Cnotes Sunday's MLB Best Bets !

Freefalling Red Sox Finish Set At Yankees

The Boston Red Sox are quickly running out of time to make a playoff run. The task doesn’t get any easier on Sunday night as they conclude a weekend series at the hated New York Yankees.

The Don Best odds screen will have the opening lines shortly and ESPN will have the national telecast beginning at 8:00 p.m. (ET). The pitching matchup is Josh Beckett against Hiroki Kuroda.

This series opened Friday in the Bronx with Boston again coming out on the losing end (6-4). Saturday’s Game 2 was still pending with the struggling Jon Lester a 110 ‘dog against David Phelps and New York. The total in that one was 9 ½.

The Red Sox are 3-7 against the Yankees this year. The ‘over’ is 7-3 (5-1 in the last six).

Boston is on a ‘highway to hell’ this season and manager Bobby Valentine is the bus driver. There was a recent report that many players met with ownership to have him fired in late July, and the Bobby V. experiment is clearly not working.

The Red Sox are now 6.5 games out of a wild-card spot and trailing multiple teams. It’s hard to believe this underachieving bunch has MLB’s second-highest payroll, only trailing the Yanks.

Having Beckett (5-10, 5.19 ERA) on the mound isn’t exactly comforting to Red Sox fans. He was absolutely rocked in his last two
starts, 14 earned runs (five homers) over 10 1/3 innings vs. Texas and at Baltimore. Boston is just 2-9 in his last 11 starts overall (6.09 ERA).

The 32-year-old right-hander doesn’t possess a great fastball anymore, with his strikeout rate 6.53 after being at least 8.16 the last five years. He got hit hard in his only meeting against the Yankees this year on July 6 (six earned over five innings).

Beckett has had some prior success pitching at Yankee Stadium, 2-0 with a 1.38 ERA in two starts last year.

The Yankees keep chugging along despite several key injuries. They lead the AL East by six games over Baltimore and are 8-2 in their last 10, 4-1 during this homestand.

Kuroda (11-8, 3.06 ERA) was a guy Boston thought about signing as a free agent from the Dodgers, but ultimately didn’t want to pay his price. He has been especially good his last six starts (1.44 ERA) with New York going 4-2.

The ‘under’ is 6-0 in those outings, including 4-0 at home where he has a 2.31 ERA for the year.

One of Kuroda’s recent losses was at home vs. Boston on July 29. He allowed two earned runs over eight innings, but was outdueled by Felix Doubront and the Red Sox bullpen in a 3-2 loss. Kuroda struggled at Fenway (six earned over 5 2/3 innings) in his other meeting vs. Boston this year (although New York still won, 10-8).

New York first baseman Mark Teixeira (wrist) missed Friday’s game and was doubtful for Saturday. The team continues to find other players to step up, with Alex Rodriguez (hand) also out, showing an overall desire and fortitude that Boston lacks.

Don’t end your weekend without trying out the Don Best Pro Odds! It’s your only choice for all the best betting news and information.

Diamond Trends - Sunday

August 19, 2012

SU TREND OF THE DAY:

-- The Rangers are 16-0 since May 28, 2011 when Matt Harrison starts as a 140+ favorite after throwing more than 100 pitches for a net profit of $1600.

OU TREND OF THE DAY:

-- The Phillies are 13-0-1 OU since July 16, 2011 when playing a day game with a total under 10 when they are off a win in which they never trailed in a night game for a net profit of $1300 when playing the over.

STARTER TREND OF THE DAY:

-- The Pirates are 0-12 since June 05, 2009 when Jeff Karstens starts as a road dog after his team won the last time he started vs this opponent for a net profit of $1200 when playing against.

MLB BIBLE TREND OF THE DAY:

-- The Mets are 13-1 OU (5.2 rpg) since May 14, 2005 when playing a day game after scoring 3 runs or less and winning as a dog.

TODAY’S TRENDS:

-- The Indians are 8-0 since April 15, 2011 when Justin Masterson starts within 20 cents of pickem after going at least 6 innings and giving up 6 or fewer hits for a net profit of $823.

