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[CNOTES]

Preview: Cubs (27-23) at Nationals (29-23)
Game: 1
Venue: Nationals Park
Date: June 04, 2015 7:05 PM EDT

Gio Gonzalez's uncharacteristic stat line has caused him some frustration, something the rest of the slumping Washington Nationals certainly can understand.


Continuing his dominance of the Chicago Cubs would help rectify those issues.


Gonzalez looks to accomplish something no pitcher has in 43 years when Washington hosts the Cubs in the opener of a four-game set Thursday night.


Gonzalez (4-2, 4.73 ERA) hasn't posted an ERA worse than last season's 3.57 mark since finishing with a 5.75 ERA as a 24-year-old with Oakland in 2009. He's struggled at times this season and has a 6.65 ERA over his last four starts after giving up four runs in 5 1-3 innings of Washington's 8-5 loss to Cincinnati on Saturday.


It marked the fifth time in 10 outings he's allowed at least four earned runs after doing so six times in 27 starts in 2014. The left-hander, though, pitched through some pain after being hit by a pitch in two consecutive at_bats


He got hit on his pitching elbow in the top of this sixth, then allowed two runs in the bottom half before being replaced.


"As a pitcher, you want to be as competitive as possible," Gonzalez said. "That's just me wanting to go out there and pitch. I have to deal with it a little bit better. I have to be more aggressive in the strike zone."


His approach against the Cubs (27-24) has worked just fine. Gonzalez has tossed 29 consecutive scoreless innings over his last four starts against Chicago, allowing 11 hits while striking out 29.


Gonzalez, who threw eight innings in a 13-0 victory over the Cubs on July 5, is the first pitcher to toss at least seven shutout innings in four straight games against a single opponent since the New York Yankees' Mel Stottlemyre did so in five straight against the Angels from 1971-72. He's the only pitcher to ever accomplish the feat against the Cubs.


The Nationals (29-24) could use a solid effort from Gonzalez after falling 8-0 to Toronto on Wednesday. They were shut out for the first time since losing 4-0 to the New York Mets on May 1 and have dropped five of six since taking two of three at Wrigley Field from May 25-27.


Chicago hasn't won any of its last four series after dropping the final two of a three-game set at Miami on Wednesday. Junior Lake motioned toward the Marlins' dugout after his two-run homer in the sixth inning of the 7-3 defeat, leading to benches-clearing confrontation during which no one was ejected.


The Cubs now look to get back on track with help from Jake Arrieta, who has had his own struggles lately.


Arrieta (4-4, 3.18) has allowed 10 runs - seven earned - in 13 innings over his last two starts after posting a 2.77 ERA through his first eight. He gave up two in the first inning of Chicago's 9-6 win over Arizona on May 23 and a run in each of the first two innings of Friday's 8-4 loss to Kansas City.


The right-hander also served up three homers to the Royals, matching the amount he gave up over his first nine outings. He gave up five homers in 25 starts last season.


"They thought he was going to throw a lot of first-pitch fastballs, and that's fine," manager Joe Maddon said Arrieta. "You have to make a better-located fastball."


Arrieta has allowed one run in three of his last four starts against the Nationals, including July 6 in D.C. when he went six innings of the Cubs' 2-1 defeat.


Outfielder Jorge Soler has missed the last two with an ankle injury and was placed on the 15-day disabled list before Wednesday's contest.




SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Cubs at Nationals
Thu, Jun 4 - 7:05PM EDT


GAME 2
Cubs at Nationals
Fri, Jun 5 - 7:05PM EDT


GAME 3
Cubs at Nationals
Sat, Jun 6 - 12:05PM EDT


GAME 4
Cubs at Nationals
Sun, Jun 7 - 4:05PM EDT

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Reds (22-28) at Phillies (20-33)
Game: 3
Venue: Citizens Bank Park
Date: June 04, 2015 7:05 PM EDT

Maikel Franco's dramatics have engineered a pair of comebacks that have the Philadelphia Phillies in position to sweep the Cincinnati Reds at home for the first time in five years.


Franco looks to continue his hot hitting as the Phillies try to send the struggling Reds to their longest road losing streak in 17 years Thursday night.


Franco, Philadelphia's top prospect, has four hits and five RBIs in this series, connecting for a game-tying three-run shot off Aroldis Chapman in the ninth before Cody Asche scored from second on an error in the 11th of Wednesday's 5-4 win. The rookie third baseman's clutch hit came after he broke up Mike Leake's no-hit bid in the seventh.


That was a day after the Phillies (21-33) overcame a three-run deficit to win by the same score over Cincinnati (22-29), and Franco came through by tying it with a two-run homer in the eighth before Darin Ruf's walkoff single.


"It's a great feeling for everybody," said Franco, who entered this series in a 2-for-27 slump during Philadelphia's seven-game slide.


The Phillies' last sweep of the Reds came in a four-game set Aug. 29-Sept. 1, 2011, and their last home sweep in the series was a four-gamer from the previous year.


Completing this one would deal Cincinnati a 10th straight road defeat for the first time since June 1998.


Aaron Harang (4-5, 2.02 ERA), a member of the Reds from 2003-10, gets the ball looking for some help. The right-hander has a 2.00 ERA over his last three starts, but is 0-2 since he's been backed by five total runs - one in each of the last two.


He was charged with a 5-2 home loss to Colorado on Saturday, yielding a pair of solo homers with seven strikeouts in six innings.


"You just can got out there and do what you can do to contribute to your team," said Harang, who has the lowest ERA by a pitcher with a losing record and is 2-2 with a 1.02 ERA in five home starts.


Harang is 3-1 with a 2.97 ERA in five starts against the Reds.


Joey Votto, who's 3 for 6 against Harang with a homer and a double, is a career .349 hitter in Philadelphia and is 18 for 37 (.486) with three homers, five doubles and eight RBIs during an eight-game hitting streak there. He's plated four runs in this series and four of his five hits have gone for extra bases, including a two-run blast Wednesday.


Cincinnati has lost 12 of 16 games, and is turning to rookie Anthony DeSclafani (3-4, 3.41), who has allowed three runs in 13 innings over his past two starts. The right-hander was 0-4 with a 6.38 ERA over his previous five.


DeSclafani won for the first time since April 20 on Friday, yielding two runs in six innings of a 5-2 victory over Washington.


"He was able to make that down-and-away pitch to a primarily right-handed-hitting lineup, and then threw some really good pitches in," manager Bryan Price told MLB's official website of DeSclafani, who's holding batters to a .164 average on the road.


Right-handers are hitting just .198 against DeSclafani, all the more reason for the Phillies to load up with lefties. They're hitting a major-league worst .226 against righties, however.


DeSclafani gave up five runs over 5 1-3 innings in his lone start against Philadelphia, on May 20, 2014, while with Miami.


SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Reds at Phillies
Tue, Jun 2 Final 4 to 5
Boxscores • Recaps


GAME 2
Reds at Phillies
Wed, Jun 3 - Final 4 - 5
Boxscores


GAME 3
Reds at Phillies
Thu, Jun 4 - 7:05PM EDT

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: White Sox (23-27) at Rangers (27-25)
Game: 3
Venue: Globe Life Park in Arlington
Date: June 04, 2015 8:05 PM EDT

Josh Hamilton's attempt at reviving his career during a second stint with the Texas Rangers has been interrupted.


One day after learning the former AL MVP will miss four weeks with a strained left hamstring, the Rangers move on looking to rebound from a lopsided defeat Thursday night against the visiting Chicago White Sox.


Batting .273 with two homers and five RBIs in seven games since being traded to Texas (27-26) and making his season debut from shoulder surgery, Hamilton didn't believe his current injury was serious. However, an MRI revealed a strain that halts the 34-year-old's bid for a fresh start after two disappointing seasons with the Los Angeles Angels and a more serious relapse involving cocaine and alcohol.


'It's frustrating. That's the best way I can put it,' said Hamilton, who last played Sunday. 'But you know what? There's nothing I can do about it. All I can do is try to get better as quick as I possibly can. I've had success getting back pretty quick in the past.'


With veteran third baseman Adrian Beltre (thumb) placed on the disabled list Monday, Hamilton's injury is another blow for the Rangers, whose 9-2 loss to Chicago on Wednesday was their third in 14 game.


"I feel bad for Josh," manager Jeff Banister said. "We had a lineup before he got here. We'll continue to use that lineup."


That lineup minus Hamilton pounded out 19 hits during a 15-2 rout of the White Sox (24-27) on Tuesday, but managed three over seven scoreless innings against Chris Sale one night later.


Joey Gallo, however, provided one of Texas' six overall hits with a ninth-inning homer. That was his lone hit in four at_bats after going 3 for 4 with a home run and four RBIs in his major league debut Monday.


Looking to win a fifth straight series, the Rangers hand the ball to Yovani Gallardo (5-6, 3.88 ERA).


The right-hander will try to win a third straight start after allowing two or fewer earned runs in three of his last four outings. One of those came over six innings of Friday's 7-4 victory over Boston to improve to 3-2 with a 3.16 ERA at home.


