Trend sheet 5/25

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HOUSTON vs. CINCINNATI
Houston is 11-1 SU in its last 12 games when playing on the road against Cincinnati
Houston is 18-7 SU in its last 25 games when playing Cincinnati
Cincinnati is 3-6 SU in its last 9 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Cincinnati's last 7 games

TORONTO vs. BALTIMORE
Toronto is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Baltimore
Toronto is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games when playing Baltimore
Baltimore is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Baltimore's last 12 games

NY YANKEES vs. TEXAS
NY Yankees are 10-2 SU in their last 12 games
NY Yankees are 6-2 SU in their last 8 games on the road
Texas is 2-12 SU in their last 14 games when playing at home against NY Yankees
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Texas's last 6 games when playing at home against NY Yankees

ST. LOUIS vs. MILWAUKEE
St. Louis is 1-10 SU in its last 11 games when playing Milwaukee
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of St. Louis's last 9 games when playing Milwaukee
Milwaukee is 14-6 SU in its last 20 games
Milwaukee is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games

BOSTON vs. MINNESOTA
Boston is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Boston's last 8 games
Minnesota is 11-4 SU in its last 15 games when playing at home against Boston
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Minnesota's last 10 games when playing at home against Boston

DETROIT vs. KANSAS CITY
Detroit is 7-2 SU in its last 9 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Detroit's last 5 games
Kansas City is 2-7 SU in its last 9 games when playing at home against Detroit
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Kansas City's last 8 games when playing at home against Detroit

LA DODGERS vs. COLORADO
LA Dodgers are 4-2 SU in their last 6 games when playing on the road against Colorado
LA Dodgers are 5-1 SU in their last 6 games when playing Colorado
Colorado is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 13 of Colorado's last 18 games at home

SAN DIEGO vs. ARIZONA
San Diego is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Arizona
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of San Diego's last 6 games when playing on the road against Arizona
Arizona is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
Arizona is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games at home

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

SEATTLE vs. OAKLAND
Seattle is 12-6 SU in its last 18 games when playing on the road against Oakland
Seattle is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games when playing Oakland
Oakland is 3-7 SU in its last 10 games
The total has gone OVER in 9 of Oakland's last 12 games

TAMPA BAY vs. CLEVELAND
Tampa Bay is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Cleveland
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Tampa Bay's last 14 games when playing on the road against Cleveland
Cleveland is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Cleveland's last 14 games at home

FLORIDA vs. PHILADELPHIA
Florida is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Florida's last 6 games
Philadelphia is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Florida
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Philadelphia's last 10 games when playing at home against Florida

WASHINGTON vs. NY METS
Washington is 2-9 SU in its last 11 games
The total has gone OVER in 10 of Washington's last 15 games
NY Mets are 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Washington
NY Mets are 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Washington

PITTSBURGH vs. CHI CUBS
Pittsburgh is 2-10 SU in their last 12 games when playing on the road against Chi Cubs
Pittsburgh is 4-11 SU in its last 15 games on the road
Chi Cubs are 0-5 SU in their last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Chi Cubs's last 6 games

CHI WHITE SOX vs. LA ANGELS
Chi White Sox are 12-4 SU in their last 16 games when playing on the road against LA Angels
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Chi White Sox's last 5 games when playing on the road against LA Angels
LA Angels are 5-2 SU in their last 7 games
LA Angels are 6-1 SU in their last 7 games at home

 

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Hot lines: Today?s best MLB bets
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Tampa Bay Rays at Cleveland Indians (-110, 9.5)

David Price will eventually be a big part of the Tampa Bay Rays' future, but for now he's just filling in.

Price will make his season debut for the Rays on Monday night when they try to end a 13-game road losing streak to the Cleveland Indians in the opener of a four-game set.

The No. 1 overall pick in the 2007 draft out of Vanderbilt, Price was dominant at three minor league levels in 2008, going 12-1 with a 2.30 ERA before being called up on Sept. 13. He posted a 1.93 ERA in five appearances - with one start - before shining in the postseason for the Rays.

Price did not give up a hit over 2 1-3 innings in the AL championship series against Boston, including 1 1-3 innings in a Game 7 win. He finished with a 1.59 ERA in five postseason appearances.

