Cnotes MLB 2019 Thru the World Series News, Notes, Trends Best Bets and Opinions !

[Cnotes53]

Armadillo: Saturday's six-pack

Odds to win the college basketball title next April:

9-2? Michigan State

5-1? Kansas

8-1? Duke, Kentucky, Memphis

12-1? Louisville

15-1? Arizona, Florida, North Carolina, Virginia

18-1? Michigan, Villanova


**********

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

13) Nationals 2, Cardinals 0? St Louis scored ten runs in the top of the first inning Wednesday, then they came home and got one hit here.

Anibal Sanchez is the first pitcher EVER to throw 6+ innings and allow one or no hits in two playoff games.

Mike Muchlinski was the home plate ump here; he umped Max Scherzer?s no-hitter in 2015 and also a 2013 game when Sanchez struck out 17 batters.

12) Oregon 45, Colorado 3? Ducks allowed total of 22 points in winning their last four games against I-A opponents. Colorado went in the tank in the second half here.

11) In six games this season, New England opponents have only had four drives (out of 72) where they ran a play in the Patriots? red zone. New England?s offense has 25 such drives.

10) Steelers? QB Mason Rudolph is officially out Sunday with a concussion, meaning Devlin Hodges will get his first NFL start; Paxton Lynch was promoted from the practice squad to be the backup QB.

Rams? CB Aqib Talib (ribs) is out Sunday; Todd Gurley (quad) is doubtful.

Neither of the Cowboys? starting OT?s practiced Friday. a red flag.

9) Washington Redskins will start Case Keenum at QB Sunday in Miami, in Bill Callahan?s first game as the interim coach. Expect Keenum to hand off a lot.

8) Living in Denver must be weird; at 2pm Wednesday, it was 79 degrees- at 2pm Thursday, it was 24 degrees, the 15th-largest temperature drop in Denver history.

7) MLB sources say that a player who accepts a qualifying offer this winter will get a one-year, $17.8M contract next season, down from $17.9M this year. It?s the first time the value of the qualifying offer has ever dropped from one year to the next.

6) XFL players will earn an average of $55,000, when the new football league starts in February; by way of contrast, the minimum salary in the NFL is $495,000.

5) From Ralph Michaels: Since 2015, home favorites in Game 1 of a baseball playoff series:
? If a favorite of -$135 or less: 3-7
? If a favorite of -$136 or more: 20-3

4) Heard this yesterday and while it isn?t new news, it does raise an eyebrow; UNLV?s basketball team hasn?t been in the NCAA?s since 2013. Long time. 30 years ago, UNLV basketball was like Gonzaga is now; a huge fish in a tiny pond (Big West Conference) that more than held its own nationally. Gonzaga is in the WCC, also a fairly small pond

3) Red Sox led the major leagues this year, winning eight (out of 45) games where they trailed by 4+ runs at some point in the game.

Minnesota was the only team that didn?t win a game (0-35) when they trailed by 4+ runs.

2) NFL coaches are 1-21 on pass interference challenges; NFL appeased the Saints by putting in a rule they don?t seem to want to enforce. Go figure.

1) RIP to the outstanding actor Robert Forster, 78, who passed away Friday; I remember him most from the terrific movie Jackie Brown, where he played a bail bondsman, and also from a 2-part episode of Magnum PI, where he played an old Army buddy of Magnum. RIP, sir.

 

[Cnotes53]

ALCS - Yankees vs. Astros
Kevin Rogers

2019 Head-to-Head Matchups (Houston 4-3, Over 5-2)

New York vs. Houston (Minute Maid Park)
April 8 ? Astros 4, Yankees 3 (Under 8)
April 9 ? Astros 6, Yankees 3 (Over 8)
April 10 ? Astros 8, Yankees 6 (Over 8)

Houston vs. New York (Yankee Stadium)
June 20 ? Yankees 10, Astros 6 (Over 10)
June 21 ? Yankees 4, Astros 1 (Under 9)
June 22 ? Yankees 7, Astros 5 (Over 10)
June 23 ? Astros 9, Yankees 4 (Over 10)

The National League Championship Series matchup between the Cardinals and Nationals wasn?t expected when the season began. The American League Championship Series pits the Yankees and Astros, who were expected to hook up for the pennant before the season started.

New York (103-59) won its first AL East title since 2012, while coming off its second consecutive 100-victory season. The Yankees were bounced in the ALDS by the rival Red Sox last October in four games, but New York made quick work of Minnesota this time around in a three-game sweep of the AL Central champions.

The Bronx Bombers outscored the Twins, 18-6 in a pair of home blowouts before New York knocked out Minnesota, 5-1 in Game 3 at Target Field. Shortstop Didi Gregorious led the Yankees with six runs batted in during the series, including a grand slam in the Game 2 rout. Five different Yankees homered in the series, but none of those came off the bat of slugger Aaron Judge, who has drilled seven postseason homers in his short career.

The three starting pitchers for the Yankees against Minnesota all lasted five innings or less as the bullpen received plenty of work. Masahiro Tanaka (11-9, 4.45 ERA) shut down the Twins in Game 2 of the ALDS by striking out seven and scattering three hits in five innings of an 8-2 triumph. Since June 11, the Yankees are 15-4 in Tanaka?s past 19 starts, as the veteran gets the call in Game 1 of the ALCS. New York owns a 1-1 record in Tanaka?s two outings as a road underdog this season, including in a 4-3 setback at Minute Maid Park to the Astros on April 8. Tanaka allowed only one run in six innings and left with a 3-1 lead, but Houston rallied for three runs against the New York bullpen.

Southpaw James Paxton (15-6, 3.82 ERA) is unbeaten in his last 12 starts for New York, while picking up a no-decision in a 10-4 victory over Minnesota in the ALDS opener. The Yankees are 6-0 in Paxton?s past six road outings, as the left-hander split a pair of starts against the Astros this season. Paxton was tagged for five runs in four innings of an 8-6 setback at Minute Maid Park in April, but rebounded for a 4-1 home victory over the Astros in June even though he tossed just five innings.

Luis Severino (1-1, 1.50 ERA) won a career-high 19 games last season, but a rotator cuff issue sidelined the Yankees? right-hander until September. Severino never pitched past the fifth inning in four starts, but he allowed a total of two earned runs in 16 innings of work, while the Yankees own a 16-3 record in his past 19 home starts since the beginning of 2018. Last season, Severino dominated the Astros by yielding two earned runs and striking out 21 batters in 16 innings as New York beat Houston twice.

The Astros (107-55) are coming off their best regular season in franchise history as Houston is headed to its third consecutive ALCS. Back in 2017, the Astros claimed their first ever championship by outlasting the Dodgers in seven games, one round after beating the Yankees in seven games. However, Houston fell short of its second consecutive pennant by losing in five games to eventual champion Boston.