-- The Cardinals are 6-0 since April 20, 2011 when Jaime Garcia starts at home after he had a WHIP of at least 2 his last start for a net profit of $600

Red Sox-Yankees play rubber match Sunday

BOSTON RED SOX (59-62)

at NEW YORK YANKEES (71-49)


First pitch: Sunday, 8:05 p.m. EDT
Line: New York -150, Boston +140, Total: 9

After splitting the first two matchups of their series, the Red Sox and Yankees wrap up their three-game set Sunday night in the Bronx.

Boston, which still sits three games under .500, will send struggling right-hander Josh Beckett to the mound on Sunday. The Red Sox are 7-13 in Beckett’s 20 starts this season, including 2-9 since May 31, a span in which Beckett has a 6.09 ERA and 1.42 WHIP. The Yankees will counter with Hiroki Kuroda, who has pitched the Yankees to wins in eight of his past 10 starts, posting a 2.42 ERA and 0.98 WHIP in this span. Kuroda has also been dominant at Yankee Stadium this season, going 8-4 with a 2.31 ERA and 0.99 WHIP. This is too much of a pitching mismatch to play on the plus money here, especially since the Yankees are 14-3 facing AL pitchers with a WHIP between 1.30 and 1.40 this season. Take the chalk here and expect Kuroda and NEW YORK to capture this series.

This two-star FoxSheets trend also sides with the Yankees:

Play On - All favorites with a money line of -110 or higher (N.Y. YANKEES) - with a starting pitcher whose strikes out 5 or more batters per start, excellent power team - averaging 1.5 or more HR's/game on the season. (111-44 over the last 5 seasons.) (71.6%, +41.6 units. Rating = 2*).

Even with Saturday’s 4-1 win, Boston has been struggling lately with seven losses in its past 11 games. The Red Sox are an identical 4-7 against New York this season too. Beckett (5-10, 5.19 ERA, 1.31 WHIP) has been atrocious in his two August starts, allowing 14 runs on 14 hits -- including five homers -- in just 10.1 innings of work. He was also tagged in his one outing versus the Yankees this year, allowing six runs on eight hits in just five frames of a 10-8 loss. That worsened Beckett’s career numbers to a 5.13 ERA and 1.39 WHIP in 30 starts versus the Yankees. However, the Red Sox are 19-11 in these 30 starts, with Beckett carrying a strong personal record of 15-8 against his bitter rival. With Beckett averaging a mere 4.3 innings per start in his past three outings, Boston’s bullpen will more than likely be called upon to pitch a few innings. However, Red Sox relievers have a 3.33 ERA in 2012, which is even more impressive on the road (2.59 ERA).

Kuroda (11-8, 3.06 ERA, 1.15 WHIP) was masterful in his last outing, blanking the mighty Rangers with a two-hit shutout, striking out five and walking just two batters. He hasn’t been great in three career starts against the Red Sox, posting a 4.35 ERA and 1.26 WHIP. However, he stymied them in the Bronx on July 29, holding Boston to just two runs in eight innings and taking a no-decision in a 3-2 defeat. But the Yankees rank second in the AL with a 38-24 home record (.613), including 9-5 with Kuroda on the mound. He averages 6.6 innings per start overall and 7.0 at home, but is confident in turning the ball over to his New York bullpen that carries a 3.32 ERA with 38 saves in 47 chances (81%) this season. One major injury for the Yankees is 1B Mark Teixeira, who is questionable to play on Sunday because of a wrist injury.

MLB
Dunkel

San Francisco at San Diego
The Padres look to bounce back from yesterday's 8-7 loss and build on their 5-1 record in Clayton Richard's last 6 starts after scoring 5 or more runs in the previous game. San Diego is the pick (+110) according to Dunkel, which has the Padres favored by 1/2 a run. Dunkel Pick: San Diego (+110). Here are all of today's picks.