The 23-year-old left-hander is getting the start because Scott Kazmir has been placed on the 15-day disabled list. This will be Price's first appearance against Cleveland (17-28).

Price went 1-4 with a 3.93 ERA in eight starts this season for Triple-A Durham. He was in the minors because the Rays wanted to limit his workload this year.

The Rays (23-23) haven't won in Cleveland since a 1-0 victory on Sept. 28, 2005. They were outscored 31-8 in a four-game series at Progressive Field last season from July 10-13.

Tampa Bay may have more confidence heading into this series after taking three of four at home against Cleveland from May 14-17. Carl Crawford and Jason Bartlett each went 5 for 13 in that series to lead the Rays.

The red-hot Bartlett is hitting .431 (25 for 58) with 19 RBIs in his last 16 games, but may not be in the lineup Monday since he is hitless in 15 career at-bats against Fausto Carmona (2-4, 5.74 ERA), who will start for the Indians.

Carmona is 2-1 with a 5.51 ERA in his career against Tampa Bay in four appearances, including three starts. He earned Cleveland's lone win over the Rays this year on May 14 by giving up five runs over 5 1-3 innings in an 11-7 victory.

The Indians completed a disappointing 4-6 road trip with a 4-3 loss in 11 innings at Cincinnati on Sunday. Cleveland was 1 for 10 with runners in scoring position.

Tampa Bay second baseman Akinori Iwamura hurt his left knee when he was hit while trying to turn a double play and was carted off the field in Sunday's 5-4 loss in 11 innings at Florida. He will undergo an MRI exam, and Willy Aybar is expected to start in his place.

Pick: Tampa Bay


Detroit Tigers at Kansas City Royals (+120, 8.5)

Justin Verlander's revival has been a big part of the Detroit Tigers' charge to first place in the AL Central.The Tigers are hoping their ace can help them avoid a losing streak, too.

Verlander will be on the mound Monday when the Tigers - coming off back-to-back losses to close their homestand - open a seven-game road trip with a three-game series against the Kansas City Royals.

The right-hander's struggles were one of the reasons the Tigers failed to live up to expectations and lost 88 games. Coming off an 18-win season in 2007, Verlander lost 17 games and had a 4.84 ERA.

He had a 9.00 ERA through four starts this year, but since then Verlander has been dominant. In his last five starts, he is 4-0 with a 1.02 ERA and 52 strikeouts in 35 1-3 innings.

Verlander (4-2, 3.99 ERA) had a chance to become the first Detroit pitcher to strike out at least 10 in four straight starts Wednesday against Texas, but he fanned only eight while allowing one run and three hits in six innings of a 5-3 win.

Detroit (24-18) would like that trend to continue after the team dropped the final two games of its weekend set against Colorado. The Tigers had opened their homestand with seven straight wins after beating the Rockies 4-3 on Friday night, but they managed four total runs in the two defeats.

The Royals' offense has run into much bigger problems. Kansas City (22-22) was shut out in back-to-back 5-0 losses to open its weekend set at St. Louis, and the club is averaging 3.2 runs since May 8, losing 11 of 15 over that span.

But the team salvaged the finale against the Cardinals and got back to .500, as Mike Jacobs' seventh-inning RBI single stood up in a 3-2 victory.

Gil Meche will hope to help the bullpen out with a long outing. Meche (2-4, 4.42) has been dealing with a problematic back and was 1-4 with a 6.33 ERA in his previous five starts before Wednesday.

Pick: Detroit

 

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Tips and Trends

St. Louis Cardinals at Milwaukee Brewers

Cardinals: In his second start back from his most recent stint on the disabled list, Chris Carpenter takes the mound for the Cardinals. Because of his long injury history, the Cardinals are being extra cautious with Carpenter since he came off the 15-day disabled list last week. He made just 67 pitches over five scoreless innings of a 2-1 win over the Chicago Cubs last Wednesday, scattering three hits while striking out four. Carpenter has allowed only one unearned run, but he said he understands the team's conservative approach. Carpenter is 2-3 with a 5.30 ERA in six lifetime starts against the Brewers.

The Cardinals are 3-13 in the last 16 meetings.
The Over is 9-2 in Carpenter's last 11 road starts.

Key Injuries - OF Ryan Ludwick (hamstring) is on the 15-day DL.

