 2010, including a 5-1 record at Chavez Ravine in this span. Garrett Richards (1-0, 1.12 ERA) makes his second start of the season, in place of the injured Jered Weaver. Richards beat the Mariners in his season debut, giving up one earned run and four hits in seven innings of work.

MLB Betting Notes

June 11, 2012

PA Power

It’s very rare when you see baseball’s worst scoring team contending for a division title, but that’s where the Pittsburgh Pirates (32-27) are right now. The clubs is neck and neck with the Reds in the National League Central despite being the 30th ranked run (188) producing team in the majors. The Bucs also have the 29th worst hitting squad (.225) and aren’t the best bunch of fielders, either, but they seem to find new ways to win on a nightly basis.
As a comparison, consider that the Rangers top both leagues with a .285 clip and 322 runs scored, yet, through Sunday Texas would only have a one-game lead in the loss column over the Pirates if they were in the same division.

No team is hotter than Pittsburgh right now. The squad has won 12 of their last 15 games and has done so on the strength of a solid pitching staff and they make the most of their few hits in timely situations. Where they lack strength in hitting numbers, they make up for it by having the third lowest ERA (3.25) with the arguably the best bullpen in baseball.

The Pirates bullpen has the second lowest ERA (2.44) and the best record (12-4). Plus, they’ve blown only four save opportunities -- tied for the lowest in baseball. They routinely find themselves in low-scoring games where they are either down or up by only one run. Whatever situation it is, the bullpen seems to keep time and the score standing still until the bats can finally come around or get to Joel Harahan (3-0, 17 saves) for the final inning.

The Las Vegas bookmakers have taken notice of the Pirates and rapidly adjusted their daily rating on them. Pittsburgh has gone UNDER the total in 38 of its 59 games, including six of their last seven through Sunday. Good luck finding an ‘8’ on a Pirates game anymore unless they face a real tomato can.

A rating boost in individual Pirates pitchers has also been seen in regards to the money-line, most notably A.J. Burnett, who the Bucs have now won seven straight games behind. At first we all thought a couple Burnett gems to start out his tenure in Pittsburgh was kind of fluky, but seven straight wins is seven straight wins and the lines now reflect such excellence.

Sunday’s game against a hot Bruce Chen saw Burnett favored by minus-130, the highest number Burnett has been all season. Sharp money bet against Burnett, but the Bucs won in typical fashion, 3-2.

The LVH Super Book opened the Pirates at 100/1 odds to win the World Series prior to the season and now they’re down to 60/1. A “Three Rivers” title hasn’t happened since 1979 and likely won’t this year, but there is something about this bunch of scrappers that is intriguing. They flirted with first-place success last season for the first time since 1992, so this isn’t their first rodeo.

Best of all, here we are in June discussing the possibility of Pittsburgh hanging around and postseason odds when they went nearly two decades as one of the worst run teams in professional sports and are currently in the midst of a MLB record streak of 19 straight losing seasons.

Even though they’re still a small market team with not a lot of money and only one superstar in Andrew McCutchen, the Bucs are going in the right direction and the future looks bright in Western Pennsylvania.

Interleague Sweeps

Five teams completed sweeps over the weekend, including the aforementioned Pirates, and fortunately for the pride of the National League, only three came at their expense. The American League holds a 46-38 edge this season in Interleague play and a 2,016-1,836 edge all-time.

The Rockies are now 0-6 this season against AL teams after the Angels caught fire in the same fashion Seattle did when they visited Colorado two weeks ago.

Dynamic Duo

Most of the Angels success at Colorado was due to their top of the order with Mike Trout and Torii Hunter getting hot and often. The pair combined to go 17-for-29 with 16 runs and 11 RBIs in the three games. Trout added four stolen bases and Hunter had three home runs. Their excellence at the top made Albert Pujols and Mark Trumbo’s job as run producers easier and they let loose as well.

Trout’s going to be a great hitter and is doing it much quicker and better than most expected. But the surge Hunter is feeling might be the biggest impact on the Angels being able to continue their road winning streak to nine games and set their sights on the AL West leading Rangers.

The Angels have the luxury of being able to put Hunter in a position to get a heavy dose of fastballs because of having a base stealer like Trout who always seems to be on base forcing the pitcher to get the pitch home quicker, and then hitting in front of Pujols. Hunter has always murdered fastballs and it was a stroke of genius by Mike Scioscia to put him in the No. 2 hole.

What Happened?

Two-time Cy Young award winner Tim Lincecum is having the roughest patch of his career. Following Sunday’s loss to the Rangers, the Giants have now lost Lincecum’s last eight starts. In most of those starts, the stat line has been the same with Lincecum giving up four to six runs a game. His velocity is down, but more importantly, his confidence is shattered.