SUNDAY, AUGUST 19

Game 901-902: Chicago Cubs at Cincinnati (1:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Cubs (Volstad) 14.375; Cincinnati (Latos) 14.710
Dunkel Line: Cincinnati by 1/2; 9
Vegas Line: Cincinnati (-260); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Cincinnati (-260); Over

Game 903-904: NY Mets at Washington (1:35 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: NY Mets (Hefner) 15.632; Washington (Gonzalez) 15.373
Dunkel Line: NY Mets by 1/2; 7
Vegas Line: Washington (-210); 8
Dunkel Pick: NY Mets (+180); Under

Game 905-906: LA Dodgers at Atlanta (1:35 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: LA Dodgers (Billingsley) 16.696; Atlanta (Minor) 16.235
Dunkel Line: LA Dodgers by 1/2; 7
Vegas Line: Atlanta (-120); 8
Dunkel Pick: LA Dodgers (+100); Under

Game 907-908: Arizona at Houston (2:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Arizona (Kennedy) 15.796; Houston (Galarraga) 13.067
Dunkel Line: Arizona by 2 1/2; 9 1/2
Vegas Line: Arizona (-200); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Arizona (-200); Over

Game 909-910: Philadelphia at Milwaukee (2:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Philadelphia (Kendrick) 15.540; Milwaukee (Wolf) 14.771
Dunkel Line: Philadelphia by 1; 8 1/2
Vegas Line: Milwaukee (-120); 9
Dunkel Pick: Philadelphia (+100); Under

Game 911-912: Pittsburgh at St. Louis (2:15 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Pittsburgh (Karstens) 15.106; St. Louis (Garcia) 15.662
Dunkel Line: St. Louis by 1/2; 9
Vegas Line: St. Louis (-155); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: St. Louis (-155); Over

Game 913-914: Miami at Colorado (3:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Miami (Johnson) 14.715; Colorado (Pomeranz) 15.488
Dunkel Line: Colorado by 1; 9
Vegas Line: Miami (-130); 10
Dunkel Pick: Colorado (+110); Under

Game 915-916: San Francisco at San Diego (4:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: San Francisco (Vogelsong) 14.993; San Diego (Richard) 15.385
Dunkel Line: San Diego by 1/2; 6
Vegas Line: San Francisco (-135); 6 1/2
Dunkel Pick: San Diego (+115); Under

Game 917-918: Texas at Toronto (1:07 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Texas (Harrison) 14.683; Toronto (Alvarez) 15.671
Dunkel Line: Toronto by 1; 9 1/2
Vegas Line: Texas (-170); 9
Dunkel Pick: Toronto (+150); Over

Game 919-920: Baltimore at Detroit (1:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Baltimore (Chen) 16.530; Detroit (Fister) 15.534
Dunkel Line: Baltimore by 1; 8
Vegas Line: Detroit (-185); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Baltimore (+165); Under

Game 921-922: Chicago White Sox at Kansas City (2:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: White Sox (Quintana) 15.186; Kansas City (Guthrie) 16.419
Dunkel Line: Kansas City by 1; 8
Vegas Line: Chicago White Sox (-120); 9
Dunkel Pick: Kansas City (+100); Under

Game 923-924: Tampa Bay at LA Angels (3:35 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Tampa Bay (Moore) 14.987; LA Angels (Greinke) 15.304
Dunkel Line: LA Angels by 1/2; 8
Vegas Line: LA Angels (-135); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: LA Angels (-135); Over

Game 925-926: Cleveland at Oakland (4:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Cleveland (Masterson) 13.188; Oakland (Parker) 15.342
Dunkel Line: Oakland by 2; 8
Vegas Line: Oakland (-130); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Oakland (-130); Over

Game 927-928: Minnesota at Seattle (4:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Minnesota (Deduno) 14.053; Seattle (Beavan) 15.927
Dunkel Line: Seattle by 2; 6 1/2
Vegas Line: Seattle (-115); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Seattle (-115); Under

Game 929-930: Boston at NY Yankees (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Boston (Beckett) 15.758; NY Yankees (Kuroda) 15.382
Dunkel Line: Boston by 1/2; 8 1/2
Vegas Line: NY Yankees (-160); 9
Dunkel Pick: Boston (+140); Under

MLB
Armadillo's Write-Up

Sunday, August 19

Hot pitchers
-- Latos is 3-0, 1.31 in his last five starts.
-- GGonzalez is 3-1, 3.68 in his last five starts.
-- Billingsley is 5-0, 1.56 in his last five starts.
-- JJohnson has a 2.38 RA in his last three starts.
-- Richard is 2-1, 2.60 in his last four starts.