The Astros were cruising past the Rays in the ALDS by winning the first two games at home easily, but Tampa Bay forced a Game 5 with a pair of home victories. Houston finished the job in Game 5 at Minute Maid Park with four runs in the first inning of a 6-1 triumph as A.J. Hinch?s club is playing in a third consecutive LCS for the first time in franchise history.

Houston?s triple threat on the mound is as intimidating as any in recent memory. The Astros have the two top Cy Young candidates in Justin Verlander and Gerrit Cole, but since they pitched in the final two games of the Rays? series, it will be Zack Greinke taking the mound in Game 1.

Greinke (18-5, 2.93 ERA) would be an ace on nearly every other team in baseball, but he has taken a backseat to Verlander and Cole after getting acquired from Arizona at the trade deadline in July. The former Cy Young winner was racked for six runs in 3.2 innings in Game 3 of the ALDS at Tampa Bay in a 10-3 defeat. Greinke?s two worst starts since joining the Astros came against the Rays, as he allowed five runs in a 9-8 home defeat in late August. Houston owns an 8-3 record in Greinke?s 11 starts, including a 3-1 mark at Minute Maid Park. In Greinke?s final start as a member of the Diamondbacks, he picked up a no-decision in a 7-5 loss to the Yankees in which he gave up two runs in five innings.

Verlander (21-6, 2.58 ERA) put together polar opposite starts in the ALDS as he yielded only one hit in seven innings of a 6-2 triumph in Game 1. However, the Rays got to the former MVP and Cy Young winner in Game 4 by scoring four runs off Verlander in less than four innings of a 4-1 defeat by the Astros. Since losing to the Tigers as a -500 favorite on August 21, the Astros are 7-2 in Verlander?s past nine starts, while Houston is 13-5 in his 18 outings at Minute Maid Park. The Astros won both of Verlander?s starts against the Yankees this season, while Houston is 5-1 against New York with him on the mound since 2017.

Cole (20-5, 2.50 ERA) has been the best pitcher in baseball since mid-July as Houston has won 15 consecutive starts made by the former UCLA standout. Seven of those wins came away from Minute Maid Park, as the right-hander will start Game 3 of the ALCS. Cole dominated Tampa Bay in the ALDS by striking out 25 batters and allowing six hits and one run in 15.2 innings of work. Cole is riding an 11-start streak of double-digit strikeouts, while receiving a no-decision in his lone start against the Yankees back in April. The former Pirates? hurler tossed seven innings and gave up three runs as the Astros rallied for a 6-3 win, marking the only start he has made against New York since being acquired by Houston in 2018.

The Astros and Yankees are meeting in the playoffs for only the second time ever as Houston edged New York in seven games back in 2017. In that series, the home team won all seven contests, while the Yankees were limited to three runs in four losses at Minute Maid Park. The Yankees are seeking their first World Series appearance since 2009 when they topped the Phillies in six games.

 

[Cnotes53]

903NY YANKEES -904 HOUSTON
NY YANKEES are 20-5 SU (17.5 Units) vs. teams outscoring opp by 1 or more runs/game on the season in the current season.

905WASHINGTON -906 ST LOUIS
WASHINGTON is 29-11 SU (18.7 Units) vs teams who strand 6.9 or less runners on base per game in the second half of the season in the current season.




MLB
Dunkel

Saturday, October 12


Washington @ St. Louis

Game 905-906
October 12, 2019 @ 4:08 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Washington
(Scherzer) 19.070
St. Louis
(Wainwrght) 17.426
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Washington
by 1 1/2
8
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Washington
-145
7
Dunkel Pick:
Washington
(-145); Over

NY Yankees @ Houston

Game 903-904
October 12, 2019 @ 8:08 pm

Dunkel Rating:
NY Yankees
(Tanaka) 16.416
Houston
(Greinke) 17.521
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Houston
by 1
7
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Houston
-160
8 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Houston
(-160); Under




MLB
Long Sheet

Saturday, October 12

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

NY YANKEES (106 - 59) at HOUSTON (110 - 57) - 8:08 PM
MASAHIRO TANAKA (R) vs. ZACK GREINKE (R)
Top Trends for this game.
NY YANKEES are 66-58 (-16.9 Units) against the money line in road games against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
GREINKE is 66-30 (+20.4 Units) against the money line as a home favorite of -125 to -175 since 1997. (Team's Record)
GREINKE is 153-82 (+48.8 Units) against the money line in home games since 1997. (Team's Record)
GREINKE is 117-59 (+40.6 Units) against the money line in home games in night games since 1997. (Team's Record)
NY YANKEES are 106-59 (+16.8 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
NY YANKEES are 48-27 (+20.5 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
HOUSTON is 297-320 (-62.6 Units) against the money line when playing on Saturday since 1997.
HOUSTON is 71-46 (-9.4 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
HOUSTON is 91-73 (-19.6 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 21-20 (-16.3 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.
GREINKE is 17-20 (-10.8 Units) against the money line after a win over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
HOUSTON is 4-3 (+1.0 Units) against NY YANKEES this season
5 of 7 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+2.7 Units)

MASAHIRO TANAKA vs. HOUSTON since 1997
TANAKA is 1-4 when starting against HOUSTON with an ERA of 5.06 and a WHIP of 1.237.
His team's record is 4-6 (-2.2 units) in these starts. The OVER is 5-5. (-0.5 units)

ZACK GREINKE vs. NY YANKEES since 1997
GREINKE is 4-4 when starting against NY YANKEES with an ERA of 4.52 and a WHIP of 1.285.
His team's record is 5-7 (-1.3 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 7-4. (+2.7 units)

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

WASHINGTON (98 - 71) at ST LOUIS (94 - 74) - 4:08 PM
MAX SCHERZER (R) vs. ADAM WAINWRIGHT (R)
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
ST LOUIS is 5-3 (+2.9 Units) against WASHINGTON this season
6 of 7 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+4.8 Units)

MAX SCHERZER vs. ST LOUIS since 1997
SCHERZER is 2-6 when starting against ST LOUIS with an ERA of 3.31 and a WHIP of 1.075.
His team's record is 5-6 (-3.6 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 6-3. (+2.9 units)

ADAM WAINWRIGHT vs. WASHINGTON since 1997
WAINWRIGHT is 10-4 when starting against WASHINGTON with an ERA of 3.54 and a WHIP of 1.332.
His team's record is 11-6 (+3.8 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 8-7. (-0.2 units)

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




MLB
Armadillo's Write-Up

Saturday, October 12

American League
New York @ Astros
Paxton is 10-0, 2.88 in his last 12 starts, 0-0, 7.94 in his last two; he is 8-4, 3.24 in 14 starts vs Houston, and is 0-0, 5.79 in one playoff start.

Greinke is 4-1, 3.41 in his last five starts; he is 4-4, 5.05 in 15 games (12 starts) vs NYY, and is 3-5, 4.58 in 12 playoff starts.

New York lost the ALCS to Houston two years ago; they haven?t been in a World Series since 2009. NYY hasn?t played since Monday; they allowed only seven runs in their 3-0 sweep of the Twins.

