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[Cnotes53]

Verlander sharp, Astros beat Rays in G1
October 4, 2019
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HOUSTON (AP) Asked what went wrong for his Tampa Bay Rays, manager Kevin Cash invented a word.

''We got Verlandered,'' Cash said.

Justin Verlander looked every bit the October ace, Jose Altuve polished his postseason resume and the Houston Astros kept rolling, beating the Rays 6-2 Friday to open their AL Division Series.

The Astros, who won a franchise-record 107 games for the best record in the majors, began their quest for a second World Series title in three years against a Rays team that downed Oakland 5-1 in the wild-card game this week.

Verlander kept up his dominant run this year when he posted an MLB-most 21 wins and fanned 300, allowing just a soft single in seven shutout innings. He struck out eight and improved to 8-0 in 12 career ALDS appearances - he's 14-7 overall in postseason play.

He cracked up when told Cash used his performance to turn his name into a verb.

''It's a pretty great compliment,'' Verlander said. ''I don't know what else to say, other than that.''

Tampa Bay got its only hit off Verlander when Brandon Lowe singled to start the fifth. Verlander ended his day by striking out the side in the seventh, pounding his fist into his glove as he walked off the mound after fanning Lowe.

Manager AJ Hinch was asked about Verlander's knack for getting stronger late in games.

''He's got an incredible instinct for the moment,'' he said. ''He leaves some gas in his gas tank at the end of his outings ... like a good sprinter, like at the finish line, he's going to win. He's going to win the race at the end of his outings.''

Rays starter Tyler Glasnow had given up just three singles when he walked Josh Reddick on four pitches to begin the fifth. He struck out George Springer, but Altuve then tagged him for a two-run homer, lining a fastball into the left field seats.

''I just left that pitch up and it was a two-run home run,'' Glasnow said. ''Hindsight, I would go back and change some things, but can't do anything about it now.''

The sellout crowd of 43,360, which included Astros Hall of Famers Nolan Ryan and Craig Biggio, erupted into deafening cheers and fans twirled bright orange towels as Altuve trotted around the bases, a huge grin plastered on his face.

Altuve has homered in Game 1 of the ALDS for three straight years - including three against Boston in the 2017 opener - and the small-but-powerful second baseman now has nine home runs in 33 career postseason games.

''Just breaking through with the big swing for Jose doesn't surprise me,'' Hinch said. ''It's like clockwork, every ALDS it seems like he busts out with a really good game.''

Game 2 is Saturday when Gerrit Cole, who has won 16 straight decisions and led the majors in strikeouts, starts against Tampa Bay's Blake Snell.

Altuve's homer touched off a four-run inning. Brendan McKay took over for Glasnow and allowed a single to Michael Brantley before Alex Bregman knocked one off the wall in left for a double.

Chaz Roe relieved with two outs and Yuli Gurriel hit a high popup to shallow right field that Lowe chased from second base as right fielder Austin Meadows also dashed in. Lowe looked to have it, so Meadows pulled up - but the ball glanced off Lowe's glove for an error that allowed two runs to score to push the lead to 4-0.

''I have to catch it plain and simple,'' Lowe said. ''I called it and I dropped it. Next time I just have to keep going for it and make a play on it.''

The Astros added two more runs in the seventh after Bregman walked and stole second base. AL Rookie of the Year candidate Yordan Alvarez and Gurriel followed with RBI doubles to make it 6-0.

Tampa Bay hit four home runs in its wild-card win Wednesday at Oakland, but did nothing until Verlander left. Pinch-hitter Eric Sogard had an RBI single of Ryan Pressly with two outs in the eighth and scored on a double by Meadows to cut the lead to 6-2.

Glasnow, who came to the Rays in last year's trade for Chris Archer that also netted Meadows, looked strong early and Houston's powerful offense had trouble stringing anything together off him until Altuve's shot. The Astros loaded the bases with two outs in the third, but the big right-hander struck out Alvarez to end the threat.

The 26-year-old Glasnow, who was making his playoff debut had missed almost four months with a strained right forearm before his return on Sept. 8, seemed to run out of gas in the fifth. He allowed four hits and two runs with five strikeouts in 4 1/3 innings.

Yandy Diaz, who starred with two homers and three hits in the wild-card game, was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

THEY SAID IT

Bregman on the crowd chanting MVP each time he stepped to the plate: ''I get the chills a little bit. It's been a fun year, and I just want to continue to win games and be able to help this team any way I can.''

UP NEXT

Cole is a Cy Young award contender after setting a team record by winning his last 16 decisions and topping the AL with a career-best 2.50 ERA. His career-high 326 strikeouts were the most in the majors and set a franchise record that had stood since 1979 when J.R. Richard fanned 313.

Snell, who won the Cy Young in 2018, is happy to be healthy for the postseason after sitting out from July 22-Sept. 17 after arthroscopic surgery to remove bone chips in his left elbow. Snell didn't get out of the third inning in any of his three September starts, but believes he'll be able to go quite a bit longer on Saturday.

''I feel very good,'' he said. ''I feel like I'll be able to go five strong innings, if I'm in the zone and attacking like I should be.''

 

[Cnotes53]

Foltynewicz, Duvall lead Braves to 3-0 win over Cardinals
October 4, 2019
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ATLANTA (AP) When Mike Foltynewicz was summering in the minor leagues, it was hard to envision an October like this.

Yet there he was Friday, coming through when Atlanta needed it most.

Foltynewicz threw seven dominating innings, Adam Duvall hit a pinch-hit homer and the Braves evened the NL Division Series with a 3-0 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals in Game 2.

After spending a good chunk of his summer at Triple-A Gwinnett, Foltynewicz has been a different pitcher since returning from the minors. He went 6-1 with a 2.65 ERA over his last 10 starts - a brilliant run that carried right into the postseason.

''Pretty special,'' Foltynewicz said. ''I really made sure to slow things down, to stay in my mechanics and make sure all my pitches were working like they were tonight. It was smooth sailing, so it was a lot of fun.''

The best-of-five series now shifts to St. Louis, where Mike Soroka goes for the Braves in Game 3 on Sunday against Adam Wainwright.

Facing St. Louis ace Jack Flaherty, who had one of the great second halves in baseball history, Foltynewicz allowed three hits, struck out seven and walked none during an 83-pitch outing that kept the Cardinals from mounting any semblance of offense.

He only allowed one runner as far as second base - and that wasn't even his fault. In the second, Yadier Molina singled and Braves second baseman Ozzie Albies extended the inning by misplaying Paul DeJong's grounder for an error.

No problem. Foltynewicz fanned Harrison Bader to end the threat.

After Kolten Wong hit into a double play to wrap up the seventh, Duvall emerged from the dugout to hit for Foltynewicz in the bottom half.

Duvall was greeted by a smattering of boos from the SunTrust Park crowd that clearly wanted Foltynewicz to go at least one more inning - especially after the Braves bullpen imploded the night before in a Game 1 loss.

The heckles turned to cheers when Duvall drove a 3-2 pitch from Flaherty into the center-field seats for a two-run homer, giving the Braves a bit of breathing room.

''I heard 50,000 people let me know that they wanted Folty to stay in the game,'' Duvall quipped. ''I wanted to put together a good at-bat.''

Josh Donaldson drove in Atlanta's other run with a two-out single in the first.

''I don't look at what that other guy is doing,'' Flaherty said. ''It came down to really two pitches.''

An All-Star in 2018 who started two games for the Braves in last year's playoffs, Foltynewicz was demoted to the minors in late June with a record of 2-5 and 6.37 ERA. He didn't return until early August.

''It's pretty cool to see for a guy that went through what he went through this year and where he's come back from,'' Braves manager Brian Snitker said.

Duvall spent nearly the entire season at Triple-A, so it wouldn't be a stretch to say this was as much a victory for the Gwinnett Stripers as the Braves.

Max Fried, normally a starter and pitching on back-to-back days for the first time all season, breezed through the eighth before turning it over to Mark Melancon, who gave up four runs in the ninth inning of the series opener, sending the Braves to a 7-6 loss.

Melancon surrendered a pair of one-out singles, drawing groans from the crowd, but he struck out Molina and Wong to earn the second postseason save of his career.

Yet this one will be remembered for Foltynewicz outdueling Flaherty, who had surrendered three runs only one time in 15 second-half starts.

The 23-year-old right-hander went 7-2 with an 0.91 ERA after the All-Star break, a minuscule figure surpassed only by Jake Arrieta (0.75) for the 2015 Chicago Cubs and Greg Maddux (0.87) for the 1994 Braves.

Flaherty was the NL pitcher of the month for both August and September.

Foltynewicz has the upper hand in October.

GOOD COMPANY

Foltynewicz joins Hall of Famers Maddux (Game 2 of the 1996 World Series) and Tom Glavine (Game 7 of the 1996 NL Championship Series) as the only Braves pitchers since 1958 to go at least seven innings in a postseason game without giving up a run or a walk.

RUNNING HARD

After being criticized for hog-dogging in Game 1, there were no issues with Ronald Acuna Jr. going full speed every chance he got. The young Atlanta star sprinted down the line on a groundout in the first, and hustled for a double in the seventh on a chopper down the third-base line.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Braves: RHP Chris Martin was replaced on the 25-man roster by Julio Teheran. Martin strained his left oblique on his very first warmup pitch while preparing to pitch in Game 1. He'll miss the rest of this series, as well as the NL Championship Series should the Braves advance.

UP NEXT

The Braves haven't led in a postseason series since they were up 2-1 in the 2002 NLDS against San Francisco. Atlanta wound up losing the final two games to the Giants - part of a streak of nine straight playoff series losses that is only one away from the Chicago Cubs' record for postseason futility.

Soroka (13-4, 2.68 ERA) has been especially tough on the road (7-1, 1.55 ERA), which is why the Braves held him back until Game 3. This battle of the ages pits the 22-year-old right-hander against the 38-year-old Wainwright (14-10, 4.29 ERA), who began his career in the Braves organization before a trade to the Cardinals in 2003.

