Trend sheet 5/30

[cisco]

FLORIDA vs. NY METS
Florida is 5-13 SU in its last 18 games
Florida is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games on the road
NY Mets are 6-1 SU in its last 7 games
NY Mets are 5-1 SU in its last 6 games at home

ATLANTA vs. ARIZONA
Atlanta is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Arizona
Atlanta is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games when playing Arizona
Arizona is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
Arizona is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games at home

LA DODGERS vs. CHI CUBS
LA Dodgers are 4-1 SU in their last 5 games when playing Chi Cubs
LA Dodgers are 5-1 SU in their last 6 games on the road
Chi Cubs are 3-9 SU in their last 12 games
Chi Cubs are 11-4 SU in their last 15 games at home

MINNESOTA vs. TAMPA BAY
Minnesota is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games
Minnesota is 1-10 SU in its last 11 games on the road
Tampa Bay is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Minnesota
Tampa Bay is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games at home

CINCINNATI vs. MILWAUKEE
Cincinnati is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
Cincinnati is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Milwaukee is 4-8 SU in its last 12 games when playing at home against Cincinnati
Milwaukee is 16-8 SU in its last 24 games

DETROIT vs. BALTIMORE
Detroit is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Baltimore
Detroit is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Baltimore
Baltimore is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
Baltimore is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games

HOUSTON vs. PITTSBURGH
Houston is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games
Houston is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Pittsburgh is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Houston
Pittsburgh is 2-9 SU in its last 11 games when playing Houston

NY YANKEES vs. CLEVELAND
NY Yankees are 4-2 SU in their last 6 games when playing Cleveland
NY Yankees are 8-4 SU in their last 12 games when playing on the road against Cleveland
Cleveland is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
Cleveland is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games at home

WASHINGTON vs. PHILADELPHIA
Washington is 2-13 SU in its last 15 games
Washington is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Philadelphia
Philadelphia is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Washington
Philadelphia is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Washington

CHI WHITE SOX vs. KANSAS CITY
Chi White Sox are 5-2 SU in their last 7 games
Chi White Sox are 4-11 SU in their last 15 games on the road
Kansas City is 4-1 SU in their last 5 games when playing Chi White Sox
Kansas City is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games at home

OAKLAND vs. TEXAS
Oakland is 3-6 SU in its last 9 games
Oakland is 2-8 SU in its last 10 games on the road
Texas is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games when playing Oakland
Texas is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Oakland

SAN DIEGO vs. COLORADO
San Diego is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Colorado
San Diego is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games when playing Colorado
Colorado is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games at home
Colorado is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games when playing San Diego

SEATTLE vs. LA ANGELS
Seattle is 2-4 SU in their last 6 games when playing LA Angels
Seattle is 8-17 SU in their last 25 games when playing on the road against LA Angels
LA Angels are 2-4 SU in their last 6 games
LA Angels are 4-2 SU in their last 6 games when playing Seattle

ST. LOUIS vs. SAN FRANCISCO
St. Louis is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against San Francisco
St. Louis is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing San Francisco
San Francisco is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
San Francisco is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home

 

[cisco]

MLB Weekend Cheat Sheet
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In this edition of the MLB Cheat Sheet, a guide designed to help you isolate a few key best bets, we focus on two key series on both the American and National League cards this weekend. Keep in mind that all pitcher records are ?team starts? unless noted otherwise. Enjoy?