Astros are in ALCS for third year in a row; they won 2017 World Series, but needed Game 5 to advance past Tampa Bay Thursday. Home teams won six of seven NY-Houston games this year, with Astros winning all three games played here.

National League
Nationals (1-0) @ Cardinals
Scherzer is 2-0, 3.79 in his last four games (3 starts); he is 2-6, 3.31 in 11 starts vs St Louis, and is 5-5, 3.60 in 19 playoff games (15 starts).

Wainwright is 5-1, 2.66 in his last seven starts; he is 10-4, 3.10 in 17 games (15 starts) vs Washington, and is 4-4, 2.79 in 25 playoff games (13 starts).

Washington won the NLDS in dramatic fashion Wednesday, they?re 12-2 in last 14 games overall, and are in NLCS for the time since 1981, when they were the Montreal Expos. Nationals are 2-5 vs St Louis this season, losing three of four games here.

St Louis is in the playoffs for first time in four years, after making it every year from 2011-15. Cardinals are in NLCS for first time since 2014.




MLB

Saturday, October 12

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

St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 7 of St. Louis's last 10 games
St. Louis is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games at home
St. Louis is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 4 of St. Louis's last 6 games at home
St. Louis is 8-3 ATS in its last 11 games when playing Washington
St. Louis is 7-3 SU in its last 10 games when playing Washington
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of St. Louis's last 7 games when playing Washington
St. Louis is 16-8 SU in its last 24 games when playing at home against Washington
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of St. Louis's last 6 games when playing at home against Washington
Washington Nationals
Washington is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games
Washington is 13-2 SU in its last 15 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Washington's last 7 games
Washington is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games on the road
Washington is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Washington's last 5 games on the road
Washington is 3-8 ATS in its last 11 games when playing St. Louis
Washington is 3-7 SU in its last 10 games when playing St. Louis
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Washington's last 7 games when playing St. Louis
Washington is 8-16 SU in its last 24 games when playing on the road against St. Louis
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Washington's last 6 games when playing on the road against St. Louis

Houston Astros
Houston is 6-2 ATS in its last 8 games
Houston is 15-4 SU in its last 19 games
Houston is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games at home
Houston is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Houston's last 6 games at home
Houston is 4-10 ATS in its last 14 games when playing NY Yankees
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Houston's last 6 games when playing NY Yankees
Houston is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games when playing at home against NY Yankees
Houston is 10-3 SU in its last 13 games when playing at home against NY Yankees
New York Yankees
NY Yankees is 7-3 ATS in its last 10 games
NY Yankees is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of NY Yankees's last 6 games
NY Yankees is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of NY Yankees's last 6 games on the road
NY Yankees is 10-4 ATS in its last 14 games when playing Houston
The total has gone OVER in 5 of NY Yankees's last 6 games when playing Houston
NY Yankees is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Houston
NY Yankees is 3-10 SU in its last 13 games when playing on the road against Houston

 

[Cnotes53]

POSTSEASON STARTER STAT OF THE DAY

Adam Wainwright, St. Louis Cardinals (14-10, 4.19 ERA, $486): Wainwright is obviously the elder statesman of the Cardinals rotation and they?re banking on his postseason experience giving them an edge in Game 2. The right-hander has a career 2.79 ERA and a 1.07 WHIP in 25 postseason appearances. While in the NLCS he owns a 2.51 ERA and a 0.98 WHIP. He can keep the Nats Under their team total in this one.


3 STRIKES

SCHERZER VS A PAIR OF STREAKING SLUGGERS

The Cardinals top two sluggers both had an incredible series against the Braves in the NLDS. Paul Goldschmidt and Marcell Ozuna went a combined 18 for 42 at the plate, with seven doubles and four homers.

Over his career though, Goldschmidt has been absolutely owned by Scherzer. The six-time All-Star has just two hits (both singles) and one walk in 25 at bats against Scherzer. Ozuna has more success against Scherzer; racking up 10 hits, including two homers and five doubles in 36 plate appearances versus the Nationals flame-thrower.

BLUSTERY AT BUSCH?

It will be a little warmer for Game 2 of the NLCS after a bit of a chilly night in St. Louis for Game 1. Temperatures are forecast in the high 50?s for game time, but bettors should take note that hitters could be given a hand by mother nature in this one. There is expected to be a 10 mile per hour wind gusting straight out to center field. The total is currently 7.

BUCKING THE CS TRENDS

Both the Yankees and Astros don?t have pleasant experiences in the Championship Series. The Astros are 0-4 in their last four League Championship games after dropping four straight to Boston last season, while the Yankees are just 2-12 in their last 14 ALCS road games. With the home team claiming six of the seven meetings between these two juggernauts, we?re leaning towards the Astros in Game 1.

 

[Cnotes53]

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 12
GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

WAS at STL 04:08 PM
STL +117
U 7.5

NYY at HOU 08:08 PM
HOU -158
O 9.0

 

[Cnotes53]

Astros' added ace Greinke drops 2nd playoff start in ALCS G1
October 12, 2019
By The Associated Press

HOUSTON (AP) Houston's added ace is still looking for his first playoff win with the Astros after getting taken deep again.

At least the Astros have two All-Star pitchers lined up next after the New York Yankees tagged Zack Greinke in the AL Championship Series opener.

Greinke allowed two home runs in a span of three batters in the sixth inning Saturday night, and the Yankees went on to a 7-0 win at Minute Maid Park - where they lost all four games in their last ALCS appearance two years ago.

Already with Justin Verlander and big league strikeout leader Gerrit Cole, the Astros added Greinke, a six-time All-Star and 2009 AL Cy Young Award winner, in a somewhat shocking deal moments before the July 31 trade deadline.

After Verlander and Cole dominated the Tampa Bay Rays in the first two games of the AL Division Series, it was Greinke's turn in the postseason. He allowed three homers and six runs in 3 2/3 innings of a 10-3 loss to the Rays.

That prompted manager AJ Hinch to try to close out that series with Verlander on short rest in Game 4. When that didn't work, Cole had to pitch the decisive Game 5 against Tampa Bay only two nights before the ALCS started against the rested Yankees.

Verlander will be on regular rest for Game 2 on Sunday night. He also pitched the second game of the 2017 ALCS against the Yankees, a 124-pitch complete game when the Astros scored in the bottom of the ninth for their second consecutive 2-1 win to start that series.

Cole will go in Game 3 at New York on Tuesday night.

Greinke has allowed five homers and nine runs over 9 2/3 innings in his two playoff starts for the Astros, and his ERA in 13 career postseason starts remains at 4.58 - more than a run higher than his regular season mark. That was after going 8-1 with a 3.02 ERA in his 10 starts for them in the regular season, with only six homers allowed in 62 2/3 innings.

The Astros traded four prospects to get Greinke on the same day he made his last start for the Arizona Diamondbacks, at Yankee Stadium in a game Masahiro Tanaka started for New York. Both got no-decisions in that game, a 7-5 win by the Yankees in which Greinke struck out seven and allowed two runs over five innings. Greinke was in the visiting clubhouse after the rain-shortened outing when he learned he'd be dealt.