-- Fister is 3-0, 2.30 in his last four starts. WChen is 3-1, 3.47 in his last four.
-- Guthrie is 2-0, 0.00 (15 IP) in his last two starts. Quintana is 1-1, 2.63 in his last couple starts.
-- Moore is 3-1, 1.10 in his last five starts.
-- Masterson is 2-0, 2.77 in his last couple starts.
-- Deduno is 4-0, 2.67 in his last five starts.
-- Kuroda is 3-1, 1.44 in his last six starts.

Cold pitchers
-- Volstad is 0-3, 6.05 in his last four starts; Cubs are 1-11 in his starts.
-- Hefner is 2-3, 5.67 in six starts this season.
-- Minor is 0-2, 3.24 in his last three starts.
-- Galarraga is 0-3, 6.64 in four starts for Houston. Kennedy is 0-2, 9.90 in his last couple starts.
-- Kendrick is 1-2, 4.45 in his last five starts. Wolf is 0-3, 6.56 in his last four outings.
-- Karstens is 1-1, 4.70 in his last four starts. JGarcia was 0-2, 7.20 in his last three starts before going on the DL.
-- Pomeranz is 0-4, 7.82 in his last six starts.
-- Vogelsong is 2-2, 5.73 in his last four starts.

-- Harrison is 1-3, 4.94 in his last five starts. Alvarez is 0-3, 6.48 in his last three outings.
-- Greinke is 1-1, 5.54 in four starts for the Angels.
-- Parker is 0-3, 7.25 in his last four starts.
-- Beavan is 1-1, 5.03 in his last three starts.
-- Beckett is 0-3, 8.31 in his last five starts.

Hot Teams
-- Nationals won 13 of their last 17 games.
-- Braves won 19 of their last 24 games. Dodgers won seven of last ten.
-- Reds won seven of their last nine games.
-- Cardinals won 11 of their last 15 home games.
-- Milwaukee won seven its last eight home games.
-- Arizona is 9-7 in its last sixteen road games.
-- Marlins won three of their last four games. Colorado won four of its last six.
-- Giants won seven of their last nine road games.

-- Detroit won 11 of its last 14 home games. Orioles won ten of their last fourteen games overall.
-- Bronx won eight of its last eleven games.
-- White Sox won eight of their last 12 road games. Royals are 12-6 in their last eighteen games.
-- Tampa Bay won 15 of its last 20 games.
-- A's won their last three games, allowing nine runs.
-- Mariners won six of their last seven games.

Cold Teams
-- Cubs lost 14 of their last 18 games.
-- Pirates lost eight of their last twelve games.
-- Mets lost eight of their last twelve games.
-- Phillies are 5-7 in their last 12 road games.
-- Astros lost 14 of their last 18 games- they fired their manager last nite.
-- Padres lost six of their last seven games.

-- Red Sox lost eleven of their last seventeen games.
-- Rangers are 7-9 in their last sixteen road games. Blue Jays lost 16 of their last 20 games.
-- Indians lost 15 of their last 19 games.
-- Angels lost 12 of their last 17 games.
-- Twins lost seven of their last eight games.

Totals
-- Eight of Mets' last eleven games went over the total.
-- Over is 8-3-2 in Cincinnati's last thirteen home games
-- Over is 12-5-2 in last nineteen Dodger road games.
-- Six of last seven Houston games went over the total.
-- Over is 6-1-1 in last eight Milwaukee games.
-- Ten of last twelve Pirate games went over the total.
-- Over is 7-2-3 in last twelve games at Coors Field.
-- Five of last six Vogelsong starts went over the total.

-- Under is 15-7-1 in last twenty-three Texas games.
-- Under is 10-3-1 in last fourteen Baltimore road games.
-- Under is 22-9 in Boston's last 31 road games.
-- 11 of White Sox' last 16 road games stayed under.
-- 11 of last 14 Cleveland road games went over.
-- 20 of last 28 Tampa Bay games stayed under total.
-- Under is 12-5-2 in last nineteen games at Safeco Field.