Though this is the first time Gallardo will face Chicago, Adam LaRoche is batting .367 (11 for 30) with two homers and three doubles against him.


LaRoche had one Chicago's 12 hits as it improved to 5-5 on an 11-game trip.


After missing three games with a finger injury, White Sox slugger Jose Abreu went 2 for 4 with a two-run homer and three RBIs.


'He felt strongly about the fact that he felt fine (Wednesday),' manager Robin Ventura said. 'Sometimes it's not easy to say 'OK, let's send him back out there.' You maybe want to give him an extra day to make sure he's all right, but you have to trust the player sometimes.'


The reigning AL Rookie of the Year is 10 for 23 with two home runs and eight RBIs in his last six games versus Texas.


Teammate Carlos Rodon (1-0, 3.45) has allowed one earned in each of his last two outings, most recently Friday on eight days' rest and over 6 1-3 innings of a 6-3, 11-inning victory at Houston.


"It worked out," the rookie left-hander told MLB's official website of the extra rest. "Made some adjustments and got down to basics, just throwing strikes. That's all you can do and all you can control."


SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
White Sox at Rangers
Tue, Jun 2 Final 2 to 15
Boxscores • Recaps


GAME 2
White Sox at Rangers
Wed, Jun 3 - Final 9 - 2
Boxscores


GAME 3
White Sox at Rangers
Thu, Jun 4 - 8:05PM EDT

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Indians (25-26) at Royals (29-20)
Game: 3
Venue: Ewing M. Kauffman Stadium
Date: June 04, 2015 8:10 PM EDT

The Kansas City Royals didn't completely break out offensively during a needed victory, but do have something positive to build on for the time being.


They'll try to win consecutive games for the first in almost two weeks Thursday night against the Cleveland Indians.


After averaging 6.6 hits and plating one run five times during a 1-6 stretch, Kansas City (30-20) recorded nine hits and used a three-run third against Corey Kluber to win 4-2 on Wednesday. Mike Moustakas and Eric Hosmer each had two hits with an RBI as the Royals went 4 for 5 with runners in scoring position after going 1 for 7 during Monday's 2-1 series-opening defeat.


'We started the game off great. We just had some great at_bats,' said Kansas City manager Ned Yost, whose team last won back-to-back contests during a five-game run May 17-23. "They were aggressive and when they were getting their pitch, they weren't missing.'


Leadoff hitter Alcides Escobar also had two hits after going hitless in nine at_bats over the past two games and 1 for 14 in the previous four at home.


Moustakas is batting .455 in eight games this season against the Indians (25-27), who lost for the fourth time in 15 games.


Kansas City managed three runs and six hits over six innings off Trevor Bauer (4-2, 2.97 ERA) while he didn't factor in the decision of Cleveland's 11-5 home loss April 28. The right-hander, however, is 2-1 with an 0.99 ERA in four road starts.


Despite giving up a two-run homer to Seth Smith in the sixth of the seven innings he lasted during Friday's 2-1 loss at Seattle, Bauer is 2-1 with a 1.53 ERA in his last four overall.


'I think on a lot of nights, you know, we're sitting here saying, 'He gave us seven really good innings' and, you know, patting him on the back,' manager Terry Francona said. 'You don't want to lose sight of that."


Escobar is 4 for 8 against Bauer, who will be opposed by Chris Young (4-1, 1.55).


The right-hander allowed one earned run and 13 hits over 22 2-3 innings to go 3-0 in his first four starts before yielding four on two homers and five other hits in six innings of a 4-2 loss at Yankee Stadium last Wednesday.


Young, who turned 36 last week, makes his first start against the Indians this season after he allowed one hit over 3 1-3 scoreless innings of two relief appearances in April and May.


Michael Bourn, who had three hits Wednesday, is 5 for 10 with two doubles versus Young while Jason Kipnis is 3 for 6 with a home run and two doubles against him.


After leading the majors with 51 hits and a .429 average in May, Kipnis is 1 for 8 this month.


Batting .302 with a team-leading 31 RBIs, Cleveland's Michael Brantley will be in the lineup after he was rested Wednesday.


'He really wanted to play but I thought it'd be good for him,' Francona said. 'He's a little beat up.'


It's uncertain if Royals catcher Salvador Perez will play after sitting Wednesday, one night removed from taking a ball to the helmet. He's 2 for 20 with nine strikeouts in his last six games, and 1 for 10 with five versus Bauer.


SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Indians at Royals
Tue, Jun 2 Final 2 to 1
Boxscores • Recaps


GAME 2
Indians at Royals
Wed, Jun 3 -Final 2 - 4
Boxscores • Recaps


GAME 3
Indians at Royals
Thu, Jun 4 - 8:10PM EDT

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Mets (29-24) at Diamondbacks (24-27)
Game: 1
Venue: Chase Field
Date: June 04, 2015 9:40 PM EDT

Matt Harvey isn't entirely at fault for going without a win for over a month, but he's struggled while losing his last two starts.


Harvey will try to avoid a third straight losing start for the second time in his career Thursday night as the New York Mets try to open this four-game series with a sixth consecutive road win over the Arizona Diamondbacks.


Harvey (5-3, 3.11 ERA) was 0-1 despite a 1.29 ERA in a three-start stretch May 8-18, but he's surrendered 11 runs and three homers in 12 innings over his last two.


The right-hander's recent struggles also caused the Mets (29-25) to worry about a possible dead arm.


"Using that word for people is kind of alarming," said Harvey, who missed all of last year recovering from Tommy John surgery. "I didn't feel like I was dead. I felt like I was coming out of my mechanics."


Harvey had a season-high 11 strikeouts while allowing four runs in eight innings of a 4-3 loss to Miami on Friday. The Mets have totaled seven runs of support for Harvey in his last six outings.


He lost three straight starts from July 31-Aug. 10, 2012, a stretch that came five days after a win at Arizona (25-27) in his major league debut. He had 11 strikeouts and yielded three hits in 5 1-3 innings.


Harvey lost his only other meeting with the Diamondbacks at home on July 3, 2013, giving up five runs and nine hits in six innings.


The Mets have won five straight games at Chase Field, batting .297 and averaging 6.8 runs while the rotation compiled a 2.05 ERA. New York, though, has a .235 average, 2.6 runs per game and a 5.63 ERA from the starters while losing nine of its last 10 on the road.


Three errors - two by fill-in third baseman Ruben Tejada - led to the Mets falling behind by seven runs Wednesday at San Diego, and Lucas Duda grounded out with the bases loaded to end a 7-3 loss.


While the Mets were unable to dig out of their sizable hole, the Diamondbacks erased a 6-0 deficit to beat Atlanta 9-8 on Wednesday after rallying for a 7-6 victory a day earlier.


"The guys just kept fighting and battling," manager Chip Hale said. "You've just got to keep playing and we kept playing."


A.J. Pollock is hitting .403 with 15 runs in 15 games after going 4 for 9 with two homers and four RBIs over the last two. The center fielder, who will get his first look at Harvey, is a .205 hitter in 14 career games against New York.


Jeremy Hellickson (3-3, 5.08) takes the mound looking to win a third straight start for the first time since matching his career high of four in a row with Tampa Bay from June 19-July 5, 2013.


The right-hander has a 3.38 ERA in his last three outings after posting a 7.08 ERA over the previous four. He allowed two runs in six innings of a 7-3 win at Milwaukee on Saturday.


"I'm feeling good," Hellickson, who has a 6.58 ERA at home, told MLB's official website. "The first handful of starts, I'd fall behind in the count and have to throw a fastball and I couldn't command my offspeed early. I've been working on that hard in between starts."


Hellickson surrendered eight runs and three homers - both tying career highs - in 3 2-3 innings while losing his only career meeting with the Mets on June 14, 2012.




SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Mets at Diamondbacks
Thu, Jun 4 - 9:40PM EDT


GAME 2
Mets at Diamondbacks
Fri, Jun 5 - 9:40PM EDT


GAME 3
Mets at Diamondbacks
Sat, Jun 6 - 10:10PM EDT


GAME 4
Mets at Diamondbacks
Sun, Jun 7 - 4:10PM EDT

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Cardinals (35-18) at Dodgers (31-22)
Game: 1
Venue: Dodger Stadium
Date: June 04, 2015 10:10 PM EDT

Michael Wacha began last week's start against the Los Angeles Dodgers like he had so many of his others, keeping hitters off base and keeping the St. Louis Cardinals in line for a victory.


It took only one-third of an inning for that game to tilt in the Dodgers' favor.


Los Angeles is the only team to beat St. Louis in the regular season with Wacha on the mound since September, and it will look to do so again Thursday night in the opener of a four-game series at Dodger Stadium.


The Cardinals (35-18) had won Wacha's previous 11 regular-season starts prior to Saturday's 5-1 loss to the Dodgers, with him going 7-0 with a 2.14 ERA in that span.


Wacha (7-1, 2.27 ERA) didn't allow a hit for 5 1-3 innings, then gave up three - including a three-run homer to Yasmani Grandal - and allowed a season high-tying four runs before recording just one more out and getting pulled.