Tanaka was also on the mound Saturday night, benefiting from two double plays to face the minimum 18 batters through his six innings. He allowed only a single and a leadoff walk in the fifth to Alex Bregman, who slipped trying to get back to first and got doubled up on a strong throw by Aaron Judge after his running catch in the right-center gap.

Greinke allowed three runs and seven hits over six innings. He struck out six without a walk.

The Astros suffered their first home shutout loss since June 27 and ended a streak of 30 consecutive games with a home run. They had homered in their first five playoff games after going deep in the last 25 games of the regular season, in the same year that the Yankees set a major league record by homering in 31 games in a row.


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


Scherzer working another Nats' no-hit bid in NLCS Game 2
October 12, 2019
By The Associated Press

ST. LOUIS (AP) Washington Nationals ace Max Scherzer lost his no-hit bid on Paul Goldschmidt's clean single leading off the seventh inning in Game 2 of the NL Championship Series against the St. Louis Cardinals.

Goldschmidt's line drive dropped in front of left fielder Juan Soto, who played the ball conservatively with Washington clinging to a 1-0 lead. Scherzer got a strikeout and a double play to end the inning.

Washington won 2-0 in Game 1 behind Anibal Sanchez, who allowed the Cardinals' only hit of the night with two out in the eighth inning.

Scherzer walked Kolten Wong in the first and Dexter Fowler in the sixth for St. Louis' only baserunners before Goldschmidt. The three-time Cy Young Award winner has struck out 11 through seven innings.

Scherzer, a St. Louis native, has a record five career postseason no-hit bids of at least five innings, according to Elias Sports. He came closest to finishing in Game 3 of the 2017 NL Division Series, getting one out in the seventh inning before allowing a hit.

Sanchez and Scherzer also began the 2013 ALCS with consecutive no-hit bids of at least five innings for Detroit against Boston.

There have only been two postseason no-hitters. Don Larsen threw a perfect game for the New York Yankees against Brooklyn in the 1956 World Series, and Roy Halladay pitched a no-hitter for the Philadelphia Phillies in the 2010 NL Division Series.

Washington led 1-0 on Saturday on Michael A. Taylor's homer on Adam Wainwright's first pitch of the third inning.

 

[Cnotes53]

SCHEDULE FOR SUNDAY OCTOBER 13, 2019
Time (ET) Away Home Site
8:08 PM New York Yankees Houston Astros Minute Maid Park


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


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

DATE W-L-T % UNITS RECORD.

10/12/2019.......1-3-0........25.00%......-13.40
10/11/2019.......0-2-0..........0.00%......-11.85
10/10/2019.......0-1-1..........0.00%........-5.00
10/09/2019.......3-1-0.........75.00%......+12.10
10/08/2019.......1-1-0.........50.00%......+4.90
10/07/2019.......3-5-0.........37.50%......-11.25
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............16-24-0........ 40.00%...... -41.50


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


BEST BETS:

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

10/12/2019.............0 - 1............-5.00................1 - 1............-0.50................-5.50
10/11/2019.............0 - 1............-6.35................0 - 1............-5.50................-11.85
10/10/2019.............0 - 1............-5.00................0 - 0............+0.00...............-5.00
10/09/2019.............1 - 0............+7.60...............1 - 1............-0.50................+7.10
10/08/2019.............1 - 0............+10.40.............0 - 1............-5.50................+4.90
10/07/2019.............2 - 0............+11.95.............0 - 4.............-22.00..............-10.05
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.....................7 - 8.............+2.05.............9 - 13.............-26.50...............-24.45

 

[Cnotes53]

LEADING OFF: Paxton vs Verlander in ALCS, day off for NLCS
October 12, 2019
By The Associated Press

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

Justin Verlander starts for Houston in Game 2 of the AL Championship Series, trying to even the best-of-seven matchup with the Yankees. New York won the opener 7-0 at Minute Maid Park behind Gleyber Torres' hitting and Masahiro Tanaka's pitching.

Verlander topped the majors with 21 wins this season and is 14-8 with a 3.20 ERA in postseason play. But he wasn't at his best in his last start, chased in the fourth inning at Tampa Bay when the Astros had a chance to clinch the AL Division Series. That game came when Verlander started on three days' rest - he'd done that just once before, after a rain-shortened outing in the 2011 playoffs.

Verlander will be on regular rest when he faces James Paxton. The New York lefty made his first postseason start last week in the ALDS opener against the Twins and was driven out in the fifth inning.

TAKE A BREAK

Stephen Strasburg and his Washington teammates get a day off before resuming the NL Championship Series with a 2-0 lead. Strasburg starts Game 3 on Monday night at Nationals Park against Jack Flaherty and the Cardinals.

Starters Max Scherzer and Anibal Sanchez and the Washington relievers allowed a total of four hits while winning the first two games at Busch Stadium.

DEAD-BALL OCTOBER

Cardinals manager Mike Shildt and St. Louis' analytics department are wondering what happened to the juiced baseball. Shildt said the team's front office has found the ball is flying 4 + fewer feet on average in the postseason, raising more questions about the makeup of the baseballs after hitters clubbed a record 6,776 home runs in the regular season - a rise attributed to unusually far-flying balls.

The numbers don't leave much doubt, says data journalist Rob Arthur. He was among the first to suggest tweaks to the ball may have caused home runs to spike as early as 2015, and he thinks something is off with this year's October model, too. Arthur published a story Thursday at Baseball Prospectus showing the postseason balls have more air resistance than the regular season balls, according to data pulled from MLB's own tracking system. Arthur projected home runs were down 50% through Wednesday's games compared to what would have been expected in the 2019 scoring environment.

Major League Baseball released a statement Thursday claiming the balls haven't changed since the regular season.

 

[Cnotes53]

Cards' front office says playoff baseballs have lost juice
October 12, 2019
By The Associated Press

The St. Louis Cardinals' front office says baseballs have suddenly lost their juice this postseason, supporting a claim from a prominent data scientist that the balls have changed following a historic, homer-friendly regular season.

Cardinals manager Mike Shildt said Saturday that St. Louis' analytics department has found the ball is flying 4 + fewer feet on average in the postseason. Players in both leagues have been stunned when hard-hit balls have fallen on the warning track this month, raising more questions about the makeup of the baseballs after hitters clubbed a record 6,776 home runs in the regular season - a rise attributed to unusually far-flying balls.

''I mean there's probably all kind of different theories behind that that I won't really get into,'' Shildt said before a 3-1 loss to Washington in Game 2 of the NL Championship Series. ''Just the fact of the matter, it could be any number of things.''

The numbers don't leave much doubt, says data journalist Rob Arthur. He was among the first to suggest tweaks to the ball may have caused home runs to spike as early as 2015, and he thinks something is off with this year's October model, too.