PROJECTED SCORE: 3


Brewers (-115, O/U 7.5): The Brewers are 17-8 against NL Central opponents while winning all seven series. Yovani Gallardo (4-2, 3.83) will try to help Milwaukee bounce back (from being swept at Minnesota) as he looks to regroup from a subpar outing. The 23-year-old right-hander suffered his first loss since April 13 on Wednesday after allowing six runs and seven hits over five innings of a 6-4 loss to the Astros. Gallardo, went 0-1 with a 9.28 ERA against the Cardinals in 2007, allowing 11 runs and 13 hits over 10 2-3 innings. The Brewers have won 10 of the last 11 against the Cardinals.

The Brewers are 9-1 in their last 10 during game 1 of a series.
The Brewers are 17-5 in their last 22 games as a home favorite.

Key Injuries - SS J.J. Hardy (back) is QUESTIONABLE.
2B Rickie Weeks (wrist) is OUT for the season.

PROJECTED SCORE: 5 (Side Play of the Day

 

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Monday's Tip Sheet
By Brad Young

Memorial Day is here, meaning a full slate of games around Major League Baseball. Interleague action is over for now, with National and American League teams going back to their usual routines. Now let?s take a closer look at four key contests on Monday?s schedule.

**Cardinals (Carpenter) at Brewers (Gallardo)**

-Las Vegas Sports Consultants opened Milwaukee as a $1.15 home ?chalk? over St. Louis, with the total listed at eight ?under? (minus $1.30). This National League Central contest is slated to start at 2:05 p.m. ET.

-St. Louis pitcher Chris Carpenter (2-0, 0.00 ERA) continued his impressive early-season run by beating the Chicago Cubs Wednesday as a $1.20 home favorite, 2-1. The veteran right-hander tossed five innings of scoreless ball on three hits with two walks and four strikeouts.

-The combined three runs failed to eclipse the eight-run closing total, helping the ?under? improve to 2-1 his three starts.

-Carpenter, pitching in the majors since 1997, has not started against the Brewers the past few years.

-Milwaukee?s Yovani Gallardo (4-2, 3.83 ERA) was riding a personal three-game winning streak before falling to Houston Wednesday as a $1.10 road ?chalk,? 6-4. The three-year veteran was reached for six runs on seven hits (one home run) with two walks and three strikeouts over five innings.

-The combined 10 runs toppled the eight-run closing total, helping the ?over? cash his third straight contest.

-Gallardo has not started against the Cardinals the previous few years.

**Braves (Vazquez) at Giants (Sanchez)**

-LVSC lists Atlanta as a $1.30 road favorite over San Francisco, with the total set at eight. This game is scheduled to begin at 4:05 p.m. ET.

-Atlanta right-hander Javier Vazquez (4-3, 3.39 ERA) is coming off of Wednesday?s victory over Colorado as a $1.60 home ?chalk,? 12-4. The Puerto Rico native went five innings, allowing one unearned run on three hits with a walk and six strikeouts.

-The combined 16 runs soared past the eight-run closing total, ending back-to-back ?under? outings for the 32-year-old.

-Vazquez, pitching for the Chicago White Sox the previous three seasons, has not started against the Giants the past few years.

-San Francisco southpaw Jonathan Sanchez (1-4, 4.86 ERA) dropped to 0-3 his last five starts after Wednesday?s setback to San Diego as a $1.26 road underdog, 2-1. The four-year veteran pitched six innings, surrendering two runs on two hits (one home run) with three walks and five strikeouts.

-The combined three runs never seriously threatened the eight-run closing total, helping the ?under? improve to 3-1 his last four starts.

-Sanchez fell to the Braves last year as a $1.38 home ?chalk,? 11-4, yielding three runs on seven hits with no walks and five strikeouts over five innings. The combined 15 runs goes ?over? the 8 ?-run closing total.

**Yankees (Hughes) at Rangers (Harrison)**

-LVSC installed New York as a $1.15 road ?chalk? over Texas, with the total listed at 11 ? ?over? (minus $1.20). This American League matchup is slated to start at 2:05 p.m. ET.