In Aroldis Chapman's first 29 innings, spanning 26 games, he hadn’t given up an earned run all season. In the process of striking out 52 batters in those 29 innings with his 102 mph fastball, he was named the closer and slammed the door on opponents six times. But then he faced the Pirates last Thursday and they tagged him with his first earned run and loss of the season.

In his next start Sunday night against the Tigers it got even worse as the fireman brought gasoline instead of water! With the Reds leading 6-3 with two runners on and no outs, Dusty Baker sent in Chapman early to put out the fire. Not only did Chapman allow the two ducks on the pond to score, but he gave up two more of his own, including the final and winning run for the Tigers which gave him his second loss of the season. Still, a 4-2 record with a 0.87 ERA isn’t bad, but a meltdown like that can’t be good for the Reds in the near future.

Closing with Authority

Braves closer Craig Kimbrel is already considered one of the best in baseball, but he’s on a run right now that is just about as nasty as it gets. He’s only allowed one hit -- not one run, but one hit -- in his last 10 innings. Over that 10-game stretch, Kimbrel has saved all seven opportunities while striking out 14.

Dodger Saturdays

The Dodgers were mired in a five-game losing streak through June 1, but the next day was a Saturday and broke the streak. Since then they have won seven of their last nine games through Sunday. With their win at Seattle on Saturday, it took the Dodgers to an impressive 10-0 wherever they play on any Saturday this season. The only other perfect record on a day of the week is the Braves on Monday, who have gone winless at 0-8.

Hot and Not

June 11, 2012

Another weekend of Interleague action is in the books, and with it, the 2012 MLB season is getting closer and closer to the All Star break. Every division race is very closely contested with only the NL West deficit being more than three-games. The following is a list of the hottest and coldest teams entering the tenth week of the season.
Money-Makers

Los Angeles Dodgers (6-1, $642): The best team in all of baseball has no doubt been the Los Angeles Dodgers. Manager Don Mattingly’s squad has gotten it done at the plate and on the bump so much so that it is the best overall baseball investment to date ($1545). If not for having six Mariners pitchers combine for a no-hitter on Friday (5th time in MLB history), LA would have won all seven of its games played last week; which included an impressive four-game road sweep of the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park.

On The Docket: The Dodgers return home to take on the Angels and White Sox in Interleague play over the next seven days. LA’s 2-1 ($100) versus the AL this season, but stands a bankroll depleting 12-21 (-$1040) the L/3 seasons.

Arizona Diamondbacks (5-1, $377): Last year’s NL West victors have made a ton of noise lately, as manager Kirk Gibson’s squad has secured eight wins in its L/10 trips to the playing field. In doing so, the Snakes find themselves just $149 away from being in the green for their betting backers on the year. By pulling off the Interleague sweep of the Oakland A’s, Arizona slithered its way back to being a .500 ball club. The bats finally waking up paired with some stellar starting pitching has the D-Backs looking on the up and up!

On The Docket: We’ll get a much clearer picture as to the true caliber of this season turnaround this upcoming week with Arizona set to play six against the Texas Rangers and Los Angeles Angels; all on the road (15-14, $257).

Los Angeles Angels (4-2, $103): Though the return on investment was hardly anything for those backing the Angels to brag about last week, manager Mike Scioscia’s squad made a huge statement to the rest of the league that they’re readily able to mash with anybody after combining to score 28 runs in their three-game Interleague sweep of the Rockies at Coors Field. Mark Trumbo is swinging an incredibly hot bat (2 multi HR games last week), while rookie Mike Trout’s insertion at the top of the line-up has paid immediate dividends; the rookie has raked multi-hit games in seven of nine.

On The Docket: The Halos will play the first leg of the “Freeway Series” at Chavez Ravine to start the week before returning home to battle the resurgent Diamondbacks. Anaheim is 4-2 ($120) against the NL this season and 28-14 ($1240) the L/3 seasons.

Honorable Mentions: Pittsburgh Pirates (5-1, $490), Atlanta Braves (5-1, $489), Washington Nationals (5-1, $454), New York Yankees (5-1, $357), Tampa Bay Rays (4-2, $248), Milwaukee Brewers (4-2, $103)

Money-Burners

Miami Marlins (0-6, -$740): So after sweeping the NL East leading Washington Nationals at home and following it up by taking two of three from the Phillies at CBP, Manager Ozzie Guillen’s Fish go out and drop all six of their home matchups against the Braves and Rays last week. This club is as schizophrenic as it gets! The offense is largely to blame as it scored an average of just 1.7 runs per game throughout their second six-game losing streak of the season.