Arthur published a story Thursday at Baseball Prospectus showing the postseason balls have more air resistance than the regular season balls, according to data pulled from MLB's own tracking system. Arthur projected home runs were down 50% through Wednesday's games compared to what would have been expected in the 2019 scoring environment, even though the average temperature for playoff games was higher than the regular season to that point.

''The data is conclusive in showing that the playoff baseball is very different from the one used in the regular season,'' Arthur wrote.

Major League Baseball released a statement Thursday claiming no meaningful changes have been.

''The baseballs used in Major League Baseball are manufactured in batches,'' it said. ''Balls that are used in the postseason are pulled from the same batches as balls used in the regular season. Regular season and postseason balls are manufactured with the same materials and under the same processes. The only difference is the postseason stamp that is placed on the ball. As has been previously acknowledged, however, the drag of the baseball can vary over different time periods.''

Fueled partly by studies from Arthur and others, players and observers have become distrustful of the ball in recent years. Houston Astros ace Justin Verlander and other pitchers have claimed MLB juiced the balls intentionally to boost scoring, creating a cascade of side effects including increased strikeouts and an abandonment of small-ball strategies like stolen bases and bunting.

Commissioner Rob Manfred has denied deliberately adjusting the baseball but has acknowledged this year's ball had less drag, leading to more home runs. Manfred recently reconvened scientists from an MLB-commissioned 2018 study of the baseballs, and he plans to issue a report on their most recent findings after the World Series.

Shildt revealed his front office's conclusion after being asked about a hard-hit flyout by Cardinals slugger Marcell Ozuna in Game 1 of the NLCS a night earlier. Ozuna crushed a ball to center field off Washington's Anibal Sanchez, and Shildt was surprised when it was caught short of the warning track.

''I thought Ozuna got his ball, based on the sound, based on the swing,'' Shildt said. ''But clearly it didn't get out.''

Ozuna hit the ball 105.8 mph and with a 36-degree launch angle - a quality of contact with a 68% home run probability, per MLB's Statcast. A first-pitch temperature of 45 degrees may have been a factor.

Ozuna hasn't been the only batter fooled out of the box. Most notably, Braves youngster Ronald Acuna Jr. was scolded after failing to run out a long fly in the NL Division Series. Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts was confused by a few long flies from his hitters, saying the ball ''seems a little different.''

Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Saturday he hadn't seen Arthur's report or Shildt's comments, but he planned to check with his own analytics team about it.

''I'm going to ask our guys what we've got,'' Boone said. ''There may be a couple of balls in Minnesota that seemed like maybe they could have gone a little further. Whether that's the cooler weather, those kind of things, I don't know. I'm just hearing about this now. I don't know what to make of that.''

Verlander, as outspoken as anybody about the juiced ball, said Saturday he hasn't noticed a change, but said ''who knows?''

''I think MLB just came out with a report they haven't changed, right? I guess we've got to believe that, right?'' he said with a grin.

Houston manager AJ Hinch also said he hadn't noticed a difference, and he didn't seem to care what happened with the baseball.

With one key exception.

''I hope every ball the Yankees hit is deflated,'' he said.

 

[Cnotes53]

Armadillo: Sunday's six-pack

Top six picks for Week 6 in Westgate Super Contest:

6) Saints, +1.5 (810)

5) Cowboys, -7 (811)

4) Vikings, -3 (858)

3) Seahawks, -1 (932)

2) Jaguars, -1.5 (1,111)

1) LA Rams, -3 (1,225)

2019 record: 16-13-1


**********

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

13) First of all, many thanks to Lamarr, Gregg, my friend Bobby and all the nice people at the MGM Grand sportsbook for an excellent day full of football and food.

MGM Grand sportsbook is a good place; comfortable chairs, big screens, and lot of good food options very nearby (deli, pizza, plus very good hamburgers).

12) South Carolina 20, Georgia 17 OT? This game scrambles the national title picture; Dawgs turned ball over four times (-4), missed a 42-yard FG on the last play of the game.

The loss hurts Notre Dame as much as Georgia, seeing how the Fighting Irish lost in Athens.

11) Oklahoma 34, Texas 27? Game was only 10-3 at halftime; Sooners outgained Texas 511-252, but they were -2 in turnovers. Hurts ran the ball (17 carries/131 yards) better than he threw it (16-28/235 yards), but he is now 32-2 as a college starter.

10) UNLV 34, Vanderbilt 10? Mountain West finishes with a 9-10 SU record against Power 5 conferences this year, despite being an underdog in 18 of the 19 games.

9) Northern Illinois 39, Ohio U 36? Bobcats led 21-10 at halftime, but NIU kicked a 37-yard FG with 0:33 left to post the upset win.

8) Louisville 62, Wake Forest 59? Demon Deacons scored 28 points in the 4th quarter, the most points an ACC team has ever scored in the 4th quarter of a loss.

7) Upsets of the Week:
? Bowling Green (+25) 20, Toledo 7
? South Carolina (+24) 20, Georgia 17 OT
? UNLV (+15) 34, Vanderbilt 10
? Northern Illinois (+7) 39, Ohio U 36
? Louisville (+6.5) 62, Wake Forest 59
? Tennessee (+6.5) 20, Mississippi State 10
? Georgia State (+6.5) 31, Coastal Carolina 21

6) Iowa State 38, West Virginia 14? Next time a big-$$ school hires a new coach (USC, UCLA?) they should hire Iowa State?s Matt Campbell; very good coach.

5) Baylor 33, Texas Tech 30 OT? Bears are 6-0; they tied this game on the last play of regulation. Now the schedule gets a lot harder; they still have to play Oklahoma State, TCU, Oklahoma and Texas. They?re already eligible for a bowl game.

4) Temple 30, Memphis 28? First loss for the 5-1 Tigers, who rallied back from down 23-7 to within 30-28 with 9:58, but that was as close as they got. Total yardage was 492-456 Memphis, but the Tigers turned the ball over four times (-2).

3) Minnesota 34, Nebraska 7? Golden Gophers are 6-0 for the first time since 2003, figure to be ranked in the top 25 next week for the first time in five years; they ran the ball for 322 yards on a 37-degree day and converted 8-13 third down plays.

2) Penn State 17, Iowa 12? Hawkeyes lost 10-3 at Michigan last week; they have serious issues on offense. PSU converted 10-19 on third down, QB Clifford ran ball 16 times for 52 yards, mostly on some of the important third down plays.

6-0 Nittany Lions host Michigan and College GameDay next week.

1) Wisconsin 38, Michigan State 7? If Notre Dame had Wisconsin?s resume, they?d be #1 in the country right now; Badgers have outscored opponents 255-29 with four shutouts, with decisive wins over Michigan and Michigan State- they visit Ohio State October 26.