-New York pitcher Philip Hughes (2-2, 7.06 ERA) beat Baltimore Wednesday as a $1.50 home favorite, 11-4. The 6-foot-5 hurler went five innings, allowing three runs on six hits (two home runs) with a walk and nine strikeouts.

-The combined 15 runs eclipsed the 11-run closing total, helping the ?over? go 3-1-1 his last five starts.

-Hughes, a three-year veteran, has not started against the Rangers the previous few years.

-Texas left-hander Matt Harrison (4-3, 4.71 ERA) was riding a personal four-game winning streak before Wednesday?s setback to Detroit as a $1.50 road underdog, 5-3. The 23-year-old was reached for five runs on nine hits (three home runs) with two walks and three strikeouts over five innings.

-The combined eight runs went ?under? the nine-run closing total, enabling the ?under? to cash his fifth consecutive start.

-Harrison beat the Yankees last year as a $1.50 home underdog, 8-6, tossing 6 1/3 innings while surrendering two runs on five hits with three walks and three strikeouts. The combined 14 runs toppled the 11 ?-run closing total.

**Red Sox (Penny) at Twins (Liriano)**

-LVSC opened Minnesota as a $1.23 home favorite over Boston, with the total set at 9 ? ?under? (minus $1.25). This contest is scheduled to start at 2:10 p.m. ET.

-Boston hurler Brad Penny (4-1, 6.07 ERA) beat Toronto Wednesday as a $1.30 home ?chalk,? 8-3, going 6 2/3 innings while yielding two runs on nine hits with a walk and two strikeouts.

-The combined 11 runs eclipsed the 10-run closing total, ending a 2-0-1 ?under? streak.

-Penny beat the Twins last year as a $1.30 home favorite, 7-3, pitching six innings while surrendering three runs (two earned) on six hits (one home run) with a walk and two strikeouts. The combined 10 runs slithered ?over? the 9 ?-run closing total.

-Minnesota left-hander Francisco Liriano (2-5, 6.04 ERA) was roughed up against the Chicago White Sox Wednesday as a $1.00 road selection, 7-4. The Dominican Republic native was reached for seven runs on seven hits (two home runs) with three walks and a strikeout over just four innings.

-The combined 11 runs went ?over? the 8 ?-run closing total.

-Liriano fell to the Red Sox April 22 as a $1.20 road underdog, 7-3, going four innings while allowing seven runs on four hits (one home run) with four walks and six strikeouts. The combined 10 runs went ?over? the 9 ?-run closing total.

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Monday?s streaking and slumping starting pitchers
By *********

Streaking

Wandy Rodriguez, Houston Astros

There haven?t been too many positives for the Astros this season, but at least they know they?ve got a great chance of winning every fifth day when Rodriguez takes the ball.

The lefty carries a nifty 1.83 earned run average along with a 5-2 record for a club under .500. Houston has actually won five straight when the 30-year-old heads to the mound.

Rodriguez is successful because he rarely gives out free bases (just 16 walks in 59 innings pitched this season) and almost never surrenders big flies (one home run allowed).

Justin Verlander, Detroit Tigers

This right-hander quieted naysayers after a shaky start to the 2009 campaign. Verlander was charged with 21 earned runs through his first 21 innings pitched, but has yielded just four over his last five starts.

The flamethrower has also struck out 52 batters over his last 35 1-3 innings. The Tigers have taken advantage of Verlander?s improved form winning five of his last six starts.

Slumping

Fausto Carmona, Cleveland Indians

We?re two months deep into the season and through nine starts this former 19-game winner has just two quality starts under his belt.

Carmona consistently gets into trouble because he walks far too many batters. He?s given out 30 free passes to first base ? matching his strike out mark for the year.

Cleveland has won three of the righty?s last four starts despite his below average performances. The over has also cashed in four of his last five appearances.

Jamie Moyer, Philadelphia Phillies

It seems like Moyer has been included in the slumping club each time he takes the bump. His latest outing was actually one of his better showings this season. He pitched six innings allowing three runs but still took the loss as the Phillies fell 5-1 to the Reds.

The 46-year-old?s stuff has never been overwhelming but it had always been effective enough to keep balls in play. But batters are teeing off Moyer this season parking 12 homers in 2009 and seven over his last four starts.