 

[Cnotes53]

LeMahieu, Yankees torment Twins again, 10-4 in ALDS opener
October 4, 2019
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NEW YORK (AP) New postseason, same old story for the New York Yankees and Minnesota Twins.

DJ LeMahieu homered and drove in four runs, Gleyber Torres broke a tie with a two-run double and the Yankees extended their October mastery of Minnesota with a 10-4 victory Friday night in the AL Division Series opener.

Aaron Judge made two diving catches in right field to help the AL East champions hand Minnesota its major league-record 14th consecutive playoff defeat - 11 of them to the Yankees since 2004. The second grab thwarted a potential rally and left grateful reliever Zack Britton with both hands on his head to end the top of the seventh, when the Twins were still within striking distance.

''That was huge,'' Judge said. ''This is the postseason - you've got to make those plays.''

Brett Gardner also went deep for the Bronx Bombers in a playoff matchup between teams that finished neck-and-neck for the most home runs in baseball history. Minnesota's Bomba Squad socked 307, one more than New York as both clubs blew away the previous mark of 267 set by the Yankees last year.

But in the 14th postseason meeting of 100-win teams, it was more of the same Yankees dominance against the Twins - even though many of Minnesota's players and coaches weren't around for most of it.

''We're not out of it by any stretch of the imagination, but we need to show up tomorrow and hopefully turn those solo homers into maybe three-run homers and we'd be in this,'' first baseman C.J. Cron said. ''It's going to be a tough series. We knew that coming in.''

Jorge Polanco, Nelson Cruz and Miguel Sano homered for the Twins, who were hurt by eight walks.

Minnesota, the AL Central champion, hasn't won a playoff game since Johan Santana beat Hall of Famer Mike Mussina 2-0 in the 2004 Division Series opener at Yankee Stadium. Boston also lost 13 straight postseason games, from 1986-95.

''We had some good swings. We had our moments. Just by chance, there was no one on base when we popped a few balls over the fence,'' manager Rocco Baldelli said after his first playoff game as bench boss.

Rookie reliever Zack Littell, a former Yankees farmhand who was traded to the Twins, took the loss after a brief and messy outing. With the score tied in the fifth, he walked Judge, threw a wild pitch and plunked Gardner.

Giancarlo Stanton drew the second of his three critical walks to load the bases, bringing up the 22-year-old Torres. He fought back from 0-2 to a full count against Tyler Duffey and pulled a sharp one-hopper that deflected off the glove of a diving Sano behind third base, giving New York a 5-3 lead.

''Big time at-bat against a guy that was really tough on righties,'' Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. ''That hit I think really, really got us rolling.''

Sano sliced a solo homer in the sixth off winner Tommy Kahnle, who retired cleanup batter Eddie Rosario with two on to end the fifth.

LeMahieu launched his first postseason home run in the sixth, and Gardner also hit a solo drive off rookie Cody Stashak.

LeMahieu, who dropped an easy popup at first base early in the game, made it 10-4 in the seventh when the leadoff man laced a three-run double off Kyle Gibson for his third hit. Fans in the sellout crowd of 49,233 chanted ''MVP! MVP!'' for the three-time All-Star and 2016 NL batting champ, who left Colorado to sign a $24 million, two-year contract with the Yankees last offseason.

''It's like my worst nightmare, dropping a popup like that,'' LeMahieu said. ''I think in the playoffs, you've just got to kind of turn the page real quick, and the next big play is coming up.''

New York was down 2-0 before scoring three runs in the third against starter Jose Berrios. Edwin Encarnacion knocked in one with his second double of the night, and two more scored when the Twins were unable to turn a potential inning-ending double play on Torres with the bases loaded.

With the 6-foot-6, 245-pound Stanton bearing down on him with a hard, clean slide directly into the bag, rookie second baseman Luis Arraez relayed low and wide to first. Cron reached for the throw and could have caught it, but the ball got past him and he was charged with an error that allowed two runs to score.

Polanco hit a tying single with two outs in the fifth to chase Yankees starter James Paxton from his postseason debut.

It took all of two batters and nine pitches for someone to hit a home run, when Polanco took Paxton deep. Cruz cleared the short right field porch with his 17th postseason homer in the third to make it 2-0.

''A lot of guys were on this 2017 team when we went down three to Minnesota (in the wild-card game),'' Judge said. ''Past experience like that you can feed off.''

TRAINER'S ROOM

Twins: The 22-year-old Arraez returned to the lineup after spraining his right ankle last weekend. He had a tough night on defense and at the plate.

Yankees: Back from a strained left oblique, Encarnacion batted cleanup and lined a double on the first competitive pitch he saw since Sept. 12.

UP NEXT

Twins: In an unexpected move, Baldelli announced after the game that undrafted rookie RHP Randy Dobnak (2-1, 1.59 ERA) will start Game 2, with RHP Jake Odorizzi (15-7, 3.51) tabbed for Game 3.

Yankees: RHP Masahiro Tanaka (11-9, 4.45 ERA) makes his sixth postseason start Saturday, looking to improve a 3-2 record and impressive 1.50 ERA. He is 5-0 with a 2.27 ERA in five career outings against Minnesota.

 

[Cnotes53]

Strasburg, Scherzer pitch Nats past Dodgers to even NLDS
October 4, 2019
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LOS ANGELES (AP) Stephen Strasburg turned in another dominant playoff outing, Max Scherzer overpowered Los Angeles for an inning out of the bullpen and the Washington Nationals held off the Dodgers 4-2 Friday night to even their NL Division Series at a game apiece.

Scherzer struck out the side in the eighth, but Washington's shaky bullpen still ran into trouble. Daniel Hudson labored through the ninth, loading the bases with two outs before striking out Corey Seager for the save. The tense final inning also included a twisting, falling grab by third baseman Anthony Rendon on Cody Bellinger's pop fly in shallow left field, as well as a gutsy intentional walk by manager Dave Martinez that brought the winning run to bat.

Game 3 is back in Washington on Sunday night, where Scherzer was expected to face major league ERA leader Hyun-Jin Ryu.

''I'm going to see how he feels tomorrow,'' said Martinez, adding Anibal Sanchez would start Sunday if Scherzer doesn't.

Pitching on the shortest rest of his career, Strasburg took a perfect game into the fifth inning while outdueling Clayton Kershaw. Strasburg pitched one-run ball for six innings and struck out 10, lowering his career postseason ERA to 0.64 - the best in history for players with at least four starts. He edged out Dodgers great Sandy Koufax (0.95 ERA), who watched from the front row.

Rookie Will Smith broke up Strasburg's perfect bid with a two-out single. The three-time All-Star allowed his first earned run in 23 consecutive postseason innings dating to the 2014 NLDS against San Francisco and limited Los Angeles to three hits and no walks.

Scherzer came on for the eighth and punched out Gavin Lux, Chris Taylor and Joc Pederson on 14 pitches. The 35-year-old right-hander threw 77 pitches in the NL wild-card game Tuesday, yet he topped out at 99 mph in his fourth career playoff relief appearance.

''We weren't expecting that,'' Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said.

Justin Turner led off the ninth with a ground-rule double off Hudson, spurring hope from a chanting, clapping sellout crowd of 53,086. A.J. Pollock struck out, and then Bellinger popped up to shallow left. Rendon misjudged the ball but recovered and made the catch while he tumbled over. The goateed All-Star smiled wide as he stood.

''The ball kept going and I kept thinking, `Where the hell is our left fielder at?''' Rendon said. ''He didn't call it so I knew I had to catch it.''

Martinez intentionally walked Max Muncy, who hit a solo shot off Sean Doolittle in the seventh, before Hudson walked Will Smith to load the bases. Seager fouled off four fastballs before Hudson got him to swing over a slider.

Los Angeles struck out 17 times.

Strasburg was making the first start of his 10-year career on three days' rest. The right-hander tossed three shutout innings with two hits Tuesday night in a dramatic wild-card victory over Milwaukee, the first relief appearance of his career.

The Nationals took a 4-2 lead in the top of the eighth on Asdrubal Cabrera's pinch-hit RBI single.

Los Angeles finally scored in the sixth on Turner's sacrifice fly after Matt Beaty's pinch-hit single and Pederson's double. With the tying run at the plate, Pollock lined out to Strasburg to end the inning.

Until Smith broke through, the Dodgers' closest attempt at a hit came in the third when Kershaw's sinking line drive was grabbed by diving left fielder Juan Soto.

Kershaw ran into immediate trouble, with Trea Turner doubling on his first pitch of the game. After Adam Eaton popped out to third, Kershaw walked Rendon and hit Soto to load the bases. Howie Kendrick, who had two errors in a Game 1 defeat, followed with a run-scoring single.

The Nationals tacked on a pair of two-out runs in the second for a 3-0 lead. Kershaw hit Victor Robles leading off, and Robles got sacrificed to second by Strasburg. Eaton singled in Robles and Rendon followed with a double off the wall in center.

After the early damage, Kershaw settled down and gave up two hits over his final four innings.

The three-time NL Cy Young Award winner allowed three runs and six hits in six innings. He struck out four and walked one.

DUMPSTER DIVING

Lux's pinch-hit homer in Game 1 ended up in a right field trash can in the eighth inning.

The man who retrieved the ball told Lux how his first postseason homer bounced into the garbage.

''I'm like, `You went dumpster diving for it? I guess I appreciate you doing that,''' Lux said. ''Twenty years from now I can tell my kids, `Hey, this ball was in the trash can.'''

UP NEXT

Scherzer has now pitched in consecutive playoff wins after his teams endured seven straight postseason losses with him on the mound. The three-time Cy Young Award winner was slowed by a back injury this season but brought a live arm Friday. He is 4-5 with a 3.83 ERA in 14 postseason starts and 17 appearances.

Ryu led the majors with a 2.32 ERA, earning his first All-Star nod. He was the NL starter in the game. The South Korean is 2-2 with a 4.11 ERA in seven career postseason starts. Los Angeles elected to start him on the road (4-4, 2.72 ERA in 15 starts) even though he was much better at home (10-1, 1.93 ERA).