Umpires
-- Chi-Cin-- Visiting team won six of last seven Diaz games.
-- SF-SD-- Four of last five O'Nora games stayed under total.
-- Az-Hst-- Four of last five Demuth games stayed under.
-- NY-Wsh-- All ten Baker games stayed under the total.
-- Phil-Mil-- Favorites won eight of last nine Muchlinski games.
-- LA-Atl-- Last four Wegner games went over the total.
-- Pitt-StL-- Nine of last thirteen Hoye games went over.
-- Mia-Col-- Visiting team won 12 of 16 Estabrook games.

-- Tex-Tor-- Four of last five BWelke games went over.
-- Bos-NY-- Nine of last eleven Meals games stayed under.
-- Blt-Det-- Under is 10-5-2 in last 17 Carapazza games.
-- Chi-KC-- Under is 7-1-1 in last nine Blaser games.
-- Cle-A's-- Home team won Fletcher's last four games behind dish.
-- TB-LA-- Seven of last eight Wolf games stayed under.
-- Min-Sea-- Under is 8-3-2 in last thirteen Cuzzi games.

MLB

Sunday, August 19

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Trend Report
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1:05 PM
BALTIMORE vs. DETROIT
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Baltimore's last 6 games when playing on the road against Detroit
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Baltimore's last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Detroit's last 6 games when playing at home against Baltimore
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Detroit's last 7 games at home

1:07 PM
TEXAS vs. TORONTO
Texas is 5-12 SU in its last 17 games when playing on the road against Toronto
Texas is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Toronto
Toronto is 12-5 SU in its last 17 games when playing at home against Texas
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Toronto's last 7 games when playing Texas

1:10 PM
CHI CUBS vs. CINCINNATI
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Chi Cubs's last 5 games on the road
Chi Cubs are 1-5 SU in their last 6 games when playing Cincinnati
The total has gone OVER in 11 of Cincinnati's last 15 games when playing at home against Chi Cubs
Cincinnati is 6-2 SU in their last 8 games when playing at home against Chi Cubs

1:35 PM
NY METS vs. WASHINGTON
NY Mets are 2-4 SU in its last 6 games on the road
NY Mets are 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Washington
Washington is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Washington's last 8 games

1:35 PM
LA DODGERS vs. ATLANTA
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of LA Dodgers's last 5 games when playing Atlanta
The total has gone OVER in 4 of LA Dodgers's last 6 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Atlanta's last 5 games
Atlanta is 4-2 SU in their last 6 games when playing LA Dodgers

2:05 PM
ARIZONA vs. HOUSTON
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Arizona's last 11 games
Arizona is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
Houston is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Arizona
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Houston's last 6 games when playing at home against Arizona

2:10 PM
CHI WHITE SOX vs. KANSAS CITY
Chi White Sox are 1-4 SU in their last 5 games when playing Kansas City
Chi White Sox are 3-8 SU in their last 11 games when playing on the road against Kansas City
Kansas City is 4-1 SU in their last 5 games when playing Chi White Sox
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Kansas City's last 6 games

2:10 PM
PHILADELPHIA vs. MILWAUKEE
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Philadelphia's last 6 games when playing Milwaukee
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Philadelphia's last 8 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Milwaukee's last 6 games when playing Philadelphia
Milwaukee is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games at home

2:15 PM
PITTSBURGH vs. ST. LOUIS
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Pittsburgh's last 9 games when playing on the road against St. Louis
Pittsburgh is 8-16 SU in its last 24 games when playing on the road against St. Louis
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of St. Louis's last 9 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of St. Louis's last 6 games at home

3:10 PM
MIAMI vs. COLORADO
Miami is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Miami's last 5 games on the road
Colorado is 5-12 SU in its last 17 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 9 of Colorado's last 10 games when playing Miami

3:35 PM
TAMPA BAY vs. LA ANGELS
Tampa Bay is 5-0 SU in their last 5 games when playing LA Angels
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Tampa Bay's last 9 games when playing LA Angels
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of LA Angels's last 9 games when playing Tampa Bay
The total has gone OVER in 5 of LA Angels's last 6 games at home

4:05 PM
SAN FRANCISCO vs. SAN DIEGO
The total has gone OVER in 5 of San Francisco's last 5 games when playing on the road against San Diego
San Francisco is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games on the road
San Diego is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of San Diego's last 6 games

4:05 PM
CLEVELAND vs. OAKLAND
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Cleveland's last 5 games on the road
Cleveland is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing Oakland
Oakland is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home
Oakland is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing Cleveland