Oddsmakers have kept the totals up in Moyer?s outings (10 or higher in the last six) but the over is still 6-1 the last seven times Moyer?s taken the hill

 

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NATIONAL LEAGUE

St. Louis (26-18) at Milwaukee (26-18)

The Cardinals kick off a six-game road trip at Miller Park where they will send Chris Carpenter (2-0, 0.00 ERA) to the mound to face the Brewers? Yovani Gallardo (4-2, 3.83 ERA).

St. Louis had its five-game winning streak snapped on Sunday when the Royals got the 3-2 victory to salvage one game of the interleague series. The Cardinals are just 9-9 on the road this year and will head west to visit the Giants for a three-game series after their stop in Milwaukee. Meanwhile, the Brewers were swept by the Twins over the weekend, ending a nine-game road trip that started with four straight wins, including three in St. Louis.

Milwaukee has dominated the Cardinals lately, winning 13 of the last 16 meetings, including four of the last five at Miller Park.

Carpenter made his first start in more than a month on Wednesday and didn?t allow a run and only three hits in five innings of a 2-1 win over the Cubs. It was just his sixth start in more than two years of battling injuries. His last two starts against the Brewers haven?t gone so well, but they were way back in the 2005 and 2006 seasons, allowing 13 runs on 19 hits in 11 1/3 innings, losing both games.

Milwaukee has won four of Gallardo?s last five outings, but his last one wasn?t pretty, as the right-hander gave up six runs on seven hits in five innings of Wednesday?s 6-4 loss in Houston. Prior to that he?d held the opposition to three runs or less in six of his first seven starts of 2009. He faced the Cardinals twice in the 2007 season and lost both times, allowing a combined 11 runs on 13 hits in 10 2/3 innings.

St. Louis is 10-4 in its last 14 series openers, but it is just 2-5 in its last seven on the road and 2-5 in its last seven Monday contests. With Carpenter on the mound, the Cardinals are on runs of76-29 overall, 35-16 on the road and 37-15 against N.L. Central teams. Despite getting swept by the Twins over the weekend, Milwaukee is on runs of 22-9 overall, 6-1 at home, 5-0 at home against right-handed starters, 40-19 as a favorite and 36-17 against N.L. Central teams.

The Cardinals are on ?under? runs of 6-0 overall, 4-0 in series openers and 7-2 against N.L. Central teams, but the over is 9-2 in Carpenter?s last 11 roadies and 28-12-3 in their last 43 on the highway against right-handed starters. Milwaukee is on ?under? streaks of 8-3 at home, 7-2 as a home favorite and 12-5 in Gallardo?s last 17 starts, but the over is 5-0 in the Brewers? last five games on Monday and 9-3-1 in its last 13 when they face a right-handed starter.

ATS ADVANTAGE: MILWAUKEE


AMERICAN LEAGUE

N.Y. Yankees (25-19) at Texas (26-17)

The two hottest teams in the American League begin a three-game set today at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington when the Yankees send Phil Hughes (2-2, 7.06 ERA) to the mound opposite Texas southpaw Matt Harrison (4-3, 4.71).

New York lost two of three to the Phillies over the weekend, including a 4-3, 11-inning loss on Sunday, but has still won 10 of its last 12 overall and six of its last eight on the highway. Meanwhile, the Rangers swept their in-state rivals in Houston over the weekend when they blanked the Astros 5-0 on Sunday. Texas has won 16 of its last 21 games overall and eight straight in front of the home fans.

The Yankees hold decisive advantages when these two clubs square off, winning 21 of the last 28 clashes overall and 21 of the last 29 in Texas.

Hughes has been inconsistent this season, including going 1-1 with a 10.80 ERA in his last three starts, and he?s 1-1 with a 9.38 ERA in his two road outings. The Yankees scored home wins over Baltimore and Minnesota in Hughes? last two starts, but in his last roadie, Hughes allowed eight runs on eight hits in just 1 2/3 innings of a 12-5 loss to the Orioles. In his lone career start against Texas, he blanked the Rangers without a hit for 6 1/3 innings of a 10-1 victory in Texas back in May 2007.

Harrison is 2-1 with a 2.74 ERA and 15 strikeouts against just three walks in his last three starts. He threw a complete game in his last home outing, allowing two runs on five hits in a 3-2 win over the Mariners. Harrison faced the Yankees in August last season and allowed two runs on five hits in 6 1/3 innings of an 8-6 Texas victory.