 

[Cnotes53]

SCHEDULE FOR SATURDAY OCTOBER 5, 2019
Time (ET) Away Home Site
5:07 PM Minnesota Twins New York Yankees Yankee Stadium
9:07 PM Tampa Bay Rays Houston Astros Minute Maid Park

SCHEDULE FOR SUNDAY OCTOBER 6, 2019
Time (ET) Away Home Site
4:10 PM Atlanta Braves St. Louis Cardinals Busch Stadium
7:45 PM Los Angeles Dodgers Washington Nationals Nationals Park


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


MLB PLAYOFF'S OPINIONS AND BEST BETS: ALL BASED ON 5 UNITS

DATE W-L-T % UNITS RECORD.

10/04/2019.......3-3-0.........50.00%........-0.50
10/03/2019.......1-3-0.........25.00%........-9.65
10/02/2019.......1-1-0.........50.00%........-1.35
10/01/2019...... 0-2-0........ 0.00%....... -10.50


Totals...............5-9-0........ 35.71%...... -21.50


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


BEST BETS:

DATE........................ATS.............UNITS. ............O/U...............UNITS.............TOTALS


10/04/2019.............2 - 1.............+3.45..............3 - 1.............+9.50..............+12.95
10/03/2019.............1 - 1.............+1.35..............0 - 2.............-11.00..............-9.65
10/02/2019.............0 - 1..............-6.35..............1 - 0.............+5.00...............-1.35
10/01/2019.............0 - 1..............-5.00..............0 - 1..............-5.50...............-10.50


Totals.....................3 - 4..............-6.55..............4 - 4..............-2.00...............-8.55

 

[Cnotes53]

Saturday?s 6-pack

Odds to win the Stanley Cup next spring:

6-1? Tampa Bay, Toronto

7-1? Colorado, Vegas

10-1? Chicago, Dallas

12-1? Boston, St Louis

15-1? Nashville, Pittsburgh

18-1? San Jose


Quote of the Day
?I love doing what I?m doing at UT, but I love more being with my family and my grandchildren. I?m still the assistant to the assistant pee-wee baseball coach and I?m the flag football coach. You can?t do those things and ever coach. We got a really, really good coach and we need to make sure we appreciate that.?
Tennessee AD Philip Fulmer, the former football coach

Saturday?s quiz
Who is the only pro golfer ever to win $1M+ on the PGA Tour 20 years in a row?

Friday?s quiz
In all of MINOR league baseball this season, 31 no-hitters were thrown.

Thursday?s quiz
Lions and Cowboys always host NFL games on Thanksgiving Day.

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

Saturday?s List of 13: Random stuff with the weekend here??.

13) Greetings from Las Vegas, America?s favorite city; had a long flight in Friday, complete with 20+ fired-up college students sitting behind me, drinking their way across America. It was a very loud five hours.

12) College football teams with best record vs spread:
5-0: UL-Lafayette, SMU, Auburn, Oklahoma State
11) College football teams with worst record vs spread:
0-5: Akron
0-4: FIU, Georgia Tech, Vanderbilt, Virginia Tech

10) Weird NFL schedule this Sunday; 10 games at 1PM ET, only two at 4:00 or 4:25, with Packers-Cowboys the feature game.

There used to be a rule that the Jets/Giants couldn?t play at the same time unless they were playing each other, to maximize ratings in NY/NJ, but that has gone by the boards.

9) Good program on HBO; 24/7: College Football, which features a different team each week, with Hard Knocks-type access to the head coach and players.

This week?s show featured an hour on the Florida Gators; next three weeks are Penn State, Arizona State and then Washington State.

8) Speaking of Washington State, they found a scapegoat for consecutive losses when defensive coordinator Tracy Claeys ?resigned? (got fired) Friday.

Two weeks ago, Wazzu was unbeaten and Leach was playing up his quirky Pirate image with the media; then they blew a 49-17 lead at home to UCLA, got whacked at Utah LW and now fingers are being pointed. We live in a fickle society.

7) Mets fired manager Mickey Callaway, who went 163-161 in his two years in Flushing. There are now seven managerial openings in the major leagues.

6) NFL stuff:
? Colt McCoy will start at QB for the Redskins Sunday.
? Saquon Barkley, Sam Darnold are both out this week.
? Rams? LB Clay Matthews broke his jaw Thursday, is out for a month.

5) Braves? OF Ronald Acuna had 33 singles this year that went 300+ feet, a testament to both his power and his tendency not to hustle out of the batters? box.

4) Sports Illustrated laid off half of its writing staff this week; TheMaven, which is now running SI, is expected to hire contract workers to fill out the writing staff after the layoffs.

3) College football stuff:
? Oklahoma suspended K Calum Sutherland, after an alleged incident with his girlfriend.
? Tennessee will start true freshman QB Brian Maurer against Georgia today.

2) Apparently when the Washington Redskins drafted QB Dwayne Haskins last April, coach Jay Gruden didn?t want the kid, which must make things awkward now, since by the time Haskins is deemed ready to start for Washington, Gruden is likely to have a different job.

1) Golden State Warriors? star Draymond Green made only 29% of his jump shots LY, the worst %age in the NBA.

 

[Cnotes53]

LEADING OFF: Cole vs Snell, Tanaka hopes for good split
October 4, 2019
By The Associated Press

A look at what's happening around the majors Saturday:

COLE'S ROLL

Gerrit Cole led the big leagues with 326 strikeouts, topped the AL with a 2.50 ERA and went 20-5, one win behind Astros teammate Justin Verlander for most in the majors. He also was 16-0 in his final 22 starts.

Cole starts Game 2 of the AL Division Series, a day after Verlander pitched seven shutout innings of one-hit ball in a 6-2 win over Tampa Bay in the opener. Cole's strikeouts set a franchise record, topping the 313 fanned by J.R. Richard in 1979.

Blake Snell (6-8, 4.29 ERA) pitches for the Rays. A year after going 21-5 with a 1.89 ERA and winning the AL Cy Young Award, the lefty missed two months late in the season because of arthroscopic surgery to remove bone chips in his elbow. Snell didn't get out of the third inning in any of his three September starts, but believes he'll be able to go quite a bit longer in this playoff outing.

''I feel very good,'' he said. ''I feel like I'll be able to go five strong innings, if I'm in the zone and attacking like I should be.''

NOW HITCHED, WILL PITCH

A week removed from the biggest day of his life, Twins rookie right-hander Randy Dobnak (2-1, 1.59) will start Game 2 of the AL Division Series at Yankee Stadium. It will be his first appearance since getting married last Saturday - the couple set a date more than two years ago, back when the length of the major league season wasn't a factor.

Dobnak was undrafted out of Division II Alderson-Broaddus College in 2016, yet he's been sensational since making his MLB debut in August. Minnesota manager Rocco Baldelli announced the unexpected move after a 10-4 loss to the Yankees on Friday night, pushing veteran RHP Jake Odorizzi to Game 3.

The Yankees will give the ball to October standout Masahiro Tanaka. The Japanese right-hander is 3-2 with a 1.50 ERA in five postseason starts. He also finished strong after an uneven season tied to struggles with his trademark split-finger fastball. Following a lot of trial and error, Tanaka believes he has his best splitter again.

''It was a struggle, but at the end of the day, you keep trying,'' Tanaka said Friday via translator. ''You work on your mechanics, on your grip, and you just keep on trying and trying, and I feel like towards the end of the season, I was able to really find that good splitter and get that back.''

DAY OF REST

Both NL Division Series are off to travel, meaning Braves closer Mark Melancon gets a day to recover after arduous outings in Games 1 and 2. Melancon blew a save and gave up four runs in the series opener, a 7-6 loss to St. Louis, then allowed two baserunners in the ninth before closing out a 3-0 win in Game 2. A three-time All-Star, Melancon rediscovered his best form after being acquired from San Francisco midseason. Atlanta could use him at the top of his game with the bullpen short-handed following an injury to right-hander Chris Martin.

CATCHING UP

Former Cubs catchers David Ross and Joe Girardi will talk to the team next week about becoming the new manager. Joe Maddon was let go after Chicago missed the playoffs for the first time since 2014.

Ross works in the Cubs' front office. The club interviewed bench coach Mark Loretta this week and will speak to first base coach Will Venable next week.

 

[Cnotes53]

<a href="http://www.freeimagehosting.net/commercial-photography/"><img src="https://i.imgur.com/nqqN6Vb.png" alt="Commercial Photography"></a>

 

[Cnotes53]

MLB
Dunkel

Saturday, October 5


Minnesota @ NY Yankees

Game 951-952
October 5, 2019 @ 5:07 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Minnesota
(Dobnak) 14.401
NY Yankees
(Tanaka) 16.762
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
NY Yankees
by 2 1/2
9
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
NY Yankees
-180
9 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
NY Yankees
(-180); Under

Tampa Bay @ Houston

Game 953-954
October 5, 2019 @ 9:07 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Tampa Bay
(Snell) 15.337
Houston
(Cole) 18.120
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Houston
by 3
9
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Houston
-300
7 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Houston
(-300); Over




MLB
Armadillo's Write-Up

Friday, October 4

American League
Rays @ Astros (1-0)
Snell is 0-1, 4.50 in three opens since coming off the IL (6 IP); he is 2-2, 4.73 in six starts vs Houston- this is his first playoff start.

Cole was 5-0, 1.29 in six September starts; he is 15-0 in his last 19 starts, and is 0-2, 3.51 in four starts vs Tampa Bay, and 2-3, 3.72 in five playoff starts.

Rays won the Wild Card game Wednesday; they?re in playoffs for first time since 2013. Tampa Bay is 1-3 in the ALCS, winning their first one in 2008, losing the last three.

Houston is in playoffs for 4th time in five years; they won 2017 World Series, lost ALCS LY. Astros are 4-4 vs Tampa Bay this year; home side won six of the eight games.