 

[Cnotes53]

<a href="http://www.freeimagehosting.net/commercial-photography/"><img src="https://i.imgur.com/p0NxnYb.png" alt="Commercial Photography"></a>

 

[Cnotes53]

MLB
Weather Report

Sunday, October 13

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

 

[Cnotes53]

MLB
Dunkel

Sunday, October 13


NY Yankees @ Houston

Game 907-908
October 13, 2019 @ 8:08 pm

Dunkel Rating:
NY Yankees
(Paxton) 15.336
Houston
(Verlander) 17.600
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Houston
by 2 1/2
6
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Houston
-155
7 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Houston
(-155); Under




MLB
Long Sheet

Sunday, October 13

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

NY YANKEES (106 - 59) at HOUSTON (110 - 57) - 8:08 PM
MASAHIRO TANAKA (R) vs. ZACK GREINKE (R)
Top Trends for this game.
NY YANKEES are 66-58 (-16.9 Units) against the money line in road games against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
GREINKE is 66-30 (+20.4 Units) against the money line as a home favorite of -125 to -175 since 1997. (Team's Record)
GREINKE is 153-82 (+48.8 Units) against the money line in home games since 1997. (Team's Record)
GREINKE is 117-59 (+40.6 Units) against the money line in home games in night games since 1997. (Team's Record)
NY YANKEES are 106-59 (+16.8 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
NY YANKEES are 48-27 (+20.5 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
HOUSTON is 297-320 (-62.6 Units) against the money line when playing on Saturday since 1997.
HOUSTON is 71-46 (-9.4 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
HOUSTON is 91-73 (-19.6 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 21-20 (-16.3 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.
GREINKE is 17-20 (-10.8 Units) against the money line after a win over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
HOUSTON is 4-3 (+1.0 Units) against NY YANKEES this season
5 of 7 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+2.7 Units)

MASAHIRO TANAKA vs. HOUSTON since 1997
TANAKA is 1-4 when starting against HOUSTON with an ERA of 5.06 and a WHIP of 1.237.
His team's record is 4-6 (-2.2 units) in these starts. The OVER is 5-5. (-0.5 units)

ZACK GREINKE vs. NY YANKEES since 1997
GREINKE is 4-4 when starting against NY YANKEES with an ERA of 4.52 and a WHIP of 1.285.
His team's record is 5-7 (-1.3 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 7-4. (+2.7 units)

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




MLB
Armadillo's Write-Up

Sunday, October 13

American League
New York (1-0) @ Astros
Paxton is 10-0, 2.88 in his last 12 starts, 0-0, 7.94 in his last two; he is 8-4, 3.24 in 14 starts vs Houston, and is 0-0, 5.79 in one playoff start.

Verlander is 4-1, 3.25 in his last five starts; he is 8-7, 3.55 in 22 starts vs NYY, and is 14-8, 3.20 in 27 playoff games (26 starts)

New York lost the ALCS to Houston two years ago; they haven?t been in a World Series since 2009. NYY has allowed only seven runs in winning their four playoff games this month.

Astros are in ALCS for third year in a row; they won 2017 World Series, but needed Game 5 to advance past Tampa Bay Thursday. Home teams won six of eight NY-Houston games this year, with Astros winning three of four games played here.




MLB

Sunday, October 13

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

Houston Astros
Houston is 14-6 ATS in its last 20 games
Houston is 15-5 SU in its last 20 games
Houston is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games at home
Houston is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home
Houston is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing NY Yankees
Houston is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing NY Yankees
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Houston's last 7 games when playing NY Yankees
Houston is 2-6 ATS in its last 8 games when playing at home against NY Yankees
Houston is 10-4 SU in its last 14 games when playing at home against NY Yankees
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Houston's last 9 games when playing at home against NY Yankees
New York Yankees
NY Yankees is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games
NY Yankees is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
NY Yankees is 15-8 ATS in its last 23 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of NY Yankees's last 7 games on the road
NY Yankees is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Houston
NY Yankees is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Houston
The total has gone OVER in 5 of NY Yankees's last 7 games when playing Houston
NY Yankees is 6-2 ATS in its last 8 games when playing on the road against Houston
NY Yankees is 4-10 SU in its last 14 games when playing on the road against Houston
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of NY Yankees's last 9 games when playing on the road against Houston

 

[Cnotes53]

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 13
GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

NYY at HOU 08:08 PM

NYY +146

O 7.5

 

[Udog]

907NY YANKEES -908 HOUSTON
NY YANKEES are 21-5 SU (18.5 Units) vs. teams outscoring opp by 1 or more runs/game on the season in the current season.




MLB
Long Sheet - Corrected

Sunday, October 13

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

NY YANKEES (107 - 59) at HOUSTON (110 - 58) - 8:08 PM
JAMES PAXTON (L) vs. JUSTIN VERLANDER (R)
Top Trends for this game.
NY YANKEES are 107-59 (+18.2 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
NY YANKEES are 49-27 (+21.9 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
HOUSTON is 77-48 (-21.6 Units) against the money line in home games in night games over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 45-37 (-27.7 Units) against the money line in home games against left-handed starters over the last 3 seasons.
HOUSTON is 33-25 (-9.1 Units) against the money line after a loss this season.
HOUSTON is 91-74 (-21.1 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 47-41 (-18.1 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.
VERLANDER is 22-17 (-20.4 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
VERLANDER is 14-15 (-22.9 Units) against the money line in home games in night games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
NY YANKEES is 4-4 (+0.4 Units) against HOUSTON this season
5 of 8 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+1.6 Units)
JAMES PAXTON vs. HOUSTON since 1997
PAXTON is 8-4 when starting against HOUSTON with an ERA of 3.24 and a WHIP of 1.227.
His team's record is 8-6 (+1.9 units) in these starts. The OVER is 6-8. (-3.0 units)
JUSTIN VERLANDER vs. NY YANKEES since 1997
VERLANDER is 12-7 when starting against NY YANKEES with an ERA of 3.29 and a WHIP of 1.208.
His team's record is 15-13 (-0.2 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 12-14. (-3.6 units)

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

 

[Cnotes53]

Carlos Correa hits walk-off home run in 11th inning, Astros even ALCS with Yankees

HOUSTON -- The New York Yankees had the Houston Astros on the ropes.

They just needed their vaunted bullpen to close it out, and they were home free, with a commanding lead in this American League Championship Series.

But it was Carlos Correa?s leadoff homer in the 11th that that gave the Astros a 3-2 victory in front of 43,359 frenzied fans at Minute Maid Park, evening this best-of-seven series at 1-apiece.

Just like that, the Astros are back in the driver?s seat.

The Astros will have Gerrit Cole, the hottest pitcher on the planet on the mound in Game 3 on Tuesday.

This was a game that will be discussed all winter long.

Certainly, it was a game the Astros couldn?t afford to lose.

The Yankees were confident they had the game in hand when it became a battle of the bullpens. Why, after starter James Paxton departed after just 2 ⅓ innings, they used eight different relievers, who gave up just two hits until the 11th inning.

SCARY MOMENT: Paramedic drilled by foul ball in Astros dugout

The Astros tied the game 2-2 on George Springer?s homer in the fifth inning, his 12th postseason homer overall, the most in Astros? history.