The right-hander had last faced the Dodgers when he dominated them during two starts in the 2013 NL championship series, winning both while tossing 13 2-3 scoreless innings.


'It can happen quickly, for sure,' said Wacha, who also walked a season-worst three. 'Right out of the gate I felt really strong, really good with all my pitches. That one inning got away from me. I still felt strong out there.'


Joc Pederson went 0 for 3 against Wacha on Saturday, marking the only game he's gone hitless while batting .366 over his last 10. He set a franchise record by homering in a fifth straight game Wednesday when he connected in the eighth inning of a 7-6 loss to Colorado.


Only 17 players have homered in six straight games, with Baltimore's Chris Davis being the last in 2012. Pederson's manager, Don Mattingly, shares the major league record with Pittsburgh's Dale Long (1956) and Seattle's Ken Griffey Jr. (1993) by homering in eight straight in 1987.


The Dodgers (31-22) split four with Colorado after dropping two of three in St. Louis last week. They held a two-run lead heading into the bottom of the ninth Wednesday before losing on a sacrifice fly - the only out four relievers got in the inning.


Carlos Frias beat Wacha on Saturday by allowing an unearned run over seven innings, and he'll get the ball again in this contest.


Frias (4-2, 4.29) bounced back against the Cardinals after he gave up a career-worst 10 runs in four-plus innings of an 11-3 loss to San Diego on May 24.


'You put that one (against the Padres) away and get ready for the next start,' Frias said. 'I threw everything (Grandal) wanted me to."


That marked the right-hander's only career start against the Cardinals, who improved the majors' best record with Wednesday's 7-4 win over Milwaukee.


St. Louis' five-run first inning matched its run total from its previous four games. Matt Carpenter, Jhonny Peralta and Yadier Molina had two hits apiece.


"That's what you talk about hopefully happening after you get a couple of days without any kind of buildup with our offense at all," Matheny said. "You look at our first eight batters, every one of them got a hit or did something situational to get a run in, and that's a great way to start your day."


The Cardinals are just 13-11 on the road despite outscoring opponents 95-70.




SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Cardinals at Dodgers
Thu, Jun 4 - 10:10PM EDT


GAME 2
Cardinals at Dodgers
Fri, Jun 5 - 10:10PM EDT


GAME 3
Cardinals at Dodgers
Sat, Jun 6 - 10:10PM EDT


GAME 4
Cardinals at Dodgers
Sun, Jun 7 - 8:05PM EDT

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Rays (28-26) at Mariners (24-29)
Game: 1
Venue: Safeco Field
Date: June 04, 2015 10:10 PM EDT

Tampa Bay's Erasmo Ramirez is back in Seattle facing his former team for the first time since being traded on March 31. While that deal concerned pitching, the Mariners made another Wednesday with hopes of boosting a struggling offense.


Ramirez is coming off maybe his best start in the majors, and in addition to his former teammates, he'd be happy to face Seattle newcomer Mark Trumbo Thursday night as the Rays begin a four-game set at Safeco Field.


Trumbo was batting .259 with nine home runs and 23 RBIs in 46 games for Arizona. The deal was announced after Seattle lost 3-1 to the New York Yankees, completing a three-game sweep and giving the Mariners (24-29) a season-high five-game losing streak. It's all come at home, where they last dropped six straight since Aug. 23-28, 2013.


The Mariners had five hits Wednesday and are batting .214 with 2.5 runs per game in the last eight.


"You look at where we were offensively and we're not doing exactly what I thought we would do, or most people thought we would do and Trumbo is a guy that brings an awful lot to the table," Seattle general manager Jack Zduriencik said. "He's a big power hitter that will bat somewhere in the middle of our lineup."


Trumbo is headed back to the AL West, where he spent 2010-13 with the Los Angeles Angels. He's a career .243 hitter in 29 games at Safeco Field, and his .678 OPS there is lower than all AL parks other than Camden Yards and Progressive Field.


Arizona also sent left-handed pitcher Vidal Nuno to the Mariners in exchange for catcher Welington Castillo, right-handed reliever Dominic Leone and two minor leaguers.


Ramirez (3-2, 5.53 ERA) pitched for the Mariners from 2012-14, but prior to Saturday's 3-0 win in Baltimore, he'd never gone more than six innings in a start without allowing a run. The right-hander allowed three hits with seven strikeouts in seven innings to win for the third time in four starts. He's got a 3.13 ERA and .149 opponent batting average in that time after going 0-1 with 8.38 and .291 marks in two starts and seven relief efforts through May 11.


"You could argue after what he's done after his first two starts, he's been as good as anybody we've had starting," Rays manager Kevin Cash told MLB's official website. "He has just done a really solid job of making adjustments. The biggest adjustment for him was to throw strikes and get ahead of hitters. When he does that, his stuff is very good."


Ramirez went 0-6 with a 4.81 ERA in his last 10 starts at Safeco dating all the way back to Aug. 24, 2013. Trumbo is 0 for 9 against him.


He'll face Roenis Elias, who had his worst start of the year in Saturday's 4-3 home loss to Cleveland. Elias (2-2, 3.07) gave up four runs and five hits with four walks in 5 1-3 innings after surrendering three runs in 20 innings over his previous three starts.


The last of that span came in a 4-1 victory in Tampa on May 25 with the left-hander yielding a run and six hits in six innings.


The Mariners swept the three-game series last week to give them six straight wins in the series, though they've all come in Tampa.


The Rays (28-26) head north after winning two of three at the Angels, including Wednesday's 6-5 victory in 10 innings. Joey Butler and Steven Souza Jr. homered before Kevin Kiermaier's solo shot in the top of the 10th.


Souza has gone deep in four of the first six games on what will be a 10-game road trip. Tampa has won four of five with Butler going 10 for 21.




SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Rays at Mariners
Thu, Jun 4 - 10:10PM EDT


GAME 2
Rays at Mariners
Fri, Jun 5 - 10:10PM EDT


GAME 3
Rays at Mariners
Sat, Jun 6 - 10:10PM EDT


GAME 4
Rays at Mariners
Sun, Jun 7 - 4:10PM EDT

 

[CNOTES]

MLB
Armadillo's Write-Up

Thursday, June 4


National League
Cubs @ Nationals
Arrieta is 1-3, 4.93 in his last six starts.

Gonzalez is 1-0, 6.65 in his last four starts; four of his last five went over.

Cubs lost six of last eight games with Washington, with last four going under total; they're 3-6 in last nine games overall. Seven of last eight Cub games stayed under. Washington lost five of last six games; over is 3-1-1 in their last five games.

Reds @ Phillies
DeSclafani is 1-0, 2.08 in his last two starts; three of his last four went under.

Harang is 0-2, 3.50 in his last three starts; four of his last five stayed under.

Reds lost five of last six games in Philly; six of last seven series games went over total. Cincinnati five of last six went over total. Phillies lost seven of last nine games, but they won last two; four of their last six stayed under.

Mets @ Diamondbacks
Mets lost four of last five Harvey starts; he is 0-2, 5.29 in his last three road starts. Four of his last six starts stayed under the total.

Hellickson is 2-0, 3.38 in his last four starts; four of his last six went over.

Mets won six of last eight games with Arizona; road team won seven of the eight games. NY lost four of last six games; five of those six went over total. Arizona won four of last six games; over is 5-0-1 in those six.

Cardinals @ Dodgers
Wacha is 2-1, 2.92 in his last four starts.

Frias is 1-2, 5.87 in his last four starts; over is 6-3-1 in his last ten.

Dodgers are 21-7 at home, St Louis is 13-11 on road. LA lost four of last five games with Cardinals; last six series games stayed under. St Louis won eight of last ten games; six of its last seven stayed under. Dodgers are 3-5 in their last eight games.

American League
A's @ Tigers
Hahn is 1-4, 5.42 in his last seven starts; five of the seven went over.

Greene is 0-2, 8.56 in his last three starts; four of his last six went under.

Oakland won eight of last 11 games but lost six of last nine games vs Detroit- six of last seven stayed under. Tigers lost last six games, outscored by 37-14; seven of their last nine stayed under.

Orioles @ Astros
Chen is 0-3, 4.15 in his last four starts; under is 5-0-1 in his last six.

Keuchel is 2-1, 1.88 in his last three starts; they all stayed under.

Orioles are 4-9 in last 13 games overall; nine of those 13 stayed under. O's lost four of last five games with Houston; eight of last eleven series games stayed under. Astros won four of last five games (under 4-1).

Twins @ Red Sox
Milone returns from AAA to make first start since April 27; he is 2-1, 4.76 in his four starts, with last three going over.

Wright is 1-2, 4.24 in his three starts (over 2-1).

Home side won last nine of last ten Minnesota-Boston games (under 7-3); Twins won eight of last 11 games- four of last seven went over. Red Sox lost seven of last ten games, with five of last seven staying under.

White Sox @ Rangers
White Sox are 3-1 when Rodon starts (1-0, 4.43); three of four went over.

Gallardo is 2-0, 3.00 in his last two starts; three of his last four stayed under.