On The Docket: Miami will look to right the ship and improve upon its embarrassing 16-16 home record (-$656) against Boston for three before invading Tropicana Field to close out its Interleague encounters with the Rays; the Marlins check in 15-13 ($234) on the road.

Colorado Rockies (1-5, -$385): The Rockies looked to have turned the corner heading into last week’s action after securing wins in seven of eight, but after shutting the D-Backs out 4-0 in the series opener last Monday, manager Jim Tracy’s outfit dropped each of its next five. In doing so, Colorado sits nine-games under .500 and a whopping 14-games out of first place in the NL West. The whitewashing the Angels just handed them could be the beginning of the end for this teams coaching staff.

On The Docket: The Rockies will attempt to get off the schneid against an Oakland team that also just got swept in Interleague play before making a trip to Motown to battle what could be a reinvigorated Tigers outfit; Colorado’s 0-6 (-$759) vs. the AL to date!

Philadelphia Phillies (1-5, -$359): What on god’s green earth has happened to the Phillies home field advantage at Citizen’s Bank? In dropping all four to the Dodgers earlier in the week, manager Charlie Manuel’s squad fell to 12-19 in front of their hometown faithful. In doing so, it has cost their betting backers a whopping $1,605 on the year. This club won better than 64 percent of its home games the last two seasons! If Jimmy Rollins and his mates can’t figure things out in their own backyard, this club has no shot of heading back to the playoffs for the sixth straight season.

On The Docket: Thankfully the Phillies are on the road this week where they’ll look to get the best of the Minnesota Twins and Toronto Blue Jays; they’ve won 17 of 31 as visitors ($237) to date.

Dishonorable Mentions: Boston Red Sox (1-5, -$611), Kansas City Royals (1-5, -$507), New York Mets (1-6, -$503), Chicago Cubs (2-5, -$227), San Diego Padres (2-4, -$159)

Beckett faces former team Monday in Miami


BOSTON RED SOX (29-31)

at MIAMI MARLINS (31-29)


First pitch: Monday, 7:05 p.m. EDT
Line: Boston -110, Miami +100, Total: 7½

The NBA Eastern Conference Finals may have ended this weekend, but Miami and Boston will now square off on the baseball diamond for a three-game series as MLB interleague play continues.

The Marlins enter this game amid a serious funk, the losers of six games in a row with consecutive sweeps to the Braves and Rays. The Red Sox are not much better, having lost six of their past seven contests, and having just got swept in a three-game home set by the Nationals. Josh Beckett takes the hill for Boston, facing his former team for the first time in his career. Despite struggles to start the year and a current 4.04 ERA, Beckett has a 1.16 WHIP for the season and has not given up a home run in five consecutive starts. In those starts he has gone at least seven innings every time, tallying a 2.21 ERA, 0.96 WHIP and a 25-to-5 K-to-BB ratio. Johnson is 3-4 on the season with a 4.56 ERA. He has looked better as of late however, with six consecutive starts of allowing three runs or less. But the Red Sox are a better team on the road with a 15-12 away mark this season, and Miami’s offense has scored a meager 10 runs during its six-game slide. The pick here is BOSTON to win Monday’s series opener.

This three-star FoxSheets trend also favors the Red Sox:

Play Against - Home teams (MIAMI) - terrible offensive team - scoring <=3.8 runs/game on the season (NL) against opponent with a hot starting pitcher- ERA less than 2.50 over his last 5 starts. (47-20 over the last 5 seasons.) (70.1%, +26.2 units. Rating = 3*).

The Red Sox sport a solid offense behind Beckett, averaging 5.0 runs per game against righty starters with a solid .277 batting average. They have put up 5.1 runs per game on the road with a stellar .446 slugging percentage outside of Fenway Park (2nd in majors). In the past 10 away games, Boston is 7-3 with 19 homers, hitting at least one longball in each contest. Additionally the Sox have a strong bullpen to support Beckett, as their relievers have compiled a 3.55 ERA on the season, including an outstanding 2.88 ERA on the road. In these away games, the bullpen has a 1.17 WHIP, 11 saves and just two blown opportunities. With the strong support and given the way Beckett has looked recently, he is worth the bet.

Miami averages just 3.6 runs per game against right-handed starters with a meager .247 batting average and .315 on-base percentage. And the Marlins bullpen has struggled this season, especially at home, where it has a 4.87 ERA and 1.42 WHIP. Johnson has faced Boston once in his career, back in 2006, when he allowed three runs (all solo homers) on four hits and four walks in seven innings. Johnson has looked far better in his past six starts, in which he has a 2.95 ERA and 1.19 WHIP, and will not bow out of this game easily. But he may just not get the run support, especially facing Beckett in this contest. Miami is batting a pathetic .197 with a .316 slugging percentage during its six-game losing skid. Play against.