4:10 PM
MINNESOTA vs. SEATTLE
Minnesota is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Seattle
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Minnesota's last 6 games when playing on the road against Seattle
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Seattle's last 6 games
Seattle is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games

8:05 PM
BOSTON vs. NY YANKEES
Boston is 13-5 SU in their last 18 games when playing on the road against NY Yankees
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Boston's last 7 games when playing NY Yankees
NY Yankees are 5-13 SU in their last 18 games when playing at home against Boston
The total has gone OVER in 7 of NY Yankees's last 10 games when playing at home against Boston

MLB

Sunday, August 19

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Sunday's streaking and slumping starting pitchers
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STREAKING

Doug Fister, Detroit Tigers (7-7, 3.24 ERA)

Fister has been on fire since the All-Star break, going 5-1 with a 1.52 ERA and 48:8 K:BB ratio in 53 1/3 innings. He’s picked up wins in three of his last four starts, only surrendering four earned runs during that span. He takes the hill at Comerica versus the Orioles next time out.

Mat Latos, Cincinnati Reds (10-3, 3.63 ERA)

Latos pitched seven scoreless innings Tuesday against the Mets but walked away with a no-decision. The righty hasn’t been tabbed with a loss since July 17 and has only squandered one earned run in his last 21 1/3 innings. He toes the rubber at home against the lowly Cubs on Sunday.

SLUMPING

Jarrod Parker, Oakland Athletics (7-7, 3.71 ERA)

Parker gave up five runs (four earned) over 4 2/3 innings against the Royals on Tuesday. He’s now 2-4 with a 6.15 ERA over his last seven starts and during that stretch opposing batters are hitting a generous .309 against him. He looks to turn things around against the Indians in his next start.

Josh Beckett, Boston Red Sox (5-10, 5.19 ERA)

Beckett was shelled yet again Tuesday, allowing six runs on six hits over 5 1/3 innings in Boston's 7-1 loss at Baltimore. He’s 0-3 with a 7.96 ERA over his last five outings and hasn’t picked up a win since July 15. Things won’t get easier for Beckett, as he takes the mound against the Yankees in New York on Sunday.

MLB

Sunday, August 19

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Sunday Night Baseball: Red Sox at Yankees
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The Red Sox and Yankees take center stage once again for Sunday Night Baseball in the Bronx.

THE YANKEES BECKON

Josh Beckett is having a season to forget for Boston, and the Red Sox fans are letting him hear about it. Beckett left a recent start due to a back ailment and he was serenaded with boos from the Fenway faithful. He will be making his second start against the Yankees this season. Back on July 6th, the righty picked up a no-decision after giving up six runs and eight hits in five innings of work. Beckett has allowed four runs or more in two straight outings and in five of his last eight starts overall. He only has nine strikeouts in his last 20 innings pitched. Beckett has not won a road start since July 15th when he beat the Rays 7-3. His other problem has been going deep into games; Beckett hasn't seen the eighth inning since June 6th and that has been taxing the Red Sox bullpen.

THE AL SUITS HIM WELL

Hiroki Kuroda has made his first season in the American League a successful one so far going 11-8 with a 3.06 ERA. He is making his third start this season against Boston after getting no-decisions in his first two tries. On July 29th, Kuroda allowed two runs and four hits in eight innings, but he left the game and Boston won 3-2 in New York. July 6th was another no-decision for the righty after he allowed seven runs and 10 hits in Boston. Kuroda has allowed just three runs in his last four home starts while striking out 18. Kuroda has not had an awful start since that game against Boston, but that game was on the road. The Yankees have scored just nine runs in Kuroda’s last four starts.

THE WALKING WOUNDED

Boston's lineup is without David Ortiz (Achilles) and Will Middlebrooks (wrist). Daniel Nava and Ryan Sweeney are also out for Boston. With regards to pitching, the Red Sox are still without Vicente Padilla, Dice-K Matsuzaka and John Lackey although they have been able to get by with Aaron Cook. New York's lineup isn't at 100% as Robinson Cano and Mark Teixeira are dealing with neck and wrist ailments. The rotation is still without CC Sabathia, Andy Pettitte and Michael Pineda, who was supposed to provide a boost.