Chicago lost three of its last four games with Texas (over 5-2-1 in last eight); Rangers won four of last five games overall. White Sox are 5-3 in their last eight games overall; four of last six went over.

Indians @ Royals
Bauer is 2-1, 1.53 in his last four starts, all of which stayed under.

Young is 2-1, 2.28 in his last four starts, three of which stayed under.

Cleveland lost seven of last 11 games with KC; eight of last ten series games went over the total. Indians won five of last seven games overall; four of their last five stayed under. Royals lost six of last eight games; under is 7-2-1 in their last ten games.

Rays @ Mariners
Former Mariner Ramirez is 3-1, 3.13 in his last four starts.

Elias is 2-1, 2.49 in his last four starts; his last seven stayed under.

Tampa Bay lost last six games with Seattle; road team won eight of last nine series games, with seven of last nine staying under. Rays won four of last five games; over is 3-0-1 in their last four. Mariners lost their last five games- they traded for Mark Trumbo last night. M's scored 12 runs in last five games.

Win-loss records this year for team with this starting pitcher:
Chi-Wsh-- Arrieta 5-5; Gonzalez 7-3
Cin-Phil-- DeSclafani 5-5; Harang 5-6
NY-Az-- Harvey 6-4; Hellickson 4-6
StL-LA-- Wacha 9-1; Frias 3-3

A's-Det-- Hahn 2-8; Greene 6-5
Balt-Hst-- Chen 5-5; Keuchel 9-2
Min-Bos-- Milone 2-2; Wright 1-2
Chi-Tex-- Rodon 3-1; Gallardo 5-6
Cle-KC-- Bauer 5-5; Young 4-1
TB-Sea-- Ramirez 4-2; Elias 2-5

Times this starting pitcher allowed a run in first inning:
Chi-Wsh-- Arrieta 4-10; Gonzalez 1-10
Cin-Phil-- DeSclafani 1-10; Harang 2-11
NY-Az-- Harvey 3-10; Hellickson 5-10
StL-LA-- Wacha 3-10; Frias 3-6

A's-Det-- Hahn 4-10; Greene 3-11
Balt-Hst-- Chen 3-10; Keuchel 2-11
Min-Bos-- Milone 2-4; Wright 1-3
Chi-Tex-- Rodon 0-4; Gallardo 5-11
Cle-KC-- Bauer 1-10; Young 0-5
TB-Sea-- Ramirez 2-6; Elias 3-7

 

[CNOTES]

MLB

Thursday, June 4

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

1:08 PM
OAKLAND vs. DETROIT
Oakland is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Oakland is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
Detroit is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games when playing Oakland
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Detroit's last 5 games when playing Oakland

2:10 PM
BALTIMORE vs. HOUSTON
Baltimore is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Baltimore is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Houston
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Houston's last 8 games when playing at home against Baltimore
Houston is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home

4:05 PM
MINNESOTA vs. BOSTON
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Minnesota's last 10 games when playing Boston
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Minnesota's last 7 games when playing on the road against Boston
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Boston's last 7 games when playing at home against Minnesota
Boston is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home

7:05 PM
CINCINNATI vs. PHILADELPHIA
Cincinnati is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Philadelphia
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Cincinnati's last 5 games when playing on the road against Philadelphia
Philadelphia is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Cincinnati
Philadelphia is 7-3 SU in its last 10 games at home

7:05 PM
CHI CUBS vs. WASHINGTON
Chi Cubs are 2-4 SU in their last 6 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Chi Cubs's last 9 games
Washington is 10-4 SU in their last 14 games when playing at home against Chi Cubs
Washington is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games

8:05 PM
CHI WHITE SOX vs. TEXAS
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Chi White Sox's last 6 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Chi White Sox's last 6 games when playing Texas
Texas is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home
Texas is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games

8:10 PM
CLEVELAND vs. KANSAS CITY
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Cleveland's last 5 games
Cleveland is 11-4 SU in its last 15 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Kansas City's last 5 games at home
Kansas City is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games at home

9:40 PM
NY METS vs. ARIZONA
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of NY Mets's last 5 games when playing Arizona
NY Mets are 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Arizona
Arizona is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
Arizona is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games at home

10:10 PM
TAMPA BAY vs. SEATTLE
Tampa Bay is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Tampa Bay's last 5 games when playing Seattle
Seattle is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Seattle's last 5 games when playing Tampa Bay

10:10 PM
ST. LOUIS vs. LA DODGERS
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of St. Louis's last 6 games when playing on the road against LA Dodgers
St. Louis is 2-5 SU in their last 7 games when playing on the road against LA Dodgers
LA Dodgers are 5-2 SU in their last 7 games when playing at home against St. Louis
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of LA Dodgers's last 6 games when playing at home against St. Louis

 

[CNOTES]

MLB
Dunkel

Thursday, June 4


Chicago Cubs @ Washington

Game 951-952
June 4, 2015 @ 7:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Chicago Cubs
(Arrieta) 15.270
Washington
(Gonzalez) 16.805
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Washington
by 1 1/2
8
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Washington
-125
7
Dunkel Pick:
Washington
(-125); Over

Cincinnati @ Philadelphia

Game 953-954
June 4, 2015 @ 7:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Cincinnati
(DeSclafani) 15.600
Philadelphia
(Harang) 13.795
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Cincinnati
by 2
9
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Philadelphia
-115
7 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Cincinnati
(-105); Over

NY Mets @ Arizona

Game 955-956
June 4, 2015 @ 9:40 pm

Dunkel Rating:
NY Mets
(Harvey) 17.015
Arizona
(Hellickson) 14.590
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
NY Mets
by 2 1/2
7
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
NY Mets
-150
8
Dunkel Pick:
NY Mets
(-150); Under

St. Louis @ LA Dodgers

Game 957-958
June 4, 2015 @ 10:10 pm

Dunkel Rating:
St. Louis
(Wacha) 16.096
LA Dodgers
(Frias) 17.413
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
LA Dodgers
by 1 1/2
6
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
LA Dodgers
-115
7 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
LA Dodgers
(-115); Under

Oakland @ Detroit

Game 959-960
June 4, 2015 @ 1:08 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Oakland
(Hahn) 17.674
Detroit
(Greene) 16.260
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Oakland
by 1 1/2
7
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Detroit
-130
8 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Oakland
(+110); Under

Baltimore @ Houston

Game 961-962
June 4, 2015 @ 2:10 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Baltimore
(Chen) 15.229
Houston
(Keuchel) 14.311
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Baltimore
by 1
6
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Houston
-165
7 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Baltimore
(+145); Under

Minnesota @ Boston

Game 963-964
June 4, 2015 @ 4:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Minnesota
(Milone) 17.209
Boston
(Wright) 16.111
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Minnesota
by 1
10
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Boston
-150
8 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Minnesota
(+130); Over

Chicago White Sox @ Texas

Game 965-966
June 4, 2015 @ 8:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Chicago White Sox
(Rodon) 13.556
Texas
(Gallardo) 16.019
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Texas
by 2 1/2
10
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Texas
-130
9
Dunkel Pick:
Texas
(-130); Over

Cleveland @ Kansas City

Game 967-968
June 4, 2015 @ 8:10 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Cleveland
(Bauer) 15.214
Kansas City
(Young) 16.654
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Kansas City
by 1 1/2
8
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Kansas City
-120
7 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Kansas City
(-120); Over

Tampa Bay @ Seattle

Game 969-970
June 4, 2015 @ 10:10 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Tampa Bay
(Ramirez) 17.459
Seattle
(Elias) 16.338
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Tampa Bay
by 1
8
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Seattle
-140
7 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Tampa Bay
(+120); Over

 

[CNOTES]

MLB

Thursday, June 4


Overs cash for bettors on the diamond Wednesday

Runs were scored in bunches Wednesday, making the over was the total to bet on, posting a 9-4 record.

The success rate of 69.23 is closer to the early season numbers, but is still only cashing 51.26 percent of the time for the season.


Resurgent Harang has been a boon for under plays

Nobody tell Philadelphia Philles' Aaron Harang that he's 37 because he has been playing some of his most inspired baseball of his career this season. Bettors have been profiting from the excellent pitching with the Phillies going 1-2-5 over/under in the vets past eight starts.

Harang has posted a stellar 2.02 ERA and a 1.00 WHIP this season, which would both rank as career bests for the now journeyman pitcher.

Citizen Bank Park will be home to Game 2 in the series between the Reds and Phillies Thursday, where Philly is a very slight -102 home dog.


Chen looks to continue strong play against Astros

The Baltimore Orioles are expected to send Wei-Yin Chen to the mound against the Houston Astros Thursday, which is a good sign as the O's have won the left-handers past four starts against the 'Stros.

Those four games have seen Chen pitch 27 innings while only allowing nine runs and registering 25 strikeouts.

The Orioles are currently +139 road underdogs as they go up against the Astros' Dallas Keuchel.



MLB roundup: Rockies stun Dodgers in 9th

DENVER -- After a bitter loss Tuesday night, the Colorado Rockies insisted the defeat would not linger and produce any carryover effect.