Monday's Betting tips: France on 21-game unbeaten streak

Weather to watch

New York Yankees at Atlanta Braves – There’s a 60 percent chance of scattered thunderstorms. A 9-mph wind will be blowing out to center, with temperatures in the mid-70s.

Who’s hot

NHL: The under is 9-1-1 in the last 11 Devils-Kings games.

MLB: Boston is 8-3 in Josh Beckett’s last 11 starts vs. NL East teams.

Euro 2012: France is unbeaten in its last 21 matches.

Who’s not

NHL: The Kings are 0-8 in their last eight games as a favorite of -151 to -200.

MLB: Washington is 0-6 in Edwin Jackson’s last six road starts.

Euro 2012: England has lost its last three matches to France and are without a win in five all-time tries in competitions.

Key stat

10-1 – That’s the Devils’ record in Games 4-7 throughout these playoffs. New Jersey has rallied from a 3-0 deficit to trail 3-2 heading into Monday’s Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Finals in Los Angeles.

Injury that shouldn’t be overlooked

Cardinals left fielder Matt Holliday missed his second straight Sunday with back spasms, with Allen Craig replacing him. Holliday, hitting .276 with 10 homers and 35 RBIs has a chance to return Tuesday when St. Louis hosts the White Sox.

Game of the day

New Jersey Devils at Los Angeles Kings (-165, 4.5)

Notable quotable

“Are you cheering for the Devils or for the Kings? So you’re cheering for the Devils. I’m going to say the pressure’s on them because they’re the home team and they had 100-some [102] points, OK?” – Kings coach Darryl Sutter, when asked where the pressure now resides in the Stanley Cup Finals.

Notes and tips

Finally, Devils forward Zach Parise has woken up. Before Saturday’s 2-1 win in New Jersey, he hadn’t scored since Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals against the Rangers. But Parise was the key to extending the Cup finals as he had a goal, three shots and a critical block. Game 6 is Monday night in Los Angeles.

Ukraine will have the homefield advantage when it plays Sweden in Kiev on Monday in a Group D opener at Euro 2012. But Sweden will be well represented, too. About 12,000 Swedish fans are expected to attend Monday’s match, and about 18,000 are expected for the England match on June 19. "I have always said that 50% of football is about the spectators and the atmosphere,'' Swedish star Zlatan Ibrahimovic said. "How the fans react and chant, that's what gives you adrenaline and motivation. When things are hard on the pitch, the fans' support can lift you 10 to 20 percent.”

Texas Rangers outfielder Nelson Cruz was not in the lineup Sunday due to a sore right Achilles, and is day-to-day. Cruz is hitting .258 with eight homers and 36 RBIs. The Rangers are off Monday before hosting Arizona starting Tuesday.

Angels ace Jered Weaver (back) will throw off a mound Monday and could pitch next weekend. This will be his first bullpen session since he was placed on the 15-day DL. Weaver is 6-1 with a 2.61 ERA in 11 starts.

Armadillo: Monday's six-pack

-- It is June 11 and the Pirates are tied for first place. Go figure.

-- Cliff Lee has a 3.18 ERA in ten starts, but no wins yet.

-- Before this weekend, Bronx Bombers hadn't had a sellout since Opening Day- they sold out all three games against the Mets.

-- Red Sox had their 745th consecutive sellout Sunday.

-- ESPN hired retired referee Steve Javie to work its NBA Finals coverage; excellent move. We need a referee's perspective on TV.

-- If the baseball playoffs started today, these are your playoff teams:
NL: Nationals-(Pitt or Cin)-Dodgers-Atlanta-San Francisco
AL: Rays-White Sox-Rangers-Bronx-Baltimore


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


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

13) There is a 78-year old retired CPA named Harry Scott who is trying to play golf in all 50 states, in a 50-day period. He'll put 20,000 miles on his rental car while doing this. The guy is 78!!!!

12) Mr Scott didn't take up golf until 15 years ago; his last stop on tour is in Wasilla, Alaska, Sarah Palin's hometown. He says lot of club pros have picked up the tab for his greens fees when they heard about his tour.

11) Back in 1995, he went to 28 major league ballparks in 28 days, then did the 30-in-30 thing three years ago. Guy should write a book.

10) Marquette's basketball team is going to be doing lot of travelling in the fall; they're playing Ohio State on a Naval ship in Charleston, then going to the Maui Classic. Thats a lot of frequest flyer miles.