Twins @ New York (1-0)
Dobnak is 2-1, 1.59 in nine MLB games (5 starts); he finished the four games he didn?t start. His first MLB start was September 3.

Tanaka is 1-1, 5.21 in his last four starts; he is 5-0, 2.27 in five starts vs Minnesota, and is 3-2, 1.50 in five playoff starts.

Twins lost their last 11 playoff games with NYY. Minnesota lost Wild Card game here in 2017, their only playoff appearance since 2010; they?re 2-5 vs NYY this year, with road team winning four of the seven games. Average total in the seven games is 13.6.

New York is in playoffs for 4th time in last seven years, after making it 17 of 18 years before that; they won three of last five trips to the ALDS.




MLB

Friday, October 4

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trend Report
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

New York Yankees
NY Yankees is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
NY Yankees is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games at home
NY Yankees is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of NY Yankees's last 13 games at home
NY Yankees is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Minnesota
NY Yankees is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Minnesota
The total has gone OVER in 6 of NY Yankees's last 7 games when playing Minnesota
NY Yankees is 9-2 ATS in its last 11 games when playing at home against Minnesota
NY Yankees is 11-1 SU in its last 12 games when playing at home against Minnesota
The total has gone OVER in 8 of NY Yankees's last 10 games when playing at home against Minnesota
Minnesota Twins
Minnesota is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Minnesota's last 7 games
Minnesota is 18-7 ATS in its last 25 games on the road
Minnesota is 19-5 SU in its last 24 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Minnesota's last 7 games on the road
Minnesota is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing NY Yankees
Minnesota is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing NY Yankees
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Minnesota's last 7 games when playing NY Yankees
Minnesota is 2-9 ATS in its last 11 games when playing on the road against NY Yankees
Minnesota is 1-11 SU in its last 12 games when playing on the road against NY Yankees
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Minnesota's last 10 games when playing on the road against NY Yankees

Houston Astros
Houston is 7-1 ATS in its last 8 games
Houston is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games
Houston is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games at home
Houston is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Houston's last 5 games at home
Houston is 5-13 ATS in its last 18 games when playing Tampa Bay
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Houston's last 5 games when playing Tampa Bay
Houston is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Tampa Bay
Houston is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Tampa Bay
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Houston's last 5 games when playing at home against Tampa Bay
Tampa Bay Rays
Tampa Bay is 8-4 SU in its last 12 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Tampa Bay's last 7 games
Tampa Bay is 13-5 ATS in its last 18 games when playing Houston
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Tampa Bay's last 5 games when playing Houston
Tampa Bay is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Houston
Tampa Bay is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Houston
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Tampa Bay's last 5 games when playing on the road against Houston


-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------


MLB
Long Sheet

Saturday, October 5

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

MINNESOTA (101 - 62) at NY YANKEES (104 - 59) - 5:07 PM
JAKE ODORIZZI (R) vs. MASAHIRO TANAKA (R)
Top Trends for this game.
NY YANKEES are 104-59 (+14.8 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
NY YANKEES are 24-6 (+14.7 Units) against the money line as a home favorite of -125 to -175 this season.
NY YANKEES are 58-24 (+14.1 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
NY YANKEES are 41-12 (+17.8 Units) against the money line in home games against right-handed starters this season.
NY YANKEES are 46-27 (+18.5 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
MINNESOTA is 101-62 (+21.5 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
MINNESOTA is 55-27 (+27.5 Units) against the money line in road games this season.
MINNESOTA is 23-12 (+10.1 Units) against the money line on the road when the total is 9 to 9.5 this season.
MINNESOTA is 23-7 (+12.1 Units) against the money line when playing on Saturday this season.
MINNESOTA is 67-38 (+18.4 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
MINNESOTA is 79-44 (+21.4 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
MINNESOTA is 44-19 (+21.7 Units) against the money line after a loss this season.
ODORIZZI is 21-9 (+10.4 Units) against the money line in all games this season. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
NY YANKEES is 5-2 (+2.7 Units) against MINNESOTA this season
6 of 7 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+4.9 Units)

JAKE ODORIZZI vs. NY YANKEES since 1997
ODORIZZI is 7-9 when starting against NY YANKEES with an ERA of 4.95 and a WHIP of 1.204.
His team's record is 7-10 (-2.2 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 7-9. (-3.6 units)

MASAHIRO TANAKA vs. MINNESOTA since 1997
TANAKA is 5-0 when starting against MINNESOTA with an ERA of 2.27 and a WHIP of 1.009.
His team's record is 5-0 (+5.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 4-1. (+3.0 units)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

TAMPA BAY (97 - 67) at HOUSTON (108 - 55) - 9:07 PM
BLAKE SNELL (L) vs. GERRIT COLE (R)
Top Trends for this game.
TAMPA BAY is 187-139 (+23.9 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 80-66 (+16.7 Units) against the money line in road games in night games over the last 3 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 77-71 (+19.6 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 39-24 (+23.9 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
SNELL is 20-9 (+13.0 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
HOUSTON is 296-320 (-63.6 Units) against the money line when playing on Saturday since 1997.
HOUSTON is 75-47 (-22.1 Units) against the money line in home games in night games over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 44-37 (-28.7 Units) against the money line in home games against left-handed starters over the last 3 seasons.
HOUSTON is 38-35 (-21.1 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 19-20 (-18.3 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
TAMPA BAY is 4-4 (+1.3 Units) against HOUSTON this season
4 of 8 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=-0.8 Units, Under=-0.3 Units)

BLAKE SNELL vs. HOUSTON since 1997
SNELL is 2-2 when starting against HOUSTON with an ERA of 4.73 and a WHIP of 1.485.
His team's record is 4-2 (+3.8 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-4. (-2.3 units)

GERRIT COLE vs. TAMPA BAY since 1997
COLE is 0-2 when starting against TAMPA BAY with an ERA of 3.51 and a WHIP of 1.091.
His team's record is 2-2 (-1.2 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 2-2. (-0.2 units)


------------------------------------------


951MINNESOTA -952 NY YANKEES
NY YANKEES are 18-5 SU (15.3 Units) vs. teams outscoring opp by 1 or more runs/game on the season in the current season.

953TAMPA BAY -954 HOUSTON
TAMPA BAY is 8-21 SU (-17 Units) vs. teams outscoring opp by 1 or more runs/game on the season in the current season.

 

[Cnotes53]

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 5
GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

MIN at NYY 05:07 PM
O 9.0

TB at HOU 09:07 PM
TB +267
U 7.5

 

[Cnotes53]

Cole fans 15, Bregman homers as Astros top Rays 3-1
October 5, 2019
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HOUSTON (AP) Gerrit Cole carried his splendid September into an outstanding October and Alex Bregman handed fans chanting MVP the mighty swing they craved and the Houston Astros survived a wild ninth inning to beat the Tampa Bay Rays 3-1 on Saturday night for a 2-0 lead in their AL Division Series.

Cole, 5-0 with a 1.07 ERA in six starts last month, set an Astros postseason record with 15 strikeouts in 7 2/3 scoreless innings to win his franchise-record 17th straight decision. The 15 strikeouts tied for third-most in a postseason game, the highest total since Roger Clemens had 15 in the 2000 AL Championship Series for the New York Yankees against Seattle.

Cole (1-0), who led the majors with 326 strikeouts in the regular season, extended his major league record with his 10th straight game with at least 10 Ks. The Rays were unable to string anything together off of him on a night he induced 33 swings and misses - the most since MLB started tracking the stat in 2008 - and threw a career-high 118 pitches.

Kevin Kiemaier doubled with two outs in the eighth and Cole was lifted after putting on Willy Adames with Cole's first walk. The right-hander received a standing ovation as he walked off the mound and waved to the crowd just before he reached the dugout. Roberto Osuna took over and struck out Yandy Diaz to end the inning before running into trouble in the ninth.

Austin Meadows and Tommy Pham hit consecutive singles and Ji-Man Choi walked to load the bases. The Rays cut the lead to 3-1 when Avisail Garcia grounded into a forceout that scored Meadows. Osuna walked Brandon Lowe, reloading the bases, and Astros manager AJ Hinch brought in Will Harris.

Travis d'Arnaud worked the count full, then struck out on a high cutter, and Kiermaier grounded to first baseman Yuli Gurriel, who flipped to Harris, who stepped on first for the save.

Cole's performance came after fellow ace and Cy Young Award contender Justin Verlander pitched seven scoreless innings to lead the Astros to a 6-2 win in the opener on Friday.

Game 3 of the best-of five series is Monday in Florida.

There were no outs in the fourth when Bregman, who hit a career-best 41 home runs in the regular season, homered off Blake Snell (0-10. All seven of Bregman's homers have come off All-Stars, including two against Chris Sale and one each vs. Trevor Bauer, Clayton Kershaw, Corey Kluber and Kenley Jansen.

His shot gave the Astros a home run in 27 straight games, extending a franchise record.

After Lowe's error at second gifted Houston two runs in the opener, another error on helped in the seventh. Adames bobbled Gurriel's leadoff grounder to shortstop, then bounced the thorw to first. Carlos Correa doubled and Martin Maldonado blooped a run-scoring single to left.

Correa added a two-out RBI single off Nick Anderson in the eighth for a 3-0 lead.

Snell, the 2018 AL Cy Young Award winner, sat out from July 22-Sept. 17 after arthroscopic surgery to remove bone chips in his left elbow. He didn't get out of the third inning in any of his three September starts, but said he hoped to give the Rays five innings on Saturday. Instead he was lifted one batter after Bregman's homer, finishing with four hits and a strikeout in 3 1/3 innings.

Correa helped Cole out with a fantastic defensive play to start the game. Diaz led off with a grounder toward Correa, who grabbed the ball backhanded while on the run and spun around for the throw to Gurriel that just beat a sliding Diaz.