True to their word, the Rockies rallied for three runs in the ninth inning Wednesday to beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 7-6 and split a four-game series. Nolan Arenado hit a sacrifice fly that gave Colorado a walk-off win.

Trailing 6-4 heading to the ninth, the Rockies cut the deficit on a bases-loaded walk by Troy Tulowitzki off Yimi Garcia (2-2). Catcher Yasmani Grandal was unable to handle left-hander J.P. Howell's first pitch to Carlos Gonzalez, and the passed ball allowed Charlie Blackmon to score and tie the game at 6.

Howell intentionally walked Gonzalez, and Arenado followed by hitting the winning fly over the Dodgers' five-man infield.

Rays 6, Angels 5 (10 innings)

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Kevin Kiermaier led off the 10th with a home run off Los Angeles closer Huston Street, snapping a tie and lifting Tampa Bay to a win.

The Rays scored all six runs on home runs, rallying from a 4-0 deficit to take two of three in the series. Joey Butler hit a two-run homer, and Steven Souza Jr. hit a three-run shot.

Brad Boxberger (3-3), the fifth of seven Rays pitchers to appear in the game, got the win over Street (2-2). Steve Geltz got the final two outs in the bottom of the 10th for his second save of the season.

Phillies 5, Reds 4 (11 innings)

PHILADELPHIA -- An error by reliever Ryan Mattheus in the bottom of the 11th allowed Philadelphia to score the winning run against Cincinnati.

Phillies rookie Maikel Franco, who ended a no-hit bid by Reds starter Mike Leake with a two-out single in the seventh, tied the score with a three-run homer off Cincinnati closer Aroldis Chapman in the ninth, when Philadelphia scored four times to erase a 4-0 deficit.

Cody Asche doubled off Mattheus (0-1) with one out in the 11th. Freddy Galvis then grounded a ball to Joey Votto at first base. Mattheus dropped Votto's underhand throw, allowing Asche to score.

Diamondbacks 9, Braves 8

PHOENIX -- Yasmany Tomas had three hits and an RBI and A.J. Pollock homered to help Arizona overcame a six-run deficit.

Pollock, David Peralta, Chris Owings and Jarrod Saltalamacchia had two hits for Arizona, which tied a franchise record for the largest deficit overcome.

Atlanta's Freddie Freeman hit two homers, and his three-run shot in the second inning staked right-hander Mike Foltynewicz to a 6-0 lead. Freeman, who had three homers in the series, also homered in the fourth for Atlanta.

Blue Jays 8, Nationals 0

WASHINGTON -- Starter Mark Buehrle threw a six-hit shutout and Jose Reyes had three hits and drove in two runs as Torontoscored four runs in the first inning against Washington.

Buehrle now has 30 interleague wins, the most among active pitchers. Every Toronto starter had a hit and six different players drove in runs for Buehrle, who entered the game getting 7.96 runs of support while in the game this season. It was his 10th career shutout.

Pirates 5, Giants 2

SAN FRANCISCO -- Francisco Liriano limited San Francisco to one run in seven innings and Jordy Mercer homered for the second day in a row, helping Pittsburgh complete a three-game sweep.

The sweep was the Pirates' first in San Francisco in 11 years and exacted a measure of revenge from a team that ended Pittsburgh's season with an 8-0 thrashing in the National League wild-card game in October.

The Giants have lost five in a row, their longest losing streak since an eight-gamer in April.

Cardinals 7, Brewers 4

ST. LOUIS -- The Cardinals scored five runs in the first inning -- more than they had scored in each of their last six games.

In the first inning, Jhonny Peralta, Mark Reynolds, Jadier Molina and Jason Heyward all drove in runs. Matt Carpenter singled home two in the fourth as he, Peralta and Molina all had two hits.

John Lackey (4-3) scattered 10 hits in seven innings, giving up three runs. In beating Milwaukee for the second time this year, Lackey walked one and struck out five.

Yankees 3, Mariners 1

SEATTLE -- Mark Teixeira and Garrett Jones each homered and Masahiro Tanaka won in his first game back from the disabled list as New York swept a three-game series against Seattle.

Tanaka, working his way back from right wrist tendinitis and a strained forearm, threw 78 pitches in seven innings, struck out nine batters and allowed just one run and three hits.

In the second inning, Teixeira hit his 16th home run of the season. Dustin Ackley's RBI double tied it in the third, but Jones' two-run shot in the fourth stood up as the game-winner.

Twins 3-2, Red Sox 6-0

BOSTON -- Trevor May turned in the best start of his career, tying a season high with nine strikeouts and holding Boston to two hits in seven innings in the second game of a day-night doubleheader at Fenway Park.

Chris Hermann went 1-for-3 and drove in a run and Danny Santana's safety squeeze brought home a run for the Twins, who had five hits in the nightcap.

Minnesota avoided a doubleheader sweep after losing 6-3 in the afternoon game. David Ortiz had two doubles and snapped a five-game stretch without an RBI for Boston in the opener.

A's 6, Tigers 1

DETROIT -- Sonny Gray tossed eight shutout innings and hot-hitting Billy Burns smacked a three-run triple as Oakland handed Detroit its sixth consecutive loss.

The A's ace allowed just two two hits -- singles by Yoenis Cespedes and Miguel Cabrera -- while walking one and striking out seven. Cabrera broke up Oakland's shutout bid with an RBI double in the ninth off reliever Fernando Rodriguez.

Burns' five-game streak of multi-hit games ended, but he made his one hit count with a two-out triple in the second. Josh Reddick had a solo homer and Brett Lawrie doubled twice and drove in a run for the A's, who have won five of their last six games.

Marlins 7, Cubs 3

MIAMI -- Giancarlo Stanton and Jeff Baker hit back-to-back homers for Miami in a game that featured a benches-clearing confrontation.

The fireworks started in the fifth inning when the Marlins hit three straight balls in a span of six pitches either over the fence in left or off the wall in right. Stanton hit his 17th homer of the season and Baker followed with his second as the Marlins took a 6-0 lead.

Chicago's Junior Lake drilled a two-run homer in the sixth, sparking the hostilities by staying at home plate for a few seconds to admire his work. As he rounded third, he looked toward the Marlins dugout and gestured. That infuriated Jose Fernandez, who is on the disabled list after elbow surgery yet athletically leaped over the fence and ran onto the field to confront Lake in a profanity-laced tirade. No punches were thrown.

Royals 4, Indians 2

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Jason Vargas and Kansas City beat Cleveland again, and Corey Kluber continued to have his problems with the Royals.

Kluber, the reigning American League Cy Young Award winner, is 0-3 against the Royals. He gave up three runs on five straight hits in the third inning.

Vargas, who missed three weeks with a flexor strain before coming off the disabled list May 26, scattered eight hits in six innings. He is 3-0 against the Indians.

Alcides Escobar, Mike Moustakas and Eric Hosmer combined to go 6-for-12 with two doubles, scored three runs and two RBIs.

Astros 3, Orioles 1

HOUSTON -- Rookie Lance McCullers delivered the strongest start of his brief and promising career with 11 strikeouts and a complete game for Houston against Baltimore.

The Astros supported McCullers with solo home runs against Orioles right-hander Miguel Gonzalez (5-4). Chris Carter bashed a homer with two outs in the second inning and a 453-foot shot to left center in the fifth. George Springer lined a homer to left with one out in the sixth for a 3-1 lead.

White Sox 9, Rangers 2

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Chris Sale settled into a groove and struck out 13 in Chicago's romp past Texas.

Sale pitched seven innings and posted his 22nd career game with double-figure strikeouts, extending his franchise record. He has three straight games with at least 10 Ks.

The White Sox got a boost from Jose Abreu, who returned to the lineup and drove in three runs. He had missed the previous three games with a finger sprain.

Padres 7, Mets 3

SAN DIEGO -- James Shields pitched seven strong innings, and Will Middlebrooks drove in three runs as San Diego beat New York.

Shields (7-0) allowed two runs on six hits and two walks while striking out four. He became the second pitcher in Padres history to start a season with at least seven consecutive wins. Andy Hawkins began the 1985 season 11-0.

Will Venable, Justin Upton and Matt Kemp had two hits apiece in the Padres' second straight win over the Mets, who lost for the fourth time in six games. San Diego completed a seven-game homestand with a 4-3 record.