Aaron Judge gave the Yankees a 2-1 lead in the fourth inning with a two-run homer, which was Verlander?s only major mistake in his 6 ⅔ inning brilliant performance.

It was Judge?s eighth postseason homer in 23 games, with only Lou Gehrig hitting more (9) in his first 25 postseason games in Yankee history.

He has been a one-man power show, particularly with Giancarlo Stanton hurt again, out of the Yankees? starting lineup with a strained quadriceps.

Still, it was not enough to stop the Astros, who will spend all winter talking about shortstop Correa?s game-saving play in the sixth inning.

The Yankees, with runners on first and second, hit their first groundball of the game with Brett Gardner?s hard shot to second baseman Jose Altuve. The ball caromed off Altuve?s glove and bounced to his right.

Yankees third base coach Phil Nevin, wanting to take advantage of the blunder, waved D.J. LeMahieu home.

Never did he realize that Correa would alertly pick up the ball, fire home, and nail LeMahieu by 10 feet.

The crowd roared, and Verlander pumped his fist dancing off the mound, keeping the game tied at 2-apiece.

Verlander, the likely Cy Young winner, once again was superb, with his only real mistake that fat slider over the middle of the plate Judge sent 423 feet over the center-field wall.

Otherwise, Verlander tormented the Yankees.

Once again.

Verlander remains undefeated, 4-0, in seven career starts against the Yankees. In his 12 postseason appearances with the Astros since 2017, he 7-3 with a 2.90 ERA, striking out 75 in 71 ⅓innings.

Thanks to Alvarez?s heroics, he likely will pitch again in Game 6.

Perhaps, to close out the series.

 

[Cnotes53]

SCHEDULE FOR MONDAY OCTOBER 14, 2019
Time (ET) Away Home Site
7:38 PM St. Louis Cardinals Washington Nationals Nationals Park

SCHEDULE FOR TUESDAY OCTOBER 15, 2019
Time (ET) Away Home Site
4:08 PM Houston Astros New York Yankees Yankee Stadium
8:05 PM St. Louis Cardinals Washington Nationals Nationals Park

SCHEDULE FOR WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 16, 2019
Time (ET) Away Home Site
4:08 PM St. Louis Cardinals Washington Nationals Nationals Park
8:08 PM Houston Astros New York Yankees Yankee Stadium


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


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

DATE W-L-T % UNITS RECORD.


10/13/2019.......0-2-0.........0.00%.......-10.50
10/12/2019.......1-3-0........25.00%......-13.40
10/11/2019.......0-2-0..........0.00%......-11.85
10/10/2019.......0-1-1..........0.00%........-5.00
10/09/2019.......3-1-0.........75.00%......+12.10
10/08/2019.......1-1-0.........50.00%......+4.90
10/07/2019.......3-5-0.........37.50%......-11.25
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............16-26-0........ 38.09%...... -52.00


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


BEST BETS:

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


10/13/2019.............0 - 1............-5.00................0 - 1............-5.50................-10.50
10/12/2019.............0 - 1............-5.00................1 - 1............-0.50................-5.50
10/11/2019.............0 - 1............-6.35................0 - 1............-5.50................-11.85
10/10/2019.............0 - 1............-5.00................0 - 0............+0.00...............-5.00
10/09/2019.............1 - 0............+7.60...............1 - 1............-0.50................+7.10
10/08/2019.............1 - 0............+10.40.............0 - 1............-5.50................+4.90
10/07/2019.............2 - 0............+11.95.............0 - 4.............-22.00..............-10.05
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.....................7 - 9.............-2.95.............9 - 14.............-32.00...............-34.95

 

[Cnotes53]

Yanks' bullpen buckles in 11th after Paxton hooked in 3rd
October 14, 2019
By The Associated Press

HOUSTON (AP) The Yankees went to the bullpen early and kept a parade of relievers going to the mound - even CC Sabathia.

But New York's bullpen buckled in the 11th inning when Carlos Correa led off with a home run off J.A. Happ, the Yankees' ninth pitcher, to give the Houston Astros a 3-2 win Sunday night that tied the AL Championship Series at one game apiece.

On a night when starter James Paxton lasted just 2 1/3 innings and 51 pitches, Yankees manager Aaron Boone treated the third inning like he would the sixth during the regular season.

Chad Green relieved Paxton with one on and one out, then retired all six batters he faced. The Yankees went ahead 2-1 on Aaron Judge's two-run homer in the fourth off Justin Verlander, but Adam Ottavino came in to start the fifth and George Springer homered on his first pitch, a flat slider.

Tommy Kahnle pitched 2 1/3 hitless innings, Zack Britton worked around a one-out walk in the eighth and Aroldis Chapman struck out the side in the ninth around a two-out walk, a taxing inning that took 21 pitches.

Sabathia made just the third relief appearance of his career when he entered to start the 10th, falling behind Michael Brantley 3-0 in the count before retiring him on a grounder.

Out of high-leverage relievers, Boone brought in Jonathan Loaisiga, who walked two batters, then was replaced by Happ. The 36-year-old left-hander escaped the jam, striking out rookie Yordan Alvarez and retiring Yuli Gurriel on a flyout, then tried to elevate a fastball to Correa on his first pitch of the 11th.

Houston had five relievers combine for 4 1/3 innings of one-hit shutout ball after starter Justin Verlander left with the score 2-2.

 

[Cnotes53]

Monday?s 6-pack

Top six picks for Week 6 in Westgate Super Contest:

6) Saints, +1.5 (810)- W

5) Cowboys, -7 (811)- L

4) Vikings, -3 (858)- W

3) Seahawks, -1 (932)- W

2) Jaguars, -1.5 (1,111)- L

1) LA Rams, -3 (1,225)- L

2019 record: 19-16-1


Quote of the Day
?More football games are lost than are won.?
Hall of Fame coach George Allen

Monday?s quiz
Which Las Vegas casino is shaped like a pyramid?

Sunday?s quiz
Mike Leach was the football coach at Texas Tech before moving to Washington State.

Saturday?s quiz
Tony Bennett won the national title coaching Virginia LY; before coming to Virginia, Bennett went 32-22 in Pac-12 games coaching at Washington State.

\***********************

Monday?s Den: Wrapping up a sports Sunday??

Texans 31, Chiefs 24
? Texans covered six of last seven games when getting points on the road.
? Houston ran for 192 yards; they ran 83 plays, Chiefs 47.
? AFC South non-divisional road underdogs are 8-2 ATS

? Chiefs lost consecutive home games for first time since 2013.
? KC?s first three drives: 19 plays, 176 yards, 17 points.
? KC?s last six drives: 29 plays, 145 yards, 7 points.

Jets 24, Cowboys 22
? Dallas lost its last three games after a 3-0 start.
? Cowboys scored 31+ points in their three wins, were held to 10-24-22 in losses.
? Dallas was 10-17 on third down, the Jets only 2-10.