UP NEXT

Former Astro Charlie Morton, who got the win in the Rays wild-card victory, will start against Zack Greinke. Morton pitched for the Astros from 2017-18 and played a big role in their 2017 World Series title. He won Game 7 of AL Championship Series against the Yankees and Game 7 of the World Series at Dodger Stadium to give Houston its first championship.

Morton had a tough time in his last start against Houston when he gave up a season-high six runs in four innings, which tied his shortest start of season, in a 15-1 win by Astros on Aug. 27. Greinke, acquired from Arizona at the trade deadline, went 8-1 with a 3.02 ERA in 10 starts after the trade capped by a gem in his last start when he came two outs shy of his first no-hitter on Sept. 25 against Seattle.


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


Yanks stagger Twins again, lead ALDS 2-0
October 5, 2019
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NEW YORK (AP) The 103-win New York Yankees ran out identical, relentless lineups in consecutive games for the first time all year, and manager Aaron Boone believes he knows what's next for the A-team Bombers.

''Throttle down,'' he said.

Didi Gregorius hooked a slump-busting grand slam during a seven-run third inning and the Yankees pummeled the Minnesota Twins again, cruising to an 8-2 victory Saturday for a 2-0 lead in their AL Division Series.

Uber driver-turned-rookie big leaguer Randy Dobnak struggled in an unexpected start, and the Twins lost their record 15th consecutive postseason game, including 12 straight against the Yankees. The latter is the longest postseason skid for one club against another in major league history, topping Boston's dominance over the Angels from 1986-2008. Minnesota hasn't won a playoff game since Johan Santana bested the Yankees in their 2004 Division Series opener - exactly 15 years earlier.

''Our guys know that we can turn it around,'' Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said.

Coaches and players on both sides have downplayed that history, most of which predates current rosters. It's all too familiar for fans in Minnesota, where the teams will play Monday's Game 3 in the best-of-five series.

''We'll have all kinds of fire power ready to go Monday,'' Boone said.

Gregorius' shot blew Game 2 wide open while New York batted around. The switch-hitter staggered after connecting for the first time since Sept. 10, looping his bat from one hand to another and mashing on bubble gum while he watched the ball fly. Gregorius, set to become a free agent after the season, batted .194 during September and was 0 for 3 in Game 1.

''I expect this from Didi,'' Boone said. ''Just when you think you've got him down, he's got a big swing in him.''

Boone had predicted that if Gregorius could just find a hole, big hits might follow. Sure enough, Gregorius squibbed an infield single in his first at-bat before lifting his homer into the second deck in right field.

Gregorius said he was processing the at-bat during his unusual reaction to the slam. Relief pitcher Tyler Duffey struck out Gregorius on a high fastball Friday, a similar pitch to the one Gregorius crushed.

''I was ready for it this time,'' he said.

Finally featuring nearly all its stars after placing 30 players on the injured list during the regular season, New York has grinded away at Twins pitching. The Yankees worked eight walks for the second straight game, and Aaron Judge led the way with two hits and two free passes.

''They were really good, especially on breaking balls,'' Duffey said. ''If you weren't close to the plate, it didn't even seem like they wanted to even think about swinging.''

Yankees right-hander Masahiro Tanaka pitched one-run ball for five innings for the win, striking out seven and handing off to New York's fearsome bullpen after 83 pitches. Tanaka's career postseason ERA climbed to 1.54, still second lowest by a New York starter with a minimum of four starts behind Monte Pearson's 1.01.

''I actually don't get too caught up on being good in the postseason and all that,'' Tanaka said through a translator. ''Come to think about it, I think it's still a small sample. My thing is just go out there and be the best that you can be, compete.''

Dobnak faltered in just his 10th big league appearance, taking the loss a week after his wedding in Maryland. The undrafted right-hander allowed Edwin Encarnacion's RBI single in the first inning, stranded two in the second and loaded the bases with no outs in the third before being pulled.

A night after giving up Gleyber Torres' tiebreaking double, Duffey scuffled again. The right-hander followed Dobnak and allowed a sacrifice fly to Giancarlo Stanton, an RBI hit to Torres and plunked Gary Sanchez before Gregorius' drive.

''We're going to go to Duffey in those types of spots consistently,'' Baldelli said.

New York scored four runs off relievers a night after piling up seven in a 10-4 victory. The Yankees are 15-2 against the Twins in the playoffs, and these two games were the most lopsided during Minnesota's losing streak. The teams played for 3 hours, 34 minutes, a night after dragging on for 4:15.

Yankee Stadium rocked early after Friday's blowout. Fans in left field shouted ''Uber!'' at Dobnak while he warmed up, and Judge encouraged more noise from the bleachers before first pitch.

Gregorius took a curtain call while fans chanted his name after the slam, the 12th in New York's postseason history. The Bronx Bombers connected for only one homer Saturday after driving 306 of them during the regular season, one behind the Bomba Squad Twins for the major league record.

Tanaka left with a seven-run lead, but Boone ran out top middlemen Tommy Kahnle and Adam Ottavino to guide the game into the late innings. Tyler Lyons and Jonathan Loaisiga closed up with an inning each. Yankees pitchers gave up six hits, one walk and struck out 13, leaving the Twins with a .197 batting average in the two games.

''We won a hundred games a lot of different ways,'' catcher Mitch Garver said. ''And it seems like we're not doing that right now.''

TRAINER'S ROOM

Twins: Baldelli had no concerns about Arraez after the second baseman sprained his right ankle last weekend and had a busy night Friday. Arraez doubled twice.

Yankees: Boone confirmed several players will be keeping ready at the team's complex in Tampa, Florida, through the postseason, including OF Clint Frazier, 1B Mike Ford and LHP Jordan Montgomery.

UP NEXT

Yankees RHP Luis Severino (1-1, 1.50) makes his seventh postseason start and his fourth appearance of an injury-marred season. Severino was sharp in three September regular-season starts after missing nearly the entire season with shoulder and lat issues.

All-Star Jake Odorizzi (15-7, 3.51) will start for Minnesota after being passed over in Game 2. He said he wasn't bothered by the decision.

 

[Cnotes53]

SCHEDULE FOR SUNDAY OCTOBER 6, 2019
Time (ET) Away Home Site
4:10 PM Atlanta Braves St. Louis Cardinals Busch Stadium
7:45 PM Los Angeles Dodgers Washington Nationals Nationals Park


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


MLB PLAYOFF'S OPINIONS AND BEST BETS: ALL BASED ON 5 UNITS

DATE W-L-T % UNITS RECORD.

10/05/2019 2-1-0 66.67% +500.......2-1-0.........66.67%.......+5.00
10/04/2019.......3-3-0.........50.00%........-0.50
10/03/2019.......1-3-0.........25.00%........-9.65
10/02/2019.......1-1-0.........50.00%........-1.35
10/01/2019...... 0-2-0........ 0.00%....... -10.50


Totals.............7-10-0........ 41.17%...... -16.50


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


BEST BETS:

DATE........................ATS.............UNITS. ............O/U...............UNITS.............TOTALS

10/05/2019.............0 - 1.............-5.00...............2 - 0.............+10.00............+5.00
10/04/2019.............2 - 1.............+3.45..............3 - 1.............+9.50..............+12.95
10/03/2019.............1 - 1.............+1.35..............0 - 2.............-11.00..............-9.65
10/02/2019.............0 - 1..............-6.35..............1 - 0.............+5.00...............-1.35
10/01/2019.............0 - 1..............-5.00..............0 - 1..............-5.50...............-10.50


Totals.....................3 - 5.............-11.55..............6 - 4..............+8.00...............-3.55

 

[Cnotes53]

Sunday?s 6-pack

Top six picks for Week 5 in Westgate Super Contest:

6) Ravens -3 (757)-

5) Packers +3.5 (781)-

4) Patriots +15.5 (783)-

3) Buccaneers +3.5 (800)-

2) Vikings -5.5 (951)-

1) Bears -5.5 (1,299)-

2019 record: 13-11


Quote of the Day
?This is a results-based business. When you take these (GM) positions and certainly the position I?m in, you have to have thick skin and be prepared for the criticism that, quite frankly, a lot of times it?s accurate??the wins aren?t there right now, which is not acceptable. But at the same time I do see some good things going on and I am glad we made some of the decisions we made this offseason.?
Arizona Cardinals? GM Steve Keim

Sunday?s quiz
Who did the Tampa Bay Rays play the one time they made the World Series?

Saturday?s quiz
Phil Mickelson is the only pro golfer ever to win $1M+ on the PGA Tour 20 years in a row.

Friday?s quiz
In all of MINOR league baseball this season, 31 no-hitters were thrown.

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

Sunday?s List of 13: Wrapping up a college football Saturday??.

13) Virginia Tech 42, Miami 35? Hokies led 28-0 when Miami scored a 44-yard TD on the last play of the first half; Hurricanes tied game 35-all when they scored a TD with 3:16 left in the game, but missed the go-ahead PAT.

Tech then drove 63 yards on five plays for a TD and their first ACC win in three tries.

Miami is 1-3 vs I-A teams, with all four games decided by 7 or fewer points.

12) Navy 34, Air Force 25? Trends are fun and all, but under is now 33-9-1 in the last 43 games between the service academies. This game went over by a decent amount.

11) Speaking of the academies, Army (23-1) scored the first TD of the day, so if you bet them to score the day?s first TD, a prop bet at the SouthPoint, your day started out very well.

10) Texas (-11) 42, West Virginia 31? Mountaineers scored with 0:48 left, pushing the spread; over last 11 years, Texas is now 0-10-1 ATS the week before playing Oklahoma.

This game was closer than the score indicates; WVU outgained the Longhorns 463-407, but they were only 4-14 on 3rd down, Texas was 10-18? Mountaineers turned ball over four times (-3).

9) Florida 24, Auburn 13? Rough day for Auburn?s freshman QB Nix, who was 11-27/145 passing with three INT?s. Florida kept the Tigers in the game by losing five fumbles (-2 in TO?s). Gators outgained Auburn 382-241, teams combined to convert only 6-29 on third down.