 

[CNOTES]

MLB
Long Sheet

Thursday, June 4

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

CHICAGO CUBS (27 - 24) at WASHINGTON (29 - 24) - 7:05 PM
JAKE ARRIETA (R) vs. GIO GONZALEZ (L)
Top Trends for this game.
CHICAGO CUBS are 1414-1577 (-281.0 Units) against the money line in all games since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 1357-1490 (-255.8 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field since 1997.
GONZALEZ is 114-79 (+30.1 Units) against the money line in all games since 1997. (Team's Record)
GONZALEZ is 113-76 (+32.2 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field since 1997. (Team's Record)
ARRIETA is 13-5 (+8.6 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
WASHINGTON is 2-1 (+1.1 Units) against CHICAGO CUBS this season
3 of 3 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+3.0 Units)

JAKE ARRIETA vs. WASHINGTON since 1997
ARRIETA is 0-1 when starting against WASHINGTON with an ERA of 5.81 and a WHIP of 1.581.
His team's record is 3-3 (-0.3 units) in these starts. The OVER is 3-3. (-0.0 units)

GIO GONZALEZ vs. CHICAGO CUBS since 1997
GONZALEZ is 3-1 when starting against CHICAGO CUBS with an ERA of 2.39 and a WHIP of 0.956.
His team's record is 4-2 (+1.4 units) in these starts. The OVER is 3-2. (+1.0 units)

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

CINCINNATI (22 - 29) at PHILADELPHIA (21 - 33) - 7:05 PM
ANTHONY DESCLAFANI (R) vs. AARON HARANG (R)
Top Trends for this game.
CINCINNATI is 42-67 (-21.3 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
CINCINNATI is 42-67 (-21.3 Units) against the money line in road games in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
CINCINNATI is 507-574 (+29.6 Units) against the money line in road games against right-handed starters since 1997.
CINCINNATI is 392-347 (+59.4 Units) against the money line in road games when playing against a team with a losing record since 1997.
PHILADELPHIA is 76-97 (-30.4 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
PHILADELPHIA is 2-0 (+2.6 Units) against CINCINNATI this season
2 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+2.2 Units)

ANTHONY DESCLAFANI vs. PHILADELPHIA since 1997
DESCLAFANI is 0-1 when starting against PHILADELPHIA with an ERA of 8.44 and a WHIP of 1.313.
His team's record is 0-1 (-1.2 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 0-1. (-1.2 units)

AARON HARANG vs. CINCINNATI since 1997
HARANG is 3-1 when starting against CINCINNATI with an ERA of 2.97 and a WHIP of 1.286.
His team's record is 3-2 (+2.1 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-4. (-3.3 units)

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

NY METS (29 - 25) at ARIZONA (25 - 27) - 9:40 PM
MATT HARVEY (R) vs. JEREMY HELLICKSON (R)
Top Trends for this game.
NY METS are 3-14 (-11.2 Units) against the money line in road games in night games this season.
NY METS are 98-79 (+34.3 Units) against the money line in road games when playing on Thursday since 1997.
NY METS are 61-41 (+18.0 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
ARIZONA is 89-125 (-31.1 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
ARIZONA is 757-668 (-88.6 Units) against the money line in home games since 1997.
ARIZONA is 89-125 (-31.1 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
ARIZONA is 33-54 (-20.8 Units) against the money line after a win over the last 2 seasons.
ARIZONA is 34-67 (-28.3 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.

MATT HARVEY vs. ARIZONA since 1997
HARVEY is 1-1 when starting against ARIZONA with an ERA of 3.97 and a WHIP of 1.589.
His team's record is 1-1 (-0.1 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-1. (-0.2 units)

JEREMY HELLICKSON vs. NY METS since 1997
HELLICKSON is 0-1 when starting against NY METS with an ERA of 19.62 and a WHIP of 2.725.
His team's record is 0-1 (-1.3 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 0-1. (-1.2 units)

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

ST LOUIS (35 - 18) at LA DODGERS (31 - 22) - 10:10 PM
MICHAEL WACHA (R) vs. CARLOS FRIAS (R)
Top Trends for this game.
ST LOUIS is 20-36 (-19.1 Units) against the money line in road games after a win over the last 2 seasons.
LA DODGERS are 20-4 (+13.7 Units) against the money line in home games against right-handed starters this season.
LA DODGERS are 60-30 (+21.2 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 2 seasons.
ST LOUIS is 35-18 (+14.7 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
ST LOUIS is 35-18 (+14.7 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
ST LOUIS is 29-13 (+14.4 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
ST LOUIS is 58-43 (+12.3 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
WACHA is 9-1 (+8.2 Units) against the money line in all games this season. (Team's Record)
WACHA is 6-0 (+6.5 Units) against the money line in road games this season. (Team's Record)
WACHA is 9-1 (+8.2 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
ST LOUIS is 2-1 (+0.7 Units) against LA DODGERS this season
3 of 3 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+3.0 Units)

MICHAEL WACHA vs. LA DODGERS since 1997
WACHA is 2-1 when starting against LA DODGERS with an ERA of 1.86 and a WHIP of 0.776.
His team's record is 2-1 (+1.2 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-2. (-1.0 units)

CARLOS FRIAS vs. ST LOUIS since 1997
FRIAS is 1-0 when starting against ST LOUIS with an ERA of 0.00 and a WHIP of 1.000.
His team's record is 1-0 (+1.2 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-1. (-1.0 units)

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

OAKLAND (22 - 33) at DETROIT (28 - 26) - 1:05 PM
JESSE HAHN (R) vs. SHANE GREENE (R)
Top Trends for this game.
OAKLAND is 22-33 (-16.7 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
OAKLAND is 5-14 (-11.7 Units) against the money line in day games this season.
OAKLAND is 20-31 (-17.1 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
OAKLAND is 79-73 (-17.6 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
OAKLAND is 6-15 (-12.4 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
OAKLAND is 22-34 (-13.7 Units) against the money line in road games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
DETROIT is 17-7 (+9.3 Units) against the money line in day games this season.
DETROIT is 1-8 (-8.0 Units) against the money line at home with a money line of -100 to -125 this season.
DETROIT is 38-41 (-19.9 Units) against the money line in home games against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
DETROIT is 47-52 (-19.6 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 2 seasons.
DETROIT is 52-53 (-18.0 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
OAKLAND is 3-2 (+0.7 Units) against DETROIT this season
4 of 4 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+4.0 Units)

JESSE HAHN vs. DETROIT since 1997
HAHN is 1-0 when starting against DETROIT with an ERA of 0.00 and a WHIP of 0.556.
His team's record is 1-0 (+1.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-1. (-1.0 units)

SHANE GREENE vs. OAKLAND since 1997
GREENE is 0-1 when starting against OAKLAND with an ERA of 6.35 and a WHIP of 1.411.
His team's record is 0-1 (-1.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-0. (+1.0 units)

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

BALTIMORE (23 - 29) at HOUSTON (34 - 20) - 2:10 PM
WEI-YIN CHEN (L) vs. DALLAS KEUCHEL (L)
Top Trends for this game.
BALTIMORE is 6-16 (-9.7 Units) against the money line in road games this season.
BALTIMORE is 189-314 (-103.4 Units) against the money line after 3 or more consecutive losses since 1997.
HOUSTON is 34-20 (+13.2 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
HOUSTON is 34-20 (+13.2 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
HOUSTON is 20-13 (+7.9 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
HOUSTON is 21-13 (+12.7 Units) against the money line after 3 or more consecutive wins over the last 3 seasons.
HOUSTON is 23-14 (+8.2 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
KEUCHEL is 26-14 (+17.0 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
KEUCHEL is 25-13 (+16.1 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
BALTIMORE is 123-99 (+27.9 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 175-199 (+40.6 Units) against the money line as a road underdog of +125 to +150 since 1997.
BALTIMORE is 29-15 (+15.1 Units) against the money line when playing on Thursday over the last 3 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 109-87 (+24.2 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 56-42 (+16.3 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 2 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 59-48 (+17.1 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
CHEN is 55-34 (+19.8 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field since 1997. (Team's Record)
CHEN is 22-11 (+12.3 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
HOUSTON is 4-2 (+2.0 Units) against BALTIMORE this season
4 of 6 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+1.8 Units)

WEI-YIN CHEN vs. HOUSTON since 1997
CHEN is 3-0 when starting against HOUSTON with an ERA of 3.28 and a WHIP of 1.217.
His team's record is 4-0 (+4.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-3. (-2.1 units)

DALLAS KEUCHEL vs. BALTIMORE since 1997
KEUCHEL is 1-2 when starting against BALTIMORE with an ERA of 3.60 and a WHIP of 1.150.
His team's record is 1-2 (-0.9 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 2-1. (+0.9 units)

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

MINNESOTA (31 - 21) at BOSTON (24 - 30) - 4:05 PM
TOM MILONE (L) vs. STEVEN WRIGHT (R)
Top Trends for this game.
MINNESOTA is 22-48 (-22.9 Units) against the money line in road games after shutting out their opponent since 1997.
MINNESOTA is 31-21 (+16.4 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
MINNESOTA is 47-47 (+8.5 Units) against the money line in day games over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 31-21 (+16.4 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
MINNESOTA is 24-10 (+19.4 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
MILONE is 55-33 (+22.1 Units) against the money line in all games since 1997. (Team's Record)
MILONE is 53-31 (+21.6 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field since 1997. (Team's Record)
MILONE is 34-19 (+15.9 Units) against the money line after a win since 1997. (Team's Record)
BOSTON is 24-30 (-11.6 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
BOSTON is 39-54 (-22.4 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 46-61 (-31.9 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 24-30 (-13.9 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 13-20 (-12.0 Units) against the money line in home games in day games over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 85-106 (-34.9 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 25-34 (-18.6 Units) against the money line in home games after a loss over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 47-66 (-22.1 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
MINNESOTA is 4-2 (+2.8 Units) against BOSTON this season
3 of 5 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+0.6 Units)

TOM MILONE vs. BOSTON since 1997
MILONE is 0-2 when starting against BOSTON with an ERA of 11.85 and a WHIP of 2.048.
His team's record is 0-3 (-3.2 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 0-2. (-2.6 units)

STEVEN WRIGHT vs. MINNESOTA since 1997
No recent starts.