? Darnold proves that franchise QB?s are worth every penny.
? He threw for 338 yards, including a 92-yard TD to Anderson.
? Cowboys scored TD with 0:43 left but missed on tying 2-point play.

Ravens 23, Bengals 17
? Bengals ran opening kick back for TD; their next TD was with 1:28 left in game.
? Winless Cincy has four losses by six or fewer points.
? Bengals are 10-3 ATS in last 13 games as road underdogs.

? Jackson ran ball for 152 yards, 4th-most ever by a QB.
? First two Raven drives: 16 plays, 141 yards, 14 points.
? Last seven Raven drives: 38 plays, 325 yards, 9 points.

Seahawks 32, Browns 28
? Seattle had four takeaways (+3), blocked a punt.
? Seahawks trailed 20-6 in 2nd quarter, cut it to 20-18 by the half.
? Seattle is 5-1 with four wins by four of fewer points.

? Kitchens mismanaged his timeouts; needed one with 2:11 left for a challenge, but didn?t have it, and he might?ve won the challenge.
? Cleveland is 6-14 ATS in last 20 games as a favorite.
? Browns lost their first three home games; they play New England after their bye.

Saints 13, Jaguars 6
? Saints are 5-1, with no wins by more than seven points.
? New Orleans is 19-8 ATS in their last 27 road games.
? Saints are 4-0 SU/ATS with Teddy Bridgewater under center.

? Jaguars? first four drives: 14 plays, 33 yards, four punts.
? New Orleans won field position in this game by 14 yards.
? Jaguars gained only 226 yards, converted 4-14 third down plays.

Vikings 38, Eagles 20
? Eagles allowed Minnesota to gain 10.8 yards/pass attempt.
? Philly is 9-25 on 3rd down last two games (32-57 in first four games).
? This was first time this season Eagles were outscored in 2nd half (14-10).

? Cousins was 22-29/333 passing with four TD?s.
? Diggs caught seven balls for 167 yards and four TD?s.
? Under Zimmer, Minnesota is 25-7-1 ATS as a home favorite

Panthers 37, Buccaneers 26:
? Carolina is now 4-0 with Allen at QB, scoring 31.3 ppg
? Panthers sacked Winston seven times.
? Carolina started 5 drives in TB territory, won field position by 14 yards.

? Bucs turned ball over seven times on 75 plays.
? Winston in first QB since 1996 (Mark Brunell) with 400+ PY, 5+ INT?s in same game.
? Bucs allowed 31+ points in five of their six games.

Redskins 17, Dolphins 16
? McLaurin scored both Redskin TD?s, catching passes of 33-25 yards.
? Washington ran ball 33 times, threw 25 passes in Callahan?s first game as HC.
? NFC East teams are 4-12 ATS outside their division.

? Fitzpatrick came off bench, rallied Dolphins for two 4th quarter TD?s, their first 2nd half points this season.
? Miami scored with 0:06 left, went for 2 points and the win- they missed.
? Dolphins were outscored 149-36 in their first four home games.

49ers 20, Rams 7
? Under Shanahan, SF is 10-7 ATS as a road underdog. 3-0 this year.
? TE George Kittle had eight catches for 103 yards.
? This was first time since 2001 that these rivals met when both sides were over .500.

? Rams lost their last three games, after a 3-0 start.
? Goff threw for 912 yards in previous two games, but had only 78 in this game.
? LA converted only seven of last 31 third down plays.

Cardinals 34, Falcons 33
? Atlanta rallied back from down 27-10, scored TD with 1:53 left, but missed PAT.
? Ryan was 30-36/356 passing, with four TD passes.
? Falcons are 4-16 ATS in their last 20 road games

? Arizona won its last two games by total of 4 points, after an 0-2-1 start.
? Cardinals? first five drives: 46 plays, 357 yards, three TD?s, two FG?s.
? Arizona is 15-10-1 ATS in its last 26 games as a home underdog.

Broncos 16, Titans 0
? Tennessee lost 4 of last 5 games; they scored one TD on their last 25 drives.
? Titans scored 43-24 points in their wins, 17-7-7-0 in losses.
? Last four Tennessee games stayed under the total.

? Denver won its last two games after an 0-4 start.
? Broncos? only TD here came on a 41-yard drive.
? Denver held the Titans to 39 yards on 21 rushing attempts.

Steelers 24, Chargers 17
? Pittsburgh scored a defensive TD 4:09 into the game.
? Steelers led 24-0 after three quarters, get win in Devlin?s first NFL start.
? Pitt is 17-8-1 ATS in last 26 games as a road underdog

? San Diego is 8th-largest city in country; why did Chargers leave there?
? Sounded like crowd was at least 80% Steeler fans.
? Chargers are 2-9 ATS in last 11 games as a home favorite.

 

[Cnotes53]

LEADING OFF: Strasburg, Nats lead Cards 2-0, Stanton hurt
October 13, 2019
By The Associated Press

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

MAKING THEIR PITCH

Stephen Strasburg and the Washington Nationals try to move within a win of the World Series. They lead St. Louis 2-0 in the NL Championship Series after dominant starts by Max Scherzer and Anibal Sanchez - the Cardinals totaled just four hits in their two losses at Busch Stadium and are batting .070 in the best-of-seven matchup.

Strasburg faces Cardinals star Jack Flaherty as the series shifts to Nationals Park. Strasburg has a 1.32 ERA in six postseason games, five of them starts. He's 2-0 in the playoffs this fall.

Cardinals manager Mike Shildt wouldn't reveal his lineup a day before Game 3. It's possible he makes a tweak, but after analytics showed his hitters aren't chasing the ball out of the strike zone at a higher rate, St. Louis is ready to stay the course without major changes.

Teams that have taken a 2-0 lead on the road in a best-of-seven series have gone on to win 88% of the time in MLB history.

LEGGED OUT

Yankees slugger Giancarlo Stanton is trying to heal up a strained right quad that kept him out of the starting lineup for Game 2 of the AL Championship Series in Houston. The teams don't play again until Tuesday in the Bronx, and manager Aaron Boone was hopeful Stanton could recover in time to start Game 3.

Stanton was injured running out an infield single in the second inning of Game 1 but remained in the game and homered off Zack Greinke in a 7-0 victory. Cameron Maybin was set to play left field and bat seventh in place of the 2017 NL MVP.

If Stanton misses more time, switch-hitting center fielder Aaron Hicks could also crack the lineup. The Yankees have good incentive to be patient with Stanton. If he's removed from the active roster with an injury, he'd be ineligible should New York make the World Series.

GETTING CLOSE

The Nationals remain uncertain about the status of outfielder Victor Robles as he returns from a strained right hamstring. The 22-year-old Robles hasn't played since injuring himself in Game 2 of the NL Division Series against the Dodgers. Manager Dave Martinez said Robles planned to run and get treatment Sunday, then would take batting practice and do more running prior to Game 3 to determine if he could play.

''I'm not going to anticipate anything until he comes in tomorrow, but he's progressing,'' Martinez said. ''And hopefully he'll be ready.''