9) Memo to the new owners of Pringle's, who paid $2.7B; how about filling up your cans with potato chips, instead of leaving the top half-inch of cans empty? Too much cutting corners nowadays. You think your product is so good you paid $2.7B for it? Then fill up the cans, so we'll buy them.

8) Florida State holds the record, having gone to 21 College World Series without ever having won one; will #22 be the charm? They're going to the World Series again, but no one will notice, because Cinderella Stony Brook is going to deservedly get most of the attention.

7) Couple years ago, someone in the media took a secret ballot poll of major leaguers as to who the worst umpire was, and CB Bucknor got 37% of the vote. From looks of things, he hasn't improved much in two years.

6) It isn't bad enough that the scummy Wilpons are hooked up with Bernie Madoff, noted thief; they're selling unused tickets from Johan Santana's no-hitter for a mere $50, plus shipping/handling.

5) Colorado Rockies lost their last five games, during which time the ERA of their starting pitchers is a hefty 14.89. Someone better find the keys to that humidor and put the baseballs back in there.

4) Somehow I missed this last weekend, but Kent State beat Kentucky in a 21-inning game in the baseball regional, then went on and won it. Kent plays at Oregon 7pm Monday night for right to go to the College World Series. It isn't often a team from Ohio makes the College World Series.

3) Speaking of which, Big Dozen hasn't had a team make it to the CWS in 28 years, when Michigan made it to Omaha in 1984.

2) Jim Nantz wasn't at the Memphis Open this weekend because he was at Pebble Peach getting married, with Tom Brady, Phil Mickelson and Robert Kraft all in attendance. As the wise man once said, "Second marriages are a triumph of hope over experience." We wish the couple well.

1) I should know this because its the third year in a row, but I remembered tonight that my summer trip to Las Vegas coincides with the British Open, which means my sleep habits will be totally screwed up, even moreso than usual. Golf starts out in the west at 1am every night, finishes up around 11 in the morning. Baseball games start at 4 in the afternoon. Thats why they call it vacation........

Public opinion: Bettors see Kings hoisting Cup on Monday

Odds and consensus percentages current as of 8 p.m. ET, Sunday.

NHL:

New Jersey Devils at Los Angeles Kings (-165, 4.5)

The 1942 Detroit Red Wings are the only team in NHL history to blow a 3-0 series lead in the Stanley Cup Finals. Bettors don't expect the Kings to join them. For the public to be right, it would help if L.A. left winger Dustin Brown starts asserting himself again. And coming off their first road loss of the postseason, the Kings would be well advised to score first Monday. The team that has scored first has won every game in this series, and 17 straight Cup Final games dating to 2010. "We're still a confident bunch in there, nothing's wavering," Kings winger Justin Williams said.

Consensus: Kings, 65 percent

MLB:

Washington Nationals at Toronto Blue Jays (-144, 8)

The Nats started a 15-game stretch against AL East teams by sweeping the Red Sox in Fenway. They'll trot out Edwin Jackson, who is 3-3 with a 4.34 ERA in 14 career appearances against Toronto. The Blue Jays counter with Brandon Morrow, who is seeking his eighth win and has a microscopic WHIP of 0.99. Washington is riding high after a walkoff win in Boston. But the Jays also are feeling good about themselves after banging out a season-high 18 hits Sunday in a 12-4 romp in Atlanta.

MLB
Dunkel

NY Yankees at Atlanta
The Yankees look to build on their 9-0 record in Ivan Nova's last 9 road starts against a team with a winning record. New York is the pick (-110) according to Dunkel, which has the Yankees favored by 1/2 a run. Dunkel Pick: NY Yankees (-110). Here are all of today's picks.

MONDAY, JUNE 11

Game 951-952: Washington at Toronto (7:07 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Washington (Jackson) 15.961; Toronto (Morrow) 17.052
Dunkel Line: Toronto by 1; 9
Vegas Line: Toronto (-150); 8
Dunkel Pick: Toronto (-150); Over

Game 953-954: NY Yankees at Atlanta (7:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: NY Yankees (Nova) 16.641; Atlanta (Delgado) 16.002
Dunkel Line: NY Yankees by 1/2; 8
Vegas Line: Atlanta (-110); 9
Dunkel Pick: NY Yankees (-110); Under

Game 955-956: Boston at Miami (7:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Boston (Beckett) 14.017; Miami (Johnson) 15.446
Dunkel Line: Miami by 1 1/2; 7
Vegas Line: Boston (-115); 8
Dunkel Pick: Miami (-105); Under

Game 957-958: LA Angels at LA Dodgers (10:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: LA Angels (Richards) 17.513; LA Dodgers (Capuano) 16.119
Dunkel Line: LA Angels by 1 1/2; 7 1/2
Vegas Line: LA Dodgers (-120); 7
Dunkel Pick: LA Angels (+100); Over




MLB
Armadillo's Write-Up

Monday, June 11

AL teams were 8-6 Sunday, 22-20 for the weekend; they're 46-38 against NL teams in interleague play this season.