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

CHI WHITE SOX (24 - 27) at TEXAS (27 - 26) - 8:05 PM
CARLOS RODON (L) vs. YOVANI GALLARDO (R)
Top Trends for this game.
TEXAS is 27-26 (+9.9 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
CHI WHITE SOX are 66-67 (+12.0 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
CHI WHITE SOX are 369-369 (+35.0 Units) against the money line in road games after a win since 1997.
TEXAS is 29-51 (-21.8 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 over the last 2 seasons.
TEXAS is 43-63 (-21.8 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons.
TEXAS is 18-43 (-27.2 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 9 to 9.5 over the last 2 seasons.
TEXAS is 43-63 (-21.8 Units) against the money line in home games in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
TEXAS is 62-95 (-24.6 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
TEXAS is 32-50 (-18.5 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
GALLARDO is 11-21 (-12.4 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
TEXAS is 1-1 (+0.0 Units) against CHI WHITE SOX this season
2 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+2.1 Units)

CARLOS RODON vs. TEXAS since 1997
No recent starts.

YOVANI GALLARDO vs. CHI WHITE SOX since 1997
No recent starts.

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

CLEVELAND (25 - 27) at KANSAS CITY (30 - 20) - 8:10 PM
TREVOR BAUER (R) vs. CHRIS YOUNG (R)
Top Trends for this game.
CLEVELAND is 11-18 (-9.6 Units) against the money line against division opponents this season.
CLEVELAND is 7-14 (-9.1 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
KANSAS CITY is 30-20 (+9.5 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
KANSAS CITY is 29-9 (+18.4 Units) against the money line at home with a money line of -100 to -125 over the last 2 seasons.
KANSAS CITY is 18-8 (+8.7 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
KANSAS CITY is 27-14 (+13.9 Units) against the money line when playing on Thursday over the last 3 seasons.
KANSAS CITY is 30-20 (+9.5 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
KANSAS CITY is 93-65 (+18.9 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
KANSAS CITY is 93-67 (+15.5 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
YOUNG is 21-13 (+11.9 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
YOUNG is 12-5 (+8.3 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
YOUNG is 21-12 (+12.9 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
YOUNG is 13-6 (+9.6 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
KANSAS CITY is 302-320 (-70.9 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a losing record since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
KANSAS CITY is 5-3 (+2.3 Units) against CLEVELAND this season
6 of 8 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+3.9 Units)

TREVOR BAUER vs. KANSAS CITY since 1997
BAUER is 0-1 when starting against KANSAS CITY with an ERA of 4.22 and a WHIP of 1.735.
His team's record is 2-2 (+0.1 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-2. (-0.4 units)

CHRIS YOUNG vs. CLEVELAND since 1997
YOUNG is 2-0 when starting against CLEVELAND with an ERA of 2.45 and a WHIP of 0.927.
His team's record is 3-0 (+4.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-2. (-1.1 units)

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

TAMPA BAY (28 - 26) at SEATTLE (24 - 29) - 10:10 PM
ERASMO RAMIREZ (L) vs. ROENIS ELIAS (L)
Top Trends for this game.
TAMPA BAY is 105-111 (-26.4 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
SEATTLE is 24-29 (-9.9 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
SEATTLE is 17-27 (-20.4 Units) against the money line as a home favorite of -125 to -150 over the last 3 seasons.
SEATTLE is 12-16 (-9.5 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
SEATTLE is 145-182 (-51.3 Units) against the money line when playing on Thursday since 1997.
SEATTLE is 19-28 (-14.5 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
SEATTLE is 16-23 (-11.6 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
ELIAS is 6-13 (-10.2 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
ELIAS is 6-13 (-10.2 Units) against the money line in home games in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
SEATTLE is 3-0 (+3.3 Units) against TAMPA BAY this season
2 of 3 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+0.9 Units)

ERASMO RAMIREZ vs. SEATTLE since 1997
No recent starts.

ROENIS ELIAS vs. TAMPA BAY since 1997
ELIAS is 2-0 when starting against TAMPA BAY with an ERA of 3.29 and a WHIP of 1.170.
His team's record is 2-0 (+2.7 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-1. (+0.0 units)

 

[CNOTES]

MLB

Thursday, June 4


Marty Foster catering to Under bettors lately

The Under has gone 7-0 in the last seven ball games when umpire Marty Foster is behind home plate. He'll be behind the dish Thursday afternoon when the Boston Red Sox host the Minnesota Twins.

Foster has umpired 11 games behind home plate this season with all seven Unders coming after scorelines resulted in cashed Over bets in his first four.

There has been an average of 7.82 runs scored per game with Foster as home plate umpire.

The total for Thursday's contest between the Twins and Red Sox is presently 8.5.

 

[CNOTES]

Armadillo: Thursday's six-pack

-- Arizona-Seattle pulled off a 6-player trade; Mark Trumbo goes to Seattle while Wellington Castillo gets traded again, this time to catcher-needy Arizona.

-- Toronto 8, Washington 0-- Mark Buehrle is 30-10 in interleague games.

-- Since 2011, Marshawn Lynch has 48 rushing TDs, 14 more than anyone else in NFL. Too bad Seattle didn't give him the ball at the end of the Super Bowl.

-- Marlon Byrd broke his wrist, another blow in an already-dismal Reds' season.

-- How is Andrelton Simmons not in the top five in All-Star balloting for shortstops in the National League?

-- Astros are 12-5 in games when winning run scores from 7th inning on.

**********

Armadillo: Thursday's List of 13: Doing some thinking out loud.........

13) A record 22,374 entrants tried their hand in the Colossus poker tournament out in Las Vegas at the World Series of Poker. It only cost $565 to enter; Cord Garcia won and collected $638,880 for his troubles.

12) Dodgers' OF Joc Pederson has homered in five straight games, tying the Dodger franchise record. LA manager Don Mattingly once homered in eight straight.

11) I'd be curious in one of the day/night doubleheaders they have; how many people went to both games? That would be an excellent day.

10) In the first game of the twinbill at Fenway yesterday, a little kid held up this fairly large sign that said, "This is better than school." Better than working, too.

9) Ryan Braun had a shot in his right thumb, is out until Sunday; he was 2 for his last 15 so the Brewers decided a cryotherapy shot might help him.

8) Odd Fact of the Day: Ichiro Suzuki has been to Cooperstown six times; it ain't easy to get to Cooperstown. I live 90 miles from there and I've only been there a few more times than Ichiro.

7) Henry Ford's only son's name was Edsel; the Edsel was one of the worst selling cars ever in the late 50's and the name became synonymous with failure in business.

6) Home team won Noah Syndergaard's first five starts; Mets were outscored 17-4 in his three road starts, losing 6-1/4-1/7-2.

5) Brandon Moss hit his 100th career homer Monday night; the ball went in the Indian bullpen, so his teammates decided to hold the ball hostage; each of the 11 Indians in the bullpen posted a demand on a "ransom note" and unless they all get paid, Moss wasn't going to get the ball. Most of the demands were for Apple watches or IPads or IPhones; Moss later said he got the ball without having to pay up. .

4) In seven of Clay Buchholz' last nine starts, Boston scored exactly one run.

3) Billy Donovan signed up former Pelican coach Monty Williams as his top assistant, giving Donovan an experienced aide that he'll need in his first NBA season.

2) Giancarlo Stanton has the most homers at Marlins Park, 63; the player with the second most homers at Marlins Park is Marcell Ozuna, who has...........12.

1) They had an auction for charity during the Marlins' game last night; a painting of Stanton went for $25,000. The man who did the painting is a custodian for a living whose wife gave him a paint set for Christmas one year and since he has become a skilled artist. The man was in tears when they told him his painting fetched $25K for charity-- it was pretty cool to see.

