<TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=3 width=500 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=rs_value vAlign=top align=left width="50%">Yesterday</TD><TD class=rs_value vAlign=top align=right width="10%">2</TD><TD class=rs_value vAlign=top align=right width="10%">1</TD><TD class=rs_value vAlign=top align=right width="10%">0</TD><TD class=rs_value vAlign=top align=right width="20%">+2.18 Units</TD></TR><TR><TD class=rs_value vAlign=top align=left width="50%">Last 30 Days</TD><TD class=rs_value vAlign=top align=right width="10%">37</TD><TD class=rs_value vAlign=top align=right width="10%">41</TD><TD class=rs_value vAlign=top align=right width="10%">0</TD><TD class=rs_value vAlign=top align=right width="20%">+14.38 Units</TD></TR><TR><TD class=rs_value vAlign=top align=left width="50%">Season To Date (Since April 2007)</TD><TD class=rs_value vAlign=top align=right width="10%">176</TD><TD class=rs_value vAlign=top align=right width="10%">209</TD><TD class=rs_value vAlign=top align=right width="10%">0</TD><TD class=rs_value vAlign=top align=right width="20%">+22.73 Units</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
HOME TEAM IN CAPS
All games are listed pitchers unless stated otherwise.
St. Louis +1.07 over MILWAUKEE
Jump on this one early, as this is a matinee game and the line will only move in one direction and it won’t be in our favor. The Cardinals are charging hard while the Brewers are laboring badly. In fact, the Cards have won four straight and six of seven to pull within 3½ games of the Brewers and that’s rather remarkable when you consider how far out they were a month ago. Not only are the Cardinals winning, they’re swinging some hot sticks, having scored 38 runs in their past four games and that includes 20 over the Brewers in the first two games of this series. Dave Bush isn’t fooling anyone these days and with him pitching and the Brewers reeling the chances of the Brewers salvaging one game is not good. Bush has been roughed up in each of his last three starts, allowing 26 hits and 13 runs in just 16 innings. Over that stretch the opposition hit a hopping .392 off him. It’s also worth noting that Bush has allowed 10 jacks over his last six starts. Adam Wainright has really stepped it up and has been one of baseball’s best starters over the last five weeks. Wainright has gone 4-2 with a 3.00 ERA over his last seven starts but he could easily be 6-0, as the Cards scored just twice in his two losses. Furthermore, Wainright has pitched into the seventh inning in five of those seven starts and that includes a six-hit, seven inning performance in that hitters haven in Philadelphia in which Wainright did not allow a single run. Hot vs ice cold and choking gets the easy call in this one. Play: St. Louis +1.07 (Risking 2 units).
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FLORIDA –1½ +1.81 over Arizona
The Marlins aren’t going anywhere but this is a team that’s going to make life miserable for the contenders down the stretch. Florida is quietly playing some damn good ball at the moment and they’re seeing beach balls in the process. The Marlins have won four of six and they’ve collected 10 hits of more in five of those games. That should bode well here against Livan Hernandez and his 5.10 road ERA. Not only has Hernandez been very hittable but he’s also walked 63 batters while striking out just 72. On the road he’s walked more (36) then he’s struck out (33). The league is hitting .299 off him and it’s also worth noting that he’s pitched close to 2400 innings in his career and these hot August nights are not kind to tired or worn down arms. The Fish will send out a rookie by the name of Daniel Barone. Barone went just 4.2 innings in his debut against the Mets but he looked pretty good, allowing just two earned runs. He walked four batters but credit that to nerves, as he’s not shown a propensity for walking people in his minor league career. In fact, he only averaged two walks per nine innings in 136 minor league frames. The other advantage is that the D-Backs have never seen Barone before while Hernandez has been seen by all major league hitters about a dozen times each. So, yeah, the Snakes are hot and it’s not customary for us to go against hot teams. However, the Fish are warming up too, they’re swinging some very hot bats and they have a good chance to score a bunch more here. Lay the eight cents if you wish, it’s not a bad bet at all, we’ll gamble a bit and take back a big price on a ticket that has a good chance to cash. Play: Florida –1½ +1.81 (Risking 2 units).
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Detroit +1.33 over NY YANKEES
The Yanks went on a huge, huge run and one could not help but be impressed by the mighty Yankees but let’s have a closer look at that big run, shall we? The Yanks big run started on July 2 when they took three out of four from the Twins, a team that’s been playing .500 all year and that can’t score runs. Also during the Yanks big run they played the D-Rays eight times, The Royals seven times, the White Sox three times, the Blue Jays seven times, the Orioles six times, the Angels three times and the Indians three times. Incidentally, when they caught the Indians, Cleveland was in the midst of a stretch in which they lost 12 of 18 games. Also during that stretch, the Yanks lost four of six games to the Orioles including their last two games in which they scored in just one inning. In reality, the Yanks beat up on a bunch of dregs with the exception of a couple of teams and in no way do they have a pitching edge in this game. Mike Mussina is a fraction of the pitcher he once was and comes in with a 5.10 ERA at Yankee Stadium. His last five wins were against the Rays, Royals twice, Cleveland and the White Sox so you’ll have to excuse me while I shit myself in awe of Mike Mussina. Mussina’s last three losses came against Tampa Bay, Minnesota and San Fran. Meanwhile, Justin Verlander is 6-2 on the road with a 3.13 ERA. The league is hitting just .226 off him and that number diminishes on the road to .221. Verlander throws strikes, he wins games and he pitches for an offense that is as prolific as the Yankees and maybe more so. Of course the Yanks can win here, they can beat anyone according to that dishrag whore in the radio booth, Susan Something-or other, however, when we can take-back +1.33 on the Tigers with Verlander going against an overpriced Yankee team you can pencil us in each and every time. Play: Detroit +1.33 (Risking 2 units).