Los Angeles Dodgers at Chicago Cubs

Most Recent Series Result: Dodgers 5-1 last six games vs. Cubs

Most Recent Series Result: at the Site: Cubs 3-2 last five home games vs. Dodgers

Key Day/Month Stat: Cubs 14-3 home on Sundays

Best Arm in the Series: Cubs? Dempster 5-1, 3.63 ERA last six starts vs. Dodgers

Worst Arm in the Series: Cubs? Zambrano 1-3, 4.92 ERA home lifetime vs. Dodgers

Florida Marlins at New York Mets

Most Recent Series Result: Marlins 5-2 last seven games vs. Mets

Most Recent Series Result at the Site: Marlins 5-2 last seven away games vs. Mets

Key Day/Month Stat: Mets 5-0 home on Saturdays; Marlins 2-5 away on Saturdays

Best Arm in the Series: Marlins? Johnson 6-1, 1.98 ERA lifetime vs. Mets; 3-0 away

Worst Arm in the Series: Mets? Pelfrey 1-7, 6.12 ERA lifetime vs. Marlins

Boston Red Sox at Toronto Blue Jays

Most Recent Series Result: Rex Sox 7-1 last eight games vs. Blue Jays

Most Recent Series Result: at the Site: Blue Jays 8-3 last 11 home games vs. Red Sox

Key Day/Month Stat: Blue Jays 3-0 home on Sundays; Red Sox 0-4 away on Sundays

Best Arm in the Series: Red Sox? Penny 5-0, 3.23 ERA lifetime vs. Blue Jays

Worst Arm in the Series: Red Sox? Lester 0-3, 7.31 ERA away lifetime vs. Blue Jays

New York Yankees at Cleveland Indians

Most Recent Series Result: Indians 9-6 last 15 games vs. Yankees

Most Recent Series Result at the Site: Indians 4-2 last six home games vs. Yankees

Key Day/Month Stat: Yankees 9-3 away on Saturdays; Indians 1-8 home on Saturdays

Best Arm in the Series: Indians? Lee 3-0, 1.84 ERA last three away starts vs. Yankees

Worst Arm in the Series: Yankees? Wang 1-5, 9.58 ERA last six starts vs. Indians; Pettite 0-3, 3.08 ERA last three starts vs. Indians

 

[cisco]

Hot Lines: Saturday's best MLB bets
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Boston Red Sox at Toronto Blue Jays (-117, 10)

Brad Penny (5-1, 5.96 ERA) looks to help the Red Sox get back in the win column. Although the right-hander's ERA is high, Penny's record is sharp thanks to a league-best 8.38 runs of support per game. In his nine starts, the Red Sox have scored 58 runs.

"It's a lot of fun with this team,'' he said "The breaks are going my way.''

Pitching with a sinus infection that caused an upset stomach, Penny gave up three runs, six hits, struck out seven and walked none in 5 1-3 innings of a 6-5 win at Minnesota on Monday.

He picked up the win on May 20 against the Blue Jays, improving to 3-0 with a 1.67 ERA in four starts versus them since 2001.

Pick: Boston +109

St. Louis Cardinals at San Francisco Giants (+138, 7)

Reigning NL MVP Albert Pujols, in the midst of a power slump with one homer and six RBIs in his last 15 games, is 4 for 7 with a homer and a double lifetime against Barry Zito (1-5, 4.02), who starts Saturday looking to bounce back from a disappointing outing.

After throwing his first complete game since 2003 in a 2-1 loss to San Diego on May 19, Zito allowed five runs, five hits and a season-high five walks in 6 1-3 innings of Sunday's 5-4 loss to Seattle.

The 2002 AL Cy Young Award winner has pitched much better than his record indicates but has a major league-worst 2.09 run support average. The left-hander has a 2.36 ERA in four starts at AT&T Park but has yet to win there, as he's been backed by three total runs of support in those outings.

Zito is 0-2 in three games versus the Cardinals and in his most recent start against them, he gave up four runs - one earned - and seven hits in six innings of an 8-2 loss April 11, 2008.

Pick: Under 7

 

[cisco]

Streaking and Slumping Pitchers


Streaking

Chris Carpenter (St. Louis Cardinals)

After missing most of the past two seasons, Chris Carpenter is quickly making up for lost time.

The former NL Cy Young winner whose career has been derailed by elbow and shoulder injuries looks to continue his dominant return Saturday night when the St. Louis Cardinals play the middle game of a three-games series against the San Francisco Giants.