 

[CNOTES]

NBA
Dunkel

Thursday, June 4

Cleveland @ Golden State

Game 701-702
June 4, 2015 @ 9:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Cleveland
130.794
Golden State
134.313
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Golden State
by 3 1/2
198
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Golden State
by 6
204
Dunkel Pick:
Cleveland
(+6); Under




NBA
Long Sheet

Thursday, June 4

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

CLEVELAND (65 - 31) at GOLDEN STATE (79 - 18) - 6/4/2015, 9:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
GOLDEN STATE is 53-40 ATS (+9.0 Units) in all games this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 48-34 ATS (+10.6 Units) as a favorite this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 29-18 ATS (+9.2 Units) in home games this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 35-23 ATS (+9.7 Units) revenging a loss vs opponent over the last 2 seasons.
GOLDEN STATE is 31-19 ATS (+10.1 Units) after a win by 10 points or more this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 31-19 ATS (+10.1 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 32-21 ATS (+8.9 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 38-25 ATS (+10.5 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game - 2nd half of the season over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
GOLDEN STATE is 3-3 against the spread versus CLEVELAND over the last 3 seasons
GOLDEN STATE is 4-2 straight up against CLEVELAND over the last 3 seasons
3 of 6 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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




NBA
Short Sheet

Thursday, June 4

NBA Finals - Best of 7 - Game 1

Cleveland Cavaliers at Golden State Warriros, 9:05 ET
Cleveland: 1-9 ATS in road games after scoring 105 or more 2 straight games
Golden State: 29-18 ATS as a home favorite




NBA

Thursday, June 4

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

9:00 PM
CLEVELAND vs. GOLDEN STATE
Cleveland is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Golden State
Cleveland is 2-7 SU in its last 9 games when playing Golden State
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Golden State's last 5 games at home
Golden State is 24-1 SU in its last 25 games at home

 

[CNOTES]

NBA

Thursday, June 4

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Game of the Day: Cavaliers at Warriors
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Cleveland Cavaliers at Golden State Warriors (-6, 202.5)

After a long break, the Golden State Warriors and visiting Cleveland Cavaliers open the best-of-seven NBA Finals on Thursday. The Warriors haven't played since dispatching the Houston Rockets in the Western Conference finals on May 27 and the Cavaliers have been resting since finishing off the Atlanta Hawks in the Eastern finals on May 26.

The finals are being billed as a clash of current MVP Stephen Curry and four-time MVP LeBron James and both players are having strong postseasons. Curry is averaging 29.2 points and 6.4 assists and has knocked down a postseason record 73 3-pointers while James is averaging 27.6 points, 10.4 rebounds and 8.3 assists but shooting just 17.6 percent from 3-point range. The Warriors are searching for their first NBA title since 1975 and Cleveland is looking for its initial crown and both teams are itching to finally hit the hardwood. "We're restless," James said at a press conference. "We don't like this much time off."

TV: 9 p.m. ET, ABC

LINE HISTORY: Most books opened the spread at GS -6 before moving down to -5.5 quickly. As of Wednesday evening most books shifted the line to -6. The total opened at 203.5 before being bet down to 202.5.

INJURY REPORT: Cavaliers - F Kevin Love (Out-Shoulder) Warriors - G Klay Thompson (Prob-Concussion), F Marreese Speights (Prob-Calf)

ABOUT THE CAVALIERS: The lengthy break has given injured point guard Kyrie Irving a chance to heal up and his ailing left knee has improved and his right foot is no longer a problem. But despite the rest time, he won't be 100 percent for the opener and will be still operating under the same thought process he did in the Eastern finals against Atlanta. "Just like I said before -- and I'm going to keep saying it -- it's a day-by-day thing," Irving said at a press conference. "Continue to get treatment and do what it takes."

ABOUT THE WARRIORS: Shooting guard Klay Thompson was a beneficiary of the long break and has been cleared to play in the opener after recovering from a concussion suffered in the finale against Houston. Thompson completed the league's concussion protocol and resumed practicing on Monday and pronounced himself ready to go. "I think it was mild," Thompson said a press conference. "It wasn't really severe but I think it was perfect timing because I got a week off to get perfectly healthy."

TRENDS:

*Cavaliers are 1-5 ATS in the last 6 meetings in Golden State.
*Warriors are 3-8 ATS in their last 11 home games.
*Under is 4-0 in Cavaliers last 4 road games.
*Under is 10-2 in Warriors last 12 overall.

CONSENSUS: 55.56 percent of users are on the Cavs +6 with 63.4 percent on the Over.

 

[CNOTES]

NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up

Thursday, June 4


Golden State won seven of its last nine games with Cleveland; eight of the nine games were decided by 9+ points. Teams split a pair this year, with Cavs losing by 18 here in January, winning by 11 at home February 26. Both head coaches are rookies, first time that has happened since first year of NBA. Cavaliers swept two of three series; they're 12-2 so far in playoffs, Warriors are 12-3. Eight of last ten Golden State games stayed under the total. Cleveland won its last four road games SU. Last three series games stayed under the total.

 

[CNOTES]

Stat you need to know for Game1 of the NBA Finals


The Cleveland Cavaliers are 9-0 straight up and 8-1 against the spread in nine games with referee Jason Phillips as part of the officiating crew during the 2014-15 regular season and postseason. Along with Monty McCutchen and James Capers, Phillips is part of the trio that will work Game 1 of the NBA Finals between the Cavs and Golden State Warriors Thursday evening.


Phillips has worked three Cavaliers playoff games thus far with the team going 2-1 ATS. The only ATS loss was Game 4 against the Chicago Bulls when the Cavs prevailed 86-84 but failed to cover as 3-point road faves. Cleveland was 6-0 SU and ATS in six regular season games with Phillips on the floor.


Game 1 of the NBA Finals gets underway at 9:00 p.m. ET Thursday evening. The Warriors are presently 6-point home faves.

 

[CNOTES]

LeBron's betting stats in the Finals leaves something to be desired


This is LeBron James' fifth consecutive trip to the NBA Finals and sixth overall, but those backing him on the NBA's biggest stage have left disappointed.


LeBron is just 11-16 straight up in his 27 Finals games, going a 11-15-1 record against the spread in those contests.


This time around LeBron and the Cavaliers face the regular season MVP Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors and although they are lacking in Finals experience, they have were one of the best bets ATS this season at 47-34-1. They are 8-7 ATS this postseason.


When it comes to totals in the Finals LeBron has kept it pretty even, going 12-13-2 over/under in the Finals.

 

[CNOTES]

FIVE TIPS FOR NBA FINALS BETTING


The 2015 NBA Finals between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Golden State Warriors gets underway tonight with Game 1 of this best-of-seven showdown scheduled at Oracle Arena in Oakland. Doc's Sports has you covered for all the action with our top five handicapping tips heading into this highly-anticipated showdown.


Home-Court Advantage


Home-court advantage in any NBA playoff series is huge, and that fact is only magnified when it comes down to the NBA Finals. Cleveland ended the regular season with a home record of 31-10 straight up, while Golden State lost only two games SU at home all season long.


Through the first three rounds of this season’s playoffs, the Cavaliers were 6-1 SU in seven previous home games while Golden State was 7-1 SU at home. What bettors need to keep in mind is each team’s record against the spread on their home court. According to ATS records this season, Cleveland is an even 24-24 ATS on its home court, and Golden State is 29-19-1 ATS at home. Recent betting trends tend to favor the road team a bit in this matchup with the Cavaliers going 4-7 ATS in their last 11 home games and the Warriors going 3-8 ATS in their last 11 games at home.


Injuries and the Betting Odds


Both of these teams have gotten a bit nicked up during the course of these playoffs, and heading into Game 1 there are a few injury concerns for each side. Kyrie Irving is not listed on Cleveland’s latest injury list, but he has missed some time in the postseason with nagging injuries to his foot and knee. Golden State’s current injury list on Covers has Klay Thompson listed as “probable” for Thursday night after suffering a concussion in the series against the Houston Rockets, and Marreese Speights is still listed as “questionable” after missing his last eight games due to an injured calf.


The bottom line in a series this big is to keep a careful watch on the injury lists as the series wears on. Neither team will try and tip their hand when it comes to injuries, so there may be some last-minute swings to the betting odds if a big-name player sits or plays as a game-time decision.


Over and Under Betting Trends


Many times you can find some solid value in the betting odds for the total lines for the NBA playoffs, and this series should follow suit. There has been a clear advantage for a play on the “under” for both these teams in the postseason so far.
Game logs for the Cavaliers have the total going over in their last two games against the Atlanta Hawks in the Eastern Conference Finals, but prior to that the total actually stayed under in eight of their previous 12 playoff games. The trends for Golden State paint the same picture with the total staying under in 11 of its first 15 postseason games.


Tale of the Tape: James vs Curry


Both of these teams have a quality starting lineup and solid depth on throughout their bench, but this series will most likely come down to which one of their superstars plays the best. This will be LeBron James’ fifth straight appearance in the NBA Finals, and he has led Cleveland in this season’s playoffs with a team-high 27.6 points, 10.4 rebounds and 8.3 assists a game. Stephen Curry has led the way for Golden State with 29.2 points and 6.4 assists a game, and he is shooting 43.7 percent from 3-point range through his first 15 playoff games.


The biggest difference between the two is the past experience on the NBA’s biggest stage. This edge clearly goes to James, and it may actually be a deciding factor in which team goes on to win this season’s title.


Betting Trends: the Intangibles


Past betting trends can’t predict the future, but they can offer clues as to what might happen in both Game 1 and this series as a whole. According to Covers, Cleveland is 13-3 ATS in their last 16 games against a team from the West, and it is 6-1 ATS in its last seven games against a team from the Pacific Division.


The Warriors have failed to cover in five of their last six games against a team from the Central Division, but they are 20-8-2 ATS in their last 30 home games against a team with a SU winning record on the road.


Head-to-head in this matchup, Golden State has a SU 7-2 edge in the last nine meetings, and it is 7-3 ATS in the last 10 games between the two. The total has stayed under in the last three meetings.