TRENDS

*The Over is 6-2-1 in Beckett’s last nine road starts in New York
*Red Sox are 5-1 in Beckett's last six Sunday starts
*Yankees are 43-22 in their last 65 Sunday games
*The Under is 4-0 in Kuroda’s last four home starts

HITTERS TO WATCH

Derek Jeter is 26-for-84 (.310) vs. Beckett

Andruw Jones is 10-for-37 (.270) vs. Beckett

Adrian Gonzalez is 10-for-29 (.345) vs. Kuroda

Cody Ross is 6-for-25 (.240) vs. Kuroda

Sunday's betting tips: Mills gets the boot

Weather to watch

Los Angeles Dodgers at Atlanta Braves: A 30 percent chance of an isolated thunderstorm throughout the afternoon hours.

New York Mets at Washington Nationals: A 30 percent chance of showers with the threat of precipitation increasing throughout the afternoon.

Who’s hot?

The Tampa Bay Rays have won three straight after dropping consecutive contests to the Mariners. The Rays are the hottest team in baseball with 10 victories over their last 12 games.

Who’s not?

Houston Astros manager Brad Mills was fired by general manager Jeff Luhnow after a 12-4 defeat to the Diamondbacks on Saturday night. The Astros have plummeted to a league worst 39-82 campaign in the third year of Mills’ tenure, which has failed to produce a winning record.

Key stat

11-0: Reds starting pitcher Johnny Cueto’s record during day games this season.

Game of the day

Tampa Bay Rays at Los Angeles Angels (-144, 7.5)

Injury that shouldn’t be overlooked

Washington Redskins linebacker Brian Orakpo left Saturday’s preseason game against the Bears in the first quarter with an injury to the pectoral muscle. Orakpo suffered the same injury last season and will undergo an MRI later on Sunday.

Notable quotable

"I don't know. It's interesting. I don't have the pulse on this game. What was it exactly? Us? Them? Some crazy, wild calls. Were they accurate? Weren't they? We'll see. I have a headache (from yelling) though. I have a darned headache. A lot them (the calls) didn't seem like they were in the ballpark." 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh on the performance of NFL replacement officials after a 20-9 loss to Houston on Saturday.

Betting news and notes

*The Texas Rangers are only 19-21 since July 1 and have been outscored 197-171 in that span.

*The Tampa Bay Rays have won five straight against the Angels and outscored them 34-11 during that span.

*The New York Yankees have hit 29 home runs in 11 games against the Red Sox this season. Curtis Granderson has gone deep in each of the first two games of the current series.

*Red Sox left fielder Carl Crawford would like to have surgery on his left elbow as early as next week, according to reports out of Boston. Crawford has batted .283 in 30 games since coming off the disabled list on July 16, but is playing with pain in his ailing elbow.

Armadillo: Sunday's six-pack

-- Red Sox DH's haven't homered since David Ortiz went on the DL.

-- Oakland A's are 49-11 this season when they score 4+ runs.

-- Former Met manager Davey Johnson is 44-20 as a skipper against Met manager Terry Collins.

-- University of Missouri anticipates a $750,000 increase in travel costs this year as the move from the Big X to the SEC.

-- Sam Snead (52) is the oldest golfer to win a PGA Tour event, when he won at Greensboro for a still-record 8th time.

-- Houston Astros fired manager Brad Mills Saturday night, at same time as Houston Texans' first home game, so it'll get buried in Sunday papers. Stay classy, Houston.


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Armadillo: Sunday's List of 13: Odds and ends for a summer Sunday......

13) Texas pitcher Ryan Dempster is a Canadian, but he couldn't make the Rangers' trip to Toronto this weekend, because he lost his passport. You can't get back into the USA without your passport. He didn't need to have a passport with the Cubs, since they didn't play in Toronto this year.

12) If you look at the 25 hitters in the major leagues who've come to bat with the most men on base, the only two who knocked in over 20% of those runners are Miguel Cabrera and Adrian Gonzalez.

11) Former NBA defensive whiz Bruce Bowen is now the life coach for pro golfer Jimmie Walker; his job is to make Walker mentally tougher.