8) Iowa State 49, TCU 24? Cyclones have covered their last eight October games.

7) Upsets:
? Virginia Tech (+14) 42, Miami 35
? Texas Tech (+10) 45, Oklahoma State 35
? Georgia State (+7) 52, Arkansas State 38
? Central Michigan (+6) 42, Eastern Michigan 16
? Oregon State (+6) 48, UCLA 31
? Ball State (+5) 27, Northern Illinois 20

6) SMU 43, Tulsa 37 OT? Mustangs were down 30-9 after the 3rd quarter, but won in OT after tying the game with 1:02 left in regulation. Rough night for Tulsa?s kicker, who missed three FG?s and an extra point.

5) Louisville 41, Boston College 39? Total yardage was 664-563, Louisville; they kicked a 41-yard FG with 1:13 left for the win. BC QB Grosel completed only 9-24 passes, but threw three TD?s. Eagles lost three of their last four games? they lost last two by total of five points.

4) Arizona 35, Colorado 30? Total yardage was 496-487 Colorado, but they kicked three FG?s and scored three TD?s, while Arizona scored five TD?s.

Not sure why Colorado fired Mike MacIntyre as coach LY, but they did; I?m thinking they made a mistake, but thats their business, not mine.

3) Oregon State 48, UCLA 31? Beavers led this game 21-0 after 6:01 of play; UCLA is now 1-4, and they trailed 49-17 in the one game they won.

2) Cincinnati 27, UCF 24? Knights turned ball over four times (-3); Gabriel was 25-46/297 passing but threw three INT?s- Davis caught 13 balls for 170 yards for UCF, in a losing cause.

1) There are a few teams that are so terrible you should never even think about wagering on them; UMass, Rutgers, Georgia Tech, Vanderbilt, UNLV.

 

[Cnotes53]

<a href="http://www.freeimagehosting.net/commercial-photography/"><img src="https://i.imgur.com/2VBdY22.png" alt="Commercial Photography"></a>

 

[Cnotes53]

955LA DODGERS -956 WASHINGTON
WASHINGTON is 76-46 SU (26.1 Units) vs. poor baserunning teams - averaging 0.5 or less SB's/game in the current season.

957ATLANTA -958 ST LOUIS
ST LOUIS are 22-10 SU (14.9 Units) in home games with a team slugging percentage of .440 or better on the season (NL) in the current season.




MLB
Dunkel

Sunday, October 6


Atlanta @ St. Louis

Game 957-958
October 6, 2019 @ 4:10 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Atlanta
(Soroka) 17.058
St. Louis
(Wainwrght) 15.452
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Atlanta
by 1 1/2
7
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Atlanta
-120
8
Dunkel Pick:
Atlanta
(-120); Under

LA Dodgers @ Washington

Game 955-956
October 6, 2019 @ 7:45 pm

Dunkel Rating:
LA Dodgers
(Ryu) 17.319
Washington
(Scherzer) 18.384
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Washington
by 1
9
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Washington
-115
8
Dunkel Pick:
Washington
(-115); Under




MLB
Long Sheet

Sunday, October 6

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

LA DODGERS (107 - 57) at WASHINGTON (95 - 70) - 7:45 PM
HYUN-JIN RYU (L) vs. MAX SCHERZER (R)
Top Trends for this game.
LA DODGERS are 146-106 (-21.0 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
RYU is 15-22 (-13.4 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
RYU is 9-20 (-17.0 Units) against the money line in road games in night games over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
RYU is 5-15 (-13.6 Units) against the money line in road games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
LA DODGERS are 22-5 (+15.5 Units) against the money line when playing on Sunday this season.
LA DODGERS are 76-35 (+21.9 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
WASHINGTON is 177-150 (-19.2 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 47-49 (-18.2 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 92-71 (-15.6 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 20-24 (-15.9 Units) against the money line when playing with a day off over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 108-95 (-12.1 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 43-45 (-16.4 Units) against the money line against left-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 93-84 (-25.1 Units) against the money line after a win over the last 2 seasons.
SCHERZER is 8-11 (-16.4 Units) against the money line in home games after a win over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
WASHINGTON is 4-5 (-0.1 Units) against LA DODGERS this season
6 of 8 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+3.9 Units)

HYUN-JIN RYU vs. WASHINGTON since 1997
RYU is 2-1 when starting against WASHINGTON with an ERA of 1.35 and a WHIP of 0.840.
His team's record is 3-2 (+0.7 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-4. (-4.4 units)

MAX SCHERZER vs. LA DODGERS since 1997
SCHERZER is 5-5 when starting against LA DODGERS with an ERA of 2.98 and a WHIP of 1.103.
His team's record is 5-9 (-4.6 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 7-3. (+3.5 units)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

ATLANTA (98 - 66) at ST LOUIS (92 - 72) - 4:10 PM
MIKE SOROKA (R) vs. ADAM WAINWRIGHT (R)
Top Trends for this game.
ATLANTA is 8-14 (-10.1 Units) against the money line when playing with a day off this season.
ATLANTA is 32-45 (-25.8 Units) against the money line in playoff games since 1997.
ST LOUIS is 92-72 (+4.5 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
ST LOUIS is 20-10 (+10.0 Units) against the money line at home when the money line is +125 to -125 this season.
ST LOUIS is 36-22 (+11.1 Units) against the money line in day games this season.
ST LOUIS is 73-56 (+4.4 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
ST LOUIS is 280-186 (+63.7 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season since 1997.
WAINWRIGHT is 207-121 (+47.9 Units) against the money line in all games since 1997. (Team's Record)
WAINWRIGHT is 68-36 (+20.5 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 since 1997. (Team's Record)
WAINWRIGHT is 12-1 (+11.1 Units) against the money line in home games in day games over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
WAINWRIGHT is 100-53 (+32.7 Units) against the money line after a loss since 1997. (Team's Record)
ATLANTA is 98-66 (+17.0 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
ATLANTA is 47-34 (+10.9 Units) against the money line in road games this season.
ATLANTA is 36-16 (+21.2 Units) against the money line when playing on Sunday over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 43-36 (+15.9 Units) against the money line in road games in day games over the last 3 seasons.
ATLANTA is 75-52 (+12.9 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
ATLANTA is 60-37 (+13.3 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
ATLANTA is 46-34 (+11.2 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
ST LOUIS is 26-38 (-22.7 Units) against the money line when playing with a day off over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
ATLANTA is 5-3 (+2.3 Units) against ST LOUIS this season
4 of 7 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+0.7 Units)

MIKE SOROKA vs. ST LOUIS since 1997
SOROKA is 1-0 when starting against ST LOUIS with an ERA of 0.69 and a WHIP of 0.923.
His team's record is 1-1 (-0.1 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-1. (-1.1 units)

ADAM WAINWRIGHT vs. ATLANTA since 1997
WAINWRIGHT is 9-4 when starting against ATLANTA with an ERA of 3.87 and a WHIP of 1.393.
His team's record is 10-4 (+4.8 units) in these starts. The OVER is 9-4. (+4.9 units)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------




MLB
Armadillo's Write-Up

Sunday, October 6

Braves @ Cardinals (1-1)
Soroka is 2-0, 2.81 in his last three starts; he is 1-0, 0.69 in two starts vs St Louis. This is his first playoff appearance.

Wainwright is 5-1, 3.22 in his last six starts, but allowed 11 runs in 9.1 IP in his last two; he is 9-4, 3.63 in 19 games (14 starts) vs Atlanta and is 4-4, 3.03 in 24 playoff games (12 starts).

Atlanta is in playoffs for 2nd year in a row after a 4-year absence; they lost their last seven appearances in the NLDS, dating back to 2002. Atlanta?s seven relievers allowed six runs in Game 1, while getting only 14 outs; Foltynewicz was dominant in seven IP as they evened series Friday.

St Louis is in the playoffs for first time in four years, after making it every year from 2011-15. Cardinals are 4-4 in eight games with Atlanta this year, 1-2 in this ballpark- they scored only one run in innings 1-7 in first two games of this series.

Dodgers (1-1) @ Nationals
Ryu is 2-0, 1.29 in his last three starts; he is 2-1, 1.35 in five starts vs Washington, and is 2-2, 4.11 in seven career playoff starts.

Scherzer threw a scoreless 8th inning Friday; he is 1-2, 5.96 in his last four starts, and is 5-4, 2.76 in 14 games (12 starts) vs LA. Scherzer is 4-5, 3.78 in 18 career playoff games (14 starts).

Dodgers are 5-4 vs Washington this year, 2-2 in games games played here. LA is in playoffs for 7th year in a row, losing the World Series the last two years.

Washington won the Wild Card game Tuesday, then scored only four runs when they split the two games in LA; they?re in playoffs for fifth time in eight years. Nationals lost in NLDS last four times they were in playoffs, three times in a 5th game.