New York is 5-2 in Hughes? last seven starts, but just 2-5 in his last seven on the road. The Yankees are on further streaks of 4-1 against A.L. West teams and 4-1 on the road against teams with winning records. Texas is just 1-5 when Harrison starts as a home favorite but the Rangers are 5-1 in his last six starts against A.L. East squads. Furthermore, the Rangers are on runs of 6-1 in series openers, 7-3 against winning teams and 11-3 when they face a right-hander.

For the Yankees, the under is on runs of 5-1 in series openers and 5-0 against teams with winning records, but the over is 13-6-1 in their last 20 as a ?dog and 8-3-1 in their last 12 on Mondays. The Rangers have topped the total in 20 of their last 32 Monday games, but otherwise for Texas the ?under? is on stretches of 21-8 overall, 8-3 at home, 7-3 in series openers and 5-0 in Harrison?s last five outings. However the over is 9-3 in Harrison?s last 12 starts at home.

ATS ADVANTAGE: N.Y. YANKEES

 

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This Day in Baseball

On May 25 in Baseball History...

1906 - Jesse Tannehill snaps the Boston Pilgrims' 20-game losing streak (19 at home, both A.L. records) with a 3-0 win over the White Sox. Both Boston teams will finish last, while both Chicago teams finish first. It's the first time two cities have had two winners and two cellar-dwellers.

1919 - Ever-popular Casey Stengel, now a Pirate, is good-naturedly applauded when he comes to bat in the seventh inning at Brooklyn. He doffs his cap in response and, to everyone's delight, releases a sparrow he had hidden there.

1922 - Babe Ruth is suspended one day and fined $200 for throwing dirt on an ump after being called out on a play at second base, then going into the stands after a heckler. He is also stripped of his title as team captain.

1935 - Babe Ruth has a last hurrah, hitting three home runs at Pittsburgh. The final one, the last of his 714 career home runs, is the first to clear the right field grandstand at Forbes Field and is measured at 600 feet.

1937 - After hitting a home run against the Yankees in his prior at bat, Mickey Cochrane suffers a skull fracture from a Bump Hadley pitch. Coach Del Baker will run the team for the hospitalized Detroit leader, who will never return to active play.

1941 - Ted Williams raises his batting average over .400 for the first time during the season. His run to be the first since Bill Terry in 1930 to exceed the magic number will be marked in newspapers throughout the season, although it will often give way to the batting streak by Joe DiMaggio.

1951 - Giants rookie Willie Mays, who was hitting .477 with Minneapolis, goes 0-for-5 in his major league debut against the Phils.

1953 - Max Surkont of the Braves fans eight Reds in a row, establishing a new major league mark, as the Braves win 10-3 in the second game of a doubleheader. Surkont strikes out seven in a row before rain delays the game, then strikes out Andy Seminick to start the fifth inning. Surkont fans 13 on the way to his sixth straight win.

1960 - George Crowe's major league-record 11th pinch-hit home run, off Don McMahon, gives the Cardinals a 5-3 win over the Braves. Crowe began the season tied with Smoky Burgess and Gus Zernial in career pinch home runs.

1964 - Ground is broken for a new stadium in St. Louis.
1975 - Cleveland's Dennis Eckersley, in his first major league start, hurls a three-hit shutout in beating Oakland 6-0.

1981 - Carl Yastrzemski plays in his 3,000th major league game, scoring the winning run in Boston's 8-7 triumph over Cleveland. Yaz joins Ty Cobb, Stan Musial, and Hank Aaron as the only major leaguers to appear in 3,000 games.

1982 - Fergie Jenkins of the Cubs fans Garry Templeton in the third inning of a 2-1 loss to the Padres to become the seventh pitcher in major league history to record 3,000 career strikeouts.

1984 - The Red Sox trade pitcher Dennis Eckersley and minor leaguer Mike Brumley to the Cubs for veteran Bill Buckner, who had been benched in Chicago in favor of Leon Durham but will immediately become Boston's starting first baseman.

1989 - After shopping him for several months, the Mariners finally trade star pitcher Mark Langston to Montreal for pitchers Randy Johnson, Brian Holman, and Gene Harris.

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