Remember there are DHs in games in American League parks, no DHs in National League parks. It doesn't seem to affect totals either way.

Hot pitchers
-- Morrow is 2-0, 0.59 in his last two starts. Jackson has a 2.83 RA in his last four starts.
-- Delgado is 2-0, 3.09 in his last couple of starts. Nova is 3-0, 3.74 in his last three starts.
-- Johnson is 3-1, 2.95 in his last six starts. Former Marlin Beckett is 2-2, 2.21 in his last five starts.

Cold pitchers
-- Williams is 1-2, 4.91 in his four road starts. Capuano is 1-1, 9.58 in his last two starts.

Hot Teams
-- Nationals won five of their last six games.
-- Bronx Bombers, Braves both won eight of their last ten games.
-- Dodgers won six of their last seven games. Angels won four of their last five games, scoring 40 runs.

Cold Teams
-- Blue Jays lost three of their last four games.
-- Miami lost its last six games, outscored 43-10. Red Sox lost six of their last seven games.

Totals
-- Under is 3-0-1 in Jackson's last four starts.
-- Nine of last twelve Atlanta home games went over the total.
-- Over is 5-1-2 in Johnson's last eight starts.
-- Four of last five Dodger games went over the total.




MLB

Monday, June 11

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Trend Report
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7:07 PM
WASHINGTON vs. TORONTO
Washington is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Toronto
Washington is 11-5 SU in its last 16 games on the road
Toronto is 7-3 SU in its last 10 games when playing Washington
Toronto is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Washington

7:10 PM
NY YANKEES vs. ATLANTA
NY Yankees are 6-3 SU in their last 9 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of NY Yankees's last 5 games when playing on the road against Atlanta
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Atlanta's last 9 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Atlanta's last 7 games when playing NY Yankees

7:10 PM
BOSTON vs. MIAMI
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Boston's last 5 games
Boston is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games
Miami is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games
Miami is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Boston

10:10 PM
LA ANGELS vs. LA DODGERS
LA Angels are 6-1 SU in their last 7 games when playing on the road against LA Dodgers
The total has gone OVER in 5 of LA Angels's last 7 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of LA Dodgers's last 5 games when playing LA Angels
LA Dodgers are 3-9 SU in their last 12 games when playing LA Angels


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MLB

Monday, June 11

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Monday's streaking and slumping starting pitchers
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Streaking

Brandon Morrow, Toronto Blue Jays (7-3, 2.90 ERA)

The 27-year-old right-hander tossed a complete-game shutout against the White Sox last time out, and he beat the Orioles in his start before that. Batters are hitting .191 against Morrow, who has an incredible WHIP of 0.99. He’s allowed one or zero runs in three of his last four starts.

Garrett Richards, Los Angeles Angels (1-0, 1.13 ERA)

Richards’ first start was a beauty, as he allowed one run over seven innings in a 6-1 win over the Mariners. He struck out eight, walked two and scattered four hits. He’ll try to keep it up Monday in the Battle for L.A. at Dodger Stadium.


Slumping

Chris Capuano, Los Angeles Dodgers (8-2, 2.82 ERA)

The 33-year-old lefty isn’t dominating like he was earlier this season. In his last two starts, Capuano has given up four homers, 11 hits, five walks and eight earned runs in just 10 1/3 innings. However, he’s still holding batters to a .203 average overall.

Ivan Nova, New York Yankees (7-2, 5.09 ERA)

The 25-year-old right-hander is coming off his best outing, an eight-inning performance against the Rays in which he allowed one run on four hits. But hey, it’s a light schedule of games and we had to pick someone in the slumping category. Nova had given up five earned runs in three of his previous four starts. Batters are hitting .297 against him this season.


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MLB

Monday, June 11

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Rounding the bases: Hottest bets in the big leagues
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Every week, we update you on who's hot, who's not and situational betting spots in Major League Baseball (All records and statistics through Saturday):

HOT TEAM: Atlanta Braves

THIS SEASON: 34-25.
LAST WEEK: 6-1.
THIS WEEK'S SCHEDULE: Home to the Yankees for three, home to the Orioles for three.

THE SKINNY: The Braves might be the most balanced, consistent group out there in the very competitive NL East. Atlanta is two games out of first place, and though it has struggled in the division (8-11), the club is getting it done everywhere else. Martin Prado was hitting .320, Dan Uggla had 41 RBIs, and Michael Bourn had 16 steals as Atlanta concluded a weekend set against Toronto.