10) Boston College AD Gene De Fillippo is retiring after a recent cancer scare, which is very bad news for BC football coach Frank Spaziani. It ain't good for your job security for the program to be struggling while your school hires a new AD-- those guys like to hire their own people.

9) Bartolo Colon is 10-9, 3.43 this season for the A's, his first season of 10+ wins since 2005. His veteran presence has been invaluable for a starting staff that has had as many as four rookies starting at one time.

8) When are FOX or ESPN going to get off their butts and show the Cinderella Pirates on a national TV broadcast? Enough with the depressing Red Sox, show some different teams, some contending teams.

7) Wonderfully Obscure Fact of the Day: Tim McCarver was 17 when he broke into pro ball with the Class D Keokuk Cardinals, way back in 1959; the plate umpire for his first game as a pro was a 19-year old umpire, a guy you may have heard of...........Brent Musberger. Yes, him.

6) When Cincinnati sent rookie Todd Redmond out to start the nightcap of Saturday's twinbill with the Cubs, they became the last team this season to use a sixth starting pitcher.

5) Audie Cole is a rookie linebacker for the Vikings from NC State who did something pretty rare Friday night, especially for a LB; he picked off two passes and ran both of them in for touchdowns.

4) Was surprised to hear that Sergio Garcia hasn't won a PGA tournament in this country since 2008; he has a shot at ending his skid today.

3) Oakland A's honored their 2002 team this weekend, the team that won 20 games in a row, setting an American League record. Good to see manager Art Howe came back to Oakland, despite the hatchet job that was done on him in the movie Moneyball, which is about that 2002 season.

2) Also ironic that Carlos Pena won Tampa Bay's game with a homer in the 8th inning Saturday night in Anaheim; the whole Pena/Scott Hatteberg debate was at the center of Moneyball's story, moreso in the movie than in the book.

1) Tampa Bay was down 8-0 in the 5th inning last night, but CJ Wilson did not get out of the 5th inning, and the Angels suffered a horrendous loss. Its weird to see how shaky their pitching staff is; they've already canned their batting coach, can the pitching coach be far behind?

Record the last 8 days:

Date WLT Pct Net Units Record

08/18/12 19-*11-*2 63.33% +*4375 Detail
08/17/12 17-*12-*1 58.62% +*2700 Detail
08/16/12 14-*8-*0 63.64% +*2690 Detail
08/15/12 16-*10-*0 61.54% +*2630 Detail
08/14/12 17-*13-*0 56.67% +*1740 Detail
08/13/12 12-*10-*0 54.55% +*885 Detail
08/12/12 15-*13-*1 53.57% +*1185 Detail
08/11/12 15-*15-*0 50.00% +*270 Detail

Sunday, August 19

Game Score Status Pick Amount

Baltimore - 1:05 PM ET Detroit -163 500
Detroit - Under 8 500

Texas - 1:07 PM ET Texas -169 500
Toronto - Over 8.5 500

Chi. Cubs - 1:10 PM ET Chi. Cubs +242 500
Cincinnati - Under 8.5 500

LA Dodgers - 1:35 PM ET Atlanta -108 500
Atlanta - Under 7.5 500

NY Mets - 1:35 PM ET NY Mets +192 500
Washington - Under 8 500

Arizona - 2:05 PM ET Houston +187 500
Houston - Under 9 500

Philadelphia - 2:10 PM ET Philadelphia +110 500
Milwaukee - Over 9 500

Chi. White Sox - 2:10 PM ET Chi. White Sox -105 500
Kansas City - Over 8.5 500

Pittsburgh - 2:15 PM ET St. Louis -156 500
St. Louis - Over 8 500

Miami - 3:10 PM ET Colorado +128 500
Colorado - Under 9.5 500

Tampa Bay - 3:35 PM ET Tampa Bay +126 500
LA Angels - Under 7.5 500

Cleveland - 4:05 PM ET Cleveland +119 500
Oakland - Over 7.5 500

San Francisco - 4:05 PM ET San Francisco -130 500
San Diego - Over 6.5 500

Minnesota - 4:10 PM ET Seattle -120 500
Seattle - Under 7.5 500

Boston - 8:00 PM ET NY Yankees -165 500
NY Yankees - Under 9 500


Some very nice dogs today........Good Luck !