Carpenter (2-0, 0.00 ERA) won a Cy Young Award in 2005 and won 15 games in 2006, but made just four starts and one relief appearance over the next two seasons for the Cardinals (28-20) because of injuries. The right-hander's extensive history of arm trouble came up again in the offseason, when he had surgery to transpose a nerve on his pitching elbow.

Carpenter started the year in St. Louis' rotation and didn't allow an earned run in his first two starts, but he strained a left ribcage muscle against Arizona on April 14 and spent the next five weeks on the disabled list.

The two-time All-Star has picked up right where he left off since coming off the DL.

In 23 innings over four starts, Carpenter has given up one unearned run. He's limiting opponents to a .127 batting average and has 23 strikeouts to four walks.

On Monday at Milwaukee, Carpenter retired the first 18 batters and ended up allowing two hits with 10 strikeouts and no walks in eight innings of a 1-0, 10-inning loss. He became the third pitcher since 1954 not to allow an earned run in his first four starts of a season, joining Fernando Valenzuela in 1985 and Zack Greinke this year.

"You just can't do what he's doing, to be this sharp, but he's doing it," St. Louis manager Tony La Russa told the team's official Web site.

Justin Verlander (Detroit Tigers)

Baltimore must find a way to solve Verlander (5-2, 3.55 ERA), who has been one of the majors' hottest pitchers.

The right-hander is 5-0 with a 0.85 ERA in his last six starts, striking out 60 in 42 1-3 innings. He's 3-0 with a 1.29 ERA in four starts versus the Orioles.

On Monday, Verlander allowed five hits while striking out eight in seven scoreless innings in a 13-1 rout of Kansas City.

"He's throwing strikes, getting ahead," Tigers third baseman Brandon Inge said. "If a guy gets ahead, he can use all of his pitches. He makes the hitter start thinking a little bit more. For him, he gets ahead, and your guess is as good as mine."

Josh Johnson (Florida Marlins)

The Marlins hope Josh Johnson (3-1, 2.67) can continue his dominance of the Mets, against whom he is 5-0 with a 1.97 ERA in seven career starts.

The right-hander did not get a decision versus New York on April 29 after allowing three runs and nine hits in six innings of Florida's 4-3 win. That came after beating the Mets with a five-hitter in a 2-1 victory April 12.

Johnson battled through a callus on the middle finger of his right hand on Sunday, giving up three runs and six hits with seven strikeouts in seven innings of a 5-4, 11-inning win over Tampa Bay.

"We'd be working on it the whole game. It's there," Johnson told the Marlins' official Web site of the callus. "We just have to work on it the days I'm not throwing. It's been there about three starts or so. I wouldn't really consider it a problem."


Slumping

Francisco Liriano (Minnesota Twins)

Minnesota counters with Francisco Liriano (2-6, 6.42), who looks to avoid losing a third straight start.

After being tagged for seven runs and seven hits in four innings of a 7-4 loss to the Chicago White Sox on May 20, Liriano gave up five runs and a season-high 11 hits with seven strikeouts in four innings of Monday's 6-5 loss to Boston.

Against Tampa Bay on April 28, Liriano had one of his better outings, giving up two runs and seven hits in 6 2-3 innings of a 4-3 win, but wasn't a factor in the decision. He's 2-0 with a 1.21 ERA in three career starts versus the Rays.

Matt Palmer (Los Angeles Angels)

Matt Palmer (5-0, 4.82) will take the mound for the Angels, who hope to remain undefeated in games started by the rookie right-hander. Palmer won his first five starts before failing to last five innings in the Angels' 10-7 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday. He gave up four runs in 4 2-3 innings in that game, then pitched one inning of relief in the Angels' 4-2 loss to the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday.

Palmer took advantage of the Angels' success against Hernandez to win his first start against them last week. He gave up five runs and seven hits in five innings.