All seems well with a team that collapsed down the stretch last season but has rallied around that pain. And do not discount the fate of Chipper Jones in that motivation talk as well. He went on the disabled list May 24 with a left calf contusion, but returned to the lineup Sunday. His teammates see the way he has worked to get back. They respect that and every player wants to send the veteran to the postseason before he calls it a career.

COLD TEAM: Colorado Rockies

THIS SEASON: 24-34.
LAST WEEK: 2-5.
THIS WEEK'S SCHEDULE: Home to the Athletics for three, at the Tigers for three.

THE SKINNY: The Rockies have been ho-hum all season. They entered Sunday’s game against the Angels 13 games out of first place in the National League West. But last week was particularly tough, as they lost a pair to Arizona in a 24-hour span by a combined 16-1 score.

In a four-game losing streak, before Sunday’s action, the Rockies allowed 34 runs. That's not going to get it done when you trot out an inconsistent offense to support that staff, and that's what the Rockies do. Carlos Gonzalez has been tremendous. But when one player leads your team in several offensive categories, it often isn’t a good sign.

The Rockies are way out of contention, as a result, and on the mound, they don't have a pitcher with five wins yet.

OVER TEAM: Oakland Athletics

O/U THIS SEASON: 23-34-3.
O/U LAST WEEK: 5-2.
THIS WEEK'S SCHEDULE: At the Rockies for three, home to the Padres for three.

THE SKINNY: This is rare real estate for the Athletics in any season. Even in the “Moneyball” heyday, when they were winning at a great clip, it wasn’t on the strength of overwhelming offense.

Listen, Oakland will always have a huge ballpark, and a not-so-huge payroll, so more times than not, the Athletics will be an under team. But something has gotten into them lately. They beat the Rangers of all teams, 12-1, and 7-1, last week, and scored 11 runs in the first two games of the weekend series with Arizona. Not bad.

UNDER TEAM: Toronto Blue Jays

O/U THIS SEASON: 27-29-3.
O/U LAST WEEK: 2-5.
THIS WEEK'S SCHEDULE: Home to the Nationals for three, at the Phillies for three.

THE SKINNY: Toronto has a better offense than it’s showed, but that’s not your problem. As they underachieve, it’s only helped their value as a solid under play in the late spring. Playing in National League ballparks hasn’t helped -- and notice they close this week at Philadelphia -- as the Blue Jays scored just five runs in their first two games in Atlanta. They did break out in a 12-4 win Sunday.

Things will pick up. This team, after all, has Jose Bautista (17 home runs), Edwin Encarnacion (43 RBIs), and J.P. Arencibia (seven doubles) to rely on. And keep in mind that what was perceived as a solid pitching staff has been underwhelming, and that may help turn the tide to overs, as well. Toronto began Sunday’s action 19th in both team ERA (4.09) and WHIP (1.33).

But for now, something’s a bit off throughout, and the unders have been pouring in. In their last 11 games, they posted seven unders.

MLB
Long Sheet

Monday, June 11

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WASHINGTON (35 - 23) at TORONTO (31 - 29) - 7:05 PM
EDWIN JACKSON (R) vs. BRANDON MORROW (R)
Top Trends for this game.
MORROW is 26-13 (+14.7 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
WASHINGTON is 23-12 (+12.8 Units) against the money line in June games over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 75-69 (+14.1 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 87-83 (+11.6 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 63-51 (+15.8 Units) against the money line after a win over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 53-44 (+19.9 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 35-23 (+9.5 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
WASHINGTON is 46-35 (+16.9 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 2 seasons.
MORROW is 3-9 (-10.3 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)

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

EDWIN JACKSON vs. TORONTO since 1997
JACKSON is 3-3 when starting against TORONTO with an ERA of 4.41 and a WHIP of 1.195.
His team's record is 5-8 (-3.3 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 8-5. (+2.6 units)

BRANDON MORROW vs. WASHINGTON since 1997
No recent starts.

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NY YANKEES (34 - 25) at ATLANTA (34 - 26) - 7:10 PM
IVAN NOVA (R) vs. RANDALL DELGADO (R)
Top Trends for this game.
NY YANKEES are 79-73 (-19.7 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 40-22 (+17.3 Units) against the money line in June games over the last 3 seasons.
ATLANTA is 26-15 (+8.7 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
NY YANKEES are 126-77 (+18.3 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
NOVA is 28-11 (+12.5 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
NOVA is 14-4 (+9.2 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
NOVA is 27-11 (+11.2 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
NOVA is 7-0 (+7.4 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)
ATLANTA is 0-8 (-10.8 Units) against the money line when playing on Monday this season.