MLB

Sunday, October 6

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trend Report
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games
St. Louis is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of St. Louis's last 6 games
St. Louis is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games when playing Atlanta
St. Louis is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games when playing Atlanta
The total has gone OVER in 15 of St. Louis's last 22 games when playing Atlanta
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of St. Louis's last 5 games when playing Atlanta
St. Louis is 2-6 ATS in its last 8 games when playing at home against Atlanta
St. Louis is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Atlanta
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of St. Louis's last 6 games when playing at home against Atlanta
Atlanta Braves
Atlanta is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
Atlanta is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
Atlanta is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Atlanta is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games when playing St. Louis
Atlanta is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing St. Louis
The total has gone OVER in 15 of Atlanta's last 22 games when playing St. Louis
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Atlanta's last 5 games when playing St. Louis
Atlanta is 6-2 ATS in its last 8 games when playing on the road against St. Louis
Atlanta is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against St. Louis
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Atlanta's last 6 games when playing on the road against St. Louis

Washington Nationals
Washington is 6-2 ATS in its last 8 games
Washington is 10-1 SU in its last 11 games
Washington is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games at home
Washington is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
Washington is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing LA Dodgers
Washington is 4-10 SU in its last 14 games when playing LA Dodgers
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Washington's last 6 games when playing LA Dodgers
Washington is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games when playing at home against LA Dodgers
Washington is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against LA Dodgers
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Washington's last 5 games when playing at home against LA Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
LA Dodgers is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games
LA Dodgers is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of LA Dodgers's last 6 games
LA Dodgers is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
LA Dodgers is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games on the road
LA Dodgers is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Washington
LA Dodgers is 10-4 SU in its last 14 games when playing Washington
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of LA Dodgers's last 6 games when playing Washington
LA Dodgers is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Washington
LA Dodgers is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Washington
The total has gone OVER in 4 of LA Dodgers's last 5 games when playing on the road against Washington

 

[Cnotes53]

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 6
GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

ATL at STL 04:10 PM
STL +104
U 8.5

LAD at WAS 07:45 PM
U 8.0

 

[Cnotes53]

7 2-out runs in 6th lift LA past Nats 10-4 for 2-1 NLDS lead
October 6, 2019
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WASHINGTON (AP) Justin Turner's homer capped a startling and record-setting seven-run rally in the sixth inning as the Dodgers roughed up starter-turned-reliever Patrick Corbin, and Los Angeles beat the Washington Nationals 10-4 on Sunday night to take a 2-1 lead in their NL Division Series.

Russell Martin and pinch-hitter Kike Hernandez added a pair of two-run doubles in the sixth as LA became the first team in major league history to score that many runs in one postseason inning with two outs and two strikes.

The Dodgers can advance to the NL Championship Series for the fourth consecutive year by closing the best-of-five NLDS in Game 4 at Washington on Monday, when LA sends Rich Hill to the mound against Max Scherzer.

The Dodgers entered the sixth trailing 2-1 after Juan Soto's two-run homer for Washington off eventual winner Hyun-Jin Ryu in the first and Max Muncy's solo shot off Anibal Sanchez in the fifth.

Sanchez, who struck out nine, was replaced for the sixth by $140 million lefty Corbin, who hadn't made a relief appearance since 2017. He was charged with six runs.

Martin tacked on a two-run homer in the ninth.


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


Braves rally in 9th, beat Cardinals 3-1
October 6, 2019
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ST. LOUIS (AP) Through injuries and slumps, demotions and disappointments, Dansby Swanson and Adam Duvall got ready for the big moment.

When it arrived, they were ready.

Swanson hit a tying double with two outs in the ninth inning and Duvall delivered a two-run single as the Atlanta Braves rallied past the St. Louis Cardinals 3-1 on Sunday to take a 2-1 lead in the NL Division Series.

''They never quit. They never give up,'' Braves manager Brian Snitker said. ''The heart and desire and will is unbelievable in those guys.''

Atlanta had managed just four hits off Adam Wainwright and Andrew Miller before breaking through against closer Carlos Martinez. With runners on the corners, Swanson tied it at 1 with a drive off the wall in left.

Swanson pumped his arms as he celebrated after his third hit of the game . He came through after an intentional walk to Brian McCann - Swanson's .187 batting average with runners in scoring position was the lowest in the majors this year among qualified players.

''I love Dansby in those situations. I always have,'' Snitker said. ''That kid lives for that moment.''

Watching the inning develop, Swanson said he thought he might get a chance to bat in a big spot.

''In those situations, you just try and breathe and relax,'' said Swanson, who missed the playoffs last year because of an injured left hand. ''It's easier said than done.''

Duvall, who entered in the eighth, then hit a liner into center field to put the Braves ahead to stay. It was his second big hit of the series after he connected for a pinch-hit homer in Atlanta's 3-0 victory Friday.

''I'll be ready whenever they need me,'' said Duvall, who spent much of the year with Triple-A Gwinnett.

Game 4 is Monday at Busch Stadium. Atlanta needs one more win to advance to the NL Championship Series for the first time since 2001.

This is the first time the Braves have led a postseason series since they were up 2-1 on San Francisco in the 2002 NLDS. They lost the final two games that year.

''History, we don't really play into that. This is now,'' Swanson said.

St. Louis wasted a terrific performance by Wainwright, who pitched 7 2/3 innings of four-hit ball in his first postseason start since 2014. The 38-year-old Georgia native and former Braves draft pick struck out eight and walked two.

In the age of bullpens taking over in October, Wainwright and Mike Soroka locked up in an old-fashioned pitchers' duel. But the relievers ultimately decided the game.

''We were one out away and that is exactly what playoff baseball is all about,'' Wainwright said. ''Just crazy stuff happens.''

Wainwright departed after he walked Ozzie Albies on his 120th pitch, loading the bases in the first playoff game in St. Louis in four years. He got a big hug on the mound from catcher Yadier Molina and the sellout crowd of 46,701 saluted Wainwright with a standing ovation as he walked to the dugout.

Miller then came in and retired Freddie Freeman on a flyball to center, preserving a 1-0 lead.

But Martinez was hit hard for the second time in the series. He allowed three runs before he closed out St. Louis' 7-6 victory in Game 1.

''There were some pitches that didn't go where they were supposed to go,'' he said through a translator.

After Atlanta grabbed the lead, Mark Melancon worked the ninth for his second save of the playoffs. Paul Goldschmidt doubled with one out, but Marcell Ozuna struck out looking and Molina lined out to end the game.

''Being able to compete in a game like that is amazing,'' Swanson said.

The 22-year-old Soroka was almost as good as Wainwright, pitching seven innings of two-hit ball in his postseason debut.

St. Louis jumped in front when Ozuna doubled in the second, advanced to third on Molina's grounder and scored on Matt Carpenter's sacrifice fly .

After Soroka departed, the Cardinals threatened in the eighth. But pinch-runner Harrison Bader was caught trying to steal third ahead of Jose Martinez's pinch-hit single, and Sean Newcomb retired Dexter Fowler to end the inning.

''I thought it was a good time for me to go,'' Bader said. ''You just stay on the aggressive side and unfortunately it didn't work out.''

OZZIE AND WHITEY

Hall of Fame shortstop Ozzie Smith threw a ceremonial first pitch to current Cardinals shortstop Paul DeJong. Hall of Fame manager Whitey Herzog also was on the field before the game after he had a minor stroke last month.

UP NEXT

Dakota Hudson will start Game 4 for the Cardinals. The rookie right-hander is making his postseason debut after going 16-7 with a 3.35 ERA this season.

Snitker said he wasn't ready to announce his starter for Game 4. One possible option is bringing back Dallas Keuchel on short rest after he pitched 4 2/3 innings in series opener Thursday.

 

[Cnotes53]

SCHEDULE FOR MONDAY OCTOBER 7, 2019
Time (ET) Away Home Site
1:05 PM Houston Astros Tampa Bay Rays Tropicana Field
3:07 PM Atlanta Braves St. Louis Cardinals Busch Stadium
6:40 PM Los Angeles Dodgers Washington Nationals Nationals Park
8:40 PM New York Yankees Minnesota Twins Target Field


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


MLB PLAYOFF'S OPINIONS AND BEST BETS: ALL BASED ON 5 UNITS

DATE W-L-T % UNITS RECORD.

MLB PLAYOFF'S OPINIONS AND BEST BETS: ALL BASED ON 5 UNITS

DATE W-L-T % UNITS RECORD.

10/06/2019.......1-1-0.........50.00%........-0.50
10/05/2019.......2-1-0.........66.67%.......+5.00
10/04/2019.......3-3-0.........50.00%........-0.50
10/03/2019.......1-3-0.........25.00%........-9.65
10/02/2019.......1-1-0.........50.00%........-1.35
10/01/2019...... 0-2-0........ 0.00%....... -10.50


Totals.............8-11-0........ 42.10%...... -17.00


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


BEST BETS:

DATE........................ATS.............UNITS. ............O/U...............UNITS.............TOTALS

10/06/2019.............0 - 0............+0.00...............1 - 1.............-0.50................-0.50
10/05/2019.............0 - 1.............-5.00...............2 - 0.............+10.00.............+5.00
10/04/2019.............2 - 1.............+3.45..............3 - 1.............+9.50...............+12.95
10/03/2019.............1 - 1.............+1.35..............0 - 2.............-11.00..............-9.65
10/02/2019.............0 - 1..............-6.35..............1 - 0.............+5.00...............-1.35
10/01/2019.............0 - 1..............-5.00..............0 - 1..............-5.50...............-10.50


Totals.....................3 - 5.............-11.55..............7 - 5..............+7.50...............-4.05

 

[Cnotes53]

Monday?s 6-pack

Top six picks for Week 5 in Westgate Super Contest:

6) Ravens -3 (757)- T

5) Packers +3.5 (781)- W

4) Patriots +15.5 (783)- W

3) Buccaneers +3.5 (800)- L

2) Vikings -5.5 (951)- W

1) Bears -5.5 (1,299)- L

2019 record: 16-13-1


Quote of the Day
?No one?s told me anything. I don?t have a concern. If the key works Monday, keep working, go attack the Miami Dolphins and plan on getting our first win next week.?
Redskins? coach Jay Gruden

RIP to the great comedian Rip Taylor, who passed away Sunday at age 84.

Monday?s quiz
Which two colleges did Russell Wilson play football for?

Sunday?s quiz
Tampa Bay Rays played the Phillies the one time they made the World Series.

Saturday?s quiz
Phil Mickelson is the only pro golfer ever to win $1M+ on the PGA Tour 20 years in a row.

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

Monday?s Den: Wrapping up an NFL Sunday??.

Ravens 26, Steelers 23 OT:
? Ravens tied game on a FG with 0:10 left, won it on a FG in OT.
? Lamar Jackson?s passing numbers were ordinary, but he also ran for 70 yards.
? Ravens? first 3 drives: 27 plays, 140 yards, 17 points.
Baltimore?s last 9 drives: 50 plays, 144 yards, 9 points.