HOME TEAM IN CAPS
All games are listed pitchers unless stated otherwise.
St. Louis +1.07 over MILWAUKEE
Jump on this one early, as this is a matinee game and the line will only move in one direction and it won’t be in our favor. The Cardinals are charging hard while the Brewers are laboring badly. In fact, the Cards have won four straight and six of seven to pull within 3½ games of the Brewers and that’s rather remarkable when you consider how far out they were a month ago. Not only are the Cardinals winning, they’re swinging some hot sticks, having scored 38 runs in their past four games and that includes 20 over the Brewers in the first two games of this series. Dave Bush isn’t fooling anyone these days and with him pitching and the Brewers reeling the chances of the Brewers salvaging one game is not good. Bush has been roughed up in each of his last three starts, allowing 26 hits and 13 runs in just 16 innings. Over that stretch the opposition hit a hopping .392 off him. It’s also worth noting that Bush has allowed 10 jacks over his last six starts. Adam Wainright has really stepped it up and has been one of baseball’s best starters over the last five weeks. Wainright has gone 4-2 with a 3.00 ERA over his last seven starts but he could easily be 6-0, as the Cards scored just twice in his two losses. Furthermore, Wainright has pitched into the seventh inning in five of those seven starts and that includes a six-hit, seven inning performance in that hitters haven in Philadelphia in which Wainright did not allow a single run. Hot vs ice cold and choking gets the easy call in this one. Play: St. Louis +1.07 (Risking 2 units).
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FLORIDA –1½ +1.81 over Arizona
The Marlins aren’t going anywhere but this is a team that’s going to make life miserable for the contenders down the stretch. Florida is quietly playing some damn good ball at the moment and they’re seeing beach balls in the process. The Marlins have won four of six and they’ve collected 10 hits of more in five of those games. That should bode well here against Livan Hernandez and his 5.10 road ERA. Not only has Hernandez been very hittable but he’s also walked 63 batters while striking out just 72. On the road he’s walked more (36) then he’s struck out (33). The league is hitting .299 off him and it’s also worth noting that he’s pitched close to 2400 innings in his career and these hot August nights are not kind to tired or worn down arms. The Fish will send out a rookie by the name of Daniel Barone. Barone went just 4.2 innings in his debut against the Mets but he looked pretty good, allowing just two earned runs. He walked four batters but credit that to nerves, as he’s not shown a propensity for walking people in his minor league career. In fact, he only averaged two walks per nine innings in 136 minor league frames. The other advantage is that the D-Backs have never seen Barone before while Hernandez has been seen by all major league hitters about a dozen times each. So, yeah, the Snakes are hot and it’s not customary for us to go against hot teams. However, the Fish are warming up too, they’re swinging some very hot bats and they have a good chance to score a bunch more here. Lay the eight cents if you wish, it’s not a bad bet at all, we’ll gamble a bit and take back a big price on a ticket that has a good chance to cash. Play: Florida –1½ +1.81 (Risking 2 units).
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Detroit +1.33 over NY YANKEES
The Yanks went on a huge, huge run and one could not help but be impressed by the mighty Yankees but let’s have a closer look at that big run, shall we? The Yanks big run started on July 2 when they took three out of four from the Twins, a team that’s been playing .500 all year and that can’t score runs. Also during the Yanks big run they played the D-Rays eight times, The Royals seven times, the White Sox three times, the Blue Jays seven times, the Orioles six times, the Angels three times and the Indians three times. Incidentally, when they caught the Indians, Cleveland was in the midst of a stretch in which they lost 12 of 18 games. Also during that stretch, the Yanks lost four of six games to the Orioles including their last two games in which they scored in just one inning. In reality, the Yanks beat up on a bunch of dregs with the exception of a couple of teams and in no way do they have a pitching edge in this game. Mike Mussina is a fraction of the pitcher he once was and comes in with a 5.10 ERA at Yankee Stadium. His last five wins were against the Rays, Royals twice, Cleveland and the White Sox so you’ll have to excuse me while I shit myself in awe of Mike Mussina. Mussina’s last three losses came against Tampa Bay, Minnesota and San Fran. Meanwhile, Justin Verlander is 6-2 on the road with a 3.13 ERA. The league is hitting just .226 off him and that number diminishes on the road to .221. Verlander throws strikes, he wins games and he pitches for an offense that is as prolific as the Yankees and maybe more so. Of course the Yanks can win here, they can beat anyone according to that dishrag whore in the radio booth, Susan Something-or other, however, when we can take-back +1.33 on the Tigers with Verlander going against an overpriced Yankee team you can pencil us in each and every time. Play: Detroit +1.33 (Risking 2 units).