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

IVAN NOVA vs. ATLANTA since 1997
No recent starts.

RANDALL DELGADO vs. NY YANKEES since 1997
No recent starts.

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BOSTON (29 - 31) at MIAMI (31 - 29) - 7:10 PM
JOSH BECKETT (R) vs. JOSH JOHNSON (R)
Top Trends for this game.
BOSTON is 78-72 (-25.0 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 52-54 (-23.2 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 121-103 (-20.4 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 36-18 (+18.5 Units) against the money line in road games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
BECKETT is 17-5 (+11.4 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
MIAMI is 23-38 (-21.7 Units) against the money line in home games after a loss over the last 2 seasons.
MIAMI is 11-29 (-18.8 Units) against the money line after 3 or more consecutive losses over the last 2 seasons.
MIAMI is 6-21 (-14.5 Units) against the money line as a home underdog of +100 to +125 over the last 2 seasons.
MIAMI is 47-63 (-27.9 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons.
MIAMI is 0-6 (-7.4 Units) against the money line in home games in June games this season.
MIAMI is 47-63 (-27.9 Units) against the money line in home games in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
MIAMI is 35-49 (-23.9 Units) against the money line in home games in night games over the last 2 seasons.
MIAMI is 69-88 (-21.2 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.

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

JOSH BECKETT vs. MIAMI since 1997
No recent starts.

JOSH JOHNSON vs. BOSTON since 1997
JOHNSON is 0-0 when starting against BOSTON with an ERA of 3.86 and a WHIP of 1.143.
His team's record is 0-1 (-1.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-1. (-1.2 units)

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LA ANGELS (32 - 29) at LA DODGERS (39 - 22) - 10:10 PM
GARRETT RICHARDS (R) vs. CHRIS CAPUANO (L)
Top Trends for this game.
LA ANGELS are 132-139 (-30.2 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 3 seasons.
LA ANGELS are 93-102 (-27.8 Units) against the money line after a win over the last 3 seasons.
LA DODGERS are 39-22 (+15.1 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
LA DODGERS are 28-15 (+11.1 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
LA DODGERS are 25-12 (+10.7 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
LA DODGERS are 25-13 (+12.2 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
LA DODGERS are 39-22 (+15.1 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
LA DODGERS are 26-12 (+12.6 Units) against the money line when the total is 7 or less this season.
LA DODGERS are 51-29 (+16.6 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 7 or less over the last 2 seasons.
CAPUANO is 7-0 (+7.3 Units) against the money line after a win this season. (Team's Record)
LA ANGELS are 23-9 (+15.0 Units) against the money line in road games in June games over the last 3 seasons.
LA ANGELS are 81-61 (+27.8 Units) against the money line in road games in an inter-league game since 1997.
LA ANGELS are 529-516 (+65.6 Units) against the money line in road games in games played on a grass field since 1997.
LA ANGELS are 615-609 (+40.9 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record since 1997.
LA ANGELS are 638-627 (+64.0 Units) against the money line in road games since 1997.

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

GARRETT RICHARDS vs. LA DODGERS since 1997
No recent starts.

CHRIS CAPUANO vs. LA ANGELS since 1997
CAPUANO is 0-1 when starting against LA ANGELS with an ERA of 3.00 and a WHIP of 1.833.
His team's record is 0-1 (-1.2 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-0. (+1.0 units)

MLB
Short Sheet

Monday, June 11

Interleague

Washington at Toronto, 7:05 ET
Jackson: 8-18 TSR in the first half of the season
Morrow: Toronto 8-0 SU after scoring 8+ runs

NY Yankees at Atlanta, 7:10 ET
Nova: 9-0 TSR as a road favorite of -150 or less
Delgado: Atlanta 0-8 SU on Mondays

Boston at Miami, 7:10 ET ESPN
Beckett: Boston 25-9 Over as a favorite of -150 or less
Johnson: Miami 6-21 SU as a home underdog of +125 or less

LA Angels at LA Dodgers, 10:10 ET
Richards: Angels 5-12 SU away with a total of 7 to 8.5 runs
Capuano: 7-0 TSR pitching after a team win

MLB

Monday, June 11

Game Score Status Pick Amount

Washington - 7:07 PM ET Washington +149 500
Toronto - Over 8 500

Boston - 7:10 PM ET Miami -107 500
Miami - Under 7.5 500

NY Yankees - 7:10 PM ET NY Yankees -109 500
Atlanta - Under 8.5 500

LA Angels - 10:10 PM ET LA Dodgers -107 500
LA Dodgers - Under 7.5 500