? Pitt QB Rudolph got knocked out; rookie Hodges was 7-9/68 in his NFL debut.
? Steelers started 3 drives in Raven territory: FG-FG-FG.
? Pitt still hasn?t run the ball for more than 81 yards in a game this year; they?ve converted only 15-53 third down plays.

Raiders 24, Bears 21:
? Oakland led 17-0 at the half, needed a 97-yard TD drive to win, scoring GW TD with 1:57 left.
? Total yardage was 398-236 Raiders; they lost a fumble on the Bears? 1-yard line.
? Raiders are now 10-17-2 ATS in last 29 games as a underdog.

? Chicago?s 1st five drives: 19 plays, 29 yards, zero points.
? Chicago?s last five drives: 29 plays, 204 yards, 21 points.
? Bears flew to England Friday, Raiders on Sunday nite; did that matter?

Cardinals 26, Bengals 23:
? Arizona gained 514 yards: 266 running, 248 throwing.
? Murray threw for 253 yards, ran for 93 more; he is this generation?s Michael Vick.
? Cardinals drove 62 yards in six plays, kicked GW 31-yard FG at the gun.

? Bengals trailed 23-9 with 5:00 left, tied game with 2:00 left on a 42-yard pass.
? Last four games, Cincy has been outscored 61-19 in first half.
? Bengals are 4-9 ATS in last 13 games as a home favorite.

Panthers 34, Jaguars 27:
? Jaguars gained 507 yards but lost, losing three fumbles (-3 TO?s)
? Minshew threw for 374 yards, averaged 7.8 yards/pass attempt.
? Jaguars? last five drives: 40 plays, 264 yards, but only 10 points.

? McCaffrey had 25 touches for 237 yards, three TD?s.
? Carolina is 3-0 with Kyle Allen starting QB; what happens when Newton gets healthy?
? Panthers scored a defensive TD early in 2nd quarter to go ahead, 21-7.

Vikings 28, Giants 10:
? Minnesota scored two TD?s, four FG?s; they punted once.
? Vikings ran ball for 211 yards, outgained Giants 490-211.
? Minnesota is 11-6 ATS in last 17 games as a road favorite.

? Giants covered once in their last eight games as a home underdog.
? Big Blue was 8-16 on 3rd down, are 22-42 in Jones? three starts.
? Vikings had 12 penalties for 112 yards; Giants five for 45.

Patriots 33, Redskins 7:
? New England has allowed two TD?s on 61 drives; four of their five wins are by 16+ points.
? Patriots held Washington to 75 passing yards.
? Over last 20 years. favorites are 6-2 ATS in Week 5 games if an unbeaten team plays a winless team.

? Redskins had a 65-yard TD run, gained 155 yards on their other 52 plays.
? Washington converted once on their 11 third down plays.
? Last three games, Redskins were outscored 57-13 in the first half.

Eagles 31, Jets 6:
? Jets are 7-13-2 ATS in last 22 games as a road dog, 1-1 this year.
? When NYJ offense was on field, they were outscored 14-6 by Eagle defense.
? Jets lost nine of last 11 post-bye games (3-8 ATS).
? Jets are impossible to evaluate until Darnold gets healthy

? Eagles had ten sacks, held Jets to 1.7 yards/pass attempt.
? This was only 3rd cover for Philly in last 11 games as a home favorite.
? Eagles are first team this year not to allow a play of 20+ yards in a game.

Saints 31, Buccaneers 24:
? Bucs were held to 252 TY, after they gained 499-464 the last two games.
? Fourth time in five games Tampa Bay allowed 31+ points.
? Winston was sacked six times, averaged only 4.8 yards/pass attempt.

? Saints outgained Bucs 457-252, averaged 9.6 yards/pass attempt.
? NO is 13-21-1 ATS in last 35 games as a home favorite.
? Saints are now 3-0 in Bridgewater?s starts.

Texans 53, Falcons 32:
? Scores like this get coaches fired; Falcons are 8-13 SU in their last 21 games.
? Atlanta actually led this game 17-16 at halftime.
? Falcons are 1-9 ATS in last ten games as a road underdog, 0-13 ATS in last 13 games vs AFC opponents.

? Fuller caught 14 balls for 217 yards, three TD?s; he was started in only 11% of ESPN fantasy leagues this week.
? Watson threw for 426 yards, averaged 12.9 yards/pass attempt.
? Houston scored 37 2nd half points, converted 10-13 3rd down plays.

Bills 14, Titans 7:
? Buffalo is 4-1, would be the #1 Wild Card if the playoffs started today (they don?t).
? Only second win for Bills in their last six visits to Nashville.
? Under McDermott, Buffalo is 9-6-1 ATS as a road underdog, 7-4-1 in games wth spread of 3 or fewer points.

? Tennessee was 0-4 on field goals, which was a problem.
? Mariota threw one TD pass that was called back; he ran over the line before he threw.
? Under Vrabel, Tennessee is 1-4 ATS as a home favorite.

Broncos 20, Chargers 13:
? Denver?s first two drives: 12 plays, 156 yards, 14 points.
? Denver?s last nine drives: 45 plays, 164 yards, six points.
? Broncos held Chargers to 35 yards on 16 running plays.

? Chargers didn?t score an offensive TD; their only TD was a punt return.
? LA had ball in red zone four times, scored total of only three points.
? Chargers are 2-8 ATS in last ten games as a home favorite, 0-3 this year.

Packers 34, Cowboys 24:
? Green Bay led this game 31-3 in third quarter, then hung on for dear life.
? Packers won both their road games, quality wins at Chicago/Dallas.
? Green Bay won eight of last nine series games, winning last four visits here, scoring 34+ points in all four games.

? Dallas outgained Packers 563-335, but was -3 (0-3) in turnovers.
? Prescott threw for 463 yards; Cooper caught 11 balls for 226 yards.
? Dallas is still 5-3-1 ATS in its last nine games as a home favorite.

Colts 19, Chiefs 13
? Indy ran ball for 180 yards, ran 74 plays, to 57 for Chiefs.
? Colts covered six of last eight games as a road underdog.
? Colts have now won eight of last ten visits to Arrowhead.

? Chiefs ran the ball for only 36 yards on 14 carries.
? KC?s last seven drives: 35 plays, 150 yards, three points.
? Mahomes tweaked his ankle, was hobbling in the second half.

 

[Cnotes53]

LEADING OFF: All 4 Division Series matchups could be decided
October 6, 2019
By The Associated Press

A look at what's happening around the majors Monday:

REMEMBER ME?

Charlie Morton helped Houston achieve the ultimate prize in 2017, winning Game 7 of the AL Championship Series with a sharp start against the Yankees and then winning Game 7 of the World Series in relief against the Dodgers. This time, he hopes to prevent the Astros from advancing.

Signed by Tampa Bay last winter, Morton starts Game 3 in the best-of-five AL Division Series at Tropicana Field with his team down 2-0 to the Astros. Morton beat Oakland in last week's AL wild-card matchup.

Morton faced his former team twice during the regular season, winning at home 4-2 on March 29 and losing 15-1 at Houston on Aug. 27.

''For me, there's really no mystery with the Astros. It's just kind of they are who they are to me. I mean, I know those guys pretty well, on and off the field,'' Morton said. ''I'm well aware of the challenges they present. I know what they're made of. I'm just going to go out there ... and try to make pitches and challenge them.''

Zack Greinke pitches for Houston, following dominant starts by teammates Justin Verlander and Gerrit Cole in the first two games. Greinke is 8-1 with 3.02 ERA in 10 starts since being acquired by the Astros from Arizona at the trade deadline. In his last start, the right-hander came within two outs of throwing a no-hitter against Seattle.

WAIT AND SEE

The Braves are one win from reaching the NL Championship Series for the first time since 2001. Who they'll send to the mound at Busch Stadium trying to wrap it up, they're not ready to say.

''We really haven't had a chance - when I get back in there, things will calm down and we'll talk about that,'' manager Brian Snitker said after Atlanta rallied in the ninth inning to beat St. Louis 3-1 on Sunday for a 2-1 lead in the NLDS.

One possible option is bringing back Dallas Keuchel on short rest after he pitched 4 2/3 innings in series opener Thursday.

Dakota Hudson will start Game 4 for the Cardinals. The rookie right-hander is making his postseason debut after going 16-7 with a 3.35 ERA this year.

YANKED

Hammered in two games at Yankee Stadium, the Twins try to avoid elimination in the ALDS when Jake Odorizzi (15-7, 3.51 ERA) faces New York.

The Yankees outscored Minnesota 18-6 in taking a 2-0 lead. If the Twins get swept, they would tie the North American major pro league record of 16 straight postseason losses, set by the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks from 1975-79. Minnesota's last 12 postseason defeats have all been against New York.

Luis Severino starts for New York. The 25-year-old All-Star didn't make his regular-season debut until Sept. 17, spending most of the year rehabbing a lat muscle injury sustained while warming up for his first spring training start.

Severino joked he doesn't remember his first career start in the playoffs, when he allowed three runs to the Twins in 2017 while getting just one out in a wild-card game the Yankees rallied. He beat Cleveland in the 2017 ALDS but gave up six runs over three innings in a loss to Boston in the Division Series last year. Overall, he's 1-2 with a 6.26 ERA in the postseason.

MAXED UP

Washington ace Max Scherzer is set to start Game 4 of the NL Division Series - no more mystery or intrigue.

The Nationals originally had said Scherzer was expected to pitch Game 3 Sunday night. But during the day, they announced Anibal Sanchez would make the start - Los Angeles won 10-4 for a 2-1 lead in the matchup.

Scherzer was summoned from the bullpen by manager Dave Martinez in Game 2. The three-time Cy Young Award winner struck out all three batters he faced in Washington's 4-2 victory at Dodger Stadium on Friday night.

''We talked after the game. Throwing Sanchez Game 3 and letting me get an extra day would probably be the best thing for me and for the team,'' Scherzer said Sunday. ''So that was Davey's decision, and it's Davey's call.''

Rich Hill starts for the Dodgers. He overcame knee trouble in September to put himself in position to pitch.